Sacreste

I love incense-based scents and spent a long time searching for one that smells like incense but doesn’t feel overly religious. I wanted something easier to wear than, say, Lavs or Reliqvia by Filippo Sorcinelli — amazing quality, but they really give off church vibes for me. Wearing them, I felt like I had a cassock on and people might start greeting me with “bless you, Father.” Sacreste totally hits the mark. I don’t have to overthink when to wear it — if I feel like smelling like it, I just go for it. It works pretty much year-round. I’ve tested it in 8°C and over 20°C, and I think it’s fine in anything but a heatwave. On my skin, it opens with a peppery kick that tingles the nose a bit — but that only lasts around 15 minutes. Then it softens into this cool, smooth sweetness. That slightly sour note others have mentioned? It’s definitely there and I think it works perfectly with the scent’s vibe. I’m guessing it’s the elemi giving it a subtle lemony twist, which helps make it wearable in warmer weather. It lasts a solid 8 hours on my skin (I can still smell it after 12h close to skin), and the projection is noticeable for about 3 hours — about an arm’s length away. It has great atomiser. I’d recommend it to anyone into incense-woody fragrances with a bit of freshness — especially if you don’t want to smell like you just walked out of mass. If you're looking for something more overtly “religious,” maybe check out Unum, Cardinal by James Heeley, or even Montale’s Full Incense for a cheaper option. On me, Sacreste smells nothing like Bowmakers by D.S. & Durga or Hwyl by Aesop, both of which I own.

A very quick review this time. I had this perfume for about two years and it became my go-to perfume for the versatility and neutrality. Neutrality is sometimes very good, and the blend here does it in a calming way. At first, it bursts overwhelming church smell, but it subsides in about 30 minutes into a nice masculine skin scent. The scent is throughout woody, resinous and a bit spicy. If you are the guy who is not into explosive floral and fruity scents, this one will deliver. Longevity is about 6 hours plus which means that this will get you comfortably through the day or evening. For me, it was always a day and work/leisure perfume. That I have already used the entire bottle in about 20 months says a lot.

Reviewing sample from 2022. Sacreste was launched in 2018. Dark green aromatic opening with a waft of incense.Delicately spiced with soft leather. Barely there smoke and a little sweetness to round out the cypriol and the spices. Aromatic woods support the base. Beautifully blended. Quality -very good 4/5 Unisex Performance- very good 3.5/5 An offering of frankincense and myrrh to the deity of your choice .Although Sacreste opens with liturgical vibes it has enough heft and complexity in the basenotes to make it wearable. Absolutely beautiful resinous woody drydown. 9/10

As a devout Catholic, Sacreste smells almost exactly like the balsamic incense used in our Churches. I luckily got the chance to test this side-by-side with Reliqvia by Filippo Sorcinelli and the two smell very similar, nearly identical in fact. Besides the smell however Sacreste by Laboratorio Olfattivo doesn't perform to its full extent. Its projection simply isn't strong enough for what is a beautiful scent. Luckily, the longevity is quite good, lasting a good 10 hours on my skin.

Rather than transporting me to a church, I feel this scent more so evokes some deep, unknowing emotion inside of me. It feels deeply meditative, yet also highly intimate, as well as quite melancholic. It feels like a quiet solace brought about by a deep reminiscence of intimacy - something lost, never to come back, something that evokes a form of melancholy, but something that reveals a deeper meaning amongst the gloom of the past.