Les Absolus d'Orient Encens Mythique

Batch code: 9K01 (Oct 2019) I remember trying this (or so I thought) in an airport Duty Free and my socks were blown off. This was beyond this world. Finally my search for that ultimate perfume had ended. After some time and research, I pulled the trigger on a bottle. When it arrived I sprayed it and got nothing but an overwhelming "old lady" rose. It seemed super feminine in a dated, odd way, and I'm a man who generally loves masculine fragrances. I checked my notes to see if this was indeed the same fragrance that I loved when sniffing it on my travels. No! It wasn't. I'd tried Encens Mythique and had concluded that there was something too sweet about it, and while it had "something interesting aspects, but it's not really me. Pass." Damn, so I just wasted almost $100 on this bottle and now had to sell it, I thought. But as the day went on, I couldn't stop smelling myself, and I noted how the rose slowly gave way to something really intriguing and softly mysterious in the drydown. The next day I sprayed it and didn't get that overdose of rose at all. It was still there, but I wasn't overwhelmed by it. A perfect illustration that an untrained nose interprets new smells in simplistic terms, and needs time to appreciate what it's experiencing. Again, for the rest of the day I was obsessively smelling the back of my hand, forearm, and the blotter strip. This time, I started warming up to it even more. Today it's my third wearing and I'm still coming to appreciate and love this beguiling, masterful creation more and more. It's true that the opening hour or two does lean quite feminine, but it's getting to the point where I love this perfume so much that I don't care. I can actually see how it's a unisex fragrance. As for the other fragrance (the one I actually did smell at the Duty Free), I think it was either Bois Mysterieux or Patchouli Ardent. Hopefully it wasn't Ambre Eternel because that seems to be extinct and way too expensive on ebay. Anyway, this is a masterpiece, and not just as an art piece to smell occasionally and enjoy alone at home; I want to smell like this, especially on grey rainy days. The mood is very serene, almost somber, like watching an ocean storm unfold under dark skies in very slow motion. Deeply beautiful. As the rose and aldehydes settle down, an uncannily smooth combination of patchouli, incense, and vetiver come through, with the faintest hint of pepper. I haven't personally experienced what true ambergris smells like, and I doubt they used it for such a widely-available product, but the ambergris accord must be what's giving that mysterious element to the whole composition. The drydown seems to get a bit faint for me, if I'm honest. It could be that I'm going nose-blind, but like most fragrances I don't get the longevity that others claim. That's my only criticism. There's something timeless and ineffable about Encens Mythique.

This fragrance is a marvel! The notes are doled out in surprising proportions, but this is one of the things that makes this such a special blend. If you just look at the official pyramid, you'll expect to smell something akin to either a heavy attar-esque rose or an old-fashioned rosy aldehyde. At least, that's what I was anticipating. What you get, though, is a strikingly modern and unique scent, one that is—in my opinion—the most underrated, understated, and brilliant of Guerlain's Absolus d'Orient line. To my nose, the delicate and realistic rose is placed on equal footing with the equally delicate and realistic ambergris and the resinously spicy frankincense. They are all perfectly balanced, all vying for attention... and getting it. The sweetly airy saffron takes this tight, intense triad and billows it out, illuminating and diffusing it. The aldehydes are a background phenomenon, adding a touch of mellow fizz that isn't really detectable unless you're looking for it; it also helps bring out the dash of pepper. As in all great perfumes, the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts: a soft-spicy floriental devastating in its beauty and quality. In typical Guerlain fashion, the progression is anything but linear. Instead of fading over time, Encens Mythique grows stronger, more sure-footed. The amber, incense, and rose become somehow creamier and dustier, almost decadent. This is a very Western take on the classic amber-rose oriental, but not to the detriment of the perfume. Rather, this is what makes it such an original composition: the two fragrant traditions meeting halfway in mutual respect. The East sacrifices its tarry, liturgical smoke and glowing amber for a modest take on olibanum, and the West renounces its waxy-soapy version of aldehydes for an iteration that plays a very minor supporting role. They both bow to the rose, and it bows back. Perhaps that is the "myth" being recounted here. Genderless, ageless, wearable year-round except perhaps in great heat, and slightly more on the formal/intimate side. Very impressive longevity, and it projects without becoming overwhelming. If you have the opportunity too test this one, don't pass it up!

