Côté Maquis

This fragrance is just wow. Wow. So complex, so enjoyable. So hard to describe. The note that really jumps out at me from the beginning is the incense. But weirdly, its not what you would call a dark or smoky incense, its light, its airy. Cote Maquis is so hard to nail down... its ocean-y, its temple-y, but neither. Maybe a temple overlooking an ocean bluff, the walls penetrated with hundreds of years wood, of wind, of seaside flowers, of prayer and burning incense. I'm really searching for a way to describe this because its so ethereal. It is neither too masculine or too feminine, a true unisex fragrance. I'm not a perfumer nor a long term frag-head (so take that into context), but I've got enough experience to know that Elad Yifrach of L'Objet & Yann Vasnier have really created something, a scent that I, at least, have never experienced before. I first experienced the fragrance with L'Objet's bath salts. I couldn't get enough and then ordered the room spray (which I loved so much that I would actually spray on myself (don't judge). When I heard they were launching the eau de parfum, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It has great longevity, I'm 6 hours in and its still going strong. Sillage is moderate. What a unique gem. Kudos to L'Objet for a true offering to the fragrance world. Additionally (not related to the fragrance but speaks the quality being delivered) L’Objet has some of the best (if not THE best) sprayers/atomizer mechanisms on the market. I’m not sure how much extra goes into this beautiful touch, but you will notice its superiority over any other bottle you are using. It truly is that good.

To say that this perfume "smells like insect repellent" is simply obscene! Let me start by saying that I have smelled and owned a lot of incense/frankincense/olibanum perfumes. CdG's Incense Series, Casbah, Bois d'Encens, Wazamba, Mess de Minuit, Sahara Noir, Cardinal, Royal Incense, Encens Suave, Encens Roi, Free, and much more! Côté Maquis is simply stunning! It's a mildly smokey Incense(not fresh olibanum, but lit/burning) mixed with labdanum(powdery, resinous) and lots of balsam, which I think is tolu. At times, I feel like there's a hint of something fruity, maybe a red apple note, but it's very subtle. It has nothing to do with Cardinal; this latter smells of fresh olibanum, with it's citrusy, spicy notes. CM is woody, smokey. The nearest thing to CM is probably Bois d'Encens, but CM is more ambery/powdery and balsamic. I also think it's more accessible/wearable, and offer a better wearing experience . If the note of frankincense isn't your thing, I get it, I too dislike lots of notes like caramel, peach, pear, Akigalawood, etc. But to compare Coté Maquis to an insect repellent is really not fair. Highly recommended scent for frankincense lovers.

One day, I'd love to be there when the tears are awakened on a Boswellia tree. The exudate is newly expressed, then collected to be part of a ritual or a perfume. In the meantime, I enjoy olibanum in its numerous forms, and I especially love the way the resin smells as it burns and fills the air. Many a cold, winter night has been remedied by a rendezvous with the frankincense. In Yann Vasnier's Côté Maquis from L'Objet, the ethereal sensation of frankincense smoke is captured in a way I haven't found elsewhere in the fragrance realm. It is a cool, almost salty-feeling smoke, with an undercurrent or primeval forest, perhaps one not far from the ocean. Vasnier does not lean too heavily on Aldehyde C12 MNA (2-Methyl Undecanal) here, allowing the natural olibanum resin to primarily breathe on its own accord, while there's just the right, measured dose of Cashmeran fixing the experience, while allowing mostly labdanum and balsams to anchor the incense arc. I do think that anyone with a yen for frankincense such as myself would be quite fond.

I purchased a four vial discovery set of L’objet. This was the last I tried. Without even looking at the notes.... the proverbial choir hit that note! I’ve been looking for a fragrance that smelled EXACTLY like the inside of a church for years , but nothing quite landed it ... candles, incense smoker, wood.... until now! Spot on! It’s a love for me!

Really good, similar to Centauri - Dendera but less potent

As if the incense was burned in a cave with wet, cool stones and driftwood (some of it piled near the cave entrance, almost fully dried by the sun) somewhere on the sunlit seashore... On the edge between clean/cold (you can find such one in Lavs or in Heeley's incense perfumes like Cardinal, for instance) and warm /cozy incense (Trudon Mortel or even warmer - Sahara Noir by Tom Ford). Some will find the perfume to be too salty to the extent that one can get whiffs of fishiness. I feel like Cote Maquis would pair amazingly with a mono vetiver base.

It is very smoky and incensy in the opening but at the dry down I get a soothing aroma from the salt and cashmere wood. Very unique.

Dry woods, driftwood, saltiness, smoke. Pretty unusual fragrance, though I don't really know where I would wear it. I'm glad I have the 1.5 ml sample when I feel in the mood for something like this, but a full bottle probably wouldn't get much use.

This smells like a insect repellent. The perfume selection as a general is not very nice, they smell synthetic and unnatural, the sequence of perfume sounds good but even on skin and clothes it smells awful. I would get a tester before you purchase this overly expense perfume, it seems that it sounds great but the reality of the perfume it smells awful.

I think everyone who loves frankincense has had their share of experience with this profile in perfume, and at least a few Yann Vasnier compositions (the incense/black pepper go-to guy). I think I own like 20 of them, possibly more. What distinguishes this one is the salt and abundant cashmere wood notes which come off as synthetic and funky when in focus, but which also blend nicely and make a lot of sense with the natural olibanum accord that is the main subject. Ultimately, it reminds me of Bois d’Encens that has been tinkered with to add a subtle dry saltiness like incense smoke instead of the melted candlewax effect of soft creamy amber. 3 out of 5.