Fiore d'Ambra
by Profumum

At first I was not impressed with the powdery, straight up nature of this amber, but sometimes things can happen in a "development." Within about an hour the powderyness subsides and gives way to a little bit of a luxuriously odd soapy smell and a bare whisper of a sweet leather. I'm sure these are just impressions because I'm not seeing anyone else mention it, nor does the official copy on that website where it can be purchased. Perhaps it's because there is actual ambergris in here, or perhaps it's the opium, as I'm unfamiliar with both of these odors. Whatever it is, it's delicious and occasionally borders on edible, but it never quite gets there. I'm am a bit disappointed with the sillage and longevity, but sometimes that's the way the cookie crumbles with a fragrance.

28th October, 2011.

The first 30 minutes on my skin are spicy, camphorous & medicinal, almost musty. The amber sweetness then shows up, but l find it powdery rather than resinous; it doesn't become rich & vanillic until another hour or so later. This is not at all bad, but l personally prefer Ambra Aurea for a more satisfying, raw amber experience. l think Fiore d'Ambra is much more similar to Ambre Sultan than that one. This stays close to the skin, & lasts reasonably well. lt just didn't grab me.

10th February, 2011.

I tend to like amber scents and this is no exception. It opens with a potent amber, with spice notes and just a trace of floral. It dries down to a vanillic amber, very full and satisfying. I like it quite a bit. My only question is whether there are equally satisfying options at lower prices.

25th June, 2010.

The prestigious, glorious, heavenly diamond of Ambers. This turned out to be the best out of the following:

Ambra Aurea by Profumum, Ambre Russe by Parfum d'Empire, Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens, L'eau d'Ambre Extreme by L'Artisan Parfumeur, and various other pure Amber oils and paste.

Fiore d'Ambra is refined without the funk stink of Ambre Sultan, Ambra Aurea that I found. It's an uplifting ethereal rich amber with a vanilla like warmth. And at the top is just a hint of spiciness that is so fine it makes the whole vessel skyrocket. I was haunted for a month by this as a sample, but the price made me seek as many other options as possible. This is the winner - very precious, rare, and expensive.

The magic of Fiore sits just above unisex to me, into a feminine leaning, but ultimately transcends gender in it's opulent luxury. Sillage is high in my opinion, and longevity is satisfying. I can still smell this on my skin waking up in the morning.

4th March, 2010.

Well described by Somerville MM and Asha. Fiore d'Ambra is a beautiful, soft vanillic / amber delicately combined with a gentle spice / incense. Doesn’t have much sillage, but does have good longevity. Translucent and not too sweet. A skin scent.

14th November, 2009.

Profumum Fiore D'Ambra

I do enjoy my amber centered scents and Profumum has one of my favorites in Ambra Aurea which used amber in a way which brought out its more strong lines. In this 2008 release Fiore D'Ambra chooses to explore the sweeter side of amber and is just as successful as its predecessor. Profumum can be frustrating with their note lists, for instance the note list for this scent is ambre gris and opium. Who knows what that means but it does free one to experience a scent without too many pre-conceived notions of what should be there. Other, than of course, amber which is in the name. From the top the amber is present and this is a sweet amber full and round. It is paired with a lovely sweet incense accord that amplifies the sweeteness of the amber without taking over the scent. The amber persists into the heart where there is a spiciness present but it has a floral character to it which makes me think carnation because there is a hint of clove. Again this is partnered well with the amber as the contrast brings out a different facet of the amber. In the base a soft creamy sandalwood mixes with the amber to finish this off in traditional territory with an accord I've smelled many times before and it feels like coming home as the amber and sandalwood mix together like peas and carrots. Profumum have now done two very different takes on amber and Fiore D'Ambra is every bit as good as Ambra Aurea, to me. If I was to be stuck with only these two scents as my amber contingent in my wardrobe I'd be fine with that.

25th April, 2009.