I've "smoked" myself with incense perfumes since they first appeared on the market. I can't believe it's been over 20 years since Etro Messe de Minuit was released; I always think of it as the grand-daddy of incense fragrances and as my first 'incense boyfriend.' (Yes, in perfume years you can go from BOYfriend to grand-daddy in two decades.) Along with Messe de Minuit, I was a big fan of Comme des Garçons Avignon (2002) and Armani Privé Bois d'Encens (2004). All these fragrances, and today's — UNUM LAVS1 — are based on incense you would smell in a European Roman Catholic church.
The brand UNUM was founded by Filippo Sorcinelli (see image above). Sorcinelli is an artist, tailor and organist (his new perfume line SAUF has bottles in the shape of the stop knobs of the great organ of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris). LAVS (Laus) stands for Laboratorio Atelier Vesti Sacri and is the Latin word for "praise" (as in, Praise God/Laus Deo). Sorcinelli has made vestments for Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, and before delivery, these vestments were scented with what is now the perfume LAVS (it started 'life' as a room fragrance).
LAVS goes on rich and smoky with an aroma I'll describe as heavily peppered leather dabbed with fresh tar (frankincense?) I do smell super-dry cloves and a beautiful rosewood aroma (it smells like a bar of soap that would set you back $60...at least). The spices in LAVS (cardamom/coriander) smell as if they are being heated to a crisp in a hot skillet. There's a pungent muskiness in the heart of LAVS that I will attribute to cistus labdanum and opoponax; smell closely and you'll detect a moment of singed hair scent, too. LAVS settles into its base aromas quickly and there you'll smell ashy frankincense and benzoin.
I saw photos of Sorcinelli before smelling LAVS; he likes to present himself without clothes, drawing attention to his ripped, hairy chest and stomach. I wondered if LAVS would be a sensual incense perfume. No. LAVS is not a sweet/smiling/sexy incense fragrance; it's 'strict,' serious. I can understand why LAVS, the tailor of Vatican vestments, would scent their clothes with LAVS fragrance before delivery: LAVS has not a molecule of lustfulness or fun about it — it's all "business." If you burned incense with this scent at a party, your guests might be afraid to crack jokes or laugh; libidos would plummet (unless someone has a fetish for stern nuns, dissolute priests or sex on ice-cold stone floors). I like LAVS, but did not enjoy wearing it after a few hours; it's way too unrelentingly solemn for me. LAVS lasts all day on my skin and stays close to the body; it's unisex, but veers masculine.
Having smelled an outrageous number of incense/incense-y fragrances over the decades, LAVS didn't stand out, but if you're new to incense perfume, do place LAVS on your to-try list. LAVS has made me curious about the other scents in the SAUF and UNUM line-ups; there's got to be a blithe spirit among them.
For a broad range of incense fragrances, Robin at NST™ put together lists of incense perfumes for spring, summer, fall and winter.
UNUM LAVS Extrait de Parfum is $220 for 100 ml. You can find it at Luckyscent in the US, Roullier White in the UK or Nose in France.
1. Listed notes of black pepper, cardamom, coriander, elemi, jasmine, cloves, carnations, cistus labdanum, opoponax, rosewood, oak moss, amber and tonka beans.
Note: all images via Filippo Sorcinelli website.
I did not attend a service with incense until I was in my twenties, so incense has zero Judeo-Christian baggage for me, so this just smells like a Goth house party minus the weed smoke and hairspray–it is all incense, leather, clove cigarettes, and day old curry spices. When I smell it I hear Siouxsie Sioux or The Specimen playing while I watch a VHS of an early Wim Wenders movie on mute. It even has a hot Goth boy fronting the scent–you know he has a Cocteau Twins collection in vinyl. I love it–it fills me with a nostalgic sullenness. I am thinking about wearing it Friday for my favorite purchase of 2016.
As someone who also lacks incense-church connotations, your comment is enough to get me very curious about sampling this scent. Cheers!
Monkeytoe…nostalgic sullenness — I like it!
The scent didn’t work for me for all the reasons it gives you nostalgia. Your description is excellent!
