Les Absolus d'Orient Ambre Eternel Guerlain for women and men

This is what a masterpiece perfume smells like. And I understand why it was discontinued. I’m just glad I have enough of this intoxicating incredible juice to last me a lifetime. This is easily in my top 10 faves and one i will never part with. I’d easier sell my Ciel de Gum, never this one.

im so sad that this one is discontinued its so unique and addictive :( i didnt even get to purchase a full bottle just tried a sample and ugh how can i smell like this again

this was the best release of the line, smells smooth & complete.
real shame this was discontinued.

No words can describe this MASTERPIECE. Shame on you guerlain to discontinue such a unique fragrance like this.

انیمالیک،عودی،و اسپایسی در شروع؛گلی،میوه ای و چوبی در ادامه ...
شروع بسیار جذاب و مردانه اما میدل نت و درای داون زنانه.
مناسب خانم هاست بیشتر و کیفیت رایحه و شیشه بسیار خوبه.
******************************************
scent:6/10
longevity:7/10
sillage:6/10
purchase value:4/10
**********
overall:5.8/10

Rated as a female perfume. For me it would be a Dislike.
It's sweet, powdery and musky. Peach puré and soft peach skin fuzz. Ylang-ylang in the opening (that note often has a dated feel to me). Butter melting on popcorn. Ton of musk. I didn't get leather until I read the review below about "chocolate-y leather". Chocolatey indeed.

Symptuous leather and ylang ylang.

I managed to find a box set with two 15ml bottles, and it's a bittersweet victory, as I immediately love it, and I know I probably won't be able to find any more (for a price I'm willing to pay).

The peach and ylang-ylang are very complimentary, and I think this combination, plus the cardamom, prevents the tropical, banana-like side of the ylang from coming through (I like that but there's a time and a place, plus it makes this perfume more unique).

The rich warmth of the amber base boosts the fruit into opulence rather than gourmandise, and there's the playful neroli peeping over the top to give it a charming flourish that makes me thing it's gonna be great for spring and possibly even cooler summer days.

The ambergris isn't strong but it is there, hinting at the open sea.

And, oh!... as it develops, the strong leather comes in. It's almost chocolatey somehow, like maybe a gourmand leather feel, wow. There's a lot to take in here, but it's incredible and inspired.

Update:
In hot weather, the heady white/yellow florals come to the fore, almost pissy, but compelling and lovely, kind of like Carnal Flower, but with the leather undercurrent.

After several wears in various weather conditions, to me this isn't amber, it's leather floral. It's pretty dense and loud, but it's unique and still has the little bit of Guerlain magic.

wow wow wow . please bring it back Guerlain

I am very glad I got a sample of Ambre Eternal before I blind bought it. I thought I would really like this one, but the harsh leather note really didn't work for me. I really like the juicy, spiced peach in the opening. It's just a little sweet with warm spices. After a few minutes on the skin the leather starts to take over and unfortunately it is harsh, synthetic and overpowering. A nice, dry woodiness is also present and if it was more dominant than the leather I think I would have enjoyed Ambre Enternal so much more. Towards the end of the wear I do find this happens, but that phase is quite short lived, not long enough to tolerate the heavy leather..

This is marketed as a unisex fragrance, but I find it more a masculine fragrance that leans unisex. I find this a pretty heavy fragrance that I would only enjoy in cooler weather, but it does smell it's best once it has warmed up on the skin for a while. I find the juiciness of the peach is more pronounced on warm skin.

The performance was pretty disappointing. It has a moderate projection for a couple of hours, but disappears completely in 3-4 hours. I expected a lot more from this fragrance. I think much longer longevity may have changed my opinion if this fragrance. The leather-heavy mid is what really turned me off. It only lasted 1-2 hours, and if the fragrance lasted 7-10 hours on my skin I might have been able to overlook that for the lovely dry-down.

Looks like this was a sample that will not be turning into a full bottle for me. If you really love the leather note in this fragrance your opinion could be very different from mine. Ambre Eternal had a lot of promise, but one note really spoiled it.

Ambre Eternel, This fragrance made me laugh. It's so complex, yet so good if you pass by someone, they won't even know what you are wearing ( in a positive way ). This is good. 8/10

First wearing: this is incredibly complex, i have no idea what's going on when i first tried it yesterday. All i got was an animalic, spicy salty peach. This confused the living hell out of me. Extremely daring and potent release. This requires some experience in fragrances to truly be appreciated. Amazing stuff, and a lot of things that need to be discovered yet.

22/12/22 edit: there is an ominous quality to this scent. Something disturbing.

It's 2022 and I still can't believe they discontinued this perfume.

I wish Guerlain would give the heads up this is limited edition perfume ahead of time so I can stock up for decades but no ..

I'm just grateful they brought Shalimar Initial (now called Initial) back. This time I will stock up before it disappears again.

If you're looking for this perfume. Try Guerlain Initial. They're similar.

Very complex fragrance. You cannot like it if you are below 25 years

An unwearable masterpiece.

Ah I adore this one. I have a few samples but really wanted a full bottle. I finally found someone who sold me their new unused back up bottle for $160. I couldn’t believe my luck. Now I’m so afraid of using it and that it will finish and I can’t get more so I never use it. I need a back up bottle, or two. Something about this perfume that I just love so much, I can’t stop smelling my hand where I sprayed. Oh I wish they never discontinued this one. I love Guerlain, one of my favorite houses but they always discontinue their best fragrances. I don’t get it. Did Amber Eternel not sell well? How can that be? I’d buy 100 of these if I could afford it. I also love Santal Royal. I got back ups of it, just in case. I need to go search for a bottle of Ambre Eternel. Maybe I’ll get lucky

Ambre Eternal is a really good ambery scent. Whether it actually contains real ambergris is up for debate, but AE features one of the best modern amber accords I have smelled.

