Mesmerized by BDK Parfums Ambre Safrano Tiger ©Pixabay, Ambre Safrano bottle ©BDK, montage ©Emmanuelle Varron
Launched in 2016, BDK Parfums quickly became a prominent international independent niche perfume brand. Founder David Benedek, grew up in a magical scented universe thanks to his grandparents and his parents who were perfume distributors from the 1950s (and still are). BDK Parfums started with five fragrances, and now has sixteen, divided into four collections (Parisienne, Matières, Azur and Exclusive), to which must be added hair perfumes, and even “Eau de lessive” detergents! BDK Parfums also asserts its choice of “made in France”, with the bottle cap (developed by a goldsmith jeweler from the Paris region) whose shape pays homage to the dome of the Grand Palais. The bottle is made in Normandy, the label is produced by a printing press located in the Parisian district of Le Marais and the boxes are crafted in Le Mans.
David Benedek, BDK Parfums founder and Julien Rasquinet, IFF perfumer – ©BDK Parfums, collage ©Emmanuelle Varron.
A few weeks ago, BDK Parfums released Ambre Safrano exclusively at Harrods and on their website. Here in Paris there is a lot of buzz as the fragrance’s name evokes two raw materials that many perfume lovers are fond of and that symbolize travel and sensuality (that’s usually what we are looking for, aren’t we?) If you want to test BDK Parfums Ambre Safrano, you have to travel to London, order from the BDK Parfums website or wait until July 2022, when it will be available worldwide. BDK Parfums Ambre Safrano, David Benedek chose IFF Perfumer Julien Rasquinet, with whom he also collaborated with on BDK Parfums Tabac Rose. As ÇaFleureBon opens doors, and thanks to David and his collaborator Lauren, I had the chance to discover, test and wear BDK Parfums Ambre Safrano in preview.
Ambre Safrano is a true ray of light – collage ©Emmanuelle Varron.
As an amber fragrance fan, and a lover of spices in perfumes, especially saffron, I was immediately attracted by the name of BDK Parfums Ambre Safrano. Julien Rasquinet is quoted from the official press release: “saffron’s symbolism is very rich. During the Antiquity, it embodied sensuality and exquisite pleasure. In India, it represents luck. It can suggest color, wealth, joy, opulence… Working on a saffron imagery is telling all these stories simultaneously.”
The Saffron Gatherers fresco, approx. 1650 BC – Akrotiri site of Thera Island (Greece) – ©DR
Ambre Safrano is a fragrance that delivers from the first spray, with confidence and character that brings to mind a musical score where there are both short and long notes ( punctuated by olfactory minims, crotchets and various rhythms). BDK Parfums Ambre Safrano hides (despite its name) many other raw materials precisely shaped by Julien Rasquinet which remain warm and luminous on the skin, from the first spritz until ten- twelve hours later. Saffron is king here, accompanied throughout its evolution by a burst of black pepper which intensifies its heat. The black leather-absolute rose duo brings a very sensual, velvety, almost animalic intensity, playing on the leather- floral contrast. The plum note works beautifully and is both juicy and sweet. Oakwood and sandalwood provides a foundation for the spices, flowers, fruits and leather which crackle like fireworks; this woody facet is embellished with a solar vanilla, and a note of olibanum brings its mystical spirit into Ambre Safrano’s olfactive sensuality. Ambre Safrano is akin to a scented armor that protects from the current gloom and also delights the senses.
Notes: saffron accord, black pepper oil, plum accord, rose absolute, olibanum absolute, black leather accord, oakwood CO2, sandalwood oil, vanilla bean extract C02.
Disclaimer: A big “merci” to BDK Parfums for the Ambre Safrano bottle provided for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Emmanuelle Varron, Sr. Editor and Paris Brand Ambassador
BDK Parfums Ambre Safrano 100 ml bottle – ©BDK Parfums
Thanks to BDK Parfums, we have a 100 ml tester of Ambre Safrano for one registered reader in US, UK and EU. You must be registered or your comment will not count To be eligible, please leave a comment on what sparked your interest about Emmanuelle’s review, and your favorite BDK Parfums. Draw closes 4/30/2022
BDK Parfums Ambre Safrano is available in “avant-première” at Harrods department store (London), and on BDK Parfums’s website. It will be available worldwide in July 2022.
Please join us in congratulating Emmanuelle on her promotion to Senior Editor and Paris Brand Ambassador
Learn more about Julien Rasquinet in our Young Perfumer Series here
Please read Olya Bar’s review of Gris Charnel here
BDK Parfums Velvet Tonka was one of Olya Bar’s Top ten fragrances of 2021
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