Full Incense

This year I am exploring incense perfumes more specifically ones containing either real olibanum oil or accords which approximate its scent. I will be comparing these fragrances to Boswellia sacra (Hojari) essential oil, which while I realize is a bit different than the standard common frankincense, happens to be my preference in scent. Why not start the stream of reviews with Full Incense? This is my first Montale, and I expected it to be mind blowingly strong based on what I’ve read about the house. It’s not the case, this is actually a comfortably light wear, to the point where I find myself reapplying after about 3-4 hrs. It’s not a “pure” olibanum perfume: the opening has a LOT of pink urinal cake style eugenol/cloves. The olibanum starts to emerge after a few seconds although whatever oil they use for this material itself is a little thin. The pine, citrus, and resinous quality is apparent, but there is no “billowy/puffy/powdery” effect from this raw material. Instead, these effects are filled in by the ancillary notes of labdanum, cedar, and elemi. As compared to pure boswellia sacra EO, there is zero camphorous or cooling element, and substantially less pine or conifer. It smells really good! Compared to the real stuff, the ancillary notes make it quite a bit warmer and sweeter. I’d say it’s about 75% of the way to smelling like real frankincense, it lacks the lift and camphor of the real stuff and ends up a bit too powdery/sweet by the end. Still though, really good and surprisingly affordable. 9 month update: The fragrance has macerated/matured (?) for a while, and I can say that it is now 90% close to the real stuff, and it does contain the billowy, puffy/piney and lemony-pepperiness aspect of frankincense that I pine for (pun intended), and it is glorious. The difference I perceive is in the top notes, where Montale Full Incense uses a distinct eugenol and aldehydes accord, the same accord used in Kouros, Sung Homme, Halston, and many others. Although not present in real incense, this accord smells nice and has always given me the mental impression of a vast indoor space. There is a slight metallic element, the scent of a burnt brass censer and its coals. It's cheaper than real frankincense on discounters, while real frankincense is MUCH cheaper than mass-prestige perfumery. It's a no brainer, must have for incense lovers.

Montale Full Incense: The Stillness of Morning Light in a Church in Nevers There is something sacred about first light filtering through the stained glass of a small church in Nevers, a quiet town in central France along the Loire River. Known for its medieval history and religious heritage, Nevers is home to centuries-old churches and monasteries, places where time seems to stand still, and the scent of stone, wax, and lingering incense fills the air. Montale Full Incense captures that exact moment—the stillness of early morning in a Romanesque church, where the last traces of burning frankincense rise like spirals of smoke curling toward vaulted ceilings. This isn’t just incense—it’s full, unfiltered, and sacred, a scent that feels untouched by modernity. During the 11th century, churches in France were built to embody endurance, devotion, and simplicity, with heavy stone walls, rounded arches, and high wooden beams darkened by candle smoke and time. These spaces were designed for contemplation, illuminated only by flickering candlelight and the slow diffusion of morning sun through stained glass. The air inside was thick with the scent of aged wood, drying wax, and incense that had burned there for centuries. And that is exactly what Montale Full Incense evokes. The first inhale is deep, resinous, pure—a wave of somber yet mesmerizing frankincense, rising from an ancient bronze censer. As it settles, cedarwood and elemi emerge, like the scent of old pews warmed by the sun, polished by decades of quiet prayer. Labdanum and spice hum in the background, adding warmth, a subtle glow, like candlelight flickering against stone walls. This is not just an incense fragrance—it’s an experience, an olfactory pilgrimage. Some scents try to mimic the solemn grandeur of old cathedrals. This one simply is. A scent of devotion, of stillness, of a time when faith was carved in stone and carried in the air—an invitation to step into history, even if just for a moment.

This is what I imagine Jimmy Page's castle smelling like, back in the day. I'm going to go in an entirely different direction on Full Incense here. But lovingly so, as I really do like it. This is Gucci Pour Homme/Bentley Absolute + the scent of the incense booth at every Renaissance Fair ever. It also evokes a certain memory of Christmas past, that evergreen sap oozing from a fresh cut fir. At the opening I get a powerful blast of dry and smoky cedar that takes me to a very similar place to the aforementioned GPH/BA, no question about it. To my nose, this forms the backbone of FI from start to finish. On top of that accord sits a potent combination of what I can only describe as frankincense and a bit of a semi-dirty patchouli, forming what can all at once give the impression of catholic mass or -- at least more for me, that Ren Fair vibe. It's burnt wood and unburnt incense, with just enough sweetness to make it wearable. It's also got great longevity and so far fairly good reach on the sillage. But beware, a little goes a LONG way, so go easy on that trigger! This is not the most versatile thing in the world, but it's perfectly good for cool weather and semi-formal affairs, occultist gatherings, Halloween parties, vampire hunts, pirate ship mutinies, medieval reenactments, Led Zeppelin tribute concerts and so on. Point is, it can be imagined as kind of serious, but you can also make it work for not-so serious occasions, too. Glad I bought this. So far it's a solid "like" for me. If it proves to be more versatile, maybe room to grow into a "love." EDIT: It's a love. Really works well as a base layer, adding depth for anything woody and/or with some sweetness. As such, I think I intially underestimated its versatility. It's also very much like Heeley's Cardinal, minus that odd but inoffensive spray starch opening.

