I love a good bargain, but you wouldn't know it from this site — it has been ages since we've managed to include anything in the budget perfume category around here. In general, I am buying less and less all the time, regardless of price. My perfume collection already overfloweth, and the bigger it gets, the harder it is for me to convince myself that something new is full-bottle-worthy. But sometimes you just feel the need to spend, even if your wallet is somewhat less than full, and hence my latest acquisition: Encens Mystic.
Encens Mystic is one of the solid perfumes from the Crazylibellule & The Poppies Shanghaijava Collection. These are nifty little 5 gram twist-ups in bright paper packaging, bigger than a lipstick but still small enough to throw in your purse. Encens Mystic has notes of clove, cedar, incense, myrrh, benzoin, musk, patchouli and vanilla. The aroma is church incense (a la Comme des Garçons Avignon) blended with a bit of of holiday candle (vanilla and clove). It isn't wildly complicated, but it smells awfully good. If you find the scent of incense comforting, as I do, it might be just the thing you need this winter for emergency aromatherapy.
Encens Mystic is mildly sweet at most, and could easily be worn by either sex.
All of the Crazylibellule & The Poppies solids leave a bit of a waxy residue on skin. It didn't bother me in the least, but if you think it will bother you, consider yourself warned.
The price? An even $16. For buying information, see the listing for Crazylibellule & The Poppies under Perfume Houses.
Side note: total damage for the year so far, in addition to the Encens Mystic, is 4 full bottles of perfume, 1 half bottle (I split a purchase with a friend) and 1 bottle of scented lotion. It is easily the best I've done since this monkey first climbed on my back. If you'd care to play true confessions yourself, do comment!
Robin-
You are so much more virtuous than I- I need to take a page from your book of good behavior !
I ordered this one awhile back, and it is very comforting and pretty.
so how many bottles do you have now Robin?
I know that feeling about slowing down…there is a limit isn't there?
I am very happy with the Encens. Have not tried layering yet, but mean to. Did you try any of the others from the line?
And don't know how many years you've been serious about perfume — but I certainly wasn't virtuous in the beginning
Sounds wonderful!
And what admirable restraint perfume-shopping-wise, R!
Please don't make me think back and count, too scary. I've been bad. *hangs head in shame*
I haven't tried others.
I've been serious about perfume for over 40 years.
You can only imagine the pile up…
Perfume, music, babies, old men, literature, film, and art- and the natural world in general- keep me grounded and happy. But perfume f–kin' bankrupts you !
Oh, then I can imagine, LOL!
I tried 3 others but this is the only one I loved.
I didn't start keeping track until last year — before that, it would have been far too upsetting
My virtue this year astounds me … 1 full bottle (L'Aromarine Violette, $14), one split (Mitsouko parfum and surely we can all agree that this barely counts, because it's a utility, like water or electricity, $40), one scented lotion (Aromatics Elixir, $26) and five samples (vintage, HTH, eBay, $10). Yes. $90.
This is especially excellent given that there was a year NOT THAT LONG AGO in which I hit the four figures.
The swapping and mailing costs, though …
You beat me, both on the bottle count and the dollar figure…but I'm going to go on preening since I never managed four figures…not that I wouldn't have if I could have, LOL!
Robin, I wish I was like you in terms of bottle purchases! Yikes! I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum. As for Encens Mystic, it was my fave from the whole line. I was just amazed at how good it smelled for a solid perfume. The lasting power was great, and it didn't turn.
Easily the best under $20 incense I can think of…
It is perfect, and looking forward to trying the other 2 ranges when they come to the US. Only tried 3 others in this set so far.
i wanted to write in to add my two cents about how i understand the buying less and less. i was thinking that in a sense, this infatuation i have with fragrances is a phase (mainly because it's been such a short time that my interest has been held). times when money have been low, i would opt for a body splash from bath and body works, just to buy a new fragrance. now, i've been cutting back and being very picky about fragrances than i have before. making sure i've smelled a fragrance all the way through to see if i like it. (2 or 3 days with a sample.)
