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.

It's a nice scent. Having been to Ouarzazate, I was expecting something a bit more arid but this came off relatively fresh. It might be the wood or some other note. Performance is a bit below par, but I like this one overall. Great for a summer evening, you just might have to reapply.

A peppery/spicy incense that does not seem to have much staying power, (like its sisters), but might be useful in layering with dryer, vetiver-based fragrances such as Heeley's Vetiver Veritas. Or maybe just to be savoured on its own by incense-lovers everywhere!

Opens with amber and frankincense. After few minutes tea becomes apparent. It also has floral notes, probably the jasmine. The frankincense is very strong and stays until the end. The floral and tea part reminds me of GPH2.

The whole series is a must have for incense lovers. This one is a spicy incense with pepper and nutmeg. Evokes the perfume in Moroccan mosques. Beautifully put together with moderate projection and sillage.

Not bad at all. I could consider buying a small bottle for its originality. Very green, more than I tought. My opinion changed...I LIKE THIS like all incense series by CDG. 4/5

A bit more floral than others in this series, and I get more pepper than incense. While it is nice, it didn't wow me like Kyoto and Avignon did.

An aromatic, green take on incense. Its again, beautiful and the most different from the rest of this line.

The verdict is in, my Muslim dad thinks this smells like the malls in Makkah

I really wanted to love this because I absolutely adore every single fragrance in Series 3 collection and it would be so fitting if Ouarzazate was on the same level. But unfortunately it's just ok, which is especially disappointing because it was a blind buy and a gift. Ouarzazate smells more like a restaurant than a sacred space. There's some sort of a spice in there that immediately transports me to a restaurant setting and reminds me of food. It's dry and herbal. Even too herbal, and the incense here really amplifies that. At the same time it's somewhat true to its name as I also do get a desert and sand vibe in it. But overall it's the least wearable perfume from Series 3, still interesting in its own way but too dry, herbal and bitter for me and, unfortunately, doesn't compare to the rest in this series. The longevity and sillage are also extremely weak. It probably will be the only one in the incense series I won't repurchase in the future. P.S. the "reminds me" section in here is especially crazy, most of these are not even close to what Ouarzazate smells like.

From the whole series, my least liked. Extremely subtle and frankly underwhelming. Began with a heavy citrus/sour body, then after a few minutes transitions to a admittedly calming and pleasant incense + wood + tea scent. Sounds great, except unless I literally spray it in my nose, its imperceivable after 30 minutes - 1hr and certainly has next to zero sillage and projection. Its not unlike listening to one of your favorite songs via your headphones, but on the lowest possible volume and then going for a walk on a busy street. Sometimes you will hear (smell) something you like, but just barely, and before you know it the song is over (the scent has gone)

Ouarzazate is a dry, ISO E Super-heavy modern smoky incense. This is a crowded genre today and it’s easy to blow off as boring —but back in 2002 Mark Buxton was pioneering this austere minimalist style, so I should probably give it more credit. it’s very peppery — almost all black pepper for a period in the opening — with a smoky synthetic backdrop, and occasional hints of something bright and lemony. The whole thing is sheer and lightweight, and honestly interchangeable with a lot of other dry incenses, but it’s not a bad example, if not really my thing.

I really like this for the hour and a half it lasts on me. Comparisons to 2 MAN are very apt; it's really similar but trades 2 MAN's crisp aldehydes for a really enticing vanilla/warm spice that isn't present in the first fragrance. However, it projects for maybe half an hour and is almost undetectable on my skin by hour 3. It's a wonderful scent, just has really bad performance issues for me.

A light, very low projection incense and pepper opening for this. Honestly I didn't get much else from this one. Would have liked to see the labdunum or musk play more role here but this entire line is very soft/light and subtle. To this extent even as incense fragrances I rarely get much out from the. Aside from it and some supporting wood. For this one, mostly pepper. Still quite nice.

