Comme des Garcons Series 3 Incense: Jaisalmer

The first time around, I found this to be the best balanced, and least of an "outlier" among the incense series. (Hopefully that doesn't mean boring). It's more of a straightforward, sweet wood in the top notes, with just a hint of spice to begin with, but that will grow. Cinnamon like in Maharadjah starts to appear pretty quickly, and gets very strong but doesn't completely overshadow the initial wood note, something that I find happens too often in spicy wood scents. The spices here are very "warm", or even hot, but it's not spicy in terms of burning or being peppery. It has the garam masala spice blend of chai tea, but in spite of the "incense" label, it blends them almost solely with wood, not with smoke. I honestly prefer this, when I consider how Tea for Two is almost ruined for me by too much smokiness. Later the ardent fire of the spices cools down, and the smooth, middle-of-the-road sweet wood returns, and it ends up resembling Sequoia somewhat, but with a more polished rather than raw wood aspect. There's still enough creamy sandalwood along with that slight crayon-waxiness to show that it's Indian-inspired, but like Ouarzazate it's not over-the-top, not trying too hard to be exotic. Another balanced, sophisticated winner from the Incense series!

This is so nice! However, two minuses. One, the performance and the sillage are veeeeery weak. Almost non-existent. The projection is so intimate I almost can't smell it unless I put my wrist directly to my nose. Two, unfortunately I don't recognise this smell as anything related to Hinduism which is a shame because Avignon, Zagorsk and Kyoto are all true to their concept and smell exactly like religious places they are affiliated with. I expected this perfume to smell more like Rien Intense Incense from ELDO, which gives me Hinduism feel from the first spray. But to me Jaisalmer mostly smells like cloves and wine (mulled wine?). A little sweet, a little bitter, very pleasant and interesting. I like it a lot and I wish so much it was a stronger smell, I would wear it all year around. The incense in it is still very distinct and enjoyable, it's a very unique take on it. I am glad Jaisalmer is in my incense collection and it's definitely not the worst one in the Series 3 (I am looking at you, Ouarzazate...) but yeah, the performance is a major flaw and probably will be the only reason I might not repurchase the bottle in the future.

Speaking solely about the smell, for me, this is one of the nicest perfumes ever. Like, if Indian marketplace really smells this way, I'll have to move to India someday. It has that trademark incense note of CdG and, especially, Series 3, but, other than that, there's a whole new world around. The incense backbone is surrounded by an abundance of spices in the opening - mostly cardamom and pepper, but with a dash of cinnamon as well, and later there is a fine mixture of ebony and oriental resins as well. This simplified picture, though, can't describe how divine the smell is, through the top, heart and base notes, all the time. Unfortunately, the longevity is abysmal on my skin. I can't get more than an hour or two out of this one, and that's really a shame. It also doesn't project well while it's present, and that doesn't help either. To make things even worse, this is as wearable and as unique as any CdG, so that just makes all this more sad. This is an one-of-a-kind smell, aura and atmosphere but, unfortunately, with very, very short life. 10/10 for the smell 7/10 for the perfume

As others have mentioned, this has a very strong pine note at the opening, that lasts for at least 30 minutes. In fact, it's so loud that it smothers pretty much anything else for a while. And then it fades away (never completely though) and the incense shines trough. And how it shines! It's calming, warming, comforting AND not the least bit churchy. While I love Avignon, I find it hard to wear because of the strong churchy connotations; no such fear with Jaisalmer. This is not a meditating fragrance like Avignon or Kyoto, this is an incense to wear when out clubbing. IMO, it's the most wearable of the Incense series (along with Quarzazate but that lacks any lasting power). The spices (cardammon & pepper) warm this up, making it perfect for colder weather. In fact, I find this much more 'flamboyant' than Encens Flamboyant which I also own and although I like to layer my incense scents with other perfumes, I think is too rich to need any 'embelishment'. After 4 samples, I finally invested in a FB and I can see myself wearing it quite often. A must try for incense lovers!

