Encens Flamboyant

I absolutely ADORE this fragrance. It is now one of two signature smells I use (the other being Fragonard by Fragonard) and I have used it faithfully for a number of years. It totally eclipsed Chanel No 5 which had been the scent equivalent of my first true love, and which I received as a gift from my first true love at 18. As well as the traditional, I've always had a nose for the unusual scent - and this totally fits the bill. With burning incense present in every hypnotic layer, its like sitting in the front pew of an ancient old church watching the catholic priests swing the golden incense burner in graceful arcs around the alter. Or what I imagine it must be like trapped on the edges of a pine forest fire. It is warm, dry, woody and resinous. It is my winter go-to perfume, probably more masculine than the traditional feminine scents I like and somehow strangely comforting. Unlike other reviewers, I get a lot of staying power from this at skin level - its one of those scents that permeates fabric, and somebody sitting close or giving you a hug will definitely get a noseful. That to me defines a classic signature scent - when you can pick up an item of clothing, smell it and get transported to a memory of the last person who wore it. I won't lie - for the uninitiated, the first spritz of this will leave you reeling. Even if you do love incense - the power of its almost exclusive top note made my nose buzz the first time I tested it. Sit next to a stranger when you spritz it and they will look at you as if you'd just taken a piece of still-warm charcoal out of your bag and rubbed it over your wrists and neck! But oh boy, the magical drydown is worth the wait. One tip for those who find the incense a little overwhelming - try layering it with Penhaligon's Orange Blossom; the combination lifts the sombre smoke with its lovely spicy sweet notes, providing a very sophisticated skin scent not dissimilar to Guerlain's Shalimar.

From the moment I put the sample on my arm and taking in a big whiff, I knew this would eventually be in my collection. My sample is from the EdP (eau de parfum), and it's performance is difficult to describe since it isn't a spray sample but dab/splash. The longevity is very good on me, long lasting, but the projection is good for the first 2 hours then becomes a skin scent. Now onto the fragrance: Granted this is from wearing a sample, but this perfume is incense heaven! It's the incense that I've been craving that sadly Cardinal by Heeley and Incense Extreme by Andy Tauer didn't fulfill. Both of those fragrances are natural to the point where I feel like I blended them myself with essential oils from the health food store. The frankincense and myrrh are too citrusy and not church burning dark resinous incense. Encens Flamboyant however is just what I wanted. It's peppery, resinous, light as in not heavy feeling whatsoever, cozy, and sexy. I definitely detect the fir tree and pepper followed by this resin that is akin Copal resin. It's almost mustardlike but don't take it that way, Copal seems to have that facet to it but here it's not very noticeable. The opening is very simple; you get fir, pepper, and incense. The mid smooths out the fir and pepper and reveals more of the incense while the drydown is where the magic really begins. The drydown smells almost exactly like old wood. How do I describe this...it smells like traintracks but it also smells like wood on a harbor or warf. It isn't fishy or of the sea, it's just the smell of aged wood and I've been searching for a fragrance that captures that smell for years. My days of searching are at an end. I need this in my collection; it brings me such nostalgia that is oh so comforting. Please give this a try, it's well worth your time.

Recently I purchased a bottle of this perfume from the French house of Goutal. I smelled it first in a typical small cute perfume store in my hometown. I asked for an incense perfume and the very charming older lady with tons of knowledge about perfuming offered me to test a few. Great perfumes like L'Orpheline from Serge Lutens and Guerlain Encens Mythique invaded my nose en senses. Encens Flamboyant stood out for me though. It smelled complex, dry, elegant and classy with a nice subtle old classic woody undertone. I went home with a tester and a few days later I pulled the trigger. I received the newest version in a beautiful thick glass classic looking bottle (not the same as the one in the picture above). I sprayed it on me and I smelled the same class and subtle but very present and rather complex incense. This is a typical enchanting jewel in the tradition of great classic French perfumery. I smell old churches and centuries old buildings in Paris or Toulouse. There is a marvelous tea note that's quite prominent. And this eau de parfum is not overwhelmingly strong and balsamic. There is some freshness from the berries, pine and herbs. The projection is very intimate. But it stays on for a long time. In the morning I could still smell a hint of the delightful elegance that gave me a smile. This is a jewel! I love it's elegance and subtle but noticeable incense and wood. It's a pure and classy fragrance that I wil cherish like a precious gem. It will be a perfect scent for coming fall and winter. But in the right circumstances I can wear this on not to hot days in spring and summer. I am sure that there is much more to discover from the house of Goutal.

