Devotion

Like Orca, Devotion is another (yet earlier) great resinous creation from House of Matriach, seemingly very apt at putting out balsamic offerings. Devotion is resin-dominant, for sure, the note listing including amber, incense, myrrh, and opoponax, with touches of leather, spices, and vanilla. So it leans toward the sweet rather than animalic side of resinous but there are still animalic hints amidst what is generally a dark, smoky, ambery mix. There's also a vaguely floral characteristic to it that I can't quite put my finger on, but I sometimes get that out of opoponax specifically. Devotion is overall excellent, but the downside is the price, which, for HOM, can sometimes be quite high--in this case, $330 for 50ml, $120 for 15ml, or even $13 for a 1ml sample. Still, I'd recommend fans of resinous fragrances track this one down to at least try it. 8 out of 10

This is what incense in a perfume is suppose to smell like. Dark, smokey, intriguing. Incense perfumes usually make me nauseous after wearing them a full day. But Devotion is almost "emotional" in the overall feeling it creates. It's a resin heavy foundation that's very dark and intense, coupled with a good dose of incense that isn't smokey or headache inducing. I actually get a "frankincense" note more than anything. Well crafted and probably suited more towards special occasions and formal wearing. The price point is a little scary but understandable with the raw ingredients used.

Woah!!!! This is not for that faint hearted...a MASSIVE incense fragrance that is dominant, pungent and just insane! It completely overwhelmed the other sample vials I got and the bag they came in all smell of this fragrance. Honestly, I understand the appeal of these ancient, opulent spiced frankincense & myrrh perfumes but this is frankly unbearable when first applied, no wonder they recommend 24 hours (yes!! 24 hours!!!!) to let it dry down!! Well I applied the tiniest amount and I do mean tiny and I can't believe how potent it is...I really understand the comparisons to some of the Amouage fragrances as they are very heavy with things like incense, myyrrh and ambergris too. At first it seemed clumsy and harsh despite the fact this one (and sexmagic) was the one I really couldn't wait to try. I love this kind of scent but without the complexity of other juxtaposing notes you get from the likes of Amouage Interlude for example, it's just a bit to linear. The dry down is special and plain epic...but unfortunately not that much evolution you get the same thing throughout but it definitely gets better as it ages on your skin. You can't help but marvel at devotion, it definitely achieves what it sets out to do, a blend of classic notes to create something that would've been revered throughout history.

I was very curious about this house but their prices seemed a bit on the truly extravagant side. I finally bit the bullet with a coupon and purchased a bottle of this one recently. First, off it is a beautiful composition. Very natural incense expertly blended with myrrh, amber, opoponax, tea, and slight oud, leather, and vanilla. The resulting juice is a bright, mystical potion that has a moderate and luxurious projection and sillage. It smells beautiful, natural and never overpowers, much like Armani Bois D'Encens or Bulgari Gyan. But I cannot conclude this review without the mention that it does seem like an overpriced luxury and it is a bit tough to get my head around the pricing of the scent. Its nice enough that when I am feeling a bit overindulgent, I will treat myself to another House of Matriarch.

To my nose, Devotion is oud, opoponax and ambergris heavy fragrance. The resins are very faint on my skin. The oud is most prominent and it is quite medicinal (reminds me of sterilized bandages). I like it, but there is nothing so special about it. There are better balsamic, smokey, oud fragrances out there. Would not recommend as it is faint and does not project at all, like all Matriarch fragrances. Now I know that it may go down to skin chemistry, but seriously, D&G The One EDP lasts and projects better than this (and it is known for terrible performance). This house is way over-hyped in the FragComm. I feel like only true fans can praise HoM. Their fragrances smell good, but the price is way too high for what the customers are getting.