Ambre 114 Histories de Parfums Review – Do You Need It?
Ambre 114.
One of the best niche fragrances for beginners.
Histories de Parfums Ambre 114 was released in 2001. It is based on amber and vanilla. It lasts eight hours on the skin with average projection. In this review, I will describe its smell and performance and if it’s worth it.
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Table of Contents
What Does Ambre 114 Smell Like?
The opening is led by equal parts subtle spice and powder. At first, I smell the spicy nutmeg followed by powdery vanilla and warm amber. At this point, amber is prominent but not as good as it will be near the end.
As the scent progresses, spices are not in the limelight anymore. Florals come in and push nutmeg to the backseat. The white florals do not become prominent but add an additional dynamic. The mid is still all about the amber and vanilla duo.
Heading into the dry down, fleeting hits of resinous sweetness appear. And it only becomes more prevalent as the base develops.
The dry-down is where Ambre 114 shines. There are additions of creamy sandalwood nuances. But the best part is the dominant, rich, and warm amber. Blended perfectly with slightly powdery vanilla.
For the rest of the wear, it is all about this duo. Through this review, Ambre 114 seems complex. Yet, the entire wear was always about amber and vanilla with the supporting nuances.
The official Histories de Parfums Ambre 114 notes:
TOP NOTES
- Nutmeg
- Thyme
MID NOTES
- Sandalwood
- Patchouli
- Geranium
- Rose
- Cedar
- Vetiver
BASE NOTES
- Amber
- Vanilla
- Benzoin
- Tonka bean
- Musk
Performance
The performance is slightly above average. It lasts eight hours on the skin with moderate but consistent projection. In the first few hours, there’s a pleasant ambiance of a couple of feet before receding.
This mild projection helps its wearability. It is all occasion wear. The scent is sophisticated enough to stand out at formal events and subtle and casual enough to never overwhelm in close-quarter settings.
The heavy emphasis on amber and vanilla does limit its versatility. It is exclusively fall and winter wear. Sometimes, if citruses are the prominent top notes, the amber and vanilla can be worn in the spring and cool summer, but not here. On a really hot day, this would be a burden to wear.
The closer you live to the equator, the less wearable this becomes. You’ll get a solid five months of wear in a four-season climate.
Lastly, its uniqueness, mass appeal, and likability. The aroma is not ultra-unique. There’s nothing special about a dominant amber and vanilla combination. However, the uniqueness comes from the blend’s quality and the supporting spices and resins in the background.
Mass appeal and likability are as good as everything else in this fragrance. The notes are high-quality and alluring. When was the last time you didn’t like a vanilla fragrance? If you’re looking for compliments, this will garner them too. This scent is not about smelling “sexy” but sophisticated and alluring.
Histories de Parfums Ambre 114 Clones
Ambre 114 has two clones. Unfortunately, I can’t personally attest to these two as I haven’t smelled them. But this information is pulled from others with experience in Fragrantica‘s similar fragrance section.
The first is Ambre Precieux Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier. The most significant difference in the scent profile is a lack of a prominent vanilla accord and more prevalent resins. The amber in both fragrances is dominant.
The second fragrance is Montale Blue Amber. This has a more similar scent breakdown. It has a dominant amber and vanilla blend. However, adding a prominent aromatic accord adds a fresh accent not found in Ambre 114.
Final Words
This is an easy fragrance to recommend. With all the detail from above, you can understand why I recommend it as one of the best niche fragrances for beginners. I didn’t mention this in the performance, but it’s an easy fragrance to wear. It “matches” any winter outfit and has the perfect projection that it’s harder to overwhelm.
On the Histories de Parfum’s official website, a 120mL bottle is $210. For a niche fragrance of this quality, it is considerably well-priced. In short, I recommend this fragrance for men. If you don’t feel comfortable blind buying a bottle this expensive, try to get your hands on a sample or decant.
After you try Histories de Parfums Ambre 114, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.