Wow. I missed that back story. So interesting! Never in a million years if you asked me to guess at the profile of a Vatican tailor, well tailor of religious vestments worn at the Vatican, I never ever ever would have come up with hairy, bearded, tattooed Filippo Sorcinelli! So satisfying to learn something that goes against my preconceived notions!
So I have a question Kevin. I frequently read about gender neutral scents that veer masculine or feminine… And feminine scents that can be worn by men, and vice versa. Have you personally found any scents that you consider “good” or wearable, that really only are appropriate for a man in their masculinity, or only appropriate for a woman in their femininity? I know the PC answer to the question… but I am just wondering about real perfume in real life. Are their some scents that are just too fem or too butch?
Oakland: Gosh…too many to name! I will say I find “barbershop” scents like bay rum and fougeres “strange” on women…probably just because of my history with those type scents. For me, many heavily aldehydic scents are truly feminine … Chanel No. 5 comes immediately to mind, Joy. I spray Chanel No. 5 in my house sometimes but would not wear it ever…I wear vintage Joy because it’s so gorgeous, but I only wear it at home.
So. I just got up and sniffed my No. 5 and Joy to check myself… I totally can feel Joy on some man. Not all men, but there is something deeply lovely about it. Probably not at 8 sprays, but 3? On a man? Sure. I totally agree about No. 5 though. I cannot imagine a man smelling like No.5, full drag or white tie. Nope. But I wonder if that is because I have such intense associations with that scent, and all of them are very feminine. That scent is a scent and a picture all at once. Our pictures are not the same, but I bet for most people they have an image of what a Chanel No. 5 wearer might look like, and she is irrepressibly female. The picture I get is an attractive Iranian woman in her late 50s wearing a Chanel pantsuit and Hermes scarf. She is hardworking and disciplined, and always looks great.
For the record, I couldn’t look more different myself, and I wear No. 5 on occasion!
I love your Chanel No. 5 woman! I imagine an 70-something woman, Russian, in cream and beige with colorful lipstick, with bright white hair and jewel-like eyes. She’s also hardworking, very polished. I’m sure every person has their own version of what a No. 5 wearer is like, indeed. What a fun thing to think about.
I have to admit that I like this. It reminds me of a cooler, reserved, ascetic version of SMN Melograno. I’m trying to resist on principle, though. First, I’m skeptical of the notes and price. Isn’t it simply vetiveryl with some synthetic musks and woods? Moreover, it’s hard to justify going around smelling like a member of the Vatican hierarchy.
I have a sample of Rosa Nigrum. As far as I can tell from the little dauber sample, it’s good but not cheerful.
Noz: I wish it reminded me of Melograno, but it doesn’t. Due to the durability of the perfume I’m betting there are non-naturals in the mix for sure. Thankfully, I’m not tempted to buy…a candle in this aroma could be nice…I’d burn it next to a great vanilla or amber candle
It looks like the candles were only $50, but Luckyscent doesn’t have them, and Twisted Lily only has Rosa Nigrum now.
Kind of a spooky vibe there, eh? Since that’s not how I want to smell I think I can take a pass, but I sure picked up lots of good trivia.
SFGuy…yes, a lot of backstory! HA! (and images to illustrate it)
Love your review, Kevin, thank you and agree that Monkeytoe’s expression “nostalgic sullenness” is great. I have the Christian back story (but also the Goth back story) so this works on both levels for me……up to a point. It is a serious scent and I need some sensuality and/or fun with my personal scents so I spray the decant I have in the air and inhale with pleasure but don’t wear it.
I have a decant of 1144 or whatever it is – the lemon custard layered with leather and incense one – wow …..
I find that photo hypnotic – sort of Rasputin like…..
Dona…yes, very “Rasputin”…and there’s LOTS more where that came from..a big slide show on his webpage.
I absolutely love this fragrance. It is very dry and liturgical and I feel gothier than thou when I wear it….
I have loved reading everyone’s comments!!! I have a sample of this and really wanted to like it but was completely repelled by it. My husband likes and has worn it. Generally, I like incense and some very heavy, masculine scents but I found this one… disturbing!