Eau Sacree

A very lovely little incense number, I was initially intimidated by Eau Sacree's black label, listing of rose and apparently higher concentration than Cardinal. Well, my trepidation was totally unnecessary this time, as Eau Sacree is much the same as Cardinal, a straightforward mixed (olibanum + myrrh) incense with near flawless execution (and in my opinion truly flawless in the case of Cardinal). The secondary notes of Eau Sacree feed simply into the incense and do not take the perfume far away from a "solinote" concept. Indeed even the rose is fairly shy on my skin, and only just detectable. As you'd expect from such a composition there's a resinous, coca-cola-like scent which, to those who spent their childhood years in Catholic Mass (I did not) may evoke a sense of the spiritual. My only mild gripe with Eau Sacree is my gripe with incense solinotes in general - I simply don't love the smell of incense sufficiently to remain captivated by it over an extended period of time. For me, this would be a very "easy reach", spray-and-forget crowd pleasing type of scent, the kind of thing I'd spray on my clothes as I'm walking out of the house to donate some small element of magic to the day ahead. I do find both Cardinal and Eau Sacree coy, with a fairly quick collapse into a skin scent but relatively durable longevity thereafter for such simple fragrances. I can't begrudge them this fact unduly, however, as I suspect it's within the lightness; within the delicate, ephemeral sillage of the two scents that their poise is achieved. The more hardcore incenses can, for my nose, sometimes veer into something altogether different, though there's at least one (Rien Intense Incense) which I think I'd select over these out of a preference for simple oomph. I accept that my caveman sensibilities do not impugn the quality of Eau Sacree or his brother. Overall Eau Sacree is a glinting treasure, however fleeting.

Any scent I've tried so far from James Heeley has been a hit. Scents from this house tend to be simple and high-quality, centred on a key note. Eau Sacrée is similar - it is a beautiful incense scent centred on frankincense and myrrh. Being raised Catholic, I adore a good ecclesiastical incense scent, and this is a great example of the genre. Balsamic and rich, but not very smoky, I really enjoyed this. ES is richly balsamic from initial spray, featuring a beautiful, smooth frankincense note, perfectly evocative of a feast day mass. The labdanum adds a smooth leathery quality to the balsamic accord, grounding it and adding depth. Warm, sweet spices follow, complementing it to perfection. As it develops, smooth rose emerges, becoming increasingly powdery as it develops. It is the perfect accompaniment to the incense, but remains in the background. Patchouli follows closely, complementing it nicely and adding a herbal edge to this scent. Here, the combination of patchouli and incense feels a little hippie-ish, but this is not a bad thing. As it dries down, sweet myrrh seamlessly marries with the frankincense, forming that age-old nativity accord, and is beautifully rendered here. It becomes increasingly dry and woody here as the grassy vetiver emerges, slightly astringent but a logical conclusion. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It is a unisex autumn/winter scent. ES is a lovely, wearable example of an incense scent, understated and smooth throughout. Made with high-quality ingredients, well-blended throughout and reasonably simple, this is another impressive scent from this house. 4.5/5.

A mysterious incense interpretation, which has an elusive character. On the initial spray, you get the same resinous incense scent that you see from the likes of Avignon, or Heeley’s Cardinal, but there’s more going on here. There’s more wood, a bit more spiciness, and the drydown and heart have my nose interpreting an almost acerbic quality lurking underneath, which slightly reminds me of mustard seed. As Eau Sacree evolves, the incense and wood softens and the mystery note reveals itself: Rose. The combination of incense and rose in this is a very confusing one for my brain when smelling it, and I kind of like that. The latter half of this scent’s life on your skin will give way to that spicy rose, and it’s nice. A real enigmatic pure incense fragrance, this one, and on the opposite end of the spectrum from Cardinal when it comes to pure incense interpretations. Smelling them side by side will make this one seem all the more dry, dark, and bitter, considering how light and sweet Cardinal is, but on it’s own Eau Sacree is a more complex scent that requires some time to consider. Though this is an Extrait, it has a surprising lack of strength or longevity, and doesn’t last as half as long as Cardinal or Avignon. It shows up, poses it’s riddles, and then leaves you to contemplate the answer. I like it.

