My first aesthetic impression is of DSH ....due to bottle sizes and the overall size of the house itself. The site gives me that cozy, niche house feel with high expectations. I have a proclivity for scents with some gravitas that come in 15 and 30ml bottles. I only wish more niche did the same.
On me, Ambre Noir is exactly that. This is an amber with some very nice guests invited to the party. Not overtly heavy, nor too dark, Noir's rendition of amber would work on both genders and opens with an mildly herbaceous amber that also gives a nod to anamalics. The Olibanum and castoreum work very well astride the labdanum and the result is a thickened, golden amber that has enough balls to be macho, yet never goes testosterone on the wearer. This is a pretty good balance and I tip my hat to Laurie Erickson.
The listed rose, patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood and clove are extremely well proportioned and blended. They seem to add density to the overall composition more than anything else....and it works splendidly. I am persuaded to like Ambre Noir very much and if Laurie Erickson's other creations are as adept as this one, this house is a winner.
Definitely agree about the sizing policy. Most small niche houses are catering to fragrance fans, who tend to have more than a few bottles in their collection, and aren't going to be going through 100ml in a hurry. I buy 30ml/15ml whenever I can.
ReplyDeleteLabdanum Lass here. (okay, a geeky DC Comics-esque ref here but...when I'm not Labdanum Lass I'm Vetiver Vixen) I think that SSS is going to be seeing a bit of business from me in the future!
ReplyDeleteAmbre Noir sounds amazing... I just discovered SSS and I'm so glad they make smaller bottles ! I think I'll get Tabac Aurea and Nostalgie as well !
ReplyDelete