Ambrette

I'm sampling the roll-on version and loving it. Considering the longevity--about 3 hours till completely gone on my skin--this has good sillage. I put a dab on my wrists and my sweetie could smell it sitting next to me in the car. It's linear, though of course it softens as it fades. Ambery warm and vegetal aspects (tart, green, herbal) are balanced against oily florals. This seems like it should be in the floral green category rather than the oriental floral. I can just barely make out the neroli and geranium, which makes it more fun to smell. It's not a anonymous blur, it's a tantalizing harmony of familiar and mysterious notes. It's comfy, but not sweet, and androgenously pretty. Edit: On second wearing, I over-applied and smelled like fruity (hibiscus) herbal tea for hours. So cheerful! This could be a pick-me-up for grey, overcast days.

I tested the pure perfume oil. And just the tiniest bit applied. A bit tart at the opening. Reminded me of pickle juice. Then I get the spicy hay like note. Green. Also a bit soapy. With drydown I primarily get incense and pepper with a tinge of geranium. Not as ambery and warm as I personally prefer. The soapiness isn't real appealing since it lasts all the way into drydown. Great longevity. This is a fragrance for those who prefer more of a herbal green fragrance verses those looking for something warm and cozy.

Red Flower AMBRETTE perfume oil (the roll-on) smells initially a lot like dirty geranium essential oil to me. As the composition develops, the geranium fades to some extent and the ambrette and incense and other elements begin to assert themselves. There is always a dark, dirty facet, and, to be honest, I initially thought that the oil might have turned slightly rancid. However, by the drydown AMBRETTE smells very nice. Still, in spite of its name, AMBRETTE is much less of an ambrette perfume than is Bond no 9 HARRODS ROSE. I find that there is a sort of "homemade" feeling to this creation, as though someone mixed together organic, all-natural essential oils rather than composing a perfume in the usual way. The end result is fairly green and earthy, with something of a hippy vibe, it seems to me. AMBRETTE would perhaps be too earthy for me to wear as a perfume to go out in, but it is enjoyable around the house. Unfortunately, the longevity is not very good on my skin, despite the oil medium.