Much like the brownie points of "casual chic" of the original
Eau des Merveilles (2004) by perfumers Ralf Schwieger and Nathalie Feisthauer,
L'Ambre des Merveilles never intends to intrude a space, but rather infiltrate like a secret agent. To pursue a musical analogy, whereas
amber (
ambre) is usually solid Buxtehude,
L 'Ambre it's a lacework melody by Gabriel Fauré; two cyclical piano phrases, like the four-beat gait of a horse, having a conversation with an echoing cello.
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An Adirondack Lake by Winslow Homer via hudillo |
The newest
Hermes in
the Merveilles fragrance line (again) showcases perfumer
Jean-Claude Ellena's mastery of his materials: there's nary a heavy or syrupy off note as trap-like as this perfume trope can get; the equivalent of a warm hug rather than a baked goods pastry or a head shop rife with patchouli and amber aphrodisiacs. We're long off that vulgarized route and yet
L'Ambre never misses a beat on smelling alluring and sexually appealing all the same—or rather, in spite of it.
L'Ambre des Merveilles unites some aspects of both
Elixir des Merveilles and Eau Claire des Merveilles (previous flankers from 2006 and 2010 respectively) into its DNA, the comforting gingerbread cookie nuance gaining the nuzzling sweetness of the hug of a close friend who's wearing cosmetic powder and sweet amber perfume oil. Because, you see, there's both warmth and austerity in
L'Ambre, interpreting
the amber "fragrance note" (really a mix of ingredients) into a perfume that explores all facets of this most traditional aperture of Orientalia: the initial piquancy, the
resinous depth and heft, the powdery trail lingering on skin and clothes, the vanilla dryness...The bitterness of
labdanum, a touch of soil, of
earth smelled in the air, the saturation of crocus yellow trailing off the horizon ~and what I sense as
powdery benzoin~ mingle with the bittersweet citrusy top note and a hint of blond tobacco into an amalgam that is brighter than the sum of its parts, yet is still oddly founded on
the minerals and salty skin idea of the original
Eau.
L'Ambre des Merveilles feels light and buoyed and collapsingly soft, like being surrounded by a sunny cloud, and invokes thoughts of nostalgia, quiet contentment and being at peace with the world.
Music: Gabriel Fauré -
Sicilienne, for cello & piano, Op. 78 dedicated to William Henry Squire