Ottoman Amber by the Merchant of Venice

Today I am wearing Ottoman Amber by the Merchant of Venice.

Before the first spritz I allowed myself a little indulgence in guessing what the perfume was going to smell like.

Ok, so amber might be a bit of a give-away, but ottoman – I imagine leather and wood, old and musty perhaps a hint of mysterious oriental spices…

I’m looking forward to this one.  S-p-r-i-t-z, wait, breath and smell.

Yes, yes – old, woody, rich and mysterious.  Not as spicy as I’d have thought, but superb nonetheless. So what do we have in here?  Woods in abundance – oud, sandalwood and patchouli (ok, not technically a wood itself by the aroma from patchouli is one of wet, boggy woods and damp leaves).

We have resinous myrrh and labdanum with notes of vanilla giving a deep rich sweetness.

There is also bergamot, geranium and plum which flash in at the beginning and then disappear but not before giving this perfume a fleeting vitality – I imagine opening the ottoman, being hit by an initial blast of the air lingering in the lid cavity before the mass interior older, more staid notes drift upwards and towards me enveloping me in their deliciousness.