Laura Tonatto

Ambery goodness in a bottle, that is Laura Tonatto’s Amir. Myrrh and frankincense are the other notes, and it is definitely warm and spicy.

If you’re looking for a delicate floral, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for a sweet amber, this isn’t it either. Normally ambers don’t work for me, they just exhaust my nose. Don’t ask, I really don’t know why, but it is true.

Amir does worry my nose at the start — a blast of very pungent amber, rich and startling, but it settles into a much more incense-like smell in the drydown, with the myrrh and frankincense cradling the amber and keeping it lively, without being exhausting. It’s like the best of a room full of old spices, that lingering smell that’s hard to define, but just there and comforting and a little sensuous without feeling over the top.

I have a hunch this this would be even better layered with one of her other scents, maybe Albi or Dama? I’m going to try that later today. Un bois Vanilla or Comme des Garcon’s Spicy Cocoa might work with it really well too.

A lovely scent that gets better as the day goes on.