AMBERY FAMILY

The word "amber" in perfumery does not come, as one might think, from amber stone, but from grey amber (ambre gris in French). This raw material was of animal origin - it was bile secretions of cachalots (sperm whales) - and is no longer used in perfumery. Many other molecules have been invented to transcribe this incredibly rich, soft, warm effect with a great wake. The creation of ambery notes has now gradually opened up to lighter, more woody inflections. They are very used in men's perfumery - but not exclusively - as in Eros, by Versace, or Polo Red by Ralph Lauren.