Today's post completes the year: I've already done 5 great incense fragrances for summer wear, incense for fall and incense for winter. I'm thinking iris next? But I'm open to suggestions...
Etro Shaal Nur: To my mind, this is the quintessential spring incense, and I was surprised to see how many people mentioned it in the comments to the incense posts for other seasons. Perhaps that means you need to have a bottle on hand at all times? Bright citrus, a touch of spring floral (watch for the narcissus), incense and vanilla, all set off with a light touch of spice — Shaal Nur is often described as a distant cousin of Guerlain Shalimar, and I find it wears best when there's just a slight chill in the air.
Eau d'Italie Paestum Rose: I think of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Timbuktu as the Bertrand Duchaufour incense for fall, and Paestum Rose as the summer version. Both fragrances are unusual, but many people will find Paestum Rose easier to wear (blackcurrant eases the opening, and the rose, while not heavy, softens the heart; plus, there's no sweat or dirt), and while both are unisex, Paestum Rose is arguably a bit less masculine. Another option would be Tauer Incense Rosé.
Olivier Durbano Pink Quartz: Hopefully two rose-y incense fragrances aren't too many for one list, because I can't leave off the lovely (and rarely mentioned) Pink Quartz, which starts spicy and rich, then turns into an airy, pale rosewater with saffron and incense. I wore it last week as I was writing this, and was reminded how completely delicious it is. If you love rose and saffron but you're tired of oud, Pink Quartz is what you need. (If you don't want the incense either, and even Pink Quartz is too heavy for you, you probably want L'Artisan Safran Troublant.)
Heeley Cardinal: Cardinal is the lighter, less brooding version of Comme des Garçons Avignon, and is thus the perfect church incense entry for spring, in case you need one. I don't personally need a church incense in the spring, or at least not often, and since Cardinal is not cheap, I don't own it. My suggestion for the budget alternative is the same as I recommended for Avignon: Demeter Holy Smoke. It won't smell as great as Avignon or Cardinal, and it won't last as long, but it's pretty darned good and it layers nicely.
Comme des Garçons Kyoto: Yet another incense from perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, but in a completely different vein than Paestum Rose and Timbuktu. Now we're (presumably) in Japan, with cypress, teak and cedar woods and (oddly, but it fits) a little shot of espresso to start things off. Kyoto is calming — it's what I wish your average spa smelled like, instead of those overly fresh green tea air sprays they all seem to use.
Do share your picks in the comments!
Note: top image is Incense [cropped] by wagdi.co.uk at flickr; some rights reserved.
I have really enjoyed this series as I am a big fan of incense perfumes. Whatever I pick has probably been put in another season as I wear incense year round but I recently unearthed a decant of Parfums d’Empire Wazamba that I forgot about and it smells great in the chilly evenings we’re having in the Midwest. I wish I could buy a 30ml bottle. Kyoto is a wonderful choice. I would also mention Commes des Garcons 2, with the ink note – nice presence, kind of a warm/cool feel, not overpowering but for me it’s a good alternative for early spring when florals don’t feel right yet (chypres are good for that, too.) Always up for iris! And I never have tried Pink Quartz, it sounds really nice.
Great picks — love CdG 2, and really you could do a year with just CdG incense scents. I need to try Wazamba again.
Really glad you enjoyed it!
I could happily do a year of CdG incense scents – I’ve liked all of the them. Jaisalmer is my favorite. I still haven’t gotten my hands on Blue Encens, which I need to remedy soon.
That’s been on my to try list for ages along with CdG Black. Blue Cedrat is nice.
Blue Encens is the best of their Blue series! I love it even more than Kyoto.
Exultat seems appropriate for this time of year and it appears that I have never sampled Shaal Nur which I should probably remedy
I just got a sample of Exultant, will review soon!
Iris next, please
I haven’t found an incense to love yet. There’s a smoky note in Byredo 1996 that isn’t listed but it’s there and it smells terrific. I’ll dig up my decant of Shaal Nur. Maybe my taste is changing.
Thanks for the vote!
Hey, not everybody loves incense! But never hurts to try again.
A great list. Paestum Rose was one of the first niche perfumes I bought, and I need to give it more attention this summer.
Joining Suzy Q in voting for iris next!
And I’ve been just about to buy it ever since I smelled it! Yet another brand that I wish would do (much) smaller sizes.
Joining Suzy Q and Janice for iris next.
A spring incense suggestion is Yves Saint laurent Nu, I only know the reiussued La Collection version, which is a lovely incense, with bergamot and vetiver, and cardamon. I love incense, and would be very interested if there are iris incense fragrances you would recommend.
