Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang (Eau de Parfum) by Estēe Lauder

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Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang Estēe Lauder 2008 Eau de Parfum

8.1 / 10 185 Ratings

A popular perfume by Estēe Lauder for women, released in 2008. The scent is floral-sweet. It is being marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.
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Main accords

Floral

Sweet

Oriental

Powdery

Spicy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Ylang-ylang absolute

Geranium

Italian bergamot

Heart Notes

Bulgarian rose absolute

Ceylonese cinnamon

Frankincense

Base Notes

Amber

Sandalwood Vanilla

Vanilla

Perfumers

Honorine Blanc, Annie Buzantian

Ratings

Scent

8.1185 Ratings

Longevity

7.9138 Ratings

Sillage

7.0129 Ratings

Bottle

8.1129 Ratings

Value for money

6.614 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 05/18/2024.

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Reviews

12 in-depth fragrance descriptions

12/11/2012

10Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Dulcemio
35 Reviews

Dulcemio

Helpful Review 5

An oriental dream: sweet, earthy, woody vanilla

I have a feeling that when people ask over and over again for recommendations for a sweet, earthy, woody, vanillic oriental, PCAYY is exactly what many of them have in mind. They've just never encountered it because there is no tester on the perfume counter in Macys, it's a little pricey, and samples are hard to come by.

I lucked into it because one of my early swap partners has taste very similar to mine and she was an expert at predicting which ones I would love. She sent me a half-full mini as an extra, and bless her heart for doing that, otherwise I'd never have discovered this rich and satisfying elixir.

It checks all the boxes for me: woody, earthy, vanillic, sweet, long-lasting, excellent sillage. Each and every time I wear it, a couple of my co-workers take a deep sniff of the air around me and say something like, "mmmmm . . .you smell good."

It's one of a handful of perfumes I could wear everyday if I had to, and one I would truly miss if it disappeared.

Epilogue, Feb. 22, 2014: How on earth has it taken me three years to notice the rose note in this one??? A subtle, smooth, but very much there ROSE!!! Woo Hoo!

04/13/2012

7Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Sherapop
1240 Reviews

Sherapop

Helpful Review 4

At the Vanguard of Pseudo-niche Perfumery

I was curious about the Estee Lauder Private Collection for quite some time, what with its thinly veiled insinuation that the other members of the EL line-up are somehow destined for hoi polloi. What could "private" really mean when these new fragrances were being sold just as freely at the EL website as all of the others by, I might add, a big-time corporate monster which encompasses more than a dozen other ostensibly independent lines as well (Clinique, Prescriptives, Origins, Donna Karan, Tom Ford, Aveda, Darphin, La Mer, etc...).

Having finally gained access to samples of a couple of the EL PC (not-so p.c.) perfumes, I am happily in a position to say something about the compositions, rather than waxing vainly about globalization.

AMBER YLANG YLANG opens with a veritable bomb of amber, already not the most subtle of notes, and here presented in a concentration sufficient to mask even the usually strong character of ylang ylang. As the amber begins to wear away slightly (which is strange, since usually amber figures in the basenotes, not the topnotes), the vanilla and sandalwood begin to assert themselves. The lightly sweet, floral-woody drydown of this composition is just beautiful. However, the brash amber opening is a bit much for me.

I would say that the question here is not about sophistication but amber tolerance. Anyone who loves hard-hitting sledgehammer ambers will welcome the opening of AMBER YLANG YLANG. Others may wish to hold their breath for several minutes.

Does this "private collection creation" live up to the hype? Well, the price is definitely not right. If this perfume is succeeding, it's only because there are enough people with enough money and insufficient olfactory sophistication to know better than that paying triple digits for a bottle guarantees superior perfumosity. I, for one, am unimpressed.

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November 2013 update:

I just finished my large sample vial and have to say that I was overly harsh above. This smells pretty good in the drydown--provided that one is in the mood for labdanum amber... I do not find it overly sweet. I still think that it is a bit dense and sledgehammerish but somehow tonight it smells nice. I have increased my evaluation, as I would wear Amber Ylang Ylang, if I owned a bottle.

