Van Cleef & Arpels
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot arrives with a bright, almost sherbet-like quality, immediately softened by pink pepper that's more berry than bite. There's a fleeting moment of clarity before the spices begin their inevitable march forward, the cinnamon already whispering at the edges.
Laotian cinnamon takes centre stage—warm, slightly powdery, with none of the harsh, Red Hots sharpness of cheaper cassia. The benzoin wraps itself around the spice, creating this pillowy, resinous cloud that hovers between balsamic sweetness and incense-like solemnity, whilst the amber begins to glow with a toffee-ish warmth.
What remains is a skin-close veil of tonka and amber, the sweetness now thoroughly powdered and settled, with just enough woody facets to keep it grounded. The cinnamon has become a memory rather than a presence, leaving behind that particular warmth that makes you want to press your nose to your wrist repeatedly.
Ambre Impérial is a study in contrasts—a fragrance that lures you in with the brightness of bergamot and pink pepper before revealing its true, resinous heart. Quentin Bisch has crafted something that sits between gourmand indulgence and amber sophistication, where Laotian cinnamon brings an almost narcotic warmth that never tips into mulled wine territory. The benzoin here is creamy and substantial, playing beautifully against the dusty sweetness of tonka bean, whilst the amber accord feels more like molten caramel than maritime resin. There's a distinct powderiness that emerges in the composition's architecture—not vintage face powder, but rather the soft, talc-like quality that happens when sweet spices meet skin chemistry.
This is for those who appreciate amber fragrances with backbone rather than translucent amber-lite compositions that disappear by lunchtime. The pink pepper adds a subtle fruitiness that stops the sweetness from becoming cloying, whilst the bergamot keeps things from collapsing into themselves during those crucial opening minutes. It's unabashedly sweet, yes, but there's enough spice and wood to give it structure. The kind of scent worn by someone who appreciates a cashmere jumper over a silk blouse, who understands that luxury needn't announce itself. Evening-appropriate certainly, but equally compelling on a grey afternoon when you need something comforting without being soporific. Van Cleef & Arpels clearly wanted to stake their claim in the amber category, and this amber actually smells expensive—no mean feat in 2015 when the market was saturated with thin, synthetic attempts at the genre.
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4.0/5 (131)