Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan - real world fragrance review

[@moneyparhar]

They r underrated bcz they don't give out free bottles to influencers. I picked up 100ml for $70 here in USA

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@moneyparhar true, even the more popular brands have some frags that NEVER get talked about and are completely under the radar. This is also a vicious circle with the chasing views with the popular thing.

[@ra.j7210]

It’s a very nice intimate fragrance certainly one of my favourites, my other favourite is kayali amber and my cousin took it from me so I got this one instead, certainly not dupes but I guess all amber fragrances are pretty similar and very very date night kind, they stay close to skin

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@ra.j7210 the amber genre is definitely the one with the least variation but this one is still very well done and fairly unique. It’s pretty loud one me!

[@justaddlight]

Always liked the materials that Sheldrake used in his work. This one still in my top 3 from the brand, although I think their stuff before the Shiseido takeover was better. Like you mentioned, it's shocking at how much you can get a bottle for compared to current designer prices. Couldn't even layer this one because it's too brilliant on its own. Great for the cool autumn weather. 🍁

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@justaddlight do you mean the same fragrances pre-acquisition or the new ones? I think this is amazing, what would you layer this with?

[@justaddlight]

@@SeldomlyOften I wouldn't. But if I HAD to...a rose perfume maybe? The balance is too good.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@justaddlight rose would go really well with this yeah 👍 Layering is just not for me in any case, nowhere near bored of the “artist’ take” yet.

[@PainfulPig]

Perfumes that came out before the 2000 tend to scare me... Willing to travel out of my comfort zone for this one. I've stopped consuming fragrance content in general but yours is my expectation :) Thanks as always, really enjoying it.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@PainfulPig this one does not show its age at all! Let me know what you think and thanks so much for the support!

[@hotpeppermovie]

I like how you review things daniel and already subbed. Could you review interlude black iris if you have it in the future

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@hotpeppermovie will do as soon as I get a bottle 👍

[@bjoern0975]

When I first dipped deeper into perfumery at around 2012, Serge Lutens was quite prominently featured in the perfume sections of upscale department stores. They were one of the first brands I noticed to have their own little counters. Also, their fragrances were discussed much in fragrance forums at the time. But, yes, they have fallen out of appreciation somewhat since the market exploded with ever new brands. Ambre Sultan used to be one of my favorite winter fragrances. But one issue I have with Serge Lutens fragrances is that they seem to go bad rather quickly, despite being stored in a dark, dry, and cool place. Happened to me with two of the brands' bottles I owned. Only Arabie, which I've owned for about 10 years, is still good.

[@SeldomlyOften]

The going bad aspect might be due to the bottles coming with screw caps and separate atomizers. Maybe an industry air-tight seal helps prevent this? Anyway, I thinks it's a fantastic brand that deserves more love, especially because effort is still being put into it with new releases (although not the best).

[@bjoern0975]

@@SeldomlyOften Yes, that may very well be the reason. And, yes, it deserves more attention, even though I haven't tested any of their newer releases. The brand was also featured in the book "Cult Perfumes" by Tessa Williams.

[@boogiedaddy3434]

I need to try more Lutens. I've only sampled Filles En Augilles. It is like walking through a winter forest and is absolutely beautiful. I am very curious about their other creations.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@boogiedaddy3434 that one is amazing but can only be found in the more expensive line. I would still recommend it but not as much as these, especially at their prices.

[@boogiedaddy3434]

@SeldomlyOften very true. Even at discounters Filles en Augilles is often around $250 here in the US, whereas Chergui and Ambre Sultan can be had for $60. I may make them the next house I deep dive into.

[@Jesus-Christ-Is-Our-King]

This is one of my favorite fragrances in my collection. It lasts for a couple of hours, and it’s so beautiful.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Jesus-Christ-Is-Our-King definitely one of the most evocative scents in my library. Gorgeous balance of warm and green. I get pretty good longevity!

[@Jesus-Christ-Is-Our-King]

@@SeldomlyOften Nice, I have to use like 10 sprays to smell it for a couple of hours. I love parfumes, but I have trouble finding the real beast mode fragrance with massive longevity. I got this one recently, so maybe it will last a bit longer on colder days as oppose to warmer weather.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Jesus-Christ-Is-Our-King what’s your longest lasting frag? Just to understand what we’re working with here.

[@Jesus-Christ-Is-Our-King]

@@SeldomlyOften Layton Exclusif from PDM and Oud For Greatness from Initio. Also Tom Ford Noir last a fairly long time on me. Oriental Leather from Memo Paris does reasonably good as well.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Jesus-Christ-Is-Our-King interesting, did you try something heavier from Amouage? Maybe from Nasomatto? These are obviously different scent profiles but just curious

[@haemophiliac.]

sounds intriguing! might get a bottle to try it myself

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@haemophiliac. if you like ambers this is totally worth it, I promise!

