Incense

This is a little gem but I never, ever where it stright-up by itself unless I am home alone. MW Incense is made to mix. It is the perfect way to dirty a rose, smoke up a vanilla & turn fruity florals into oriental masterpieces. It tones down the sweetness, quietens high florals and stops a cirtus from screeching. Alone, it is a bit of a one-hit-wonder. There is no story, no progression, no suprises. MWI is just what you would get from a some crumbly incense: dark, brooding & sniffably-addictive in the way that bonfires are...strangely comforting, naturally savoury & with a rich, earthy aroma. It is a leathery, meaty kind of incense with plenty of bone-dry sauna wood. The image I get is of rich browns, purples & greens swirling around the inside of a heavily fringed leather satchel worn by a nature-loving, free & ever-so-slightly grubby flowerchild who rolls her own. Unconventially pretty with thick black brows, aquiline nose and sun-kissed skin. Not a hint of soap or scrubbing for this wood-nymph - just a good wafting of smudge-sticks & crushed garden herbs. A dirty-pretty-thing that knows nothing of gender-boundaries, laws & life's confines or stresses. Incense can be worn by men or women with ease and is far, far more classy & classic than the low price tag would suggest. Worn alone it is perfect for an introverted, artistic moment for zen-like clarity but PLEASE this one is made to shine when you layer it over other scents. Grab it while you can - a rare treat at a bargain-basement price.

Well, I'm an ex goth who's also a lapsed Catholic so, hey! All bases covered. I love this and bought a bottle for my mum too as its similarity to frankincense is absolutely true. It's a meditative, soft scent which stays close to the skin and doesn't try to be sexy or overbearing. It's definately unisex and I would say that its only downside is lack of longevity. - surprised that styrax isn't listed in the notes as to me, it's pure frankincense

incenso nudo e crudo, quello da chiesa, senza orpelli. ha un che di fresco ma rimane un profumo adatto all'inverno. peccato sia veramente evanescente perchè mi piace proprio tanto.

To be honest, I was extremely surprised by this fragrance. In a very positive way. First of all, that Matthew Williamson decided to bring to market such an unusual scent, while most fashion designers play rather safe. Secondly, that one can make a real incense fragrance and close it in a pink (!) bottle. It takes quite a lot of courage to work on something this outstanding, while most perfume appearing on the market end up being light florals or sweet, non offensive orientals. Incense is certainly not what you would call "pretty". It is intriguing, earthy, dirty, harsh, dry. For me it does not smell like a church at all, more like a wooden cottage of a witch, with lots of smoke, herbs, mysterious potions on the shelves. It might be difficult to like, but if you manage to tame it, you will surely enjoy it a lot. Bold and outstanding, I must once again say that it was a splendid surprise to see in in stores, where it seemed to appear somewhat agains all the newest trends.

The previous reviewer is correct----this scent is best for mixing, because on its own it is lovely, but rather ordinary. I wore it yesterday alone, and it smelled like a modern church incense (I prefer a more Goth/medieval aroma, like Incense Avignon)or a really high-quality Nag Champa incense like they sell in hippie/New Age shops. The longevity and sillage are great, and a fellow on whom I have a crush seemed to notice me more! Today I mixed it with Skin Bracer aftershave, original scent (that's the "screechiest" citrus-y frag I happen to have in the house right now), by first applying the Skin Bracer, letting it dry, then applying the perfume. WOW! That really kicked things up a notch,the smoky smell blending with the sharp citrus and becoming quite sensual. However, if I had to choose between this and Avignon, I would still choose Avignon.