Pre-Columbian chocolate with chilies. Source: CaFleureBon.

Dark chocolate infused with fiery spices that transforms into patchouli woods. Or, musty myrrh infused with ambergris, honey, incense and opium flowers which puts you inside an ancient church before taking you to sweetened woods. Chocolat Amere and Ambre d’Or are two very different creations from Il Profumo, which is the focus of today’s foray into Italian perfume houses. I rather liked parts of Chocolat Amere (which is officially spelled as “Chocolat Amère,” though I’ll skip using the accent here for reasons of speed.) To my surprise, the fragrance somehow recreated a definitely patchouli vibe after a beautifully bitter, spiced Mexican chocolate opening. Ambre d’Or, however, was not my personal cup of tea, for reasons that we’ll get to later. Continue reading →