Dendera

The sheer joy in Peter Carter’s (who shares a surname with a famous Egyptologist) Dendera derives from its uncompromisingly homemade indie nature, as Florista below aptly calls it ‘the hippie/granola aesthetic’ If you want mellifluous symphonic compositions in which the constituent parts cannot be discerned easily it may be best to go for something by a major house like Chanel or Guerlain. Dendera combines two distinct arms of Ancient perfumery: that of the Luxurious oriental Oud/rose blend or the candied delight of the myrrh/labdanum/vanilla combo that I particularly enjoy here, which would be expected for a first outing by a brand that wishes to invoke the eternal nature and order of the cosmos through scent. Both seem at first to be companion gracenotes in a decorative Orientalist ditty played on the Oud (the lute-like musical instrument in middle-eastern music whose minor keys and lack of frets provide the melancholic ambience for which it is known, and which means ‘wood’ in Arabic, for both the perfume and instrument material), but it soon becomes apparent hey are the bones of the scent, sustaining the structure on either end like the mullions between glass panes in a skyscraper curtain wall, imparting strength while allowing air and light to permeate. This weight yet clarity is achieved quite innovatively here by a distinct lack of sweetness or floralcy usually so prevalent in either rose/Oud or Arabic amber compositions, some prime examples of which are Ex Idolo’s 33 or Grand Soir or Laboratorio Olfattivo’s Alkemii, or even the scent Dendera seems to get compared to a lot, LADDM - all popular and rendered ‘modern’ by a roundedness attained via sweetness. Dendera eschews that luscious body by having each natural material take its turn in the spotlight - first, the Myrhh, then the slightly animalic Vietnamese Oud, then the Labdanum and the Orris butter (the Rooibos tea nuances of which Peter Carter lovingly discusses in his YouTube videos on the creation of Dendera become hugely apparent in the drydown half a day later, just after the rose absolute’s glimmer has died down) it all makes for something rather sombre, yet never claustrophobic; it interacts beautifully on the skin as all quality naturals should. This should never go on clothing though - on fabric it is both eternal and totally lacking in complexity while also amplifying that sour sweaty skank of oud, losing al the beautiful airy resinous bits as the rest evaporates. This works it’s magic on skin (and on wooden jewellery that absorbs both the perfume and the warmth of your own skin) What this all equates to is something wonderfully ‘dry’ and archaic - a total refutation of modern perfumery, and its commercial aims of being either coquettish, conceptual, or merely expensive. I would be very interested to see how he interprets both the present and the future with much more familiar aroma-materials, and the ever popular fruity esters and ethyl maltols in his white and blue bottles, because they seem so at odds with what he has made with Dendera.

Peter’s nose has anticipated my taste in the past, which is why I was willing to blind-buy a full bottle of his first amber fragrance. While I expected great things from Dendera, it delivered something wonderfully unexpected: Dendera brings out the best in myrrh, my favorite of the odiferous resins. If you’re a fan of myrrh, this one’s for you—and if you aren’t a fan of myrrh, this one’s for you to sample and use as a basis to re-evaluate your preferences. Dendera opens with a classic blend of mixed spices reminiscent of Diptyque’s Eau Lente... without that somewhat caustic cumin note. Immediately, the sharper aspects of frankincense begin to assert themselves, along with a strangely brief but warm and humid labdanum. The mid follows quickly, within about two minutes, as frankincense becomes bolder and sandalwood emerges strong onto the scene. This sandalwood is pleasantly dusty and inoffensive, neither acrid nor remarkable. Finally, after a few minutes, the higher fruity and menthol notes of myrrh begin to stir. After a half hour has passed, myrrh, sandalwood, and an assertive oud vie for dominance. After a full hour, the sandalwood has receded somewhat, while oud lingers as a thick, earthy base supporting the myrrh. Ambergris is present, here, buoying the myrrh upward into one’s nose. This is where I see the real brilliance of Dendera: Oud and ambergris foreground and broaden the myrrh, giving it a sustained fruitiness, a hearty, earthy base, and no hint of that medicinal bite which often characterizes one-note, run-down myrrhs. While most elements of this fragrance fade by the fourth hour, the myrrh itself, still somewhat complex, lasts for a day—hey, folks, it’s an extrait. Dendera is a lovely amber that demonstrates how varied, rich and intriguing myrrh can be when it has the right supporting notes. In terms of improvement, Dendera’s labdanum note fades too quickly, at least on my skin, and would have really enhanced the first hour of performance had it lasted.