Aedes Iris Nazarena! And it’s much lighter, obviously, but Prada Infusion d’Iris.
Oh, and Bond no. 9 Andy Warhol Silver Factory, which is called something else now and I can never remember what. Might be just called Silver?
Thank you Robin for your suggestions! I have a sample of Iris Nazarena and Infusion, totally forgot about those.
I remember trying Nu at a discount perfume store once and adoring it, but never got any. Now I barely remember what I’m missing.
Dior’s Bois d’Argent is also a lovely iris incense, plus a bit of honey.
Passage d’Enfer for the cold lilies.
I still love Passage d’Enfer
I’m uneducated when it comes to incense fragrances, but Passage d’Enfer is lovely and I wear it for Easter. Iris Nazarena I’d happily wear whatever the season.
I see you recommended Infusion d’Iris above as a spring iris, but it also has incense in it, which makes it a twice winner! I need to try Infusion d’Homme again…also boasts incense (though not a full frontal one). And, as for iris and incense – Dzongkha would be great for spring – I think?
Yes, I was recommending it as an iris incense! Agree w/ Dzongkha too.
I’ve loved this series also, and I’ll add my vote for iris.
Thanks!
I’m not a big incense person, but I do like judicious uses of it. I do like Shaal Nur very much, but I always think of it as a vetiver-rose-oriental fragrance, not an incense fragrance. But I guess it’s in there, so it must mean I like it. Either way, it’s gorgeous. It makes me think of summer though. Kind of hippie chic at the farmers market. Right now I’m really enjoying Pacifica’s Spanish Amber which is very low sillage and minimalist for an amber – like I get to enjoy 5 or 6 big wet sprays of this stuff and you can just barely smell it. That’s nice and thank god it’s only $22! But it has a really nice clear, but subdued, incense running through the whole composition. I really enjoy this little bit of incense, which keeps the amber from being too sweet. I keep putting Spanish Amber on almost every night, so I’m wondering how this little fragrance has kind of rose to the top of the pack. It’s definitely incense “light”, and would be awesome for layering with just about anything. It’s kind of a watery Bois d’Armenie (NOT a spring frag, lol!). Oh, I guess I like that one too.
It’s interesting how differently we all classify our fragrances in our head — I would never classify Shaal Nur as a vetiver, but of course that’s “in there” too
Interesting about the Spanish Amber too, I will have to try that again.
Shaal Nur is very vetiver/patchouli to my nose as well. I notice rose and incense there too but as supporting players.
I, too, always thought of this as a complex perfume with a vetiver note, but I also think that vetiveryle acetate (as in Molecule 03) suggests smoke or incense in light doses.
Spanish Amber is definitely lightly incense-y… more so to my nose than Tibetan Mountain Temple (I got both around the same time when I was on a pretty big incense kick, and Spanish Amber actually spoke to that craving a little better)
I don’t know yet if it will be a favorite, but I was randomly sampling Knize Sec this week. I really need to be able to spray it rather than just daubing to tell for sure, but it seems to be an intriguingly subtle masculine that includes incense notes. According to Fragrantica, it was launched in 1985 and signed by Francois Coty and Vincent Roubert. It reminds me more of the fabulous 1974 Jacomo Eau Cindree than the big perfumes of the 1980s. I wonder if anyone else here has tried it.
Excuse me – that’s Eau Cendrée.
I haven’t!
I have somany incense frags it is hard to count, but I guess I would vote for Dzongkha and Iris Nazarena as my favorite spring ones.
Both good choices.
Loved this series,would love an Iris-guide even more!!Love lists,love Iris.Incense-wise I’m currently(pre-fall weather) enjoying Lutens L’Incendiaire.Yes I spent the money.Yes it was worth it.Donnatella:your silence will be golden too.thanks.Lol.Happy Weekend NST!
Glad it was worth it!
As a fragrance newbie, I love these “best of” lists. So much to sample! Had I not drained my decant of Serge Lutens De Profundis this winter, I’d be reaching for it now. I like the bit of incense in there. I’ve been wearing SSS Incense Pure for the past week. Finding it very uplifting and calming on these cool spring days.
Good, glad they’re helpful!
I LOVE INCENSE!
I own or have owned three of the five you mentioned. I’ve been at a loss to pick something to wear each morning with this weird weather.
Plan to wear the Shaal Nur tomorrow and the Paestum Rose after that. Must get new bottle of Kyoto.
Thanks, Robin!
Very late reply, sorry — but glad you enjoyed it, and of course we have similar taste!