AMBREGRIS - AMBRE ET DIAMANT NOIR (AMBER AND BLACK DIAMOND)

The perfume lover is always pleased to discover a very confidential perfume, which moreover turns out to be a superb one. Ambre et Diamant Noir (Amber and Black Diamond) is exclusively sold at the Ritz Hotel in Paris and at www.purs-sens.com.

Ambre et Diamant Noir is like an ode sung to ambergris, a luxuriously satisfying perfume dedicated to the rare substance. Its designer describes it as being a "nectar" with a 15 % concentration of essences. It is one of those perfumes that have a slowly unfurling texture, a sort of muted heavy movement of evaporation that bespeaks of high quality. Sylvie Jessua, the owner and founder of the brand, conceived of the perfume as a total object of art, not just a fragrance. It is a reflection of her combined passions for precious gems, art, and perfumes. In fact, in this case, she designed the flacon for the perfume first and cannot dissociate the contents from its outer appearance, admittedly, the object that gives its very shape to the perfume.

The fragrance opens with a slightly metallic and cold note of ambergris that sweetens rapidly as sweeter amber slowly rushes in. The amber accord is delicate, sweet and rooty due to orris and a little milky-powdery due to the ambergris. The herbs, including lavender, tarragon, and sage, are softly sweet rather than crisp although their presence together with that of the bergamot bring some subtle lift to the composition which otherwise would be made of a much heavier texture. The richness of the scent makes me think of fur nevertheless. The bergamot can be felt for a long time and this brings an appealing hint of lightness to the perfume.The jus develops piscean facets that are characteristic of ambergris, as well as suggestions of feminine odors in the grand classical tradition of French perfumery.

Ambre et Diamant Noir makes think at first of Zibeline by Weil and then of the vintage Shalimar parfum.  The floral notes are perfectly blended offering a seamless quality to the composition rather than are showcased; some very discrete perfumy touches that evoke the flowers, but the fragrance remains resolutely centered around a major accord of ambergris. The perfume becomes more powdery with time and smells a bit raw, yet seductive.  With animalic and woody richness of the base the staying power is excellent. After one night it has become a delicious soft amber skin scent. The perfume has top notes of bergamot, tarragon, lavender, sage, and neroli. It further develops a heart of jasmine, rose, orris butter, orange blossom, jonquil, and ylang-ylang. The base notes are particularly rich offering depth and texture to the perfume and include notes of coumarin, benzoin, vanilla, musk, sandalwood, oakmoss, civet, castoreum, and ambrein.

Ambre et Diamant Noir should be experienced by amber lovers most definitely as well as by those who are nostalgic for the rich classic French perfume compositions. If you think the Guerlain bases have lost some of their punch, you might want to see it recaptured here.The fragrance definitely holds a place in that tradition albeit in a modernized version. The prestige flacon is refillable. You can purchase the perfume at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, 15 Place Vendôme, or at www.purs-sens.com.