Narciso cubes and my nose have always gotten along wonderfully. From the stern, cool beauty of the original Narciso, to the tonka & white floral cosmetic Narciso Poudrée, up to the gorgeous lipstick-y Narciso Rouge, my love for the series has only grown at each new installment.
When another flanker was released this year, though, I was actually worried I might not like it that much. Maybe because amber is a hit-and-miss note for me¹, maybe because the brand had already succeeded in 3 variations of this perfume. Could a fourth still be as good?
I’ve finally been able to test Narciso Ambrée, wearing it a few times from a sample… and here are my impressions!
Review
Narciso Ambrée was released in 2020, created by perfumer Aurelien Guichard². In a twist from the first two cosmetic-feeling Narciso flankers, this is a tropical floral.
The opening is my favourite part of Narciso Ambrée. It comes as a bouquet of creamy, fruity-vanillic but lightweight tiare and sunny ylang-ylang (a note I tend to love!). These warm florals are balanced by a whisper of clean, fresh white flowers, and the mix has an unexpected airyness to it. Imagine sunscreen, but instead of a cream, it comes as aerated, fluffy mousse. It smells smooth, refined, warm-fresh, and mostly sweet - but I also get a faint salty impression, and (unlisted) sugar-free coconut. Lovely.
The base then comes with the title amber glistening softly over a crisp, “sun-bleached woods” take on the classic Narciso musk. This accord gives Ambrée an elegant, put-together aura that makes it more versatile (not so beachy it feels like you’re necessarily on vacation), and in line with the other Narciso cubes. With this interesting juxtaposition, Narciso Ambrée would’ve work perfectly, except…
As it dries down, the composition makes a considerable shift in focus from heart to base notes. The beautiful, smooth florals, albeith still there, feel muted agains the musk and… nope, not the title amber, but the much more prominent (and much less pleasant) raspy cashmeran. The overall effect of the scent, then, becomes woodier, drier and saltier… a bit too much so for my taste.
As usual with Narciso fragrances, longevity and sillage are both particularly good on me. I only wish (for once) the scent stayed the same from the opening into the drydown.
Fragrance Impressions
Conclusion
Narciso Ambrée surprised me with its soft, airy texture and elegant character, while still in a creamy “summery-solar” style. I love its vibrant yet delicate opening, with the contrast of warm-fresh, casual-polished elements… And, then, I’m disappointed the drydown turns raspy and a bit lifeless in comparison. ?
I can’t say I dislike Narciso Ambrée, since its early development is beautiful, and the drydown is still ok… But, unfortunately, the rough, fuzzy cashmeran - and its prominence in the drydown, even over the title amber note! - makes this is my least favourite Narciso cube so far.
¹ Amber, for me, smells gorgeous and luminous, yet sometimes its glossy texture can make me a bit queasy as hours go by… sadly. This is actually the case with the amber in the Narciso Rodriguez For Her line.
² Who also brought us the original Narciso and its first flanker, Narciso Poudrée. This kind of explains, I guess, why I’ve found this and Rouge the least similar ones in the cube collection…
Hoặc