Fragrance has a unique ability to tap into a core memory and paint a vivid picture. And such is the case with the latest from Louis Vuitton, Ambre Levant, which evokes the very best part of late spring into summer — that glorious time when day turns to night, when the bright light of the season mellows into an intense amber haze as the sun sets. Of course, I’m referring to golden hour.
This magic moment is lush with possiblity; the work day is over, a memory, yet the delicious anticipation of what’s to come in the evening creates an enveloping, knowing curiosity. It’s no surprise that golden hour yields the best photos; Not only is the softened light more forgiving, casting a warm glow, but a heightened confidence elicits a secure, smoldering gaze.
And it’s this exact feeling that Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, Louis Vuitton’s in-house perfumer, has captured in a bottle — literally — with Ambre Levant. A heady concoction that opens with a burst of juicy mandarin, warms with the depth of spices including cinnamon, cardamom, saffron and pepper, then reveals rich wafts of amber and oud, a nod to the magic of that moment when the familiar becomes the mysterious.
Naturally, for a scent this evocative, Cavallier-Belletrud looked to his own memories while creating this captivating story. “Amber has been with me since the very beginning and has always held the same fascination for me,” says the master perfumer. “As a child, it was one of the first notes I discovered in my father’s laboratory and it has guided my work ever since,” he reveals. The resin grounds the fragrance and creates an aura synonymous with the approaching sunset.
Even the bottle is a spectacular sight because a scent this big deserves to be housed in a worthy vessel. Here, a translucent black glass bottle is filled — and can be refilled — with 100ml of juice so that it takes on a warm, ambery hue.
And if that’s not rich enough for you, a monogram case sized precisely for the flacon is on offer for a cool $760. It’s just the latest in a collection of logo accessories meant for beauty products.