Fresh and peppery opening that mellows into a resinous, balsamic spa day. This didn’t last long at all on my skin, but was a nice less-green freshie while it was here. Lacks the projection and longevity I like. As an earlier review said, this is very sheer and lightweight. Great for those less comfortable with incense fragrances, but I like them stronger.

It's a great scent, but I just had to give it an ok. It smells too clean to be an incense fragrance, and the actual smell of incense I feel like gets lost behind all the spices and herbs in this. Wish it was an incense fragrance supported by all the other notes rather than the other way around.

An interesting cool spiced incense that reminds me of some of Lutens or Malles takes on spices like black pepper. It's simple and incredibly low projection like the volume is on 1 and you can barely hear it but its a nice background sound on the soft drydown.

It's a very simple peppery and spicy fragrance. To me, it was a bit too light and non-unique. I could barely feel it after a couple of hours. I don't think it's a bad fragrance, it's just way too too simple to me.

This one is the sweetest out of all from Incense Series that I've tested (Avignon, Zagorsk, Quarzazate). Starts off sweet-smoky, the sweetness is dominating, I'd say. It comes from guaiac wood-vanilla mix and probably some sweet fruits. Then incense comes into the game and starts its play. It's smooth and rather quiet compared to Zagorsk or Avignon. The sweetness stays put and you can still feel it. Later on mild herbal-green notes appear, especially tea (which smoothens composition even more), sage, anise and labdanum. I regret that cashmere wood is so barely detectable, I love its smell and it would make the fragrance more appealing and interesting for me. Sadly, this fragrance lasts approx. 3-4 hours on me. It's the shortest lasting incense from CdG... Very, very sad. Nevertheless I like it and I like contemplating while wearing Quarzazate.

There is only one word for this perfume--boring! This goes right up there with the likes of other overpriced niches like Gypsy Water and Oolong Infini. What is incense about this? Where is the palo santo or any of those other beautiful notes? This opens with an unexpected and intense citrus note, and it quickly dries down into a synthetic and linear tea scent. I am not Muslim, but I HIGHLY doubt this reminds anyone of incense used in Islam. Anything I have sampled from this CDG line has been a huge let-down, esp Avignon. There are much better incense perfumes on the market than any of these. Sillage and projection are pathetic. This perfume is more boring than watching snails race.

Ouarzazate is a simple fragrance of black pepper and incense. It leans feminine (because of the florals), is winterish (although projection is moderate), and has decent longevity. It brings to mind a flower shop in which incense is burning.

The worst of the incense series. This one is nauseating to me. There's some aquatic calone-like note bumming me out.

