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Shalini Amorem Rose & Aftelier Antique Ambergris ~ fragrance review

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Sometimes transitioning to autumn feels like falling off a cliff. One minute, you’re sleeping with the fan pointed at you. The next, mornings are downright cool, and you’re liberating your wool from the basement. In other words, it’s time to dig out an amber fragrance. Two new amber-friendly fragrances to consider are Shalini Amorem Rose and Aftelier Antique Ambergris.

Shalini Amorem Rose was conceived as “a poem dedicated to the greatest love stories.” Perfumer Maurice Roucel composed the Parfum..,

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The trend of ambergris-enhanced recipes

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Early recipes skewed toward desserts and decadent dishes. Sweet and savory bread puddings were particularly popular: One recipe called for sweetened almonds, rose water, bread, cream, egg, sugar, nutmeg, bone marrow, and “muske and amber grease.” As the trend of ambergris-enhanced recipes continued into the 18th century, medicinal drinks, gelatins, and posset (an ale-spiked hot custard drink) all featured the substance.

— Gastro Obscura takes a look at ambergris as a luxury food ingredient. Read more at Ambergris: Whale excrement once flavored ice cream. Hat tip to Shelly!

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir ~ fragrance review

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Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir

My coworkers Brigid and Aimee have worked together for years and are good friends. When they see each other, one will often say in a sultry voice, “Oh, hi” like she’s pretending to run into her high school crush by the locker, when in fact she planned the “accident” all morning. It’s alluring, theatrical, and goofy — over-the-top in the best way — and it cracks me up and warms my heart every time.

This is how I feel about Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir. It’s a dense, sparkling amber-woody fragrance that is to perfume like chocolate volcano cake is to dessert, a marvel of too-muchness I find hard to resist…

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Aedes de Venustas Cierge de Lune ~ fragrance review

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Aedes de Venustas Cierge de Lune brand image

Not every perfume is a groundbreaking work of art. It’s best that way. Some fragrances earn their keep as supporting characters — everyday auras that hum along and let you provide the personality. They’re flexible perfumes friendly to just about any situation, mood, or season. They’re “go tos” when you don’t want to think too much about a scent, but simply want to spritz one on and forget about it.

Perfumes I count on to fill this role include Guerlain Vol de Nuit, DelRae Mythique, Caron Nocturnes, Bois 1920 Sutra Ylang, and, to some extent, Chanel No. 5. If I had a bottle, Hermès Eau des Merveilles would join the line up. For someone who loves amber, Aedes de Venustas Cierge de Lune might be a solid choice for this kind of “aura” fragrance…

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Enfleurage Sanctuary, Roses & Amber ~ fragrance reviews

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Enfleurage house blends

Was it really six years ago that I wrote a shopping report about Enfleurage, New York’s most specialized purveyor of natural aromatics? Yes, apparently. The boutique has since moved to a new address (237 West 13 Street, in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood) but its staggering selection of essential oils and natural incenses remains unchanged. I still sniff individual oils during each of my visits, but I’m also very fond of Enfleurage’s “house blends.” They’re available as concentrated oils and as “roll-ons to go,” diluted in a base of organic jojoba oil for ready-to-wear use.

My favorite house blend is Sanctuary, a blend of ylang ylang, chamomile, patchouli, clary sage and black pepper…

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