Really cool! I love fragrances that want to go for a specific theme or feel and execute it flawlessly. The opening hits you straight away with a very deep, warm, leathery labdanum that lasts a bit, even in the middle. It's all non-transitional - just one full, linear blend. There's a super resinous frankincense and myrrh combination. The rose is a bit hidden, because it's "dry", but it's really there, between all that, giving the whole scent an "elevated" feel. There's a slight "stanky", musky, earthy patchouli oil feel, but it's not at all bad. It all smells so clergy. But I'm not really getting a straight, old European Catholic church vibe. More like a monastery of monks from the Coptic churches in Egypt. It has a rustic feel to it, and a slight spicy dryness. But at the same time, it's viscous and dense, with a myrrh sweetness and a damp, woody backdrop. It feels like it's an essential oil that's meant to be rubbed on, instead of sprayed. It's very comforting, really. I don't find it smoky/incense-like at all. More ambery and balsamic. I also don't get the pine that some reviewers are mentioning. I love this a lot. Great theme execution. Nothing fancy, just simple and well-blended. I'm looking forward to trying some other Heeley fragrances.

This was a lot to take in when I sprayed for the first time. There is lots happening, it's very deep and strong. However, it has grown on me tremendously - maybe even to my favourite perfume, and now I wake up in the morning looking forward to inhaling this delicious resinous concoction. It feels more complex than the other incense based perfumes I've tried, and without that kind of dry & sweet frankincense in perfumes like Cardinal / Avignon / Montale-Full Incense... give it a couple of goes to get used to it before deciding. This and Armani Prive - Bois D'Encens are my favourite incense perfumes... So happy to find this - Phoenicia in the same vein is also delicious!

An expertly made and tightly balanced frankincense composition is always great to meet. Eau Sacree is a purist, straightforward incense that greatly succeeds in being different than the other Heeley offering Cardinal in a way that is devoid of the freshness and “whiteness” of its predecessor in support of a more classical soft oriental structure. Every note is superbly blended and judged supporting firmly a beautiful, sanctified perfume that opens as a soft “rosy” incense and dries down gracefully in a very calm and elegant manner. This fragrance is indeed reminiscent of faith and devotion in the divine and truly wonderful.

Well, its correctly named. A major incense/myrhh/labdanum opening. It does remind me of other intense spicey fragrances. A sweeter, more resinous Andy Tauer Moroccan air immediately sprung to mind but also of one of the Oriza L Legrands. Intense incense and spices. It's warmed up with the rose. The musk works it's usual magic of rounding and softening notes. The vetiver gives some kick whilst the patch grounds everything. If I didn't have the Oriza L Legrand and Andys desert beauty I'd be very tempted to buy a fb. Good longevity and silage.

Absolutely stunning fragrance. Thought I wouldn't be able to find something as "churchy" as Heresy, but was pleasantly surprised. Labdanum and frankincense dominate in a perfect pairing, with a bit more of a colored scent than the aforementioned. Great complement to Heresy, though, as this one has a much more lively smell compared to Heresy's old wood. Much too expensive for my taste, so I'll be sticking with Heresy, but if it weren't for the price point I'd prefer Eau Sacree. Will be running my sample dry for sure.

Fresh, cooling, resinous incense and labdanum. Eau Sacrée is wonderful; the beautiful smell of a thurible before or right after set on fire. It’s so pure and green, that not only does it remind me of an old church, but also a bit of the smell I used to get on my resin-sticky hands after playing with fallen pinecones to crack some pine nuts open when I was a child. Starts off somewhat sharp, but it keeps rounding off with time, getting softer, deeper, darker, "myrrhier", and muskier. Great.

This is great, remind me of a castle, large stone blocks and darkness... makes me think of the colour black. Picked up two fragrances today from Les Senteurs in London but I should have just got this one. I was slightly overwhelmed in the shop as I tried so many different things and this was one I only smelled on the blotter. After taking a sample home I sincerely regret not going for this :( Later the same day update - kept using the sample and decided to buy a bottle after all!!

I enjoy incense scents but hadn't found one that worked for my skin until testing Eau Sacree. It does give me gothic cathedral vibes which is why I ordered a sample. It's dark and mysterious, somber. I find it feminine leaning for sure, which is part of the reason it draws me as other similar fragrances I've tried were more unisex or masculine. Definitely considering a full bottle of this. Performance is ok, projects pretty strongly but not super long lasting.

What a joy to wear! I confess that I really like incense, churchy, or even sweet (like the delightful Matiere Premiere's "Encens Suave"). This one is more for the true connoisseur: labdanum cyst, frankincense, patchouli, myrrh, perfectly perceptible, and even though it is a "cold" incense, it is incredibly well structured, lasting throughout the day, with considerable sillage, without ever being inappropriate for a professional context.

