See Prices

More

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Ambra Nera Farmacia SS. Annunziata

7.5 / 10 133 Ratings

A popular perfume by Farmacia SS. Annunziata for women and men. The release year is unknown. The scent is resinous-spicy. The longevity is above-average. The production was apparently discontinued.
Pronunciation Compare

More

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Main accords

Resinous

Spicy

Sweet

Oriental

Animal

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Cypress

Eucalyptus

Heart Notes

Amber

Benzoin

Vetiver

Base Notes

Patchouli

Vanilla

Ratings

Scent

7.5133 Ratings

Longevity

8.0105 Ratings

Sillage

6.9103 Ratings

Bottle

6.995 Ratings

Value for money

7.117 Ratings

Submitted by Antoine · last update on 09/22/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Fiore d'Ambra

Musc Ravageur Eau de Parfum

Égoïste Eau de Toilette

Ambra Aurea

Méharées

Sir

Reviews

11 in-depth fragrance descriptions

02/14/2017

10Scent 9Longevity 8Sillage

Fluxit
83 Reviews

Fluxit

Very helpful Review 8

If Ambra Nera was a dirty wildcat ...

... I would allow her to breathe into my face.
If Ambra Nera was a raisin in my cereals, I would allow it to stay.
If Ambra Nera was black vanilla, I would allow it to get stuck between the gaps of my teeth.
If Ambra Nera was a date, I would allow her her to invite me into a cheesy chick-flic movie marathon.

Filled with testaments of love, I can state: Ambra Nera IS all that!
The head note starts with a kind of juicy black rum raisin, which I occasionally notice in benzoe fragrances (and which may very well be coincidence as benzoe absolue smells differently). Confidently, the black panther sneaks by and projects animalic wickedness, sweaty almost, but without any stable-stinging oud. If I had more hair on my arm, I would start to lovingly brush it now ;) In the base, I find soft vanilla, which pleasantly unite with gentle patchouli. Altogether, Ambra Nera stays about 24 hours; obviously, cats are active in the night.

Some comparisons with other ambers that I love:
* Ambra Nera (Ortiga): Same DNA, but Farmacia is fuller. Ortiga's four-legged animal likes to flash a bit of vetiver teeth and is rather the "struts around your leg"-type, while Farmacia's darling takes an euphoric leap into your arms.
* Ryder: Both are rich charmer, but in spite of Ryder's oily extrait consistency, Ambra Nera feels more saturated and due to the animalic note less complaisant, in all the good ways. The incense note of the Ryder is out here, a certain smokiness however is featured in both perfumes.

What I like most about Ambra Nera is its name-giving darkness: In all its debonair courtesy there is a raunchy independence, which keeps tension and sets the fragrance apart from the often gourmand or occasionally characterless solo-ambers. In particular, it's not the bright powdery type like e.g. Ambre / Amber or Hermessence Ambre Narguilé, both initiatlly favoured by me, now just provoking an allergy-like rejection. Without any allergy, I declare Farmacia's wonder cat enthusiastically as my new amber reference. Rrrrawr!!

09/22/2025

9.5Scent 9Longevity 7Sillage

DrB1414
283 Reviews

DrB1414

Helpful Review 4

“Does it smell old and dusty?”

When it comes to Ambers, my ultimate test is: “Does it smell old and dusty?”

Naturally, there are myriad ways to approach the amber accord, but my most beloved ones are those that smell like old books, antique shops, old furniture, dark, mysterious, and with minimal sweetness.

Ambra Nera from Farmacia SS. Annunziata 1561 is exactly that. A medieval brew from one of the oldest apothecaries turned into a perfume house, much like their neighbours, Santa Maria Novella. Both these houses have quite a few offerings that smell as if they were put together centuries ago, and perhaps they were.

It is also a unique take on amber, as it brings unusual elements to the table: a medicinal and camphoraceous, almost antiseptic tinge, as well as a slightly moldy patchouli in the base. You know when you visit one of those XV century castles and the rooms smell of old furniture, closed heavy air, cold stone walls, and dust? That’s the most accurate depiction of this fragrance. If you ever did one of those castle tours, there you have it.

