White Amber
Creed (2017)

An enjoyable if reserved white floral, somewhat in the style of White Flowers, Royal Service, and Pure White Cologne. Thus, a cool, ethereal, and bright white floral mix, translucent if not transparent, with an interesting and restrained sweetness. Some kind of perfume amber, evoking sensations of cleanliness, warmth within coolness, and hazy clarity, as well as snowy color and texture, is wonderfully present, and sets the fragrance apart from the other Creeds mentioned. Performance is understated, and this is clearly intentional. There is some stylistic resemblance to Virgin Island Water, not only in terms of being excellent for both men and women, but also in a synaesthetic sense of white, clear, and silver hues. I personally find the fragrance more in line with rogalal’s and rbaker’s descriptions, than with Creed’s, although if one tried to envision the scent of literal white amber - an imaginary resin fossilized and formed into jewelry - it is unlikely that one could do better than this fragrance. Therefore, I think Creed has created a fantastic fragrance in White Amber, and I recommend sampling it at the very least.

What isles and seas lie
So perfectly imagined
Beyond l’ambre blanc?

The opening is a pleasant mix of ambroxan and a slightly peachy accord. It is bright and positive, and further into the drydown I get a discreet benzoin undertone. Pleasant.

The drydown is initially dominated by a pleasant jasmine, a light jasmin without any woodsy or leafy character. Later on, a very shy sandal note is evident, with a slightly aquatic sideline present at times.

I get moderate sillage, adequate projection and a longevity of two hours on my skin.

On the one hand, this is a nice, subdued and elegant spring creation with some ingredients of high quality. On the other hand, some ingredients are quite good but not really exceptional, and also a bit anaemic at times. Additionally, the performance is nothing to write home about. In total, it is very agreeable but lacks the quality that truly convinces. 2.75/5.

First off, this isn't a standard amber perfume, that mix of vanilla and incense. If you're interested in a Creed amber, I'd suggest their Vanisia. Instead, this is a tribute to white ambergris, the most expensive form of beach ambergris.

It mostly smells like ambrox, the rich but subtle creamy basenote that Creed uses as a house note in almost everything. There's citrus and a pinch of swimming pool smell on top of the ambrox. Given time, the the fruit and aquatics fade, leaving a pinch of buttery sandalwood and a hint of cinnamon over the lasting ambrox.

That's about it. There may be some real ambergris in here - it has a quiet oceanic hum that may be from the real thing (at almost $600 a bottle, I'd hope for something to justify the price point), but it's probably just the ambrox. On the whole, there's nothing loud here, but there's a subtle richness. It doesn't smell cheap, but isn't strong enough to smell expensive either. Meh. Thumbs up for smelling decent, but the pricing is just ridiculous, given what this is.