Comme des Garcons Series 3 Incense: Ouarzazate

I've been eager to review this one because I remember it being different enough from the other four to treat it like its own entity. The first time I tried it, it was like no other fragrance I'd ever experienced, like ethereal jasmine on top of wood. It's very tea-like and otherworldly right from the start...the top notes are a quiet, moderately sweet blend of flowery black tea and nicely grained wood, but not resinous, exotic wood. It's very simple, but in a comforting way, not a harsh or minimalist way. I see an image of plainly finished but contemporary furniture and sleek tableware in an elegant home, and they're made of solid conventional wood, with a non-edgy, semi-asian-inspired design. The scent has just a hint of something that reminds me of C. Howard's violet candies, but not enough to bother me like some violet notes. I only start to notice the jasmine (lotus?) in the residue on the tip of my nose after sniffing my sample. It's there, not as strong as I remember, but getting stronger throughout the mid notes. Oddly enough, the wood actually seems to fade out and the florals to fade in. I'm not sure if you could officially call it a masculine floral, but after trying so many of those that I didn't like, this is really something that I could get lost in and also wear comfortably in the real world. I kind of wish it were stronger for how expensive it is, but the translucency, balance and restraint are just outstanding; it can't possibly be so simple and yet so perfect.

Mmm... I've had this one for 3 months now and it's becoming harder and harder to choose it for any occasion... it's got certain interesting moments which last for many hours but zero projection and the worst part for me is its herbal vibe. Herbal as in a thick chicken with bitter herbs all around and guaiac wood so loud... I sound contradictory : Is it a strong or soft perfume? well... you barely notice it but when you smell it from very close, it's chicken and herbs. Perhaps my being vegetarian doesn't help to enjoy this fully, lol... but it's so annoying when you have to apply half a bottle to get a hint of a perfume... and even worse when the actual smell borders on bitter food. It could be a great male scent if they took that part away... and it's quite unpredictable when applied to women. Sometimes it gives them a certain allure I would at least try in case you girls were tired of sickly sweet and floral perfumes. A very bad start for CDG Incense series in my Carestinian life... I'll check the other ones and comment on them. I didn't even feel this as an incense anyway... disappointing.

la serie 3 di CDG ha proposto negli anni variazioni sul tema dell'incenso, come nota comune di esperienze spirituali assai diverse (cattolicesimo, induismo, islamismo etc etc). questo che provo oggi, ispirato all'islam, è piuttosto diverso da quanto mi aspettavo. benchè centrato sul franchincenso, questo piccolo delizioso esercizio di stile, è poco invasivo: pur restituendo le impressioni di un magreb fatto di te alla menta, spezie e resine, ci riesce in maniera poco orientale. l'impressione è elegante, quasi si trattasse di un soffio leggero di brezza mediterranea, e si dipana attraverso sensazioni mai prepotenti. come già detto si rintracciano note di menta, legni, spezie e resine, nessuna in particolare, tutte a mostrarci un pomeriggio passato in un giardino con alberi di limone. molto buono, evocativo, peccato che sia davvero troppo leggero.

I love this one and is my favorite of the series. Mostly I smell fresh, cool, peppered woods mingling with an herbal greenness, some frankincense and some labdanum and a touch of vanilla in the base giving it a bit of sweetness in the drydown. I register this scent more as a "woods" than an "incense". And of the outdoorsy variety. It's a fairly quiet scent and lasts longer over a little body oil. Also great for layering with a rose or amber perfume/oil. I wore it layered over Aftelier's Ancient Resins body oil tonight to a meditation group and it wafted softly around me while still being unobtrusive and was super calming and uplifting for me. I will add that I've gotten more compliments on this scent than probably any other that I wear.

This is a lot like 2 Man minus the prominent frankincense note plus oranges and spices. Ok, this is put very simply, but the difference between this and 2 Man is just way too small, i blind bought this and i own both this and 2 Man and there is really no need to have them both since they are very much alike. If i had to choose between this and 2 Man it would be the latter though, this is more fresh while 2 Man is darker and paradoxically more incense like then Ouarzazate. Scent: 9/10 great, gentle, soft, versatile. Originality: 2/10, 2 Man is basically the same with few different elements. The sillage is not good though, it fades away from strong and very in your face to almost a skin scent in less than one hour.

Bright almost lemony/Limey citrus (from the labdanum perhaps?) in this is so invigorating! Very woody and then as you inhale deeper you get a spicy edge of incense and pepper. Drys down to a lovely close scent which is unlikely to offend anyone...incense lover or not. Ouarzazate was not what I was expecting at all. I thought I wanted this collection to go in a Stronger, harder direction but this much lighter offering is just the tonic and my favourite so far, from an interesting bunch. This collection truly takes you on a unique journey with each fragrance and this one is probably the most conventional, and accessible wearable amongst them.

