Reviews of Amber Mystique by Estée Lauder
As the winter wanes, I am wearing some of my more rich and opulent fragrances while they still seem most appropriate. We've reached the end of February, and the temps are entering the 40s, so I think I can swing Amber Mystique, the best kept 'secret' (or is it?) from Estee Lauder. This one has a potency and quality that matches that of higher end frags with much higher price points: your Tom Ford Private Blends, Frederic Malles, and the like. Curiously enough, both are owned by none other than...Estee Lauder. Well then, the myths melt and the prestige is demystified! Heaven forfend we believe that a fragrance that can be had for under 40 buckaroos could actually be of premium quality...
Amber Mystique is a take-no-prisoners kind of scent, with rich florals and jammy fruits colliding with mildly animalic amber and a Western-nose friendly oud simmering in a cauldron of incense, and it is magnificent. Undulating wafts greet my nose with a turn of my neck or a turn to my step, its as if I am in an olfactory force field, protected in this rosy, woody bubble of bliss. The dry down reveals what seems to be a myrrh note, at once bitter, but also sweet, maybe even umami (is there a smell equivalent to that? savory?), and there is a lingering dry pepperiness. The base, several hours in, is only rivaled by the likes of Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche in terms of substantivity.
I want to thank the Aetherialist (YT reviewer) for clueing me in to this affordable (at least for now) treasure.
Amber Mystique is a take-no-prisoners kind of scent, with rich florals and jammy fruits colliding with mildly animalic amber and a Western-nose friendly oud simmering in a cauldron of incense, and it is magnificent. Undulating wafts greet my nose with a turn of my neck or a turn to my step, its as if I am in an olfactory force field, protected in this rosy, woody bubble of bliss. The dry down reveals what seems to be a myrrh note, at once bitter, but also sweet, maybe even umami (is there a smell equivalent to that? savory?), and there is a lingering dry pepperiness. The base, several hours in, is only rivaled by the likes of Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche in terms of substantivity.
I want to thank the Aetherialist (YT reviewer) for clueing me in to this affordable (at least for now) treasure.
Dark amber and incense from the start: the pepper on top adds a nice spice to round out the first ten minutes or so. It's a dark Oriental oud to begin with, with lots of rose and patchouli. For the price, I was expecting something much more cloying and synthetic. That is not the case here at all: the oud (smells) natural, and the powdery-woody-dark rose notes go a long way to making this quite well-balanced. An oily leather scent comes through as well after the first hour, providing another layer to the fragrance after the strong peppery notes dies down a bit.
This is very unisex: in fact, I believe it may lean a little masculine due to the oud and leather playing a prominent role in both the top notes and the dry down. Amber is the start here, earthy and musky with just a bit of sweet: the incense gives it an overall smokey character for much of the scent's life.
I'm not usually a fan of heavy amber scents: it's not a combination in my scent wheelhouse, the amber often having too much of a screetchingly abrasive element for my tastes. That said, this is very good and a good bang for your buck fragrance. Projection is good, longevity is 4-5 hours. An unexpected, very welcome surprise. Must have if you like, or like the idea of, an amber scent with wood and spice.
7.5-8/10
This is very unisex: in fact, I believe it may lean a little masculine due to the oud and leather playing a prominent role in both the top notes and the dry down. Amber is the start here, earthy and musky with just a bit of sweet: the incense gives it an overall smokey character for much of the scent's life.
I'm not usually a fan of heavy amber scents: it's not a combination in my scent wheelhouse, the amber often having too much of a screetchingly abrasive element for my tastes. That said, this is very good and a good bang for your buck fragrance. Projection is good, longevity is 4-5 hours. An unexpected, very welcome surprise. Must have if you like, or like the idea of, an amber scent with wood and spice.
7.5-8/10
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From the very start I get the amber - rich, with a fresh touch but intense. There is an underlying berry-fruitiness supplying it with glimpses of brightness. An amber that is well executed.
