#2 Spiritus / Land

This is very strange perfume, nevertheless beautiful and unique. As a big fan of spicy fragrances I have to admit I like it a lot however at the beginning the love was kind of painful from time to time. Before I bought Spiritus Land first I spayed it on the paper blotter and a little on the skin. So I was impressed and I didn’t have any objections to put it to my collection – it was my first choice for winter time two years ago. Of course next day before I went my work, I sprayed perfume over my body and clothes as well. How horribly I was surprised when everybody around me was asking who is eating chicken bullion. I realized it wasn’t any bullion it was me wearing Spiritus Land. During the weekend I spend many hours to understand what is going on (my body chemistry or something else?). Research was hard but finally I got answer. My suggestion is just avoid even touch of this perfume to your clothes. Really I have no idea at all what is going on but SL when touch fabrics immediately smells like meet soup. After morning shower spray it on your body and wait few minutes before wearing clothes. Than SL will develop as wonderful, spicy, woody scent. The main compounds, however not listed are cloves (in my opinion). They are mixed with cardamom and oriental spices you can find in Arabic markets. After 1-2 hours something unusual is happening, SL changes to fresh laundry smell. To the time I discovered SL I had experiences that fresh notes are always at the beginning – in the top of fragrances. Here is completely opposite direction, first the perfume is deep-woody and after while it begins clean. I can simply say it is wonderful and mysterious creation, but not for everybody. It was made with passion for those people who like to analyze what they are wearing. It can bring you to the fantastic world of oriental places different than common perfumes so called “spicy-oriental” created for mass market.

The first time I sampled this I thought it smelled a lot like Houbigant's Fougere Royale. It smelled very much like a clean soapy and very refreshing fougere to me, so I couldn't believe it when I saw it was mostly voted as a winter scent here on Fragrantica! I think it works equally good all year round. Later as I tested it more I found that incense to be more prominent and then it clicked why this would be viewed as a winter scent (though I still think this is completely versatile for all year). It was the incense note that eventually sold me. This is a fragrance that will grow on you and grow on you. You'll first think it's very odd and maybe a little too astringent, but then you'll try it again and suddenly end up enjoying it quite a bit. You'll then test it out over and over until it becomes one of your favorites. It's so addictive and enjoyable, and people here are spot on when they say it reminds them of a sacred temple or a solemn place. Full bottle worthy for me. Love it.

This is one of the best fragrances I've smelled. The ginger and incense with rosemary brings an energetic feeling...clean, spicy, brisk, and fresh! This incense will not overpower anyone who gets whelmed by heavy incense. Wow..so beautiful! I also love the lavender and geranium florals that are energizing with clove and cinnamon...mmm...mmm. The woods are beautiful and grounding...sandalwood, patchouli that doesn't overpower, and a "teak" wood note which is of course synthetic, but mixed perfectly into this incredible tonic of a scent. My one complaint is it's brevity. I wish it would surrond me all day in it's otherworldy fume, but alas...it lasts about two hours on my skin and then fades away to nothingness. I could smell like this everyday and be happy. Of course, I'd have to mix some conifers in there evertually, but this is truly a work of aromatic art! Two thumbs into the stratosphere!!!

I find this to be a beautifully dense yet light spice. It's a contradictory scent in that fresh, bright ginger dominates, but it's surrounded by dark, heavy notes. The push-and-pull of these elements is dynamic and, for me, quite captivating. I get front-and-center ginger surrounded by thick spices, incense, and woods. I am surprised to see rose so far down on the list of perceived notes since it's prominent to my nose. It adds a beautiful floral dimension to a scent that might otherwise lean towards "artistically elevated spice cabinet" - which this definitely is not. I see that other reviewers have identified this as masculine-leaning. That very well may be the case, but I'm so in love with it on my skin that to me that it feels perfectly feminine.

A twist on the classic church incense , with a more complex outcome (and thus more interesting to my nose) thanks to extra spices, florals and warm resins in the background, making it more unisex. The base will have a distinct sandalwood note appear. The final result is somewhat similar to CdG Jaisalmer. Interesting enough for me to put my hands on a partial bottle. Best worn on cold days. Edit: the overload of ginger and cumin, combined with the incense, is simply delightful, reminding me somewhat of L'Autre by Dyptique. I'm now in love with it, at such a level that I decided to buy a sealed back-up bottle (a rare occurence for me), when I saw a deal to good to pass on.

fell in love with this perfume and there is nothing like it for me, the incense is brilliantly balanced with the softer mastic, spicy and exotic! There is a depth and mystery about this juice, the combination of incense, mastic, wood spices and tobacco make this an alluring and unforgettable scent. There is a strong allusion to church smell but it is more than that. This is a scent for a woman who is highly intelligent, sensual, interesting, artistic, confident and deeply erotic. It lingers for ages and dries down to a spicy, mastic sensation! My first choice for signature scent!