I count myself among the old-fashioned Guerlainophiles who worship the likes of Shalimar, Jicky, Mitsouko, Chamade... And yet, Thierry Wasser, in his efforts to modernise Guerlain and keep the house alive, has spun out some excellent scents, Shalimar Parfum Initial springs to mind. Encens Mythique, however, truly is his magnum opus. Encens Mythique has an unusual note combination: plush aldehydes, red roses and salty, addictive ambergris dominate the scent from the very first spray. It is truly stunning, like a glittering deep sea, and is (in my opinion) the highest "aquatic-like" fragrance I've ever tried. It makes me think of being far underwater, where the light from the surface is just barely reaching through, and yet the fragrance is also warm and comforting like a bath. It is soft and gentle, and also dark and eyelike, and readily evokes visions of a seaside garden, with vines of red roses flinging themselves off the cliff into the wet rocks below. The saffron is short-lived but pleasant, and blessedly the other green/spicy facets do not compete with the ambergris for attention. The ambergris truly is the core of the scent; it is waxy and salty, sweet and heady, all-enveloping. I'm not an expert on the smell of ambergris (though I've heard mutterings that EM contains at least some natural ambergris) but this is gorgeous. It plays off the rose perfectly in a haze of seawater and petals. There is an animalic element to this, but it is buried very far in the dry down and is only offered up briefly as the scent dies on the skin, around 9 hours in. Projection is moderate but long-staying; the fragrance only contracts into a skin scent after many hours. Relative linearity in the scent can cause partial olfactory fatigue over time, however: this feature is the hallmark of many niche perfumes as I understand them. Remarkably, EM to my nose doesn't lean conventionally feminine or masculine but slap-bang in the unisex category. This surprises me given its plush/cuddly/sympathetic feeling, but I expect it comes from the force-of-nature image it conveys. Also it makes me hungry for seaweed.

A bombshell of a fragrance fallen out of time. Aphrodite upon her shell, emerging from the seafoam. Breezy salted rose, musky ambergris, frankincense/olibanum resins and veils of soapy aldehydes and powdery blonde wood swirl and swirl and swirl. A delightfully on-trend Arab market inspired modern chypre from Guerlain, while also quixotically of such off trend neo-vintage curation and style, it's almost like releasing an old gossamer genie from within a bottle. What was once old is now new. I get the feeling Encens Mythique isn't about literal burning incense, but more about the raw resin and portraying the location where the precious trees from which olibanum and myrrh are harvested, grow; the deserts and the craggy rocks and hills and I believe along the Mediterranean and Arab coasts. Comparisons to Mitsouko is actually pretty palpable, the old-school Guerlain powder and woods is present in such an enchanting way but en lieu of peach and spices there's the sparkling beach rose, more forward and sheer, which combined with the ambergris and incense resins conjures (on me) almost the impression of apricot or apricot jam without it actually being gourmand. The woods and earth are of course drier than Mitsouko here too, as others have mentioned, like driftwood, or the actual trees from which the resins came. Keeping that in mind, it could easily been fashioned as a rosy summer Mitsouko flanker, which isn't a bad idea (Guerlain call me!). Further comparisons to the loosely marine themed Hermes Eau de Merveilles line that I've seen pop up is also somewhat apt, though Encens is obviously more powdery, rosier, smoother, deeper and more animalistic than any of their current flankers, but should they ever make a rose centered flanker for that line, it could easily be close to this.

This is a great potion. Ethereal, spiritual. Rosewater ambergris. Some subtle support. Waxy, indolic, hint of Incense, a faint sanitary antiseptic smell. The rose smells a beautiful spectrum of white to red. It wafts and sparkles from time to time. Soapy and stale to sweet and powdery. It can also go a little in the old vase water direction. It's got depth of soul. Transcends boundaries. It's fairly potent on my skin. Well named. It has mystique also. What happened to the Incense? I can get hints of a beautiful frankincense balm, waxy yet balsamic. I think the saffron, patchouli, and vetiver are coming off a bit medicinal in this potion. I can pick out some of that quality camphorous menthalated vetiver if i really bury my nose. Incense also fades in and out and goes from cold, to smokey, to stale, and captures the essence of a rose and ambergris temple blend. I got this for the ambergris which is very well done here. I'm sure it's natural ambergris fortified with modern synthetics by a master. I'm getting schooled here. I was hoping for more Incense. I think my nose is having trouble detecting it fully. I'll keep trying. I don't know much about aldahydes so I can't say much. I've smelled lots of #5 and can smell something similar but I can't really point it out. I love this kind of art. Very familiar yet unique. It's an Obvious blind buy for any fragnerd. Really impressed and happy with this stuff. Coming back to update on the incense note. It is more prominent now. It's like equal parts rose, ambergris, frankincense. It's one of my all time favorites. Top 5.