Indiaaaaaaaah! Sweet powdery cinnamon bliss. Like diving into a giant 50-metre vat of the stuff, except it's not at all choking, nor overdone; somehow, though dry as dust, it strokes rather than suffocating. The rest of the spice is soft and subtle, all arid no acrid. Beautiful gaiacwood so sweet and gentle I took it for sandalwood, only an especially classy and upmarket version. On me, not many of the darker notes (pepper, incense, ebony) come through very strongly; it's just light, terracotta-pink, pillowy soft yet never cloying, all around. That gorgeous dusty-pinkish-red of Mughal palaces and Indian cotton prints. They named it well and made a scent with similar beauty. The drawback - sillage is over-shy, and longevity's not amazing (as with the rest of this series on me), though sprayed on with the abandon it deserves, it'll survive up to 6-7h as a faint but gorgeous aura on the body. Sadly not much longer on fabrics, my usual tactic for lovely heartbreakers like this. Reasonably priced IF your skin lets it endure.

Could it be that people who don't smell spices and only smell pine sap got this mixed up with Avignon or zagorsk? To me this scent is extremely spicy with cardamom and cinnamon and some clear your nostrils strong herbal incense then rich balsamic woods. I am a woman with a low skin temperature and don't sweat so this perfume lasts me for half the day and lingers on my clothes for days after, so I am very careful not to apply more than two or three sprays max. This is the most well blended and balanced scent of the four, Kyoto is a bit too tannic and dry and Avignon is very overpoweringly one dimensional, the Moroccan one is a bit nondescript, but this scent is both spiritual and earthly at the same time. The sombering vaporousness of the camphorous notes and the biting almost painful heat of the cinnamon gives an almost mind cleansing sensation. Then the rich warm incense and sweet mysterious cardamom really grounds you. Love!

When I was a student in Amsterdam in the early 2000's I used to go to this little store that sold CDG clothes and perfume just to get a whiff of Jaisalmer and 2Man. I thought they were the best perfumes in the universe. I never actually bought them. Finally I got a bottle as a birthday present! And I realized that you should not wait 20 years for something you love... not only because you should get the things you like, and not settle for less, but also because you change and things change in respect to you and to time. I am not as overwhelmed with this perfume as I used to be, just as I won't be overwhelmed with a shirt I used to love 20 years ago. Not everything is a classic. Having said that, I still like it very much, it has the signature CDG incense scent, and it reminds me now a lot of Yogi Tea (especially the strong scents it used to produce in the past... when I was still a student in Amsterdam...).

Initially Jaisalmer is a dry and austere balsamic incense loaded with fresh pine sap. If it contains spices, they’re not much in evidence. I’m not sure what the Indian connection is, because it doesn’t smell at all like typical Indian incense. What it smells like is church incense accompanied by one of the best pine resin notes I’ve ever smelled in a perfume. A couple of hours into the drydown, I imagine that I smell a little patchouli, but it may have been left over from something I was working with earlier. The scent remains mostly linear, just the lovely warm pine balsam that reminds me of the rosin that’s used on violin bows. After the initial phase there’s not a lot of sillage, but the skin scent lasts all day. Jaisalmer is a unique take on incense. I really enjoyed testing it, and will surely end up using all of my sample, then possibly going back for more.

One of the very few fragrances where it follows the pyramid truly and exactly. Fresh, warm, spicy, uplifting. An easygoing exotic scent with intimate projection, so there’s no fear of clearing out a room with this. At a distance it shows a pleasant dewy greenness, and the harmonious blend of spices and wood appear as you get closer. I personally think it’s the best of the whole line, which may be an unpopular opinion. It is the black sheep of the CdG incense line, maybe because the concept of incense plays such a minor role in the greater atmosphere of this scent. If you’re looking for showstopping and beastly performance, this is not it. If you like intimate strength and like to have the option of a couple extra sprays without taking a major risk, then this is perfect.

I feel cloves & cinnamon, and some very sweet wood. It's quite lineal, but gets less spicy/aggressive with time, the cloves that make you sneeze fly away leaving some sweet creamy woody base, that still has incense to it. What i wanted to mention, is that it's actually pretty long lasting. I apply it in the morning, and next day still hear the last notes it from my clothes and my phone case. People claim it's one of the weakest in the series, but it doesn't mean it's weak. Overall, i like catching it throughout the day, makes me feel very comfy and "on my own wavelength". Office safe, because it feels like you're carrying your household's smell on you throughout the day, and doesn't read much like perfume.

