Voile D’encens

Wow, I REALLY love this. I received a sample from a friend as a completely random gift along with some others, so I went in without any particular expectations. It's properly stinky (this is a compliment). There's something that reads animalic on me in spite of no animalic or musky notes in the scent pyramid. Rhubarb, frankincense, and oak wood, oh my. It's really unique. An incense fragrance for the freaks. I actually do smell the pear in the opening, which is fun and unexpected. I haven't had the pleasure of sniffing a pear perfume until now. The rhubarb and frankincense are strongest, and there's a deep, rough, rugged something or other going on underneath. Never smelled a composition quite like this before, and that's saying something because I have an adventurous nose. The vetiver here leans smoky as opposed to dry, which is such a gift. Voile D’encens is pretty off the wall in the way it blends a traditionally summery note (rhubarb) with cool weather notes (resins). The risk taken in attempting such a daring composition has great reward here instead of smelling like a haphazard slathering of essential oils. It’s bitterly cold right now where I live, and I’m curious to see how Voile D’encens will smell when warmer weather rolls around. I have the feeling that different notes will be amplified depending on the climate. I need to get myself a decant of this one ASAP so I can put it right into my rotation of fragrances. Bravo!

In the opening I get a blast of smoky incense. Shortly after, it will be followed by a sharp peppery (bulgarian?) rose (the main player), supported by a great olibanum resinoids note, oak and a hint of fruityness. In the drydown, the rose becomes jammy, because of some sweetness in the back (rhubarb possibly), and a noticeable vetiver note, as well as the consistent presence of the olibanum. Voile d'Encens (that is: Incense Veil) is properly named: the olibanum is present at all 3 stages, without ever taking the lead. Great projection on my skin. A beautiful take on rose, that shares similarities with JSP Smolderose (a fragrance also focused on rose and incense). Highly recommended if a spicy/smoky rose with sweetness sounds good to your ear! Colder evenings, 30+, unisex

Unique, Interesting, Quirky. This is surely to be one of the most unique fragrances you are to get your nose on. Its as if you asked a master perfumer to make you a version of Au Coeur du Désert that would make you raise an eyebrow, in a good way. I don't have much to add to landsharks review below, he sums it up quite well, but I will say that I'm not 100% sure if this would smell better on a man or a woman. Maybe it fits an eccentric personality more so than a gender. It's still enjoyable and wearable. This fragrance more than any other in the line might show off Oz's ideas and talents. Another one that is likely to be enjoyed more and more the more times you smell it. This perfumer is quite talented, in my opinion.

Voile d'encens is a remarkable work of finesse and a treat for lovers of incense like me especially if it is a versatile incense with acidulous tips of rhubarb that accompanies you all along the wearing. It is in my nose the most versatile scent of the collection. This juice is an elegant compromise between "Nuit de Bakelite" and "Bois d'encens" by Naomi Goodsir, a great blending, very well done! 😊👃🏽👍🏽

Purchased the debut discovery set of samples which had all scents except for Vetu de Vert & Huaka'i. Given that these are sample vials, no comment will be made on sillage or projection. Voile D'Encens Very interesting scent, even if mostly linear. Upon first spray, you're hit with the rhubarb - I don't have much experience with rhubarb in real life but to my nose it comes across in this scent as a way more tart and sour version of strawberry. Then within a couple of minutes, the tartness & sourness recedes just a little in order to introduce an "incense-like" characteristic. I don't know how the perfumer did this, but it's blended so well at this point that I don't specifically pick up on any of the other notes listed above. Once the smoky incense quality is introduced, the scent remains this way for the rest of its life - i.e. a unique accord that is both tart/sour & incensy/smoky at the same time. And by incensy/smoky, I don't mean that it's heavy, warm or ashy. It actually has a slight cold/refreshing quality to it akin to how the incense in Passage D'Enfer (from L'Artisan Parfumeur) behaves. This makes it suitable for year-round use. These scents are artisanal in nature - they don't smell close to anything a designer house or a well-known niche house would put out. In other words, they smell very natural, even raw at times. With that comes a lot of character which is worth exploring as you can sense that the self-taught perfumer (much respect to Mr. OZ!) has a signature feel to all of his scents. That also means you can't blind buy these - you must sample them first. Main highlight for me = you won't find the rhubarb+frankincense combination done in this way anywhere else; another unique creation from Mr. Oz - it won't be for everybody though On a rating scale of: Dislike Neutral Like Love Voile D'Encens = Like YT Channel - The Scentrovert

Voile D’encens is my second try from Motif Olfactif, the house launched by Oswald Pare / Mr. Oz in late 2019, my second try from my sample pack after De Toma a Zouma. Voile D’encens is an interesting exploration of incense, a mix of frankincense, olibanum, and elemi, primarily, with sharp and fruity touches. Pear, rhubarb, rose, and vetiver accent the incense-dominant. The resins lean sharper and brighter than they do smokier but there are smoky touches as well. It’s slightly sweet, slightly tart, but not especially either, at least not more than it is resinous. I enjoy that the pear and especially the rhubarb aren’t a momentary burst in the opening, as plants sometimes are, but last into the dry down and remain a part of the mix throughout. I generally do not enjoy pear when used significantly but in concert with the rhubarb, it really works well as a complement to the incense. Voile D’encens is fun and quirky yet elegantly composed, clearly with care, and it gives me something different, particularly in the world of incense, from what I’m accustomed to smelling. Definitely a recommended try, as I suspect will be the case with much of the line, as I loved De Toma a Zouma. Voile D’encens is a 28% extrait concentration at $140 for 50ml, so actually not much more than the $130 EDP De Toma a Zouma. It performs well, quite dense, and the ingredients feel rich. I quite like this one—I’m not sure I’d wear it a lot personally, but it’s a curiosity and has some complexity and intrigue, more inventive that the majority of new fragrances that I come across. Bravo, Mr. Oz! 7 out of 10