L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Or Encens

Classy Oriental Delight. I am from Saudi Arabia, so I'd like to think that I know a thing or two about Oriental perfumes and this is definitely one, and although beautiful, it's not unique by any stretch of the imagination. The immediate impression I got upon spraying is : "oof, this is classy" I was greeted by a thick, almost oily cloud of sweet, velvety rose, absolutely beautiful, the incense and leather kept it in check to give the fragrance it's classy masculinity, the dry down was equally as impressive. While 90% of Oriental perfumes are unisex by virtue of their notes, this is purely masculine, classy and for me, only for men over the age of 35, kudos to any woman who can pull it off but that would be really, really difficult in my opinion. Now I don't know if this was a special tester or something, but Or Encens stayed on my skin for a DAY, yes you read that right, a whole day where I could reach to my inner elbow and still get a whiff of it, silage was monstrous as well. Notes detected by my nose: rose, incense, soft spices, leather, and sandalwood. Blind buy: if you are under 30 just don't even bother, this is dark stuff for "mature" men, not a playful or sexy scent, but rather a classy upscale one, still better to test first, although beautiful this is an acquired taste that is not for everyone. This is classy, special occasion classy, thick, dark, sweet and velvety stuff that will last for a long time, I haven't smelled Noir Argent or Noir Ambre which are praised a lot here, but to me Or Encens is already the best Issey Miyake creation since the original L'eau D'issey pour homme, and I am not exaggerating. An absolutely incredible release by one of my favorite brands, 10/10.

Wow this is good stuff. I’ve never smelled Gucci Intense Oud, but I’ve heard it was also really good. This does however remind me of Oud Satin Mood at times, but this doesn’t have the vanilla sweetness of OSM. This actually has more of the mineral quality of MFK Oud edp... there’s more of an aquatic freshness here, smooth leather, incense and rose, with some spices like pink pepper and cumin, but not too much cumin, everything is very well blended. I think this is a very sexy fragrance. I love incense and the MFK Oud line is one of my favorites so at around $75 this is pretty amazing quality for the price. Notice how I’m making comparisons to Oud fragrances when in fact there isn’t any Oud in this composition. Shocking how they were able to create the allusion of Oud. The perfumer did a really great job here... Impressive. I’ll admit when I first got this I wasn’t as impressed... Maybe because it doesn’t have a heavy base, nothing like strong woods or amber to anchor it. It’s quite airy and opulent, almost elusive... It took me owning this for a while and possibly allowing it to macerate to really appreciate it. The performance is excellent, too. It’s not exactly beast mode but still quite strong. I see majority find this more of a winter frag but I have no problem wearing this throughout the year. In fact, because there’s a freshness to this I find it to be an excellent transitional fragrance. I’m wearing this today on a cool, windy, sunny, spring afternoon and it’s magical and it’s going to transition perfectly into the evening, adding a bit of mystery and seduction. The silage is quite alluring. Summer evenings work very well... This is a keeper. Well done Issey Miyake, well done.

Very good stuff from Reynaud, the same nose behind the legendary Noir Ambré. They are both deep masculine masterpieces for the cold months. So about Or Encens, this one is all about the rose and incense. If anyone told me a rose scent could be masculine before I got into collecting, I would have laughed, but here we are. It opens with heavily macerated rose over a dark smokey frankincense and smokey resins, as it dries down it becomes a bit sweet and ambery with a beautiful dark wood and leather base. This is a smooth somewhat sweet incense, not a cold dry incense like you would get from Montale Full Incense or Liquide Imaginaires Lacrima. Longevity is outstanding with over 10 hours on skin, huge projection in the first 2 hours, slowly receding to a skin scent for the last 2 hours This is for ages 30+ and definitely for a more mature person. This is as masculine as you can get with rose being the main player. I could see certain types of women pulling this off, but it also takes a certain kind of man to pull this off. It's a challenging wear, not because it's a challenging scent profile, but it's such a serious composition. Deep, dark, and resinous, best reserved for cold dark nights in the Winter and Fall. I have had several opportunities over the years to pick up bottles for cheap, but never pulled the trigger. I do have several decants that I have worn on occasion, but it has never earned a spot in my collection. With that said, If anyone wants to trade or get ride of a bottle (full or partial), let me know! Send me a PM, I'm very active on this website. I have several other rare IM frags I can offer as well as several other discontinued frags on a separate page.

