Profvmvm Roma
ALBA
Alba has a gauzy,breezy quality about it that makes it seem very abstract. My main thoughts are that it as fluffy, soft, white, creamy, and slightly powdery with a woody undertone. I think the iris is prominent, but can I specifically detect hazelnut, almond, or sandalwood, as Profumum Roma's website states? Not necessarily. I have seen other trusted websites that list the notes as "hazelwood and almondwood", which would make a lot more sense to me.
In the first 15-20 minutes, I was certain I had smelled something identical to it. It hit me--Fragonard's Miranda...which also smells like Casmir by Chopard. But once I get past the top notes, all traces of those other perfumes fade away.
Alba then reminds me of perfumes such as L'Eau d'Hiver by Malle or Swan Princess by Vagabond Prince. They are all creamy white, snowy perfumes. There is a reminder or sensation of white chocolate in perfumes like this; or perhaps vanilla steamed milk. To my nose, Alba smells far more natural than the others I mentioned, which is a mark of the excellent quality that I have come to expect from Profumum Roma.
Alba is certainly one of my favorites from Profumum Roma. Looking forward to getting cozy with it when winter arrives.
Alba has a gauzy,breezy quality about it that makes it seem very abstract. My main thoughts are that it as fluffy, soft, white, creamy, and slightly powdery with a woody undertone. I think the iris is prominent, but can I specifically detect hazelnut, almond, or sandalwood, as Profumum Roma's website states? Not necessarily. I have seen other trusted websites that list the notes as "hazelwood and almondwood", which would make a lot more sense to me.
In the first 15-20 minutes, I was certain I had smelled something identical to it. It hit me--Fragonard's Miranda...which also smells like Casmir by Chopard. But once I get past the top notes, all traces of those other perfumes fade away.
Alba then reminds me of perfumes such as L'Eau d'Hiver by Malle or Swan Princess by Vagabond Prince. They are all creamy white, snowy perfumes. There is a reminder or sensation of white chocolate in perfumes like this; or perhaps vanilla steamed milk. To my nose, Alba smells far more natural than the others I mentioned, which is a mark of the excellent quality that I have come to expect from Profumum Roma.
Alba is certainly one of my favorites from Profumum Roma. Looking forward to getting cozy with it when winter arrives.
AMBRA AUREA
Arguably the most exquisite amber perfume I have encountered to date. If you are familiar with Tom Ford's Amber Absolute, you have a vague idea of what this perfume smells like--a high-quality woody amber. Oh but there is so much more to this one [rubbing hands together mischievously]. The woody amber forms only the base on top of which sits an undeniably natural note of precious, increasingly rare, ambergris. The ambergris here reminds me so much of that which is used in Guerlain's Encens Mythique d'Orient--a whale's breath, shimmering sea water on a dancing whales back. It is sweet, ethereal, translucent, and salty enough to cause one to salivate.
Adding another twist to this already exquisite creation, the ambergris smells as if it has been smoked or partially burned (I understand ancient Egyptians burned ambergris as incense). The whole concoction is like a smooth, woody amber mixed with roasted vanilla salt water taffy. It is just on the cusp of being gourmand, but the ambergris' slightly animalic scent of cured feces makes it entirely inedible. At least I hope that sounds unappetizing to most people!
This really is an amber masterpiece. It is highly recommended for amber lovers, particularly those who wish to become more familiar with the scent of ambergris in particular. Ford's amber, although good at what it set out to accomplish, IMHO cannot hold a candle to this.
FIORI D'AMBRA
This perfume makes my stomach do somersaults. The first time I smelled it--and I sincerely hate to use this word in a review of a perfume that contains an opium flower note--it was narcotic. So good, like nothing I had ever smelled. I NEEDED IT. I distinctly felt butterflies in my stomach, I am talking about a very real physiological reaction. It was not easy to figure out what I was smelling and why it made me feel that way. It was certainly more animalic than Profumum's own Ambra Aurea, something I had not expected, and floral. Some kind of white floral with the edges of the petals dipped in freshly grated cinnamon bark.