this has been my signature scent ever since it came out, its one of those scents that messed with my brain chemistry , personally , as someone who loves incense, this is the perfect depiction , i am gulf Arab and its what we call here "leban'. i understand how this is not everyone's cup of tea, its extremely sharp , screechy sharp. the leban here is the perfect clean sharp smell, if ur middle eastern this will remind you of chewing the leban gum, what's also extremely prominent to me is the pink pepper, it adds a soft sharpness to it, not in a spicy way , but more in a clean edge type of way, i do get a hint of saffron, but again the clean sharp aspects overshadows it, if your used to smelling pure saffron , you wont smell it much here, love the vetiver here adds an amazing smooth base to it . i do not get any patchouli here tho, and when it stays in your clothes after a while all you smell is the aldehydes, clean sharp and soapy, and that cleanliness aroma lingers , for weeks , it could get nauseating , and i do smell the roses here , they very prominent with the leban and pink pepper, it adds that softest almost feminine feel. very weird in the most perfect wayafter the heavier feel of it fades, it smells like the aroma of your shower after using a super sharp soapy aldehydic body wash, like your hair after using a shampoo twice, and after you scrub your skin multiples times with a bunch of products.just sharp and clean. 1010. in my opinion it could be worn all year around.

Encens Mythique - the smell of the coast, marine life, and weathered volcanic rocks. Although incense (frankincense) is mentioned in the title and also in the composition, it is not to be found here in the form of an individual note, which many niche brands have accustomed us to, but rather as a memory of its smoke thanks to the clever play of the other accords present in the composition. The key ingredients are rose, saffron and the truest New Zealand gray ambergris essence, the use of which in this fragrance Wasser paid special attention, sorting the pieces of ambergris into several groups depending on the nuances of smell and choosing the most appropriate for the concept of Encens Mythique. However, before the ambergris comes to the fore, we are greeted by an unusual head accord of aldehydes, which add power to the rose and saffron duo. The presence of the rose essence can be felt for a while, but Encens Mythique heads rather quickly to the ambergris base, which is wonderfully warm, deep, sweet and musky at the same time, while being very sensual. It smells surprisingly loud, lasts very long and surrounds the wearer with a truly luxurious aura. Encens Mythique shines with full brilliance. 🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸 🔹Main note: Gray Ambergris 🔹Author: Thierry Wasser 🔹Launched: 2019

Magic Incense of the Past, Present & Future... I've avoided reviewing this, which sometimes happens with scents I really love and am somewhat in awe of. This 2019 Woody-Chypre Ambergris Aldehyde & Frankincense Scent opens with a slightly soapy aldehydic rose accented by saffron, but already the ambergris & frankincense are swelling through with salty & smoky resinous tones. As it transitions to the heart, I get a flutter of pink-pepper as the rose deepens into a rose-patchouli blend. Vetiver is there bringing some grassy & faintly fruity touches, while woody notes add their timbre to the mix. This is really well blended, and the longer it's on the skin the richer and sweeter it gets, picking up a nearly honey tone on a soft dry woody base. I agree with other reviewers who name this as their favourite of the line. This isn't a dupe of anything, but there are distant echoes here of vintage amber-spicy, woody & chypre scents, but there is also a contemporary vibe and something forward thinking about it, like some future point on an infinite loop of time. Performance is excellent for year-round wear, but this might be overpowering in warm weather, and a light touch works best. It's a love for me. Enjoy!

Another masterpiece from Guerlain and Thiery Wasser!! I've tried most of the best rose scents in the market (frederic malle portrait of a lady, xerjoff more than words, mfk oud satin mood, amouage lyric man etc) and i can say without doubt that Encens Mythique make the others smell like cheap designers. This is an amazing ambergris-rose scent that evolves, changes on your skin with out of this world quality. This starts sparkling fresh rose from the aldeydes and the spices and as time passes the ambergris and the frankinsence become more prominent goes into a darker, thick and sour scent. Imagine a spicy fresh rose flying on the air and then falling into the deepest ocean! Perfomance is amazing, 10+ hours longevity with huge projection on my skin. It's very strong but it's quite versatile, easy to wear and unisex. It could be a signature scent for an intellecitual and interesting person! This is unique, beautiful and it will stand out for sure. Overall, this is a must try for everyone who loves the art of perfumery! I am not a rose fan and i can't imagine it on me but this isn't a reason to prevent me from appreciating this scent. If you are looking for the best rose scent, look no more!