I've only worn this properly once from my sample but wanted to get my initial review up on here (it's already on YouTube). Dendera to me is primarily about the incense, the opening feels very potent and I imagine it's the scent of wizards and magic potions, Harry Potter comes to mind! I notice the oud in the opening but it's handled with a light touch and oud haters like myself need not run away scared. It lends a slight meatiness but it's so light and only detectable up very close, the main thing I'm smelling in this opening is floral scented incense smoke, an amber like resin accord, an earthy / mineral aspect and quite strong hot peppery spices that feel very,very dry. The scent changes gently on my skin, this is no roller coaster but it's also far from linear. The development is so smooth that you could be forgiven for thinking that it's linear unless you study and take notes along the way! The rose in here is never too obvious to my nose but I can sometimes struggle to pick out rose in fragrances for some reason. The amber accord in here is beautiful, a bit powdery and smooth (maybe benzoin), yet with a richness (possibly labdanum. The fragrance is quite woody and dry especially through the heart notes where you get quite a strong grassy yet dry vetiver. There's a very light sweetness running through from start to finish but I find that the sweetness increases through the wearing. The final embers of this on my skin are salty, woody, slightly sweet and undefinably sexual but not in any animalic way. Despite it's potency the scent is ethereal and acts almost like a thin veil of smoke around you much like the incense smoke that accompanies this fragrance all the way through, albeit in different doses at different times. Clearly a well thought out and painstaking effort from the perfumer and well worth testing for all incense and amber lovers.

A blast from the past. Very dry, dusty and austere. Not a safe blind buy and an acquired taste. It's a 'dare to wear' kind of a scent. Very bold release from The House of Centauri. It opens with thick black smoke, burned leaves, charred wood with some burnt rubber,medicinal notes and spices. Then it warms up just a little with precious resins. First sniff and it reminded me of Donna Karan Black Cashmere. Something I smelled around 17 years ago,at the time when it was long discontinued. That one has amassed a cult following in the crazy fragrance community of Poland. It brings back long forgotten childhood memories of scouring a dusty attic for some lost treasures. Many nights spent by a camp fire. Playing close to WWII bunkers. The mustiness of bare wall cellars where I used to live. Smell of an old green army backpack. For me, it's not a perfume seen as something you would adorn yourself with, it's more of a certain mood and aura of the times passed. I cannot wear it on my skin as it does something weird while it dries down but I will still enjoy it on clothes. Is it safe to wear in public? If you are a professor of Egyptology nobody will bat an eyelid. For me as a woman I have to add some simple vanilla fragrance to wear it out, just to make it a bit more feminine. With Orchidee Vanille, it smells like spiced chocolate. The bottle and presentation are top notch. A ruby gem on my shelf.

I am a fan of Peter and enjoy sampling his journey as a perfumer. This is an insane first release,it is supremely natural smelling and for my senses nails the feeling of moist old dirt, you do get the sense of this beeing more so the smell of a place than of a person. I enjoyed denderra, it is something however that I just enjoy smelling now and again as a novelty piece, not something I would wear, as opposed to Gaea (imo his best release) which is also artistic, but remaining easy to wear. If perfume as an art form is your thing check it out! If you are a collector of obscure fragrances these are some of the best showcasing bottles I have come across in terms of design and quality. This is a love but not something I would like to own. I will also mention it has NOTHING to do with LDDM, zero in common. As for performance it has good longevity (about 8 hours) with meaningful transitions, but it doesn't project a whole lot, however in my wearings I do tend to catch wiffs of it throughout it's life and I suppose that is due to the fact the smell itself is so novel that my brain tends to want to pick it up.

Opens with a big cloud of cinnamon with a little something underneath that seems to just blast the fragrance off your skin. Kind of reminiscent of a red hot candy. Oddly, I've never experienced such a strong cinnamon that dissappears so fast, because to my nose it gets replaced by nutmeg and oud pretty quickly. This particular oud used in this composition has an ever so slight medicinal feel, or therapeutic perhaps. Then a stronger incense rises, it is a bit of a bright incense if that makes sense, almost has a minty touch to it. Ambergris lasts longest on skin from Dendera, as I can smell it very close to the skin 16 hours later. I would suggest it as masculine, and will definitely appeal to fans of this style of fragrance. Smelling it outside in the cold air only improves the overall fragrance as well. Top quality stuff.