The next day I sampled again. I was truly unprepared for my reaction. It smelled they way I imagine rotting human flesh might smell. Now in my stomach the butterflies flew away, replaced by a churning sensation, like I might become ill. In any case, a physiological reaction occurred again. I could not stop thinking of that disturbing movie, Perfume, with that creepy Baptiste boy scraping the scent off of the skins of corpses, his victims.
As the perfume became sweeter (I was so grateful) and the animalic notes melded effortlessly with the oils of my own skin, the perfume began to smell like the skin of a beautiful woman who wore Opium (yes, YSL's Opium) the day before, waking up the next morning with the perfume faintly lingering on her skin. Not my skin. Her skin. My skin smelled like somebody else's skin. It is so macabre [shiver]! And yet it has me hooked. Here is the description of Fiore d'Ambra, taken directly from Profumum Roma:
"A candle diffuses the scent of opium and amber
An elegantly unmade bed
And my book on the night table.
In my mind thoughts of her."
Fiore d'Ambra doesn't smell like YSL's Opium, but it is reminiscent, sort of like when a popular band releases a tribute album. The same, but different. Fiore d'Ambra, like Opium, smells of amber, incense, a tad sweet, and spicy with cinnamon as the dominant spice. The difference is that Fiore d'Ambra is much less sharp, much smoother in every possible way, and animalic. It smells like Opium after it has been on the skin for at least 36 hours. And those of us who know vintage Opium know it can last much longer than that.
I wonder how long it will take for me to form a solid opinion on it. Is it disturbing? Is it sexy? Is it possible to have both qualities at the same time? I don't think so. The only question about Fiore d'Ambra that I can answer definitively is: Is it forgettable? NO!
This perfume makes my stomach do somersaults. The first time I smelled it--and I sincerely hate to use this word in a review of a perfume that contains an opium flower note--it was narcotic. So good, like nothing I had ever smelled. I NEEDED IT. I distinctly felt butterflies in my stomach, I am talking about a very real physiological reaction. It was not easy to figure out what I was smelling and why it made me feel that way. It was certainly more animalic than Profumum's own Ambra Aurea, something I had not expected, and floral. Some kind of white floral with the edges of the petals dipped in freshly grated cinnamon bark.
The next day I sampled again. I was truly unprepared for my reaction. It smelled they way I imagine rotting human flesh might smell. Now in my stomach the butterflies flew away, replaced by a churning sensation, like I might become ill. In any case, a physiological reaction occurred again. I could not stop thinking of that disturbing movie, Perfume, with that creepy Baptiste boy scraping the scent off of the skins of corpses, his victims.
As the perfume became sweeter (I was so grateful) and the animalic notes melded effortlessly with the oils of my own skin, the perfume began to smell like the skin of a beautiful woman who wore Opium (yes, YSL's Opium) the day before, waking up the next morning with the perfume faintly lingering on her skin. Not my skin. Her skin. My skin smelled like somebody else's skin. It is so macabre [shiver]! And yet it has me hooked. Here is the description of Fiore d'Ambra, taken directly from Profumum Roma:
"A candle diffuses the scent of opium and amber
An elegantly unmade bed
And my book on the night table.
In my mind thoughts of her."
Fiore d'Ambra doesn't smell like YSL's Opium, but it is reminiscent, sort of like when a popular band releases a tribute album. The same, but different. Fiore d'Ambra, like Opium, smells of amber, incense, a tad sweet, and spicy with cinnamon as the dominant spice. The difference is that Fiore d'Ambra is much less sharp, much smoother in every possible way, and animalic. It smells like Opium after it has been on the skin for at least 36 hours. And those of us who know vintage Opium know it can last much longer than that.
I wonder how long it will take for me to form a solid opinion on it. Is it disturbing? Is it sexy? Is it possible to have both qualities at the same time? I don't think so. The only question about Fiore d'Ambra that I can answer definitively is: Is it forgettable? NO!
