Ambre Impérial
Perfumer: Quentin Bisch
Votes lean feminine
329 ratings
From your scent profile
Van Cleef & Arpels Ambre Impérial is a sweet, resinous unisex scent built around benzoin, amber and tonka bean.
Skunky's take: Opens sweet, so if sugar is not your thing, think twice.
How does it perform?
From 286 community ratings, all out of 10.
Holds up through the day and fades gently toward evening.
Leaves a light trail and stays polite in a crowd.
Sits nicely on a shelf.
The price makes you think, so a small size is a smart start.
Blind buy risk
87% of votes are positive and opinions barely differ.
Notes
They open one after another, from the first spray into the evening.
Top notesfirst 15 minutes
Heart notesfirst few hours
Base noteswhat stays into the evening
Accords
From most dominant to most subtle.
- Sweet
- Gourmand
- Spicy
- Woody
- Oriental
- Powdery
- Creamy
- Resinous
Sweet
Gourmand
Spicy
Woody
Oriental
Powdery
Creamy
ResinousWhat does Ambre Impérial smell like?
Most voters pick autumn and winter, with spring next and summer far behind. Longevity is rated good and sillage moderate, so it stays fairly close to the skin without overwhelming a room. It suits leisure time, evenings and nights out about equally. More votes call it feminine, though a good share read it as masculine.
It opens with pink pepper and bergamot, a light spicy freshness, before benzoin and Laotian cinnamon take over. In the base, amber and tonka bean settle into a gourmand, creamy and powdery warmth with a woody, spicy backdrop.
How it changes through the day
First minutes
- Pink pepper
- Bergamot
First hours
- Benzoin
- Laotian cinnamon
Towards evening
- Amber
- Tonka bean
When to wear it?
Seasons and occasions, by user votes.
- 37%Autumn
- 34%Winter
- 21%Spring
- 8%Summer
Autumn
Winter
Spring
Summer- Casual22%
- Evening22%
- Nighttime20%
- Daytime19%
- Office17%
Smells like this
The closest scents by notes and accords.
Comparisons
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Last updated: October 26, 2026