The cistus and rose notes at the heart of Eau Sacree lift it out of the sacristy and into the bedroom: an incense-based fragrance that is not about restaging cathedral liturgies, but creating an atmosphere of warmth and intimacy at home. Its initial impact is delightfully enveloping, but on my skin its longevity is comparatively brief: just long enough to steady the mind and open the heart, balancing out serenity and desire.

sun beating down on your neck on a humid hot day in the french riviera, with the slightest freshness of the parasol pines and aromatic shrubs around you, this smells like the moment you find respite in the doorway of a little chapel's cold shade, marble floors and welcoming scent of freshly burnt frankincense and myrrh. makes for an elegiac scent that is far from being overly explicit, corny, or patronizing, fantastic!

I fell in love with this on first application. I honestly can't distinguish any ingredients, but the overall result is totally gorgeous. I love the slightly burnt resinous smell, and something pleasantly sour, and all the incense and resins and smoke coming together to form a truly beautiful gothic fragrance. A dark church stairwell would probably smell like this, I am in love and I really want a whole bottle.

Whenever I wear this I feel like an ancient vampire crawling out of a musty mausoleum. The labdanum opening makes the following incense smell a bit dirty, rotten even. I love it. Definitely not for everyone, thought. A great spooky season scent (although I write this during a heatwave happily simmering in it). Earthier and a bit sweeter than Cardinal or Avignon.

I sampled both this and Cardinal, looking for an austere, holy, incense. This one hit the mark for me. It's watery but spiced in a very smooth way. Fairly linear, it didnt evolve much for me. I wear it to bed and in the morning Im left with the faintest musk. The rose and vetiver keep this from going to powdery, it feels faintly floral. It's a keeper for me.

Eau Sacree is the best incense scent ever imho. If you like church y incense fragrances such as Comme des Garcons Avignon and Heeley Cardinal, I'm quite sure you will love this one as well. There's some similarities with those two fragrances but Eau Sacree is warmer and spicier. Projection is good and it lasts about 12-14 hours on my skin. 10/10

If you love a rich incense this is the scent for you! Not the smokey kind but the pure resin you burn on charcoal blocks that smells heavenly. (Which is probably why they burn it in Catholic churches.) I have searched for years for an incense perfume that captured the richness without the smoke. And for me this is it!

I own too many incense fragrances but this is one of my favorites. I tend to gravitate towards cold incense in the style of comme des garcons, but eau sacree is instead very warm while still feeling somewhat restrained. Long lasting, calming, beautifully blended , I love it.

My favorite from the house, beats all the other(exceptional fragrances, it must be said) by a mile. Somewhat woody-spicy but generous in frankincense and myrrh. Balm to the soul. "Welcome to my house! Enter freely. Go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring!"

Holy shit. Lesbian medieval convent. Incense bomb. I searched and waited a year to buy a full 100ml of this. Probably overpriced but I don't care. Damn. Not for everyone. Don't wear this in the summer except maybe at the Pride afterparties. Worth at least a sample.

This is a classic church incense fragrance infused with a rose-patchouli DNA. I love it. Imagine Cardinal with rose-patchouli added in; although, I don't find this incredibly similar to Cardinal. Not a loud fragrance, but lasts all day with decent projection.

Wore this yesterday and 24 hours later I still can detect the scent. Excellent for warm weather: clean, dry, cool and religious. Tried before at winter, it was "nice and ok" then, but this really shines at summer. Love this.

Midnight mass at a Catholic Church. Absolutely lovely interpretation of the smoky incense that is traditional in church. Got a sample and I am definitely considering a full bottle.

Sacred, spicy, and aromatically resinous. Truly does remind me of smoked incense coming from it's censer, smelling sharp and almost cold. This is dark and beautifully made.

One of the better incense smells. The incense itself becomes more subtle on the skin and the smell becomes darker like an unlit empty hallway of a church.

This scent smells so much like the eucalyptus grove in California. Doesn’t smell religious to me at all.

Dense, smoky, clerical but not too much. The best incense exists.10 / 10 Incredible performance.

Dark, warm & spicy. I love this stuff. Frankincense unburned but with warmth from the spices.