Having not been to Ouarzazate myself, let alone Morocco, I have to place in the perfumer’s shoes and nose, reimagining the scene as it played out in my mind. With the inspiration laid out in front of me, the scent transported me to the historic city itself. The fragrance placed me in a busy Kasbah of Taourirt, setting up on the high atlas mountain city upon the first sniff. It was bustling with trading activities among the merchants in the middle of an arid and bracing day, with fine sand picked up by winds brushing against my skin. To my left, the residents welcomed the sight of the travelling caravan that just arrived from Timbuktu, herding a flock of camels and slaves carrying precious cargo of spices and gold. To my right, a few people sought refuge in a makeshift tent, sipping tea in ornate cups. As I navigated through the bustling area, I picked up the abundance of spices in the air, well in this case, on my skin. I detected the bracing note of pepper caressing my skin, complementing well with the almost spicy-sweet aroma emanating from the nutmeg. What draws me most to the top notes of Ouarzazate was the incredible and yet, the mystical balsamic smell of incense. The smoky profile permeated through the air, exuding the mysterious vibe of Arabia as the merchants warmed this precious ingredient on a burner nearby. Ouarzazate’s heart notes transitioned past the half-hour mark due to the visible presence of clary sage. A herb that Morocco is known for, it emitted out a distinctive herbaceous, earthy aroma on my skin. The introduction of wenge wood, a legume tree native in the Republic of Congo, elevated the perfume profile to be very woody. Also, the direction the fragrance takes me became incredibly darker, suggesting one of the cargoes the camels were carrying were being traded to the carpenters for decorative types of furniture. My curiosity got the better of me while I scoured through the goods merchants were bringing in from the middle east, before discovering several cargoes containing precious vanilla pods and priceless musks. These elements were fairly noticeable on my skin, adding complexity to Ouarzazate’s middle scent profile with a subtle sweetness and powderiness respectively. With the sun setting across the horizon, it was my cue to seek out food. As I proceeded out of the bazaar, I walked past a small merchant selling imported leather goods and hides from his table. The labdanum’s scent profile attributed this image when Ouarzazate metamorphosised on my skin to its base notes after the four-hour mark. This, combined with the soothing properties of Kashmir wood, left my pulse points some warmth remnants from the evening sun. The blond wood’s existence was a genius move by the perfumer himself, suggesting it harmonises well with the other prominent notes such as frankincense and clary sage. All in all, I am generally happy with the perfume’s overall structure and performance of Ouarzazate on my skin. While I do have a slight complaint on its persistence and concentration (I wish for it to be in the Eau de Parfum strength), my takeaway for this perfume would be to bring the bottle (or a decant) with you to freshen up during a warmer and humid climate. In theory, it should perform well on a slightly arid and calmer landscape. But, it all boils down on your body’s chemistry and preference. Rating: 8.5/10 Read the rest of this post on my perfume blog found on my Fragrantica page.

the first thing that strikes me is the incense without the burnt smell-beautiful....strong without overwhelming. the second notes i get are a tea and dry paper-i am reminded of going into a old used bookstore-with a teapot waiting wafts of jasmine faintly reaching your nose, and the welcoming sight of old books-proudly displayed, their pages quietly crackling as you turn them. there is no sweetness with the tea-but there are spices-sage and nutmeg-mixed with jasmine-i don't get any peppery and only the faintest of vanilla-barely there. the smell of the musk rounds out the edges-this must be the cashmir wood-it reminds me slightly of a very dry cedar-i love it, i am finding i enjoy the dry tea smells very much-as long as they aren't sweet-or overly vanilla-it seems that is where i come to dislike these scents- - i recently realized that the problem is heavily fake vanilla, sugar, tea and caffeine all blended together have a sad memory attached to it-and when i smell them-i actually get an physical ache in my chest- and it is a situation that is better off left alone. this perfume has been on for a couple of hours, and it shows no signs of fading into a skin scent-honestly-i thought it would do so within the first hour-i am glad i am wrong!

Having spent several days in Ouarzazate during my last trip to Morocco, I was excited to give this perfume a try. It is lovely, although I didn't get much of a 'mosque' vibe from it. It has a certain feeling of 'distance', a bit austere and cold (as I imagine all 'churchy' incense fragrances do, regardless of what type of church, mosque, or temple they are trying to invoke). This speaks, perhaps, more to my own relationship with these types of smells than the smells themselves. This is not to say that it was unpleasant in any way, only that it didn't make me want to curl in on myself the way a warmer perfume might. What it DID do, and spectacularly, was transport me to a place of serenity. It's not the type of perfume I would wear on a date night, but if I were feeling particularly quiet and reflective I'd reach for this in an instant. Unfortunately, this perfume disappeared from my skin within a couple of hours. Perhaps that's appropriate for this type of fragrance - I don't know that someone would necessarily want to smell like this all day. In the end, my return trip to Ouarzazate was all too brief, and for that reason I have to give this one a pass.

