Eau de WHAT?

I thought I’d share something with you all, something you may or may not know about perfume, well, only expensive perfumes.

This conversation has came up a few times, and it usually goes like this:

A friend: Mmmmm, you smell good, what are you wearing?

Me: Creed (could be Spring Flower/Aqua Fiorentina/Imperial Millesime).

A friend: Never heard of it but I am SOOOO getting it, where from? How much?

Me: Harvey Nics/Harrods for like £140.

A friend: Whaaaaaaat? Why is it so expensive?

Me: Because it contains an ingredient worth it’s weight in gold.

A friend: Which is….?

Me: Ambergris

A friend: What the HELL is that?

Me: Whale poo

Ok, so sorry for the acting out of a convo but this is what ALWAYS happens and I find that nobody else (in my social circle) knows about this perfume ingredient.

I admit, it is the most unlikeliest of ingredients for a perfume, however, Ambergris has been used by perfumers for centuries, it amplifies a fragrance and fixes the fragrance to the skin. The scent varies in Ambergris from salty, earthy to sweet, like Vanilla.

I don’t know too much about Ambergris, but I do know that it starts to form in the gut of sperm whales and is then ‘ejected’ (well, excreted) into the ocean. Initially, it will smell like dung but when exposed to seawater and air, grows musky.

Where does one find Ambergris you ask, well it’s collected along shorelines, so if you spot it, grab it! I remember reading a story a while ago about a little boy in Dorset who found some and his find was worth £45k! Look out for the wax-like rocks. They vary in colour and size from grey to white. I hear that the whiter Ambergris is sweet, so look out for it and you can send some of your dosh my way for informing you about it.

If there any experts out there who know more, please feel free to comment or email me with more information on Ambergris.

Thanks for reading.

Did you know about Ambergris before? If not, would this affect you buying perfume which uses it as an ingredient?

F A R R A H T E L L S . . .