Floral Spicy Amber is subfamily F2 (Ambré Fleuri Épicé) of the Amber family in the SFP table. It places a distinct layer of flowers and spices over the amber base. The spices are usually clove, cinnamon and nutmeg, sometimes pepper and coriander seed; the flowers are usually rose, carnation, jasmine and ylang ylang.
Compared with F1, sweetness remains but no longer leads. The scent is drier and warmer, with a clove note rising in the heart. Many amber perfumes of the late 1970s sit in this area; Yves Saint Laurent's Opium (1977) is already recorded on the Amber family page.
The axis of F2 is the clove note. Eugenol is the main constituent of clove bud oil and also the source of the spicy note of carnation; isoeugenol gives a softer, more floral spice. Cinnamaldehyde (cinnamal) gives hot cinnamon. Combined with rose, these molecules build the spicy carnation accord that F2 often uses.
In 1978, a year after Opium, Estée Lauder released Cinnabar, composed by Bernard Chant and Josephine Catapano. Descriptions usually list spices and clove at the top, cinnamon and carnation in the heart, and incense, benzoin, sandalwood and vanilla in the base. The two perfumes are often set side by side as examples of late 1970s spicy amber.
Eugenol, isoeugenol, cinnamal and cinnamyl alcohol are among the 26 substances that must be labelled in the EU; isoeugenol and cinnamal also have their own IFRA Standards because of their sensitisation potential. Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 adds clove oil (Eugenia caryophyllus), cinnamon bark oil, cassia leaf oil, eugenyl acetate and isoeugenyl acetate to the expanded list.
The SFP website publishes only subfamily names; perfume lists per subfamily are in the printed Classification officielle des parfums. Perfumes named here are commonly cited examples, not official SFP placements.
F2 is the branch closest to the old image of the word Oriental: spice, balsams and heavy flowers at once. When the spices recede and the flowers grow, the structure tilts towards F5 Florientaux; when woods take over the base, it tilts towards F4.
| Layer | Materials |
|---|---|
| Top | Bergamot, Mandarin, Coriander seed, Pink pepper |
| Middle | Damask rose, Carnation, Jasmine, Ylang-ylang, Clove bud, Cinnamon bark, Nutmeg, Eugenol, Isoeugenol, Cinnamal |
| Base | Labdanum, Benzoin, Vanilla, Opopanax, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vanillin |
F2 can be built largely from natural materials: clove bud, cinnamon bark, nutmeg and coriander seed for the spices; rose, carnation absolute and ylang ylang for the floral layer; labdanum, benzoin, opopanax, frankincense and vanilla for the base. FCF bergamot or mandarin at the top gives contrast with the resins.
These spice oils are major sources of eugenol and cinnamal, so the total of each from all materials must be calculated against IFRA limits and the EU labelling list. This page gives no formula percentages.
| Name | House | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opium | Yves Saint Laurent | 1977 | Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac. Spices and balsams at high dose; also on the Amber family page. |
| Cinnabar | Estée Lauder | 1978 | Bernard Chant and Josephine Catapano. Clove, cinnamon and carnation over incense, benzoin and vanilla. |
| Spice molecules · Eugenol · Isoeugenol · Cinnamaldehyde · Cinnamyl alcohol · Eugenyl acetate | Clove and cinnamon notes; restricted. |
| Sweet resinous base · Vanillin · Benzyl benzoate · Benzyl cinnamate | Vanillin và ester benzyl. |
| F2 spices · Clove bud · Cinnamon bark · Cassia · Nutmeg east indian · Coriander seed | Sources of eugenol and cinnamal. |
| Floral layer · Carnation · Rose damask · Ylang ylang | Rose, carnation, ylang ylang. |
| Amber base · Labdanum · Benzoin · Opopanax · Frankincense · Vanilla | Balsamic resins and vanilla. |
Updated 09/2026. Figures follow the year stated in each source.
↑ Top