AE opens with leathery, almost oud-like animalic notes, salty, resinous and labdanum-like, making for a wonderful amber accord. This is bolstered by cardamom, giving a lovely peppery hint of spiciness, and other soft spices. The peach note and sweet white florals emerge as it develops, making for a wonderfully balsamic accord. The amber accord remains king, and it becomes woody as it dries down, with a hint of sweet cinnamon. Well-blended and made of high-quality ingredients, AE is interesting but not too complex, allowing the amber to shine throughout.

With strong sillage and day-long longevity, as is often the case with spicy-amber scents, AE is perfectly unisex - it can be worn comfortably by all amber lovers. A rich, warm scent for autumn/winter. Beautiful. 4/5.

Cuir Intense + Ambre Eternel

For people to understand Intensely Animalic fragrances like these two, something must be understood,
you have got to wait for at least 2 minutes before even thinking of smelling them if you are testing (assuming of course that you have enough intelligence not to buy them blind).

The animalic note is right in front of everything you are going to smell, and I think that was a smart move by Thierry Wasser, instead of ending up smelling like chewed up shoe after 8-9 hours, the animalic note is right at the beginning, intense and unapologetic, naturally as time goes by it starts to fade away slowly and in the process covering everything else in a layer of class and sophistication that stays until everything dries down completely.

The fruitiness of Ambre Eternel makes it a bit more tolerable for ladies than Cuir Intense, both perform admirably, smell divine and would challenge even the most seasoned fragrance collector.

Well Done Guerlain, well done.

A sophisticated scent. Well blended and balanced. If you are an amber lover you should really try this one! It gave me a feeling of an intimate and spicy scent. I felt elegant wearing it :)

This has an interesting slightly spicy, amber opening, that morphs to include a tiny bit of leather and oud after dry down. After time passes, it unfortunately loses that amber and becomes a mildly spicy, generically woody scent. As a lover of leather, I am super disappointed that this note is missing almost completely for my nose. I also love most ouds and that note is so subtle in this, I almost can't detect it.

Smocky opening ....... i guess its the well blended ambergris in the opening ... just sniffed it at the mall and has spices going on in the opening

Guerlain Ambre Eternel (2016) - spiced clouds - @thierrywasser discontinued gem is a beauty. Indeed it goes off tangent and doesn’t smell like common amber fragrances as it’s heart is suede-like leather. Amber here is more ambergris mixed with spices of coriander, cinnamon and cardamom. Its sweetness comes from a peach accord and ylang ylang. billowy soft clouds of spiced fruit and leather.

Does anyone know what happened to Ambre Eternel? I can't buy it anywhere and it has disappeared from the Guerlain website. I hope it's not discontinued...
It was the best fragrance of the Orient line and it was exceptional. An iris oriental done right. Like La Vie est Belle but without the things that made it awful. AE smells slightly vanillic, slightly anisic and it has that cherry-flavored-candy note that makes it irresistible. More masculin than other anisic Guerlains (L'Heure Bleue and Insolence) but still very feminine. Great! I hope i will be able to buy soon.

This reminds me a great deal of the Satyr oil a friend had mixed for my late husband. That contained cinnamon, musk, patchouly, vanilla and carnation and was delicious-smelling. Unfortunately, that was 30 years ago, and the tiny bit left in the bottle has soured.

I blind-bought Ambre Eternel based on the reviews, and because it didn't have any notes I dislike. It's a Christmas present to myself for getting through this horrible year. I love it. It smells like my husband when he was young and strong, and doesn't smell bad on me, either, though it leans more towards the masculine. It certainly is 'eternel', staying on my skin until the next shower, and clinging to my clothes. When I found out it had been discontinued, I bought a second bottle, as I hope to never run out.

I had very high expectations from this fragrance based on the notes and reviews. And was very disappointed (blind buy). It smells like dozens of other perfumes one can buy in the Gulf countries. It is thicky oriental, more on the masculine side. I also compare it with Encens Mythique and Roses Nacree and later two are so much better for my nose. Apologies :-(

Deep, sensual, exotic, and completely unisex. I wore it for the second time today and just upgraded it to a love. The ambergris adds a slight salty. There is also a bit of an antiseptic vibe, which I am not crazy about, but it's only apparent when I sniff my wrist directly. I don't know what's causing it, but I could swear it's from myrrh, which isn't listed as a note. To my nose, it's such a well blended perfume that I really struggle to identify any notes. It's as if they add qualities rather than individual aromas, if that makes sense. Longevity, projection, and silage are wonderful. For the price, I would expect that to be a given, but it's to often the opposite in many niche and high quality designer lines.

I need to see how this works outdoors and in the cold air, and will probably update this review. Let me add that I recently purchased EA's 5th Avenue Royale based off great reviews. It does smell similar to this, but only superficially. The quality and expert blending of Amber Eternel is miles away in superiority, though Royale is certainly worth owning if you enjoy oriental scents as much as I do.

this is an absolute work of art honestly i dont know why guerlain continues to descontinue gems like this, it is sweet and deep and saly and lovely, and most importantly a panty dropper.

Very complex amber Fragrance. I get peach also. Very very well blended though of MANY components. Well done!