The drydown adds a dark rose impression in the background, with a jasmine giving it a subtly green touch, but the amber remains proudly in the forefront. The floral notes are more frameworks than centrepieces.
The end of the heart notes sees the emergence of a darkish and slightly crisp patchouli. This blends in seamlessly with the other main player in the base, a typical oud impression. Whilst very stereotypical and at times a tad too generic, this oud is not bad on the whole and never too intrusive or cloying. Nonetheless, the amber stands firm in the centre of attention until the last gasp.
I get moderate sillage, excellent projection and an impressive ten hours of longevity on my skin.
Maybe the amber is too dominant overall, but this wintery creation is overall a nice example of an amber-centric scent with an acceptable oud and with an amber that is an unusually skillful team player. 3.5/5.
The drydown adds a dark rose impression in the background, with a jasmine giving it a subtly green touch, but the amber remains proudly in the forefront. The floral notes are more frameworks than centrepieces.
The end of the heart notes sees the emergence of a darkish and slightly crisp patchouli. This blends in seamlessly with the other main player in the base, a typical oud impression. Whilst very stereotypical and at times a tad too generic, this oud is not bad on the whole and never too intrusive or cloying. Nonetheless, the amber stands firm in the centre of attention until the last gasp.
I get moderate sillage, excellent projection and an impressive ten hours of longevity on my skin.
Maybe the amber is too dominant overall, but this wintery creation is overall a nice example of an amber-centric scent with an acceptable oud and with an amber that is an unusually skillful team player. 3.5/5.
It somewhat reminds me of the more expensive Idole de Lubin although Idole can be argued to have better quality components. Quite the bang for the buck here!
Greetings
This along with Wood Mystique are... to say the least, one of the best "bangs for your buck" that have come around in quite some time.
I was quite surprised .. as it's name implies, that there really is a "Mysterious" amber note in here. Although lurking in the base ( sometimes a bit too much, for my idea of an "Amber- frag) is, some spicy woodsy notes (& co).
Especially the wood. Still nice.
Is it a TF AA? No. But at the price of $27 for the 1.7 oz, who could complain?
Basically on my skin, from beginning to end it's more or less warm, spicy and as others have noted..a well balanced charming fragrance. "Attractive."
That mellow oud accord is not very shy either. It peeks out now and then (more now than then) but doesn't get too harsh albeit synthetic (no.. really?)
Sandalwood??
I even pick up the floral & raspberry notes but on me, they fade after an hour or so.
Again, as I said, overall it all works well together. Especially for $27!
With all the above stated I'm getting the incense and that, blending with the patchouli, musk and a "suede- like" leather, make for a very pleasant dry down. A bit seductive even.
However, on my skin the amber takes a slightly back seat which makes it more of a "woodsy-leather" frag during the last couple of hours. I could even call it a "woodsy-incense".
But the amber won't let me. (Ambers... they think the world revolves around them).
Wearable and well received, as stated by those who compliment my wearings.
Speaking of which... are becoming more and more frequent thanks to a more than acceptable performance on my skin.
Good silage
Good longevity- 7+ hours
Great price.
Well done Estèe... I'd even pay $27.50 if need be. ;)
7.5/10
Ciao
This along with Wood Mystique are... to say the least, one of the best "bangs for your buck" that have come around in quite some time.
I was quite surprised .. as it's name implies, that there really is a "Mysterious" amber note in here. Although lurking in the base ( sometimes a bit too much, for my idea of an "Amber- frag) is, some spicy woodsy notes (& co).
Especially the wood. Still nice.
Is it a TF AA? No. But at the price of $27 for the 1.7 oz, who could complain?
Basically on my skin, from beginning to end it's more or less warm, spicy and as others have noted..a well balanced charming fragrance. "Attractive."
That mellow oud accord is not very shy either. It peeks out now and then (more now than then) but doesn't get too harsh albeit synthetic (no.. really?)
Sandalwood??
I even pick up the floral & raspberry notes but on me, they fade after an hour or so.
