Ambrosia

Oh the angelic marriage of fruit and white flowers! Much as its name may suggest, Ambrosia is a nectar-like fragrance which conjures thoughts of pristine skies and lazy summer days... its mouthwatering opening of lychee, peach, coconut and mango are held under an ozonic halo. This atmospheric effect gives one a sense of the tropics, but before one might be mistaken in expecting this to be a tropical fruity punch, perfumer Ashek Zubayer has woven some complex notes into the mix. Warm mimosa, delicate orris, creamy sandalwood and civet re-route this fragrance around the mundane and the expected, and take it on a trajectory which renders it resolutely unisex. It smells like freshly washed hair, crisp white bedlinen and a lover's warm skin. Ambrosia by name and ambrosial by nature... we've come to expect nothing less of this excellent Australian perfume house.

Bright cheery floral gourmand scent. The scent opens with fruity notes of mango, guava, lychee, peach and coconut. The floral heart is tuberose, mimosa, frangipani and heliotrope. The perfume settles on a powdery base of synthetic musk, orris, cedar, and slight sandalwood. Not for me, but gourmand lovers should try this interesting tropical fruit salad. The slight feminine leaning scent has moderate to strong sillage and good longevity.

Not to my own personal tastes, but my colleagues were all frothing over the smell. Most definitely vintage in character, and unapologetically feminine (though my male colleague loved it on himself too). There’s something cold and aloof about Ambrosia, reminiscent of Tiffany (Tiffany and co.). Like a Tiffany’s diamond, it is sparkling and perfect, but just out of reach. The musk, woods and heliotrope help to ground it, making it more accessible to me. Ambrosia is a great name – nectar of the gods – and the fragrance reminds me of when I potter under the frangipani and fruit trees in my backyard, admiring the young blossoms after the first rain, my kids playing happily nearby. The plumeria is nuanced with green, and waxy white citrus blossoms. My nose misperceived it as lime or lime blossoms. It was the coconut playing tricks on me. I have a hard time separating the smell of coconut and lime – but usually it is the other way round, I mistake lime for coconut, here I mistook coconut for lime. Either way, I love that accord, I call it “savoury”. Ambrosia’s coconut isn’t heavy or gourmand, it is dewy, aromatic and delectable, and it smells to me like Thai green curry. The civet is present at the start and intensifies during the wear (to my nose). Here it is “pissy” (and I mean that in a good way) reminiscent of cassis. I love a bit of animalic funk in my fragrances, to add dimension. When wearing Ambrosia at home in my garden, this funk was fitting, but sadly with my skin chemistry, and at work, the funk smelled sweaty. My skin also reacts unfavourably to many tropical fruit notes which could have contributed to this sensation. When I have worked my way through my Byermia samples, I will gift my Ambrosia vial to my job-share twin flame who adores it. So I can enjoy this beauty on a deserving recipient. Maybe, if the ancient myth is to be believed, she is more victorious than I!

Picture this: The air in my apartment, usually thick with the scent of forgotten coffee and old books, suddenly shimmered. I held the elegant bottle of Byermia Bespoke's Ambrosia, a name that whispered promises of paradise. The moment the first drop touched my skin, it wasn't just a scent; it was an invitation. A Scented Overture It began as a bright, eager whisper of a tropical dawn. The playful sweetness of plumeria danced with the juicy zest of ripe mango, a sudden burst of sunshine that made me close my eyes and imagine warm sand between my toes. It felt like that first, thrilling bite of an exotic fruit, perfectly sweet, utterly intoxicating. Then, as if the sun had fully risen, the notes deepened. The plush, velvety scent of peach emerged, mingling with the delicate, almost watery sweetness of lychee. A creamy, subtle hint of coconut wove through it all, like a smooth, cool breeze carrying the scent of distant shores. I was no longer in my apartment; I was somewhere vibrant, and alive, a secret garden blooming just for me. The Heart's Embrace As the initial rush settled, a different kind of warmth enveloped me. It was the soft, almost powdery embrace of heliotropin and the undeniable allure of musk, a sensual hum that felt like a second skin. This wasn't just pretty; it was captivating, drawing me deeper into its story. And then, the true heart of the garden revealed itself: the heady, almost narcotic beauty of tuberose absolute, intertwined with the sweet, creamy whisper of frangipani. I felt utterly transported as if I had stumbled into a hidden grove where every bloom unfolded its secrets just for my pleasure. Each breath was a deepening sensation, a rich tapestry of scents that painted vivid pictures in my mind.

I'd stumbled upon this fragrance house after seeing it recommended on Fragrance Poetry as one of the angelic fragrances, even more so after I realised this fragrance house is based in Australia. This fragrance is truly one of a kind and not your average animalic fruity floral. The first burst upon spraying is literally lychee, jasmine and stone - they're so distinct and work really well together, then it settles into the mango and more mid notes and the base on my skin works as a beautiful Coconot, Orris, Sandalwood and guava fragrance. I was skeptical with this being and extrait with so many notes but they truly are magically concentrated, and solid 8-10 hours longevity on skin (higher on clothes). This is a truly unisex fragrance, I'd recommend layering with a woody-citrus fragrance to make it more masculine and a musky-fruity fragrance to make it more feminine leaning. This will definitely be a repurchase once I run out.