I am getting much pickier now that I see all these full bottles basically going to waste…even cheap things aren't as tempting as they used to be. I'm trying to wait until I actually drain a sample before buying, because sometimes, even the sample will last me a year given how rarely I wear something over and over again.
These fragrances are really cute, and I was wondering about them, R. EM sounds divine, but what about the others?
Hugs!
P.S.–I admire your restraint, but when I met Badgley Mischka yesterday at Nordstrom South Coast, and they were signing big bottles of their juice, I did what any good perfumista would do: I caved! I'm glad I did, too.
R, Lilas Spiritual is nice but not me, smelled mostly of lilac & vanilla, kind of reminded me of Alfred Sung Sha a bit. Ginger Coconut wasn't as spicy as I hoped, and Ananas Imperial was sort of like a tropical cocktail. Both nice, but didn't grab me. Haven't tried any of the others.
And congrats on your signed bottle!!
Well, R, based on this review, and on my budget-impaired scent craving, I caved on Encens Mystic. HQHair delivered within 24hrs (they have the most astonishing, speedy delivery), and I fell upon my little tube…and it is utterly delightful! It's exactly as you described it, the most churchy of incense, with a tangy orange/vanilla note floating above. I am well pleased. Thank you for bringing this small gem to my attention!
Wow, talk about instant gratification — that was fast! I can't think of anything I can get delivered in 24 hours without spending an arm and a leg.
Really glad you like it, and let me know if you find any fun layering combos.
I received my order Saturday and like it very much…all I need now is my old madras bedspread back.
Glad it has found another fan
I've been so curious about this, and I finally ordered it when b-glowing had a free ship promotion. It's wonderful! It layers beautifully with S-Perfume 100% Love, one of my faves. Thanks for recommending this little-known and inexpensive scent.
So glad you like it, and now I'll have to try it with the 100% Love! I'm looking forward to the new C&TP collections coming to the US, I think these are a great buy.
I really like Encens Mystique. It's *very* churchy, and I have to be in the right mood for churchy. CdG Avignon packs that same liturgical punch, but there's something there, I don't know, a slightly stinky priest? Very animalic, not something I'd want to sit next to on the subway. But I haven't given up, will try layering it.
I have a question about layering. Is there a protocol, a recommended order, for instance, if one scent is an oil, another alcohol-based? Or, like Encens Mystique, which is waxy? Should it go over or under another scent? Or maybe it doesn't matter.
I also bought Aux Anges, which is very lovely, just the thing to sweeten up a dreary afternoon. Reminds me of Kai.
Don't know if there is a protocol, but if it were me, I'd apply the CL first. If you sprayed on a liquid first, I would think it would contaminate the top layer of the wax, otherwise?
Hi Robin, First of all I want to say that I've been reading your blog for months and months now but never posted a comment until recently when I thought I just had to be more involved. Great job with the blog btw and you know what, we have such similar tastes! I tend to find that if a fragrance works for you then I almost always like it (e.g. Hiris, Eclix, Ambra del Nepal, etc – I even bought Iris Silver Mist blindly and love it based on your reviews!).
I am so interested in trying this fragrance as it is cheap and sounds very interesting but is wondering about the sillage? Being a solid fragrance can you actually get sillage from this? I dont want a whole explosion of smell but something that I'm sure if someone gets a little closer to me they can smell it. Thanks! =)
George, thanks for the kind words, and so glad you've liked some of my favorites. And ALWAYS happy to welcome another fan of SL ISM.
On the sillage…no, you don't get tons of sillage from solids, and this is no exception. But I do think someone who got close to you could smell with no problem. And since its portable, it is easy enough to appy more as the day goes on…I do think it's worth the minimal cost.
Thanks Robin! =) I am really tempted to try this.
I received another set of samples through post including Passage d'Enfer and Avignon and love them! I just new I would based on you reviews.
Glad you love Avignon & Passage d'Enfer, and if you love those you must try some of the Olivier Durbano incense scents! The one drawback of the Encens Mystic is that there's no easy way to sample it.