Here we go again, Part IV of my collection posts is here. (Parts I-III are here.) This time, let us see why some call me the Queen of Amber, there is a good reason for that, I believe…
Left to right: Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche, Tom Ford Amber Absolute, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, Téo Cabanel Alahine, Christian Dior Mitzah, Armani Privé Ambre Orient, Juliette Has A Gun Calamity J, Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe, L'Artisan Parfumeur L'Eau d'Ambre
All my amber perfumes in one picture. I realize that I forgot an important one though – Frapin 1697, I don’t know how that could have happened (actually, I do, it was in my office for decanting off samples to send to friends, so that is why it missed its photo opportunity, but it sounds more dramatic if I say I don’t know why it was left out). Amber is said to be the new trend note for the coming year, it is nice to know I am way ahead of times. 😉
If you want to read up on one or the other here are the reviews of Goutal Ambre Fetiche, Armani Privé Ambre Orient, Tom Ford Amber Absolute, Dior Mitzah, Teo Cabanel Alahine, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, JHAG Calamity J, Parfum d’Empire Ambre Russe and L’Artisan L’Eau d’Ambre.
Next up is my Serge Lutens collection. I have a love/hate relationship with Lutens. Therefore this collection is very much in flux, bottles have been bought and sold, bought and sold over the years (yes, that is quite stupid, I absolutely agree.) This is what constitutes my current loves and I guess I’ll stick with those bottles for now, although Douce Amère is on a somewhat precarious position, because at the moment I hate it for being way too sweet. But experience shows that this opinion is subject to change.
Left to right: Serge Lutens Douce Amère, Ambre Sultan, Un Bois Vanille, Feminité de Bois, Jeux de Peau and Iris Silver Mist Bell Jar
Iris Silver Mist was my favorite iris for a long time, but has recently been overthrown by Armani Privé La Femme Bleue (review coming soon).
Those bottles are all very full still, because commiting myself all day to wearing just one perfume (and that is what happens when you apply a Lutens in most cases) is a hard thing to do for a blogger. But I still wouldn’t want to miss my Un Bois Vanille, Jeux de Peau or Feminité du Bois, even if it is not the Shiseido original.
Another week went by in a flash and the weekend is here.
It was the baptism of my young nephew N°2 on Saturday afternoon, but unfortunately I couldn’t attend, because I came down with stomach flu or something. In any case, it keeps me bed-ridden and near a bathroom since Friday afternoon.
My husband says the baptism was a very nice gathering of extended family and friends. I’d love to have seen my older son carrying out his very important role of holding the chrisam and Holy Water during the ceremony (he was so proud) but I’m glad I did not see my younger one trying to set the congregation on fire by wielding his lit candle like a light sabre. I would have loved to see my young nephew in his white dress. And of course I would have liked to eat lots of delicious food at the party afterwards…
I’d love to hear about your weeks again. What is new with you? How are you doing?
A wonderful weekend to all!
Olfactoria's Travels 
I’m trying to enter the computer and cuddle up with your ambers, but I can’t quite figure out the process.
I hope you are recovered ASAP.
Lol, I always have a place for you next to the ambers, it is very cozy there. 🙂
Thanks, I’m a lot better today.
“But experience shows that this opinion is subject to change.” This sentence had me in stitches! As of the other night, I have now done a 180 on Un Bois Vanille, long derided by me as “a bread sauce and bread board” scent, I retested it and found to my surprise that I liked it very much… : – )
This week I attended the first Perfume Lovers London event featuring Nick Gilbert and his collection, and also popped into the new Les Senteurs to check on his hangover and buy a bottle of Fracas for a friend, before hitting Harrods and Harvey Nicholls with your pal Tara. Speaking of ambers, we discussed the Venn diagram that represents the three-way intersection of our tastes, and may attempt to draw it sometime, if we can ever get our heads round it.
Get better soon…!
