Cathedral (Holiday no.3)

DSH PERFUMES Cathedral (Holiday #3) EDP (2002) -Dawn Spencer Hurwitz NOTES: Bergamot, mastic gum, oppoponax, sandalwood, brown oak moss, myrrh gum & olibanum (frankincense). Beginning in 2000, Dawn Spencer (not yet Hurwitz?) started what is still an eagerly anticipated holiday treat from this House: the release of an annual celebratory perfume. She has done so every single year since; without fail, right up to and including this year's entry "Uptown Moonshine"*.I have decided to have "18 Days of DSH Xmas" beginning with Festive; wearing one each day until December 25th (skipping the Solstice to wear "Sacre Noir" from House of Matriarch). *I am hoping my sample will arrive by Christmas Eve! *crosses fingers* In 2002, Dawn released the third (and most promising) perfume in the series. Cathedral captured the heavenly aroma resulting from sanctification of the sacred space with smoldering melting resins and their sacred smokes. It just oozes an elegant elan, a sophisticated shimmer of something truly magical. something much greater than the sum of its pristine parts. Without smelling distinctly of any particular incense, it smelled better than all of them combined. Sillage: 3.25/5 Longevity: 4/5 Overall: 3.75/5 A really likeable very wearable incense perfume with only the barest drops of citrus to add a dim sheen to the gums and aromatics. Here, you are the censer. The balms and resins melt and meld on skin, fueled by sandalwood shavings, and it is you who smolders, wafting the most heavenly vapors and fragrant fumes. This darker variety of oak moss lends an air of exotic mystique... Smell swell & be well, GP xox

A spot-on rendition of a churchy frankincense/olibanum incense. It is an incredibly beautiful scent, cozy and nostalgic, December Christmas. I have never smelled anything that is this exact to that Christmas eve mass incense, will be purchasing a bottle this coming holiday season. Thanks to DSH for having this scent available, it's just outstanding. UPDATE February 2017: Remains a wonderful scent, surprised it does not get more attention. Has a super-soft dry down that I really enjoy. It is minimal on projection and longevity, but I like a scent to be a bit closer to me and not linger for six or more hours, so I get a break from the scent. It remains wonderful, and an ideal scent for those looking for naturals; it is in DSH's natural selection, but may have a small percentage of other ingredients, I'm not sure. Really pleasant, cheers.

I’ve sampled several very popular catholic mass incense fragrances and this is the one! It’s so special. It’s not too smoky or cold, rather it has this golden effect that conjures up images of the bags of pontifical incense that you can buy at holy stores. It’s comforting and so wearable. It almost veers into chypre territory. Lasts 12 hours on clothes. It’s on my wishlist!

I was looking for a beautiful Catholic mass incense fragrance. If you have ever attended Mass where they use the censer and the fragrant Frankincense fills the church, and you loved it, then this is a fragrance for you. Perfect for Advent and Christmas time, I adore this scent. It is smoky and fragrant, and transportive. I love it in the winter as a comforting scent.

I LOVE this scent. Truly smells just like I’m at the Cathedral for Easter Vigil and the priest has brought the censer down the aisle and the incense is filling the space. This is exactly what I wanted in an incense fragrance. Comforting, smoky, sweet, perfect.

Majority of what I'm getting floral notes with Palo santo on the top with the base of powder. Not impressed.

With notes of nocturnal resins, smoldering incense, and cool, creeping midnight moss, Cathedral from DSH perfumes conjures visions of a lone lantern lit in a solitary tower window away from which runs a stumbling figure in a long, trailing nightdress. What is this poor, doomed creature running from, barefoot across these misty moors on a moonless night? Ghosts, phantoms, and strange sinister spirits? A brooding, turbulent love affair fraught with bitter betrayals? Fearful family curses and dreams, illusions, obsessions, murders. I mean...what isn’t she running from, right? It's not this perfume. With a resigned sigh, she turns and trudges back. Whatever else is going on in that wicked castle, she can't leave behind this haunting and quite possibly haunted fragrance. It's a Choose Your Own Gothic Romance in a bottle.

This as well can't be incense only! This has balmy effect! As "yardly" hand palm with huge doses of lavender, balsam, incense, pine tree, cypress, oakmoss, and wood notes. The colder the more balmy it become and the lavender shines quite bright. I can't classify it as church or cathedral incense cause it's more lavender than incense.

An amazing churchy incense but while being absolutely wearable. I've worn this to holiday events. Fairly potent for a natural, (if I recall it's natural or close to all-natural) not overbearing, and such a wonderful scent. Happy to re-apply it after a few hours for a bit of a boost.