Ambre de Cabochard by Gres

Firstly, in case your interest in this fragrance is based on your love for the original Cabochard-  I will warn you now, this scent bears no resemblance to the classic chypre from which is borrows its name.
Ambre de Cabochard is what I would call a gourmand oriental, with warm hues of christmas spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) woven into sticky-sweet citrus (mandarin) and blue fruits (blueberries, blackcurrant), smouldering on a base of sweetened amber with vanilla and powdery musk.

At first, it bears a faint resemblance to Fendi's Theorema with the citrus and christmas spices, and a tiny whimper of the woods which are so thin, they almost appear as pencil shavings. But of course, the amber is at the centre of this fragrance and as an amber lover, it doesnt disappoint. But then, it doesnt wow me either. It did hook me from first sniff, but it didn't bowl me over with rapture. The amber is present- glowing and warm throughout the sweet spices. Interestingly, Cabochard translates as "stubborn" or "obstinate", so basically the name of this scent loosely translates as stubborn amber, but I dont get the obstinate vibe from this fragrance, least of all from the amber. Its in the room and theres no escaping it, but it simply doesnt have a stubborn bone in its body.  I attribute this complacency to its thinned out composition. It lacks punch and decisiveness, and its a little on the cheap side (tacky plastic lid), but scrubs up well with good conversation, and still gets through the door at the Millionaires Club because it comes from a good family. I cant help but but feel if it were less thinned, and were allowed to eat and not be on such a strict diet, it could easily pass for niche. Its has a subtle richness that has been cruelly restrained, to become a  linear scent from start to finish. What you smell in the bottle is what you get on the skin, and what you get on the skin stays the same until it disappears. Lasting power is good, 5-6 hours easily.

While it doesnt get a raving review, its definitely worth mentioning. Its an extremely easy to wear, grown up fragrance that will become a comforting Autumn and Winter staple for me, like a mug of mulled wine on a cold evening- warm, spicy and comforting to the soul. 

Ambre de Cabochard comes as an EDT and is easily found at online discounters with a very affordable price tag. Currently on Strawberrynet at $32 NZD for 50mls.