Ambra Nera
by Farmacia SS. Annunziata

An unusual fragrance, with an unusual name: Black Amber. I was a little put off by the color of the juice, a kind of medicinal green. Coming from such an ancient house I suppose it is fitting. I think the name translates to Our Most Holiest Lady of the Annunciation Pharmacy. It starts out, like another reviewer mentions, camphorous. I call it menthol, but I think camphor better describes the note. As a fan of amber (Ambre Precieux, L'Eau d'Ambre) I was looking for the amber at the beginning, but it is hidden by the eucalyptus. After the fumes have dried down, the amber is finally revealed but not entirely. There is a sweet, powdery scent reminiscent of your grandmother's vanity table, or maybe medicine cabinet. It is not until hours later that the wonderful base of amber is fully revealed. And I don't want to wait that long. Commendable for its elegant composition, but just not for me. I prefer a straight up amber that I can layer if so desired.

18th September, 2011.

Oh my God!!! Opulent, dark and medieval. This is a work of finest italian craftsmanship, a perfect balance between warm-mellifluous and camphoraceous-woodsy-cool elements blended in order to compose an indented creamy-raw olfactory concoction. This is the fragrance for the ceremonies at court. Aristocratic rooms by high  ceilings, pictures, candeliers, drawbridges, courtesans and jesters come to mind. Ambra Nera is a stunning smoky amber with a featuring note of eucalyptus immediately detectable. The coniferous and camphoraceous notes impress a sort of woodsy, aromatic, ancient feel, the smell of the forests of the Kingdom perceived from the king's residence full of smoking effluviums and burning aroma of candels in the air. Ambra Nera is nevertheless at once a modern, western, erotic, sweaty and animalic kind of fragrance that manages to be suitable for clubbing in modern cozy down town venues. This fragrance is very dense, the effect of burnt caramel is prominent with its smokey touch of bitterness. The warmth of balsams (vanilla, benzoin, amber) is balanced by the cool woodsy coniferous and icy feel (cypress and eucalyptus). The caramellous decadent dry down's wake is furthermore indented by a raw, earthy, bold vetiver-patchouli accord that is a reminiscence of ancient regal ambients. The sweetness is nevertheless never out of limits of tollerability. The amber is prominent and is just featured and segmented by touches of vanilla and benzoin. The outcome is an inconstant, changing, schizophrenic mild amber full of nuances of smoke, forest, ancient wood and earth. This is pure and traditional olfactory italian art.

9th April, 2011. (Last Edited: 11th January, 2012.)

This wonderful amber really deserves a lot more attention, in my opinion. lt's high quality & complex, with definite phases, & is easily unisex. The eucalyptus lends a camphorous, masculine feel to the opening, along with patchouli & vetiver. The heart has that "old library" feel of wood & books, & then in the drydown it sweetens into an edible, vanillic amber. The whole effect is like taking a walk in the brisk autumn/winter air, stopping by at the library for a browse, then calling in at the pastry shop on the way home, where the fire is lit & all is warm & welcoming. lt's elegant & refined for an amber, & has great sillage & extraordinary longevity on my skin. l highly recommend that more people try this!

9th February, 2011.

A rich, complex amber. Somewhat powdery, particularly in the opening and tending toward feminine. Not for me, but certainly worth considering, particularly for a lady in my opinion.

25th December, 2010.

Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561 Ambra Nera

Notes: cypress, eucalyptus, amber, benzoin, vetiver, vanilla, patchouly (from luckyscent.com)

Ambra Nera starts with a combination of burnt sugar, smoke and vanilla. At first it seems as though AN will be a sweet, edible amber with lots of fluff and such. As it turns out, the caramel note is rather short lived, and what is revealed underneath is a delicate yet raunchy animalic, incensy amber. Indeed, I smell urinous notes, leather and the metallic tinge of smoky incense over a base of creamy, powdery vanilla, ample benzoin and a healthy, yet not overdone, dosage of labdanum. If there is patchouli in this fragrance, it is very well blended and barely recognizable as such. I was expecting AN to be close to some offering from Profumum, as the two houses seem to have parallel fragrance lines. In actuality, Ambra Nera smells more like Parfumerie Generale L'Ombre Fauve, especially in the middle and late stages. I happen to prefer L'Ombre Fauve by quite a bit, however, Ambra Nera is an interesting amber, especially for those who might like something funky. Its tendency is a bit toward the sweet side, which may make it seem a bit feminine, despite the raging animalics at the start of the development. Longevity is good--time to the deep drydown is approximately five hours. Sillage is moderate, especially toward the end.

3rd October, 2009.

Smooth rounded amber. Loads of vanilla but not overly sweet. Okay, yes it's very sweet but not to the point of death by vanilla. Wanes and dries down into a faint glimmer and sticks with you. Soft and gentle like a breeze full of vanilla scent in the fall.

24th June, 2009.