Launched in 1990 by Italian niche line i Profumi di Firenze, Ambra del Nepal is one of the best amber fragrances out there.

i Profumi di Firenze was founded in 1966 by Florentine pharmacist Doctor Giovanni Di Massimo who discovered the secret formulas for the fragrances Catherine de Medici commissioned from her perfumer in the 16th century. Inspired by this discovery, he set about to re-create the fragrances using natural ingredients. The result is the, i Profumi di Firenze fragrance line. I love this line and Ambra del Nepal is a standout.

It opens with a coriander – spicy and woody with orange facets; it has a resinous aspect that is heightened by a note of smoky incense. It is such a gorgeous opening that the first time I smelled it, I knew I was going to have to have a bottle. As it blooms, a note of rich, resinous amber, made creamy and sweet from vanilla, wafts up from my skin. This is an amber-lover’s heaven! Oakmoss adds an earthiness that perfectly balances the sweetness of the amber, while white musk adds a sensuous warmth. At the base, patchouli amplifies the sweet, dark earthiness of the fragrance, while sandalwood provides a woody anchor for the resins.  Sweet, animalic ambergris keeps the amber going, and since mine is the “Fragranza Concentrata” (i.e. 60% concentrate) it hums for hours on my skin.

The drydown is warm and spicy with a lovely vanilla sweetness but it’s the coriander wrapped in all those resins that make it a unique, must-have amber fragrance and perfectly unisex.

Notes: coriander, incense, oak moss, white musk, vanilla, patchouli, ambergris and sandalwood.