Living in the Middle East, I smell Bukhoor incense burning in many malls and in street side markets, and I sometimes burn it at my home. This fragrance is like burning some of this, where the smoke from the oud and myrrh you get in the air is very dry and dusty. But then what makes it different is the presence (at least on my skin) of an intense nutmeg and Vetiver, which brings a new dimension to the experience. I am thankful also that the rose is not too prominent like in many oriental fragrances, and this keeps the whole thing lighter and more airy. Kudos to Peter for introducing a nice experience, I’d happy wear this anywhere here in the constant air conditioning. To be honest I haven’t smelled ELDOs Spice Must Flow, but Dendera could well have been the fragrance that evokes the movie Dune for me!

My first thoughts upon smelling this perfume were of Christmas. I smell incense, church resins burning and the holy smoke filling my nose and enveloping my soul. I really love this perfume. The spices are beautifully blended w/ the woody qualities of the oud and the myrrh to create a spiritual experience. This smells ancient, reverent and holy. I have watched Peter on his youtube channel from time to time and noticed that he thinks deeply about perfume and many other things. He seems like a nice fellow and I am glad to see his line do quite well. I think I may have to contribute to his bank account and buy a bottle of this very spiritually touching and deep perfume. This is a bottle that my husband and I can both share, it is one of those rare perfumes that is truly unisex.

In the opening the oud is prominent, but soft and multifaceted. A combination of beautifully sweet nutmeg and cinnamon supports it. Then, I get a rich yet airy, mossy yet bright, earthy floral vibe as well as a green incense that will end up softening and floating over all other notes until the late drydown. Now all the noise is gone, and on my skin Dendera smells like a medicinal, herbal, eucalyptus-like incense shining light on a base of sweetly spiced, salty myrrh, soft woods, and an alluring ambergris. Although not for everyone, this fragrance is likeable, rich, unique, mellow, and soulful.

I wanted to love L'air du Desert Marocain but the dry down was just too sweet for my liking. This is perfect. In no way is it the same scent but runs in a simular vane. What really puts this over the top is the orris butter. By a good margin, my favorite fragrance and I have smelt quite a bit at this point in my fragrance journey. Even if you don't end up liking it, you would be doing yourself a disservice not to sample. 10 out of 10 for me and I will never be without a bottle. Ps. I am not a shill. I didn't like a few of his releases (Proxima and Anthea)

Let me start by saying, i a. A lover of the deep, dark, smoky resinous fragrances. Not a floral kind of girl. But the rose in this is exquisite. A smoky rose. I definitely get the cinnamon and the earth all shrouding this burgundy colored rose who has just begun to open in the middle of an atrium in the middle of a palace in the middle of a bygone era in the middle kemet. Lovely.

Mysterious, Dark, Addictive. Not for the faint hearted. Very oriental. Not something you wear to the office AT ALL. At first I was put off but the more I wore it, the more I wanted to keep putting it on! Its all about cinnamon, nutmeg, myrrh, oud with a touch of orris and rose. SO UNIQUE.

This was love at first sniff for me when I got the Centauri sampler set. The best Myrhh forward fragrance I have ever smelled. This is what Cleopatra would have smelled like. Now I can smell like Cleopatra and I am happy.

This is a perfect “niche” scent. Its unique. Smells old and dirty. Quality oud. Just a well crafted blend. Great job Peter

As far as authentic myrrh fragrances go, this is pretty good and it's rare to get something showcasing the more off kilter, dry, medicinal side of resins, fitting with the ancient theme of the brand very well I thought. The opening is a bold spice statement from cinnamon but it's nicely tempered into an 'accord' of sorts with a nutmeg note, smelling predominantly of neither, which is a good balance. It's a little chaotic though, disjointed and very 'Indy' like (I mean what else do I expect from an indy?) I didn't have expectations of Peter being Thierry Wasser on his first foray, but let's face it, the guy has talked a big game on his youtube channel and anything less than life changing brilliance is sure to be a disappointment. Dendera is good, don't get me wrong, the way it settles to this opoponax/myrrh orris smell is pleasurable wear, the spicy opening is nicely transient (about 30 mins of top notes) and flows into that main body of the fragrance. I don't really detect the oud overtly (which was another surprise) but I've no doubt it's holding all this other stuff together. The first time I applied it as well as the spicy top I found a sharp, sappy wood/resin(like atlas cedar or olibanum), almost camphorous note but upon the second application it was replaced by more of an outright myrrh from the get go. (that's why you should always sample multiple times if you can) There's lots to like here but something about it doesn't quite hang together and it didn't speak to me personally in the way that I had hoped. It behaves like a 'proper' perfume there's clearly top, middle and base notes and it lasts very well. Worth a sniff but didn't grab me.