The image of burning pine is spot-on. It is linear, with a slight evolution: the balsam fir is the main player here, which is more round, balsamic and a hint of sweetness (impression given by the nutmeg/lentisque combo) in the top, with a shy support of incense. In the base, the fir co-stars with a smoky incense that has a very contemporary feeling. Projection is soft to moderate, that said, longevity is stellar. This is the real impression of an old church. Yes, indeed, the incense frags that have in-your-face frankincense (Montale Full Incense, Jovoy La Liturgie des Heures, CdG Avignon...) are like putting the nose over the incense burner. Inspite of how much I like them, that's not what most of the audience smells when sitting in the crowd. Here, the fir gives the impression of "moisture" typical of an underheated church in the winter and the soft smoky incense is what one really can smell: you know, not at the time that the priest swings the burner, but like 5 min after, when sitting a little in the back, at the 20th row, when the smoke arrives with a sensation of "warm envelopping smoke" with an undefined provenience. That is what I experienced in my childhood (during ceremonies like Xmas, Easter, because incense is not burned at each and every mass). Opens a little on the sweet side with a slightly feminine-leaning balsamic feeling, and closes totally unisex. Very soothing, and I may go for a fb (I'm a man). Fall/Winter days, 25+

Clear. Clear like water. Snow, a wintry landscape. There's a little brook with clear and icecold water running through a woods. The 'zen' sound and sight of that water, peaceful, tranquil, clear. That is Encens Flamboyant. It's water, but not in an aquatic or marine way. I also don't mean 'watered down'. It's just... that extreme clarity. With me not being a big fan of citrus or soapy scents, it's difficult to find something that smells clean. This is clean, clear and all that, without the citrus, soap or white musk edge. This was on my wishlist for a while. After finding it, I was initially a bit disappointed. I tend to like warm, comfortable scents. This was not warm. It was icecold. It ended up on my swap list for a while, but no offer convinced me to let go and I gave it another chance. It grew on me. A lot. And I thank my lucky stars that I kept my bottle. It is still beautifully cold, but I did find the comfortable aspect as well. I can't be too surprised, as I also needed time to appreciate the other Les Orientalists by Goutal. Encens Flamboyant and Myrrhe Ardente are now among my favorite. Autumn is heading for winter where I live. We like to sleep with the windows open and I love getting little wafts of chilly air. It reminds me of Encens Flamboyant and I now keep a decant next to my bed, to intensify the feeling of those moments. It's absolutely magical.

The first time I tried this I was in London at an Annick Goutal Boutique. The two scents that stood out to me were Sables and Ecens! I don’t know what it is but this scent to me exemplifies the heart London. I think of old historic church abbeys and old stone bricks castle buildings, gas lamp posts, mingled in amongst newly built skyscrapers. Its like taking a stroll through history while in the present. To me this is very modern but old fashioned, vibrant but yet calm, trendy but with a hint of Deja Vu mixed in. The way this smells upon first application is very impressive with its quality notes. It’s wreaks of sophistication and class. My only disappointment is after the first hour it seems to shift straight into your typical incense. It goes from reminiscent to Christmas in a matter of an hour. If this scent could just flow like it does in the opening throughout, I’d buy a bottle. Incense fragrances generally don’t intrigue me but this one does. There’s definitely something comforting and alluring about ecens.....it’ll draw you in and you won’t want it to end.

This is the most beautiful airy summer incense, entirely non-Catholic-churchy, non-headshoppy, like fresh, citric frankincense smoke drifting through a mediterranean pine forest or through desert scrub. I blind bought this two summers ago when I was looking for a new non-citrus summer scent, largely because of the frankly outrageously low prices on discount websites. It's hard to find frankincense that doesn't veer churchy, and I can't think of many comparators. The earliest version of Guerlain's Encens Mythique D'Orient had a great high-pitched incense before the rose comes in, and Goutal's own Bois D'Hadrien has a similar vibe. Although it's not strictly a palo santo scent I also find it very close to Eau de Californie by Celine, just much better value and a tad less sweet in the drydown. Longevity is good but if you like your perfumes super-powerful then this is not for you. I have tried many Goutal scents over the years and they're always very high quality. This one is particularly easy to wear. Meditative but not melancholy.

