Hi there Niche Nerds, Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies and I know nothing gets a true perfumistas blood running quicker than the words: hard to find, small batch, historic, limited availability. Well, if you want those words and add in fabulous, fun, wearable and unusual then I think I’ve found a fragrance house just for you. Last year on the Perfume Posse ScentSation bus tour in LA I was lucky enough to spend some time with Miryana who brings i Profumi di Firenze into America. She talked so animatedly and lovingly of the brand and it’s fragrances that I was swept away on her wings of enthusiasm.

Here is the blurb from Isabella Imports: Inspired by original 16th century secret formulas commissioned by Catherine de Medici i Profumi di Firenze perfumes are meticulously hand-blended in small batches with the finest selections of floral and botanical essences from Italy and around the world. In the mid 1960’s, when synthetic perfumes were all the rage, a renowned Florentine apothecary (Ed: Dr. Giovanni di Massimo) carefully re-created these Renaissance fragrances using only all natural ingredients and his exclusive methods of essence extraction. The collection of perfumes includes other Florentine classics originally commissioned for the Medici Family and blends known to have been popular among the Renaissance nobility.

Muschio e Ambra by i Profumi di Firenze

Photo Stolen Beauty Habit

Beauty Habit gives these featured accords:
Jasmine, amber, incense, patchouli, coriander

With Muschio e Ambra I love the instant warm furry hit of amber and patchouli that wafts up and completely envelopes me. Rich, cozy and eye rollingly beautiful, Muschio e Ambra is a light amber, an amber fragrance like a chiffon scarf. This would not be out of place in Jean Claude Ellena’s Hermessence line up, yet even more wearable than Ambre Naguille and the incense and coriander adding a lovely cool and herbal counterpoint to the other notes. Not a big fragrance, Muschio e Ambra is still quite noticeable but in a body lotion heft rather than a fragrance weight. Does that make sense? Yes you are fragrant but in such a soft and purring way. For those who still lust after the heavy hitter fragrances of the 1980s then Muschio e Ambra may be a little too reticent, a bit too refined.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I can imagine Muschio e Ambra being the choice of someone who loves fragrance but is unable to go big at work, maybe a mother or father who wants a signature for their family and friends so they are instantly recognisable, a newby to the world of fine fragrance would not find Muschio e Ambra too confrontational and I could see it working as a perfect gift. As far as niche goes lately it is reasonably priced and I love the simple bottle with its old fashioned and hand written name, gorgeous.

Photo Stolen Flickr

I get good wear time of around 5 hours, an extra spritz at the one hour mark pushes wear time out to about 8 hours which I think is amazing for a natural. In fact I would NEVER have believed this was all natural. It has the finished, light, beautiful glow of a mixed media fragrance. MMMMMM. I smell good.

Beauty Habit has 50ml /$99
Isabella Imports has a list of retailers in the UK and North America
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml

Have you spent any time with i profumo di Firenze? What is your favourite soft wash fragrance that’s good for work or close contact? This is not really a way to wear fragrance that I’ve spent much time pursuing, your input would be appreciated.
Portia xx