Ah, ambergris – the very word conjures tales of wildest fragrant fortunes, ranging from shipwrecked treasures found by dog-walkers on Dorset beaches to ancient Egyptian rituals, pungent dragon’s spittle (!!) in Chinese folklore and the really rather unexpected presence of whale effluvia being in a pretty perfume bottle in the first place.
Long before the perfumed profiles of ‘skin-like warmth’ ambergris can bring, this waxy lump cast up by the salty froth of the ocean has seduced the noses of emperors, poets and the modern nose with seductive magic. One can’t help but marvel at nature’s curious and casually thrown gift, which begins its life (steel yourselves) entombing indigestible bits of squid in the bowels of a sperm whale, which, once regurgitated, dries to a resinous block with a beauty only time and sea air can reveal.
Finally maturing from the – ahem – distinctly faecal into the kind of radiance chemist Gunther Ohloff once described, this prized perfumery note reveals its true nature as (to echo Ohloff): ‘earthy, tobacco-church wood, musky and radiant.’ In perfumery, ambergris anchors the most fugitive molecules, pining the fleeting prettiness of a top note and refusing to let go – a fixative par excellence.
These days, even the most ardent perfumers must cast longing glances at ambergris and, faced with (forgive the reminder) stomach-churning prices and the small matter of whale protection laws, generally reach for their synthetic alternatives. Ambroxan – distilled from clary sage with the tenacity of a stubborn librarian – is the kingpin, while other cleverly conjured molecules like Ambrinol S, Ambrinol 95, Ambrarome and Ambrain whisk up similarly animalic, skin-like, salt-licked woollen warmth; but without sending accountants into a spin.
What does ambergris truly evoke in scent?
The perfume-poetic’s reply would be a blend of windswept church pew, Brazil nut, sun-bleached marine legends and a licentious wink of musk. But it’s probably more helpful to think of ambergris almost being used as a ‘seasoning’ within a scent composition, if you will – a touch of it not only adding its own nuance, but allowing the other materials to bloom and beckon you forth once cloaked in its mysteriously misty, salt-tinged and powdery air.
Even the Black Death couldn’t dull the appeal of ambergris – indeed, it became even more sought after, with balls of ambergris clutched as perfumed talismans against pestilence, which, frankly, sounds a bit optimistic but is just the sort of thing we love to imagine we’d do under the circs. Modern fragrances continue the tradition of using the note with an almost alchemical air. So yes, some scents whisper with ambergris as the secret heartbeat in their compositions, though as we say, though very few use tinctures of the real deal; the miraculous synthetic molecular versions can each add their own wisp of whimsicality (or full-on throaty purr of seduction).
If you’re entranced and want to learn more, do seek out a copy of the book all about the history of ambergris in perfumery: Floating Gold, which we’ve reviewed here. Meanwhile, to further whet your appetite for ambergris, here’s a scented selection we suggest you try…
Clive Christian Town & Country
Pristine herbs are polished with the glint of countryside morning, before ambergris unfurls below – as stately and complex as London’s City of Westminster. Sandalwood cushions the composition, lending an air of sophisticated poise, as if one is donning Churchill’s coat (he apparently used to wear this fragrance!) and stepping out amidst dew-dappled grass for a spot of painting.
£400 for 50ml eau de parfum fortnumandmason.com
Mizensir For Your Love
A kiss immortalised – powdery raspberry and musk twirl boldly, inviting a second glance and moments of skin-on-skin intimacy. Ambergris, conjured via its closest molecular cousins, pulses close to the body, cloaking the perfume in a sweetly provocative — almost human — warmth. The effect lingers like a private love note, at once daring and elegantly tender.
£200 for 100ml eau de parfum selfridges.com
Creed Green Irish Tweed
Fresh as a walk through mythic meadows, verdant iris and lemon verbena tumble against the wind, violet leaves catching a brief shaft of sun. At its heart, ambergris merges with Mysore sandalwood, making the composition sporting yet unforgettable – a classic breeze that beckons everyone to linger longer in the green.
£285 for 100ml eau de parfum libertylondon.com
Strangelove NYC silencethesea
Hypnotic and primal, this fragrance floats ambergris tincture atop oud, white truffle and a saline whisper of jasmine. There’s an earthy mystery, as tuberose dives deep and Angelique roots shimmer, crafting a salty-woody intimacy that feels as charged and secretive as a lover’s gaze, the ambergris infusion breathing a spellbinding hush.
(We love wearing it in teeny dabs from their exquisite pure parfum necklace version of the scent…)
£248 for 1.25ml pure parfum necklace harrods.com
OR, why not try it in the strangelove Discovery Set of eaux de parfums so you can explore the entire collection? £92 for 5 x 2ml samples in the Shop
Electimuss Trajan
Bottled sunshine and unisex adventure, Trajan sweeps through Mediterranean citrus groves, picking up lavender, sage, cedar and sugared spice. Ambergris waits in the wings, coolly ushering a breeze that soothes the warm landscape and mingles with zesty sweetness, for a fragrance that traverses empires in spritzes, promising longevity, projection and endless charm.
£158.33 for 100ml eau de parfum jovoyparis.uk
Written by Suzy Nightingale
