Yesterday I wore two discontinued favorites: L'Artisan's lovely Jacinthe des Bois and Gobin Daudé's Sous Le Buis. Layered, the combination was the perfect spring-time fragrance: happy, floral, and very green. But the cool evenings of spring are also perfect for incense fragrances. Here are four worth considering:
I loved Incense extrême by Tauer Perfumes, and I can't remember now why I took it into my head that I wouldn't like the newer Incense rosé nearly as well. Whatever the reason, I was quite wrong, as I like it even better. This is a simply lovely fragrance, not quite so bright and airy as the extrême, but still, not quite dark: it has the same soaring quality. The rose is subtle, in fact, the whole thing is simultaneously subtle (none of the notes scream) and strong (I found two sprays to be one spray too many).
The citrus in the opening is juicy, and the rose is a bit dewy in the early stages, but for the most part, it is a dry fragrance, and while it has more of a grounded, meditative feel than the extrême, like the extrême it has a rough-hewn, woody-earthy dryness that brings to mind a desert landscape rather than the high church atmosphere of scents like Comme des Garçons Avignon. A little whiff of orange seems to reappear at odd moments, long after you'd expect all the citrus to have evaporated away, and it has just the right amount of spice to warm a cool April night. Highly recommended. (The notes include clementine, bergamot, rose, castor, orris, frankincense, cedar wood, myrrh, patchouli, vetiver, labdanum and ambrein; in 50 ml Eau de Parfum; for buying information, see the listing for Tauer Perfumes under Perfume Houses.)
My favorite fragrances from Demeter are the little one-off oddities, like Gingerale, Thunderstorm, and my newest favorite, Beet Root. I wasn't sure I needed or wanted a Demeter Incense given how many perfect incense fragrances are already on the market, but it turns out they've done a pretty darned good job. Far from the straight-up snapshot of frankincense I expected, this is a middling sweet, creamy amber-y incense fragrance with hints of vanilla, slightly reminiscent of i Profumi di Firenze's wonderful Ambra del Nepal. It makes a nice comfort scent, and it's got more staying power than many in the Demeter line.
If you were hoping for something more straight-up frankincense, you need Demeter Holy Smoke, their rendition of church incense burning in the censor during Mass. It's all there, including a hefty dash of smoke. It can't beat the aforementioned Comme des Garçons Avignon, my own gold standard for church incense, but then, it costs a fraction of what you'd pay for the Avignon — a 15 ml mini is a mere $5, surely one of the last great bargains in perfume. (Demeter fragrances are also available in 30 & 120 ml Cologne Spray, and in matching bath & body products and Room Spray; for buying information, see the listing for Demeter under Perfume Houses.)
Last but not least, we've Matthew Williamson Incense. No, this is not the now-mythical Incense created for Matthew Williamson by Lyn Harris of Miller Harris as a limited edition (and long gone), but one of the four fragrances in the newer Matthew Williamson Collection, which focused on individual notes from Matthew Williamson's 2005 eponymous fragrance. Got that? This is a rather basic sort of scent — I think the Collection fragrances were designed to be layered, and Incense has an almost unfinished feel, as though it was meant to be the base for something else.
It's rather dark, but also soft and sheer, and while I can't get excited about it on its own, it might be worth having around for layering — it's just about perfectly linear, and has more body than say, L'Artisan Passage d'Enfer. (Matthew Williamson Incense was developed by perfumer Clement Gavarry; the notes include frankincense, patchouli and labdanum. It can be found easily online in the UK; to my knowledge, it is not sold in the US.)
See also: the perfect spring-time incense, Etro Shaal Nur.
Possibly of interest
I am a huge incense lover – Incense Extreme is my current favorite. I would have loved Incense Rose if he had left out the myrrh – unfortunately myrrh smells like mushrooms on me and ruins the effect. Wah.
Funny because I don't think of myself as a myrrh fan either…but love this, and liked the Myrrh the best of all the new AG Orientalistes. Maybe I'm turning into a myrrh fan…
I posted this in an old thread: How much I hate Avignon! I know some people love this.
