Orange Ambre

I got this scent for $9 bucks at a discount store and I was pleasantly surprised. It is one of the few citrus scents I have that can be worn all year around. Also for it being such a bursting juicy orange it has some staying power. A rarity for citrus scents regardless of the price you pay for them. I use Orange Ambre by itself and also to get more performance out of my other citrus scents that tend to fade in about 4 to 6 hours. This is not a zesty citrus scent, it smells more like a freshly squeezed glass of orange juice left out in the sun. I don't get a lot of traditional amber out of this either but perhaps the amber is what keeps the orange from hitting the notes with a zing. Also, please smell this about 15 minutes after you spray and you will see it's not a cheaply made fragrance and I am so happy I got mine at such a bargain.

This is the unisex scent that the Accor Sofitel hotels us in their bathroom toiletries. It is soothing, natural and non offensive.

I was very surprised a few years ago when I found out that Lanvin too had a run at the haute parfumerie collection craze. Their attempt was limited to only three releases, and somehow lived and died unnoticed. Naturally I had to hunt all three down. Not just because I love Lanvin, but also because I wanted to understand why they failed where Dior, Chanel, Cartier, Mugler.... keep rolling. The bottles of the Notes collection are simple and elegant, the mother-and-daughter coloured lines accentuate the different bottles, which is a nice touch. Scent-wise Orange Ambre is not particularly orangey, neither it is ambery. The citrus is weirdly cosmetical, while the heart is flowers floating on water. Very spa. I like it, but it feels incomplete. ***(**)