Ambroxine is a synonym of ambroxan which is a type of organic chemical responsible with the smell of ambergris. Sourced from clary sage, the ingredient is widely used in perfumery.
Ambroxine is also a fixative, much like ISO E Super, another popular ingredient in the perfume world. Its natural roots are in ambergris, which is a type of whale excretion used as a base note in the early days of perfumery. Ambroxine is a heavy note worth knowing about as a fragrance enthusiast.
What does Ambroxine smell like?
Ambroxine (also called L’Ambroxine or ambrofix) smells like a musk-type ingredient mixed with amber, salt, and some type of woody accords. It’s very potent (usually less than 1% in fragrance compositions). You might even see it in perfumes with 1 ingredient only as a result.
Today, ambroxine is used as a base note in perfumes. It’s not a new ingredient whatsoever, but it has become more popular over the past few years.
What nobody tells you before buying an ambroxine perfume?
It was only a few months ago that I discovered some people can’t smell ambroxine. This is called being anosmic to a certain fragrance note. In very rare cases, you can be anosmic to ambroxine after you’ve sprayed it on your skin.
Types of ambroxine perfumes you need to know about
There are few ambroxine perfumes you can try out at a decent price (around $50). Most of them are very different as I haven’t found 2 ambroxine perfumes to smell the same.
1. Le Labo Another 13
This excellent scent comes with ISO E Super, benzyl alcohol, amyl salicylate, musk, ambroxine, ambrette, and sweet pear. Ambroxine is very intense in this fragrance, but complex at the same time, compared to pure one-ingredient alternatives.
Versatile and suitable for all seasons, this perfume is one of the few from Le Labo which pleases almost everybody. For many fragrance enthusiasts, it offers the best ambroxine on the market and together with a unique note of night-blooming jasmine, it can be a great first purchase and a gateway to the world of Le Labo.
2. Escentric Molecules Molecule 02
Pure ambroxine is used in molecule 02. Its type of complex ambroxan is very interesting, but it’s not for everybody.
The fragrance lasts for at least 12 hours on the skin and you might even forget you’re wearing it before getting a few whiffs of it when you think its completely gone.
The ambroxine here has been described differently, but it’s certainly familiar to those who’ve encountered it before. It has fruity undertones such as those of apricot. Citrusy and woody undertones are also there. But at times, its salty undertones can also be intense. It is certainly the most unique salty-sweet ambroxine you can come across at an affordable price.
3. Ambroxine Massimiliano Shaakar Il Profumiere
The one perfume that is called Ambroxine is still made by Massimiliano Torti. From the information available at the moment, this fragrance is very strong and its unique character makes it exclusive to brick and mortar stores and you can’t purchase it online.
But ambroxine is not the only strong note here. Coriander, oregano, myrtle, and benzoin are its intriguing top notes.
Angelica, myrrh, and vanilla are its midnotes. Labdanum, patchouli, and sandalwood are its base notes, together with ambroxine.