Confession: I really only purchased Ambra di Venezia for the hand-blown flacon.
I thought it would be great to take photos of a hand-blown glass piece, and it could add some interest to what might otherwise be just another review of what I figured was just another citrus-floral, but here’s where the twist kicks in — the Ambra di Venezia fragrance itself is surprisingly well-crafted and wearable, and I like it even better than the fancy glass flacon that was supposed to be my main focus for today.
I shouldn’t say “surprising” really, because it was only surprising to me in that I wasn’t expecting it to smell quite so nice, quite so . . . easy to enjoy.
Montgomery Taylor is a New York glass artist & architectural consultant who commissioned the fragrance from perfumer Rayda Vega. His website states that Ambra di Venezia was created to evoke the fiery sunsets of Venice with “a blend of French narcissus, jasmine, mandarin orange, lime, sandalwood and mango,” and while the opening is a tad sharp and bitter in the way that only real daffodils smell (daffodils grow everywhere in the small Michigan town where I was born), I like how the fragrance proceeds to mellow out, evolving into a very soft, polished mix of jasmine, orange zest and sandalwood that actually does throw off a kind of warm and reflective glow once it settles into its groove.
Ambra di Venezia is a work of beautiful simplicity rather than an American Idol type belter of a fragrance, and it doesn’t go out of its way to seem cutting-edge or trendy. For those reasons alone, I think it could easily find a fan base among consumers who appreciate a scent that favors quality and substance over flashy pyrotechnics.
Other opinions:
Chandler Burr: “Ambra di Venezia is a perfume whose warm, jewel-like clarity manages the trick of being completely unclassifiable . . . I have never offered it to anyone who did not inhale and instantly relax, reassured as if by a caress.”
Perfumista Dot Org: “This smell makes me so happy I can’t even speak in full sentences about it . . . it is what those pictures of caribbean paradises actually smell like.”
Sniffapalooza Magazine: “Ambra di Venezia is a freshness reflecting that Venetian experience: a soothing breeze, the mango color of the sunset, and the majesty of Venetian palaces silhouetted in this dramatic evening light.”
Reading the fragrance notes list, I’d initially assumed that Venezia was going to be a females-only kind of production, yet I’ve been happily wearing the stuff for the last two days without once feeling like I’m trailing some clanking, girlish train behind me — so I would definitely pin this one square into the unisex camp. Translation: If you want to smell good, this will so do the job.
The longevity is excellent, too. Eight hours later and still kicking — kicking me softly, but kicking nonetheless.
If you’re not a bottle collector, I’d recommend springing for the non-handblown bottle version of the perfume formulation — the fragrance you’ll be getting is the exact same quality, just without the additional numbered and signed $225.00 piece of art glass tossed in.
And speaking of art glass, photos of the flacon and fragrance are below:
The last two photos contain the regular bottle for the Ambra di Venezia. It comes with the art bottle to prevent the perfume from leaking during shipment, since the art bottle doesn’t have a leak-proof seal.
***Note: I only tested the perfume formulation. There’s an EDP version available, but the perfume strength is terrific and I think you’d do yourself a disservice by opting for the EDP.
