Note Ambrée
by Martine Micallef

Let me preface this review by saying that I dislike floral scents in general. Now, with that said, if this is a floral, as the previous reviwers have stated, I love it! To my nose, this doesn't come off as a floral. In fact I don't smell any flower notes at all. What I get is a very linear amber/vanilla scent that's like powdery, creamy caramel, so the amber note never gets overly sweet and cloying the way amber can sometimes do in certain scents. On me this is a gourmand scent and everytime I smell my wrist or catch a whiff of the scent as the breeze swirls around me I think of a cupcake. Unlike Ambre Russe or Ambre Sultan, there's othing heavy, comlex or intellectual about this, just a nice pleasant amber for warmer days. The sillage is good and people will notice.

WARNING! Don’t be fooled by the name – this is not an amber-dominant fragrance!

Note Ambre is more of a feminine floral creation with amber only playing a small part in the composition. Personally, I found this one to be underwhelming. Also, the fact that I was unfairly misled by the name didn’t help matters at all.

[Original submission date: 22 July 2008]

Disturbing amber on an ugly bed of ylang ylang (which is the more dominant note). The top note of bergamot is harsh and rather off-putting and unremarkably dreary. The over-ripe banana scent of ylang ylang turns into a mush of dirty amber. It reminds me of the nursery rhyme "Ring A Round The Rosies" where it's about covering up the stench of death with flowers. Now that's a harsh assessment but I simply do not like this fragrance. It's very unpleasant smelling to me because (insert 4 paragraphs of self-righteous reasoning).

The tact I have taken over the last few months when trying a new niche fragrance is to - when possible - get samples of the entire line. I've been finding that trying all the fragrances reveals information and gives me perspective about each particular fragrance I otherwise may not have gleamed. The structure, the techniques, the style, the artistry, etc. all come into better focus when viewed in perspective. It's almost as though seeing the forest helps me understand each tree contained therein.

Thus has been my approach with Martine Micallef fragrances, of which Note Ambree is my first review of the house. I'm reviewing this first because I feel it typifies the line in many ways. The style I am encountering with Micallef fragrances is that they are subtle and full of discrete notes. These discrete, subtle notes can be enjoyed individually as they meld in and out, appearing, settling, and resurfacing throughout the fragrance's life on the skin. The notes however also have the unique effect of conglomerating such that their confluence stands for an interpretation of one larger note. In this case the note is amber, and I assume the name 'Note Ambree' tells us that this is an interpretation of amber without the use of amber, per se. The same effect is created in various other fragrances such Patchouli and Note Vanillee to different degrees.

On application Note Ambree presents a bouquet of florals brightened with citrus (bergamot). Ylang ylang and jasmine are the most prominent florals, and the composition is sweet in a floral - not sugary - way. The addition of bergamot gives the topnotes an amber feel to them. The different florals come in and out of focus, and slowly the bergamot loses visibility as the amber base becomes more prominent. The base is not pure amber, instead a well blended floral aspect always remains. The published notes of rose and iris are never distinct, but I assume they are present to both round out the composition and soften it as only iris can.

As is typical with Micallef fragrances, sillage is light to moderate but longevity is excellent. For a floral/amber, this fragrance is largely unisex - at least as unisex as any straight amber such as L'Eau d'Ambre or Ambre Precieux. If you are a guy who enjoys fragrances such as those you will have no problem wearing Note Ambree.

If you're starting with Micallefs, I recommend this fragrance (highly), as well as Vanille Aoud (one of the more unique from the line), Aoud (Boise) Men, Gaiac (my favorite), and Anabar.


bergamot, fennel leaves, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, amber, iris