Ubar

I understand why it was discontinued; what I don’t understand is why it was made in the first place. It’s powdery and overbearing, like so many scent bombs that used to haunt elevators at the turn of the century. Of course, it lasts forever on skin and refuses to come out of clothes. Yikes.

i sold this over 2 years ago because, at the time, i couldn’t get past the nail polish scent. i revisited it a few times recently, and i find it very floral. it develops differently from the opening. initially, it’s a nail polish scent that transitions into a floral, powdery early-2000s concoction, then dries down into a more vivid rosy scent, which could also be geranium, but it’s not as sweet. i also get jasmine and some kind of a honeysuckle-smelling white flower. i do regret letting it go at the moment, but i don’t see myself reaching for it that often. it’s not an easy reach; you have to be in the mood for it. overall, it’s a dewy, honeyed floral with some musky, powdery undertones.

Reminds me of things like Givenchy Ysatis and Krizia Teatro Alla Scalla, bit of Bal a Versailles as well, then it clicked, it’s almost identical to Joop Femme. As lovely as this is, I’m not very surprised it’s no longer around. Amouage has quite a few vintage inspired fragrances and this one doesn’t stand out quite enough and also I don’t think it’s as timeless as even Gold is. Very nice though.

Omg. How am I only just stumbling across this now that it’s almost impossible to find? I was initially underwhelmed. I’d been sent a very old vintage decant to try and, after reading all the reviews, my expectations were sky high. “Okay… a little floral. Maybe some aldehydes? Could just as easily be lily of the valley. Cool”. Went about my day. But, holy crap! Fast forward 30 minutes and what is this? Now you have my full attention. Jasmine that’s borderline indolic, soft creamy tuberose… but oh my word the real star is this incredible slug of ambergris wrapping everything up in a big warm hug. It sinks right down to the base and it just sings! The melody, the harmonies, even going full soprano for a moment before being joined for the chorus by a great whack of sandalwood that I’m almost certain is Mysore. The final composition brings everything together on a repeat to fade loop that goes on and on until finally surrendering to skin with some bitterness from either oakmoss or very well handled vetiver. This is just divine. I want it. I need it. I do not want to spend another day without it in my life.

Please Amouage, bring back Ubar! Please!

I have been eagerly awaiting my first encounter with Ubar for some time. This perfume goes beyond your typical floral bouquet, capturing the space between something freshly washed, and freshly intimate; a charged anticipation. A scent proposing such a polite invitation to intimacy, it will surely not let you end the night alone. The white floral aspect initially greets you like a hotel room on the first night: crisp white sheets, conditioned air and a sense of calm, however rapidly accelerates into something far more alluding. Clean, pressed linen positively strewn across the floor as two warm bodies begin to become acquainted. It’s not quite filthy, but that’s only because it captures a building of foreplay. The silky, almost melted white petals pull back on the reigns; keeping it from becoming too suggestive. And yet, a whisper survives through the soapiness - a dense, creamy amber hints at desire. The discontinuation of such a creation is criminal.

if you have smelled prins or hiram greens honeys, or familiar with mr. chongs beeswax in his opuses, you will find a very similar sweet waxy base here, beautifully decorated with tender, soft jasmine of a slightly vintage, indolic character. on skin doesnt last that long, falling into a sweet floral skin scent after couple of hours. natural beeswax church candles leave a very, very similar sweet smell on your hands.. definitively high quality and extremely pleasant creation, but honestly it doesnt cost its eBay prices no more. only for the sake of the collection I'd say.

Deep, everlasting and timelessly intoxicating. Ths is a sumptuous, complex delight. If you thought Lyric Woman or Epic Woman were classy and rich, this goes several steps further. Its quality is unmistakeable. We're so used to light soliflores or chemical soups these days, that the wonder of Ubar won't make sense immediately. Give it time ... I have a deep burgundy Moroccan maxi-dress in soft cotton that feels like a second skin. Ubar merges with it in its earthy, natural elegance. I get swooningly rich and plush floral absolutes, smooth Egyptian musk and resins from Ubar. It's very grounded, I don't find the tangerine lifts it hugely, rather it adds oddness or an extra dimension, but ultimately this perfume makes sense to me in dry down. There's somethng almost cinammon-like alongside the other notes, that makes this shimmer despite its weight and heft. It's a major cliche I know, but in dry down I feel I'm wearing something Cleopatra might have worn when meeting Caesar. You know that well-known tale of how she met Caesar on the Nile, floating to her destination in a golden barge with sails perfumed in her favourite scent, it might well have been something very like Ubar. It's not flirty or typically sexy, though it is sensual, even earthy. Perhaps 'sensual, womanly queen' is the vibe, if worn by a woman. If worn by a man, the mood is quite noble, but again - very grounded. It takes time, and a few wears, to get to know it, but what I love about Ubar is this: After I've sniffed any number of the latest expensive, niche or designer perfumes featuring ISO E, ambroxan or whatever, smelling Ubar is like deep, soft velvet after nylon. It's such a relief! Love.

