Mystic Incense

As a devotee to the Incense perfume genre, I'm sad to tell you that my eyes often glaze over when I read a perfume has incense in the name. Sure I still love it but there's so many and so many that don't really bring a lot that's new to the table. Whether it's 'precious' or 'Noble' or whatever...and in this case Mystic. What I will say is that MoV Mystic incense doesn't mess around in the slightest. It gives a good account of itself as far as incense is concerned covering the toffee facets of myrrh and the genuinely darker aspects found in Frankincense, usually quite a bright smell to me, if a little churchy and eerie. Olibanum and frankincense come from so many different origins that the materials can be quite different. I actually prefer the cheaper stuff to be honest and this has that roughness and impurity but lodged in the heart of quite a classy, well thought out composition. As good as it is, I actually think I'd get a little fatigued wearing it. I only tried it on my arm but it was fairly heady, I have a sample and will update this review when I wear it properly. MI is primarily a dry, spicy, woody incense which is both expected but at the same time has more impact that you might think. I feel the conflict and contradiction of my view and I'm desperately trying to be helpful. I'd say incense fans will definitely not be disappointed. Update 14/02/24 I often say I will update when I wear it 'proper' but rarely do if something doesn't take my fancy enough for me to bother ever revisiting it again. Well this did and I can honestly say that beyond the initial pleasantries and olibanum lean of this perfume, it's not something I pay big bucks for, I think there's better resinous perfumes out there, which are probably in a much less attractive bottle and that's where this brand have collectors by the nuts (or whatever you have) because no matter how mediocre or clone brandy MoV get I don't think I'm alone in searching for one that I can justify buying, simply to own one of those lovely, precious vessels. On the positive side Re: the fragrance, Peculiarly I think the gourmand element, a sort of caramel accord (actually more like fudge to me) works well with the the light and shade of the elemi/olibanum whatever is making up this 'incense' accord.

It is impossible for me to rank the notes, as they blend seamlessly into one another. I adore Mystic Incense, which finally answers my long search for a true church-incense fragrance. This is a prayer, a sacred perfume, a Mass in scent form. A deep, salty incense whose woody opening evokes the nave of a cathedral for me, made as much of aromas as of silence, resonance and the echo of choirs. To my nose, it is a sovereign fragrance, built around pure, crystalline resins that conjure the grandeur of great Gothic churches. It possesses the same majesty found in "Encens Précieux" by Van Cleef & Arpels but is far less sour and dusty, with a stronger presence of benzoin. Therefore better than the Van Cleef. Here, the swirls of incense feel alive and gently saline. Not a mineral or marine saltiness at all, but the kind found in certain high-end smoked caramels. A delicate, fleeting salt on the tongue. The scent of a thurible from a seaside basilica? Not quite either, because it is too veiled and elusive, appearing only intermittently. In the base lies the unmistakable bitterness of an almost invisible cocoa powder. This cocoa makes no sweet concessions, it's noble and austere, and converses beautifully with the burning resins. I imagine the kind of cocoa monks and nuns might eat, simple, restrained and not gourmand in the slightest. The only “kind of chocolate” that truly belongs in a monastery. In short, this is a successful fusion of liturgy and intimacy. It is spiritual without being religious. It evokes ceremony, erudition and sensuality. An architectural and elegant fragrance, mysterious and less luminous than "Encens Suave" by Matière Première (released in 2019), despite a few similarities, this Merchant of Venice fragrance actually predates it by a year, having been released in 2018. ♥ 9/10 ♥ Inspired by the Egyptian Muda (the merchant fleet that transported raw materials) departing from Venice, which sailed along the coasts of Dalmatia and the Peloponnese. From there, it continued toward Crete and Cyprus before reaching the cities of Tyre and Acre, and then the Fatimid Caliphate (former Muslim empire) through the Egyptian cities of Cairo, Damietta, and Alexandria. It was there that the Incense Route began.

I love this perfume. If I had to describe what feeling it gives me is that of a peaceful moment of silence and solitude. It is meditative, airy, spiritual even, but not austere and ascetic, it still has a certain lightness to it. I blind bought it for a cheaper price after reading reviews and based on the notes. All the images described by the reviews I had read / seen made sense. I haven't been to many churches but I can fully see how it would remind people of that. It does have a sort of echoey spaciousness to it. To me, it reminds me of bakhoor type of incense. While there are notes of caramel and cocoa as well as dried fruit (I honestly cannot distinguish the latter note), the perfume itself doesn't have a gourmand feel to it. The caramel rounds and softens the incense, and turns it into something even more comforting. It does add a bit of warmth and sweetness, especially as it settles onto the skin. Not only is the caramel pretty subtle, it is also balanced and refined by the salt. The best part is the cocoa that adds a bitterness that isn't unpleasant at all, but balances further the sweetness and enhances the beauty of the caramel. As someone who's still new to perfume but often disliked scents that you can find in "mainstream" perfume stores, it feels perfect as it is both unique and accessible. It is a simple, straight-forward perfume Now my only critique is that the projection/sillage is small, and the longevity is rather short. It's safe to say that one or two sprays throughout the day won't be enough. It's performance unfortunately doesn't justify it's price (at least the one listed on the official website). If you can get it for a lot cheaper like I did it would be worth it as it still has a beautiful and unique scent.

Beautiful, Beautiful incense. I have been looking for a long time for an incense fragrance that would feel evocative but not too austere. I have tried most of them: Olibanum, Larmes du desert, Unum Lavs, Reve d'Ossian, Full Incense - you name it. All of these were too dry, or mixed sweetness with incense in a not fully satisfactory way (like in the case of Reve). The only fragrance that got close to what I wanted is Ambra Aurea in the dry down, but it was still an amber-centric perfume, not an incense-centric one. Mystic Incense is just perfect. Smells initially balsamic with a sweet hint of caramel, and than slowly moves towards a more woody scent while keeping the sweetness that smooths it. Only complaint is performance. Like most perfume these days, I feel that this one does not have a great sillage nor longevity. It's decent, but not much more than that performance-wise. Still a beautiful scent.

Its winter wear differs from the spring one quite a lot. It gains strength and is much less caramel and dried fruits and more true Catholic church incense which smells amazing and festive. This incense cloud is softened nicely by the caramel which also makes it more contemporary. Cocoa is barely detectable but softens the edges. Dried fruits are also in the background. It is so festive and unique. I love it. It performs very well - 9 hours and I still clearly feel it on me but softened and sweetened by a very nice dried fruits note. I am loving it that it changes with the weather. Makes it much more versatile. It also leaves a delicious trail next day on the skin - dry and sweet, slightly powdery. Charming.