Ambra Vetus Base
Premium Fragrance Base for Perfumery
Ambra Vetus is a classical amber base formulated with a meticulous balance of balsamic, sweet, earthy, and muskynotes. Designed by Fulvio Ciccolo, Official SFP Perfumer, it reinterprets the archetypal amber structure with exceptional depth and warmth. The composition features labdanum and Tolu balsam at its resinous core, softened by vanillin and reinforced by earthy elements like vetiver and patchouli. Modern musks provide a clean, persistent drydown that ensures fixative power and olfactory diffusion.
Ambra Vetus is suited for oriental, ambery, and fougère structures that require a structured, ready-to-use amber base. Its design respects historical perfumery while offering modular flexibility for contemporary compositions.
Premium Fragrance Base for Perfumery
Ambra Vetus is a classical amber base formulated with a meticulous balance of balsamic, sweet, earthy, and muskynotes. Designed by Fulvio Ciccolo, Official SFP Perfumer, it reinterprets the archetypal amber structure with exceptional depth and warmth. The composition features labdanum and Tolu balsam at its resinous core, softened by vanillin and reinforced by earthy elements like vetiver and patchouli. Modern musks provide a clean, persistent drydown that ensures fixative power and olfactory diffusion.
Ambra Vetus is suited for oriental, ambery, and fougère structures that require a structured, ready-to-use amber base. Its design respects historical perfumery while offering modular flexibility for contemporary compositions.
Premium Fragrance Base for Perfumery
Ambra Vetus is a classical amber base formulated with a meticulous balance of balsamic, sweet, earthy, and muskynotes. Designed by Fulvio Ciccolo, Official SFP Perfumer, it reinterprets the archetypal amber structure with exceptional depth and warmth. The composition features labdanum and Tolu balsam at its resinous core, softened by vanillin and reinforced by earthy elements like vetiver and patchouli. Modern musks provide a clean, persistent drydown that ensures fixative power and olfactory diffusion.
Ambra Vetus is suited for oriental, ambery, and fougère structures that require a structured, ready-to-use amber base. Its design respects historical perfumery while offering modular flexibility for contemporary compositions.
The Timeless Allure of the Amber Accord
The amber accord has been central to the evolution of perfumery from the early Arabic traditions to modern French fragrance design. While fossilized amber is odorless, the term “amber” in perfumery refers to a complex and sensual accord made of resins (labdanum, benzoin), sweeteners (vanillin, tonka bean), and often musky or woody materials.
Early iterations of this accord were developed using natural materials and evolved significantly in the late 19th century with the arrival of synthetic vanillin, which offered increased stability, intensity, and affordability. Iconic fragrances like Shalimar by Guerlain (1925) redefined the profile of amber in fine fragrance, solidifying its identity as sweet, resinous, enveloping, and long-lasting.
In contemporary usage, amber bases like Ambra Vetus serve not only as olfactory building blocks but also as carriers of heritage, linking modern fragrance creation to centuries of aromatic tradition.
Composition and Behavior
Ambra Vetus is built as a modular base, meaning it can serve as the backbone of a composition or be added in small amounts to provide warmth, depth, and fixative structure.
Core ingredients include:
Labdanum absolute – deep, balsamic, leathery
Tolu balsam – sweet, resinous, vanilla-toned
Vanillin – creamy, powdery sweetness
Vetiver – earthy, rooty balance
Patchouli – dark, camphoraceous, persistent
Musks – modern macrocyclics for smoothness and longevity
On the Role of Bases and Accords
Fragrance bases like Ambra Vetus are pre-composed building blocks, formulated to deliver a ready-made structure within a perfume. While often confused with accords, bases tend to include functional or fixative elements and are designed for technical as well as aesthetic impact.
This article provides foundational knowledge for perfumers working with modular systems and pre-built structures such as Ambra Vetus.
Regulatory and Safety Notes
Ambra Vetus contains multiple restricted or sensitizing materials and should be used in accordance with IFRA guidelines and dermal exposure limits.
Key considerations:
IFRA 51st Amendment compliance required (especially for labdanum and vanillin derivatives)
EU allergens: Contains vanillin and potential trace allergens (e.g., eugenol from balsams)
Use in leave-on products should be evaluated through QRA (Quantitative Risk Assessment)
Fixative concentration may exceed normal base note ratios — always stability test in final formula
✅ This base is for professional use only and should be dosed with attention to tenacity and accumulation effects in multilayered compositions.
Sources
Scentspiracy internal formulation archive
Arctander, S. (1969). Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin
Sell, C. (2006). The Chemistry of Fragrances. RSC Publishing
IFRA Standards Documentation – 51st Amendment
Scentspiracy Blog: What Is an Accord or a Base? (2023)
Ciccolo, F. – SFP Private Lecture Notes on Oriental Structures (2022)