Amber Noir Cologne

Amber Noir is a scent and bottle I designed that I wish existed. Scents are very important to crafting a memorable experience. The bottle tells a story and uses metaphor to connect with the ideal customer.
Personal Project
Amber Noir Cologne

The Scent

Amber Noir is a versatile scent, masculine but refined. Hints of peat moss, wood fire and oak barrels laced with sage, cedar, eucalyptus and black currant offer a smooth, complex experience. It’s strong, but well-mannered, gets stuff done, but cleans up well, seeks adventure, but also knows how to pick a wine.

The Bottle

The cologne container features two distinct, complimentary forms. At the core is an organic glass form which resembles a piece of Amber (fossilized tree resin). The core is encapsulated by and suspended from a 5-sided glass box. The core represents rugged, raw, passion. The box represents restraint, structure and discipline. The transparency of the box allows these two sets of traits to coexist in a complementary fashion.

Front view, cologne bottle concept, organic container suspended from within boxy glass form in white studio environment
Right 3/4 view cologne bottle concept, organic container suspended from within boxy glass form in white studio environment
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Caustics

When light transmits through a material such as glass and is refracted, it’s common to see wispy, focused beams of light reflected on an underlying surface. These focused beams of light are called caustics.

One of my goals was to celebrate light and material properties through caustics. The organic core with the amber colored cologne creates the caustics that look like a flame, while the form of the box with its subtle textures is responsible for the white caustics.

Cologne concept with glass organic container suspended from within a rectangular glass form front view
Top view, cologne concept with glass organic container suspended from within a rectangular glass form front view, vibrant caustics
Right 3/4 view, cologne concept with glass organic container suspended from within a rectangular glass form front view, vibrant caustics
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Construction

The cologne bottle is simple and consists of just a few parts. The atomizer (antiqued, oiled bronze finish) threads onto the organic core container. A rubber O-ring and washer, prevent glass-on-glass contact.

Cologne bottle concept components disassembled and laid out on a table with dramatic lighting and caustiscs
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Luxury

Amber Noir is luxurious without being pretentious. A premium scent calls for memorable packaging. The oiled bronze spritzer and cap finish pay respect to the hard, and sometimes dirty work that needs to be done before getting cleaned up for the night.

Cologne bottle on a concrete surface with dramatic lighting and caustics
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