Fabulous. Rich and full and incensey and a bit smokey. Effervescent. I'm in the first 5 minutes of two quick sprays, and in that short a time it's gone up into my top 20 fragrances, even though I haven't made a top 20 list in 10 years. I'll report back/add to this appraisal in a 6 hours or so, but I can't imagine the rating will change. Days later: I stopped writing this review because I wanted to definitively describe the incense they used, and am still having trouble doing so. I'm not an authority on incense, and I don't know how perfumers use incense in fragrance and/or what types of incense are available to them. But I passed as a hippie in the 1960's, so I've smelled a lot of incense. Whatever is in Montale Full Incense isn't hippie incense though, or something you could buy at Cost Plus or World Imports in 1968. And mercifully not Hari Krishna incense either; no one is nostalgic for that stuff. I don't think it's church incense, although I have limited experience in Catholic churches. And it's not Rani Incense, those little cones that came in small boxes with blue and magenta slide over matchbox style covers you could buy in dime stores in the 1960's; they sold a good wisteria incense. Nor did Montale use my absolute favorite 60's incense, Mumtaz, which came in a black box with gold elephants marching over a small golden bridge on the top. God, if they could put some of that into a perfume... But I'm probably the only person in captivity who still has any of that left. And it's not the wonderful stuff the Tibetan Meditation Center in Berkeley burned in the late-1970's either, and if anyone knows exactly what kind that was please chime in here and tell me. No, Montale's Full Incense is different from all of those. More traditional, but whose traditions? I'll work on this and get back to you.

Profile: if you like frankincense "olibanum", buy this. If you're familiar with CDG avignon, this is it's bigger brother, very similar profile, however Full Incense gets ambery/ warm and more dense "which I like", while avignon remains on the brighter side. Full incense performs better than avignon. Both are churchy. Very realistic frank incense, starts abit fizzy and slightly smokey, gets warmer and more ambery as it develops, from there it's fairly linear. It's the frank incense at the beginning of its burning stages, it's not chocking with smoke, yet it's not raw as in L'Eau Trois , or piney/ greenish type as in Aesop's Hwyl. Its warm, not dark, slight smoke only. If you're looking for something dark or Uber smokey this ain't it. Performance: very good, not beast mode, I get 5 to 6 hours of good performance, then later it's still there, gives you whiffs here and there, comes more alive with more body temperature. In terms of projection I can say it creates a decent warm bubble, which is more than enough, it doesn't scream. Leaves a trail, lingers on clothes, I go for 6 to 8 sprays. Gets compliments from people, gets zero hate, It's not for everyone to wear, not many people dare to wear incense frags. If you do, grab a bottle. If you like CDG incense collection, you'll love this. Safely unisex. I tried every incense fragrance I could lay my hands on, including Armani's Bois d'encens, cardinal by heely, CDG and my conclusion: full incense ended the search. It's best used during moderate weather, fall/spring. Certainly not hot summer/ cold winter.

What this smells like to me is: when i walk on forest trails in the summer, and the sun is shining upon some pine tree bark or exposed roots and there's warm liquid sap flowing and i grab a stick and poke on the sap and then instantly smell it straight from the stick. And then, the dry down is the smell of the dusty pollen from the pine trees. I'd like to compare this to some other incense perfumes i have or have tried: FW Incense Alchemy (which is said to be a clone of Encens Suave) opens with the same pine balsamic smell as Full Incense, but after an hour it tones down to a cozy vanilla. Lattafa Hala leans a bit more on the woody side, even though it is pretty simillar. It is not as bright though and the performance is weak. CdG Avignon: This one is more gritty and smoky and i found that after the opening hour, the whole thing tones down to an ambery hot soap scent that stays close to skin. I believe this is the must have Incense scent to own and mix up with other perfumes. I've been layering it with everything for the past week: oud, citrus, florals. Combining it with Encre Noir (a l' extreme) is just amazing. First day i wore it i could smell it all day but now i think i go nose blind quite fast. I don't think it projects much but it definately leaves a scent trail.

