Ambre Gris is a fragrance that aims to draw the wearer into the noblest reaches of perfumery. Indeed, as its name suggests, this fragrance is built entirely around the scent of ambergris.
The nobility of Balmain's Ambre Gris
Ambergris, a highly refined ingredient
Since 2006, the house of Balmain has seemed to be reborn, bringing a wind of modernity to its creations. Indeed, even though the brand's timeless elegance is still very much present, it is now expressed in a more offbeat and avant-garde way. This renewal is precisely what comes through in the Ambre Gris fragrance. It is intended for a contemporary woman, independent, free and sexy. It is built around one of the most legendary ingredients in perfumery. Ambergris is a precious material also known as floating gold. It gives off a majestic scent and was long regarded as an almost divine ingredient. Our ancestors indeed believed it to be a substance spat out by underwater springs that then drifted until it washed up on the shore. In reality, ambergris is a substance produced by the sperm whale. It was very quickly used in perfumery, and its presence can already be found in olfactory recipes from antiquity. Ambergris gives off a warm, slightly salty and highly sensual scent. Its elegance is worthy of all the refinement associated with Balmain, and its radiance lends a deeply mysterious and timeless quality to this exceptional juice.
The prestigious scent imagined by Balmain
To create this exceptional fragrance and rework this legendary ingredient of perfumery, Balmain called on perfumer Guillaume Flavigny. He crafted an oriental and woody juice. Ambre Gris opens with spicy, energizing tones of pink pepper and cinnamon. It then quickly evolves toward a more floral and feminine heart. This is made up notably of tuberose and immortelle. Ambre Gris thus offers a kind of rich and intriguing bouquet, one that could almost seem venomous. It gives off complex effluvia blending honey, hay, coffee and tobacco. Ambergris is worked in a highly nuanced way and is accompanied by myrrh and benzoin. The result becomes particularly enveloping and voluptuous. Finally, guaiac wood closes the composition with its woody and smoky notes, while white musk lays a further veil of softness over the whole. Ambre Gris comes in a highly original bottle. It has a very streamlined base, topped with a spherical, shimmering metal cap. The latter never fails to surprise and underscores the rock and roll spirit of the house of Balmain.
Balmain's Ambre Gris fragrance
Also known as floating gold, ambergris is a rare and precious raw material, one that mirrors the Balmain woman.
From the very start, the warmth of the spices sets the tempo, soon softened by the voluptuous caress of tuberose. The sillage owes its unique oriental signature to the elegant alchemy of the finest raw materials, which bring the sensuality of ambergris to its peak and make the fragrance unforgettable.
The bottle, with its geometric lines, echoes the architectural spirit of Balmain's creations.
Top notes: Pink pepper, sage
Heart notes: Tuberose, myrrh, incense
Base notes: Ambergris infusion, benzoin, tonka bean