Reviews of Amber & Lavender by Jo Malone London

It's got the basics you'd expect from the genre: sharp lavender over leathery patchouli and myrrh, over a minty, herbal chypre core.

Things that smell like this are usually much stronger and longer-lasting, but this is a fairly thin cologne strength, so it takes a few sprays to get much out of it and it doesn't have much longevity. It's also worth noting that this does the bare minimum required to be acceptable, but nothing more. It's perfectly competent, but doesn't do anything to make itself feel special. As such, it's fine and I have nothing against it, but I can't imaging reaching for this when, say, Derby is available and so much better and more considered.

Amber and lavender? High expectations that I had. But the mix ended up so dry, I couldn't differentiate the notes. It feels like any old male fragrance.

One of many Jo Malone scents that I had set out to test and review: Amber & Lavender was one that I had to take a sample home!

It's an aromatic-spicy-fresh-floral, with LOADS of therapeutic lavender and warm amber being dominant. Patchouli also stands out, accented slightly by the mint and cloves. Myrrh hits with its smoky, resinous touch.

Getting a chance to sample this at home, I had a chance to appreciate its notes in a different environment than the Nordstrom store where I had seen it. What I got overall is an herbal, clean, even soapy men's cologne. Feels natural to wear for casual daytime occasions.

First Jo Malone fragrance I've tried. It seems that most reviews agree that the designer tries to stick to a simple concept, however there's more going on than the two note name alludes to. JM Amber and Lavender opens with an airy light lavender balanced by a touch of citrus flower and a spice. You sense the amber laying underneath but it really doesn't come fully forward for at least the first 30 minutes or more. The heart of the fragrance is fully lavender, amber and a soft myrrh that keeps the fragrance on balance throughout. I don't get as much spice as other reviews note, but perhaps my nose is less sensitive. Unfortunately JM products are EDC strength, so as one would expect I got about 3 hours average sillage and an hour of skin scent. JM designs their line to be subtle and work friendly, but if it smells great why worry and just reapply with a atomizer later in the day. A&L is marketed as a unisex fragrance, but I think it's decidedly a gentleman's scent. A classy, wear anywhere fragrance. Thumbs up from me.

Amber and Lavender is one of three Jo Malone fragrances I own. I smell three simple ingredients amber, lavender and a little bit of patchouli. I use it during the Fall months and it lasts a long time on me. Very good quality fragrance and very classy.

Jo Malone Amber&Lavender is an interesting fragrance. At the beginning you feel the barber-shop vibe (a bergamot-mint-lavender aromatic accord, actually present throughout) immediately followed by a ostensibly incensey resinous sort of aura. I was almost sure about a frankincense presence for a while (and also now I wonder if a touch is included in the recipe) but I suppose that a resinous-dusty myrrh/cloves accord elicits this almost liturgical prickly effect in the air. I catch in the air myrhh more than (yet present) amber indeed. Anyway I detect a stout patchouli, resinous patterns and a sort of woody (piney) smoky undertone conjuring me for a while the Tom Ford Bois Marocain's woodsy-misty atmosphere (also Durbano Black Tourmaline jumps on mind). A fleeting lily of the valley provides a sort of floral melancholic undertone that counteracts barbershop and misty neutrality. The dry down is virile woodiness, lavender, soft amber and spices (finally drier). A more than decent shadowy concoction unfortunately (in my humble opinion) missing that "quid" to standout.

This an amber-lavender scent - JM is usually straightforward in that the title says it all. Not here though, there is a touch bergamot-style freshness present for most of the time, whilst a gentle spice note is present in the drydown. The amber is not very dark or smoky and more on the bright side and on me well balanced with the lavender. The latter is unusually slim and youthful. Projection and silage are good, and - most surprisingly for a JM scent on my skin - longevity is a brilliant seven hours. Whilst great for layering, this fragrance is also one of the most interesting and complex Jo Malone's I have experienced so far. 3.5/5

Pretty straightforward fragrance. Very little sweetness and the lavender carries the fragrance throughout. Projection is average and longevity is average. There's nothing that makes this stand out and when a fragrance is this simple and linear it better have exceptional notes. It doesn't and in the end this becomes an expensive paper weight.