Opens with a luxurious rose, thick, syrupy, and spicy. It then gradually transitions to a woody, animalic oud. In the dry down, I get a sweet and smokey sandalwood with a little bit of the rose still lingering. This is an absolute masterpiece. A gorgeous and dark scent that gives feelings of comfort and danger at the same time, as if you are being seduced by a vampire. This is the Issey Miyake take on the ubiquitous rose & oud combination. I know that oud is not listed in the notes, but there definitely is oud there, and the skanky animalic kind. Great for oud connoisseurs, not so much for mass appeal. I know that Issey Miyake (RIP) was a fashion designer and as a result his fragrances are considered "designer", but this, along with Noir Ambre, are two of the best niche quality fragrances out there. The richness, complexity, and quality of Or Encens are up there with the likes of Initio, PDM, and Xerjoff. I would not consider this blind buy safe, as it takes an experienced nose to truly appreciate this masterpiece. Definitely a night time scent, and very sexy; It needs a confident wearer to pull this off. I wouldn't consider this a masculine fragrance, despite the marketing label, but it is certainly very bold, be it worn by a lady or a gentleman. In case you're wondering why it's so difficult to find this available for purchase anywhere, sadly it has been discontinued. TF's Noir de Noir is the closest fragrance I could compare it to, however, Noir de Noir is more smoothly blended and has zero hint of animalic notes.

L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Or Encens is quite special in few aspects. Roughly it has two acts: First act is opening that goes through sceens of magical transmutation, it is magical floralo~fruity play of shift change through olfactory resiny prism. First act is loud in projection. Then the second act is like the olfactory memory of the first act, plesant rasiny echo of it, until it fade completely. It's 9 ingredients are all adhered in 10th highly viscous wood secrete resin. The stage long before it becomes amber... 😊 Or Encens is intelectual not masculine, dark but not black, not sharp but plesantly higly viscous,almost exotic, it is not juice (physically): "It is all his ingredients adhered in one resin transmuted in air around you. Visually & tactually: Intelectual deep blue color and big deep blue moist serpentish shape with warm sparkles and gliters on it... are recalls that came to me smelling this edp. L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Or Encens (poeticaly): "Is like resiny rose in the midle of whirlwind of incoming storm." Soundtrack: A Kind Of Magic by Queen 😉 ENJOY L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Or Encens! p.s. I know this is briutal to other 'fumes... but it is true, and it goes Sonorous: "Pour Homme Or Encens is like the tune of RED SPECIAL Guitar of Mr Brian May, while playing A Kind of Magic, in spotlight on entirely dark stage." So, May you smell, listen and feel, to play out happines! (As I do right now.)

Wow, wow, wow. Blown away by this. This is a special fragrance. The rose is very prominent here, so if you don't like rose, you most likely won't like this. Next I get incense, along with some smokiness and leather, but the rose dominates throughout; almost delving into unisex territory, but the smoke and leather keep it firmly masculine. The sweetness from the rose and incense is perfectly balanced by the smoke, leather, and woods behind it. If you like rose and incense, this is a must have. This is the kind of fragrance that is meant for special occasions, dates, or any time you want to impress other people. Because as other reviewers mentioned, it definitely smells expensive and of high quality. I would only see myself wearing this in fall, winter, and possibly a cool spring evening. Definitely not summer, it would be way too cloying. It's got great longevity and sillage too; spray it three times (no more than that or you'll choke out a room) and you'll be good for 8 hours, catching random whiffs here and there. My only complaint (and this isn't even a complaint about the fragrance itself) is that they don't offer it in a smaller bottle. From what I've seen, it's only available in 100ml, but that will last me a lifetime. Because like I said before, this will be reserved for special occasions. Either way, this should have a place in everyone's collection. Overall 10/10

Today is probably my fourth of fifth wearing of the 2017 release from Issey Miyake, L’eau d’Issey pour Homme Or Encens, which I purchased this year as a blind buy due a very good price and good reputation. Mostly as advertised, it’s a mix of resins, woods, and, certainly to my nose, a fairly prominent rose note, and it’s well-balanced as respects these main accords. It also feels like a good balance of exploratory/artistic ideas and well-established norms, like a resinous rose oud, so that it’s very workable and wearable but not redundant. That it’s not especially rosy or animalic prevents it from actually being a rose oud, instead having an incense center with only a slight spiciness via some pink pepper and cumin—used modestly, in my estimation—with an assortment of resins and woods making up the balance. Certainly the rose always remains detectable, though as one player in an ensemble, not dominant. Overall, it’s robust but fairly agreeable as resinous fragrances go, and I could easily see it being a cold weather unisex staple, though it is of course part of the men’s collection. Its performance is very good, especially considering that it was priced at $43 when I purchased it on FragranceNet but the pricing generally seems to be a bit higher, at $73 on FragranceBuy.CA, and I still think the $73 price is reasonable for this. 8 out of 10