Miller et Bertaux, where have you been all my life? What a wonderful, dark and clean scent. Incense and spices, something of a manly, reserved note that turns this concoction into real magic. This is not "heavy" incense, not a stuffy church, but the combination of the antique wood, high quality incense and that cool, soft scent you get from entering an expensive, classy private office. I imagine Gabriel Byrne should have worn this scent when he played the priest in "Stigmata". Longevity and sillage are very mild.

Wow. This is a winner. Basically it smells like church incense, fresh ginger, spices and luxury soap. Yes, it's all about churchy smoke while being crispy clean. Catholic-priest-right-outta-the-shower type of scent, probably the one and only. That's how the Calendario Romano guys might smell like :)))

An esoteric scent of the opening of ginger sweet and leafy nuances' with fiery and dry cardamom left drying outside to capture the intoxicating properties of it's scent spices of cinnamon and curry makes it defined dries to an powdery touch of Rose. the drying down is deep of Tobacco plant used in some south american rituals and incense floating in a fixed time around a deity like ghosts. this scent conjures images of an Taoist temple on a highest cliff octagon shaped ceiling with beautiful tapestry of dragons standing side by side the Eight statues represent the eight Immortals with it's bright colors of Red gold and black with incense in a shape of coils burns though the all the night. the silver gilt of the full moon from with it's white beams that illuminates upon porcelain faces.

So, it's pretty easy to get the church idea from this scent. Spiritus is reminiscent of a high church service - one that brings out the vestments, incense and other sensory pariphanelia. Basically, I get incense and spices with this. That's not all. I can also smell some ginger, cardamom, and teak wood at times, but the heart of the fragrance is incense, spices and pepper. This remains mostly linear on me. It's a thumbs up - I'm not in love with it, but it's very nice. Definitely worth a try.

I can smell incense as the main note here. And it is the Orthodox Church that is represented. I agree about musks, powders and purity. Therefore, I would say that for me it is the smell of an Orthodox laundry. Or even the linen that was hung in the backyard of the Orthodox church, because there is still a lot of air and transparency in it. Usually, this air is not present in incense compositions, but this fragrance has it a lot. After the first test, I immediately ordered a full bottle

I'm impressed by how much this smells like livani (incense) burned in Greek churches. Where CdG's Zagorsk is a Russian Orthodox monastery in the snow, this is a Greek Orthodox baptism in the morning or early afternoon: incense-y and resinous, while so fresh, cleansing, and ever-so-slightly soapy. Such a unique scent

Very spicy-gingery incense with a fresh vibe and a tiny-faint rubber note. Beautiful unisex scent for spring/fall. Dominant notes, incense, black pepper and ginger. Moderate sillage and projection, good longevity.

Very woody, aromatic with a dry, herbaceous opening on my skin. It is quite strong at first, but it’s not so intense once it dries down and softens a little. I almost like the spiciness, and enjoy the incense note that starts coming through. However, it’s definitely not something I’d wear.

I was excited to try this.. but no. I don't get anything churchy or exotic here. I get cloves, lemon and soap. It smells like doing the dishes.

I don't like this on me but i think i would love it on my husband. Gonna give it to him. It's spicey!

