Amber Lavender
by Santa Maria Novella

Not to be mistaken with the low-quality fragrance of the same name by Jo Malone, this is what Amber/Lavender should be (and what I had hoped from the JM version). The Jo Malone version feature a briefly lived lavender note that is piercing, and dies off quickly leaving an amber base that lasts for about an hour.

SM Novella figured out how to actually combine amber and lavender such that both notes persist throughout the entire life of the fragrance. One experiences both the sharpness of lavender and sweetness of amber together. As with other SMN fragrances, this is a simple accord of high quality, and the name is what you get. This accord lasts through the base, and at times amber is more prominent, and at times lavender, but there is never a point at which you can't detect both.

From what I've learned about SMN, it is a very old, exclusive house that only recently began exporting. The high price reflects the quality of the materials used, and the bottles themselves are from a niche italian glass manufacturer that can be reused.

A perfecty balanced scent, that last on my skin more than any other Santa Maria Novella Cologne. Sweet but not silly, elegant but not pretentious, sensuous but not vulgar, simple but interesting. An alfresco by Giotto put in a bottle.

I'm very new to this line, and very impressed with it. Lavander Amber is the lightest of the three I've tried, truly amazing. It still, however, retains its "gothic" feel. I must have this...

One of the more delicate scents in the line, this fragrance combines equal amounts of lavender and amber. It fades fairly quickly to a close-clinging sweet and clean scent. I have found that all of the Santa Maria Novella scents are best applied as you would a traditional cologne: a number of drops are shaken into your palms which are rubbed together and then on to your face or neck (or wherever.)