Anthamber

2 reviews for Anthamber

1. 

   5 out of 5

   Mark – October 31, 2019

   This may be my favorite version of Iso E besides Sylvamber. I’m not sure if it’s doped with a trace of something to give it better performance, like Timbersilk, but I’m finding this unexpectedly substantive on skin and, unlike Timbersilk, beautifully smooth in character, possibly even smoother and more diffusive than the original Iso E Super (going from memory here). It certainly doesn’t seem lacking in comparison. Great value imo.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Eric Valentino – October 28, 2023

   Here me out… Objectively speaking, I think Anthamber is an *inferior* cut of ISO-E Super. I don’t think it’s a blend, like Timbersilk (my favourite variant), but just a different isomer ratio.

   Where Timbersilk is crystal-clear and “high-definition”, cutting through a blend and lending dry woody extension and clarity, Anthamber is rather muted and bottom-heavy, acting as more of a neutral cutting agent with some deeper, lower end fixative quality.

   If you’ve ever smelled Chinese cedarwood (Thuja orientalis) oil, it has a very similar sweet-rubbery resinous-woody note. In fact, they smell remarkably similar. Also bears similarity to exuded (not distilled) copaiba balsam, or Peru balsam EO.

   On its own, not very appealing or impressive, and smells like a muddled IES, but that can really work well in certain formulas where you want IES, but just a bit “oilier” or “chewier”.

   I’ve A/B’d it with Timbersilk, IES, and Sylvamber in a particular formula, and it just works where others don’t.