Dendera is not my kind of perfume at all. Even so, I have to recognize the originality and quality of the fragrance and that is why my review is not at all negative, even though it is a fragrance that I would not use in my personal life. The output is interesting, very spicy and ambery, sometimes it reminds me a bit of the aroma of a vegetable stew but with body and charisma. As it dries, the smoked incense and the medicinal oud appear with force, going from a spicy balsamic point to a very smoky woody one. The longevity is very good but the projection and the trail it leaves are quite limited. It reminds me a lot of Indy oud from Ponsa Barcelona, although I like the one from Ponsa more since it maintains more the point of spicy oud, and a bit of au coeur du dessert de tauer, with that point of dirty, animalistic and very spicy amber. I see it as a unisex perfume, although if a woman decides to wear it I think it has to be someone with a lot of personality. Although it seems to me a scent rather for cold climates, I feel it more during the day than at night, since it is not sexy or even pleasant at all. It is a perfume with a serious nature and to be worn especially by mature people. Scent: 7.5 Longevity: 9 Sillage: 6 Versatility: 6 Originality: 9 Overall: 7.5

I'm not at all an experienced fraghead and I have no idea how the different exclusive notes in this perfume should smell, but I've had a really exciting couple of days living with the scents, how it changes over time and how different it can smell on different days. I could see the picture of an serene dusty cellar or tomb, like the actual Egyptian tombs in the pyramids and the timeless ancient culture you can experience there. My first impression of the perfume was actually an artstudio though! The oil colors, the quite white room, some spilled colors on the dusty cement floor. It's not a super clean place, but it doesn't matter because its's clean in the sens your mind is in a special calm place and you're able to focus on the creative work. The austere room makes you focus mentally. I think there is similarities between that mental state when you are totally focused on your work so that you forget the time and the timeless sacred feeling you can experience in a place like the pyramids. I used to paint a lot and maybe this perfume might help me focus!

Centauri Perfumes Dendera is one of the original two releases from this UK-based house in late 2019, certainly the darkest and most cold-weather-leaning of the house’s trio of releases so far. Dendera is primarily spicy, a mix of cinnamon, resins, oud, and iris, with some background modulators like vanilla and rose, though I really get the spices above all. That isn’t to say that it’s overwhelmingly or unenjoyably spicy, as I feel it’s quite well done. It’s spicy slightly in the way of savory food, almost being a bit edible, like a nice seasoning, with some smoky nuances. It’s a very interesting exploration of spice and resin, a departure from the norm, not quite like anything I’ve smelled before. Dendera performs noticeably better than Gaea and Proxima, fitting with the notes and profile of the scent. It’s priced higher than Proxima and Gaea, at $195 for 30ml, and is sold in the US through Ave Parfum and Luckyscent, as well as being available through the Centauri site. 7 out of 10

Finally! Some top quality niche perfumery with this ancient and haunting blend. Whoever previously described it as “maintaining the tomb of your dead ancestor, anointing with some drops of myrrh” is spot-on. This is sticky-dusty-resin, mummified Egyptian tomb realness. And just as I had the same morbid fascination with looking at the mummies in the British Museum as a child, I keep coming back to smelling this strange beauty. As foreboding as I’ve described it, it’s still fascinatingly beautiful and absurdly unique. A round of applause for this great wonder if the perfume world. Do I want to wear it in public? No. Can I stop myself smelling it in the perverse privacy of my own home? No. A classy, professional mature man could easily pull this off, but me in my pink Hello Kitty slippers...? Sadly no. Doesn’t stop me obsessively sniffing it though.

This starts with a great quality authentic oud (not the animalic stuff) and some other oriental notes that come together beautifully. I get great performance from this, still projecting softly 4 hours later with a myrrh-heavy drydown quite similar to Papillon Anubis.