Ambre Royal is a resinous ambery floral whose golden shimmer is amplified in the base by the hot, salty rasp of ambergris. To wear it is to feel dipped in liquid gold and then rolled in fleurs de sel, the floral salt winnowed from the marshes of Brittany. Sappy green herbs and juicy orange announce the house signature, their peppery brightness sending a shaft of light through the structure, cheerfully prepping the way for the resins and flowers that follow.
Behind the sparkle of the opening act, the soft creaminess of flowers beckons - a heart full of rosy, creamy orchid and the delicately leathery apricot of Chinese osmanthus. But caressed constantly by sweet, resinous amber and that woody-salty ambergris, the vibe is never overtly floral. The flowers exist mainly to fleck the molten red-gold warmth of the amber with little daubs of watery, dewy freshness, and ensure that the structure retains its luminous weightlessness. In the base, a duo of earthy, chocolatey patchouli and sweet, creamy tonka provide a dark contrast to the shimmering brightness of the top. A sophisticated, and yes, regal amber, it is the salty floral breeze running through Ambre Royal that positions it far away from the rough and tumble of the souk.
