Perfume Review: Ex Voto Ambre Profond

Ex Voto, the company created by Nathalie Paillarse, specializes in elegant urban design and offers a collection of sleek, minimalistic wooden objects for home, home fragrance (room sprays and candles with alluring names like White Monsoon Tea, Black Ambre and Fresh Ginger), and bath and body care products including Eaux de Toilette. So far, there are only two Eaux de Toilette available, Ex Voto White Cristal Pur a.k.a. Eau de Luxe Bigarade (orange, lemon, grapefruit, jasmine, mint leaves) and Ex Voto Brown a.k.a. Eau de Luxe Ambre (Profond). According to Ex Voto website, Ambre Profond has notes of amber, labdanum and musk. First in Fragrance adds patchouli to the list, but on my skin that note is non-existent. Ambre Profond is a slightly sweet amber scent with a wonderful accord (I assume this is labdanum) that is peppery, leathery and woody all at once without actually being harsh or overwhelming the amber note. That dark yet brisk note adds the most enjoyable “kick” to the ever so sensual amber. This is not a complex scent; in fact I would describe it as linear. But like one of Ex Voto’s wooden accessories, with its paradoxical combination of clean lines, pure shapes and unexpected sensuality, Ambre Profond, simple though it is, is warm, rich and very satisfying. It is modern, chic, and luxurious in a fashionably understated kind of way. This would be a great scent for amber-beginners and an ideal everyday amber for amber fans. Lovers of very dark, resinous ambers may find Ambre Profond a little light and unchallenging, not as “deep” an amber as the name would make us believe. I must also add that the staying power of this Eau de Toilette is not stellar, only a couple of hours, on my skin. Ambre Profond is available at First in Fragrance, EUR 75 for 100 ml. *The picture of Ex Voto candleholders is from globe-trotter.fr.