Sancti

Easily my most loved of LLI's collection. I'm a huge fan of incense as a whole and this is one of my very favorite incense-based fragrances. The reason is simple: it's not invasive. Some incense fragrances, such as Montale's Full Incense or Chopard's Black Incense Malaki, can be very overpowering and not everyone will be into it, you wear those with liberal sprays at your risk and peril. Personally, I don't like to intrude on others with my fragrances too much so Sancti is a way to wear incense that won't choke everyone out. It has an unusual citrusy tinge and is rather close to skin and doesn't project like crazy (much like the rest of LLI). Be warned that this is still a very "churchy" incense so if that's not your jam, this probably won't change your mind. Sancti opens with a blast of fresh, bright citrus which is surprising and helps to elevate the oncoming resinous incense storm. it's a pretty linear fragrance so there's not much transformation on my skin (as opposed to Fortis from the same "trilogy" which keeps morphing and evolving on my skin). That's fine by me however, I love the heck of this scent so I'm glad it sticks around throughout. It lasts about 4-5 hours on my skin (1 or 2 hours of projection then sticks close to skin) which may be somewhat weak for many people. Personally, I tend to wear LLI's fragrances often for a specific mood and not for others to enjoy. I think of them more as aromatherapy than perfumery. The house does have a pretty esoteric approach to things to begin with. Sancti for me I wear when I feel anxious and scatterbrained. It's a very grounding, relaxing scent. As such, I don't feel there's a season or a time of day for it. It's fresh enough for the summer (although not in insane humidity and blazing sun) but the intense winter cold would break it as well but other than that, it's pretty versatile for me.

This stuff has completely won me over. One of the most sophisticated, transparent and *clean* takes on incense. The composition is actually pretty simple but is so smartly conceived to result refreshing and novel while sticking to a somewhat classic liturgical-incense structure. It opens with a plethora of unsweetened and fizzy citruses (mandarine, pamplemousse and bergamot) paired to a super soft cardamom note and maybe some aldehydes. The citruses smell extremely natural and realistic as opposed to the *undefined* lemony notes we experience too often in modern perfumery. In this phase Sancti feels extremely sparkling and fresh, almost freezing and wintery as in a early morning breeze. The evolution starts right away and the citrusy opening perfectly links to the lemony aspect of frankincense. This is basically the middle phase where the fragrance smells of clean church floors, wax and sunlight entering from the mullioned windows. Think about Comme Des Garcons 2 Man with an extra dose of citruses and the vetiver toned down. There's also the *clean* accord of Cardinal as well as the white linen vibe already found in some of the Maria Candida Gentile's works. A white smoky base starts emerging from the back while the incense gets drier and drier to give birth to a simple yet incredibly satisfying drydown. There's something so purifying about this fragrance, something that smells salubrious. Smells white, pure, clean...almost virginal. If you're looking for something bombastic and tenacious, you'll probably be disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the fragrance is anything but weak bit its weightless character gives it an ethereal vibe throughout that makes of this composition a perfect fit for almost every occasion and every season. Fantastic if worn both on skin and fabric where the incense drydown lingers forever. Mucho Love. Rating: 8/10

So close to heaven, but mortally flawed by a failure of nerve. Truly splendrous, clean, zingy, citrus-toned frankincense that doesn't go all the way to 'bright cologne' territory like some in this genre, but still perceptibly lighter and less gloomy than some of the dustier, more 'old church' approaches like Cardinal, Avignon, etc. At first it seemed absolutely angelic to me, glorious without being vulgar, traditional without being stuffy, spicy in all the right places without being too heavy. Honestly among my top five of all the dozens of frankincenses I've tried; somewhat like P Roma's definitive Olibanum, for that feeling of intensely spiritual cleanliness and tradition hanging around like a halo of shining wonder. But it can't stick the long Calvary that is survival on my earthly skin; maybe it's made for higher things than base (female!) human creatures like me, but Sancti's gorgeous aura of sanctity only hangs about for 3-4hours, at most. Can true virtue be so easily dispelled? It still tempts me - and with performance that weak you know that means the smell itself must be STELLAR for it even to be a contender - yet I think this time I'll be able to get a grip, show some self-discipline and resist. If you too adore frankincense and haven't found precisely the right one for you yet - definitely worth trying, though, especially if discounted. (RRP is really shooting for the moon, here, I feel, it's unarguably a quality product but does not justify the price point.)

10/10. Gorgeous packaging, look, smell. I tried it at a store alongside a few other incense perfumes, and this one was a winner. Very resemblant of Avignon by Comme des Garçons but not as intensely sweet. Sancti is still quite sweet but in very subtle, minimalist and non-invasive way... The main notes that I sense are olibanum and labdanum (for some reason absolutely no citrus unlike many people), but I am sure the rest indicated are there and that's why it feels so incredibly complex and gorgeous, even royal. Its subtleness is giving me a crispy morning alone in a small church in the middle of nowhere. I see a lot of snow around it and cloudy grey skies. Yet inside the church itself it's warm and cosy and maybe there's someone there except you but that someone is a friend, you can tell them all your secrets (sins?) and they won't judge you. “Tell me every terrible thing you ever did, and let me love you anyway.” ― Edgar Allan Poe. I own Passage d'Enfer and I am surprised how different those two are. While Passage is giving me severity and strictness, Sancti is clarity of thought and kindness. Absolutely recommend.