This is an immense fragrance. It's fairly unique, certainly in terms of what I've smelled within the designer realm, and has a really opulent, exquisite, soft quality about it. It's very rose-forward. On my first wear I found the rose too much, but over time the jammy rose just morphs seamlessly into the soft, clean, powdery incense, so that they are almost indistinguishable. Beneath that joint accord, there's a sturdy but very pleasant leather. It manages to avoid both the raspy, herbal "russian" type leather and the weird, bodily leather of Gucci Guilty Intense, without getting soft enough to come off as suede. I don't really perceive a lot of wood, and while the incense is prominent I wouldn't really call it smoky. Maybe smouldering but it doesn't smell of smoke. The overall vibe of this one is 'special'. You can't just throw it on. It's really fine stuff and demands a suitable occasion! I tend to wear in the evening, so I can't really comment honestly on longevity, although projection/sillage are quite strong, and so far my 5ml sample is going a very long way. Lush. Sophisticated. Opulent. Smouldering. Colour: dusky pink.

Thinking across all designers - is there a house who has had better releases than issey miyake over the last few years? The are making a strong argument for best designer house, in my opinion. Or encens opens with incense. I know that’s a surprise. Followed by almost a sour, oudish wood smell. The opening is very pleasing and somewhat unique - when comparing to other designer offerings, I really can’t think of anything close to it. Maybe comme des garçons avignon. Maybe Gucci pour homme 1. But that’s about it. Speaking of Gucci pour homme - that’s what came to mind during the dry down - and while it’s not going to replace the beloved, discontinued GPH, it definitely plays in the same territory. Overall, I’m thrilled with this scent. It’s for sure a winter scent - and it’s for sure different from anything else on the Macy’s counter. Furthermore, for $60 from fragrancenet, this may just be the best bang for your buck scent out there. Always nice when you feel like you scored big and paid little. Fantastic release from issey miyake.

Amazing incense! L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Or Encens is a gorgeous scent from the start to finish. Soft, jammy, tender rose. Rich, opulent, woody, & mildly-smoky incense. Sensual, lightly sweet amber. Warm, spicy leather. And musky, rich amberwood. All of these combine in this magnificent creation. Soft, rosey, incensy, warm, spicy, ambery. I did not expect it to be this good! It does indeed smell like Armani Rose d'Arabie & Penhaligon's Cairo. The same oriental, rosey scent. I have Rose d'Arabie but I prefer Or Encens because of the more dominant incense note that makes it woodier and more masculine. All 3 are still amazing fragrances. For its price at discounters (~$52), Or Encens is a steal! It is somewhat rare to find. It is also a like-or-love kind of fragrance. So even if you can't smell it, it is worth the blind buy if you like either of RdA or Cairo. A mature, intimate, cool weather, date night wear. The performance is above your average designer fragrance, lasting >6 hours, with soft projection. I "Love" this fragrance!

This is one of those fragrances where the bottle design/color and the scent are perfectly correlated. The bottle initially seems black, but certain lighting reveals a deep, almost opaque purple tinting. Amazing visual trickery aside, the juice itself has that aura of deep, dark incense, leather, woods, and spices mixed with a rose note that comes off a bit jammy. I was initially put off a bit by that note, but after wearing this a few times, it seems to fit perfectly into the darkness, turning the scent a deep purple like the bottle. Or Encens is not a typical contemporary mens fragrance. It avoids the vastly overdone oud/rose combination and is devoid of ubiquitous "artificial sweeteners" like tonka/vanilla. For that reason, it may not appeal to everyone's tastes. It seems more timeless to me, definitely for a mature soul, and a well-heeled one at that!

This is an instant love for me. I've been wanting to try this for so long and I was finally able to get my hands on a bottle. Or Encens is dry woods, clean leather, soft incense and spice mixed with a dark, velvety rose. It seems like an overload of heavy notes, but this actually has a soft (almost-light) touch about it. But, this is still a perfect nighttime fragrance. The longer it wears on me, the more prominent the incense becomes, so it does make me think of altars or temples. It is a shame that this and other 'evening' fragrances from Miyake are not so easily available here, in the US anyway. If you are a fan of these notes (rose, leather, incense), you should check this out. The absence of oud/patchouli makes Or Encens a lighter, modern take on this style of rose fragrance. I'm glad I finally have a bottle...Gorgeous stuff.

Syrupy rose--that is what you hits you in the first few moments. And depending on your nose, that may not change during the dry-down. Very faint shades of leather and cedar come in later if you sniff hard enough. Strangely I only pick up on the incense and pink pepper sometimes, perhaps it has to do with where on my body I spray it. Somewhat reminiscent of Guerlain's L'Homme Ideal EDP in how the most prominent sweet note (cherry in that case) can threaten to overpower everything else. Overall I like this fragrance, but it's also too rosy to qualify as something I'd be excited to wear. Per usual for IM, projection and longevity are solid. Update: After trying it again a few days later, it struck a better chord with me. Not overpoweringly rosy, and the pink pepper and incense balance out the sweetness some more.