Update 11/14/24: This has become even better with time. The sandalwood and woodiness have become more prominent and the soapiness has receded ever so slightly, making way for the incense and spices to shine a bit brighter. Update 3/8/24: Really digging this one even more. It's perfect for evening showers when I want a clean and refreshing feel while still winding down with the zen and calm aspects in the heart/base. First spritz from a new bottle of Spiritus Land, and I immediately get spicy, warmed soap. The wood and incense come out softly later. I haven't seen any comparisons, but I was struck by the similarities to Al Rehab's Superman oil. This is a lighter, and more layered and complex take than the strong Al Rehab oil, but I think they could make nice layering companions. The shared notes are very similar, with Ginger, Black Pepper, Myrrh, Musk, Sandalwood, Agarwood (Oud) listed for Al Rehab Superman. Pretty striking overlap, if you ask me. Unsurprisingly, the Al Rehab is more heavy handed, with mega performance and sillage, but leans more masculine with a strong soapy musk underneath and heavy cloves. Interestingly, Al Rehab Superman does remind me slightly of Jacomo de Jacomo as well, however, Jacomo is nothing like Spiritus, the Al Rehab just exists as an odd missing link between these 3 very disparate brands and styles. Spiritus Land is far more subdued, balanced, and gender neutral and overall more refined. I'm going to need to spend some more time for a more thorough analysis and impression, but so far I'm loving the Miller Bertaux. Very fresh and clean feeling, with nothing screaming above the blend, with a vaguely metaphysical incense and spice feel. Would be right at home in many situations, and doesn't feel out of place in the 2020's while still having some nostalgia to 70's and 80's new age and classical perfumery. I could see this working for a 20 year old art student, or 80 year old (cool) grandma, or a dapper middle aged gentleman. It somehow conjures up many eras and modes of living and thinking for me. Looking forward to getting to know Spiritus Land better and seeing where else it takes me.

The house of Miller et Bertaux, has been around for sixteen years (same year as Le Labo, 2006, I wonder who thought of the apothecary style bottles first?). However, it has been for the most part, well under the radar for most 'fragheads.' It's a shame, really, because they deliver some compelling compositions, and #2 Spiritus Land is no exception. A spicy incense built around black pepper and fresh ginger, it opens similarly to CDG Avignon with that coniferous Aldehyde C-12 MNA, but the similarities stop there, as Spiritus Land unfurls with dry rose and vaguely soapy florals, the sun hitting aged wood, and yellow-green resins. This is not a solemn Midnight Mass incense, this daylight warm-you-up-on-a-cold-November-day incense, a welcoming rectory that will greet you with a smile and offer you a hot drink (does something like that even exist?). Spiritus Land reminds me of the Peace Pagoda in Leverett, MA, a Buddhist stupa nestled in the woods, that is intended as a monument to inspire unity and oneness. A merging of sacrament and nature, where one loses sense of where one ends and the other begins, where nature is the sacrament, is all and everything. When this fragrance transitions from heart to base, it's like the remaining, precious plumes of incense (mastic resins, maybe elemi, certainly some olibanum) that are burned for reverence, and I think about the spatial and temporal when it comes to scent. Where it comes from, where it leads us, and what memories are left with us when it leaves us.

Having now reached the bottom of my vial of Miller et Bertaux SPIRITUS, it's time to weigh in. That's right: it's now or never, as I'll not be adding a bottle to my collection. What an enigmatic composition this is. The opening packs a punch of what seems to my nose to be coriander. There is some serious sinus-clearing activity going on. Shortly thereafter, I start noticing other spices, including probably ginger but more likely galangal. This is on top of a dominant frankincense foundation. The overall composition seems rather culinary to me, and I do not detect much in the way of flowers, whether rose or otherwise. I wish that I could figure out what the other spices are. Maybe turmeric? I don't know but they are dense and slightly oily, it seems. All of this may not sound very appealing, I realize, but the spices are kept in check by the frankincense so that the overall effect is not unpleasant at all and even somewhat likable. There is a sharpness here, and combined with the fat-soluble spice mixture, I suspect that SPIRITUS could turn into a rank soap scent on some skins. It's definitely pushing my own limits on culinary spices, but people who wear Serge Lutens perfumes well may like this one a lot.

Fresh Incense! I know it sounds like an oximoron but overall Spiritus/Land smells exactly like fresh incense. It opens with an incredibly realistic ginger note (but after a while you start to wonder if that was really ginger) and some herbaceous notes to create a quite original accord. Intriguing if not very pleasant, familiar but somehow weird. Everything is juxtaposed to an incensey base that adds to the fragrance a meditative aspect. While I was waiting for the drydown I went totally crazy to understand this bizarre composition and arrived to this conclusion: It's mainly made of two different parts. On one side you have a very familiar accord that is clean, somehow green and fresh (I call it soap). On the other you have woods, spices and incense. The clash between the two parts gives birth to an odd composition that's quite unique but not completely successful. Rating: 5/10 for the smell 8/10 for the challenging power 6.5/10 overall