In perfumery, amber is the name of an accord — a blend of materials — rather than a single ingredient. A typical amber combines warm resins such as labdanum and benzoin with vanilla, balsams and sometimes spice, giving a glowing, sweet, enveloping warmth. Amber fragrances, the family once called "oriental", are built around that warmth. Perfume amber is not the fossilised tree resin used in jewellery, which has little scent, and it is not ambergris, a different material entirely.

Three things called amber

The word causes more confusion than almost any other in perfume, because it names three different things.

  • Amber the accord. The warm, golden blend described above. This is what "amber" usually means on a perfume description.
  • Amber the gemstone. Fossilised tree resin, millions of years old. Beautiful, but not a perfume material in the ordinary sense; "amber oil" sold under that name is usually something else.
  • Ambergris. A rare material formed in the digestive system of sperm whales, valued in historical perfumery for a salty, sweet, animalic warmth. In modern perfumery it is almost always replaced by synthetic materials with an ambergris character, which perfumers describe as "ambery" too.

So when a description lists "amber", it almost always means the accord — and when it lists "ambergris" or "ambery woods", it usually means one of the ambergris-like synthetic materials.

What amber fragrances smell like

Warm, sweet, resinous and soft. Words often used include golden, glowing, honeyed, powdery, balsamic and cosy. Common materials and notes in amber fragrances include:

  • Labdanum — a sticky resin from the rockrose shrub, leathery and warm.
  • Benzoin — a sweet, vanilla-like resin.
  • Vanilla and tonka — sweetness and softness. See Vanilla in Perfume.
  • Balsams — Peru and tolu balsam, warm and slightly cinnamon-like.
  • Spices — cinnamon, clove, cardamom.
  • Incense — frankincense and myrrh, for a smoky, ecclesiastical facet.

Why we call these smells "warm" at all is a question of language and association; we explore it in Why Some Scents Feel Warm.

Why the family was renamed

For much of the twentieth century, warm, resinous and spicy perfumes were grouped as "oriental" — a name rooted in a European fantasy of the East rather than in the materials themselves. Many in the industry now use amber instead. The perfumes are the same; the new name simply describes what they smell like.

Amber is not a material you can hold. It is a temperature a perfumer builds.

Styles of amber

  • Soft amber — powdery, vanillic and gentle; often close to the skin.
  • Spicy amber — cinnamon, clove and resins; rich and festive.
  • Woody amber — amber over woods such as sandalwood or cedar, sometimes with modern ambery woods; warm but drier. See Woody Fragrances.
  • Amber floral — flowers warmed with resins and vanilla. See Floral Fragrances.
  • Gourmand amber — amber pushed towards dessert notes. See Gourmand Perfumes.

How amber fragrances wear

Amber materials are heavy and slow to evaporate, so amber fragrances usually last a long time and can project strongly, especially in warmth. One or two sprays are often enough. In very hot weather they can feel dense; many people save them for evenings and cooler months, though plenty wear them all year. See Choosing Perfume for the Season.

Common questions

Does amber perfume contain real amber?

Almost never. "Amber" on a perfume describes an accord built from resins, vanilla and other materials.

What is the difference between amber and ambergris?

Amber is a warm, resinous accord. Ambergris is a rare whale-derived material with a salty, musky, sweet character, now usually replaced by synthetic molecules.

Is amber the same as oud?

No. Oud is a resinous wood with a dark, complex character; amber is a warm, sweet blend. They are often paired. See Oud, and the Many Lives of a Material.

What is "ambery" in a fragrance description?

Usually the dry, radiant warmth of the ambergris-like synthetic materials, rather than the sweet amber accord.

Further reading

Return to Fragrance Families Explained for the families around amber. For perfumers, RUŌOD Lab explains how to build an amber accord from labdanum, balsams and vanilla, and describes the best-known ambergris molecule in Ambroxide in Perfumery.