Again, as I said, overall it all works well together. Especially for $27!
With all the above stated I'm getting the incense and that, blending with the patchouli, musk and a "suede- like" leather, make for a very pleasant dry down. A bit seductive even.
However, on my skin the amber takes a slightly back seat which makes it more of a "woodsy-leather" frag during the last couple of hours. I could even call it a "woodsy-incense".
But the amber won't let me. (Ambers... they think the world revolves around them).
Wearable and well received, as stated by those who compliment my wearings.
Speaking of which... are becoming more and more frequent thanks to a more than acceptable performance on my skin.
Good silage
Good longevity- 7+ hours
Great price.
Well done Estèe... I'd even pay $27.50 if need be. ;)
7.5/10
Ciao
This is for sure 100% a women's fragrance. I can not fathom why this would be considered unisex. That being said I think it is a nice women's perfume. Nice Rose blend between the top rose and mid rose notes. I do get some "powdery" notes as well and deep incense notes in the base. Not saying some guys might not enjoy this for themselves but not for me. Hopefully my wife will like this for herself. Women Enjoy.
this juice really surprised me, in a very pleasant way. I didnt expect much, given how cheap the cap and bottle looked. Usually, I dont care too much what the flacon looks like...but the painted, gold font and design on the bottle, didnt impress me, to the extent, I just assumed the scent wouldnt smell good.
I was wrong...very wrong. It may be synthetic oud, but this our fragrance is actually more impressive, and better constructed than L'Artisan Parfumeur's Al Ouhd scent..which is niche, but not as refined and "worked on" as this one. Al Ouhd, gives off a ery homemade-in-the-kitchen vibe that doesnt imnpress me as much as Amber Mystique. And the longevity here, is very, very impressive. I stopped counting after 10 hrs, and 4 sprays.
Amber Mystsique, stays well balanced, in spite of the kind of notes, like amber, berries and oud, that can make your tummy turn, if the scent is built around those notes that are typically heavy and overwhelming, like the ones that I mention.
two words to describe the genius of this scent?....perfectly balanced.
I was wrong...very wrong. It may be synthetic oud, but this our fragrance is actually more impressive, and better constructed than L'Artisan Parfumeur's Al Ouhd scent..which is niche, but not as refined and "worked on" as this one. Al Ouhd, gives off a ery homemade-in-the-kitchen vibe that doesnt imnpress me as much as Amber Mystique. And the longevity here, is very, very impressive. I stopped counting after 10 hrs, and 4 sprays.
Amber Mystsique, stays well balanced, in spite of the kind of notes, like amber, berries and oud, that can make your tummy turn, if the scent is built around those notes that are typically heavy and overwhelming, like the ones that I mention.
two words to describe the genius of this scent?....perfectly balanced.
I've had a sample of this for ages now but my hand would always pass over it, my mind doing the kind of internal eye-rolling that nonetheless is visible from outer space and makes me (I suspect) quite an irritating person. The preconceptions I nurtured so smugly were: (i) this is Estee Lauder making a cheap grab for their slice of the oud craze driving the market totally predictable and utterly depressing, (ii) the bottle is just f^&*($g awful, (iii) it would be just another syrupy, loud oriental amber along the lines of Ameer al Oudh, or 24 Gold, or (iv) that it would be stuffed with cheap woody ambers that scream Power and Projection to the bros and outstaying its welcome to me.
Thankfully, although I am still convinced of numbers (i) and (ii), my fears about the scent itself were completely unjustified. This is a sweet, soft oriental blend of rose, amber, incense, honey, some fruit, and a touch of (non-rubbery, non-medicinal) oud. It is not synthetically-extended in the rear with potent woody ambers. In fact, the sillage is polite and sweetly diaphanous rather than bullying or insistent.
I like it a lot. It would make a great starter oriental for those looking to dip their toe into the water, and for those who do not like the rather over-powered, syrupy, or harsh examples of the Arabian cheapy genre. It opens with a tiny berry and plum note, and what smells to me like a subtle oud wood note, but these get swallowed up pretty quickly into a powdery, sweet amber. It is sweetly balsamic and slightly-honeyed - never throat-catchingly resinous or sharp.
