Cypress Golden Hour story board via the brand
Fellow amber scent lovers, this is our season! Cypress Cove Golden Hour is an ode to the genre and does a wonderful job of aligning the moment it describes with the scent it invokes: that exact time when the sun starts to go down, when it bathes everything surrounding in a beautiful gold light. I think of leaves turning orange, the scent of them on our sidewalks and front yards, crunching underfoot; the way they indicate that fall, my favorite season, is finally here.
Amber scents are some of my absolute favorites (go ahead, pick one, I probably own it) and Cypress Cove Golden Hour is a welcome addition to my collection. That said, it is an amber with a capital A and I write that as a compliment. Actual amber resin famously does not have a scent but some whiz imagined what that golden stone might smell like and now we have these beautiful creations to delight our noses.
Fall Leaves (Creative Commons)
You don’t have to love the fall season to love amber fragrances, or vice versa, but I imagine it helps. I grew up in the seasonless tropics and other always-warm climates, so imagine my delight upon experiencing the beautiful, just-right chill of fall in New England as a co-ed, the toasty comfort of sweater weather! I can’t stand winter but if you gave me fall all year round, I’d be a happy camper.
Sometimes amber scents remind me of the sweet pungent note of decaying leaves, sometimes of maple syrup or apple pie, sometimes of powdery resin… but all of it is fall-coded to me. A palette of orange, yellow, brown, and gold, of shimmering light through leaves. I once had the great fortune of driving through New England (specifically the Connecticut to Vermont I-91 corridor) during peak fall foliage and it was that trip that I thought of the most when smelling this perfume. It is so evocative and joyful; it truly brought me to my fall happy place.
Perfumer Adam Ebberts courtesy of the brand
Amber fragrances run the gamut, so I’ll introduce you to Golden Hour’s particular notes: grapefruit and bergamot deepened slightly by pine, cypress and cardamom, and that’s just the opening. Cypress Cove founder, perfumer and creative director, Theresa Murphy collaborated with perfumer Adam Ebberts to create a really fresh amber that celebrates their “mutual love of mountains, sweetgum trees, and a soft dusk.”
Key ingredients via the brand
That citrus opening combines with cedarwood, labdanum and smoked vetiver to create a heftier middle note that any amber lover will recognize and cherish. It then winds down into the cozy comfort of vanilla, amber and woods at the base (the soft dusk in question). Because this formulation is an eau de toilette, it is not overpowering and maintains a freshness and lightness not always found in ambers.
Theresa Murphy, founder, creative director and perfumer for Cypress Cove
Theresa Murphy told us, “Golden Hour feels like standing on a hillside at sunset — the air tinged with pine and citrus, the warmth of the sun still on your skin, and the faint glow of amber and musk wrapping around you as daylight fades.”
Via Unsplash
I am quite charmed by Cypress Cove’s ethos: scents inspired by memorable moments. (They also donate a portion of their proceeds to charitable organizations, which warms my do-gooder heart.) Don’t you wish you could create a perfume for every beautiful memory in your life? Cypress Coves creates these snapshots in time via olfactory art. The perfumes take you on a journey, or place you in a memory. I loved the mood of lingering daylight during fall that Golden Hour puts me in. It is a cozy blanket of a perfume and I really enjoy wrapping myself up in it.
Top Notes: Pink Grapefruit, Italian Bergamot, Pine, Cypress and Cardamom
Middle Notes: Texas cedarwood, Golden labdanum, Smoked vetiver
Base Notes: Amber musk, Vanilla, Cashmere woods
Disclaimer: Cypress Cove generously provided a bottle of Golden Hour for me to sample, but my opinions are my own.
–Mimian Morales, Contributor
Cypress Cove Golden Hour is a limited edition and seasonal release
Please read Sandi’s review of yet another evocative Cypress Cove perfume: An Evening at the Resort.
Bottle of Cypress Cove Golden Hour courtesy of the brand
Thanks to the generosity of Cypress Cove and owner, perfumer Theresa Murphy, we have a giveaway for one 15ml bottle of Golden Hour for a registered ÇaFleureBon reader for a USA Draw (if you are not sure if you are registered, click here – you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). To be eligible, please leave a comment with what you thought of Mimian’s review of Cypress Cove Golden Hour. Are you a fan of the autumn season and/or ambery perfumes. Draw Closes 11/16/2025
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