What a comforting scent! Picture yourself as a child playing with the spice rack and opening the jar of nutmeg. I’m amazed at how this effect is produced though a combination of smokey incense and cardamom notes. I was late to sample Jaisalmer, but I’m glad I did. I would rank it equal to Avignon in quality, originality, and universal appeal. Like the other Series 3 offerings, it stays close to the wearer, which is plus consider the pungency of incense fragrances. The scent lasts about 2-3 hours, which is fine if you don’t mind carrying a small atomizer. Scent 10/10 Originality: 10/10 Sillage: 1-2 feet Longevity: 2-3 hours

Holy Yet Human (Evelyne Boulanger, 2002) If you like incense, but can't handle Avignon maybe Jaisalmer is the solution. In Jaisalmer, the incense is perfectly balanced with spices, amber and transparent woodiness. It possess the internal primordial duality: archaic by incense and contemporary by high concentrations of Iso E Super. Holy yet human. Those seeking for hedonism will enjoy in Oriental spiciness of bazaar, while those seeking for internal peace will enjoy the clarity of incense. Jaisalmer represents the duality of live, perfectly represented by Evelyne Boulanger. Rating: 8/10

Like others have said, this is a novel and pleasantly spicy twist on incense that would be fbw if it lasted longer on skin. I get the slightest fruity tinge from red berries in the opening along with a fresh zesty/spicy woody incense. As the incense fades to the back a lovely cardamom milk tea scent develops, very cozy and yummy. Since these have been around for a very long time now, I wonder what else has been made in a similar vein that might have a stronger presence. 3.5 out of 5.

324 Slight similarity to Zefiro at opening to mid; however, no medicinal note like Zefiro has at dry-down. It’s peppery fresh, a touch of sweet spices, incense. I love this but it has poor projection and longevity. Sprayed generously, it becomes so quiet immediately. It’s a shame. I’ll use it up in warm weather. 9/10-for composition 0/10-extremely weak Would not repurchase.

I agree with samuel.martin.1 that this is a lot like masala chai. On me it starts out more like the dry tea leaves and spices before brewing, then the dry down mellows to a chai latte. On me, the dry down smells kind of like Tibetan Mountain Temple by Pacifica, but more peppery. Delicious!

This one turned out to be my favourite one of the series it was Kyoto at first and I went to start saving that one and using this one more to save the other then fell in love with this one way more. it’s a strange sent to me. I like weird earthy smelling perfumes

Adding to my collection of Comme des Garçons fragrances, Jaisalmer is the second of Series 3: Incense I have bought (Avignon being the first, duh). Jaisalmer is a beautiful warm piquant fragrance with clear notes of cinnamon, pine, and cardamom. As it dries down, you get a constant throb of pepper and wood. It's as if you're walking into a South-East Asian spice market and perusing through all the different jars of spices. It does lean more on the sweeter side than other spicier fragrances, but it is by no means saccharine. Overall it is really just such a pretty scent and I don't tire of smelling it on me, much like the rest of Series 3: Incense. It's also a very flexible unisex scent, being able to be worn throughout the day and into the evening. Th only downside is its projection and longevity. Jaisalmer's sillage is mediocre at best and that's after a very liberal spraying. It's longevity is weak, lasting at most a couple of hours on my skin. Then again, these are just my experiences with the fragrance, others may fare better depending on your skin type.

A woody/spicy scent which is also fresh can hardly get more pleasant than this, BUT: longevity and sillage are both so minimalistic that the scent is never enjoyable for any length of time that I would deem acceptable. Gone in an hour. And this from the company that was capable of making their “2” scent one of the biggest beast-mode bruisers ever. But still, the scent itself is so nice: the incense is never church-like (big plus), but rather nicely spiced with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and cedar. Should’ve been 9/10, but only deserves 5/10.

Great scent this one...reminds me of lots of things but I still can't quite place what? It's a spicy and oriental, right out of the gate the cardamom and dry pepper are there with a clean pure incense which feels somehow cleansing. Something slightly tiger balmy in the opening but settles to a very subtle scent. 2 down 3 to go and the series is a total hit with me so far let's hope one of the next ones I try is an absolute knockout!

warm, spicy, smells like your local Indian shop – in a good way. the opening is very cardamom/cinnamon heavy. it has a slight sweetness to it, so the main incense note is not as in-your-face. great in theory, but the lasting power and sillage is almost criminal. i sprayed this fragrance on my wrist around 15 minutes ago and it's almost gone. keep that in mind when making a purchase.