Imagine an old sideshow freak museum on some highway in the middle of nowhere. You know, two-headed babies in jars, reptile bones and stuff. Imagine the proprietor died there, the body laid there for a few days decomposing before a couple stopped to use the phone. They call the cops. A very distant relative cleans up, burns some incense to combat the smell and boards the museum up for a month because they don't want to deal with it all right then and there. Relative comes back and opens those doors. Out flows the smell of Avignon.
Lovely reviews, and so glad to her the new Demeter is worth a late-night unsniffed splurge… Had too many expensive ones lately, it's nice to have one on the list that won't hurt too much. Um. Unless I get more than one, of course…
Two-headed babies in jars! I have a feeling you don't want any Demeter Holy Smoke 😉
I am really wanting a mini of Beet Root, myself, and possibly Brownie…those $5 Demeter minis are massively tempting.
Thank you for the lovely reviews of Incense Extreme and Incense Rose. I find those two so beautiful for entirely different reasons. I just bought Annick Goutal's Incense Flamboyant (unsniffed) and I am happy to report that I liked it very much, but it is not strong enough for the “Flamboyant” name. Very nice though.
I still have some Avignon, but will try the Demeter. Thanks for the recommendation
WantMustHaveTo try all these !!!
Dana C. where have you been?! Are you sure it was not just some bad dream//?
I too was surprised to discover I liked Incense Rose more than extreme, given my rose-phobia. But what a great scent. Strong, though — you're right. MW I could still strangle for not bringing back the original Incense, and I agree this one is very meh. And I now have quite a collection of the Demeter, esp. the minis. Holy Smoke is one of my favorites, and (thanks to you) I fished Egg Nog out of the trash, you would be *shocked* at how many times that got worn this winter, great comfort scent. And Beet Root is great stuff, I hope they don't get rid of it (do they d/c their scents, I wonder?) I liked the incense a lot, yes, a nice soft resiny comfort scent. The lotion's nice too. Louise bought it and gave them to me because I think they last, like, five seconds on her, maybe less.
And btw would you please delete the word “great” from my vocabulary? It seems to have replaced “actually” in my redundancy pile.
Arwen, I really liked the AG IF, but not quite as much as I thought I would…if I had been going to order one of them unsniffed, it would have been IF, but the one I turned out to love was the Myrrh Ardente (sp?).
Must say that if you already have Avignon, you probably don't need Holy Smoke as well — although it won't kill you 😉
LOL — quit noticing verbal tics, it makes me think about my own!
I'm the sole perfumista that didn't like MW Incense, sadly…but agree it's too bad since so many people loved it.
Egg Nog is great, Beet Root is great, Incense is great — see, great is a useful word! Have nothing good to say about the new Frozen Margarita though.
I really like the Incense Rose, but the sample is currently in my “roses that I like but not quite enough yet to buy it” pile.
Oddly both your ecclesiatical, and Dana C's dead freak show host descriptions make me want to try Avignon.
Lovely reviews, thank you.
I love Incense Rose. It is my favorite of the year (so far). I nearly have to stop myself from wearing it everyday, not a bad thing, but that means I need to buy a bottle. It is the perfect mixture of clean and interesting.
I think there is a little pile of Demeter minis in my future.
If you love incense, do try all of the CdG incense series. Avignon actually took awhile to grow on me — the first time I tried it, I found it rather dull.
I'd say that does mean you need a bottle, and everybody needs a little pile of Demeters — they're so fun.
Aigh!! That was HIDEOUS. You know they're bad when I can't give them away to a roomful of 11-year-olds (who probably shouldn't be wearing something called Frozen Margarita anyway.) Same deal with those candy heart ones. The Margarita smells like bug spray. Or oven cleaner, I can't decide.
I am giving away my history, but i just thought it smelled like the worst rotgut bargain tequila ever mixed with cheap-o margarita mix. It reminded me of a hangover I once had…
These all sound very interesting. My very first sample order I requested Avignon, but they were, unfortunetely, unable to send me a sample. I got Molinard Habanita instead (and what a kick in the face THAT was). I haven't had the nerve to play with Demeter minis yet for fear that my parents would kill me and take my credit card, but I have to say that you may have nudged me toward that…they just sounds so fun. I think I'm most excited about Thunderstorm. As for Shaal Nur, I get some citrus, but just a lot a smoky vanilla. Nice, but I'm not really all that crazy about vanilla (I had some friends who wore Bath and Body Works Vanilla Sugar religiously- maybe that's why I'm nonplussed by it.). My skin chemistry does the same thing with SL Douce Amere- just turns it to straight-up Vanilla.