I tried this at the end of the summer and fell in love with it... the second time I put it on. On first try, this didn't seem interesting enough; just plain incense. On second try though it stole my heart. It lingered for hours, a dry incense without a single sweet note, perfectly wearable during the heat of a mediterrenean summer. It was sofisticated and surprisingly cool. I expected something warmer from the 'flamboyant' in the name, but I didn't get any of that. Stays close to the skin but lasts for hours and I never get tired of smelling my wrist. I already bought Ambre Fetiche which I absolutely love, but my next purchase of this line, or any line in fact, will be this one:) UPDATE: Finally bought this and I'm amazed with it! I feel so confident, so smart when I wear this, I can't get enough of it! And, it is simply amazing for layering with pretty much anything. My best combination so far is with SL Daim Blonde, which is quite breath-taking

My quest for the perfect pine fragrance has led me to Encens Flamboyant (ok I know it’s fir, same difference), which I blind bought for a steal. Straight away this shot up to my second favourite pine fragrance of all time (after Caron’s Yatagan), this is pure magic in a bottle. As the name suggests, incense leads the way. Initially it’s quite sharp and spiky, but soon settles into a gorgeous dry and airy aroma, yet doesn’t inherently feel smoky, it’s too clean. The sweet, sharp and green presence of pine needles fills the air around me, it’s got an incredibly comforting and festive feel to it, yet at the same time rather sombre and lonely. It perfectly embodies those few days following Christmas. Burnt out candles, a fireplace cooling down, the tree starting to dry out. It hints at the comfort and warmth of the day before, filled with the slight melancholy of realising that it’s all over. Isabelle Doyen is an absolute genius.

When I was a kid, we used to go to my mother's aunt home. They had a walnut tree in their garden and I remember the fresh green walnuts on its branchs. The first spray of Encens Flamboyant brought memories of my childhood and that tree to me. The time that I tried to peel the green cladding on the walnuts (which made my hands dark brownish for a couple of weeks), and crack the walnut shell and reaching to the soft and white fruit (walnut) covered with a yellowish skin (super bitter). It opens up with very high quality incense and resin notes which last for the whole day almost linearly. Lovely fragrance, but I do not recommend it for a blind buy. It's probably not a good compliment magnet, but it makes me like myself when I'm wearing it. Indeed Encens Flamboyant does not exactly like the green cladding on the walnut, but it elicits the good memories of my childhood and I like it a lot

This is the perfect incense but also so much more than incense. As others have commented, it is dry, with forest notes. There is a delicate, dry smoke note well-hidden in there too. Overall, it contributes to create a cool, magical, shivery feel, which - for me - is just as welcome on a wintery evening out as it would be in the heat of a summer day. My husband rarely notices fragrances but asked from the other side of the table if I was wearing something different and thought it was great. The projection, therefore, is just as you'd want it to be, and the longevity was very good - I could smell it faintly on my skin the following morning. This would be a fantastic signature, appropriate and elegant in every situation, and utterly unisex. It is complex enough to be interesting and feels like a satisfying drink to slake your thirst.

Smokey, pinecone on the ground, naturally aromatic I LOVE pine fragrances but they're hard to pull off without smelling like a car freshener. Luckily the depth of the this fragrances doesn't leave you thinking that, it's terrific!! I paint with this one on all time, because it smells vintage in the most modern way possible. It wears like a fog of sparkling pine, with the enticing roll of the incense underneath it, and pepper to emphasize its role as an aromatic. An awesome fall/ winter fragrance, Annick's place well with others too: Jo Malone blackberry and bay as a top-off. Creeds Royal Oud as a base prior to putting on. Hell, go to bath and body works and get the spearmint eucalyptus lotion and use that as a base too!

