Ambra Nera

First off, let me say that for a supposed EDC this is a performance wonder. It lasts and lasts and its projection is superb. If value for money is one of your boxes, tick it straight away! I get a perfectly balanced amber that rubs me all the right ways. Despite being more or less a base note, it will stay there front and square for you to enjoy right from the outset. In fact, most of the prominent notes in this to me are base notes. Amber, oak moss and labdanum all providing a beastly couch for the glory boys to sit on; patchouli, spice, cedar and some woody resins. But the thing with this scent that takes me somewhere else and transforms it for me is the sense of booziness I get. Something about this smell reminds me of a dirty night out on the rock n roll express. A blurry night of alcohol, sticky carpets, nefarious liaisons, blinding music and waking up shattered, but with a satisfied smile. If oriental style ambers and kick ass performance are elements you look for in a fragrance, you may want to give a nod and a wink to Ambra Nera!

I find amber tough to pull off; it's either too spicy or too heavy or too sweet or too dry. Difficult to wear and on top of all this there's always killer sillage to endure for hours... But then, there's also the other end of the spectrum I dislike even more - pale, sweetish, powdery, a sort of ready-made amber. Eventually I always chose the heavy one. Tough love. Still, I kept looking for the right one and here it is - Ambra Nera - a hidden gem, exactly in the middle of all ambers I ever wore/tested, with all amber aspects perfectly balanced and fougere part that prevents it from becoming too heavy. Fougere usually means/smells masculine and perhaps it is a bit on the masculine side but hey - masculine or not, this one is simply too delicious to miss.

A greener-leaning amber, beautifully dry. Everyone seems to overlook the interesting opening of galbanum and oakmoss like a traditional gentlemen’s aromatic. Though don’t be put off if that’s not your thing as they soon become secondary to the hypnotic amber — black styrax I suspect, along with benzoin, labdanum, intensive, peppery frankincense and possibly clove — that forms the spicy, warm “black amber” heart. And there’s a little sweetening patchouli quietly nestled in there to finish things off. For Ortigia Lorenzo Villoresi has delivered one of his best. I discovered it through the soap which I always stock up on when in Italy, but the perfume is a standalone love for me too.

Soulful black amber. The scent opens spicy, amber establishes itself instantly. Spices, resins and woods give the depth to the scent which makes it very pleasant to wear. It changes not very much: over time, the scent appears to become just more tender. Ambra Nera stays close to your skin. This “timidity” is probably due to natural ingredients. For the maker of the scent (Ortiga Sicilia) uses only natural ingredients which can be found in Sicily. But this decency does not diminish the quality of the scent- on the contrary, it makes it mysterious. In short, Ambra Nera gives a perfect amount of coziness for the colder days.

This is the only fragrance that has ever made my eyes roll back in my head. Addicted from the very first sniff! Sexy, warm and a little bit dirty but in all the right ways. Dries down slightly sweet, but not cloying. Projection isn’t huge, and I wish it had better longevity but if that means I just have to respray during the day then so be it! Can definitely be worn as unisex.