I am aware that by writing a review of a product with “balls” in the title that I will be receiving mega-spam from here to eternity. Thank you, spam filters! I should admit that I giggle like a big dorkus every time I say “amber balls” in my mind while typing. I’m trying to be a professional but let’s be real, it’s sort of funny. Feel free to make jokes about my smelly balls. See? One can’t resist! OK, wipe the grins off your faces and continue reading about L’Artisan’s Amber Balls.
I know that many perfume peeps are intrigued by L’Artisan’s home fragrance but are wary of the price point. Let’s be honest. We can buy a bottle of perfume or two for the price of these hand-crafted balls filled with amber. And 9/10 times the fumehead is going to go for the perfume.
For me, this is one of my favorite/best frivolous “you don’t really need that” purchases. I saw this as basically some sort of overpriced terracotta boule that diffuses some sort of fragrance. Everything about my thoughts were correct except for overpriced. I feel like you get a lot with this and let me explain.
The fragrance is super concentrated. Even in a small space, the scent throws (for the first few months). If you love amber, you’ll love this. L’Artisan Amber is a lush amber in a spice market. It’s like a home fragrance version of L’Artisan Ambre Extreme (amber, vanilla and spices). It’s a warm, cozy fragrance. It’s one of those scents that I don’t grow tired of for my space. I guess I don’t mind my house smelling like a trade route. This scent has become an accessory for my home. I mean, I have all these textiles, rugs, art and crafts from around the globe. It’s an eclectic mix and as weird as it sounds, L’Artisan Amber ties it all together and makes it feel cohesive. Forget buying another throw pillow, L’Artisan decorated my room with scent. Now my home is complete…with balls.
Now let’s get to the mechanics. Yes, it’s just a hand-crafted terracotta sphere. Each one is hand-carved in the North of France and the designs will differ. Inside are the amber “resins”. On the bottom of the sphere, you’ll notice a rather primitive stuffing of tissue paper. This keeps the fragrance resins in place. Like I said, this seems rather DIY and like it’s not supposed to be there, but it is. You see, you can refill these things later. L’Artisan sells refills and you just remove the paper and shove it back up there so you’re not losing your amber clumps.
To my surprise, the scent of this stuff has lingered for YEARS. It’s not bold but when you walk by or if you are near it, you smell that warm amber. I’ve found you can sort of “reactivate” it by putting in the bathroom when you shower. The humidity helps. Like I said, it’s subtle but that’s why I like it. It’s truly ambient, always in the background. I have the smallest ball and it’s perfect for my small space. It’s been 2-3 years and I finally need to get the refills.
L’Artisan Parfumeur Amber balls or “Boule d’Ambre” come in a few sizes and refills. Prices range from $120 to $200 at Beautyhabit. I have the 20 g ball which is more than enough for my small space. 50g refills are $55. They make huge ones, but I can’t ever imagine needing one of these the size of a basketball.
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*Product purchased by me. First image is from Beautyhabit. The second one is mine. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!
You’ve turned me on to Beautyhabit and my wallet is going to hate you omg. Also, I think I need this in my life.
I’m a HUGE fan of Beautyhabit. They have quick shipping, generous samples and amazing GWPs. PLUS, customer service is A+. I love buying from them. I just made an order to get their New Year gift :S
Buy the balls. They’re worth it.
“Balls,said the Queen…”. Ok got that out the system. I love mine. Love, love, love. Yes it does last much longer then what is stated. I keep mine in the bathroom and it is just perfect there. I got mine three or four years ago and I think it may be time to change out the “amber”. The price has gone up considerably since I purchased mine for $75.00. But it just adds that little bit of luxe and on a “per use” basis is so reasonable. I’ve gifted this to a couple of friends and they still mention it.
Everyone has been very mild with the jokes 😉 Ya’ll are too kind.
RIGHT?! I was trying to remember how much I paid. I’m pretty sure mine was $75 (most definitely under $100). I was really surprised by the increase. But, then again, they raised their perfume prices too. Anyway, I love mine so much that I would pay the current price for it. Like you said, the “per use”. I get a lot out of it.
I have bought a few as gifts too and people still talk about them (also know I paid less than $100). It seems like such a silly purchase but it really is something people enjoy. It’s pretty and it smells so good.