Captured in Amber En Voyage Perfumes

Source: www.basenotes.net

En Voyage Perfumes was founded by perfumer Shelley Waddington who is also the owner of The Carmel Perfumery ( so far I've tried and enjoyed both Zelda and Peche Noir). Captured in Amber is part of her Souvenir de Chocolat Coffret containing Café Cacoa, Indigo Vanilla, Captured in Amber, each 4ml of parfum extraits according to the website( the label on my bottles state eau de parfum but the scents feel more oily like extraits rather than EDP). The scents were created to be worn alone or layered/combined so that customers can create their own scents. 

Source: www.envoyageperfumes.com

All three are lovely fragrances but Café Cacoa and Captured in Amber are my favorites in that order and I've labelled them fraternal twins as they both share a similar chocolate and ambergris DNA. Captured in Amber is a gourmand amber, built on what smells like a mouthwatering 50% dark chocolate that's so realistic it feels as if I'm really about to sink my teeth into it. The ambergris that played a smaller role in Café Cacoa is more dominant in Captured in Amber, a salty-sweet marine musk is how I would describe it, marine like how washed up seaweed on a beach smells like with a  distinct salty-sweet bodily musk that I've come to attribute to ambergris. 

This animalic, comforting-yet-oddly-sensual musk in Captured in Amber reminds me of Stoned by Solange Azagury-Patridge/Lyn Harris which further reminds me of treasured scents such as  Musc Ravageur from Frederic Malle and L'air de Rien by Miller Harris, all of which share the same vibe of expensive and naughty, carnal but not as dark and dirty like Kiehl's Original Musk or Serge Lutens' Musc Koublai Khan. 

As the scent progresses, the dark chocolate melts into the background and leaves the amber further in the spotlight, now sharing the focus with the musk, balmy resins and a buttery suede. Leaving aside that it's opening notes could trigger hunger pangs and cravings, Captured in Amber is a warm and soothing scent like a purring cat spreading waves of contentment as it snoozes on your lap.