Ever since having discovered the luminous beauty of ambrette seed in Chanel No 18, I have been looking for other perfumes that feature a generous dose of this delicately-musky, vaguely fruity, slightly boozy note. Ambrette 9, created for Le Labo by Michel Almairac, is, as the name suggests, precisely that, a fragrance centered around ambrette seed. It is Le Labo's offering for babies and their mommies, and I cannot think of a more fitting fragrance for the target audience. It is the smell of tenderness.Ambrette 9 is indescribably lovely on my little one, the soft musky-fruity accord enhancing the naturally sweet smell of her skin. On me it is a little less fruity, more musky and a little more floral, with almost-illusory hints of jasmine and rose. There really isn't much to tell about the scent's development, as there is basically none. From the beginning to the drydown, it is the softly radiant fragrance of ambrette accentuated by subtle floral and musky notes, but its simplicity is delightful, and, keeping in mind the delicacy of some of the potential
wearers, appropriate.Ambrette is an expensive ingredient, and Ambrette 9 is definitely not cheap. It retails for $50.00 (15ml), $125.00 (50ml), $190.00 (100ml), $600.00 (500ml) and $900.00 (1000ml, in case you perhaps want to bathe your baby in it?) and is available at lelabofragrances.com and barneys'.com. Little Miss Colombina and I must have Ambrette 9 for the summer, cost notwithstanding.
The painting is Sunday Morning by Lauri Blank, onessimofineart.com.
If I only could have started that early...
ReplyDeleteHow sweet, Goluboczka
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post and painting! Thanks for starting my day w/ a (nostalgic) smile.
ReplyDeleteI adore ambrette seed and I now definitely need to get out my sample of this one and retry it. Sounds like its simplicity might make me happier in the sweltering days of mid-summer than it did in mid-winter.
ReplyDeleteYou've just inspired me to dig out my little pot of Grandiflorum Floral Ambrette and try it again. I'd forgotten how gently lovely it is. My daughter will surely love it too. Although she's only two years old, she regularly demands a 'pssht pssht' of scent for herself to 'smell like a lady'. I'm glad she's not alone in being a teeny perfumista.
ReplyDeleteChanel 18 is my favorite of the Exclusifs & it's actually the one I meant a few posts back when I said my friend W thinks it smells like "summer sex" on me (which could be an inappropriate friend-comment but if you knew W, it isn't really). I can't imagine a baby perfume smells of "summer sex" (tho honestly, that's W's opinion, not mine) so now I need to sniff Ambrette 9 to see exactly what part of 18 is ambrette & what part is the Chanel-ness of it all.
ReplyDeleteAnd ... I love the light in that painting.
That sounds lovely! Little Miss C. is very lucky to have such a wonderful mother! I will definitely try this on my next trip to NY.
ReplyDeleteM,
ReplyDeleteWhen did you start? And what was your first perfume? :-)
Thank you, E!
ReplyDeleteAnita, thank you!
ReplyDeleteL,
ReplyDeleteI do think that's a summery scent, just because it is so delicate. When I say, delicate, however, I don't mean short-lived. It lasts a surprisingly long time on me.
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI immediately gogled Grandiflorum Floral Ambrette and it looks like it isn't available online. I will have to look for it in stores then. It sounds lovely.
Divalano,
ReplyDeleteI can see how ambrette-heavy scent might smell like summer sex :-) Chanel is probably sexier in that respect. Ambrette 9 is all ambrette and no Chanel-ness :-)
J,
ReplyDeleteI cannot remember whether you liked Chanel No 18? This one is simpler and gentler, without much ornamentation.
Awwww, such a sweet post. When I have a little one, I will certainly try some mother-daughter/son scents. Beautiful painting, BTW.
ReplyDeleteM,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it lovely, the painting, I mean? She has another one with the same two characters that I am duying to use somewhere :-)
My dear M., my first perfume (or one of my first - it was so long ago...) was something rather unsophisticated : Ispahan... (it was a small black bottle - in age of 17-18 I was an "existentialist", wearing only black, and running around with books from Camus...).
ReplyDeleteMy perfume-taste definitely changed when I myself started to collect all the absolues, concretes, resins, etc. And then started to read your blog (God bless you & Om)
M,
ReplyDeleteThat's what *I* was like when I was 17-18. :-) Still am, come to think of it :-) And I think that Isphahan is very sophisticated. An obscure gem, really. Dark and gorgeous.
You know, I have a sample of this and now you make me want to dig it out..
ReplyDeleteI still love black and rarely wear an other colour (and "The Plague" is still one of the best...). But I'm more peaceful now with 42...
ReplyDeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteDo dig it out and report how musky it is on you. A lot? or not at all?
M,
ReplyDeleteI love black too, am trying to infuse the wardrobe with other colors, but if I let myself go, it would be all-black :-)
Ambrette 9 is lovely (not 1000 ml lovely, but lovely) and you've described it perfectly. It is so different from the usual sorts of things made for children, and I should think a man could wear it too (?)
ReplyDeleteR,
ReplyDeleteIf I wasn't hoarding the rest of my sample, I'd have sprated the DH with :-) But I bet it would be great, and slightly different, probably less fruity, drier. I think I might cave on this one...
I quite like it but it was very fleeting on my skin and rather linear, as you say. I still prefer Chanel 18.
ReplyDeleteIna,
ReplyDeleteIt was surprisingly tenacious on me, although quiet. Quiet and tenacious :-)
I am greedy, I want this and No 18.
Colombina, I'd been wondering about this fragrance, and now you've proved it's a must-try for me. I love tender scents. And the image you chose is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMaria,
ReplyDeleteI love tender scents too. Not many of those around, I find. :-(
I am listing several boxes of floral ambrette on EBAY along with Sweet la Rose and Angelica..If interested let me know.
ReplyDelete