Xerjoff Amber Star Perfume Review

Xerjoff Amber Star Eau de Parfum opens with intensely spiced ambery woods before rich resins and a kiss of vanilla join. I found that there was a drier, almost leather-like undertone with a soft, salty-musky quality that was short-lived but there in the early moments. The ylang-ylang added an airiness to it with its soft floral feel. Over time, the sandalwood, benzoin, and vanilla intensified, while the amber varied in its intensity throughout the development. The drydown was blurrier with a mix of vanilla and woods.

This scent is, apparently, only available bundled with another Xerjoff fragrance (Star Musk), which is an interesting choice given how pricey a single bottle is, let alone two of them!

Here are the notes:

• top notes: ambergris, ylang-ylang, cedar
• heart notes: myrrh, guaiac wood, Gurjan balsam
• base notes: vanilla, benzoin, opoponax, sandalwood

It was sharp, spiced amber, and woody in its first minute before it filled with rich, balsamic resins and a hint of vanilla. There was a subtle, drier, almost leathery undertone against a wisp of saltiness gave the scent a cooler feel. Soft ylang-ylang added a breezy, sweet floral quality in the background. The benzoin slowly layered over the amber, enriching it and deepening the sweetness while amping up the vanilla quotient.

An hour in, a soft, creamy sandalwood merged with the vanillic benzoin, lending a smooth base for the lightly spiced amber and benzoin to sit upon. The amber returned and grew in its intensity between the second and third owner–dark and golden, spiced and woody. The drydown was rich vanilla and blurry woods.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Personal Thoughts

Available Sizes

• 200ml for $700 (part of a set)
• 0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent
• Selfridges