Very complex fragrance. Being only two wearings in, i will not be able to fully express all its facets and intricacies but it has already made an immense impression.

I agree with others that despite no Iris note listed, it is indeed what you smell upon spraying. Iris, Coriander, Cinnamon infused into a huge Animalic Ambergris base, its immediately present, its unmistakable. It took me by surprise and it is stunning!
This phase lasts between an hour or two during which it becomes increasingly juicy, sweet and fruity and eventually you find yourself smelling primarily a fruity leather accord.

The dry down the leather is smoothed out to a suede, the ambergris humming in the background providing a salty ocean air smell, all mixing with the spices and the Guerlainade vanilla base.

I really dislike the opening to this. It's screechy and synthetic and loud. When the opening settles it's very nice. Warm and comforting leathery spiced woodsy smell. It lasts all night and into the morning. I love this as a bed scent. It is great for layering with vanilla or amber based scents.

First impressions: in-your-face peachy/cardamomy sweet cinnamon note that gives an impression of lipsticky iris. In the background, there's a support of suede leather and orange blossom.
I cannot spot any ambergris in this one, and I doubt anyone would have cited it in their reviews without the suggestion of the pyramid.

Quite linear and leans feminine imo. You MUST love cinnamon to wear this one. Not a love at first sniff, but it seems to be the case for many people who now consider it to be the best of this line, so time will tell... will update after a few wearings.

Fall/Winter evenings, 25+

Edit: did not win in appeal. It's definitely a fruity/spicy/sweet oriental fragrance, way too feminine for my tastes. Not a fan of cinnamon in masculine frags, so figure in feminine ones.. And the name is very misleading, as I can't spot any amber or ambergris. Ladies, if ambergris is your thing, go for Encens Mythique, way better! (EM is all about ambergris and rose - incense is only a subtle supporting note)
This one goes in my swap list.

Official Fragrance Description:

An ode to noble and precious Grey Amber.

Guerlain House Perfumer Thierry Wasser drew inspiration from the treasures of the East to create Ambre Eternel, a powerful sillage that makes the ideal scent for men and women alike. The main ingredient in this amber accord is Ambergris, which gives Ambre Eternel its sensual, voluptuous character. The amber accord then unfolds, roused by the spicy facets of cardamom and coriander, before delicately melting into a blend of orange blossom absolute, leather and woody notes.

Woody oriental.
Vibrant, noble, captivating.
Top notes: Ambergris, spicy notes (coriander, cinnamon, cardamom)
Heart notes: Orange Blossom, Ylang Ylang, fruity notes
Base notes: woody notes, leather note, amber notes.

Ambergris is a rare and precious raw ingredient, naturally secreted by the whale, whose fine qualities are revealed after several years’ oxidation under the action of seawater and the sun’s rays. Thierry Wasser meticulously chose different blocks of ambergris on the basis of their iodine, warm or animal scent to create an exceptional blend, known as a communelle, and thereby obtain the perfect amber note. This note, traditionally extracted through a maceration process, will be used in the fragrance’s composition in the form of a tincture to preserve all of its purity.


Discontinued in 2018.

REVIEW - GUERLAIN AMBRE ÉTERNEL

PERFUMER - Thierry Wasser (In-house perfumer for Guerlain)

Release Year - January 2016

What does it smell like?All thing's posh. A rich and regal smelling concoction,with Iris, Leather and Ambergris,from the perfuming greats of Guerlain.

Reminiscent of a much richer and exotic Dior Homme Parfum.

TOP - Ambre Éternel starts off with a huge blast of Iris. Almost lipsticky kind of a vibe but toned down by plethora of some beautiful spices and leather.

Off the top you get a blanket of Iris covered in Cinnamon, Coriander and some zesty fresh Peach. The opening on this is seductive, sultry and extremely extremely posh.

MIDDLE - As the scent starts to develop,and boy does it develop,you start to get a lot more Leather. A concoction that started out with rather a funk to it is eye to eye to you in all its seriousness. The Iris is tones down. So is the fruitiness. All you get is some seriously sexy Leather backed by some woods and some Coriander.

All in all the heart of this perfume feels very straight forward, very rich and alluring all the while maintaining the posh nature of this beautiful Theirry Wasser creation.

DRYDOWN - Now more often than not these kind of oriental esque creations end up with a woody or rather musky sandalwood base but this one takes a slight turn here. It surely retains the leather which provides a smooth texture to this perfume,but with airy Ambergris and a very soft to Orange Blossom note.

The Ambergris no doubt the star of the show at this point. And it gives this creation beautiful richness and depth, adding an airy touch to the whole composition which envelopes the whole story of this perfume into it.

And thus a playful tale that started with Iris and a melange of playful feeling fruits,with a serious and straight forward heart,finds its ending in a calming airy Ambergris.

In the very deepest drydowns however, I'm talking 6-7 hours after the initial spray, you're left with a beautiful ashy leather and Iris that is in perfect symphony with upcoming Autumn.

PERFORMANCE - 8-10 Hours Longevity on skin. Initial Siliage and Projection is very very High. Almost beast mode.

Projects heavily for upto 2 hours before resting and maintaining a decent and very noticeable scent cloud around you.

Since this is a regal smelling juice one to two sprays before an important event would make you smell posher than everyone else out there!

EMOTIONS and USAGE - Unisex. But above 25. Would be too mature for someone below 25. Best for upscale,formal events and parties.

This feels dark, mysterious and sexy. Imagine the most mysteriously beautiful man/woman in one of those regal palace halls. This is how this smells like.