Montale's Full Incense is a very dry, resinous incense fragrance, with minimal notes but blended quite nicely. Mainly Incense, elemi resin and labdanum. To my nose, this is not a sweet incense, I dont know if it's the patchouli or cedar notes listed but there is a bit of sour tartness to the frag in a nice way that prevents it from becoming cloying, even in the heat. Projection is pretty moderate by Montale standards, it's there but in your personal space only, making it one of the more versatile ones in the Montale line up. Longevity is good, I get 7-8 hours regularly with just 2 sprays. I love Incense frags and this is pretty much my daily out and about Incense of choice. It's nice, uncomplicated and lasts all day and since a little goes a long way, a full bottle is good value for money as well. Incense lovers should definitely check this one out. 8.5/10 PS- Yes, it's similar to CDG Avignon although the Montale has better performance on me. If you have one, you can probably skip the other unless you are an Incense lover like me.

I received this fragrance today as part of a much larger order. You see, I love incense fragrances...and with it...I have an impossibility high standard of how an excellent incense fragrance should appeal to my senses.... As a Connoisseur of Omani Hojari Grade frankincense..I know the difference between pure and impure.. This fragrance reminds me of A+ Hojari grade frankincense from Oman. Selecting the perfect pieces to place in my burner..atop the smouldering charcoal tablet. It smells like the opening ....when the resin begins to melt...really intense and ultra pure. It’s what us frankincense lovers live for.... That precise moment. Montale has captured it with this fragrance... Immediately taken back to the Land Of The Burning Sands. At night Silence. Date palms hot from the days sun saturating the breeze. Outside of the Temple at the Oasis. Giant polished metal burners filled with frankincense... Large plumes dance in the night sky.. Fills the air with mystery and delight. It’s that good

Im glad Montale didn't add "Aoud" to the name of this one, as it seems they use this adjunct sparingley in most of their perfumes to add a feeling of luxury to any creation they make, Aoud leather and Aoud Cafe are what come immediately to mind. Names for the Montale line dont mean anything to me, except for very few ones, and full incense is one of these exceptions. About this perfume, it is what it says on the bottle, incense and alot of it. I havent tried Amouage so I cannot compare to them but this perfume is very heavy on resins and labdanum, slightly sweet becuase of the labdanum. It has prominent woody aroma too and soft ashey smell, not too strong like Sospiro laylati for example, but the ashey smell is there. It smells sour creamy due to the resins, but more refined than pure frankincense oil that I also have. Very nice perfume and doesnt dissapoint with regard to sillage or longevity from Montale. Try it before buying, it is love or hate

I get a strong green pine and labdanum. Not surprising, it's the most used accord to give an impression of smoky incense. Indeed, there is an impression of church, but much stronger than if one attends a mass. Nice, moderate projection on my skin, but great longevity. I can see some similarities with Robert Piguet Casbah, but not really with AA Oud pour Lui, which is camphorous without any green in it (is it blasphemous to say that I may prefer the latter?) That said, it shares one flaw with other incense frags: its versatility. Indeed, I'm not sure when I could pull this one out other than when I'm alone home. Not safe for office, not sexy for dates, much too austere for an evening with friends. A funeral maybe? That will pretty much limit its use to very rare occasions (hopefully), and anyways there's no need for it since I would go in church when they have the real one. Any other ideas? Fall/Winter nights, 30+

I have quite a few Montale scents and am very fond of most of them. On this, the frankincense hits me right away - woody and sharp - and brings back all sorts of memories from different parts of my earlier days. Antique wood warmed by sunlight, aged cloth. Church incense (frankincense) and a smooth warmth from the patchouli and labdanum. One challenge I have with Montale is that their scents are usually SO concentrated, that one spray is all you can use. Any more and you might choke out a small room. And if it's on your neck or chest, it can become too much after an hour or two. This one is not so. I like to lightly hit the arm, back of neck, and chest and this one allows for that. It lingers on skin and clothing for hours, but it's not cloying. Amazing, beautiful scent. I could literally spray this on my clothes in the closet just as a base scent for all my fall and winter stuff. Love.

This really is what it says on the label. Pure, unadulterated incense. No supporting players, heck, no real top-middle-base notes. This is all incense, all the time. Smoky, bitter-sweet, warm and dry as a bone. Full Incense smells exactly like resin granules burning on small charcoal bricks. The smell for me is one of unadulterated joy, though I've had friends say it reminds them of church. I wasn't raised religious, so thankfully I lack any childhood memories associated with this scent - good or bad. Longevity is the usual Montale style of bordering-on-eternity. Will last 48 hours easily and remain a skin scent through two showers. Projection/sillage is excellent, though not quite on par with some of Montale's more atomic offerings, (Black Aoud I'm looking at you). Utterly unisex and wearable year-round, this is a must try for anyone fond of incense taken to it's zenith.

this is a classic somalian frankincense note -- full frontal and massive. i once tried to buy omani frankincense (almost impossible to find as it's (a) more expensive, and (b) sold by unscrupulous vendors), and i KEPT on getting the somalian stuff. omani frankincense is otherwise known as 'silver frankincense', or 'louban' in arabic. i finally got it from an omani student who got some from her mosque (she said it's 100% genuine), and when you burn the two side-by-side they smell very different. both are majestic and worthy to be given to jesus christ (as a mix or a pack), but the somalian strain is a little more 'cloying' and sickly sweet. i love both, and i prefer the omani just because it's the most savoury, if you will. anyway, this perfume is entirely somalian frankincense and it's refreshing to hear a company distinguish the two different varieties...