[@Lunarangst]

Wore Ambre Sultan today and it’s such a delightful, Sparkling Amber to me . I bought it based on your review and you drew my attention to Serge. Thank you! Have you tried Feminite du Bois? I got it too and it is heavenly:)

[@SeldomlyOften]

Ambre Sultan is a masterpiece, I generally like SL as a house, the quirky vibe goes with most of the offerings.

[@justliviu1774]

Hi @Seldomly Often - Do you know a fragrance like Ambre Sultan but with more projection and mor longevity? Thank you, great reviews.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@justliviu1774 I get pretty decent projection and longevity from this. A similar frag is Ambra Aurea by Profumum Roma, super strong stuff 💪

[@modemarcoj8026]

For fall and winter it’s magical indeed I have 2 back up bottles I got 100 ml at Jomashop last year for 85$ each and what a bargain for this caliber of juice .

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@modemarcoj8026 wow, you are pretty much set! Agree on the bargain factor 1000%

[@supermilkchan123]

I much prefer Ambre Sultan to Grand Soir. I found Grand Soir to be too sweet and sharp, almost cloying. It seems it had an overdose of aroma chemicals and it smelled a lot more synthetic than I was expecting, especially at that price point. I actually think Ambre Sultan is more rounded and refined with much more complexity. That bayleaf note takes it to another level, balancing out the sweetness with some savory touches. It's crazy that the Serge Lutens brand doesn't seem to get the same recognition it did 15 years ago especially since Christopher Sheldrake has produced so many MASTERPIECES that still outshine the newer fragrances that have been inspired by them. I've smelled a lot of fragrances, but I no brand has captured my heart like Serge Lutens.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@supermilkchan123 Ambre Sultan is very different from Grand Soir, you are right, the bay leaf in there is absolutely amazing; the whole thing is a masterpiece.

[@Tony-os6ib]

Fille en aiguilles, one of the best pine fragrances out there. Unfortunatelly way more expensive than most of the others out the Lutens brand

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Tony-os6ib yep, that’s my issue, wish it was still out there in the old bottle style (and price).

[@EvWuzhere]

I like other serge's but have never tried this one, consider picking it up since its cheap but concerned that patchoulli is one of the base notes.... most reviews dont remark upon it but then some people do note it as being somewhat hippie-ish- i assume from that, which i dont typically love. Love certain ambers but also have mixed feelings towards grand soir...

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@EvWuzhere I don’t any patchouli in this. The amber base is similar to Grand Soir (all ambers are) but it doesn’t have the lavender top and has balsamic oily greens.

[@EvWuzhere]

@SeldomlyOften i will definitely try it out then, balsamic greens are up my alley, and considering the oversaturation of lavender in modern mens fragrances im happy without it

[@Principemostprincipe]

I love it, it is one of the best ambers on the market. I dont own a bottle as it would be redundant since i so own few ambers, especially ambra aurea by profumum roma, which i do find as father of all ambers

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Principemostprincipe I recently sampled Ambra Aurea and it really reminded me of this. It might be better but the price difference is pretty massive.

[@Principemostprincipe]

@@SeldomlyOften i got mine partial bottle for fair price. Also difference in performance is huge, ambra aurea is a beast mode

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Principemostprincipe I just tested a small spray from a decant. Definitely need to try it better 👍

[@Principemostprincipe]

@@SeldomlyOften do it but i personally think it is redundant to own both, TF - Amber absolute, Dior - Mitzah and MFK - Absolute pour le soir are also all in the same genre

[@fr0grance]

Amber is kind of misrepresented in a lot of cases. Amber can either refer to a base made of vanillin, Labdanum and Benzoin which is the fundamental accord for fragrances like grand Soir. Amber can also refer to Ambroxan, which you'll find in overdose in various perfumes such as Sauvage or Aventus (10%+ in each of these two). Or it can refer to a category of aromachemicals called superambers. These are the very sharp dry woody smells you get in various oud fragrances like ombre nomade, but they are a lot of times used in fresh perfumes too, acqua Di Gio profondo being a good example, where the drydown has a distinct dry sharp woody feel. So when someone describes a fragrance as "Ambery" or when fragrantica notes "amber" as a note, I tend to get confused.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@fr0grance true, I usually refer to ‘amber’ when talking about the vanilla resin thing. When talking about ambergris (the actual traditional amber) I tend to specify. I think it’s the easiest way to approach the thing without too much explanation 🙂

[@Polyfusia]

The first thing you described is an amber. Benzoin, Labdanum, Vanilla, Spices. Ambroxan fragrances are not ambers by any measure

[@blagojmilosevski9547]

Aaron Hughes reviewed this and he liked it but said it's suited for older audience

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@blagojmilosevski9547 I don’t agree necessarily, it really depends on your preferences. This is definitely not your modern sweet vanilla bomb but it has nothing “mature” about it. It just requires some open mindedness and experience in fragrance.

