L'Ambre de Carthage by Isabey

Cistus, Bergamot, Osmanthus, Jasmin Tea, Patchouli, Amber, Sandalwood, Olibanum and Musk.

L'Ambre de Carthage is an Eau de Parfum and exhibits a thick, swirling effect when applied. I'm unfamiliar with the house of Isabey, but L'Ambre is nice enough to warrant future samplings of other creations.

The labdanum is so front and center that it can be smelled before applying it. Once on skin, the labdanum and citrus spread out and create an inviting accord. Within a minute or so, the tea note and floral tones squeeze into the fray and the resiny spice that comes with it is very interesting. I love this part of the fragrance and only wish it could stay just like that.

The floral component in L'Ambre is exceptional. There's hints of sweet from jasmin and there's also balsamic undercurrents. The tea note seems to work rather well with this accord and I'm not exactly a fan of tea notes. When I find one I like, I give it praise like I'm doing now. L'Ambre is classified as a masculine, but guess what? Anyone could smell good wearing this.

After 20 minutes or so, the resin becomes a bit more obvious. There's intermittent hints of smoke, but nothing like that "ever-present sustain" that frankincense implements in other creations that you may have smelled. It's seemingly kept in the background here and it's an effective way to use it.

The woody aspect of L'Ambre is a bit on the anemic side, but the amber takes care of what the sandalwood has left undone. It's not a big deal as far I'm concerned since this is an amber fragrance after all. The patchouli is deep underneath all this action and lends just enough of an earthy element to keep L'Ambre from leaning too far on the sweet side. Just like in life, there's things unseen and unheard that make it all work.

Sillage is excellent as is the longevity. Fans of amber need to sample this one. Big thumbs up from Aromi for Isabey's L'Ambre de Carthage.

Comments

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...

Teatro Alla Scala - Krizia

I tried Comete by Chanel today and wanted to write about how Chanel is going by the way of Roger Dove - copying old masterpieces. I did not know where to post that and then I realized I have been neglecting this blog. When I logged in I saw an unfinished post I wrote a year ago about Teatro Alla Scala by Krizia. Teatro is the best full bodied floral - better than any Chanel or Patou. Even better than Gucci L'Arte. A brief background: Teatro Alla Scala is an Opera theatre in Milan. The bottle's design is an homage to the theatre and the perfume an homage to its sophisticated patrons. I wanted to write a symphony for it. Maybe some day. For now here are few notes I wrote comparing EDT vs EDP. And if you don't have Teatro, your wardrobe is incomplete Rose, Jasmine, Tuberose. Jammy berries (more in EDP) . Honey note listed is probably the jammy part Vetiver & moss - more in EDT Rose and carnation is more than jasmine and that is what separates it from other florals like J...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog