Ambre Précieux (1988)
by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

Being one who loves Ambre Sultan, I obviously find this a bit too tame. Its a rich fragrance but at the same time it feels very plain.

Very very well done composition. I usually dislike sweet colognes but the rich creamy sweetness in this one I can live with. Vanilla and amber dominate throughout. Smells like inside of a pastry kitchen. Longevity is more than enough. I can smell it in shower next morning. Can be great for layering. Good stuff.

MPG is one of the finest houses in the world and a true niche brand. MPG's fragrances are opulent, rich and almost ridiculously complex. I haven't tried their entire line, but I'm sure that all their creations are anything but dull.

Ambre Precieux is one the finest, most complex, richest and best blended amber fragrances I've ever tried. It possesses a very interesting duality: it's opulent, but not unwearable, it's serious, but not boring, it's complex, but not complicated. It's warm, creamy and sweet but all of that is very well balanced with a touch of spices and incense, thus the scent doesn’t become cloying.

I have to admit that I don't fully comprehend all the faces of this fragrance, it's not my favourite, as I find amber a much too heavy ingredient (Ambre Sultan being probably the best proof of this heaviness - this heaviness being consistently reduced in Ambre Precieux), but I have to admire its complexity and originality, especially in a time when even some of the niche companies have begun creating some quite dull, mainstream fragrances.

I'm definitely going to try more of the MPG's fragrances, as this is one of the most interesting alternatives to all of the "Pour Homme"s, "Eau"s or "Water"s out there.

Immediately: amber soft round much like the Ambre Gris. More simple though. There is a hint of a medicinal creaminess, someone in the forum calls it the Nivea accord if you know what I mean.
A few minutes into the topnotes: an alarming cheesy note appears. This is also found in Santal Noble. This is nothing to worry about, it is soft, a bit metallic. All MPG fragrances go through a phase in their opening where you get a discordant note that you cannot think what the hell it is doing in there. You just have to give it some time to relax on your skin and suddenly this note either disappears or makes sense.
Fifteen minute into the wearing: perfect balance and roundness, minimal sweetness and a hint of saltiness which is due to the remnants of the metallic, cheese note in the opening. The whole construction by now feels more discreet than it actually is. I always think MPG scents as living on your skin and actually choosing where to settle. This one settles under the skin. It feels as if it is the natural odor of the wearer. And by no means does that imply that it is a fragrance with poor sillage.
Half an hour later: discreet wood and a hint of cinnamon
The excellent site parfyym.pri.ee lists note as (if my imagination and google help me translate from esthonian):
Top: berries, lavender (probably the metallic note)
Mid: ambergris, vanilla, nutmeg
Base: ambergris, peru balm, tolu balm
I usually check the note listing after I do a detailed wearing to avoid being influenced. I suppose I perceived the balms as wood, nutmeg as cinnamon. Berries are a mystery to me. Lavender must be of a non typical kind. Vanilla is a note I tend to lose as a note per se but perceive it as “sweetness” but it is definitely there. I also tend to associate scents with colours. I get a blue-grey quality out of this scent which might be a subliminal association from the lavender. I cannot stress strongly enough that I consider this and Santal Noble as sibling scents. The same construction on a different base.

I don't know if too much more can be added; just about everything to be said about Ambre Precieux has been said. This is a hauntingly beautiful fragrance, powerful, spicy but very classy and refined. AP lasts forever, I can put this on at 7am and smell it when I shower the next morning. I would recommend this to all who love or are exploring amber fragrances.

Just an earthy amber, that's all you get here. I'm not really sure about all of this "luxurious this" and "intoxicating that." If amber really isn't your thing then I couldn't recommend this. I was also told I smelled feminine when I wore this.

Oh well, it does have great longevity though.

You could try Montale's Blue Amber for more of a "composition."