Niche quality fragrance here. Don't let the opening throw you. I think the cumin and hint of rose are clashing with some other note, but the battle doesn't last long. Within a few minutes the fragrance settles down to a beautiful blend of soft leather, amber, woods and a mild incense.This is a fragrance that you wish had better projection because it is so good. I found it to have moderate projection but lasts 12 hours on skin, becoming more caramel and incense as it ages. Intoxicating. I would argue against any comparison with Ombre Nomade. Or Encens is not a beast and each note does not stand apart at different stages during the life of the fragrance as happens with Ombre Nomade. I would put Or Encens in the same league as some of Carner Barcelona's incense and amber fragrances.

Beautiful fragrance! Issey Miyake has been hitting them out the park with the fall/winter offerings. Quality, smooth, unique in the designer realm. Value for your money in terms of longevity & projection. The notes are blended fantastically. A grown modern gentleman fragrance. Definitely a dress up fragrance. Incense is a hit or miss note for me and thankfully it’s done right here. Mixed with the leather & rose which are the two dominant notes for me, the incense plays the supporting role. This fragrance does remind me of Bond no. 9 New York Amber, this being more wearable for men and personally more interesting. Best of the recent Issey series: 1. Pulse of the Night 2. Or Encens 3. Noir Ambre 4. Noir Argent 5. Polaris 6. Wood & Wood 7. Bleu Astral 8. Nuit Parfum

Don’t let anyone tell you theres a better rose incense fragrance. Full review on YT: https://youtu.be/5111qT0BbeU The opening awakens your senses and widens your eyes with a concoction of deeply resinous sweet labdanum and peppery spicing over a soft and airy smoky backdrop. Even though you have seen these notes before, the scent is extremely unique to this bottle. The mid is dominated by a spicy rose, full bodied and opulent, with equal parts smoky burning incense. The cumin adds a slight bit of earthiness. This is what you buy the fragrance for: the smell of extreme wealth. The drydown is a blend between smooth sandalwood, the remaining grit of the incense and a mass appealing amber. Longevity 8-10 hours. An all timer!!

Wow! I didn’t expect that this was Issey Miyake! The opening is very spicy dark rose and smoky leather and wood... gotta admit it reminds me of the opening of Armani Privé Rose d’Arabie! But then it develops to its own direction quite quickly. I’m left with incensy leather and dark wood. It’s ambery but not sweet, like very resinous and dark amber. Somehow I get an oud feel even it’s not listed. The feeling of this scent is truly GOLDEN! The performance is really good. I got 9-12h longevity and projects quite far for the first 1-2h. After that it kinda lingers in the air pleasantly. If I was a blind smelling, I’d say this would be in a higher designer price like Tom Ford’s private blend or Armani Privé range!!! 10/10!!!!

I wore the most beautiful triple layering combo I've ever smelled today. Just working with similar notes. It was a bottom layer of Issey's Or Encens, mid layer of The One Mysterious Nights, and a top layer of Dior Homme Parfum. All have rose and two of them have either labdanum, leather, sandalwood, oud, cedar and amber. Those notes amped up with their differences makes this one of the most amazing scents everyone should try if they have it. It's a powerhouse with monster projection and will last you throughout the day with just one spray of each. You will appreciate all three scents working together with none overpowering the other because they're all strong. Blended together, it's out of this world.

THIS is indeed a masterpiece. The rose and labdanum are very prominent, and also very masculine, up top. Then comes the spicy darkness. Incense, leather and peppers. I’d swear there’s oud as well. All are smooth and blended perfectly. Very unique. One of my very favorite cool weather selections of all-time. Moderate projection, but very long lasting. Get it before it goes the way of the other excellent Issey Miyake cool weather offerings - multiple hundreds of dollars. Though it would still be borderline worth it. Niche sensibilities with still (for now) designer pricing if you can indeed find it. Good lordt, this is magnificent

Or Encens is without a doubt one of my favorites and I fell in love with it the second I wore it. This was a blind buy based off of the notes and reviews and I'm happy I took the chance. I pretty much knew I'd enjoy it as I'm partial to rose and woody or ME fragrances with incense. To me this is extremely similar to Guerlain Santal Royal at a 1/4 of the price which is amazing as I also love Santal Royal but it's just too expensive at the moment for me. Or Encens has an inviting sandalwood rose combo with a hint of spice and sweetness and wamth. It truly has to be experienced to appreciate how beautiful it is. Highly reccomended.