Skip to main content

Ambra Iris 20% Extrait by Dr. Vranjes

Patchouli, Grey Amber, Florentine Iris, Myrrh.

Recently, I stumbled upon 2 new 50ml. bottles of Dr. Vranjes Ambra Iris and Rosa Cassis. Both are advertised as 20% Extrait, however both wear like an Eau de Toilette on my skin. Notwithstanding, I'm glad to have both in my collection and rotation. The presence and longevity of each is like that of a substantial EDT and rarely do I need or desire more than that these days. It truly pays to periodically peruse your local Goodwill and Mission stores for gems such as these.

My first impression of Ambra Iris was that of Molinard Patchouli. I could not help making the comparison as I like the Molinard and was compelled to do a side by side. During the wearings, Ambra Iris proved similar, but a bit lighter and brighter. Suffice it to say that they are first cousins and leave it at that.

Ambra Iris is really about Patchouli. I guess I expected a deep and rich, resinous amber with powdery qualities, but instead I experienced a Patch-dominant release. The Patchouli rendition is well done and performs like a high end fragrance that features the note. The listed Amber, Iris and Myrrh accent the patchouli in a subtle fashion. I'd be willing to say that Ambra Iris could hold its own with most niche releases of this genre.

Sillage is above average with longevity approximately 6 hours on my skin. Thumbs up from Aromi for Dr. Vranjes misnamed Ambra Iris. As always, a sample wear is highly recommended.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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...

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

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...