Hey there Posse! I have an admission to make. I’ve been doing this weird thing that has me questioning my sanity. I fall in love with a perfume from a spritz, sample or decant. Buy a bottle of said fragrance and then never open it. No I don’t know why. Clearly at some point I’ve become broken. Anyway, it gets to the point I don’t want to open the bottle and it sits there, pristine. THEN I buy an opened bottle of a FB Sales Doc and happily use that opened bottle. This is exactly what happened with Ombre Indigo. The bottle you see pictured is my latest purchase, yes, there is a BNIC bottle of it in my cupboard.
Ombre Indigo by Olfactive Studio 2014
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Plum Saffron Tuberose Petitgrain
Heart: Leather Olibanum Vetiver Papyrus
Base: Benzoin Ambergris Musk
So here’s the big surprise with Ombre Indigo. It’s a blue and salty amber. Quite a few of the note list completely pass me by but the opening is a beautiful saffron with vetiver and ambergris. It calls to mind the sea but doesn’t feel aquatic, as in a 1990s aquatic chock block full of citrus, cucumber and watery notes. The notes are all kinda there but don’t read as a flashback. Ombre Indigo is a clever reinvention.
Ombre Indigo heart becomes reminiscent of a classic barbershop but the salty feel keeps it a little left of centre. The whole time I’m expecting it to fall into a tried and true hole but it skirts the perimeter beautifully.
Amazing that the twang stays right through to dry down even through the amber, which has a warm vanilla rich feel. A slight metallic twang also makes its presence felt towards dry down too. That makes for a very interesting twist.
Unisex leaning masculine. Sillage is excellent for the first couple of hours before it becomes a lightly salted caramel wash. Longevity is moderate. I lose it about 4 hours but jin can still smell it long after. I wore it to work last night and three uninvited people asked me what my beautiful perfume was. So it’s also a crowd pleaser.
Previously I’ve written about Autoportrait and Chypre Shot here on the Posse.
Does a summer, salted amber like Ombre Indigo appeal to you? Do you know of others?
Portia xx
Hello gorgeous.
Not sure how we are not related… I have a sealed 100ml bottle from Paris July 2015 while I opened a 50 ml bottle from later acquisition. Don’t ask me where they are as they are currently playing hide and seek with me.
I love this scent but I mainly get saffron, vetiver and dry dry leather. I don’t get the salt or amber you speak of.
I am a fan of this brand and I have many.
Love… Tim
Wonderful that the twang remains proper via to dry down even via the amberoud, which has a heat vanilla wealthy feel. A mild steel twang additionally makes its presence felt toward dry down too. That makes for a completely exciting twist.
Nice!
ROFL at your insanity – because we are Sisters from Other Misters! Only mine is Home scents. It’s perverse as hell, innit?
I am not an amber fan but a salty, blue amber? My fave (and it makes sense that you’re wearing this right now as you’re Autumn into Winter, you weirdoes)… Ambre Grisea, that I can only wear in Autumn and it is the epitome of the Brittany Coast at that time of year.
xoxoxo
Ah! The home scents! I’m thankful that particular bug has passed me by. Perfume, shower gels, soaps, incense and candles are enough.
Ambre Grisea? I went looking. Nothing. Did you spell it wrong?
Portia xx
It’s AmbrA Grisea, Portia.
https://basenotes.com/fragrances/ambra-grisea-i-profumi-di-firenze.26138525
Thanks MizChris xx
This doesn’t really sound like my thing but can I say how much I love that bottle? I actually gasped when I saw it. Not even sure why. Also when I was buying a lot I 100% bought an open bottle and then kept an additional unopened lol. So you’re not alone.
Agreed March, the bottle is lovely and the blue/teal juice is gorgeous.
YAY!! Nice to know we are linked in our perfume kink.
Portia xx
Huh. That is strange Portia. Not sure why you’re not cracking open the new bottles once you get them. Maybe it’s because they won’t be perfect and pristine once you use them? Not sure. As for Ombre Indigo: nopey nope nope. It has saffron which is a total deal breaker for my nose apparently. Just recently figured out that this note is on my Kryptonite list. Hahaha. But the bottle is very handsome.
Yes, hand up for strange. It started out with me loving having the perfect, new, gorgeous thing. I would keep them for Opening Ceremonies. I haven’t done one of those for ages. they felt so important, big deals, until they started feeling a bit daggy.
BUMMER about saffron DinaC. That must cut out LOADS of the spectrum.
Portia xx
Not sure on salted amber. I was looking at Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle yesterday because … I’ve looked at it for years and have yet to buy a bottle. I wish, like Malle, it was offered in a travel size. I don’t do that with perfume but do with other stuff. I once tried looking up the behaviour and the commentary was useless. Our brains do weird things.
Yeah Cinnamon, I loved it when Lutens had those fab Travel Bottles. Do they still have them? Mine are Silver Iris Mist. My mate Anna Maria calls them Silver Irish Mist and I have to check myself before typing.
Brains = super weird things even before we think or do things with them.
Portia xx
I’ve actually done that and am trying to stop. I know sometimes it’s because the bottle is pricey and I guess somewhere in my little round head I think if I don’t touch it for a few months it will go from a pricey thing I just bought to something I’ve owned for a while. Others are ones that are discontinued and I figure that I may never find it again so I have to save it.
Then I have to ask myself saving it for what? My 90th birthday? My thrilling acceptance speech for winning that Tony for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy? Godot?
Gotta stop that.
Tom! If you do it too then I’m happily not alone in my crazy. YAY!
Yes. we both should slap ourselves awake and stop doing it.
Portia xx