Golden Sunrise

[zankoku_zen]

Amber cream, ambrette seed, and bergamot.

[starbrow]

Amber creeeeeeam, this is your party and we're just all guests here. Inhaling both bottle and on skin, I'm surrounded by a very strong cream with some golden cologny vibes, no doubt aided by the bergamot (a classic ingredient in men's cologne) and the earthiness of the ambrette seed. The throw and intensity is substantial, as subtle as the ten minutes after a Florida sunrise. (Not subtle at all )  In many ways, it's the perfume oil equivalent of Dead Leaves, Cream Amber, and Lemon Peel, with citrus and musky/soapy notes supporting the starring Amber Cream.

 

In several years of BPAL now, I've been drawn to amber cream in several blends, only to find it more and more cologne-headache-ville as my nose develops. I almost blind-bottled Golden Sunrise, but I'm glad I didn't and got a chance to try it first. For those who haven't experienced amber cream, it's quite different than regular amber. There's a piercing quality that cuts through the way jasmine does, the cream like a heady cloud of in-your-face perfume rather than dairy-ish cream. I don't think it's a note that works well for me anymore, but this is a beautifully blended perfume in spite of this, and I highly recommend it to amber cream fans.

[Casablanca]

Oh, this is a thickly creamy amber cream, with -- somehow, for me -- creamy cognac. Or perhaps creamy Cointreau... once the bergamot weighs in.

 

Compared with my memories of Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements (polished tortoiseshell, ivory, mahogany, amber cream) and Amber Lace (sweet amber, golden oudh, vanilla cream, white cognac, saffron, warm golden musk), the amber cream in Golden Sunrise feels thicker, heavier, and richer to me. It's a cream lover's amber cream. As this blend dries, I find the ambrette, and I think it's adding to the weight.

 

I'm a cream devotee, so I will need to consider a bottle of this one, even though I already love on bottles of the others above.

[zankoku_zen]

Creamy amber and a whiff of bergamot. This is a cream and amber blend. Good throw and wear length.

[galahad]

In the Bottle:
The lab's glorious amber cream note and a subtle citrus muskiness

 

On the Skin:
As above but with the amber cream much stronger.  The bergamot emerges to give a really beautiful fresh and creamy combination the the amber cream.  This is a beauty!  More brassy than gold

 

On the Drydown:
Drydown is a musky ambrette supported by the amber cream and still a waft of bergamot.  Beautiful and multiple bottle worthy.

[Juliamon]

More cool-toned than the warmth you expect from "Golden" in the name. The bergamot makes this super fresh-feeling, like just-stepped-out-of-the-shower fresh, with a just-laundered robe wrapped around your body to protect you from the temperature shift between steamy hot water and cool ambient air. The ambrette is subtle at first but comes out stronger as it dries, pushing the bergamot aside and making the scent warmer. It's really lovely, despite not being my usual vibe! (I expected it to be a bit heavier, but I blame my skin and how it gobbles some of the lab's ambers, apparently including amber cream.)

[capncait]

I was concerned this would be very similar to Humorous Copulation (Amber cream, white tea, lemon peel, and lotus root) but they're not as similar as I expected! 

 

This is straight from the mail, so it's possible this will morph after settling, but the amber cream and ambrette are the real stars here. There's a slight powderiness, but it's very light. The bergamot provides a hint of citrus, but just a hint. It's fresh and creamy, and I'm even getting hints of vanilla in there. It feels perfect for spring and early summer, it's sweet and reminds me of that perfect pastel sundress. 

[theseagrows]

right off i get all three notes, fairly balanced to make an interesting scent that seems both warm and cool at the same time. after a couple minutes i get something mildly...dusty? not sure how else to describe it. it does smell very golden. after about 30 minutes i get a little woodiness, which is nice and rounds the scent out nicely. this is really pretty but not my cup of tea so i will be passing it along...maybe to the bf, i think this might smell better on him than me for some reason. 

[HerbGirl]

As I'm testing News From Afar, I realize that I never left a review for its cousin: Golden Sunrise. Hello Amber Cream. Amber Cream.

Even if there wasn't more, wouldn't that be enough? Yum. Fantastic. My only complaint about this isn't about the perfume oil itself but of the lack of quality control and batch variations. The first bottle I bought, as soon as they were announced, was perfect. The two subsequent bottles I bought were both lacking...Amber Cream. I couldn't believe it. 

Anyhow. I just wanted to mention that if you loved the heavy amber cream original batch of Golden Sunrise and aren't afraid of a touch of cypress, give News From Afar a try. I doubt you would be disappointed!