VERDICT - Another top Guerlain creation. Guerlain is one of those house that means Perfumes from the get go. If you need to connect to the root of perfumery I think this is the house to begin with. And their creations don't dissapoint either.

It's hard to find such well rounded,well crafted balanced,complete smelling fragrances without breaking your buck. This one is discontinued so sample it and try to get a bottle of it to rock in upcoming fall and winter.

Incredibly complex and rich fragrance by Guerlain. One of the best from the orient collection. There are moments that reminds me of the iris leather note from Vol De Nuit. So beautiful and powerful. You can adjust the wear with just one or two sprays if you find it too strong.

I once made a mistake and tested this on my wrist at an airport. I spent the rest of the time before my connecting flight in the restroom, frantically scrubbing it off so I won't get tossed out of the plane for smelling like I had soiled myself.

Absolutely horrendous creation. Animalic? Big time.

Thanks to dear Fatameh.B for sending me a decant of Ambre Eternal
My first experience with this fragrance wasn't promising.as soon as I sprayed it I thought:dry,dirty,dark,bitter,masculine,not my type at all!
But now after giving it a couple of chances I can cope with it better.it opens with tones of leather on to my nose,and there's a lot of ambergris,woods and spices.I'm usually into gourmands,floral-fruitys,florals,and some oriental floral/vanilla fragrances so according to my own taste,I find Ambre Eternel more leaning towards masculinity,still I'm starting to like it snd crave it sometimes specially after it's first 15 mins.I love it's leather and cinnamon and after settling down a bit,I'm able to pickup a faint peachy sweetness and some florals which round it and give it some feminity.there's also some dusty/powdery thing in it that I adore.I guess if there wasn't any ambergris among the notes,I could love it but now,I can sometimes smell ambergris's dirtyness coming and leaving and again coming and it ruins this high-end,expensive leather bag's beauty for me,still I crave it sometimes,spray it on my leather overcoat,burry my nose in it and feel so good
Unlike my first thoughts,it's not overwhelming or totally masculine.it's smooth, sophisticated,adult,sensual and luxurious.right now this 10mil decant is enough for me but maybe after a few years and entering my 30s I'd need my own bottle
اولین بار ک تستش کردم حس کردم تلخه و کثیف و تیره و مردونه و خشک و خاک گرفته و اصلا ازش خوشم نیومد اما بعد از چند بار تست دارم کم کم بهش علاقه مند میشم
شروع عطر،چرم بطور غالب خودنمایی می‌کنه درکنار امبرگریس و نت های چوبی و اسپایسی.اما بعد از یه ربع یه شیرینی کمرنگ هلویی و روایح گلی و از گوشه و کنار سرک میکشن..قطعا عطر بالغیه و یونیسکس و رایحه گرونقیمت و اعتیادآوری داره.واسه من فعلا دکانتی که ازش دارم کافیه اما با تست این عطر مطمئن شدم ک عاشق چرم هستم بشرطیکه با نت های انیمالیک دیگه همراه نباشه

I sadly found this linear. The scent lasts and projects well, but somehow it falls flat on skin and tends to be a bit suffocating due to a chemical (artificial) feel.

This scent is like an excellent imitation of a great/famous artwork, but it's still a copy and it shows. A produce of the brutal decade of reformulations, cut backs and so on. That's the reason.

Also, bottles of these series can be of much better quality.

*Not recommended for migraine sufferers.

A pretty strong and beautiful combination, especially the leather so good in it. There is nothing sweet for an amber name ALso the woody notes are a bit overpowering everything, but in general i would define this one as too little attention for a high quality content. For me longevity is sufficient (6-8 hours on skin).

Coincidentally, been testing various scents in this genre recently, dipping my toe (or nose) in what i am gathering, are Western versions of Arabian scents.


i enjoy this pyramid. it turns out to be a big one in person. no sweet powdery amber here. but at the same time, nor is it all about ambergris or the equivalent of. not to my nose.

Leather, tick. Cardamon, tick. Amberwoods. TICK.

Starting like Amber Fetiche, a grey Iris note. with a lipstick violet. 
mixed with some spice.some smoke. it's a great start. a sniffing delight. things going on.
a sweetness beneath. could it be ambergris or peach?
i am yet to detect the ylang or orange blossom.

smokey warm leather begins to make its way to the fore, and at this stage the fragrance resembles Cuir Cannage. so far so good.
then the woods, the woodsy ambery woods. i didn't get them so much on the first wearing. 2nd wearing, they overpower the ambergris “effect” to me for a few hours, they overpower the leather (which is a feat in itself!). they climb into my nose and remain, scratching, boring into my sinuses in a stealth like manner.

then there’s the leather note. one i smell in Byzantium Saffron, in Mimosa Indigo. it is. too. ? hard to describe. heavy. dense. more like black boot polish, when you set it alight to liquify it, so it soaks better into the leather when applied. snuffed out boot polish on a tanned hide, rather than the hide or suede itself. then condensed.



I am also reminded of the Opus nose soups i tested in the Amouage Library i once owned, all domineered by a similar amber woods.

don't get me wrong, i like an incense, smoke, dark leather, spices, full-on iris, labdanum, even the offending “woodsy” notes and you can give me vat of vetiver to stick my head into any day.


i was not expecting real ambergris obviously, but i didn't think they would ever go for the amberwoods, a trend, which I fear has been marching forward, perhaps since everyone realised that all department store fragrances started to smell pretty much the same, the "pleasing" fruity florals and sales dropped as (bored) people began to move on. i didn't buy any "new" perfume for many years because of their influx. I'm afraid any more of this amberwoods note and i will have to stick with my old favourites and call it quits again, because i am more and more frequently failing to avoid them. i am guessing they are all using it, niche or not!? I even hear Chanel have slapped it into (my beloved) Sycomore, when they turned it EDP. i digress.

