Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens is not one those cozy, snuggly ambers. It’s not an amber that pours its syrup over you, leaving you drizzled in sweetness like a stack of pancakes. Ambre Sultan is spicy and prickly, with the bracing effect of striding through aromatic chaparral at the hottest of high noons.
I discovered the allure of Ambre Sultan in the heat last summer while sitting in my un-air-conditioned home writing a screenplay. In order to keep my "procrastinating mind" entertained while my "professional mind" focused on the script, I kept amping up the olfactory stimulation with Ambre Sultan. I ended up smelling like a cedar plank at a pig roast. It's the whole pain equals pleasure thing of eating wasabi peas or 4-chili Indian curry. Yeah!
Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan is available from LuckyScent.com, starting at $120 for 50ml.
it smells very much like my summer visits to Taiwan as a child. Temple incense in the heat. it's great.
ReplyDeleteMelissa - that's such a specific association. It made me run to my bottle of Ambre Sultan to sniff and try to imagine Taiwan.
ReplyDeleteKatie, I have a good news,after my sad little story with my friend, Harvy Nichols just opened in my country yaaay, now I have access to some of the niche perfumes that I've been hearing about for ages,I started with Luetens althogh they didnt get the whole line, I tried santal majeculus cos I love sandalwood, It was ok but faded out quickly & it didn't impress me but ambre sultan was very loud, a little bit like Indian masala for about 30 min then it turened to this addictive scent,I dont have any thing like it but I love it :) Hessa
ReplyDeleteHooraaaaaaay for Harvey Nicks! It's so great to finally to have access to the perfumes you've been reading about. You are going to have so much fun plowing through their perfume dept.
DeleteI definitely agree with you, that this is a refreshing perfume. A lot of the reviews that I have read on this, say, that it is heavy and huge.
ReplyDeleteI can think of many heavier ambers.
I was on the fence about it at first, but is now a part of my very small collection.
I don't have access to a lot of perfumes, as I live in Memphis TN. What other SL perfumes would you suggest to check out.
arline, perhaps investigate Feminite du Bois and Daim Blond.
DeleteThank you, I will!!
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