Hi Robin. Wonderful reviews. You are such a gifted writer!
I've been ordering a lot of incense samples from Lucky Scent to try to find one that would intensify the Moroccan incense in Michael Kors. What brings Morocco to your mind? I want something that would add a little more “kick” to layer with it. Any suggestions? I haven't been to Morocco-boo hoo.
-Joy, Becca
The incense series is amazing. I can't burn incense in my house anymore (i aquired 5 birds inside the time span of 2 years), but these frags make up for it.
if you love incense, its really the way to go. they're all spiffy in their own way, but avingnon reminds me of the various cathedrals i've been in (st. maria's here at home, st. patrick's, san pietro, the doge's cathedral) and to me, how they smelled was just as important as the art they held (i'm an lapsed catholic art freak, so to me, they are sacred museums).
sample them first though, they do take a a few tries for them to grow on you, but after they do, you'll crave them!
i am madly in love with incense rose and would love to smell incense extreme. the others i have yet to smell, but i suspect i will be hitting up the demeter website soon for some “humongous minis” lol
I second the Eggnog love (hi March!) and the Gingerale jubilation, but I have to say that after reading all the raves on Demeter Incense, I ordered some on a recent US trip…and sent it back. It didn't smell like incense. It smelled nice – warm and ambery and dusty or something, but it was a psychic disconnect for me. I kept Holy Smoke though!!
Just ordered five samples at Andy Tauer's in Switserland.
Am so looking forward to try these…
Incense is such a non-specific term that it can be misleading — of the two, Holy Smoke is much closer to what many people think of as incense.
Sorry you do not love my Shaal Nur! Do try Avignon though, if you get the chance, and surely a $5 mini of Thunderstorm won't break the credit card? But it is hard to stop at just one mini when they're so cheap, so perhaps best to stay away entirely, LOL…
Thank you!
I haven't been to Morocco either, boo hoo, but for Moroccan incense I always think of Comme des Garcons Ouarzazate. Not sure that would layer well w/ MK though. I'd think you'd be better off with something more basic — the Matthew Williamson would probably be perfect, but probably not worth ordering just for that use. A tiny drop of Avignon might be perfect, but I think it would have to be really tiny not to overwhelm the MK. Or are you looking for a spicy kick as well as incense?
Agree — worth taking the time to get to know all of them.
They are both worth smelling, although I do like the rose better than the extreme — and hey, Demeter humongous minis are a great thing!
Hope you'll like them 🙂
Thanks for the reviews, Robin! I was surprised by how much I loved Incense Rosé, too… it's sunny in a way I never expected an incense scent to be.
The Demeter Incense sounds worth a shot. I have a mini of Holy Smoke, and while it most definitely smells like Mass, it's a little *too* smoky for my taste. Besides the frankincense, I pick up a little hint of candle wick as well.
For a meditative churchy scent, I prefer Holy water — it's ozonic and slightly bitter, full of stony coolness. I can easily imagine a porcelain font in an old French country church. Lovely!
Try substituting “awesome” for a while. It has the added benefit of helping one fit in with the surfer crowd.
I couldn't like (so far) Incense extreme: too much wood wax for me, it's like suffocating in a carpenter's workshop, but I adore Incense rosé. After a troublesome first test, I now see it as a perfect “twilight scent”, outdoorsy and marvellous for spring evenings. It reminds me of the resinous smell of cypress cones in the chilly air.
I have still not tried Holy Water — I will never catch up on all the Demeters! Do try Incense if you're NOT looking for the smell of Sunday Mass.
Oh, thought of another due to the B-glowing contest I just announced: the CrazyLibellule Encens Mystic!
