Best Ambré by Baldessarini Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Mandarin and cassis spill out of this cornucopia of dew-dappled fruity florals. Soft-focus peach, magnolia, violet and jasmine glow against a gentle base of cedarwood and musk.

From LO’s Parfum Intense collection, this is an amber with the darkness turned up to 11. There’s no white space here, just expensive raw materials piled high. Its vibrant opening with fruity notes is enriched by the bitterness of coffee, deepening into a powerful chorus of rose, iris, jasmine and lily of the valley. And this valley is a deep one, a soft black expanse of leather, nagarmotha and patchouli, cushioned by a dirtier-than-usual amber.

In Arabic, Lamar means “liquid gold”, the legendary potion long sought by alchemists in search of immortality. This generous fruity-floral embraces the eternity of living in the moment. In creating Lamar, perfumer Mark Buxton said, “My inspiration was to create a rich, natural, warm, long lasting fragrance, by using high quality natural products. This gives a feeling of walking through a bed of roses or a jasmine field – very feminine and sensual.” Lamar opens with a festival of berries, apple and pineapple. The heart notes glow with jasmine sambac, Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose and magnolia. Vanilla, musk and amber supply the softest landing.

Perfumer: Julien Rasquinet.

Naomi Goodsir’s Bois d’Ascese is perhaps the smokiest peaty and charred-whiskey-barrels smelling perfume out there. But the smoke in this fragrance is quite contemplative, it’s not the hints of gunpowder or fireworks, neither is it anything foody. The smoke and woods in this perfume are dry and romantically ascetic, rather introvert and they practice self-discipline.

Rare mizunara oak, used in Japanese whisky barrels, imparts an unusual sandalwood/pineapple undertone to the “water of life” maturing within. This eau de parfum blends the effect of mizunara oaked whisky with the furry, malty smell of chestnut for a moreish, warm experience. Don’t be fooled by the shape of the bottle — this whisky is only for spritzing, not sipping! 

Love around the campfire. Heavily peated, spiced scotch in the wet woods

PERFUMER
FLORIAN GALLO

A delicious shimmering amber to follow the movement of your body like a fantastic beast.

It conjures up aromas of licorice rum, autumn sunset apples, and smoky bitter sweet tonka.

There’s a tantalising friction in the smell of iris root. It’s austere, but tender. It can be powdery, but it also suggests leather. Depending on the context, it can read as feminine or masculine. Iris Ardent resolves this fabled material’s dissonance in a compelling eau de parfum that balances all of iris’ contradictions. The opening spikes of cypress and vetiver provide the scaffolding for cushiony amber and powdery iris. Juniper’s bright twang illuminates the darkness of incense and moss. Intellectual, but accessible.

A mouth-watering gourmand inspired by the baking prowess of Jany, one of the daughters of Sora Dora flounder Antoine. We envision Jany busy in the kitchen, dusted in sugar and flour, preparing tarte tatin. The butter melts on the hot glass dish, dissolving brown sugar into syrup. The aroma swirls around the room, billows to the veranda, travels to the garden. Baked apples and cinnamon sticks merge into exhalations of puff pastry. Then come caramel, almonds and vanilla, powerful aromas that linger into the evening.

A smiling vanilla that draws its character from contrasts: the bright twang of apple rubbing up against the mellow plushness of tolu balsam, with its beautiful blur of honey and balsamic wood.