HOWEVER, this nonetheless wonderful creation (it's me with the problem after all with those ingredients) has piqued my interest in getting my mitts on some Arabian oils to sniff. And it has turned my nose back to my old favourites, created before these offending notes existed. 
longest review ever. sorry. so, well done, if you read thus far. i edited for hours, but failed to achieve any successful reduction. and breathe.

Ambre Eternel: A Play in One Act

(LISAWHIP, preparing for an evening out, looks through her stash of samples)

Lisawhip: Ooh! I have been meaning to try Ambre Eternel! (applies)

Ambre Eternel: HI HI HI HI IT’S ME AMBRE ETERNEL I AM A GUERLAIN CAN YOU TELL CAN YOU TELL HUH HUH?

L: Um, wow! Yeah, you’re a Guerlain all right. Whew. I’m going to need a little time here…

(later)

AE: GRR GRR GRR, I’M AN ANIMAL! GRR! AN ANIMAL IN A LEATHER JACKET AND I JUST CUT DOWN A TREE!! GRR AM I SCARY OR WHAT???

L: Yeah, you are animalic as hell. Also much leather and wood. But…weren’t you supposed to bring me some flowers? And maybe like a fruit basket?

AE: MAYBE IN LIKE ABOUT FIVE HOURS. IN THE MEANTIME, GRRR!

L: OK, look, I’m gonna need you to dial it down a notch. You are literally hurting my nose.

AE: NO THAT IS NOT ME YOU JUST GOT A SUDDEN COINCIDENTAL SINUS INFECTION

Husband: Whoa. WHAT is that perfume? It’s kind of…awful. And LOUD.

AE: DON’T LISTEN TO HIM. HE’S ONLY HERE UNTIL DEATH DO YOU PART. I AM FREAKING *ETERNAL* IT SAYS SO RIGHT IN MY NAME. I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

L: Yeah, I can’t deal with it either. (scrubs arms)

AE: WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING? NO NOT THE SOAP NOT THE RUBBING ALCOHOL! NOOoooo….. (dies)

(LISAWHIP and HUSBAND sigh with relief, LISAWHIP applies the only scent she can handle after all that)

L’Eau D’Issey: Hey, man. ‘Sup? Thanks for having me, I dig your chemistry a lot. I’m just going to sit here and chill. Don’t mind me. You’ll hardly know I am here, and I totally won’t bother your friends.

H: Oh, that’s much better. Much calmer.

L’E: Right? It’s kind of my thing, you know?

(LISAWHIP and HUSBAND leave for the evening, L’EAU D’ISSEY follow unobtrusively)

-FIN-

Complex as all get out and long lasting to boot. TO my nose, it's a leather-ambergris infused concoction. It starts off quite medicinal and band-aidish on my skin. The first two hours are rougher than I would like, but the mid has me awestruck, just GORGEOUS. Whiffs upon whaffs of ambergris, vanilla, slight sweet-ness and musky/skin like. The mid to drydown I absolutely dig. It's intoxicating as hell. Personally, I would reserve this for a night out or date night and I would be adamant on spraying right out the shower or a few hours before I leave the house, don't worry, it will stay on skin until the next morning.

This is a love or hate fragrance. For me its love. Its a sultry and smokey love affair. Its starts off smelling like lipstick courtesy of the the iris , it then transforms into smokey incense culminating into leather with incense and iris whispering in the background. The Ambergris note is definitely there as the animalic saltiness never leaves. Its definitely a fragrance for Guerlainophiles and Niche collectors.

Dry, sweet, powdery, classy, non-headachey amber ... not bad at all, but a little predictable and a bit unambitious. Somehow kind of anonymous - too timid to go out on some exceptionally distinctive limb, no unexpected spicing or weird notes and exceptional performance to make it stand out from the crowd. Sillage medium, longevity fine but not marked on me. Very linear indeed, I got no evolution from that constant, steady, middle-of-the-road sweet mellowness at any point. True amber aficionados should definitely have at it... but for my money it's not in the same league (for strength, value or originality) as Santal Royal or several other Guerlains. Ambre Eternel is solid and inoffensive and plays it safe.

I think it's pleasant, but all I get is a synthetical amber. Nothing else to my nose. Very good longevity though.

Soon to be discountinued. Grab one as you can. :)

Comes off extremely chemical on me. I've encountered real ambergris and there's a rounded musky warmth to it. Here in my wearing it's super thin and sharp. I envy those that can make it work.

I have to agree with AveParfum on this one. My thoughts exactly.

Besides smelling nasty to me, it's very masculine and I get no amber. It smells like chemical soup and I can find nothing redeeming about this one. Sorry to be so harsh!

Start strong and feminine with lipstick and talc.
Then coriander and peach that leave room for suede and woody notes. strong and pointed notes.
As they have already written this is an eccentric amber. strong like that of Armani and perhaps a little 'more evil and sinister with a touch of extra hardness and vanilla less gourmand.
The quality-price ratio is quite convenient for 125 ml.

If you love Ambre Eccentrico of Armani you can try this, otherwise it passes ...
Guerlain can do better!

A nice scent for people who love different perfumes, versatile and changing. Suits for persons over 30. Can be worn day or night, and has a classy touch. Versatility reminds me of Guerlain Habit Rouge edp.

