Versilia Vintage Ambra Mediterranea by Profumi del Forte; anyone tried it?

I had never heard of the house or this particular perfume before but I was completely enchanted by it when I last visited Printemps in Paris and discovered the counter. This is my favourite of their range. I bought myself a 100ml bottle - it was almost as if I "had no choice" .. it was that stunning, evocative, that beautiful! ...
Plus it possessed that irresitable blend of 'noble' and 'poetic' - a rare quality in modern perfumes.
If I had to pick just one 'Amber' fragrance to bring with me on a 3 month long cruise or working holiday this would be it.
In fact it could easily have risen to the top of the crop for me... it's traveling with me from now on, together with Noir Epices and Carnal Flower.

A stunning fragrance.
One of those rare creatures of poetry and nobility that has managed to spring up through the facelessness of our times and trust the Italians to do it!
For it does reveal a different tack to either the French or the Americans.
It is loud but never tries too hard, it is full of personality but is never vulgar.
Not that I don't like some vulgar now and then.
This fragrance does that great gymnastic leap that completely enthralls me - like watching Nadia Comaneci on the beam or listening to Alicia Keys on Un-Thinkable or reading Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose.

It is a dynamic balance, tipping back and forth but held together by a central core of beauty.
One way or other, this is serious stuff, filled to the brim with the joy of life
and its laughter and tears.
Grand work for those with grand hearts.
TWO THUMBS UP

Not sure how i missed this thread.

It's a wonderful amber. Really breath taking. Warm and glowing.
I wish i could further elaborate on it but zenman explains it well.

Tried it, was not entirely impressed. Bright citrus --> ylang-ylang --> deep sensual woods --> light clean amber+tolu+vanillic benzoin. More woody than ambery. For the money ($240) you are better off with Poison Hypnotique by Christian Dior.

I received my sample of this today and gave it a brief try. Oh Lordy, Lord...

Then I checked out the price. Oh Lordy, Lord...

Blue Amber meets Ambre Sultan but I'm sure there's more going on. I'll some more time with it. S***! And just when I thought I had my amber fetish finally under control...

I loved it.
It's deep amber, I wouldn't say there's a lot of floral aspect to it, but the ambery/woody one is to die for.
Lucky Scent has a sample of it, so you can try it without breaking the bank.
I might need more of it when my sample is gone.

Okay, it's been a good 20 minutes or so, since I applied Blue Amber on one arm and Versilia Vintage Ambra Mediterranea (VVAM) on the other.

Initially, Blue Amber paled in comparison but it just needed some time to warm up on my skin (I haven't worn it for a while). Now, it's holding its own against VVAM pretty well. Personally, they're both distinctive enough to own and I agree that Blue Amber isn't as complex. However, Blue Amber still remains a great 'straightforward' powdery amber and my respect for it has hardly diminished as a result of this little exercise.

Actually, I take back what I said about "Blue Amber meets Ambre Sultan" - I think a better description would be Ambre Sultan (or even LADDM) meets Norma Kamali Incense.

I'll probably compare it against LADDM tomorrow night. I think I also have a sample of Norma Kamali Incense lying around somewhere...

Trebor, please do. I would enjoy reading it. I enjoyed reading your Blue Amber comparison. A powdery amber sounds great. Have you tried Ambre Ceruleen from the Huitieme 8th art line? That was my discovery in terms of powdery amber.

That's the problem for me, though. I have samples of many ambers -- including VVAM, Ambre Ceruleen, Ambre Sultan, Neil Morris's Burnt Amber, AG Ambre fetish... and I love them all. And I cannot decide on one. I guess a word "fetish" comes to mind not only as a perfume name here...

Warum, Ambre Ceruleen left me cold to be honest. It's more about tonka bean and opoponax than the amber that we know.

Okay, I think that, after having spent most of this year intensely sampling and writing reviews, my grey matter is suffering from the strain...

I've smelt all the amber fragrances in my collection, as well as whatever samples I still had lying around. I've now come to the conclusion that VVAM is an amalgamation of various niche amber fragrances, while still coming across as distinctive.

For the last couple of hours, I've been trying to nail it but simply can't. All I can say is that I am able to detect a fusion of the herbaceous aspect of Ambre Sultan, the smoky drydown of Norma Kamali Incense (but not so piercing or metallic), the dark leathery labdanum of Ambra Aurea, and the dense buttery powderiness of Blue Amber. As for LADDM, I have now eliminated it from the equation.

Today, it was my SOTD and I only wore about 0.4ml of my sample to work. I dabbed the juice on at various pulse points and around my collarbone (but not on my chest). Its performance was very impressive - managing to occasionally smell whiffs of it throughout most of the day. By about 4pm, it had died down considerably but I'm sure that this wouldn't have been the case if I had applied at least a couple of sprays.