At the outset I would like to mention that this on me is quite soft and delicate oriental (in terms of projection, sillage and intensity) as opposed to being a powerhouse. The first few seconds of spray (comes like a mist) is the strongest ambergris I got in comparison to the dry down and the perfume from thereon keeps softening until it becomes a mild powdery note close to skin scent. I have to wait and see whether this just might be more suitable for spring and summer because there is this somewhat fresh quality to it too and would like to see its performance then. If it becomes more intense in summer that would be a welcome. It's one of the more interesting incense fragrances as originally the inspiration is credited to frankincense/olibanum by Thierry Wasser. To me the rose is most noticeable. It's sweet (floral) and woody with that high incense quality. I remember when I first opened my bottle it smelled very elegant and classy fragrance. I partially blame the raving reviews which made me get a second backup bottle at 30% discount.

This is another bit of magic. I could never afford Encens Mythique d'Orient and despite my flacon preference I have to say this reboot works out about £1 per ml, that is an absolute bargain for a masterpiece chypre like this. I don't have the capacity to portray the poetry of this fragrance. I'd say I prefer Bois Mysterieux if I had to pick simply because that is more oriental and ergo more my style but this is on an equal par creatively and affectionately recreating their forebears (if the formulas are indeed any different?) Ambergris is the stuff of magic in perfume and it rides underneath everything here unpinning and giving a slightly musky skank, which is as addictive to keep sniffing as the raw stuff. I'm amazed at the bright aldehydes in here and just how long they last in to heart and base of the fragrance. Lightly floral, brightly resinous a little touch of damp earth and moss and powder, all the trappings of a classic. Absolutely loved it, opened stong, lasted for ages just a supreme fragrance. Bravo Guerlain.

Encens Mythique d’Orient is more than a fragrance to me. It’s a sacred veil I chose to wear at its release in 2012. From the very first notes — aldehydes, saffron, rose — to the heart of pink pepper, vetiver and patchouli, all the way to the long-lasting trail of incense, ambergris and wood, it unfolds like a timeless ritual. The original version had an intensity, a voluptuous richness that lingered on clothes for months.... The newer Absolus d’Orient version is slightly softer, more tempered, but the spirit is intact. It still wraps me in that same mystique — just with a lighter touch. When I wear it, I feel protected. As if nothing harsh can reach me. And if someone does approach, they do so with softness. This perfume commands presence not by shouting, but by radiating something quiet and unmistakable. I know it’s not for everyone. And that’s perfectly fine — I wouldn’t want the whole world to wear it. Its beauty is in how rare, and how personal, it feels.

Good Lord this is INSANE. If I had to choose one perfume for the rest of my life it would be either this or Idylle Eau de Parfum. Well, some are going to rightfully hate Guerlain for the discontinuation of the otherworldly creation that is Encens Mythique d’Orient. I loved it too and treated my 3,8 ml deluxe sample like it was pure gold, but I always found it slightly cloying, and simply too much to be a signature. But this is something else. I did smell genuine ambergris itself and this is pure, true ambergris and rosewater. It has much less rose and spice than Encens Mythique d’Orient, and I guess that’s what makes it so much more wearable for me. I also saw some reviews here that said this doesn’t last as long but it lasted for nearly 20 hours on me with a single spray. Bonus tip: If you desperately miss Encens Mythique d’Orient at one point, try this layered with Musc Noble; it has all the spicy sweet rose and musk that this lacks.

This one really smells like frankincense to me, like its screaming liban from the first spray until dry down and I wonder why many people can't get the note but my guess is less familiarity with it than someone whos from the middle east where we use these type of resins almost always and even in our cooking. For me I don't smell the rose at all. Its a genius perfume, literally floats on skin and creates an aura of cold fresh soapy clean juxtaposed by a warm (Sometimes dirty) buttery animalic scent. I think its better on skin than clothes and it smells dirtier on clothes than skin. It sticks and has good projection and longevity. This one performs better in heat! Even tho I associated it with cold weather and winter but it just smells always worst and takes longer to develop to the beautiful skin scent in colder weather than in warmer one. Also this couldn't be anymore unisex, it smells like nothing else other than its own thing.

