Armani Prive: 8 posts

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

The fifth Armani Privé fragrance, Cuir Améthyste, does not engage in any subtle interplays. In fact, subtle is probably the least appropriate adjective to use in describing this fragrance. From the dense tangle of powdery violet notes to the opaque vanillic-ambery base, Cuir Améthyste moves with a heavy step.

It might be surprising to discover that Cuir Améthyste is composed by Michel Almairac, the same perfumer who created the serene minimalism of Bois d’Encens and its more ornamental sibling, Gucci Pour Homme (2003). …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Experiencing Armani Prive Bois d’Encens is like stepping inside a dark cavernous church, where the first sensory impression is of incense. The smell of incense burning inside golden censers, embracing the stones, and creating a pale mist over the altar. The resinous richness of incense is almost overwhelming, yet suddenly as one gets used to it, the scent begins to appear as a soft comforting presence; something that retreats into the background, yet remains near.

Similar transformation takes place in Bois d’Encens, a fragrance created in 2004 by Michel Almairac. The layering of notes results in their gentle peeling away in order to reveal a sweet base of silky cedarwood. …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Armani Prive Ambre Soie conjures a sensation of bittersweet chocolate melting on the skin, as the composition warms up after the initial scattering of sweet and earthy anise notes. It alternates between hot velvety and dry powdery aspects, underscored by cinnamony sweetness.

Created by Christine Nagel in 2004 for Giorgio Armani’s exclusive collection Armani Prive, the composition presents several facets at once. Its sheer darkness is juxtaposed with spice dusted flower petals, without being evident whether one is feeling a sweet bite of clove or peppery warmth of carnation. Creamy, almost lactonic note smoothes sharp spicy edges into a soft mélange. However, there is an element of candy-like sweetness that strikes me as somewhat stilted, lending an opaque quality to the middle notes. It lightens as time goes on, losing the candy-like simplicity and revealing a chocolate touched by incense aspect of benzoin.

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