Ha, Serge Lutens perfumes have a way to do that to people, haven’t they? One day you love them, one day you hate them. 🙂
You had a great London adventure, I read your post of course, but can’t comment again, it is so frustrating. I’ll try again tonight, maybe it is better on my laptop than on the iPad.
I recently switched to the new blogger interface, which has embedded and threaded comments. If you are on Firefox, you may need to enable third party cookies in order to be able to comment. That’s what I gleaned on the Blogger forums just now. Most likely explanation is something in your security settings. That said, if you can comment on any other Blogger users with the same comment layout I am not sure what it could be. I will see who has a blog just like mine and get back to you!
It worked now, if only with my blogger account, not with OpenID (the wordpress identification thingy), which would link my name to my blog. But I guess not is not so important, more important is that I can talk to you! 🙂
I’m loving these peeks into your perfume wardrobe. What a fine collection you have!
Get well soon, B.
Thank you, Joanne!
I think the real reason your bottle of Frapin 1697 is not in the picture is because you thought someone might steal it. Because, yes, if it was in there, I’d figure out a way! 😉
Hope you’re on the mend. I’m relaxing this weekend. Listening to music, reading blogs, about to start reading Tarleisio’s Quantum Demonology. I’m not sure it’s my genre, but it’s by Tarleisio, so I’m going to give it a shot!
Well, it was a lucky mistake then. 😀
Your weekend sounds good! I have QD on my reading list for the longest time as well, but I can’t seem to find the time to get started. 😦
Aw that baptism sounded lovely, glad to hear you are feeling better. I had the pleasure of test driving new cars to replace the my Volkswagen that died on me beginning of this month =(
I have enjoyed these fragrance collection photos, or what I like to call ‘perfume porn’ immensely. My SL envy has just risen! I am just glad that I know what my next FB purchase would be – Jeux de Peau and Ambre Sultan would be next!
What you actually inspired me to do is not save up more to buy more but to just organize all my samples and decants so I can see what I really have. I guess that means emptying out the pockets in my very large purse as well – I have a lot of samples nesting in there!
Organizing one’s stash is very helpful, I found many gens as well, when I went through my sample box chaos recently. You might wabt to check in on tomorrow’s Monday Question, it is about just that topic.
Have fun testdriving!
When I didn’t see the post at the regular hour I started worrying and even thought of sending “Are you OK?” note. Now I see there was a reason. I hope you’ll feel better soon!
Love those pictures. I especially enjoy Lutens’ rainbow.
That is so lovely of you, Undina. But for the past few weeks I always posted just once on the weekends, I have to cut back somewhere. 😦
Lutens rainbow is a beajtiful way to describe that photo, thank you!
I think you should have a break for at least one day a week. I was referring more to the time of the posting – your regular ones are scheduled so that I see them my night before. And this one wasn’t published until the next day.
The weekend post is always posted on my Saturday night, so it is in the middle of the weekend. I’m a bit weird like that. 🙂
Niki never disappoints :-), my sweet little charmer.
Next time we see each other I’d like to take a sniff of your Mitzah – may I ?
Of course you may! I’ll make you a decant, I have plenty!
Another fun viewing, but, I can’t help but be shaken by the see-through Iris Silver Mist! It’s clear as water!
When I last tried Iris Silver Mist it was tan, brown-ish, rather dark ( a few years ago now ). I’m crossing my fingers and hoping the drastic change of color means little for the scent…
I love the Armani and PdE bottles, by the way.
That doesn’t sound too good indeed. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I did not smell any other version of ISM than the one I have.
Me too, the Armani is especially elegant, I think.
Well we had some stomach flu or something like that also. But slowly we are getting better now.
It is uplifting to se such a lovely collection. Ambers are so warming. Sending some healing hugs to you (;-)).
Thank you, Civava! I hope you are well again by now.
Amber perfumes are the cuddliest. 🙂
So we have photo evidence that you are the Queen of Ambers – as if proof were needed! My favourite is Ambre Fetiche which Undina kindly sent me lots of.