It reminds me somehow Homme Ideal EDP (leather & fruity note: a combo of plum-amaretto-cherry mixed with iris), Mitsouko (peach & ylang-ylang) and Habit Rouge EDP (oud and vanilla)

From first spray I get stale urine and that stays for 30 minutes or so. After 30 mins the ambergris takes the stage as the coriander fades to the back and leather appears to mix perfectly at this point. This is a fragrance that needs time or you will hate it until u smell it on someone else. Good strength as well unlike many from guerlain that have failed in this area.

5/10

This is a sophisticated and well blended perfume, spray and wait to elicit the complexity

I don't like this anymore. For some reason it reminds me too much of Shalimar.

I never smelled actual ambergris but this is exactly what I imagine pure ambergris smells like. Salty and animalic. I don't agree that this is more of a leather perfume than an ambergris one, it surely has that salty quality that makes it a great ambergris fragrance.

It's very sweet and has a great chance to cloy. Great, but I don't think I'll ever be able to wear this.

I've sampled thousands of perfumes, and I can always remember the extreme few that made me sick to my stomach, and this is one of them. I actually hate Guerlain leather. I am one who can not wear Shalimar. The leather smells really fake and chemical to me, and that's what I get here. Nasty chemical leather and ambergris in the form of some type of very synthetic, salty aromachemical that makes me immediately nauseous. I was hoping for some gorgeous ambergris like in Encens Mythique d'Orient, but I get none of it here. Worst blind-buy in a while, this Ambre Eternel. A nauseating, chemical soup. Gorgeous bottle though--crying shame what's inside. Sillage is so enormous that it's absolutely sickening. A perfume that one would refer to as "cloying" would be gentle in comparison. This is ghastly and vulgar. It wears the wearer.

Swapped it away.

Everyone seems to point at one direction regarding the chief note of this frag. And that is: Leather. Why didn't Guerlain just call this frag "Cuir Eternel"? I'm just being curious here. I owned "Santal Royal". Also learnt there's a certain "Oud Essentiel" by this same exclusive line. Nice one! Hope to lay my nose on both (Ambre Eternel and Oud Essentiel)!

Mitsouko Amber. Guerlain Tribute Amber. This is a floral oriental, not a straight amber perfume.

Ambre Eternel is a frame carefully filled in with thoughtful elements that reference the past.

It starts out with exotic peach and ylang and orange blossom swirling in a heady mix with spice and a woody amber. As its cloud settles it feels like a riff on vintage Mitsouko, which had a spicy cinnamon note in the late 70s/early 80s especially in the parfum de toilette form. The peach and orange blossom form the heart (there are moments when I smell L'heure Bleue) supported by the very pretty amber accord that suggests gold flickering in darkness. The leather is a soft grey perfumed powder that is fused with the florals, as if someone spilled drops of Insolence in their handbag. Even though it is a spare and transparent composition it lasts all day, leaves a great sillage for at least the first few hours of wearing, and projects increasingly closely but very prettily thereafter.

To me this is a powdery perfume, on the dry side. There is zero fat to it.

This is probably skin chemistry dependent, as it appeared differently on the strip than on my skin. On the paper strip I got a lot of medicinal wood almost overwhelming the florals and some camphoraceous elements that never appeared on skin. On skin it has a dual personality: on the one hand an elegant, mysterious and warm oriental and on the other a vintage candy floral sweetening a soft leather on a woody amber base.

Easily one of the best fragrances in the Saks Fifth Avenue department store of its type.

Salty, powdery ambergris with a spicy edge. Not as unique as I hoped.

This came up in a conversation with another perfume lover while talking about Estee Lauder's Amber Mystique. He said Ambre Eternel is even better. Nope, I disagree. I prefer Amber Mystique.

Still, Ambre Eternal is a good ambergris fragrance if you are in the market for ambergris.

Tried this on paper in a European airport this week, so my experience does not reflect scent on skin. To me, this is much more masculine than feminine. It has a strong, assertive opening, which I didn't love. I didn't hate it, but it was too much for me. I never really got the floral notes or the peach in the middle, although I did pick up a resemblance to Mitsouko, so my nose must have sensed them. However, as Ambre Gris dried down, it became this softer, gentler combination of leather and woodiness with ylang-ylang underneath and a bit of cardamom. I think I would love this on my husband, especially if he smelled like this in the morning after applying it at night! I really think this must be tested on skin, as it has a warmth, even on paper, that is begging to be smelled on a living being.

Have loved the first hour of this, very intense and lovely- but now, just like arteditors said, there is this camphory, eucalyptus thing coming out that is quite literally making my nose burn! I've read (Kafkaesque) that the synthetics were way overdone on this one. I'll wait and see what happens for the rest of this. It has such a warm peach note, at least at first, and this beautiful darkness underneath, that I'm tempted to layer vintage Mitsouko on top just to see what happens.

Incredible power and intensity but still smooth !
But don't try to taste a great bottle of Burgundy or Bordeaux while wearing this parfume: you won't be able to smell its nose.
I'm afraid this one will not be in store for long, as ambre gris is very hard to find on the market for producers and about as expensive as gold per unit of weight. I secured 500 cc in 2 bee bottles in Paris boutiques (not available anywhere else in France).
Never had an ambre gris flagrance like this - a true masterpiece ! To be used only once or twice a week to keep its irresistible magnetism.