Incense over a peppery, powdery, almost musty base. Smooth and polished. Dry but not dusty, like smoothly planed wood. At the same time there's an herbaceous quality, not the zingy aromatic herbs but that of dry hills. Subtly soapy, a smooth, expensive soap. I accidentally dumped half the contents of a sample on myself but it's not loud at all; started off with a very modest sillage and pretty much turned into a skinscent an hour later. I know this is supposed to be Morrocan but to me it smells like a Japanese temple, especially during the long dry down. A subdued and refined fragrance but not boring. Lovely and very wearable.

Spicy woods with just enough vanilla and incense in the background. The best of the CdG Incense series, and would be one of my favorite fragrances period if its performance weren't so bad. It lasts maybe a few hours with soft sillage until becoming a skin scent. I'm going to try it in the summer to see if the heat improves it. I would love to find a heavier version of this, but no such luck as of yet.

Overall: 8.5/10 Here's Why: Smoky, Green, Soft, Strong and Vintage. This is a cathedral of a fragrance. Sprawling and wide, open for interpretation. Soft and bold all at once, spicy and musky. Its fresh without being overly green, its musky without smelling like an '80's powerhouse. Great Fragrance. Plays well with others. Lasts about 5-6 hours and dies down for another 2-3.

Right out of the gates this slight little thing is linden bract, pepper, and jasmine. "Alright!" one thinks, "This could be my day!" 2o minutes later, the dry/let-down is nearly identical to Mr. Buxton's 2 Man, which, though excellent, make one wonder if that vivacious, sweet/green/astringent opening was just a lovely dream. I love it, but I don't trust it!

Got a sample with my Avignon purchase and oh, my, the pepper and tea piled on top of incense is breathtaking. On my skin rich, spicy without leaning into wearable curry territory (looking at you, Gujarat by Olympic Orchids), warm without being cloying. Probably my favourite one so far out of the series, but I still need to try Zagorsk and Jaisalmer

Another gorgeous addition to this line! I own Kyoto and Avignon already, and this one offers a new slant, another mystical take that I don't feel I already have. The green tea note seals the deal! Illuminating!!!

this is my favorite of the incense line. i used to own zagorsk but found it to be way too cold and soapy. this is really warm, spicy, and inviting, and smells the most like the type of incense i’m familiar with

A new purchase for me (just purchased the entire CdG incense series), and already one of my favourite incense perfumes. I love the sage in this one.

Suave spicy guaiac incense Very different and much less 'polarizing' than Kyoto or Avignon, which are very particular and unique. Ouarazate is, as expected from a country as culinary exquisite as Morocco, more of a feel good scent rather than something that will have you convening with the gods, like Avignon does, more so appetizing rather than polarising. The black pepper opening is very reminiscent of CdG black pepper, 'melting' into a smoky guaiac note, reminding me for a few milliseconds of peppered BBQ. Soon some light green undertones blend with the frankincense to remind us that incense is theme here. Dries down to a cedar-y, peppery incense skin scent. Quite lovely, but not as memorable. Would be FBW if I didnt already own several incense and pepper fragrances that i resonate more with. Worth checking out.

Loved it, as I loved all of the CDG incenses - this one has a particular airy, dry, spicy sweetness and less resin than any of the others. On me it seemed to have a bunch of cinnamon sticks, too, but apparently not. Would be a straightforward want, except that the longevity on me was atrocious - skin only by 15 minutes in and totally gone in 45. Desert mirage that leads you on with promises of great things, but vanishes the nearer you get. What a shame, but I'll start saving for some Tauer ADDM, or CDG Avignon, instead.

In a very similar vein to Jaisalmer with more black pepper, and a savory spice freshness, with the incense being much more forward. Atmosphere is on the darker side, but nothing brooding or morose about it. It is like quiet vespers in the warm twilight. The tea note continually lifts the dark, warm spice and incense into a serene vignette, upholding a sense of gentle brightness. This and Jaisalmer are my favorites of the line. Exotic spice without unnecessary intensity.

so good i want to cry. fresh, clean, peppery/spicy incense - the incense is in more of a supporting role here rather than the star. you will get what you expect looking at the notes, imo not the best longevity and i can't think of an occasion for it (though i would love to be wearing this at my own open-casket funeral) so i'm not sure if i can justify a fb - but it's really a pleasure to sniff. would love to smell this on a man

Oh Ouarzazate what can I say about you? Only the best! At least from the incense collection Ouarzazate is the nicest scent to my nose. It opens up with a blast of citrus fruit and then later settles on to an incense tea combination. At the base there is also the guaiac wood there that gives it a woody character to round it up. <3 this scent

Ouarzazate is the most cologne-like of the Comme des Garcons incense series. Like the others, it is subtle and does not have strong projection, but it lasted through a full workday. It's unisex, but just a touch too masculine for me. Highly recommend if you are looking for a subtle incense-based men's fragrance.