Monastic

I've got a sample vial and while I don't dislike it, I don't think I'd go for a larger bottle of it over other "incensey" fragrances I've enjoyed recently. Not one-note, but fairly straightforward on my skin. Very strong and resinous on both me and my fiancee. Neither of us get rose out of it, and initially the sandalwood/labdanum/myrrh is a little overpowering even as someone who likes the combination. Gets sweeter and softer on the dry down. Something about it opens a little too sharp on me for it to be one of my go-to "cozy" scents - maybe the labdanum? Lasts a long time. I can see why people are generally saying this leans "night," but I can see myself putting on a bit in the morning and enjoying the dry down for the rest of the day.

This is good! I've been looking for a good church incense and this one is it for me. There's a definite dusty, powdery note that gives me the impression of a gothic cathedral that hasn't been open in many years, stuffy, old, you can still smell that incense, it's just more subdued. I get a bit of the rose too and overall the scent is more on the feminine side. I compared it side by side with Basilica and they are similar, but that one is stronger, while Monastic is more feminine. Maybe like a nunnery.

At first whiff of the sample, my nose was assaulted by the bite of this perfume. It was an unpleasant first impression; however, once I smelled for longer, I was pleased to smell the frankincense and myrrh. I don't smell any rose. Definitely a potent and bold churchy smell. I kind of like it.

SS site description includes these notes: Frankincense, fog, rose, myrrh, labdanum, spikenard, dust. Extrait/EDP. Oil based extrait. Not for pregnant/nursing. RESINS. Winter Collection. This is a mature, candy sweet rose in the middle of billowing incense. If you like rose incense, this one may be for you! It's floral and very resinous, extremely sweet on my skin but other reviews seem to demonstrate variable sweetness depending on skin chemistry. The frankincense and myrrh are spot-on for mimicking incense you'd find at a temple in Southeast Asia. SS always has a mix of dank or dustiness as well, and this one is no different. The rose here is too sweet for my nose, and the incense is too dusty/smoky for me to enjoy.

I wear this sleep a lot these days. It's very woody, like a cedar wardrobe, with whiffs of incense. I don't get any floral in this at all. Just a nice calming woody incense-y sleep potion.