It had been quite a while looking for this smell.It's very nice and elegant.when tried first time it seemed a bit strange but gradully I started to like it.As it stays more on the skin the frgrance changes,it looks as if I have worn different perfumes.At first it is more feminine and as it dries down it seems more masculine.I love all the notes in it.It was worth buying it!

Walked into the store to smell it .. sniff sniff .. suddenly I'm at the cashier passing my visa card.

This never happens to me. This perfume is a forever top 5.

Magical smell that keeps me in a happy place. Oh Guerlain .. you did it again!

Update : we live in a crule world. It's discontinued. WHY? They always do this to ME!

First impression is almost like gramma's lipstick, sweet, chalky and powdery. Then the leather kicks in and it becomes dry and soft and masculine. I really like this once I got past the initial spray. It reminds me of Donna Karen Unleaded for Men back in 90's. Its not an in your face fragrance, but a soft evasive whisper, which is way sexier in my book, but I do wish it packed a little more punch. But, a guy on a first date would probably score with this on.

At the start I get a fresh ambergris and incense that quickly becomes spicy. At this stage the scent smells medicinal like you are in a hospital waiting for the doctor. Underneath this there is something foody trying to peak out under the medicinal spicy ambergris.

After a while I can smell the leather and woods but over that there is this warm sweetness mixing in with the ambergris. It smells like some sweet desert that is cooking and just slightly becoming burnt. So if you can imagine a sweet leathery salty ambergris that is spicy and medicinal, and imagine that concoction been heated then that is this fragrance.

I have to say it's quite exotic but just not my cup of tea.

This is so unbearably leathery and woody, I just can't stand it!
Smells like something old. I know it's supposed to be super classy and mysterious, but I can't enjoy it.

The smells like hyper realistic burnt bakelite...one hour later like sweet burnt bakelite...

I cannot wait to try this in the cooler months. Right niw it is 90+ degrees out and this smells awesome but heavily cloying. I think it will be perfection when the temps fall. I was gifted a sample and fell in love. HAD to have it!

a very nice creamy amber, not the best or my fave but lovely; long lasting and dries down to a little sandalwood and hint of leather

Guerlain`s Ambre Eternel is a really addicting smell.
Leather mixed with Ambregris makes the smell animalic and dirty. I get the intepretation of something burnt.
Staying Power and projection are good.

The opening reminded me of Profumum Roma's Fiori di Ambra, that dusty, narcotic type of amber who some refer to as "mothball". But soon all that will settle down to the familiar base found in Santal Royal, with the leather taking the main role. Later in the drydown the stinky side of ambergris starts revealing itself, but for most of the time you'd just smell like an old furniture (in a good way).

Definitely a scent for an older man/woman but it was a nice experience.

I was lucky to have sampled this one at a guerlain counter. I am a big fan of the guerlain house so any testing of their perfumes is a must and an opportunity since their line is limited in Cyprus. At first when I sprayed it there was a medicinal smell coming which didn't sit with me very well.

There is this note coming through that really put me off. I sensed a lot of powder and a lot of iris with vanilla, the guerlinade as some know it. I loved the guerlinade it came out beautifully but it struggles as this is a perfume marketed to both women and men so there is a duality and confrontation between the masculine and feminine notes. I accidentally smelled it after 15 minutes and that medicinal scent choked me and I started coughing. I suffer from asthma and I almost never choke on a perfume. I was disappointed as the composition is beautiful yet something didn't sit very very at all for me. This medicinal smell has been described as sweat, musty. It might be animalic officially, yet animalic perfumes sit alright with me, like jicky and chanel no5.

I wanted to like it. all the orris, vanilla, powder, sweetness was heaven but the note made me think no. As i was driving back home I kept smelling it and I as I had started to like it, I thought hm I should buy it as it started to sit well. Dust, powder a beautiful guerlinade, more guerlain dna than it's older sibling santal royal which I definitely prefer and own. After a bit the medicinal evaporating smell was back, I thought no, not buying it.

If I would wear it? If it were a present yes I would, however I would not pay for it. I would spray it in a very open air room and I would avoid sniffing me from a short distance. I appreciate its craftsmanship and all the work that has been done to produce this, I respect it. If it hadn't been for that medicinal or specific animalic smell... you would have been mine and gladly pay for you ambre eternel.

Finally today I got some samples of this new product of Guerlain. I have to say that it is really a FANTASTIC perfume with beautiful notes and accords. It is an animalic fragrance with great blends of woody and spicy notes as well as leather accords. Ambergris is the first note that caught my attention which is mixed meticulously with leather and some woody notes. I also can smell a bit peach after one hour among those notes. Both projection and longevity are great. It is a superb perfume for Winter and after that Fall. I don't recommend it in Summer and Spring when the weather is getting warm.

From a sample provided by a kind fragrance friend... This is really quite captivating! At first, I thought there was too much leather for my taste, but as the scent evolved, I discovered it is just right. Ambre Eternel sure does have a nice bit of ambergris, and it is sensual and draws you 'into' the scent. I notice Iris/Orris along with the Ylang-Ylang and Neroli, and these notes appear after a few minutes on the skin. Semi-sweet and a little dusty/powdery.

This is not (as I had feared) an overwhelming, powerful Arabic type of fragrance geared more to men. I'm enjoying my sample very much, and will think about a FB for late Summer and Autumn. I suppose skin chemistry really plays a role in how this develops, and sampling is surely the first step.

Very, very nice fragrance!

