Amber Accords

It looks like amber-based perfumes are still pretty popular. Since I am yet in the middle of a purge in the studio, I won't be getting to any new amber base-building sessions for at least a week or two, but when I do, I'm going to resurrect a few old formulas of mine, as well as adding a slew of new floral-themed ambers to the mix. I may even make one or two alcohol-based amber perfumes to add to the perfume repertoire. One of the older formulations, a custom that I made for a client many years ago, featured crystalline fresh ginger with sweet honied notes buried in the nooks. The dregs of that project were mine to wear, and boy, did I wear it. I always promised myself I'd revisit this version of amber and make it readily available to the public, with a few tweaks here and there, to iron out what I felt were pitchy points in the composition. You never need to worry about longevity with amber-based perfumes as its very theme is representative of some of the longest-lasting materials used in natural perfumery. A small batch of Osmanthus Amber was recently released and sold out, and proved to last beyond four skin hours. 

The basic construct of ambers are these three ingredients -- vanilla, benzoin, and labdanum -- in varying percentages, but usually with more vanilla. This isn't always true. Other more enveloping materials, like attars and straight sandalwood, can help do what vanilla does, sans all of that sweetness. 

Vanilla 2 parts

Benzoin 1 part

Labdanum 1 part

This works as a starting point. To this, you are free to add any number of materials, including more of each vanilla, benzoin, and labdanum. The best structure that I've discovered thus far is building with two more crucial pieces, sandalwood and jasmine grandiflorum (sambac is too sweet and tea-like at this point), and then work in more typical amber materials, like clary sage absolute, patchouli absolute, clove bud absolute, Peru balsam, and a heady rose absolute. Amber base creation is a bit like incense-making in that the character of scent changes daily, with one day being dominated by labdanum, and the next day being dominated by clove. You just have to wait this out. Give the composition a lot of time for that chemical bonding to do its thing. Then pick your theme -- is this a floral amber? Then add those floral components -- ylang-ylang, rose de Mai, orris root, tuberose, and this is where the jasmine sambac will fit. Is it a spicy amber? Add some cardamom, ginger, pink pepper, and maybe even a drop of cilantro. If it's a straight lush amber, build on the components already present, beef up the rose absolute, smooth it over with more vanilla, douse the whole thing with sandalwood, and give it a little va-va-va-voom with loads more jasmine grandiflorum. 

Amber bases are sexy and intoxicating, and they can be used as-is or added to other perfume compositions to give them a little mystery. 

Of all of the perfume projects I've worked on, amber-based are my favorite.