DRY AMBER

Dry amber describes an amber effect in which warm wood and a less sweet texture take the lead. Think of a firm, cedar-like outline rather than a thick coating of vanilla sweetness. IFF uses the term dry amber for Bornafix, a fragrance material with warm woody and cedarwood facets, illustrating one way this character appears in a perfumer’s palette.

The descriptor does not identify Bornafix in every perfume, nor does it specify a fixed blend of resins. It also does not establish the presence of ambergris or an extract of fossil amber. In a composition, dry amber can give floral softness a clearer woody edge or sit alongside spices and other woods. The balance of sweetness, warmth and dryness depends on the full fragrance, not on a guaranteed level of subtlety or lasting power.