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

DK Men by Donna Karan

Citrus, Juniper, Pineapple. Ambergris, Almond. Sandalwood, Lavender, Musk. I felt compelled to revisit DK Men ( Fuel for Men ) after perusing through some older samples and then reading my previous review from 2009. Wearing DK Men again has caused me to revise my original post. I liked it three years ago and have a new found appreciation for this extremely smooth fragrance. My perception of it has changed slightly, but my opinion is still extremely favorable. This time around, I get less of a petrol vibe and much more of a fruit and suede theme. The pineapple note is integrated so well that I am surprised I couldn't previously esteem its deft implementation like I can now. The magic of DK Men is in the blending of chosen notes. The citric opening is very good indeed in spite of its quick dissipation. The pineapple and amber quickly pick up the slack. They are rich, full bodied and manage to keep a respectable presence while offending no one. The volume is intelligent. ...

Newport by Caswell Massey

Bergamot, Mandarin, Lemon, Lavender, Geranium, Muguet, Rose, Ambergris, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk. After wearing Newport by Caswell Massey a few times and then reading what others had to say about this recent formulation, I found some of the opinions harsh. I have no way to compare it to the heralded vintage formula, nor can I use memory as I've never tried the original. Enter the current version. I do agree with some reviews that this rendition does not bring about the sense of beach and salt, but there's a long line of fragrances that fail to represent their depictions. However, Newport isn't so far off the mark that it's a complete misrepresentation. I can imagine wearing Newport ( or something similar ) in a beach setting. It smells classic due to the way Citrus, Lavender and Geranium are implemented. It's assuredly retro, but it seems to have that intangible I like that keeps me sniffing. Newport, at least on my skin, is top heavy in the sens...

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...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog