Bloody Smoke

Lorenzo Pazzaglia has accustomed us to the extreme pleasure of his fragrances, a feature that is bringing him great success in Italy and beyond. This characteristic of being very popular perfumes is slightly less in Bloody Smoke, but this is not a negative side indeed. Bloody Smoke by Lorenzo Pazzaglia is a less immediate perfume, which must be tried several times over a period of time before being fully appreciated. The perfume opens with cold, mineral, resinous notes. The incense contained inside is not smoky / ecclesiastical rather it tends to evoke the smell of a sacred place where a religious function has recently been held. The smell of woods and stones imbued with years of celebrations and years of "fumigation" of incense that remains soaked in the environment. This is why I consider Bloody Smoke an excellent fragrance to begin the journey within incensed perfumes, as this fragrance in particular does not have too ecclesiastical scents (characteristics that may or may not please). However, the scent is dominated by these balsamic, cold and incensed notes which are further accompanied by a pinch of sweetness thanks to vanilla and tonka bean which among other things I tend not to notice since on my skin it tends to remain a cold, non-smoky and "marble" incense. I don't know if I have properly described this fragrance but I tried it anyway, since I am passionate about incense in perfumery and for this reason I thought it appropriate to try and review this too. Ah, of course it has a good shelf life like all Lorenzo's fragrances, but in this case I perceive a lesser projection (you won't fill the rooms like with Black Sea, Carbonara and Pax,) as this tends to remain on the skin for many hours ( 8 quietly) but a little more intimately (people closer to you might warn it). After all, for me it remains a beautiful perfume that still deserves to be heard and tried!

Bloody Smoke isn’t a fragrance that plays it safe—it’s dark, dramatic, and utterly captivating. From the very first spray, it instantly transported me back to walking through the Vatican in Rome. There’s something about the incense-like smoke, ancient woods, and resinous warmth that perfectly captures the feeling of centuries-old stone halls, flickering candles, sacred silence, and the quiet reverence that fills the air. It’s one of the few fragrances that doesn’t just smell incredible—it evokes a place, a memory, and an emotion. As it develops, the fragrance reveals even more depth. The smoky opening softens into a luxurious blend of rich woods, warm resins, and a subtle sweetness that keeps everything perfectly balanced. It’s bold without being overwhelming, mysterious without becoming too dark, and sophisticated from start to finish. Every stage feels intentional and beautifully crafted. Performance is exactly what you’d expect from Lorenzo Pazzaglia—nothing short of exceptional. Expect 10–14+ hours of longevity with powerful projection that gradually settles into an elegant scent bubble that lingers well into the next day. Bloody Smoke isn’t simply a perfume; it’s an experience. It tells a story with every wear, surrounding you in an atmosphere of history, mystery, and timeless elegance. If you appreciate bold, artistic niche fragrances that leave a lasting impression, this is an absolute masterpiece. Rating: 10/10 – A hauntingly beautiful fragrance that feels like walking through the Vatican in Rome, where centuries of incense, history, and sacred beauty have been captured in a bottle. One of Lorenzo Pazzaglia’s most unforgettable creations.

Here in Italy Pazzaglia's fragrances have become kind of synonimous with "fragrance that lasts an eternity", thanks to their persistence. Yes, I'm serious, but this one is an exception, lasting "just" 8-9 hours on my skin, compared to the crazy performances of the others, where we're talking about, give or take, 20 to 30 hours. That said, what this fragrances loses in power (but again, we're talking about 8 hours at least), it gains in character. Bloody smoke is a resinous fragrance with the texture of a sweet/acid syrup that opens with a blast of metallic notes, note wich go away in some 10-20 minutes, giving space to an astounding incense, slightly acrid, sour and full bodied. The sweet notes in the base go hand in hand with the olibanum and the elemi, creating an accord that is alluring and reassuring at the same time. One of my favourites from Pazzaglia's work.

A fragrance that enhances one of my favorite notes: incense. The opening is cold, pungent, icy, and then brings out an incense that is not ecclesiastical but which I would define as majestic, as if it were a giant to be contemplated, a magnificent knight clad in metallic armour. It almost seems like you can taste the ferrous taste in your mouth, almost bloody. In my opinion, the use of ambergris amplifies all this scent which gradually subsides thanks to the woody background. More than a fragrance, I would define it as an olfactory experience. It certainly makes itself felt and has an excellent persistence, but I consider it very intimate and personal to wear, for me during cold winter days or summer nights with the breeze that amplifies it even more. plus the aroma. Truly wonderful.

I’m picky about incense fragrances and have owned and tried many of the top-rated ones but sold them because they were super liturgical. I was looking for something minimalist, in the vein of Czech & Speake Frankincense & Myrrh Cologne, but with a nighttime edge.Bloody Smoke delivers. It opens with a mineral ambergris incense and elemi that works, and works well. A spectrum of resins, with a subtle green-minty heart from elemi. I appreciate that it shows all the facets of incense without being severely interrupted by LOTV or tonka. There’s a fair dose of sandalwood in the base. A scent perfectly made for Halloween 🎃 ××××××××××××××××××××× Scent: 90/100 Performance: 60/100 ×××××××××××××××××××××

When I first got my sample I found the metallic note overpowering and weird, almost too bloody and also mechanical in a way. I've just never smelled anything like it and was put off by it, it kept bothering me throughout the day and I almost scrubbed it off. BUT when I tried it again I grew to like it, REALLY like it. Now it is the best scent ever to me and I can't stop smelling myself whenever I use it. I need a full bottle of it so bad, but it is too expensive for me to buy new and nowhere can I find anyone selling theirs... it is not actually too expensive for such a unique scent, but for my wallet it is. Hope I will be able to afford it some day since it is truly amazing!!

On my skin, Bloody Smoke smells strongly of frankincense -- complete with the piney, balsamic, dry, and green facets that make it such a unique and enjoyable perfumery ingredient. There is a metallic bite to this perfume in the opening, but after it dries down it becomes an ancient blend of frankincense and elemi. The resins are raw, not lit and smoldering. There's a faint tinge of saltiness glistening in the background. I'm not sure if I can attribute it to the ambergris or the mineralic notes. The overall scent is gothic and austere. I am a huge fan of tree resins, so I am enjoying myself, but if you're looking for a smoky and/or bloody scent, keep looking.

Made a very risky blind buy on this and I LOVE it. For such a provocative name, it’s quite polite and inviting as a fragrance. On my skin the projection is mild and stays close. The initial spray is when I get the biggest bloody/mineral hit. It’s crazy and I love every second of it. Then it transitions so something a little more lactonic then ends with a slightly bitter amber and incense. Love love love love love. It’s warm, sexy, inviting, intimate but the metallic bite keeps things feeling bright and more avant-garde. I can’t wait to make another purchase from this brand. Expensive (so it may be a while) but glad I took a chance on this one.

Out of all the 18 perfumes I tried this one stands out the most and the funny part is that I ordered the samples primarily for his gourmand scents. However, to my big surprise, this is my favourite from this brand. I was a bit scared to sample it as I know it will be very irony/metallic representing the "bloody" part of the scent. And indeed it opens up cold and irony, you can almost taste it in your mouth but then it makes a 180 degree change into warm spicy beautiful and strange scent in best way possible. It`s an interesting journey to be on - start with cold bloody smoke and end with almost baby`s head scent.

Simply dazzling. Incense has been re- interpreted With a cut to edge and intruiguing version. It opens up with mineral notes ,initially accompained by a sweeter resinous note. In Its heart metallic notes and a Sharp non ecclesiastical incense that conveys a rusty and bloody aura. I can pick at Times a white floral note. Base notes are more in the sweet velvety side( Tonka beans, vanilla) on a salty, buttery background. As for all Pazzaglia’s creations very powerful sillage and ubelievably long lasting performance. One of my Pazzaglia’s favourite.

Exceptional longevity exceeding 20+ hours, but the projection at the beginning is moderate. Becoming close to skin after 8-10 hours. Amazing, aromatic resins, a little church-like, I would wear it any season. I don't smell any flowers neither vanilla. A bit metallic, but Elemi, Olibanum and Myrrh plays here the most through all the time.

Bloody Smoke Lorenzo Pazzaglia – 9/10 Smells like church in the best way possible, but with a salty twist. It’s an amazing incense scent that gives off strong mysterious, gothic vibes. As soon as I tried it, I knew I’d love it. Deep, spiritual, and really unforgettable. I highly recommend it.

What I imagine a dark, vampiric priest wears. Very churchy and refined. Can be somewhat polarizing, and headache inducing if over sprayed. Perfect addition to a gothic collection. 9/10.

I just love this, it's like a gothic and vampiric vibe, or like a cold cathedral. Excellent longevity and evolution. I Love to layer with other fruity-floral perfumes

This is one of the most perfect vampire scent I’ve ever been looking for. perfect churchy incense scary dark and dusty

To me this fragrance is incense, amber and balsamic Not getting much metallic/bloody notes

This is amazing. Fresh smoky scent. A more "affordable" version of Frederic Malle's Dawn.

Taking a big step away from the lush green feel of “Green Island” and into something much darker, I decided to try Bloody Smoke by Lorenzo Pazzaglia. It is often described as a battlefield where the clash of steel blends with the cries of warriors and the air is filled with smoke and a metallic hint of blood. It sounds intense, but the real question is whether this is something worth keeping or better left behind. In the opening, it is surprisingly fresh. There is a citrusy brightness that comes off almost "lemon-peppery" mixed with slightly piney elemi. The elemi stands out the most and gives the scent a sharp resinous edge. At the same time, there is a soft salty mineral feel that almost sparkles, possibly from the ambergris. You also get a faint floral sweetness that smooths everything out just enough. After about 30 minutes, the metallic aspect becomes more noticeable and blends with a growing warmth from the incense and woods. The frankincense brings in a dry church-like feeling while still supporting that citrus and pine character from the opening. This is where the transition really stands out to me. The elemi from the opening flows naturally into the incense, and the mineral notes shift into the metallic ones. It feels very smooth, like each part is paired with the next instead of changing all at once. After an hour and a half to two hours, it settles into the base. Here you get more of that salty ambergris feel along with dry sandalwood, soft musks, and a lingering metallic touch. There is also a light peppery spice that keeps it from feeling flat. One thing I have to mention is that this was nowhere near as challenging as I expected. Maybe I am just too deep into the niche rabbit hole (that's probably what it is), but aside from a slightly unusual metallic and mineral phase in the first half hour, this really is not that extreme. At its core, it feels like a dry resinous incense fragrance with a slightly piney and old church character. I actually like it. After the first hour, it becomes a really nice and comforting incense scent. I went into this expecting something difficult and almost unwearable, but it turned out to be much more approachable than I thought. If you enjoy incense or church style fragrances with a dry piney feel, I would recommend this.

Bloody Smoke by Lorenzo Pazzaglia is a strange and polarizing release (by his standards), and a clear departure from his usual signature style. Where most Pazzaglia fragrances are bold, dense, sweet, warm, and almost celebratory in mood, this one feels bleak, detached, cold, and oddly otherworldly. It comes across as ethereal and ephemeral rather than powerful, and its atmosphere is closer to something you’d expect from Serge Lutens than from Pazzaglia himself. There’s a distinctly Lutensian sense of emptiness and airiness here — that stark, grey melancholy Lutens does so well. The opening is sour, sharp, and cold, with an immediately noticeable mineral character that feels almost alien. It’s not cozy or comforting; it feels distant and metallic, like standing inside an abandoned structure made of stone and steel. As the fragrance develops, resins begin to emerge, but the mineral edge never disappears. Instead, it slowly takes on a metallic tone, reinforcing the cold, austere mood. This metallic current running through the composition is clearly the “blood” aspect. Frankincense becomes more recognizable over time, but the resins in general smell raw and unlit rather than smoky or burning. Despite the name, Bloody Smoke is not especially smoky at all. It also doesn’t feel “churchy” in any traditional sense — at least not Christian. If this were a spiritual scent, it would belong to some strange, futuristic, misanthropic cult, steeped in mysticism and the occult rather than love, embrace, prayer, and warmth. It also reminds me of the old, dusty anorganic chemistry labs at my university — as if someone secretly burned incense there over the weekend and you return on Monday to smell lingering incense mixed with aged laboratory dust. Sterile, mineral, metallic incense. A perfect description. Performance is solid, with good longevity and moderate projection. Bloody Smoke won’t be for everyone, but for those who enjoy cold, abstract, and unsettling incense compositions, it is a fascinating and daring outlier in the Pazzaglia lineup.

Something so unique about this scent, it’s almost indescribable. Haven’t smelled metallic notes like these before. It’s weirdly refreshing? Like a menthol type of vibe but there’s no menthol listed, so it’s just this “cold” scent. Couldn’t pick up on any specific notes besides the mineral notes + some incense, the rest of the notes are very noticeable but they are blended well so it’s this indescribable scent... closest thing to it would be the smell when someone sucking on a Black Halls drop passes by. Unlike other reviewers, I smelled no Amber here, to me this is the opposite of warm.

Awesome fragrance...it opens with the metallic smell, but dies rather quickly and then it is just this beautiful incense smell. Combining that with the Tonka, sandalwood, and vanilla it truly is a great scent. Leans a little more cold weather. It is more masculine in my opinion and I think can be worn anywhere. I don't know if I would pick this fragrance for a first date, because there are so many better attention getters out there but overall it really is a unique fragrance that last. 8/10

It's mostly frankincense/olibanum. It's got a slight hint of savoury-metallic to it, the sandalwood is noticeable, but I don't think it's bloody or smoky in any sense. it's definitely gothic, but more a victorian tea on a rainy day gothic, rather than lusty vampire nightclub gothic. I wouldn't say it's worth the price, it's disappointingly quite basic. I noticed the fresh-minty edge other people have mentioned though. Might be good as an everyday low key kind of gothic perfume.

This is a very interesting scent. Most often incense parfume is not well-suited for hotter weather, but this one, most likely due to mineral notes, is an interesting mix of smoke and freshness. I tested it with pleasure, I can recommend it, but will not get a full bottle, as I'm more into more potent 'in your face' kind of smoky fragrances (Orto Parisi's Terroni is a hit for me).

Yo no sé en que ocasión usar esta fragancia pero vino a darle un toque especial a mi colección. Ese olor a iglesia es bastante fuerte! El incienso se le siente por sobre todo, un poco dulce seguramente por el haba tonka o vainilla. Rociar con precaución porque en el secado se le siente un "deje" rarito. El primero de Lorenzo Pazzaglia en mi colección

Pleasant, though less blood/metallic than I was hoping for. It's very much an incense fragrance, but a good one.Still looking for my blood scent. Maybe it just cannot be done.

Really smells like blood. Sweat, smoky. Very unusual and gourmand. Not a blind buy. Only for vampires

وقتی اسپری کردم خیلی سبُک و مُرکباتی بود.انگار پرتقال خونی رو با کمی برگ های سبز و معطر لِه کرده باشند.کاملا بهاری و معتدل به مرور وجه مرکباتی کم رنگ میشه و اون سبزی هم باهاش میره. بوی صَمغی اِلِمی با اجرایی آجیلی_علفی به مشام می‌رسه و یک بوی تُرش و بالزام که بیشتر از جنس مرکبات و صمغ هاست چوب صندل اولین چیزی هست که بعد از فروکش کردن نت های اولیه به مشام می‌رسه.یک صندل نرم و صیقلی که علاوه بر وجه چوبی،به بخش آمبری عطر هم قدرت میده.البته بعد از صندل،صمغ ها ظاهر میشن و مثل یک صَمغ نرم و کمی حرارت دیده عمل می‌کنند نه اونقدرا دودی و اسموکی،بلکه بیشتر حالت بخوری و صمغی،اون هم کاملا متعادل و کنترل شده رگه های شیرین از وانیل و تونکا رو میشه با بوییدن نزدیک و عمیق استشمام کرد از فاصله‌ دور،بیشتر صمغ ها حس میشن در کل شیرینی عطر،بسیار ظریف و مویرگی کار شده که شاید نتونه طرفداران عطر های شیرین رو راضی کنه با گذشت زمان،کُندر بیشتر از بقیه صمغ ها حس میشه و خودش رو جدا می‌کنه عطر بد ای نیست اما نه با این حجم و قیمت و پرفورمنس *************** scent:7/10 longevity:7/10 sillage:6/10 purchase value:1/10 ******** overall:5.2/10

There is what I can only describe as a 'rumour' of something vaguely metallic in the initial 5 minutes after spraying, and after that it just starts smelling like you stepped into a pharmacy with a little incense wafting around in the background. Its not terrible, but for something called Bloody Smoke with a pricetag of £135 I sure wish there was a little more blood and less menthol to it.

I was shopping around for churchy/incensy scent and was very excited about Bloody Smoke because of multiple recommendations. Although I do get some incense notes, this scent on me smells mainly like Playdough. If I try hard enough, I can perhaps envision a dusty stone church with bright light spilling through a rose window... but it's a stretch.

This smells like walking into a spice store. Strong, herbal, spicy, like sage/thyme/oregano/cardamom/chai all mixed together. If you're going for a strong spicy scent that catches people off guard, I'd definitely recommend this, but it's not for me.

Straight up camel leather and citrusy incense.