[@andrei-cosmin.popa85]

Yeah, well, ATH loves lots of juvenile, loud frags, which explains his take on it 😁

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@andrei-cosmin.popa85 didn’t want to say it 🤣

[@DaveNYC]

Lovely review. Like a love letter to Uncle Serge and AS! I can see you really love it, as do I. The main issue with the brand in the US is that a few years ago, they withdrew completely from the official retail market. There are literally no US stores that carry it. If you know about discounters you can easily get some there, but you’re at the mercy of their rotating inventory. And by extension, I cannot find any decanters who carry anything beyond AS, Chergui and Femininté de Bois. So, as a result they’ve completely fallen off most people’s radar here. It is a little sad, but they really did it to themselves. Oh well, more for us!

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@DaveNYC that’s true, I never see this in any stores, even the niche perfumery ones barely have them; that’s a little bit of a shame for the company image. Not complaining about the prices and availability at discounters though!

[@vitaliiboiko2918]

I also have 3 bottles of SL. Ambre Sultan, Chergui, and Santal Majuscule. The last one, SM, is one of my all-time favorites. Another masterpiece I'd like to mention is Fille en Aiguilles. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued but can still be found at a higher price.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@vitaliiboiko2918 I like those too although saldalwood like that doesn’t always work on my skin. Fille en Aiguilles is a masterpiece but cannot recommend it as easily anymore at that price.

[@DaveNYC]

I think it’s available at the Paris boutiques in the gratte ciele bottles- for a small fortune, of course 😬. They ship internationally if your in a spendy mood!

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@DaveNYC yes yes, wayyyyyy to expensive though 😬

[@vitaliiboiko2918]

​@@DaveNYC I have a small decant of it. We also have a local fragrance community website where leftovers can be purchased if needed, e.g., 20 ml for about 65 bucks.

[@DaveNYC]

@@vitaliiboiko2918 that would be amazing. What is the website?

[@legoguru3000]

I have serge discovery set that has this and I haven't tried it yet so I'll try it now while watching haha

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@legoguru3000 highly recommended! Let me know what you think 🙂

[@legoguru3000]

@@SeldomlyOften It's really nice, you're description of it being rougher (not in a bad way) is accurate for sure

[@Ganimedes_pl]

I love that brand. Amber Sultan is such an amazing scent. I'm very interested in your opinion about La couche du diable.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Ganimedes_pl I’m actually bidding on a bottle, let’s see if I win it 🙂

[@Ganimedes_pl]

@@SeldomlyOften I wish you luck. This fragrance really is wort chacking.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Ganimedes_pl I’ll do my best, it’s in a bundle with other stuff I’m interested in. Let’s see 😎

[@Mr.E.Fragrance]

To the quandary of why the atomizer is separate and has to be put on by the customer. It's most likely a cost thing. The house seems conscientious of the consumer. Offering great products at a fair price. Their profit margins aren't as high as they could be but they are happy with the amount they are making. We need more houses like this.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Mr.E.Fragrance if that’s the case, even more thumbs up for SL. Why would this save on cost though?

[@Mr.E.Fragrance]

@SeldomlyOften I can't speak with 100% certainty but, two reasons I would surmise. If put together on a large scale having the machinery to put the atomizer on is an expense they would avoid. If a smaller production: If per se, the person has to put together 500 bottle a day. It's time equals money situation I would gather.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Mr.E.Fragrance Makes sense, thanks :)

[@Dongorgon777]

I keep saying I need to try this house. You might just have given me the push I needed

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Dongorgon777 you have been missing out, they are so unique and high quality! You need to like the approach that the private lines from the bigger designers have though.

[@KingDomFurnDing]

Nice review! Do you have any masculine/unisex freshie suggestions from the house?

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@KingDomFurnDing Chergui is pretty masculine and wears quite light for what it is. Most Serge Lutens are very unisex

[@KingDomFurnDing]

@@SeldomlyOften I live in Vietnam - a hot and humid country. Do you think Chergui would be a good candidate here?

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@KingDomFurnDing not really sure, a lot of it has to do with your tolerance. Do you generally like heavy scents?

[@KingDomFurnDing]

@@SeldomlyOften yes, I do like heavy scents xD I wore Beach hut today and I LOVE it haha

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@KingDomFurnDing Chergui is a classy tobacco hay fragrance, incredibly beautiful and wearable.

