Copal Azur

Something close to mystical perfection: a truly individual, daringly original take on smoke and incense, for those who want to travel much further in search of enlightenment than the usual pastiche-Catholic or pseudo-Zen schools to be found on the usual "best incenses" lists. New World sacred rites instead - no blood or sacrifice, just wafts of enlightened insight and a genuinely natural feel. This one is dry as a bone, lifted with the tang of salt air, and genuinely built around copal rather than any other resin as its spine. It simply smells of truth - but beautiful rather than ugly. Though wading near to the tropic marine shores of Armani Bleu Turquoise or Zoologist Squid in aura, it has none of their banging black pepper or very present vanilla; this is a more organic, woodier, much more adventurous ride. While it has that special resin tang and less wood, what it comes closest to for me is the (equally rare and exclusive) Wienerblut Ex Voto, another shimmering slip of reverence-worthy delight; or that same hyper-arid feel, from a different continent altogether, of Armani Velvet Incienso, with much less spice and a more minimal aura. So: it more than justifies its existence, takes you higher, and gives new feelings. Absolute love for me: worth worshipping at its altar any time. However: VERY sheer and airy - so much so it'll frustrate if you want robust, room-filling performance, even if it does have a uniquely classy and upscale-savoury feel to it. Like all Aedes products, has a scary price tag and a discreet presence; it's about integrity rather than intensity. Dies back, heartbreakingly, after 2-3 hours on skin, though it'll survive longer on fabrics and sometimes does suddenly waft back from the land of the dead (the great beyond?) when you least expect it. I'll adore it forever, and would buy again in a heartbeat if spotted for less than the cost of a dynastic kingdom. But explore around before you buy; one of its analogues mentioned above might be a more real-world proposition.

Copal Azur is a frag built around the Incense note. Bertrand Duchafour is a Master when it comes to Incense accords as anybody who has sniffed Timbuktu will tell you. Again like Timbuktu, these fragrances have a slight raw, rough edge to the incense and are not sweetened in any way so if you are not an incense lover, definitely sample first. Copal Azur as the notes indicate has the Incense as the spine of the fragrance from top to base notes. Initial notes have a salty vibe to the incense before taking a herbal, spicy turn with the patchouli and cardamom notes in the heart. The myrhh and amber flesh out the fragrance and add a bit of smoky depth but by and large, this composition is linear. Once the top ozonic salt notes fade, this stays a spicy herbal incense for the rest of its scent life. Projection is kinda on the softer side, stays within arms length and longevity likewise is average, around the 5 hour mark. Final Thoughts. This is one of those frags I love for the smell alone. Being a fan of balsamic incenses, this is right up my alley. The performance could have been better but is good enough that it's not a deal breaker. Definitely a large decant or a Full Bottle of this in my future.

Delicious caramelly exotic oriental opening. Spicy - drinking a rootbeer by the seaside. Immediately tones down to an unusual but appealing combination of incense and salt. This is my second Aedes de Venustas fragrance and both share the quality of being surprising, delightful, and luxurious. I just looked at the description and saw Bertrand Duchaufour's name again! Yesterday it was his sublime Timbuktu that I fell in love with. I need to track down more of his creations obviously. When I looked at the notes I thought this was going to be a very warm, winter-y frag but it's incredibly cool. As I keep smelling I get a cool, green, almost watery note. If this is marine it's more like a thirst quenching spring running through the shaded undergrowth of a jungle. This isn't the smell of a temperate forest; the exotic incense keeps it from being familiar. Dries down into a cool, fruity incense reminiscent of Aedes Signature, also by Duchaufour. Has excellent longevity; 7 hours later it's still pretty noticeable. Shangri-la: the hidden paradise nestled in a cool green forest.

Firstly let me not beat around the bush - this is a challenging fragrance. But challenging doesn't mean bad. I know each person has a different way they process fragrances - for me personally it has to tie to or remind me of a mood, an emotion or a memory. For this particular fragrance I needed to read the story of the perfume - the copal and incense, the tie in to a culture of spirituality. And then I got it. It reminded me of the temples here as well... This is a holy perfume. I know I'll be wearing this the next time I go to a temple. And for that I really appreciate it. I will continue to sit with this perfume - it's already grown a lot on me. I hope I can truly and fully appreciate for the art of storytelling it is.. 7/10 for now... to be revised EDIT: This has now become my favorite scent to wear at home - when I'm alone. This is a spiritual fragrance and gives me great peace, creates an almost meditative air. It's wonderful and continuing to grow on me. 8.5/10 .... it's getting up there

What a beauty of an incense centered fragrance! This is supposed to represent the scent of copal by utilising a blend of other incense extracts, which it manages to pull off quite well in my opinion. Bertrand Duchafour seems to be very proficient at creating such scents as this. I use copal myself at home in my incense burner and there is just something so refreshing, relaxing and purifying about this unique material. This perfume is stunning the whole journey through, opening with a sparkling resinous incense note of mainly frankincense, along with a deep green mentholated notes and a zingy pepper profile. The frankincense gives way, melding with the other incense notes, to become a rich balsamic green perfume. This keeps the slightly salty and sparkling effect, along with some fresh cardamom, before drying down to a sweet amber and tonka base. I need to own a bottle of this one, as it's a real delight to wear and a great pick me up.