This is just gorgeous, i'm not gonna attempt to describe the intricacies of the ambergris, you really have to smell it to understand it, but in simple words it's ethereal smelling ambergris, i don't get a lot of frankincense, saffron, vetiver or patchouli, i get a lot of aldehydes, very very big aldehydes, and a very faint rose like rose water almost, but this is an ambergris composition through and through. being middle eastren this is very nostalgic smelling to me, smells a bit like my grandma but in the best way possible, it's not the dirtiest ambergris ever but also not the cleanest, it has a bit of ambergris funk to it but never off putting or overly animalic, the best way i can describe the animalic facet is slightly oily ambergris funk, idk if it's discounted but if you're a perfume lover i'd highly encourage you to put ur nose on this if u wanna smell something totally unique and at the same time phenomenal and ethereal.

Translucent olive green bottle. Batch: 2L02 (Nov. 2022, per CheckFresh) I always have to think twice before reaching for this because it reeks unbearably of fruity lip gloss upon spraying - same with Santal Royal and Cuir Intense from the same line. I always do only one spray of Encens Mythique, and initially that feels like it is not enough but the lip gloss smell prevents me from spraying any more on myself. About a half hour after initial spray on my skin, the lip gloss subsides and a soft rose blooms along with warm amber and unburned incense. Weirdly the fragrance also seems to gain potency as it develops on the skin, and a single spray ends up creating an enormous scent bubble while also feeling very airy. To my delight, what I smell a half hour in is wildly different than what one might expect the dry down to be based on the initial spray, and thank goodness for that.

Just got it. The aldehydes and ambergris are what makes or breaks the fragrance for people who try it. It reminds me so much of Rare Gold by Avon. However, under it is a super inky rose (jammy rose made inky from the ambergris) spiced up a bit with a bright incense, saffron and pink pepper combo. Brings out the salt in your skin. Patchouli wood (probably some oud accord) and vetiver in the base make the drydown very earthy and a bit sweet. This fragrance is so fkin old elegant. You NEED to be dressed up to wear this, and it SHINES in the cold. Three sprays and you're good. Glad I finally have this scent. If you like older smelling fragrances, and you're not afraid of scents that are inky thick yet airy, go for this. Special occasion kind of scent if you don't usually wear your nice things outside. 9/10 I wanted more rose because rose is my favorite note.

From the start this scent feels incredibly familiar, like I've known it for a long time. And it’s definitely not the first edition of Encens Mythique or anything launched in 2000's. Maybe the top notes remind me of Luciano Soprani or Yvresse by YSL from the shelves of my older relatives. As I wear it longer, I start to wonder if there's a slight medicinal note that takes me back to my childhood, perhaps a memory of some kind of pharmaceutical scent. Eventually, it settles into a very powdery, clean feeling, almost like an old-fashioned pharmacy or a doctor's office. I oscillate between the smell of sulfanilamidum powder and classic loose powder. Within this powdery story, there’s also an elegant touch of liquid honey. For me, the medicinal aspect of this fragrance is what makes it so distinctive and attractive.

A perfume that first comes closest in my olfactory memory is Love, Chloé. What is left on my coat is really that good aura. Also, it reminds me of Twilly eau Ginger a bit, if I don’t get too close to my wrist. When I say incense, I mean the church one just to understand so here I'm unable to recognize any incense presence. Encens Mythique is by no means a liturgical incense to my nose. I dont feel salty oceanic notes, I would like to express myself as @miles178 who preceded me, seaside walk under the moonlight turns to me into a wild ride on the road bike, no helmet, I admit equally thrilling and emotional. There is a wonderful hidden note in Encens Mythique, a little soapy rose scent that my skin holds tightly, like a privilege for a special lover. Great sillage. Excellent essence.

The aldehydes are very lovely. I like the ambergris note here as well. Its so realistic and great. Also you can detect the saffron and encens. However, the frankincense here does not work properly with the other ingredients. Many people voted for rose but I really cannot detect any rose here. To me this smells like damp clothes that have been hanged on a string under the sun to dry them. Its not my cup of tea. Edit: after coming back to this I am absolutely enamored with it. I can get each ingredient listed in the note breakdown. The name is misleading as this is not an incense based fragrance. Its all about that realistic ambergris, aldehydes and a smidge of airy rose. So effervescent and beautiful. Its a more modern classy and more sophisticated take on Chanel No. 5.