Notes:
Top: Mint, Bergamot, Lavender
Middle: Clove, Cinnamon, Lily-of-the-valley
Base: Myrrh, Patchouli, Amber

Formerly a bespoke fragrance for Malone's husband, Amber & Lavender is a dry soapy fougere which used to be one of my favorite clean fragrances five or so years ago but now, either due to evolving tastes or a possible reformulation, smells somewhat imbalanced and not very lavendery or ambery. It smells like Cartier's Roadster run over by a truck.

The opening is bright, minty, airy and somewhat astringent. I suspect this is mostly due to a high dose of mint intermingling with an airy effervescent clove note with the french lavender providing only the camphoric and slightly smoky aspects of its less fragrant characteristics. In a formula boasting sharp bright notes such as clove and mint, I would have preferred the denser more fragrant english lavender to provide balance and some lavender persistence. Instead the clove and mint combo further overpower any tinny floral echoes from the lily of the valley note, and drill down further into the basenotes where a bitter myrrh note does the same squashing act on the amber. I was hoping for a warm lavish amber base...instead I get the three stooges shouting at the top of their voices: clove, mint, and myrrh.

A&L is a clean soapy herbal Gendarme-like fragrance. If you are looking for a top notch lavender fragrance, this isn't it. If you are looking for a sensual amber fragrance, this isn't is. Even in the spartan simple-formula Jo Malone catalog A&L struggles to stand out. I would like to know what Malone's husband wears now. I suspect he has moved on for a reason.

Rating: 6.5/10.0

SirSlarty and Diamondflame's reviews are the most accurate of this scent, in my opinion.

Amber & Lavender is a comforting fragrance, as stated before by Indie_Guy, and definitely more masculine.

However, it is not very sweet. This is more of an up-front lavender with herbs and an oakmoss base. Clean and green. If you have ever smelled Molton Brown's Active Cassia Body Wash or Body Spray, then this is almost exactly like that. However, this came first, so the Molton Brown would be like this, then. Still, this is a wonderful masculine scent that is warm and comforting with a clean, astringent lavender up front. Lasts a while on me. I have never smelled Esencia Loewe, so I can't comment on the similarities there, but this is a very distinctive and enjoyable smell. However, if we're talking unisex, this is most definitely on the masculine side. This can work in all seasons, although it kind of feels out of place in summer. Don't over-do it - it can be headache inducing. Otherwise, I think this fragrance is fantastic.

An elegant fougere in the mold of Loewe Esencia. Despite its ‘unisex' label, I honestly doubt if any woman would want to wear it - this is as masculine as it gets, with a profile that hints at lavender, clary sage, oakmoss and myrrh. It is a classy scent for a gentleman, a little barbershop-like and mellows out to a light ambery drydown. Lovely but a little linear. I just wish it projects better.

Amber & Lavender by Jo Malone is a truly sophisticated man's fragrance. I love this juice, it has such a fresh and clean yet grown up and well dressed effect. Some may say this is somewhat safe - as in everyone you encounter when wearing a liberal dose applied will love this. If a Gentleman wants their fellow men to respect and admire them whilst having ladies attracted and drawn to them in a completely unconscious and subliminal manner this scent wouldn't be too far from the bottle to use to conjure this magic. It may seem simplistic but this simplicity holds a trick or two up it's tailored sleeve. A conservative but ever so seductive juice.This won't challenge and perhaps won't do it for the niche and unique lover of scents but will certainly have a desirable effect. This is clean, fresh, tenacious and will see you thorough the day.Simple, sophisticated and oh so sexy for a man.Not sure how would work on a women perhaps layered with other JM but in my opinion not alone.

Wi-zi-wig.Like several of Jo Malone's blends, Amber and Lavender is a fragrant "wiziwig." That's a sound-it-out spelling for WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get), a user interface term with etymological roots in Flip Wilson's "Geraldine" act, and a 1972 hit song by the Dramatics. In this no-nonsense mix. For the first twenty minutes or so, light, creamy amber peacefully coexists with herbal lavender. Within an hour the amber fades, lasting close to the skin, while lavender takes the lead. The two notes nearly regain equilibrium in a quiet, long-lasting dry drown.I find straightforward, brisk lavender scents difficult to wear, even once they fade, perhaps because lavender is my aroma of choice for dish soaps, ironing water, and such. Unlike Jo Malone's luscious Dark Amber and Ginger Lily, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts [to use a Turinism], the scent of Amber and Lavender never overreaches its name. I like ti best about 8 hours in when I have to seek it out on my skin.Lavender lovers should try this fine example of disambiguation in fragrance. As for me, while I appreciate the simplicity of WYSIWYGs when building web pages, I would rather navigate multiple layers of complexity in high-end bottles.

