Angelique Encens

Ahhhh, my beautiful Angelique Encens. What am I going to do without you. I put a tiny spray on today so I could do justice to this review and I cry thinking they are making you no more. I think of what is in you and it seems so simple but they are all my favorite things wrapped up in one fragrance. Well, except the tuberose, but even the tuberose works in this. I find it gorgeous from the first spray although stronger and sharper in the beginning. It almost seems to work in reverse of most perfumes, seeming woodier and heavier at the start and then mellowing out with the flowers of jasmine and angelica taking the stage, backed up and supported by it's base notes but never overpowered. I know there is no perfume equivalent I have ever smelled, but as the day wore on, I kept thinking I knew this scent from another place or source. It haunted me. Then I got it. Blue Pearl Incense. Either the Jasmine or the Sandalwood Blossom. I used to burn them all the time but haven't for a while. I pulled out my little box of incense for a sniff and there it was. Someone, I beg you, recreate this marvelous scent.

This is a beautiful, beautiful floriental with finely blended incense and vanilla. This is so different from the bombshell tuberose fragrances I am used to that plop down in your face screaming "look at me" I can't really say I smell tuberose here but I smell Jasmine and Roses for sure. This actually smells like flowers, creamy, dainty little flowers that act as servants. Servants that continuously run to your beck and call as you crave for more. The vanilla is ever present as the notes play ring around the rosy but they never fall down. They stand to fulfill your craving and you cannot get enough of the seamless intertwining of all the ingredients that are mixed by a master for sure. The incense is just right, not bossy or masculine, rather reserved like a sharp dressed man. As a Queen rules over her castle, Angelique Ecens rule over her subjects. You may feel the need to courtesy but I recommend taking a bow. Thank you ever so much to the kind member who gifted me this precious fragrance.

Angelique Encens is my absolute favorite perfume from Creed. The scent is so unique that I can't find any similar perfume on the market in either the oriental or incense group. AE starts with green tuberose and vanilla and follows by a rich blend of resins. In the end, the Creed signature ambergris lingers on forever. The fragrance notes listed above are quite accurate. I'm sure there are many other perfumes that contain these notes. What makes AE special is how well all these ingredients are blended together to achieve the perfect balance and harmony. To my nose, AE is rich without being heavy, it's spiritual rather than sexual, it's an incense without the smokiness. For those who are able to hunt down this perfume on eBay, it's definitely worth a try.

Interesting that many reviewers attribute the name "Angelique" as if its an adjective for "angelic". I thought the name literally meant Angelica Incense; as in "incense with Angelica essence". Angelica essence is musky, herbaceous, and rather dark. To me, Angelique Encens is very "gothic" and mysterious, and it definitely smells of Angelica essence. I find it challenging rather than comforting, even though it's distractingly beautiful. The flowers are part of the overall blend, but I get no distinct flower notes, other than angelica, as I wear this. The Angelica essence plus incense, combined with dark vanilla, creates an aroma that is positively haunting, making this perfect for dark autumn nights.

To date, the best Creed I have tried. I am reviewing the old perfume, that has been discontinued. Not tried yet the 2019 version!. It started spicy sweet and cloying but this first note (angelica plant?) disappeared within a minute...Just to give space to the most round, soft, powdery, and sensual fragrance. The development is quite linear: these heart/ base notes stay the same and are there, close to your skin. I smell a lot of amber, iris and some light oriental spice and incense. I like it a lot: it reminds me of Opium a lot in the dry down. It is perhaps less “in your face” than Opium. Excellent staying power. Sensual... feminine, wraps you like a cashmere blanket....A masterpiece.