The winter Cardinal fragrance. 7.5/10

Eau Sacree James Heeley (50ml. bottle, USD 90) I blind-buy Eau Sacree from James Healey and I enjoy Cardinal. Good Incense fragrance. Personally, A person who find peace or clam mind always make a good incense fragrance. It might be their nature. Eau Sacrée is Myrrh incense scent a combination with Syn. Vetiver and high-quality olibanum. I believe in this contains Kyara Olibanum and Myrrh. A more traditional take of church incense fragrance.(Denser, Darker - mushroomy - Kindly of Grand Cathedral incense // this is but not inky amber territory). I notice certain amount of Geosmin (Earthy / Muddy aroma) but it merge well with Myrrh and Ghost rose note. Make a fragrance smell slightly darker. Enjoy, this is peaceful incense. It smells more like a mass than the smoke. (If airy church incense is your thing, tried the one that show Olibanum, Sandalwood - it is lighter interpretation). A firm like for me, like really it is another good one. For Myrrh dominant scent. I personally enjoy Oriental Velours by Les Indemodables

Definitely reminds me of Encens Roi by Histoires de Parfums. Very heavy and dark. Not as overpowering as Encens Roi, but probably equally as warm and smokey. I prefer this over Encens Roi, if only because it is lighter, more airy, and less overwhelming. The spices in this are softened by the rose, whereas Encens Roi is straight in your face domineering. I'm really appreciating how Heeley's incense perfumes are intimate, with moderate silliage, and somehow, strangely, not suffocating... This balance makes all their perfumes exceptionally crafted. Cardinal is preferable to me over this, but as far as dark, spicy incense, this is a good one.

A very fine fragrance that has incredible quality But the truth is there are better options for better prices and almost the same quality Yes I did enjoy testing it but for my huge collection it’s a redundant purchase Performance was good The price is a little steep Not something I want or need so it’s a definite pass

For me, it has nothing sacred, profane, dark, or solemn (when I want that mood, I turn to La Liturgie des Heures by Jovoy, Reliqvia by Filippo Sorcinelli, or Avignon by Comme des Garçons). Yet, it remains, in fact, a magnificent incense: resinous, aromatic, and certainly very austere.

Another great scent from J. Heeley. Clean quality incense. Myrrh and frankiscence are prominent. Wears close to skin, it does amp up after an hour. Slightly herbal and spicy, still excellent. Unisex. Got about 3-4 hours longevity, soft hints of it next day on my clothing.

this is a very serious and solemn type of incense, it has a quite sacred feel to it and its very clean, unlike most incense frags which have a smokey, warm resinous undertone to them. all in all, not quite bad, just a tiny bit too linear for my liking

I love a churchy smell. The only thing I dislike about it is that at the end of the day the note that stays most present is vetiver and vetiver to me smells like old man.

Just occurred to me that whilst it has that churchy vibe it also reminds me of Haribo Cola Bottles...

It's sharp and very strong (almost as much as V for Men, but not there yet)

The opening is very deep...sadly it fades quickly. Performance remains a huge problem with Heeley scents. This is no exception. Same with the lovely religion line by Comme des Garcons. This Heeley is much better than the CdG however. Now, Eau de Sacree is a very Myrrh heavy incense fragrance. Thats what I get at the opening and it is what stays throughout. I smell very little patchouli and even less vetiver (its java, not haitian which may explain that). I mean its a very meditative scent, both delicate and haunting. But ...but....at that price it is unacceptable to release something that has little peformance. It IS, a very high quality incense frag, and it suggests depth throughout. There is a serious quality to it, its perhaps more monastery than cathedral. The rose is subtle but important in the later stages. I think its more masculine than not. Its a bit too austere and sort of repressed for a woman. I actually think the faint dry down...if you get close to the skin, is very evocative and liturgical-- and it DOES smell like a cold weather cathedral or monastery in Bruges or Antwerp, or something. It might be the best part of this journey. -- Its just not worth the money.

The first initial notes smell exactly like hayfever sprays, and you know how they smell like pollen themselves missing the floralness? This feels like I've just been hit with a pollen bomb but no floral scents, so basically just sprayed hayfever sprays up each of my nostrils if that makes sense. So at first, its kinda terrible but it does get much much better in the dry down even good. And this initial pollen hayfever scent I feel later adds to the dry down notes and is a very satisfying scent. However not good enough for me to go for a purchase but it might be for you. The incense scent is also not strong enough if thats what you want.

Splurged a full bottle for Christmas! It’s a beautiful spicy incense and amongst my favorite incense scent! Unfortunately it’s just too intimate and ephemeral for my skin type —as my skin tends to eat up most fragrances. I had to bathe myself in this to even get any type of projection and even then it was for about 30 mins max before it became unnoticeable. Despite this being a extrait this is in the level performance wise as some of the worst performing edts I’ve tried. Amazing scent but just so disappointing performance wise and I can’t say it’s worth $250 to smell something that’s barely there!

