Nº 11 Ambar Enigmatic Enigmatic Amber by Victorio & Lucchino

Smells of death, yet I adore those white flowers and fruits with a touch of pink pepper and that warm, woody, super-ambery base. It lasts the usual amount for an EDT, around three hours, with a trail for about another hour; for me, it’s a staple because I only wear these fragrances in spring and summer, and after three hours I reapply generously to combat the heat. In summer, it’s a pleasure and almost a necessity to spritz when you’re at 43°C in the shade, and with the price of the bottle, you can afford to do it until the temperature drops by a degree, which is a relief. I buy them during the summer sales at El Corte Inglés, and the prices make you sin, there have been years I’ve managed to gather 10 or 12 bottles between new ones and those carried over from previous summers. Some complain about the poor performance, and I understand why because they smell so good that we all wish they lasted like an eau de parfum and had more trail, but they aren’t, and that expectation doesn’t hold water because as an EDT they more than suffice in creativity, good taste, versatility, variety, packaging, and price; I believe they can compete victoriously with other EDTs of the style, for example with most of Guerlain’s Aqua Allegorias which have worse performance and higher prices. I believe this range is designed for summer, to refresh you and allow generous reapplication, hence the 150ml and their affordability; for that and how well they all smell, they are among the most popular and have triumphed, truly they deserve it and I’m very glad.

If there’s one thing this perfume offers, it’s honesty. It presents a superb quality-to-price ratio and high-quality notes. Enigmatic Amber is a white musk scent of excellent quality, all accompanied by very natural earthy patchouli notes. Despite being an amber scent, it doesn’t smell old; the ambrette seed (which personally reminds me of the smell of dark chocolate) gives it a very modern touch. Performance is a bit weak, but for €10 for 150ml, you can’t ask for more. You can spritz without a care in the world, always leaving a warm and sensual trail. Learn from new detergent and bleach manufacturers (that is to say… YSL, Calvin Klein, and others). The price doesn’t clash with quality and distinction. Victorio & Lucchino don’t deceive anyone and are honest. Good fragrance, plus totally unisex.