This is the smoky/insense frag I've been waiting for. With pine/balsam, too. I loove pine so much-Christmas trees, split saplings in the woods, pine is wonderful. This linear fragrance is a lot of pine, with a smoky insense all around. It lasts forver for Annick Goutal--2 sprays at 24 hours. Crazy. The morning after I applied, I felt enveloped in clean, fresh air, with a smouldering fire turning to coals next to me--I almost felt as if ash were flying up my nose, mountain wind blowing, pine balsam resins sticking to my hands as I broke down camp. Balsam fir-smoke-charcoal-peppery insense-great longevity-unique as all get out. Love.

Non è vero che odio la profumeria di nicchia. Mi piaceva fino a 10 anni fa,prima che diventasse quell'oscena invasione di robaccia chimica nauseante copiata e riproposta che c'è oggi. Encens flamboyant per esempio,che io ho comprato una quindicina di anni fa e ho ancora, era un profumo magnifico, evocava l'atmosfera di un paesino di campagna antico,case in pietra,una giornata di pioggia in inverno,quando il fumo esce dai caminetti. Profumo di incenso che esce da una vecchia chiesa di campagna,in mezzo a salvia, lavanda,abeti e senso del tempo che non passa. Un profumo di incenso naturale e gradevole,sognante,magico.

I really like this scent---it lasts very well on me, which is rare. It's a very seductive incense perfume, with more going on than some others I've tried, like Full Incense (Montale). The incense is there from start to finish, like a bed of coals for the spice & fir. Cardamom adds sweetness to the pepper, and the fir note evokes something oddly ethereal, as if one really were on a hilltop watching smoke rise from the incense offered to an ancient goddess. Poetic, wearable, and sexy in a subtle way. I look forward to my full bottle, and to trying the other offerings in Les Orientalistes.

I love incense perfumes, and bought this on a blind buy based on this fact, and that I generally like Goutal fragrances. I'm glad I did. It is the lightest incense perfume I've come across, so light that it almost feels like I'm not wearing anything...and yet it's there. Dry, peppery pine with the softest ever hit of frankincense with none of the raw, resin-y edginess that often features in incense perfumes. Instead of a cathedral right after mass, this is a temple you stumbled across in the middle of an old forest, empty but with a feeling of being well-loved.

Now I have three of the precious "Les Orientalistes" (Ambre Fétiche, Myrrhe Ardente, Encens Flamboyant). :-) It ́s december, we just bought today our Christmas tree, it ́s verrrry cold and I ́m so much in the mood for these "holy-smoke"-perfumes.. grrrrr :-) I ́m totally glad and I make my experiments with mixing them and sometimes a little "sprizz" of "Vanille Exquise"... I have some free-days with my beloved husband, drinking tea, nibbling Christmas cookies, reading or writing new cabaret-texts... that ́s the way I like it...mmmmmh! Love from Louve! <3

An incense perfume, with a thick and peppery opening. Somehow I expected it to be sweeter. Not so. This is a lovely brooding incense with fir, cardamom and -o bliss !!- a sweet hint of red berries. For once I am happy a scent -which I really love- is not at all heavy in sillage (be sure: I sprayed and sprayed again). It probably would have been too much if it were. Being as mild in sillage as it is, I find it absolutely delicious and bewitching at the same time. A combination of two adjectives quite applicable in general to Les 4 Orientalistes.

This is a somewhat "fresh incense". It reminds me of the sensation of entering a church in the middle of a summer afternoon after being crushed by the intense heat of the hottest hours of the day. Upon entering the church, your shoulders take a break from the heat and lightly shiver in the shadow. You take the first proper breath of fresh air of the day - and you can smell Encens Flamboyant. Ice-cold incense. This is a dry, unforgiving scent, and there is no sweetness at all - and it makes me love it even more.

Did i wake up with someone sexy..in a tent in the mountains? Is that great smell me, or him? Or just the mountain air, and last nights fire? This is not for eveyone i believe, but encens flamboyant is a haunting beauty. I get the tingling pepper, incense, evergreen, and a wet, mossy scent that comes and goes. A reapplication after the drydown does beautiful things. Just when i think i smell cozy, last nights dirty incense creeps up my spine, and reminds me of that one.. Haunting. Leaves me wanting more.