I love this scent. True it can start off as a little soapy when I frist put it on I was a little bit put off by the laundry scent, but give it a few min and it mellows out to a nice warm spicy amber with a lavender twist. It's fantastic. For me the scent has lasted a good long time, and so far my office loves it.

This comes off clean and soapy and a raw strong herbal lavender as opposed to many other scents that have lavender. Usually combined with vanilla, amber takes the reins to attempt to subdue the harsh natural smell of lavender and instead of completely smothering it, the lavender becomes harnessed to its full potential. Honestly at first I think this is best suited for a candle (though I do not see it offered as one on the Jpo Malone website as of this writing) but the scent is mellow enough to be worn. Lavender is a traditionally masculine scent and will always be in my eyes. Truly a great fragrance here albeit linear which is the intention. A fine gentleman's scent.

I agree with the advice to "start off lightly". This is a masculine scent but a woman may really like it combined with something more floral or fruity. I like it with Jo Malone's Pom Noir.

I know Jo Malone created it for her husband, but it doesn't smell too masculine, at least on my skin. It's like a good love relationship: warm and embracing like amber, but not suffocating or too heavvy, thanks to the lavander. And not boring, because you can combine it with other scents: I recommend Pomegranate Noir, to make it spicier, sweeter and sexier and White Jasmin and Mint, for a fresh summer scent, with a strong herbal note.

Notes according to Jo Malone: amber, French lavender, myrrh.The expert nose of Ayala also detects sage, cloves and oak moss – and this seems exactly right to me.The opening is a lovely dry lavender, deep and slightly smoky as the best lavender should be. There are some herbs and green notes. Spices? Yes, cloves. Incense? Yes, the myrrh. The clove and moss combination is what gives this its clean, soapy, barbershop vibe. It reminds me of YSL's Rive Gauche – it has the same sort of virile, no-nonsense and deliberately retro soapy-spice character. Lavender + oak moss = traditional fougere and this is a striking one, though not as mossy as some. The amber gives it an oriental twist. It gets a bit powerful in the dry-down, so start off lightly and see what works for you.

The simplicity of this fragrance is what makes it so beautiful. It is crystaline and pristine, yet masculine (though my mom owns and loves this) and sophisticated... uncomplicated. It reminds me of a young father in khakis and a crisp white shirt scooping up his giggling daughter on Easter morning. The initial moments have the slightest antibacterial hand towel feel, but the amber quickly moves in to slightly soften and round out the somewhat austere lavender, leaving me with the impression of a sugared ginger candy in the dry down which admittedly fades rather quickly. Beautiful if not simple in the best way.

INDIE_GUY has pinned this one perfectly! May I also add this herbaceous combination is somewhat reminiscent of L'Artisan's Passage de Enfer...as the lavender here is more to the dry side rather than fresh; creating an incense character. Very masculine IMO.

The amber in this gave me immediate heartburn! Not a pleasant combination. Not a perfume, just a strange smell in my opinion.

Amber & Lavender is not so much about amber or lavender as it is about Fougere, and not the most ambery Fougere at that. It's herbal and clean, with a bold presence and a classical masculine appearance. The base is a tad animalic, even indolic, and a tad spicy. Apparently, this was Jo Malone's creation for her husband, and I am not surprised. A good Fougere scent is the epitome of masculine scents, and what I associate most with my man. If you follow some of Jo Malone suggestions for layering with Amber & Lavener, you'd be surprised how versatile this scent is. It is equally warm and fresh, and adds an interesting twist to some of her other scents. The notes that stand out most for me are lavender, sage, cloves, amber and oakmoss.

I find this almost too simple, direct and uniteresting. Two scents: amber and lavender. Clean and elegant. But there is no mystery, no sensuality, nothing unexpected. It has a purtitanical, hygenic, soapy smell.

Soap. Pure and simple. Just soap. If I want to smell like this, I'll just use soap. It is fresh, clean, like you just stepped out of the show, but it simply smells like soap. It actually kind of reminds me of Coast - remember that stuff? Some of the freshest smelling stuff out there - but this is not a fragrance I would don with a suit to go out in an evening. If the founder of Jo Malone made this for her husband, she must have been trying to send him a hint to take a bath.