Review of the original release, wedge shape bottle c. 1995, and the rerelease c. 2009 made in the UK with the magnetic cap It’s my birthday. Tradition holds that I allow myself to rummage deep into my collection and wear something very special, something celebratory, something life-affirming in reward for not dying yet again, precious in itself and precious to me. Ubar has done those honors on a handful of occasions. And as it’s my birthday, I’ll play my favorite game: an arm-by-arm comparison. On my left is the original release from 1995, and on my right is the rerelease/reformulation from 2009. Dangerous game this; two arm lengths is but a pin-tip’s distance for Ubar. First, a generalization of the two. A perfume critic we all know reviewed Ubar in a guide published in 2008, a year before the rerelease of Ubar. I scratched my head at the description “Godzilla floral”. We all know that Luca Turin doesn’t smell things the same way as most of us, but I still could not make sense of it. I found there to be nothing reptilian or crude about Ubar; Godzilla’s indifference towards monstrous aggression and destruction wasn’t in Ubar either. Larger than life? Fantastical? Mythical? Otherworldly? Yes, those work. Ubar in both forms has an uncontained and unrestrained euphoric vitality and joie de vivre that is the opposite of Godzilla. That explosive joie de vivre makes it a wonderful companion for my day of days. Now, on to the technical stuff, first noting that my vintage 1995 bottle is 30 years old: it’s not going to be the same now as when it was bottled. But as time travel hasn’t been invented yet, that’s mostly irrelevant; it is what it is. The orange notes at the top are definitely a lot quieter in the vintage, which is not much of a surprise since citruses are usually the first to age out, but the fuel and floral violet leaf note is quite intact in both. After this, some notable differences. The vintage is darker and deeper, with the florals far more indolic and heady, the tuberose seeming to do a lot of heavy lifting, and there’s a big slug of oakmoss in it as well. The florals are a true amalgam, with the indolic jasmine, banana fruity ylang ylang, heady and creamy tuberose, and sweet and unctuous muguet all existing in a seamless and spaceless bouquet. Fans of vintage Lanvin Arpege will find themselves in very familiar territory. The rerelease finds this same amalgam but with clearer resolution to the materials. The jasmine is brighter and more citrusy certainly being helped along by a clearer orange blossom, which is either very quiet, absent, or more indolic so as to be hidden behind the other indole-presenting florals in the vintage. The oakmoss in the rerelease is noticeably quieter, with the perfume opting for more rosewood and balsams instead (no surprise). As they both dry down, the vintage rides a very tight line between chypre and amber, while the rerelease more noticeably leans over the line to the amber territory. This is thanks obviously to the difference in oakmoss, but also to the musks where in the vintage there is more of sweet civet/animal musk of the good ol’ stuff where the rerelease opts for the newer synthetic musks that are convincingly less fecal. The chypre-amber dry down is otherwise virtually the same, save for the real sandalwood in the vintage but the material in the rerelease is exceptional. Labdanum, woody and sticky and slightly vanillic, patchouli, loamy and sweetly earthy, and vetiver, smoothly green and woody, are basically identical. So, yes, there are differences, but both are unequivocally Ubar. Do not ask me if I have a preference because I don’t. Nor does it seem does anyone else who happens to be in my presence when I wear it. Whether vintage or new, I get asked without fail what is that amazing perfume I’m wearing. One of the last times I wore this on a birthday, I was at a restaurant with my partner and no fewer than three people at the nearest tables asked “very sorry to interrupt, but which of you is wearing that gorgeous perfume and what is it?” That’s the other thing about Ubar. I said at the beginning that its vitality and joy is unrestrained, and it is; a perfume like this is meant to fill a space like the life-giving golden hues of the sun, and so it does. You will get noticed. Don’t wear it casually. Don’t be aloof. Be confident, be joyous, project an energy that says you are overjoyed to be alive and that life is a beautiful thing - an otherworldly and mythical experience, just like Ubar.