Oh... no words. Well, maybe I can try. Sancti is fully holy, reverent, pure. It is light and peace in a bottle. Peppery sacred frankincense, fir and citrus predominate; grapefruit but not too astringent, more like the cushy white pith of pomelo. A little bitter but refreshing without ever being cologne like. I smell the herbal earthiness of rosemary and lavender, not too flowery. Cleansing. Calibrating. Woods... light shavings. Grounded, dry, sweet. Softly fiery with spice. Delicate ambergris to add body, perhaps a little mortal connection. Not angelic. No mass, no church, no religious institution required. When I wear this, no other beings exist except myself and God. Much praise for Sancti... Sillage is quite discreet, but I am quite gratified in wearing this just for myself and anyone else I want to allow in my personal space. It almost knocks Le Labo Vetiver off my favorites shelf for my spiritual comfort fragrance. Sonia Constant, you are supernatural.

This is pure Orthodox church incense - unmistakable. In my country, it’s a tradition for the priest to visit every home before the holidays, offering prayers and cleansing the house of evil spirits. This fragrance smells exactly like the myrrh used in that ritual, but softened and refined into something more sophisticated. It’s what Enigma’s “Sadness” would smell like. On my skin, it becomes incredibly pure, like a dove. Neat, powdery, musky, soft, cozy, clean, and luminous. I don’t get any soda, citrus, or freshness the way others do; my skin tends to pull everything into a musky sweetness. What remains is purity, holiness, untouched stillness. This is unmistakably feminine - virginal yet sensual, holy and mysterious. There’s restraint and submission here, devotion and sacredness. It’s not a scent meant to seduce, yet it could do so unintentionally. Angelic, distant, untouchable. Also it could be a perfect bridal scent.

I loooove this perfume Such a sophisticated, scenic and relaxing perfume. It instantly brings me back to one snowy winter sauna night in Helsinki in 2016. It reminds me of walking through quiet streets blanketed in freshly fallen snow on my way to Kulttuurisauna. I can see myself being in this sauna place again surrounded by the scent of warm cedar, clouds of steam, and the icy sea quietly waiting in the darkness beyond the glass door. There’s something almost monastic about it as well —a sense of complete detachment from the outside world, like an old monastery or a silent stone church. It feels sacred, peaceful, and deeply contemplative. Sometimes it even makes me picture a grey winter sky overflowing with a soft, buttery-yellow Milky Way, as if the stars were pouring gently across the darkness. I love to layer it with Cedre Du Liban from BULY on cold snowy late night winter days before my bedtime.

This is tropical church. This reminded me Christmas in the islands of the Philippines. The citrus sunny opening and that church incense with slight floral. I remember being a kid, my mom would wake me up at 5am to go to church for the traditional “midnight” mass during the Christmas season. The incense takes me back to that time. And that opening reminds me of that early sunrise perfectly timed as we exit the church and I can smell the pomelo tree/ fruits near the church and also the vendors down the public market. It’s so vivid. And pomelo fruit is literally part of new year/christmas food festivities. I’m not practicing catholic now but this is just nostalgic but also uplifting scent. A very well balanced perfume. Transparent and effervescent but has a nice strong presence. A very unisex type. I’m a fan of this house and I’m maybe slightly obsessed. It’s very unique. I’m in love. 8.9/10

This is the best fragrance I have found to date in my quest for the ultimate orthodox-churchy incense scent. It's very wearable and projects well although the longevity is a little weak, so I will reapply after a few hours. In my mind its as if Le Labo Eucalyptus 20 and Diptyque Opsis had a baby and laid it in a very dry manger full of hay and slightly mouldy cassocks. It's got a super-dry zingy fresh opening quickly progressing to a lovely mix of nutmeg, myrrh, cedar, cardamon and vetiver which develops and evokes spring sunshine on ancient pews. There's incense but it's not smokey in the least, just very bright. There's musk in the base lending the perfect amount of funk for my tastes. Well blended, damn near perfect in its class. I'm very happy with this.

Like for many others, Sancti reminds me greatly of Comme de Garcon's Avignon. Avignon, however, felt less like a person-perfume for me and was very much a place-perfume, which is very in line with their fragrance philosophy. I was comparing Sancti against Jovoy's Les Liturgie des Heures and preferred Sancti on my skin, so much so that I locked down on a full botte quite immediately. Sancti has a fizzy quality similar to Opoponax by Olibanum (Histoires de Parfum's sister brand) but is infinitely more complex, buoyed by its potpourri of fruit, flowers, and herbs. Instead of being dark and brooding, Sancti is bright and luminescent - it reminds me of being hit by strong sunlight streaming in through a window whilst contemplating in a marble church.