However, I still dislike the absurd "private collection" concept. Humph

12/23/2013

9Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

DieLora
12 Reviews

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DieLora

Top Review 15

Comforting Cuddle Sweater

As soon as any perfume contains amber, I have to test it. There’s hardly an amber scent that I don’t like in some way. Whether it’s gnarly, round, dark, or cozy. I love amber in every form.

In Amber Ylang, the amber comes across as cuddly. And extraordinarily cuddly at that. Amber and ylang cuddle up on a bed of amber and vanilla. I can hardly distinguish individual notes; everything blends together perfectly. I feel enveloped, almost hugged, safe and secure. It wears like a wonderfully soft cashmere sweater, fluffy, snug, and gentle. Nothing disturbs, nothing scratches, and everything harmonizes.

My current favorite sofa-cuddle-enveloping scent. Even if it’s almost a bit too elegant for that. I just throw on my cotton leggings and thick knitted socks with the cashmere sweater, and then it’s all good :-)

The sillage is very close to the body, and the longevity is good.

03/12/2013

9Scent 10Longevity 7.5Sillage

Chanelle
752 Reviews

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Chanelle

Top Review 13

Outside the Door

Winter has returned. Outside, despite the advanced week of March, there is snow several centimeters deep. Grumbling about this fact, I left my cozy little apartment today and trudged my way into the city. The cold and the snowflakes blew me directly into the Carschhaus, where a warm-hearted saleswoman recommended this fragrance to me - even warmer. She mentioned, among other things, that it is very cuddly. That got me. Since there were no wool blankets or pillows available, I became curious and benevolent. Cuddly - that’s what I wanted, and warm... And she wasn’t lying! I had slight reservations because of the amber, but when she mentioned a certain similarity to Cinnabar, I threw all doubts overboard. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Dear lady, douse me with the golden liquid! May my heart be pleasantly warmed!" I thought. She read my thoughts and gave me a fragrance sample, this clairvoyant of a perfume saleswoman. I generously doused myself and actually caught a Cinnabar-like top note. Fruity-spicy and slightly sweet. But then a hint of White Linen spread, as the scent slipped into the soapy, yet remained warm-spicy. Warm... that’s what mattered to me. And PCAYY did not disappoint. Amber didn’t take over and stayed in the background, radiating delightful warmth and cleanliness. But predominantly, I was surrounded by a considerable sillage of creamy, smoky, slightly oriental sweetness. A skillful olfactory interpretation of the theme "Greenhouse." Warm, fertile, grounded, secure, alive. When you come in from the cold, there is nothing better than this feeling. Outside the door, it can be whatever it wants - when using PCAYY, everything is good.

05/28/2011

8Scent 7.5Longevity

Amnis
4 Reviews

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Amnis

Top Review 10

Cuddling deluxe

Very soft and cuddly, a lot of vanilla and amber, sweet but not “squeaky.” I like that it leans towards the gourmand direction, but not so much that you want to bite into it right away. In the development of the scent, not much happens for me; at first, it’s a bit stronger floral due to the ylang-ylang, but the fragrance on my skin just becomes warmer and deeper, the ylang note blends beautifully with vanilla, amber, and sandalwood into a harmonious whole. I don’t really perceive any other notes, which I find a bit unfortunate - perhaps a pinch more incense, which is listed here, could have brought in an extraordinary moment... The scent isn’t really complex, but it does radiate a certain depth, likely from the warm base notes. In my perception, it doesn’t have that kind of “sex appeal” that makes you feel all “giddy” (at least not me ;-), it’s just too relaxed for that. Overall, a calm, warm cuddly scent, without excitement but still with a certain sophistication - for me, it certainly doesn’t come across as cheap.

The scent stays rather close to my body, the longevity is okay. With regular use, it might become a bit boring for me (therefore not necessarily a candidate for purchase), but on days when it’s really dreadful outside, it definitely invites cuddling and relaxing.

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