Ambra was launched in 1989 by the Italian fashion and lifestyle brand Etro. Built around amber, this fragrance has a duality that makes it the ideal scent for both cool and warm days.

On me, Ambra opens with nose-tingling bergamot, backed by a note of fresh, bright lemon. Coriander is fresh, peppery and spicy, and it complements the citrus beautifully before the flowers appear. A geranium note smells lemony and green, and rosy, the perfect way to introduce a sensuous note of rose. The flowers keep the scent light and fresh. At the heart, ambery labdanum appears. The labdanum is deep, resinous and balsamy, and to me, smells like a forest of fir trees which adds a different dimension of freshness to Ambra. Things turn from fresh to warm and cozy when patchouli and styrax show up, giving Ambra a dry woodiness that lingers in the background as the base notes appear. There's amber, sweet, animalic, and a little powdery braced with caramel-tinged, warm, velvety opoponax. Vanilla is creamy and cozy, while musk adds sensuality and fixes Ambra to the skin.

This EDT has a lot of heavy notes, yet it's surprisingly light while still being rich. If you're looking for a BIG fragrance, look somewhere else. Ambra has an elegance that comes from being perfectly balanced so that the notes intertwine and dry down into a soft, smooth, refined sensuous stunner.

The real beauty of Ambra, though, lies in its duality. It transitions from a fresh scent into a cozy, warm one making it ideal for warm or cool days. Who am I kidding? I'd wear Ambra any day, and so would my husband.

Notes: bergamot, lemon, coriander, geranium, rose, labdanum, patchouli, styrax, amber, opoponax, vanilla and musk.