Amber

What it is

A blend, not a fossil resin, despite the name. Labdanum, benzoin, vanilla and styrax combined in a proportion that has been in use since the nineteenth century, and anything sold as amber oil is an interpretation of that recipe.

What it smells like

Sweet resinous warmth that sits close to the skin and glows rather than projects. It reads as soft and slightly powdery, and it is the accord most likely to be described as cosy, which is also why it can feel airless in heat.

How strongly it is worn

The average strength this accord is listed at, where 100 means it dominates the fragrance.

70 / 100

What builds it

How much more often than the catalogue average. 1.0x would be chance, so these are the things that genuinely travel with it rather than the things that are simply common.

Accords it sits beside

Same measure, with its own family filtered out. Saying woody turns up with oud is a restatement, not a finding.

When it is worn

Against the average fragrance here. The line marks that average, so a bar past it means this is worn in that season or setting more than most.

Houses that use it most

Counted across the fragrances here, which reflects what we cover as much as what a house makes.

Tom Ford (33), Lattafa (28), Rasasi (27), Jean Paul Gaultier (26), Paco Rabanne (26), Amouage (25).