Amethyst

#1480 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Got this as a decant. This is my second Olivier Durbano scent. I didn't care for "Heliotrope," but this one is growing on me by the minute, though I think I'd rather smell this on a woman than on myself because of the fruitiness of the opening. In its favor the raspberry comes off bright and fresh, not cloying and synthetic as I have found it in every other scent I've tried. And I always like the orris/incense combination. Nice mild woodiness. Most of the women's scents that do this ruin it with a heavy rose note that this doesn't have. Ormonde Jayne "Cuir Imperial" is close to this (I think it's discontinued as they don't have it on their site any more), but the rose note made that otherwise great scent come off "grandma" for me. I am leaning toward getting this as a Christmas gift for a woman I know who will appreciate it and I will appreciate it on her. Moderate longevity and sillage, but it will last through a dinner date. In a half hour it's mostly orris, incense and wood, and thus less feminine. Most men can rock this too. But I think a better and much cheaper option for guys is Lalique "Encre Noire L'Extreme" (which you should already have) and for women Banana Republic "Orris Vanille", which is getting hard to find due its popularity, but it is out there for around $100, which is crazy for a Banana Republic scent. This Durbano scent is not widely available here in the US and it's pricey at $240 and up from those that do carry it.

I love Amethyst!! Adore the fruit; adore the mix of amazing things - grapes, incense, jasmine, raspberry, rosewood, ambrette, pepper, bergamot; then the beautiful dry-down of sandalwood, vanilla, ambrette and musk - all so delightful. Powdery and spicy, balsamic and woody. What a delightful concoction. I love it. Really interesting and very pleasurable. I love the incense, and sandalwood. And the grapes. And the lovely rich creamy vanilla. Beautiful, really soft and sweet, bitter and smooth, and fiery and gentle. Lots of things, which work really well for me. It's a gorgeous perfume. I find it very purifying, uplifting and embracing. Very special perfume for me. A spiritually calming effect it has on me. And I love love love the bottle, and particularly the divine, very soothing and healing colour. It's beautiful.

My first impression was that it reminded me of a more sophisticated version of Bath and Body Works Moonlit Path. Once it opened up however, things changed quite a lot. It’s a soft smoky grape with some creamy vanilla and waxy orris. A warm fireplace crackling in the center of the room. Comforting burnt sandalwood. Woody, balsamic, slightly sweet, and softly fruity. This elegant, lovely brew could warm you up on a cold day. Feminine and wintry. I do not find this generic at all, but it would be nice if there was more projection and longevity. 7/10.

Durbano is a house that I have neglected for a long time. I decided to start with Amethys, since the combination of the notes looked very promising. Grapes and incense are two notes that are definitely make this composition stand out. Incense here is heavy and sweet, manoeuvring between a church and a wine shop. I was very intrigued at first.It's quite an unusual fragrance, as it develops you get the drynes of the wood and powdery musk and a touch of vanilla. My only complaint is the longetivity really. The fragrance is sometimes so faint that I can barely smell it at all. It does miracles in open spaces: whem Im outside, it expands and surrounds me with the grape encensy cloud, but whenever I'm indoors, a magic trick happens and Amethyst shies away. Then, no matter what happens, 2 hours later it's gone for good. For this price, a bit of a disappointment.

I like Amethyst but it does somehow leave me longing for more... More what? I dont really know There is a common ness to the smell but also an oddness maybe the sweet vanilla candle/incense is the common and the sour grapes the odd Im not sure. I think the sandalwood/ pepper/ jasmine are nicely balanced and the orris adds a bit of creaminess may be i just wish it were a little less sweet and a little more weird