The opening is perplexing, starting with a cold and bracing eucalyptus note paired with the most bizarre alcoholic beverage accord that reminds me of a local spirit drink made of plums called “tuica.” The booziness goes away, but the camphoraceous facet only softens and holds its ground till the very end. In the heart, you start to get a caramelized amalgamation of resins: labdanum, styrax, benzoin, and perhaps some vanilla to soften it slightly. It’s thick and warm, and very dusty. There is an animalic tinge to it, something I can’t place, soft yet detectable. It smells like a musk accord. Later, it gets woody and slightly musty, as the woods and the patchouli become more apparent. This is where I start to picture that Medieval chamber with dusty old furniture. I really like how the cooling effect in the introduction contrasts with the warm resins throughout. It feels bizarre, but in the most captivating way. It is an amber perfume that not only passes my test with flying colors but also manages to bring idiosyncratic elements to the table, something that most ambers lack, as they often feel predictable and dull. An old apothecary potion that cools your sinuses and warms your guts, that’s what Ambra Nera is.

What I don’t understand is what happened to this house? They put out perfumes like Ambra Nera and Patchouly Indonesiano, two of the most spectacular and distinctive in their genres, made with high-quality ingredients and a bold, creative vision, only to get axed and now replaced with horrendous compositions reeking of cheap synthetics, obnoxious, boring, predictable, and mass-oriented. I have tried a few of their recent, more popular, and exclusive blends, and I had to remove the paper strips from the room because I couldn’t bear it. It is a shame. Another great house that dared to be different, even more, one with deep roots in perfumery, among the oldest in the game, swallowed by the commercial demand and monetary need. I am grateful to reminisce about their old days through exceptional compositions like Ambra Nera.

IG:@memory.of.scents

10/26/2020

9Scent 9Longevity 8Sillage

CigiScent
14 Reviews

CigiScent

Helpful Review 3

Classy, Timeless, Comforting,...

This is the fragrance that was the biggest surprise to me from all the fragrances I have smelled. I ordered Hactivat at a store, but due to Covid, I had to wait a looooong time for it to arrive. To compensate, they offered to give a small bottle from a fragrance of Farmacia Annunziata. I did not know the house, but I researched it well and since my Hacivat would arrive to late for summer and fall was approaching, I wanted a good fall scent. After researching the house thoroughly I went for Ambra Nera and I have not regretted it. I was lucky and in stead of giving my a small bottle, they gave me a big one.

This is such a beautiful amber scent. It is so high quality and the house is really underrated. It is warm en enveloping, perfect for after a cold fall or winter walk. Strong enough to wear outdoors in fall or not too cold winter temperatures. It is a lot more subtle then some of the power houses of the modern popular sweet scents. When I read the note breakdown I was kind of afraid what the cypress and eucalyptus would give. I thought it might give a strange contrast with the warmth of the amber and Vanilla, but this is definitely not the case. It is warm and comforting scent, but the eucalyptus and and cypress keep it perfectly balanced. The scent does not feel green or fresh to me, the green notes give the scent a classy balance, where a lot of contemporary scents go way to sweet for my taste.

Not saying this smells old in any way. It is very much a contemporary scent. It is different enough to be an original, but palatable to be worn everyday.

The longevity is perfect, it stays with you the whole day long. The projection and sillage is more than ok for my. It does not kill small rodents, but that is not what I look for in a scent. It's a long lasting cosy scent bubble.

Very warmly recommended! I can't wait to check out the rest of the underrated house!

12/07/2014

9Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Meggi
1018 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Meggi

Top Review 43

World Ambering Federation proudly presents:

“Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the Amber Assault of the World Ambering Federation! On the South-West wrist already poses Ambra ‘The Secret Beast’ Nera. Fighting weight: One hundred twenty kilos of amber, thirty kilos of vanilla, a few scoops of smoke, and a civet cat's asshole. His manager Nemo Nonloso waves the sponsor artifact of the Most Holy Apothecary, a large, finely chiseled, amber-studded metal cross.

Now, amidst thunderous applause, Ambre ‘Vladimir, the Tsar’ Russe enters the hall, having just arrived from the Amber Room this morning. Ahead of him is Mark-Antonij Kortikiatow from the Duftkij Imperija Kompanija, generously distributing clear liquid souvenirs from the athlete's homeland to the roaring audience. Quickly, his protégé swings onto the back of the North-East hand. One hundred kilos of amber and three buckets of ambra are enveloped in a heavy leather coat with a stately vanilla trim. What else could he be hiding underneath?

The bell rings, the fight begins. Immediately, ‘The Beast’ goes on the offensive. A Gorilla Cypress Stomach-Shaker throws the opponent to the ground, and without a moment's pause, a directly executed Eucalyptic Suplex sends him swirling through the ring. A completely surprising Double Knee Bergamot-Breaker concludes the furious opening attack. Has Ambre Russe already shot his powder during the entrance to the hall - or rather spilled his water?

He manages to regain his composure and suddenly launches a counterattack, but he doesn't seem to be fully back to his senses: A Coriander Slingshot Splash goes awry. Now he attempts a Cinnamon Drop, but he has tremendous difficulty lifting the opponent. He fails and must give up. A Cross-Cumin Body from the top rope also fails, such a flying move seems almost desperate against such a massive adversary.