It is hard to overdo the wood for me — carpenter's workshop suits me fine, LOL…but I like the rose better too 🙂
I'm hesitant about Incense Rose because the Extreme was just too much for me. I love woods, but Extreme hits me over the head with a 2×4. Delphina's “suffocating” describes it perfectly. Robin, have you tried Ava Luxe Incense Rose? I have a sample and love it, so just wondering how it compares to Tauer's.
S, if I owned a bottle of Incense rose, I'd decant it so I could dab rather than spray. These are both very strong, and I was very surprised by how many people felt extreme wasn't strong enough — wonder how many people simply got olfactory fatigue from the scent and didn't realize how strong it really was.
Sorry but I haven't tried the Ava Luxe — now you've made me curious though!
BTW, does anyone have any comments/comparisons on all the scents mentioned here and Josef Statkus? I tried it but it's hard to judge from a dabbed sample vial. The initial impression I got was Avignon + Messe de Minuit. Pondering a purchase of thise for my incense collection but not sure if it's too similar to what I already have.
I would call the JS much softer than either Avignon or MdM — more of a cushy comfort scent to me, and less directly focused on the incense note.
I'm still new at the whole lawyering thing–but the one scent that reminds me of Morocco the most is the original CdG Eau de Parfum for all the great spices in the mix. No incense, though. Don't know if it could work with MK
Love Avignon just because it is so…. evocative. If Demeter Holy Smoke is a “poor man's Avignon”, I just might need to get a bottle. I will go into permanent mourning if the CdG incense line is ever discontinued.
I also need to try Incense Extrême, but the weather's warming up here, so I may shelve further incense exploration until fall.
Good call!
Agree — they had better not discontinue them or I'm on boycott. Holy Smoke is fun, but not nearly so evocative.
I do really like Shaal Nur, but I was kind of expecting a little more…I went to the movies with it one and sat with my wrist clued to my nose. My luke-warmness with vanilla doesn't keep me from having a soft spot for it. 🙂 I'm thinking that another sample order from Aedes is coming up soon…and while thunderstorm won't break the bank, I'll probably be like “Well, while I'm paying shipping I might as well try wet garden….and ooohhh…look at that one! Oh my…Before I know it, my college savings is sitting on my wrists. 🙂 Probably I'll wait on the Demeter and place a Aedes sample order dedicated to L'Artisan. I'm ashamed to say I've never tried any of their stuff.
Hey, that is good thinking. You are better off w/ the L'Artisans.
I actually ordered a sample of quarzazate from Lucky Scent but it hasn't arrived yet. I'm not sure if I ordered the other CdG scent. I wish they had a sample of C. L. but it's a solid or is it?
My intent is to get more of the smell of the Moroccan incense touted in Micheal which I can barely notice. I think the contrast between the tuberose and spice—spicy tuberose if you will, would smell more like I imagine it in my brain. Kind of “Oh yes, she's sweet and pretty but..oh my, what's this naughtiness hitting my nose?”
I love Micheal, but I wish the Morocan Inscence that sold me on it in the first place was more prominent. I want classy naughty, like it sounded.
Does that make any sense?
-Joy and thanks for all your suggestions..keep em coming!
Becca, the girl in search of the improbable possible.
Dude, that is so feakin funny!
Oh, p.s.
For example. I tried my Profumum Fiore de Ambre with it but it's much too smooth and slightly…um,sweet? (goes incredible with L.A. La Chasse Aux Papillions though) Guess I want something sharper.
Yes, the CL is a solid. Reasonably priced, and nicely done. Let us know if you find the perfect mix!
Your not going to believe this, but, on a whim I went into the kitchen and rubbed CINNAMON on my wrists. It added warmth AND brought out more of the incense smell that's already in Micheal. Do you know if they make cinnamon oil or a fragrance with a cinnamon base?
Joy and thanks,
Becca
Be careful — cinnamon seems to be highly allergenic, and you can develop a skin allergy even if you don't already have one! I'd be very wary of anything with *too* much cinnamon. But here are some perfume possibilities: Demeter Cinnamon Toast, Comme des Garcons Cinnamon Sherbet, Givenchy Organza Indecence, Korres Vanilla Cinnamon, Serge Lutens Rousse.
