Crystal D`Ambre Keiko Mecheri for women

Every cloud has a silver lining, and for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. The over-the-top perfumes of the 1980s, including Agent Purple and plastic-disaster Agent Blue can in truth be credited with the niche perfumery boom. Having survived the excesses of the '80s, many people do appear to take solace in the knowledge that they can safely experiment with niche brands such as Keiko Mecheri: in this house, there are no poisons anywhere to be found. If they have any rats, they'd better get a cat.

A case in point, CRYSTAL D'AMBRE offers a splendid blend of some of my favorite basenotes, including benzoin and labdanum, to produce a mild, smooth, likeable oriental that bears nearly no resemblance to bombs such as OPIUM and OBSESSION. Even the raciest note of CRYSTAL D'AMBRE, leather, appears in the form of light suede. For some, of course, this perfume may disappoint, as it seems to be only a base, rather like BOIS DE SANTAL. Where is the oomph, the excitement, the development, the danger? There simply is none here. But it sure smells nic[h]e!

I don't know where the name of this fragrance comes from, but to me there is indeed something very much crystalline (or "crystal like") in the opening: cool (but somehow in an earthy way), clean, crisp, sparkling and almost brittle.
There is a feel of high quality in this, in fact almost "old fashioned" kind of quality, which I find strongly contrasting with other Keiko Mecheri's fragrances all of which seem to have a "modern" feel (but I have only tested a few). In me this somehow evokes "universal" old childhood memories of "posh" grown up ladies wearing expensive perfumes. I don't know if it's just the labdanum or a particular combination of the components in this scent that brings those images of mature ladies walking in a cloud of luxurious fumes, but that's what I am getting.
Crystal D`Ambre is lightly earthly sweet, smoky with the sandalwood and incense,(and later on also warm) in a pleasant way. Mellow and soothing. Myself - I am not getting the suede.

For me this opens with amber, a sweetness (benzoin and vanilla), leather and incense.

It didn't really have a mid point for me and ended out with the very slightest hint of sweetness left, plus an ambery musk (just the right amount, I can't tolerate a lot of musk)and lastly, incense (which is the dominant note at this point). I don't get a lot of leather but then again, I had Cabochard Gres on the other arm and that is amped with leather. So this one in comparison is very subdued.

It's a very mellow/comforting scent. It doesn't invoke powerful emotions but it is akin to curling up in my favorite big soft fluffy chair w a nice warm blanket.

As a fan of amber, leather, and Keiko Mecheri perfumes in general, it's not surprising that I enjoy Crystal d'Ambre very much. It has that warm, fuzzy, comfortable feeling that so many KM scents have, so it's perfect for a day when I want something beautiful but undemanding. It starts out smelling a lot like KM Cuir Cordoba, but with an almost fruity dried plum-like note. The changes as it dries down are fairly subtle, taking it gradually from the rich fruitiness smokiness, and sweetness of the opening to a more subdued but still sweet leather infused with amber and sandalwood. The sillage is moderate, and the scent lasts the better part of a day.

Kinda boring. Not grand enough. Not at least for my opinion after reviewing the notes and then testing it on my skin. I also agree that maybe it's the suede that's keeping it from going to the love category for me since I tend to really like the notes in this fragrance. As is, it's certainly good for day wear which sometimes ambers aren't really suited. I think it can be worn by either men or women - this fragrance doesn't read as strictly feminine to me. I think if someone likes leather, they really need to try this one.

This is a perfme that I keep going back to because it pretty much has all the base notes that I love. Except for Suede. I think this is the note that is preventing me from falling in love with this scent. A shame, becuase this line is very high quality, with longevity and a nicely balanced composition. I think people who love leather scents should give this a try, because I do think it is more interesting than most leater/suedes I've sniffed. (Added note: around the 2-3 hour mark the dry-down kicks in and this scent is really spectacular)