There is, later, an attractively whiskey-ish tone to the amber that develops, giving it some dimension. I also smell a slight buttery tone that could be a facet of the amber or of the leather either way, it reminds me of the only part of the amber accord in Opus VI that I really like, which is that buttery, almond-like undertone from the periploca flower. In Amber Mystique, you really feel the presence of the rose, and I would say that overall, this is a rosy amber (or an ambery rose), like Dior Privee's Ambre Nuit, albeit without the salty ambergris tint. If you like Kalemat or Calligraphy Rose, then you'll enjoy this too (although those other two perfumes are better, in my opinion).
If I had to point out a little niggle, I'd say that it lacks the sub-woofer boom that makes ambery orientals so (traditionally) satisfying. Everything unfolds in a little shallow pool of bliss, the ripples spreading out on the skin, but there are no hidden depths here.
In the United States, this appears to be sold on eBay for $30-40 for the 100ml size, but in Europe, we are still seeing prices of 80-110. I am surprised at the difference, but maybe the American market is just better at finding the correct value of things.
Personally, I would put the real value of Amber Mystique at around the same level of Spellbound or Sensuous Noir. It smells great but is neither groundbreakingly unique nor as attention-grabbing as Estee Lauder would like us to believe, and therefore the exclusive tone of the marketing and pricing makes little sense. But if you live in America and see this on eBay for peanuts, grab it! Especially if you don't already own an example in this genre Arabian-style oud/amber EDPs and would like to start off on an easy rung.
Thankfully, although I am still convinced of numbers (i) and (ii), my fears about the scent itself were completely unjustified. This is a sweet, soft oriental blend of rose, amber, incense, honey, some fruit, and a touch of (non-rubbery, non-medicinal) oud. It is not synthetically-extended in the rear with potent woody ambers. In fact, the sillage is polite and sweetly diaphanous rather than bullying or insistent.
I like it a lot. It would make a great starter oriental for those looking to dip their toe into the water, and for those who do not like the rather over-powered, syrupy, or harsh examples of the Arabian cheapy genre. It opens with a tiny berry and plum note, and what smells to me like a subtle oud wood note, but these get swallowed up pretty quickly into a powdery, sweet amber. It is sweetly balsamic and slightly-honeyed - never throat-catchingly resinous or sharp.
There is, later, an attractively whiskey-ish tone to the amber that develops, giving it some dimension. I also smell a slight buttery tone that could be a facet of the amber or of the leather either way, it reminds me of the only part of the amber accord in Opus VI that I really like, which is that buttery, almond-like undertone from the periploca flower. In Amber Mystique, you really feel the presence of the rose, and I would say that overall, this is a rosy amber (or an ambery rose), like Dior Privee's Ambre Nuit, albeit without the salty ambergris tint. If you like Kalemat or Calligraphy Rose, then you'll enjoy this too (although those other two perfumes are better, in my opinion).
If I had to point out a little niggle, I'd say that it lacks the sub-woofer boom that makes ambery orientals so (traditionally) satisfying. Everything unfolds in a little shallow pool of bliss, the ripples spreading out on the skin, but there are no hidden depths here.
In the United States, this appears to be sold on eBay for $30-40 for the 100ml size, but in Europe, we are still seeing prices of 80-110. I am surprised at the difference, but maybe the American market is just better at finding the correct value of things.
Personally, I would put the real value of Amber Mystique at around the same level of Spellbound or Sensuous Noir. It smells great but is neither groundbreakingly unique nor as attention-grabbing as Estee Lauder would like us to believe, and therefore the exclusive tone of the marketing and pricing makes little sense. But if you live in America and see this on eBay for peanuts, grab it! Especially if you don't already own an example in this genre Arabian-style oud/amber EDPs and would like to start off on an easy rung.