Love this fragrance. The amount of leather is just right and the ambery dry down simply to die for. I find it very similar to Ambre Eccentrico. The Armani fragrance is more focused on oud, where Ambre Eternel on peach.
I am disappointed by the longevity and projection. For such a rich scent the juice is pretty weak.
It does not cost a fortune, but still too much for a scent that does not last longer than 5h. I did expect similar performance to Santal Royal.

Very very very similar to Dior's Cuir Cannage. If Cuir Cannage is an old lady's leather bag, Ambre Eternal is the leather bag of a younger woman.. Its like the lighter and cleaner version of Cuir Cannage, with less longetivity and weaker sillage..

I'm a little embarrassed to say that I really REALLY like this.. I've always thought Guerlain's strong suits were gourmands and florals; to me they just don't [usually] do western orientals justice (aside from the vintage stuff).
This opens VERY dusty (in a woody powdery way, so I agree with the comment below about iris & violet being used), as if the ingredients they used had been sitting around for a hundred years (really suits the name ETERNAL), almost the same feeling I got when I first tried Annick Goutal's Ambre Fetiche, but MUCH more pleasant :)
Then the dust goes away and a sweet (fruity?) gooey "goodness" leaks out and eventually envelopes the whole scent.
I can't say it's leather or ambergris (I've never smelled an actual one, but I'd imagine this is not it); all I know is that it's oriental, ambery, and yuuumy!

This is obviously a quality fragrance and I imagine it will be popular with many. I'm glad I didn't buy a full bottle blind though, because it just smells awful on me - like dirty leather. I've never been able to wear strong leather perfumes and this would lead the pack for turning horrible on me quickly and staying that way for the life of the scent. The second time I tried it proved to be at least as bad as the first and I had to scrub it off after several hours. Good longevity.

A review of my first impressions from a bottle I snagged off eBay at lower than retail (YAY!):

The opening is rather big. I immediately get the impression of sweet and warm amber radiating forth with fruity, floral and vanillic notes that round the scent off in the beginning. For a short while, I start to get the impression of gourmand notes coming forth, just as a dry aspect of amber starts entering the scene. The gourmand impression I get is that of Japanese tea cookies for some reason. The scent definitely made me crave for some.

The next phase was rather dramatic. I got the impression of the tension created by the warm amber and the dry hot aspect of amber, like that of incense wafting out of a censer. My head was transported to a beautiful space of gilded metal work and sheer silken drapery bathed in red and gold lights, and a large beautiful censer on an ornate pedestal in the center of the room. The leather notes create an aura, and ambience around the scent. At this point, the scent is not so big, but settles to a warm-dry amber with a glow coming forth from ylang-ylang and orange blossom.

The ambergris is the surprise towards the end of the development. In the beginning you wish for it, wondering where it is, and it's hard to pinpoint the ambergris, that salty musky ambery notes that make me wanna say "yeah, that's it there! That's ambergris." But it comes forth at the end, surprisingly musky and sensual and very animalic. The drydown is leathery, ambery, powdery and smoky.

The scent is undoubtedly unique. Very arftully done. I get the overall impression of a very powdery amber. Very balanced between the masculine and feminine. It definitely has the style of Guerlain, but don't go thinking that it'll rival the complex iconic scents from the turn of the 20th century. You'll never smell something like that again unless you're willing to find a perfumer to devote literally years to create it. Guerlain and many perfume houses have now gone simpler because most people don't seem to care or is easily bored and wish for something new all too soon. Let's also not forget the budget constraints on creation and manufacture. I was expecting a little more luxe coming from a collection line, but the box was pretty plain and the bottle looked cheap, a strange shade of purple with a cheap looking tassel with a decal label slapped on it. Even the Shalimar treatments look better than that. The importance is in the creation of the juice I suppose.

Back in the good old days, Guerlain+Amber=Bliss. Apparently that equation is no longer true, thanks to Wasser who is not my favorite nose by a country mile. I'm so mad at what he and Guerlain are creating nowadays, that should have been enough to save me the heartache of hoping against hope that this could be the amber to end all ambers. I don't mean to offend anyone who likes this, maybe I'm spoiled by older Guerlains, but this scent is not what should be marketed as high art at higher prices; this, simply put, smells like human sweat on recycled cardboard. Give me a break!

Four words: Masculine, Strong, Headache, No.

I tested today in Qatar its leathery Ambry guerlind. I don't know why it reminds me of Jicky

Brand new in the leading London department store:
Very plummy-peachy (and somewhat screechy), leathery, spicy, orange blossom nectar on the back drop of this animalic leather amberigis.

It is intense, it is pungent, juicy at first and boy, this is a siren!!

The damson, aubergine, maroon, burgundy colour conjures up similarities with B9 by Bond #9, Aromatics Elixir Black, Tom Ford Plum Japonaise, both the bottle colour as well as the juice.

While it's darker older sibling, Royal Santal, is somewhat more wearable (for men), this one to me is definitely more feminine and just a bit too sickly sweet in the first few hours.

The dry down however is super nice and definitely worth waiting for (and rather manly).

I am confused on this one and cannot make up my mind yet on whether I like it or not. I have to try it once more but I can definitely say I prefer Royal Santal as a creation.

7/10 my very first impression based on a wrist spritz sample (and I am being generous). But overall, yet another solid effort and undoubtedly it will sell in the bucket loads to the Arabs. Score!

Oud is not listed, but dominates in composition, what else on background is unclear due to oud dominants. Masculine men fragrance, average longevity, strong silage at the beginning.

It's so funny this is coming out now. I was shopping around for something possibly like this yesterday.

I loved the previous Santal from Guerlain. Excited to try this one next.