Year: 1988
Notes: myrtle, nutmeg, lavender, labdanum, vanilla, coumarin, Tolu balsam, Peru balsam, ambergris
Comment: Ambre Précieux is part of Les Parfums du Levant Collection / Eau de Toilette review
Composed by the late Jean-François Laporte, Ambre Précieux is a marvellous amber creation that improves on his earlier amber offering, L'Artisan's L'Eau d'Ambre.
Sweet, powdery, resinous, spicy, creamy, warm, comforting, sensual, intoxicating and mellow are just some of the many adjectives that adequately sum up this masterpiece. With salty ambergris nuances, Ambre Précieux is an exemplary representation of this genre.
Opening with a fleeting myrtle note, the lavender and spices are evident but remain restrained throughout. With a touch of vanilla in the background, the composition mainly focuses on the labdanum, coumarin, balsams and ambergris. It's neither cloying nor too sweet, and envelops the wearer with a deliciously soft and alluring aura of balsamic resins.
In comparison to some of the other popular niche amber releases, Histoires de Parfums' Ambre 114 is sweeter and smoother, L'Artisan's L'Eau d'Ambre Extrême is very similar but slightly richer, Serge Lutens' Ambre Sultan is more herbaceous and austere, Montale's Blue Amber has greater presence, while Profumi del Forte's Ambra Mediterranea is darker, woodier and more intense.
Surprisingly, Ambre Précieux lasts the entire day, which is exceptional for an Eau de Toilette. However, since it wears very close to the skin, one often wishes that it had more projection (hence the rating). Maybe this is due to its reformulation, as one has never sampled the vintage juice, but one can't be entirely sure.
Regardless of this, it's undoubtedly one of the best quality niche ambers around, and its influence on the niche ambers that soon followed should never be underestimated.
Sweet, powdery, resinous, spicy, creamy, warm, comforting, sensual, intoxicating and mellow are just some of the many adjectives that adequately sum up this masterpiece. With salty ambergris nuances, Ambre Précieux is an exemplary representation of this genre.
Opening with a fleeting myrtle note, the lavender and spices are evident but remain restrained throughout. With a touch of vanilla in the background, the composition mainly focuses on the labdanum, coumarin, balsams and ambergris. It's neither cloying nor too sweet, and envelops the wearer with a deliciously soft and alluring aura of balsamic resins.
In comparison to some of the other popular niche amber releases, Histoires de Parfums' Ambre 114 is sweeter and smoother, L'Artisan's L'Eau d'Ambre Extrême is very similar but slightly richer, Serge Lutens' Ambre Sultan is more herbaceous and austere, Montale's Blue Amber has greater presence, while Profumi del Forte's Ambra Mediterranea is darker, woodier and more intense.
Surprisingly, Ambre Précieux lasts the entire day, which is exceptional for an Eau de Toilette. However, since it wears very close to the skin, one often wishes that it had more projection (hence the rating). Maybe this is due to its reformulation, as one has never sampled the vintage juice, but one can't be entirely sure.
Regardless of this, it's undoubtedly one of the best quality niche ambers around, and its influence on the niche ambers that soon followed should never be underestimated.