If that hasn’t totally drained him… No! Kortikiatow's tough training program has borne fruit, and Nera faces an Inverted Ambratic Drop. The Italian has nothing to counter this, and with a Cross-Ambreaker, the Russian wants to finish the fight. Now, ‘The Beast’ can keep up again: His Burning Amber, immediately followed by a Benzoe Bomb, even makes the distant Amber Room tremble. Only with a Russian Leathersweep does ‘Wlad’ manage to force a tie in the ring again.

The pace picks up significantly. The Russian attempts a DDTee, which remains as ineffective as a weakly executed Incensed Powerbomb. The Spinning Vanilla Kick lands well, but is countered by Nera's 150-kilo (plus smoke plus asshole) Divanilling Elbow Drop. However, he should have finished that more properly: From the hastily executed Flip Vetiver, the Tsar easily wriggles free.

What’s going on here? Didn’t I just ask what the Russian was hiding under his cloak? He pulls out a board and executes a Tilt-A-Wood Backbreaker that is equally skillful, unfair, and effective, which ‘The Beast’ can only counter with a Punchouli.

That the referee allows the match to continue is a stroke of luck for Ambra Nera, as he can now grab with an Ambear Hug and… now he’s got him! ‘The Beast’ presses ‘Vladimir, the Tsar’ to the ground and applies his feared Amberbar. The raw strength of the massive Italian prevails. WHAT - A - FINISHING MOVE!!! The referee counts: One… two… THREEEEE, the bell rings, the fight is over! Ambra Nera has narrowly won the match and is noticeably exhausted. He collapses in his corner of the ring.

And, dear fans, one last surprise awaits this evening: While ‘The Beast’ is still being tended to, his opponent actually rises and leaves the hall with his head held high to applause! The Italian had the greater strength, but the Russian evidently has more endurance. Nevertheless, the winner is Ambra Nera, who will receive the prize in just a few minutes - an entry in the wish list.

With these images, I bid you farewell and return you to the studio.”

12/16/2013

9Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Palonera
467 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Palonera

Top Review 37

What it wants. What I want.

When I am sick, I visit a pharmacy.
A place where pills and drops, ointments and bandages can be found, where white-coated figures seriously strive for the restoration of health and well-being, where it smells clinical and sometimes a bit musty, medical and foreign and strict.
That's fine, that's how it should be, after all, a pharmacy is not a perfumery.
I thought.
Until yesterday.
Until the Farmacia SS. Annunziata shook my pharmaceutical worldview with "Ambra Nera".

At first, everything seems to fit together: A bitter, dry, spicy and strict scent rises from my damp skin, whose first notes seem to have little in common with a conventionally made perfume.
Grandpa's circulation drops might have smelled like this or a cough syrup, perhaps even a cold balm.
Just as I ponder a fitting association, unexpectedly animalistic notes enter the stage, the tail of a civet brushes against my nose, digging its claws deep into my skin.
This surprises me; I didn't expect it - warmth and a sweet pain spread out, like burning marks of a whip, guided by a sure, sensitive man's hand.
Just a moment later, "Ambra Nera" retracts its claws, snuggles up, warm, soft, gentle, nuzzles, but does not purr - a low growl deep in the throat reminds me that I am dealing with a predator that can strike again in the next moment.
Like a man, like a guy who knows what he wants, what I want.

"Ambra Nera" is a challenge.
A provocation, dark, erotic, a little dirty, indecent in feeling, thinking, doing - in the next breath gentle, embracing, almost elegant, out of place yet civilized, a bit "Jicky", a bit "Ambre Fétiche", oscillating between animalistic, scandalous desire and strong, warm, protective, and caring arms.
Deeper and deeper the scent leads me beneath the surface - dark, dry, highly aromatic patchouli grounds, binds, blackens, tames the beast.
A rich, strong, infinitely substantial perfume, never ostentatious, never presumptuous, gently merging with dark, smoky, unsweet vanilla, shedding the last traces of initial strictness.
Stimulating, exciting, erotic, vibrating with tension and yet calm and down-to-earth, conveying security without cuddling, without yielding.
You don't tame predators.

Yet "Ambra Nera" has not yet exhausted its potential.
When I sniff my wrist again hours later, the beast has settled down, resinous-balsamic notes have taken over the scepter, a gentle, rounded, tender scent emanates from my skin, the scent of a woman, a lover, a beloved, whose velvety skin shimmers in the firelight, flawless, beautiful, here and there just the mark of a whip.

More reviews