Gucci Bloom Ambrosia di Fiori

Alessandro Michele’s tenure as Creative Director at Gucci has been marked thus far by a fundamental repositioning of the brand. Gone is any semblance of the Tom Ford era noughties chic or Frida Giannini’s sprezzatura, replaced instead by Michele’s surreal editorial street style and definite millennial lean. Somewhere between the kangaroo fur lined mules and Harry Styles’ sheer and lace blouse appearance on the Met Gala red carpet at the arm of Michele himself, one of the big watershed moments in this shift was the 2017 launch of Gucci Bloom, the millennial pink bottled new age, tuberose lite fragrance that blossomed into a full Bloom collection. In 2019, Alessandro again offers his millennial audience a new Bloom from his fantasy garden with Gucci Bloom Ambrosia di Fiori.

Taking its name from Greek mythology – Ambrosia was the food served to the gods of Olympus, carried on the backs of doves, and promising immortality to those who consumed it – Ambrosia di Fiori draws upon this mystique to deliver a subtle gourmand twist on the tried-and-tested Bloom floral bouquet while imbuing it also with orris and Damascus rose.

Gucci’s official notes list for Ambrosia di Fiori includes:

jasmine, tuberose, Rangoon Creeper, Damascena rose, orris, musk

To this I would suggest the addition of musk and vanilla, though the vanilla is only a whisper of a note here.

As is the established practice for a new Bloom flanker, Ambrosia di Fiori builds upon the original Gucci Bloom’s signature floral heart of millennial-friendly silken tuberose, jasmine, Rangoon Creeper and honeysuckle, with the addition of whipped orris butter, a soupçon of vanilla bean, and soft, satiny Damascus rose. The result, a more decadent take on the Bloom theme in keeping with its Olympian inspiration, though one that will appeal still to the typical Bloom wearer for whom delicate floral muskiness is the main attraction. Much of this newfound decadence is the result of the orris, the luxurious and rare extract of iris roots harvested in the verdant hills surrounding Florence – birthplace too of Gucci – whose characteristic velvetiness has here been whipped to buttercream lightness by perfumer Alberto Morillas with just a smidge of vanilla. Less significant to this new release is the rose, which despite being much hyped in the ad copy, is on my skin merely a soft, textural element rather than a distinctly rosy presence.

Like all of Gucci’s output of late – fragrance, fashion or leather – Ambrosia di Fiori is distinctly Gucci in style, and unmistakably a Bloom flanker, sharing all the same familiar traits: a linear scent forgoing the traditional pyramidic compositional structure of the classic top, heart and base notes; being first and foremost a tuberose fragrance, now though, adding depth where once there was only gossamer petals and musk; and the iconic Gucci Bloom bottle shape, here lacquered a deep burgundy and finished with that synonymous Bloom shade of millennial pink by way of the classic black-edged label.

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Year of Release: 2019

Creative Direction: Alessandro Michele

Perfumer: Alberto Morillas

Alternatives: Gucci Bloom Eau de Parfum, Diptyque Do Son

Available: MYER, David Jones and www.gucci.com from $170, 50ml