Nose Note #920 It instantly became one of my favourites. This is just totally my jam. You may think judging by the name that it's going to be a dark smoky thing, but it's not. I'd even call it super light incense comparing to Amouages. The incense here has an underlined pine undertone, piney in a way of a finnish wood sauna. Amazing, just amazing. Outstanding and like nothing else out there. And I can't help but feel like this has a lemon note too. Unisex, but suits men better. Longevity satisfies me, it's long lasting enough. Sillage is medium. In a way this is similar to Tom Ford Black Lacquer, but Full Incense is sparkling. 9.5/10, one of those things that you just have to try. Almost 10/10 for me. I may change the rating to 10 after some time

This is the perfect perfume for anyone looking to embody the intricate and sublime beauty of the Catholic aesthetic. Wearing it evokes the atmosphere of stepping into a small country church (because of the addition of the resin and labdanum notes) on a sunny day, where a gentle breeze flows through. Imagine the soft glow of an old stained glass window, the view of dozens of wax candles burning beneath a wooden crucifix, and a young woman in a mantilla veil kneeling in prayer. This is the evocative and serene vibe that this particular perfume gives off. That being said, for those with Christian trauma, this fragrance might stir up some difficult memories because it does actually(!) smell like incense, so do approach with care.

The perfume that made me go down the rabbit hole of fragrance, that showed me not all perfume has to smell like flowers or literal cake. Would I wear this out with friends? Probably not. But I wear it for myself a couple cold nights a year, light some candles, curl up and read a cozy novel. I do not relate this to church, probably bc I did not attend incense-burning services, but it does smell spiritual though. I am a lover of quality Japanese incense and although they are not spot on similar, I think if you love burning incense it’s worth checking this out. I wish I actually had incense that smelled like this. For now this big bottle will last me forever. Oh it also works great applied lightly to clothing. Top 10 for me.

This takes me back to my childhood christmas actually. In Norway the pharmacies are selling a loose incense called Kongerøkelse (Kings Incense) just before christmas - and this smells exactely like it. My mother used to buy this incense every year before the holidays when I was little. Full Incense smells like very warm, slightly spicy and wonderfully woody incense. On my skin it is very well rounded, it almost has a creamy quality about it. So smooth, and yet a bit bitter sweet. The scent stays very close to my skin, but lasts long. I really, really like it! And, yes, it smells very much like Comme des Garcons Avignon. But to my nose Full Incense is warmer, a bit sweeter and a bit darker.

Here is a classic example of olfactory confusion - did something indeed happened to Montale or did my taste and preferences evolved quite a lot? Or both? I originally had a sample of this back in 2013 and thought it was amazing, full on incense as advertised. It seemed much drier and articulate. So I finally came around to getting a bottle now.. The bottle I received is in gold, not the brown as pictured. I still recognize the churchy incense in the overall picture but for some reason now it mostly smells to me like fizzy, syrupy cola drink. It seems very saturated and oily yet has a very, very modest performance. Especially being that its a Montale and all. Pretty strange stuff.

Another great pontifical church incense, recognized by both Catholics and Orthodox alike similar to Avignon and Cardinal. I will compliment it in that it offers something unique in the basenotes, something warm and creamy that the other two don't venture into. This is more of an impression of church incense than a literal recreation. And with that in mind it is very successful in what it does. Warm, inviting, this one is cozy and comfortable and actually a bit sweet. There is also some floral element here which is really beautiful and rounds the fragrance out, softening it. And some cedar which gives it an bright and fresh feeling. Great work. 8/10

I love this one. Absolutely love it. It starts out like a fizzy root beer scent -- you know when you take a sip from a freshly poured glass of root beer and the bubbles tickle your nose and the smell of the root beer floats up. Then it quickly morphs to a stunning smokey incense scent. It's rich and elegant. This is one that could be worn by women who aren't afraid of exotic scents and by men who like understated elegant scents. Most men's colognes are too strong and pungent for my liking. This one is beautiful. I need to check and see when mine was made. If it's the new formula, I'd love to track down a bottle of the original to try.