Spirit Of Elegance

Al Ambra Spirit of Elegance is an elegant, woody leathery perfume, that has a rather dry masculine feel to it, with a non-synthetic, modern, and authentic presence, suitable for formal occasions, and even office-friendly. The quality of ingredients and the effort put into the composition give it a niche yet unpretentious quality to it, and a European “vibe" despite its middle eastern origin. Perfect for a smoking person, in my opinion, it is rather masculine to my liking but could totally be pulled off by a strong-driven woman, as it keeps roundness and delicacy until the end. I see it suitable on breezy sunny days, including summer, because it is quite airy and non-clogging leather oerfume, for adults (25-45 of age), at a cocktail party, wedding, job interview, sales event, management meeting etc., where you need to display a serious, determined and energetic attitude while feeling confident and classy. I get a good 3 to 5 hours of this perfume before it turns into a more intimate scent. But it is definitely not a beast mode. The opening is clean-soapy and herbaceous, slightly bitter and smokey, with a boozy (vodka) presence that disappears in the first half an hour. The top notes last a maximum of two hours on my skin, during which a beautiful clary sage takes center stage, backed up by a restrained lavender that does not clash with the more sumptuous notes in the accord. The gourmand notes are almost unperceivable for me, shyly kept in the background throughout the performance, designed perhaps to give roundness and complexity to the perfume; the powdery notes (orris, cashmere) support the prominent leather scent, that generates the elegant identity of the perfume. The almond and amber contribute to the bitter-boozy notes, without any distinct almondy fragrance or typical amber unctuousness. the Tonka bean and vanilla keep away until the perfume settles on the skin and accompany the woody-leather after-party to make it more palatable, and suitable for women's skin also. However, this perfume does not come out as sweet or vanilla-ish at all! And that clean airy presence accompanies the leathery notes until the end when they turn into a creamy inviting delicacy. This could be the signature daily scent of someone who often needs to show up with elegance and authority in social settings, and wants to switch perfumes from day to evening.