It also passed the 'overnight test' and has, overall, left me in awe of its majestic substance. So, I did something I rarely do: I ordered a bottle about 30 minutes ago. I still love Blue Amber but this is really something else. I can now understand why Hedonist222 considers this his reference amber.

Thanks for the heads-up!

I've only tried this once, briefly at one shop after I had already made my purchase and happened to see it as I was leaving.

It wowed me. I immediately thought to myself that this was the best amber fragrance I'd ever tried. I decided then and there that I wanted it, but I had already bought so much and spent so much that I just couldn't do it then. And unfortunately it is on the expensive side.

Thanks, trebor, for your detailed and thoughtful review. My experience with this was only over a matter of minutes, so it is good to hear from someone who has been able to plumb the depths of this fragrance. I still must get a bottle!

My experience too. We'd walked into Printemps and just as I smelled this one of my children made it known that they needed a diaper change, so my wife and I head to the maternal stations I kept sniffing the strip and saying this is the best amber I've ever smelled.

Trebor, I will be happy to resniff with your comments in mind.
And thanks for the link to your fragrance blog! Will follow gladly.

T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C!

I have a sample of this somewhere and have been testing a bunch of amber perfumes, so I'll make sure this gets into the rotation.

Mats, great idea! Ambre 114 is a good comparison, I'd like to hear on that.

I'm wearing VVAM this evening - it is pretty awesome. More lush than 114, I love them both, and will have to compare wrist to wrist sometime. Maybe 114 is more day and VV is for night?

Cheers! Your support is much appreciated.


Yeah, Ambre 114 crossed my mind as well but I didn't have a sample to hand. It's lighter and not as dark so, for those who find VVAM too dark, heavy, cloying, etc. should give Ambre 114 a try.

BTW, is there anything else from this house that is just as impressive?

Thanks for that! I've been searching the internet for views on Vintage Boise, as it could be of the same pedigree, but only one review so far. Still, I have a sample on the way, along with my latest acquisition...

If you'll have the chance, give a test to Versilia Platinum (created by Arturetto Landi) which is a fantastic masculine. Opulent yet quite severe, multi-layered and mega-complex woody-spicy concoction with a remarkable incense note. Sharp citruses on top, floral patterns, vetiver, oakmoss, patch...there's really a lot going on here...

Great to hear something positive about one of the Versilias. I also ordered samples of this and Versilia Aurum, as well as most of the rest of the line (with the exception of Black, White and 150).

Personally I find Platinum (together with VVAM) a standout but I guess to properly appreciate it you need to be into sharp citruses/cedarwood compositions. The grapefruit/wood accord is quite prominent but while many compositions in the same vein tend to result crude and synthetic, Platinum is extremely refined and "warm". I also get a moderate immortelle note that, together with incense, provides great deepness.

I'm also quite a big fan of Tirrenico which, due to its persistent fennel note, I can only wear it every once in a while though.

Recently I've heard they made a limited edition of Versilia Aurum with gold chips inside the bottle....pretty pointless IMO

Sorry Teardrop, I didn't mean to hijack your thread...

Yes, Ive read that the limited edition of Versilia Aurum is a parfum extrait, housed in a refillable 24 carat gold plated bottle. Its limited to 1,000 bottles and retails for 480 Euros.

http://milanesegal.blogspot.com/2010...um-parfum.html

Teardrop!
I've just returned to this thread and what a wonderful buzz you've created! I'm glad I participated in it by answering your first question.
I have to reiterate my original sentiments, this is one fragrance that is so beautiful :
"I have to prepare myself to wear it".
I couldn't put it any other way....
Almost as if I need to be worthy of it's balance, poise, intensity and poetry.
It happens with just a few other scents .. that the perfume even before application encourages more nobility, more humanity, more grace in the wearer...
As a composer this is something akin to getting ready to sitting down to listen to the one cadenza that always humbles you to being true to oneself.
I did read somewhere that the Nose behind this scent is Bertrand Duchafour.
If so, it is on the same planetary orbit as his Amouage Jubilation XXV.
Sexy and also Poetic at the same time.

Ordered my 2nd bottle from Luckyscent...
It arrived safe and sound.
I heaved a huge sigh of relief - it was hard imagining being without this in these troubled times.

I absolutely love this stuff. Lasts on clothes for days...

This one is definitely interesting me a lot, any more opinions on how it compares to Ambre 114?

Not comparable at all IMO. I actually quite like them buth but the HDP is kinda weightless while Ambra Mediterranea is definitely full bodied and loaded with incense/copal/woods...Man, it is soooo thick and lasts for ages.