Incense

For incense lovers, the unicorn and holy grail rolled into one! Smells like smoke from the Vatican, austere, pure, powerful. There is a clarity, even distillation in the incense. A ceremonial charred wood feeling to it, as if you put your hands over a smoldering thurible to catch the fragrant vapor. Kamali, herself, said she wanted her perfume to smell like the inside of a Catholic church. You only need a little and it lasts for hours. Unfortunately, it is not in production any more and is impossible to find. NK Incense – Hooooly Smooookes!!!

This review is for the vintage 1982 version. An absolute must have for any incense fan. Be careful not to judge it within the first 30-60 minutes as it starts off shouting but calms down to a beautiful deep incense. I had started to become a little bored with incense fragrances lately but this one is top notch. Shame this was discontinued.

I absolutley love this Perfume. I have just a few drops left From ages ago. Still smells the same. I cannot find any anywhere. Always looking, so if you know of anywhere to find it, please share. Thanks!

This is, perhaps, the best incense ever! Discontinued and nearly impossible to find but worth it if you can find it.

I see that the 3 big boys are here.Colin,alfarom and deadidol. With that being said you know that this is a great fragrance. As much as it is, I find it a bit hard to wear. It's so dark and dry and strange IMHO. I have and have tested many incense frags and I still prefer Montale's version. If you ever stumble across a decant, buy it! This is one that does not come along often.

This review is based upon the recently discovered 1982 vintage cask. This is a very strong, breath-takingly bone dry incense that deploys minimalism to great effect. Rather than simply reproducing a wearable incense scent à la Avignon, Kamali captures a true aesthetic head-space that might be described as a cold, stone room that hasn't seen the light of day for years. It's dark and extremely musty with the prominent copal note that makes this smell more like the ashy remains of incense rather than a fresh, unlit batch. This is not an interpretation of "fragrant" incense like you might find in the CdG line or Sahara Noir; instead, it's highly mimetic: tarry, waxy, and deep. There's nothing like this out there, and a tiny amount is all that this perfume requires to achieve its effects for an entire day. Just don't expect anything pretty -- this is more of a challenge than you might think. But in that respect, it's a work of art.

I managed to score a small decant of this in a swap. The juice was really dark and it has a reputation as strong so I unscrewed the top and dabbed on a small amount. Right away I was reminded strongly of some other scent but I'm still not able to place it. There's definitely a strong resemblance to Calling All Angels but that one is sweet and cuddly whereas this is darker and uncompromising. Of course both of them are absolute labdanum bombs as 98tacos said earlier about this one. Happily for me, I like labdanum and can wear it straight, so it's no surprise I like this fragrance as well, though honestly speaking Calling All Angels does everything this does but I prefer it's lighter, sweeter take on the materials. If you're missing this maybe try Calling All Angels or search for labdanum fragrances.

This smells exactly like a 7-11 bathroom immediately after a homeless person has finished smoking crack out of an old soda can in it. This is not hyperbole - It truly smells exactly like that. I am very familiar with the aroma. That said, it is an amazing fragrance both technically and artistically. This is both shockingly dark and stunningly beautiful. If you can handle the dark labdanum of Miller Harris' L'Air de Rien, this is a logical step into an even more difficult perfume. Perhaps as lovable as it is rare, this fragrance is the only fragrance in the chemical fire and old sweat genre. An instant favorite for me!

A minimalistic, straight ahead frankincense/myrrh concoction. Smoky, extremely dry and incredibly realistic church incense enriched by other biblical resins. If you're into stuff a-là Avignon and Bois D'Encens but you need some extra sillage, you can't miss this one. Possibly among the most powerful on the market..No frills. Downside: Because of its extremely realistic reproduction of smoky lithurgical incense, it may result a bit too linear and sort of crude. Me? I'm sold. Rating: 9/10

An odd fragrance, smoky incense that comes across as warm but also a bit crude and acrid. The silage and staying power are huge. I would be interested in owning a bottle if it were not so rare and expensive, as things are my small decant will suffice. If you want an approximation that is 98% similar to NK Incense though, purchase a few grams of Hydrocarboresine (Biolandes) and dilute heavily in perfumer's alcohol.

Easy recipe - four items to buy and very affordable. Combine equal parts of Robertet’s Bois de Encens and Biolandes’ Ambreine and Hydrocarboresine - macerate for a month and make a 30% solution in perfumers ethanol. Maybe a dash or two of Habanolide or ethylene brassylate for more tenacity and radiance, if desired. However, even without that embellishment, the strength, sillage and tenacity will be outrageous.

@ Rob80 No, it was a legit sample. All I was saying in my review is that I wasn't the most impressed. I can in the see when this fragrance was released that it was very polarizing. Since then though, there have been many incense smoky based fragrances which I guess have desensitized me to this one. I'm not hating on the fragrance at all. In fact, I think that it's a marvel given the time when it was created.

Finally scored a sample from a very kind fragrance enthusiast on eBay. To be honest, I’m a little underwhelmed. I basically just get Bois d'Encens by Armani. With all the hype, I was expecting something so polarizing that it would induce headaches and nausea. Nope, just an incense centered fragrance. Guess I’ll stay on my quest to find the ultimate “polarizing and disturbing” fragrance.

This fragrance is addictive. It is strange and wonderful and when mixed with the purfume, it becomes even more delicious. Anyone who loves rich, seductive wintery scents will adore these from Norma. And they work on men as well as women. The only downside is that they have to be purchased in NYC at the Norma Kamali store. It's worth the trip!!

Well, well. Grab a gallon of pure labdanum absolute, grab some Vatican quality incense, throw it in a thurible and light it up. Then, put down the fire and let it cool down. That is Incense by Norma Kamali. Outstanding, yet minimalistic as others have said. It is also really good to clean your nostrils.

I recently scored a decant and a tiny dab goes a ways. I still wish I had a FB just for the hell of it. The thing I like best is on me this is the closest thing to a creosote soaked pine tree odor that I am likely to ever get out of a bottle of perfume. This lasts and lasts and has good projection.

Wonderful perfume. It starts very strange with Incense, but after a while it slides to smooth and warm, light sweetnes. It ́s not a perfume for everyday, but great for moments, when I like to feel a bit special. Please, have anyone an idea, where I can order a new bottle again.

If anyone has this or knows where to find it.....drop me a line . I’ve been looking for a very long time. I’m sure we can work out a mutually beneficial arrangement. I HAVE to find it. Thanks. W.

I have been looking for this fragrance for years and I know I'm not the only one but if anyone knows a way that I can get a bottle or a sample of this fragrance please let me know.

Right now there is a seller on ebay offering 3ml samples of this rare beauty. Their seller name is ''fantastic-in-plastic''