OMG, now I know what I will graphically imagine if I ever smell Avignon.
Strangely though, now I want to go to a freak show.
Oh Robin, your making me cry. Thinking about the Cinnamon Sherbet because of the price and will check out the others. Do they have real cinnamon in them? I don't want to send anyone to the hospital.
I thought I hit pay dirt. sniff, sniff.
Oh, gosh, I wouldn't worry about sending anyone to the hospital — I just wouldn't put straight-up cinnamon on my skin. I wouldn't worry about it in a perfume blend, personally. Do check out Organza Indecence if you can find it, I'm thinking it might be perfect.
I have been in Avignon once. It was on a very hot summersday. I remember a very old centre, some very exclusive shops with clothes and other nice things, terraces, restaurants…but then I did not go into any old building like a church or so… and I tend to avoid those because of how they smell… really…and it is not haunting ghosts or anythink like that, it is the smell and wherever that particular smell comes from…!!
Thank you for the freakish comments for you made me realize something very important.
Funny, I thought I would prefer incense extreme, but much prefer incense rose. I'm not a huge fan of rose, but this is good.
It's done the 'edgy rose' thing much better than Stella.
I prefer it too. And yes, certainly more edgy than Stella — although I don't think of Stella as even slightly edgy.
I won a sample of Incense Rose and unfortunately didn't like it at all.
I just sprayed it in the air in my bathroom to get a whiff of it and hours later, found myself applying rubbing alcohol to the piece of my curtain that caught some of the fragrance.
It was very strong and smelled like sweat trying to hide behind too much cologne to me.
I'm really upset that I didn't like it and have set it aside to try again. I think part of the problem was that I smelled it on a very hot and humid day. I plan to give it another try on a really cold day and see if I enjoy it more. I'll post again if my opinion changes. (I hope it does.)
Hey, if you already love the Vetiver Dance, that's enough $$$, LOL…
That's true. 🙂
I just want to be able to appreciate it, if that makes sense. I doubt I will ever need a bottle of Incense Rose.
Makes perfect sense to me, I do the same!
I really want to love this one! Alas, it smells like steroid pumped tiger balm on me for the first hour, turns into a divine incense with rose interludes for only an hour, and then turns into a smothering, nauseating cedar for the rest of the day.
So sad, because I know so many people had such great experiences with it.
LOL — well, bear in mind that I also liked Heeley's Spirit of the Tiger, which *is* tiger balm, basically.
This is really funny – I also got nothing but pungent (in an aromatic way) dry woods from start to finish when I tried it in early Feb. Perhaps it will behave differently when the weather is warmer. Loved the 1st 2 Tauer scents though.
Not sure I'd call it more of a hot weather scent, but worth a shot!
I finally got a sample of this and had been curious as to whether it would be better for me than the resinous varnish and turpentine that is Incense Extreme and I am happy to report that I like it much better. There is still the varnish but the rose really softens it up and makes it much more like an incense as I think of an incense. I don’t think it will be my summer go-to scent but I do like it. I don’t think I like it better than Une Rose Chypree, which I can’t wait for you guys to get your hands on.
I also got Lonestar Memories (smells not unpleasantly of old chewing gum so far), and Reverie au Jardin, which is what I’ll wear after my shower (I had to put them all on at once! lol).
I like Incense Rose better than URC, but it’s all a matter of personal taste, right? Glad you got to try it!
Ach, this one is lovely! I do love a good incense, and so far i’ve only explored the CdG range. I didn’t like the initial hit too much, but it has dried-down to a warm, resinous, glow – happily un-churchlike, I agree. I am really enjoying it. I ordered samples of the entire collection from Tauer, and so far love Lonestar and this one – still have to try Incense Extreme, Maroc Pour Elle and the freebie Rosee Chyrpe they kindly included. One thing i’ve noticed about the Tauer frags – they seem to hum and vibrate on my skin. They have real character.
Nice description of the line! Another incense you might want to try for spring: L’Artisan Passage d’Enfer.
Thanks Robin – I shall order a sample of that. I’m on the lookout for an incense frag. I’m going to read through the other reviews you did of incense frags to see if there are others I should sample too, before making my decision!