I have a non-magnetic cap 50ml and a magnetic 10oml to sell. DM if interested IG @alexolympia6

First Impression: slightly animalic chypre that shares some vibes with Chanel DNA, perhaps °5 and maybe a bit of 1957 or 19. There's a slight animalic undertoe perhaps a bit like the faint funk in Cuir De Russie. If you like things along the lines of amouage gold but easier to wear, or Chanel or SMN Melograno you will like this perfume. Lily of the valley, jasmine, ylang, freesia are nit normally a turn on for me but thsy are fine here in this multi nuanced chypre. I'd love a bottle if I could ever find one. Since it's discontinuation, it seems to be very scarce --------------------------------------------------------- Scent 93/100

Grapey jasmine explosion with sparkling citrus glitter, delivered on a fluffy, buzzing cloud of hazy yellow/white florals with a base of ultra-creamy sandalwood. Before long there's a sort of ancient, salty, sandy feel to it, and I do sense some wisps of incense snaking through the flowers. The other notes are apparent when you look for them. My nose is telling me iris too, but it's probably the violet and sandalwood. This is an achingly beautiful masterpiece, up there with Fate Woman. In fact maybe better, as this one is more versatile.

This is a masterful blend. White floral, woody notes, fruity elements, this is one complete scent. The blending on this is amazing, and even though I wouldn't normally go for something like this, I can really appreciate how spectacular, nuanced and restrained the mixing is on this. It's next level. To find out that a scent like this is discontinued beggars belief -- it makes NO sense. Especially when, in its place, some hack-poxy scent with a quasi-abstract noun title that apparently elicits freedom and confidence, or something equally as trite, it laughable. You can mock a perfume house and still love their back catalogue -- it IS allowed. Don't get mad at me if you don't agree...

I have a 92/100ml tester bottle to sell in EU.

Be very careful when buying this bottle from eBay. I was sold a fake from Kuwait. I had to fight with eBay and my credit card to get my money back. There are so many fakes of this fragrance . Buy at your own risk. I have a small 30ml bottle left. I wanted the 100ml so i could have plenty.

This is a quick late night review just to get my thoughts out there, but this is a perfect fragrance, and I was so stricken that I felt compelled to type this. You know a fragrance is a masterpiece when you can't think of a single aspect to change. At first sniff Ubar immediately reminds me of Paloma Picasso, or maybe Coty's Truly Lace. To me this smells like the idealized 90's perfume. Like if you were to design a tribute to the era and weren't limited by price or sales numbers. It's warm, it's maternal, it's regal, it hits me with a wave of nostalgia. I really like how all of the notes seem to meld together to create an all new scent, yet you can sense how the ambergris and copahu balsam make this so special. I'll parrot some of the previous reviewers and recommend that you don't seek out samples because you won't want to be without this once you fall on love. And I'll add, even if you do have the disposable income, you'll be hard pressed to find someone willing to part with their bottle.

I can't say anything, just incredibly beautiful

This should’ve NEVER been discontinued! A true work of art, absolute masterpiece. A bottle will eventually be mine, regardless of what I have to pay for it. If you’ve never smelled this and aren’t rich, don’t bother, because it’ll just break your heart 😔

Masterpiece sadly discontinued 😞❤️❤️❤️

This masterpiece seems to be from other galaxy. I have never found a perfume so different from.a.person/skin to another. On me is a.metallic muguet saturated with some rose water and balsams in the end, on others is spicy, deep, heavy. I don t feel it heavy at all. It s like something that flow in the atmosphere in the spring. One spray lasts few hours on my skin. I don t feel it dynamic, it s almost the same from the beginning to the end. Surrealy beautiful. And so rare and damn expensive.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I think the reason I've divvied up my stash by season may well be because of Ubar. If Ubar doesn't transport you from the mundane to the ultimate posh perfume den that you've finally found and heard about forever, I'm sorry, I cannot help you. In my mind's eye, I see tapestries, overstuffed velvet sofas, peacock feathers and wafting sweet pipe tobacco. If you deeply inhale by the thick velvet drapes, decades of incense will reveal themselves to your olfactory senses. Ubar might be the best reason to savor the grayest depths of winter. I will miss Ubar in July and August.

I don't know why many people mentioned White florals... to me, This is a Rose (Muguet) centered perfume with Sandalwood (and also strong presence of acidic-fatty of Rosewood) and other resins, as the cover package of the sample mentioned... with some white flowers' animalistic. Woody, Balsamic, Classic, Old.

