Fiore d'Ambra is the kind of perfume that wants to be experienced it in its entirety. That is, its entire structure top middle and base is revealed from the moment it hits the skin. Each note influences the others effortlessly. The perfume’s sweet warmth and veil-like gestalt whispers and reminds me to slow down and take pause. It has a calming quality that guides me to remain in the moment, rather than transport me backwards in time to a memory as some fragrances often do. My heart that was racing slows down; short little breaths get a bit deeper, and my thoughts leaner. As I’m writing I realize that what I just described is what I call the “amber effect”.
An amber base is created by a perfumer, and is considered a fantasy accord that evokes the rich caramel color and the myriad of gradations inspired by the amber stone. In The Secret of Scent, Luca Turin describes amber as having a “radiant and otherworldly quality.” Certainly since antiquity, the scent of amber has been deemed sacred for its ability to relax the body and mind. Fiore d'Ambra is an oriental fragrance that is unusually tender and balsamic in nature. Orientals are framed around an amber base that is a resinous mix of labdanum, benzoin, and vanilla, making Fiore’s palette sensual, warm, powdery sweet, smoky and spicy. It wears very close to the skin, and there are tiny nuances that come and go all day long that last into the night. As I wear this fragrance I discover its rhythm, a bolt of warm spice cuts through the silky wave of amber. Fiore continues to reveal a floral timbre. At times a balsamic and mineral tone comes through, and as more time passes it shows its dirty and animalic side. All is played out delicately from start to balanced finish. Fiore d’Ambra is the perfect summer amber mostly because of its subtle nature, yet it definitely remains an Oriental.
Notes listed: Opium flowers, Amber, Spices
Profumum Roma is based in Rome, and was founded by four siblings; Giuseppe, Luciano, Maria and Felice Durante in 1996. Their story is one that builds on family strength and character; they are clearly mindful of what has come before them. Shortly after World War II their father Celestino moved the family to Rome, and began to make “shaving soap, hair lotions and some cologne.” This allegiance to the past has allowed them to create a solid and enduring line of fragrances, 30 perfumes and counting.
Special thanks to Osswald Parfumerie NYC for supplying Fiore d’Ambra for this review.
Valerie Vitale, Editor
Courtesy of Osswald Parfumerie NYC we have a draw for a generous spray sample of Fiore d’Ambra. This is a US only draw. To be eligible leave a comment indicating if you experience an amber effect and which Profumum Roma is your favorite. The draw ends June 23, 2014.
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Editor’s Note: I first experienced Fiore d’Ambra almost a decade ago when Profumum's inaugral collection debuted in the USA and wear it still; the intoxicating scent of Opium flowers curl around golden resins which makes this perfume as hypnotizing as it is relaxing. Ambra Aurea seems to be more popular and I never quite undertood why. – Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief