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.
V, I quite like it. If it were more easily available it could have replaced L'Eau d'Ambre as my everyday amber.
ReplyDeleteChristina, let me guess, was it from First in Fragrance ? :-)
ReplyDeleteIf only it were not so expenisive I would have bought Ambre Profond in a beat, but it seems a little too much money for quite a simple scent.
I thought labdanum was a note used in amber accords?
ReplyDeleteTania,
ReplyDeleteWherever I look, it says labdanum smells amber-like and ambergis-like...some sites add that it smells woody and/or leathery. That is what I smell in Ambre Profond. Whether it is labdanum or some other unrevealed ingredient, who knows.
Christina, it says EUR 75 for 100 ml...um...is that the sale price? Could be ...
ReplyDeleteOh well...I can wait, I will bide my time :-)
ReplyDeleteM, hope you will review the White Cristal? It sounds more to my taste :-)
ReplyDeleteR., sorry, I haven't tried that one...I suspected you won't care much for Ambre Profond. :-)
ReplyDeleteDear N., absolutely all the best to them. I would love to own one of their wooden objects, so smooth and heavy, very elegant.
ReplyDeleteI've never even heard of this one. How interesting. But, as I already have a 100ml bottle of L'Eau d'Ambre myself, I don't forsee myself jumping up to snatch myself a sample or a bottle. What an interesting elegant looking line in general, though.
ReplyDeleteVery elegant. But I agree, if one already has L'Eau d'Ambre or say Etro Amber or some such "basic" amber, this is not all that necessary.
ReplyDelete