Dry aromatic violet leads to big white florals, all indolic jasmine, tuberose, with a lot of ylang. Woody and balsamic facets emerge as it dries down, all tied in with the animalic thread that runs through the entire scent. Very bold with major projection, feels vintage but with a little 'oomph' of something modern. Best worn in cool/cold weather, this is one of those that works best with just body heat. Impossible to find since discontinued, I was lucky to have been gifted my bottle.

A mission impossible completed. 💛 Discontinued Amouage Ubar is finally in my hands. (Creations Aromatiques 1995) This is very unisex. So beautiful vintage style white floral. Nothing like white florals nowadays. Very sensual. Intoxicating. Elegant. Very oriental with balsamic and ambery base. All those flowers are dipped in them. As glorious as I was thinking it is. ✨✨✨ Thank you @profumeriezanon in Udine, Italy making one of my dreams come true. They had amazing collection of Clive Christians btw. Top: lemon, bergamot, lily of the valley, tangerine, orange, litsea cubeba and violet leaf Heart: jasmine, damascene rose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, tuberose, freesia, and palisander rosewood Base: civet, vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, copahu balm and black amber In-depth review later. 06/24 Unfortunately I haven't smelled the original perfume, which was released in 1995 and discontinued later. It has been described to be even richer and woodier than the version which was released in the new bottle in 2009. Mine is the new version which has a magnetic cap and therefore it differs the most from the original being anyway more floral and having less incense in it like non magnetic cap version as well (what I have red). Ubar is an amazing beautiful vintage style white floral. It's nothing like white florals are nowadays and it can't be compared with them at all. I do see the point why it was discontinued since it's challenging, it's not crowd pleasing at all and it smells a bit outdated even if it was reformulated already into easier version. But for me all that complexity makes it so special. It's so multi layered, it's so amazingly blended and every time I wear it I can find new things, small little nuances, different kind of emotions. I love the fact that I can't separate first that overpowering Tuberose which has been made in the same kind of ways in too many perfumes and that heady Jasmine which has nothing new to offer. This is like a time machine to the past. It's very sensual. Intoxicating. Elegant. It's passionate and somehow sinfully lustfull. It's deep and it's strong like many perfumes before mid 90s and it's even a little bit more of everything. The scent is very oriental with balsamic and ambery base. All those flowers seem to be dipped and soaked in them, for a long time. Uber is as glorious as I was thinking it is but I can't stop thinking about the non magnetic cap version, or even the original one. Regardless, I will enjoy my journey with this one since it's stupendous. I just have to be careful with it, no over spraying like with most of my perfumes. Some day when I'm in the right kind of mood with her, I will analyse more the scent itself. She deserves all my attention. Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more. 🤗

If anyone in the USA is willing to sell me a small decant, please reach out. 😇

I don't want to be among those who moan, 'Back in the day, things used to be better,' but I can't help myself this time. I'm very sad to see Ubar go and become a page in history that future generations won't be able to experience firsthand. Yes, it is a powerhouse, challenging perfume that embodies opulence and grace. It's a provocative yet sophisticated oriental fragrance. There is something utterly sensual, dirty in a sexual way about it. Perhaps its intoxicating tuberose-jasmine accord framed in resins, amber, and patchouli.

It starts dry and aromatic with a herbal tinge. Looking at the notes these would have to be the litsea cubeba, palisander and copahu balm. It is resinous, slightly sweet and mild, warm. Sharpness of aromatic redwood like an arrow. Lemony tinged-herbal scent that's neither violet nor any citrus fruit. And this is the start on me. All grown-up and serious. Aromatic and proper yet not very me. The black amber starts to show, I think. It smells like classic big parfume, not any particular fragrant particle - many consider it preferable. It did not change much. Mainly comfortable, calm ambergris. Unisex

Ubar made my top 10 by the first spray. And my top 5 by the dry down. Isn’t there rose here? There certainly is. Some old garden type? Or rose hip (as if I could differ). Earthy, floral. And sweet. And fresh. Feminine? No. These mundane issues are not worth applying to such a beautiful perfume. Ubar is preterhuman.

Darn it! I was afraid this would happen. I got a 2 ml sample of this and I love it! I see it's discontinued and almost impossible to find. It's just heavenly.

Now that monster scents with lasting power are back in fashion, I hope Amouage considers once again resurrecting this woody-floral beast. (Amouage once discontinued Ubar, before deciding to bring it back in 2009.) This perfume doesn't just smell beautiful and complex, both of which are inarguably true, it feels compressed yet comforting, similar to having the best sleep of your life care of a weighted blanket. If you find Ubar on eBay (for a hefty price, no doubt), add to cart posthaste.