SLs are funny, so easy to switch on and off with. I had that with Chergui and Daim Blond. You have to be in the mood for that level of sweetness and intensity.
I had a lovely sniffathon with Vanessa. Roja Dove’s Oud was something else, but unfortunately so is the price (£495). Did not get onwith the new Cartier Heure sadly but liked the choclately one – Defendue.
I’m so sorry you missed your nephew’s baptism but so pleased to hear you are feeling a lot better.
Wow, Roja Dove’s Oud – I need to smell it too when I’m in London, but that price is really above and beyond what I would ever be willing to pay.
Vanessa and you must have had a lovely time!
I love the ambers, too. Get well soon, Birgit 🙂
Thank you, Isabelle! Almost back to normal today. 🙂
I’m so sad, my Frapin 1697 does not work in the tropics. So it just sits in its bottle. But lighter ambers are OK in winter. And I love amber as much as you do! Have you tried Ambre Nue? Sounds like it could work here….
I was afraid you’d say that. I had this horrible experience with 1697 in the heat of summer, it is just not a warm weather perfume. 😦
I have not tried Ambre Nue yet, but sure will once it is out here. I think from what I’ve read it could be the perfect “tropical” amber.
Oh, looking forward to the La Femme Bleue review! Everything I’ve read about it sounds amazing but the price is a little outrageous I fear (and limited to 600 bottles or something??).
Limited to 1000 bottles and yes, the price is outrageous. But the perfume is gooooooood. 🙂
Like Jen, I would like to get my hands on some of those ambers: specifically Ambre Sultan and Feminite Du Bois. I’ve been working a lot at school lately, which I hope continues. That’s the main thing going on with me. Hope you have a marvelous Monday!
That is great that you get lots of work at that school now, hopefully they will want to keep you on permanently!
Thank you, friend. I hope so!
Oooh, sorry about the stomach bug, these are awful.
The Lutens bottles look so pretty next to each other in the picture!
And the Amber… I love amber. But I still have not bought a bottle because I cannot decide! Your collection is what I should go for! 😉
Not being able to decide which amber – that is exactly the reason why I have so many. 😉
Interesting, but I have many other contenders — Profumi del Forte one, then Ambree Ceruleen, of course Ambre Fetiche, but also Neil Morris’s Burnt Amber which is amazing… ooohhhh…
Hmmm, they sound delicious… 🙂
I love the Lutens bottles pic….!
Birgit, it’s been a long time that it’s impossible to find Douce Amère here in Spain. In fact I simply can’t remember smelling that… Did I ever smelled it anytime? I don’t know!
If someday you’re thinking to offer some decant purchase, I’d be interested to try out some of that, of course paying for the stuff.
Douce Amere is discontinued as far as I know. I just wrote you an email. GeM! 🙂
aha? ok, so I’m going to check my inbox!
Hallo Birgit, ich wollte fragen wann du dein Review von Femme Bleue posten wirst. Ich reise nächste Woche nach Mailand da werde ich bei Armani vorbeischauen in der Hoffnung den Duft selbst probieren zu können. Ich hoffe er gefällt mir nicht, denn er soll extrem teuer sein.
Hallo Philipp,
Meine La Femme Bleue Review ist für Mittwoch auf dem Programm, ich hoffe das geht sich aus bevor Du fährst.
Der Preis ist zwar hoch, aber nicht der höchste, den ich je gesehen habe. Ca. 400€.
Das Problem ist dass es weltweit nur 1000 Flaschen gab/gibt. Ich hoffe Du findest noch eine. Ich finde den Duft wunderschön (leider). 😉
Ha, was für ein Zufall. Ich bin nämlich genau am 15. und 16. in Mailand. Laut Internet ist der Duft im Sommer 2011 auf dem Markt erschienen, zeitgleich mit der S/S 11 RTW Kollektion. Vielleicht ist in der Flagship Boutique in Via Montenapoleone noch eine Flasche übrig, oder in La Rinascente. Man weiss ja nie.
Viel Glück jedenfalls! 🙂