Blood Smoke was recommended to me on my search for, well, blood. And I'm honestly really disappointed with this. It's far too sweet, the incense barely hits for me, and I only vaguely get the odd Musty scent people talk about. Also for some reason, this scent makes my mouth water (negative). I'm sure some people love this, but this is just not for me. It's quite disappointing because I like all of these scents typically, but this particular combo and how it wears on me, not so much.

with a name like "bloody smoke" i was really intrigued about this one but it's honestly just incense :/ i'm not getting any metallic/bloody notes at all. it's fine but this is a scent profile i've smelled many times before

On my skin it opened with a strong citrus scent, almost sweet orange. I could have sworn there was an orange note in this, but as soon as it dried down it got a strange, musty, almost eggy scent. Definitely not for me!

Hardest thing to do in a blasamic resinous incense fragrance is to avoid it becoming an old man pee smell. This ran straight into that. Smells like that stereotypical old man pee smell. This category isnt Lorenzo’s style you can tell.

I’m currently on the hunt for a church/incense fragrance. This is incredibly smoky but fresh, dark but attractive, and so seductive. Every time I wear this, I feel like I’m being lured into an ancient castle by a vampire to become a bloody sacrifice. It’s haunting, the metallic note isn’t very pungent but god that incense is so beautiful. Unfortunately the metallic notes don’t stay around for long. I’m assuming like citrus notes, the molecules are highly volatile and evaporate quickly from the skin, which could be why the metallic notes are listed in the top notes. The incense note is very photorealistic however which I love, it dries down with a little sweetness and is reminiscent of raw resins before being burnt. It’s dark, hypnotic, yet hauntingly beautiful. I’d say it’s more of a vampiric scent than Van Py Rhum given the metallic and mineral notes. I wouldn’t buy a full bottle, maybe a travel-size, but it’s very pretty!

@smelltherosary below. As one of the card-carrying members of the Old Man Fragrance Association, I’d just like to point out that we’ve spent decades perfecting our notes. You youngsters call it “old man pee.” We call it “vintage urinary resin ambergris” with exceptional longevity. Besides, the fragrance is called Bloody Smoke, not Freshly Folded Laundry. If I’m wearing incense, balsams, smoke, and resins, I want to smell like I just wandered out of a medieval cathedral after arguing with a dragon, not like I moisturize with cucumber water. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s almost 16:30. That’s both my supper time and the ideal time to apply another spray.

Wow, this is the kind of fragrance where you cant stop smelling yourself just to get an idea what exactly you are smelling. It opens up with a bang, cold and sharp amber with mineral notes combined with a sweet resinous feeling. After drying down you can smell more of the incense, almost like youre in a church, a red cold church with a mysterious feeling to it. I have used this sample several times on several occasions and every time my experience has been a little different. But you always feel like a dark fantasy knight wearing it. It really is bloody smoke in a bottle.

Sophisticated with a little twist (of the knife) >>>>>>>>>>> Bloody good perfume - it smells old, sophisticated, like a old sacrificial blade stored amongst the sarcophagi of Ancient Egypt. I initially got the impression that this was fruity - lured by the tempting false notion of raspberry into an intoxicating bed of incense, ambergris, musk, and myrrh. No drastic drops or confusion in this mixture, it carries you into a holy, musty, eternal place of rest. Absolutely to die for. The smokiness is more musky/musty.

I expected this to be a lot more difficult to wear. the metallic note was barely noticeable in the beginning and inexistent in the dry down (at least on my skin). nonetheless, it is a really nice fragrance. the first few hours the scent is purely floral but with an interesting twist. then, it slowly starts to smell like myhrre, which I adored. after about 6 hours, it kind of smells like a baby (I don't know how) but the myhrre is still proeminent. overall, a really nice fragrance and truly wearable.

Frankincense forward, sharp yet smooth mineral, slightly sweet balsamic amber fragrance. They are quite different but this reminds me of Blessed Baraka from Initio as it has that familiar mineral/blood accord but doesn’t contain the same level of sourness BB has. The sandalwood and myrrh gives this a beautiful balance of warmth to the cold mineral accord. Definitely one of the better and more interesting incense fragrances I have encountered.

There must be some iffy batch control regarding this fragrance, as my bottle faintly smelled of orange and amber incense before completely turning into a skin scent 15 minutes in. No beast mode performance as even the opening “blast” was a faint scent of orange and spice. I don’t know if this is one of those fragrances that needs maturation but for £100+ for 50ml this is far too overpriced to the point of being scammed

A mix of unexcusable evil and black afghano. More incense. 9/10 Not safe to blind buy