Ahh, I bought this blind and luckily, I like it. A very powerful opening of resins and well, incense. After about 5 minutes it’s super citrus and incense and resins annd is giving me Catholic Church day spa (!) and as it dries down, 10-15 minutes out, I’m getting full on Catholic Church. I enjoy the atmospheric experience of visiting old French Catholic Churches and this is what I am getting here. Can’t wait to spray this before meditation (and I will give it 30 minutes to settle) as I think it will help relax me and calm me and take me to a warm summers day in France when I slip into a smoky, dark church and inhale millennia of incense hanging in the air, with the candles burning in the semi darkness. Beautiful.

This shit right here guys, this is the one. I have been searching for a good gin and tonic type fragrance for a while but the problem with most fragrances like Voyage d'Hermes and Juniper Sling is that they last for about 60 minutes and then disappear. This one is distinctly different as it stays pretty linear throughout the 5-6 hours of longevity, keeping the sparkly, fizzy, 'gin and tonic'-like accord through its duration. During the dry down it becomes less citrusy and more soft and woody, with a hint of incense. It won't project across a room and isn't exactly a cheapie, but out of all the "fizzy" fragrances I have tried this one smells and performs the best.

I got Sancti because I wanted a Church inspired perfume, a holy smell and it did not disappoint! It also surprised in a very pleasant way. The myrth, frankincense, rosemary evoke memories of Catholic cathedrals, it's impressive yet with the citrusy notes that follow this mystic blend, it becomes also a comforting, pleasant perfume. On me, it is quite noticeable, and also feels ever so spicy, which is a very welcomed noted by myself. It is one of the more complimented perfumes in my collection (which does sometime irk me as I personally prefer other's) - but goes to show that it stands out

With the name Sancti, one can't help themselves but to imagine walking into an old church, greeted by the welcoming scent of the dark and smoky insence, having a seat on the old pews made of dark wood and taking in the beautiful view of the pulpet while smelling this fragrance. The freshness of the bergamot, mandarin, pomelo and grapefruit can be described as the sunrays from the church windows penetrating the smoke, making everything brighter and more grandiose. It smells very calming and zen, yet still dark and mystical, and I love the playfulness with the holyness in this fragrance.

This fragrance is amazing. It has a super resinous opening, it smells like being around cypres trees, but not in a foresty way. It's not overwhelming, just straight-up cypress tree. I adore this scent, it's so nostalgic to me: my primary school had a few cypress trees in the school yard, and I spent most of my time hanging around them. Their smell calmed me down. This is how this fragrance makes me: super calm. It's so fresh it for real feels like getting purified by holy water, but for me the whole holy water concept doesn't really come through because of the strong nostalgia.

A beautiful, light citrusy incense opening. Sunlight filtering into a temple on a cool early spring morning. Despite the slight smokiness a clear and transparent fragarance - fairly low projection. After the uplifting citrus top dissipates you get a lovely incense with a bit of wood in the background (I'm guessing the cedar but it smells sandalwood-y to me). There's still a bit of something lemony in there at this point. As it develops further it slowly morphs into more of a fougere but it never loses it's clean wood and incense character. Quiet, elegant, and restrained.

It is a Great Fragrance , Elegant, Classy, Soft, Clean and Modern. I tried it in store and I received a sample of that yesterday. This is on my Radar , I must try it again and I will decide about it. It opens up with fresh citrusy, spicy , herbal and spices notes in the background then dry down is semi sweet warm spicy, balsamic resinous, ambery and woody. Longevity is good. The Grapefruit and The Incense notes are dominant in this perfume. Thumbs Up Rating : 8 / 10

Plenty of reviewers below have summed this fragrance up perfectly, so I won't get super detailed. Instant love for me. Sancti is not your usual monster-projecting incense frag. It's classy, sexy, inoffensive, fresh, herbal, and resinous. Super versatile for any occasion/season. Quality ingredients and great blending, but you can still smell almost every listed note. This has everything I could ever want in an incense scent.

My first niche perfume. From the first sniff it took me back to the monastery where I learnt prayers before confirmation: incense, balsamic and Mediterranean citrus-rosemary freshness. Even though it reminds me of childhood, it became my signature scent because of how versatile and easy it is to wear. It isn’t very strong, but citrus leaning fragrances often trade projection for elegance. I just reapply it again.

received yesterday finally. I have to change my opinion. it is an incense for hot days but its performances for me are very different on the skin than on the paper. ok it won't have a great wake. but it is an incense for those who want to smell like incense without bothering. the notes are all well balanced. and I like the development, albeit a bit linear. 10/10 longevity 12 h moderate sillage.