The reviews of the Comme des Garçons Incense series never cease to amaze me. I cannot tell if "mistakes were made" chez decanters or it's simply that the various components of these similar yet distinct perfumes are variously salient to different noses under different sniffing conditions! To my nose, today--at 10:40 am EST, post-coffee and before eating, on a frigid day in the greater metropolitan Boston area--this one, Ouarzazate, is more woody and less green than Jaisalmer (which I was wearing yesterday and I have sprayed on the inside of my knees today, lol). I do find Ouarzazate to be herbal in a different way (no pine sap here!) and I also clearly and distinctly smell labdanum... Some reviewers find the herbal quality horrible; others don't detect it at all. And where in the world are these claims about jasmine and florality coming from??? Good lord! Anyway, whatever anyone else is smelling, I can affirm that my bottle is good (to my nose, today--at 10:40 am EST, post-coffee and before eating, on a frigid day in the greater metropolitan Boston area)!

Fresh spicy incense Decoding or finding notes in this fragrance is difficult as all the notes are used in a very balanced combination, except incense which is the main concept of this series. But it could be categorized as almost a fresh and spicy work because of black pepper, nutmeg, and anise. In the background, there is an aromatic, and green notes of clarysage and green tee. This a soft fragrance especially for the incense category and is wearable as an incense fragrance. I also tested Jaisalmer, another one from the CDG incense series, that one was warm spicy but this one is fresh spicy. To me, Ourzazate and Jaisalmer are like two sketches from one concept while one (Ourzazate) goes into the aromatic fresh direction and the other one (Jaisalmer) in the warmer direction. The backbone of both fragrances is solid woody. Overall, I am not excited enough about this one to put it into my buying list, but it is masterfully created. 6.5/10

Ah, the Incense series! Avignon and Kyoto get all the attention, but I think that’s just because those are the only two people aren’t afraid to pronounce. Ouarzazate is the biggest mouthful of the bunch, but while the name says come-with-me-to-the-Kasbah the style is 100% Comme des Garcons. To me the opening impression is that of minty tea. There are just tiny hints here and there of sage and of something I think of as animalic that is probably the labdanum. It settles down pretty quickly into a peppery/papery version of the dry wood thing that CdG does so well. I do not find it very incensey in the way I normally think of incense (which is to say: “burning”), but it does have a resinous quality that I think is supposed to stand for unburnt frankincense. The longevity and projection could be better, but in the world of nichey frags the price is surprisingly good. Yes, I how that CdG is technically designer. Shh! I don’t care.

This is the most masculine, most savoury of the CDG incense range. It's also perhaps the most unusual and intriguing. Strong black pepper and pungent dried sage at the start, I get a very dark green, herbaceous feel from it, like a strange plant unfurling its leaves in a dank potting shed. But in a great way! As it settles in a slightly sweeter resinous scent, the musk and nutmeg come through, and it gets browner, warmer and dryer. This one is perhaps the most difficult to describe. My least worn, as it feels more daring than the others. I've been trying to pin down what it strongly reminds me of and I'd swear it's Tauer's L'air du Désert Marocain- does anyone else get this? In short I love it, as I do the entire range, but it certainly took more getting used to than the others, and I very rarely wear it. It's definitely not an everyday scent, but then, what great scent is?

The smoke in this was down -- waaay down. Like Jaisalmer, it was more about the other components, and that's fine, but it's not what I was looking for, sadly... It has its own character and personality, and it's unique, I just didn't like it as much as Avignon and Kyoto, so, I don't see myself reaching for this... The tea note is super prevalent, no doubt, and the spices play out in the background, but for me it felt a little off -- something needed to take centre stage a bit more -- the pepper note could've been stronger and the woods elements were a little too weak, for mine. I didn't mind it, I just didn't love it...

Smoky but lighter and airier than Avignon with a touch of very gentle (not syrupy) sweetness, probably from the green tea - ? It's the smoke note that intrigues me the most. Even throughout the drydown, while it gets lighter and balmier, the smoke remains. As it develops it begins to remind me of a frag I used recently and I'm killing myself to remember the name. Aaurgh, this is going to keep me up all night. Maybe ELdO Afternoon of a Faun? Very nice but possibly too gentle for me. It seems a little too close to the skin to justify a purchase.