WHAT I SMELL: On application, Ambre Premier goes on cool to the skin, almost like the feeling when you spray on antiseptic. What is first revealed is almost what I would describe as cocoa/chocolate edge mixed with the coolness of bergemot. It’s lightly warm and a little spicy. On Fragrantica, it says the top notes evoke that of “cotton candy”. Seriously, I am missing that completely (is there such thing as chocolate cotton candy??). As it continues in its development, it become a bit more floral with a subdued rose as the amber starts to take shape. In the end Ambre Premier is amber that is sweetened with a vanilla’d patchouli. It’s cool and warm at the same time with a bit of a tang that lies at its base.
Ambre Premier Notes:
Head: spicy fresh; Heart: pink floral; Background: dominant patchouli, amber, vanilla
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: At first, surprisingly a bit gourmand, like a bittersweet box of chocolate orange creams (you don’t really smell much of the cream, but it’s what chocolate covered creams smell like in the box). I feel like my nose is playing a trick on me so I go to my better half and tell him what I think this smells like and he disagreed. He said a box of chocolate covered orange creams smells really sweet and this does not… I reminded him that I said “bittersweet” as in dark chocolate. He still didn’t agree!
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE AMBRE PREMIER: cooled-warmth, bittersweet, removed
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT AMBRE PREMIER: I was not able to find any other reviews on this!!!
BOTTOM LINE: This is a different amber in that’s it’s not the typical, warm and embracing cuddly sweater that I love so much in the note. Instead, it’s a bit distant and a bit discordant in the way the notes blend together; I feel like they are fighting with each other. I don’t hate this, but I don’t like it either.
- Bone Rating: 2.5 out of 5 possible bones
- Scent: Oriental Vanilla
- Nose: Michelle Saramitot
- Classification: Marketed as a feminine fragrance, but I believe this suits both men and women
- Expense: $180 for 100ml EdP
The Scented Hound 
December 16, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Cooled-warmth, sweet, removed, a tang, candy floss….. it sounds almost bi-polar! It also made me think of the Elixir de Merveilles which has that bitter chocolate, orange cream aspect and which can be quite aloof. This one, though, sounds much more vanilla-y, discordant and…. cool or cold (?), judging by your review. Perhaps it’s the bergamot. I have to say, the “pink floral” top note gave me a bit of a pause. I think I’d like to give this a whiff just to explore, but it doesn’t call to me even for a sample.
OT, your interaction with your partner/husband over the elements of this fragrance made me laugh. You sounded almost indignant! *grin*
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December 16, 2012 at 6:41 pm
It is so bi-polar and just not right on some level. As for being married…we agree to disagree many times. Our preferences in fragrance is completely different, he likes vetivers and green, I like ambers and orientals. Every now and then we agree on a fragrance…Kilian Incense Oud for example.
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December 16, 2012 at 7:41 pm
I think a man who can carry off a good vetiver is infinitely sexy and charming in that old-school, classique way. But, like you, I am drawn towards Orientals. The spicier, the better. (I just put in a big order at Surrender to Chance and had to force myself not to go with every ambery, patchouli or oriental in sight. LOL.) How interesting that Kilian’s Incense Oud would be one he’d agree upon and like. I wouldn’t have suspected that he’d go for the smokiness if he’s a true Green/crisp man.
(I almost ordered one of Kilian’s new ones, btw, from the Garden of Good and Evil collection but, in the end, I couldn’t force myself to spend money on anything fruity-based, even if just partially so. Not when I ordered some green-ish things and some Ouds (Amouage, Tom Ford). Maybe later. There is a limit to how much masochism I’m up for in one go. LOL)
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December 16, 2012 at 5:50 pm
A BN’er sent me samples of the Jovoy line, I will return them to her soon – I really, really erm… I didn’t like any of them at all. Which is a shame, becuase the Jovoy shop in Paris were lovely and the staff were so friendly and they were trying to introduce me to their line and I was like “Ermmmmm, no I’ve tried them thank you”
Don’t think I have the heart to write about them 😦 Glad to see you expoloring them though – and yes you’re the first review I’ve read!
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December 16, 2012 at 6:39 pm
When I was in NY, Aedes de Venustas was kind enough to provide me with sample of their 2011 releases. I tried Private Label…full Tilda Swinton. I did not have the energy to write anything about it. This, I just had some time this afternoon to do a posting and there is something that just didn’t quite come together. And I am perplexed by this cocoa vibe when they say cotton candy?? You need to go spritz some on right now and let me know if I’m crazy.
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December 16, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Thank you for not creating another lemming for me. This doesn’t interest me at all. I like my ambers to be warm and cuddly.
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December 16, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Poodle…not warm and not cuddly. Actually, after writing this, I scrubbed and put on my beloved George Sand.
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December 16, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Oh too bad. And I love chocolate orange creams. The bottle and presentation are very nice …..Oh well, they all can’t be zingers. Right?
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December 17, 2012 at 4:02 am
I have other Jovoy’s to test…maybe the next one will prove to be more to my liking. Have a great week Lanier!
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December 17, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Sounds very edible 😀
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December 18, 2012 at 5:43 am
hmmmm, kind of, but not really edible. Like you think it would taste good, but it really doesn’t!
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December 18, 2012 at 10:24 am
Boo
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December 17, 2012 at 10:46 pm
I am with you: I got chocolate, not cotton candy.
All in all, I thought it was well done, but there are other ambers that are more remarkable — especially for the price!
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December 18, 2012 at 5:46 am
BB – Thanks for stating that it smells like chocolate. I seriously thought I was crazy!
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December 18, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Nope. Not crazy. Definitely chocolatey.
Cotton candy? Insert head-shaking-no here.
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December 18, 2012 at 9:27 pm
Sometimes I like negative reviews even more than positive ones: as poodle has mentioned above, they don’t create lemmings (though sometime I get curious: can it actually be that bad?). So, I think, “thank you” is due 😉
Thank you!
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December 19, 2012 at 10:06 am
Negative reviews are harder to write, but I hope to have some more lemmings soon 🙂
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