I thought this would be more complex, but on me it just smelled very strongly of rum, alcohol, something slightly smokey. I did not pick up on other notes, it just smelled like rum and smoke to me.

Standard incense fragrance as well as cold and uninviting. Longevity is not acceptable.

Many will love this, but to me it smells too much of a 70s eco-hippie-store where the incense always is lit and blends with their essential oils. It leans very feminine for me, a bit like entering a yoga class where 90% eagerly apply essential oils and the remaining use light floral perfumes. So yes, there are some floral notes but quite subdued, the smoky incense is leading the show entirely. Hints of spruce resin rather than needles. You can get similar scents in basically any alternative essential oils outlet for less money. Try out Adi Ale Van’s Dilema or Saint’s Tears instead, for a more serious and in my opinion successful effort to make the impression of a mass.

Aromatic juniper frankincense. Synthetic and linear.

I'll need to give this a better review once I get a well-sized decant, but this is such a beautiful incense fragrance, I couldn't wait to write something about my small dabber sample. It's a little odd seeing people point out the piney notes here in surprise, as I typically associate bitter, camphorous, terpenic tree resins (incense) as piney by nature, but there's something a little extra about the woody character of this perfume. It's deep and lush, and the rose-patchouli pairing fills out that quality of olibanum that can feel a little high pitched and delicate, which I find is the case with Cardinal. I usually shy away from rose in perfumes as they can be a little too "obvious" in both presentation and from an emotional point of view, but when it works it works. Despite its abscence in the notes list, I also pick up some kind of herbal note like sage. Whatever the fantasy herb impression is, I think it's one of the best parts because it helps extend this out of the church and into the hot, mediterranean countryside. Other perfmes do that "wild, natural" incense note better but I just like what this is doing personally. Heeley takes it in a very sophisticated and sexy direction that feels just a tad mysterious. It's that romantic, seductive aspect that helps take it out of the sacristy. Smelling it off paper I like to imagine standing under the stone arches of a garden entrance, where hot air passes through dry, scraggly trees and shrubs that dot an arid landscape. In the cover of another stone hallway you cool down and feel the dampness of the stones rise up to meet you. In classic Heeley fashion it doesn't feature any animalic musk or off-putting mildew-like character that you would find in something like La Liturgie from Jovoy. It feels fresh in that unique sharp citric-woody type of way, but resonates with a bass frequency that feels bold and alive, yet not heavy or sickly sweet and overly jammy. I'll update once I can really feel out how it wears. My current worry is that it dries down to a simple spicy rose that reminds me of potpourri (as my girlfriend referenced), but on paper it doesn't seem to. On skin I get more spices that put me off slightly, as my skin eats up the other notes.

Cardinal was my first fragrance by Heeley and I was quite impressed with the quality and feel which prompted me to try more from the line. I ended up blind buying Eau Sacree in the hope for owning another great incense fragrance and I wasn't disappointed... but, yes there is a but... I already have Cardinal and this is in no way different to that. I don't know how to describe the smell, I just haven't smelled anything similar to it. There is a kind of sheer oily thing going on with it which supposedly makes it last longer but Cardinal and Eau Sacree are basically the same fragrance in different bottles with maybe slightly varying concentrations. It is redundant owning both and it's okay to have one or the other. I really like Cardinal but Eau Sacree is slightly preferred over it because it has a slightly more powerful silage becoming closer to the skin around the 4 hour mark and they both last equally long on me which is a surprising 8-10 hours and I usually have complaints about fragrances not lasting. By the way, this is not even remotely related to L'air du desert Marocain in any way. The only other fragrance it compares to is it's sibling Cardinal so please do not allow yourself to be mislead by comparisons to other fragrances.

Had a spell for incense perfumes hit me. Walked through a few, amongst them Cardinal by James Heeley. Eau Sacree is contrasted with Cardinal a darker scent in that it doesn't have the lighter rose notes. This is definitely not a safe blind buy unless you're versed in scents. For me the main component in Eau Sacree is the Olibanum since it smells as if you just burnt some whilst wearing this scent. The scent notes mention myrrh, in my opinion it's minimal myrrh. If any, just a tiny sweet hint that could just as well be the musky component. The burnt Olibanum is, starting out, smoky and heavy only turning into a easier companion on the dry down after 30-40 minutes where it starts projecting an arms length and at times further. If I'm to choose an incense perfume that really gives a somewhat dark, legendary and somewhat sacred ritual feeling. This is it. Rituals and religion in a bottle. It lives up to its name. I will aim to get a full bottle of this sometime in the future. I'm currently carrying a 8ml decant but this is worth aging.