[@adrians5875]

How old is your bottle? Bought mine recently and the performance is so bad... 16 sprays and one hour longevity.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@adrians5875 it’s about 3 years old but I think it’s one of the new formulations. I get pretty decent longevity! Maybe you are going anosmic?

[@adrians5875]

@@SeldomlyOften Unfortunately no, it's confirmed by other people as well. Thank you for replying.

[@michaelenglish1992]

I think the reputation of SL was damaged because of a lot of boring to not great releases he did after 2010 or so. Previous to that is filled with masterpieces: Ambre Sultan being at the top for me. I also include Jeux de Peau, Chergui, Muscs Kublah Khan and Fille en aiguilles

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@michaelenglish1992 yeah, also moving the best frags to the stupidly priced Skyscraper line didn’t help…

[@pierogi6549]

I love Ambre Sultan all year around. I do not give a dam about packaging unless it is very kitschy to my aesthetics. Greetings :)

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@pierogi6549 greetings to you! I think this a whole year wear too! I just have to be cautious with statements that could pass as objective 😉

[@pierogi6549]

@SeldomlyOften haha i get it. the less drama the better 😆

[@bogdantoneff2693]

Whole year round?! In high temps it mixes with sweat and starts to smell quite funky. In my country summers are brutal and I wuldn't even think of spraying it 😄

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@bogdantoneff2693 it’s very subjective! My summers are mild most days with a couple weeks a year with 28C/83F of peak.

[@bogdantoneff2693]

@@SeldomlyOften ot's 35 degreesCelsius for about 3 months where I live. Yeah, one's mileage may vary

[@Bombast-A-Blasta]

Histoires De Parfum - Ambre 114 Trust 😙 Good prices for 60ml

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@Bombast-A-Blasta I’ve heard great things and prices for 60ml are actually comparable to Ambre Sultan. I’ll try it out 😎

[@pullingthestrings5233]

Profumum Roma Ambra Auera eats that A114 alive

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@pullingthestrings5233 I smelled a small decant and it really reminded me of Ambre Sultan. I guess this is what I meant when saying crowded space 😅

[@pullingthestrings5233]

@@SeldomlyOften amber centered fragrances will always overlap. I still think tom Ford amber absolute is the King of the hill when it comes to amber fragrances. I'm so glad I picked up a 100 ml way back before it was discontinued because I would hate to pay these prices these days

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@pullingthestrings5233 yeah the prices for discontinued TFs are really stupid... I have a couple of old-batch fragrances that I sort of stumbled upon but I cannot go out and actively seek these out.

[@kruthik8642]

i found a 100ml bottle online for $70(€64) debating blind buying it.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@kruthik8642 100ml for 70$ is a steal BUT I you don’t like the scent you’ll be stuck with it. So you generally like ambers?

[@pasf4118]

you need to like oregano, personally I really like it, tried many other ambers from villoresi, bianchi and many others they do not compare to Serge Lutens

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@pasf4118 yeah you definitely need to be into that green oily note. I live it and it gives so much depth.

[@josesalcedo9054]

Underrated? it used to be the most talked-about brand among fragheads 10-12 years ago, people simply keep getting caught by new brands (mostly for no reason) but it's not underrated... most of the fragcomm is head over heels for Uncle Serge. Unfortunately it's been sold so... But still very few brands can say they have 20+ jewels among their offerings.

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@josesalcedo9054 well, I mean underrated in the current landscape of frag com. Obviously SL is a staple house that has plowed the way for many of the current fragrances on the market 👍

[@unicdelmore4382]

It’s definitely underrated let’s be honest. Yes fragheads know about it but it’s extremely underrated

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@unicdelmore4382 especially in today's frag scene :)

[@unicdelmore4382]

@@SeldomlyOften right it’s extremely underrated you never find them on any lists of popular fragrances reviews.

[@unicdelmore4382]

@@SeldomlyOften ahahah i understand, but your reviews are amazing and no overhyped and I love dark fragrances. You should try Francesca Bianchi like the dark side or lost in heaven. She really have a dark and bold imagination.

[@yassercastillo2607]

Whelp, i bought it 💀

[@SeldomlyOften]

Well, it’s an awesome amber frag, there are worse things to buy 😜

[@mattl7424]

Ehhh. Cartier - Oud & Ambre is waaaay better than

[@SeldomlyOften]

@@mattl7424 I can’t debate that because I never smelled the Cartier, need to remedy I guess, although VERY hard to get a sample of.

[@mattl7424]

@ the trio they sell it worth it. It’s 15mls of 3 scents ( rose, sandal wood. Amber) oud & pink, oud & Santal, oud & Ambre

[@SeldomlyOften]

@ thanks for the info, I’ll look into it 👍