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.

It’s funny how people the review for this is all over the place, maybe they have batch variations or something because I don’t smell heavy incense or church at all. This also doesn’t smell like by the fireplace to me. This smellls like a second skin scent. Imagine another 13 or molecule 01 keeping the molecule notes/iso e super and adding in a buttery airy caramel and airy dried fruits with just a whisper of clean intense, it’s not heavy or dense at all, it’s just very ethereal (“mystic”) it’s a love for me and smells delicious. I get moderate projection and longivity on this and I go crazy with the trigger. Also if you spray it on your clothes it last much longer and leaves a very comforting silage

The reviews sounded just what I was looking for. Incense and sweetness. I have been wanting to test MOV scents- but could not find them. I bought a full size Mystic Inscence 100 ml and it arrived today. The scent itself, I love. But like every eaudeparfume I test these days- there is no staying power or sill-age. I don’t think I’m alone in that. I read similar complaints on fragrance reviews. For me there is no point in buying a scent that fades in minutes. I remember DeciDela and Burberry woman lasting for ages and being asked what I was wearing hours later. This is a huge disappointment to me.

This is one of those fragrances that compelled me to write a review on here. If you’re like me and incense is one of your favorite notes than this is a MUST have. It’s ever so slightly masculine leaning but more like a true unisex. If you’re afraid of it being too sweet you have nothing to worry about, the sweetness is very subtle and the smokiness of the incense is what you’ll notice most here. I’ve been impressed by everything I’ve tried from this house with Mystic Incense being #1. Very highly recommend picking this up even at retail price or slightly below. A total hit.

I was looking into incense perfumes and stumbled upon this fragrance, I sprayed it once and I already knew it would be a favourite. So beautiful! Incense is, of course, the star of the show, but it also has some cocoa warmth to it and I can clearly smell black pepper at the opening. It's the perfect combo, exactly what I hoped for on my quest for the perfect incense fragrance. However, the longevity is quite miserable, maybe it's the batch I have? Regardless, I hereby announce it my new signature scent, especially since the company confirmed that it is vegan and CF 🥰

It's an extraordinary scent. I really love it. I can't wait for cooler weather. It's like a 2d scent. The incense and wood notes are very obvious and seems to float above the cocoa, fruit and caramel. It is sweet and a gourmand but the incense is king in this scent. It prevents it getting too sweet. Some of my fave notes all in one scent and they work so well. It doesn't develop much but the sweet notes ease off to leave the incense and wood to rule. Perfectly unisex. I get good sillage and longevity with this lovely. Roll on autumn.

Sacredness of places of worship Liturgical incense Sacristy The patron-saint The churchyard Stalls in the churchyard Paper cones filled with krapfen Cotton candy Caramel Caramel Caramel A merry-go-round that turns My head turns in a vortex of perfection and balance never felt before. Never has caramel been so inviting to me, perfect, subtle, languid, not at all sweetish, not at all sticky. Not loud at all. Eternal longevity of smoothness, until it disappear after many hours. The absolute best way a scent merges into one with my skin.

At first I compered this scent to Encens suave (which I love) and wasn’t getting along with this scent. But after I tried it for a couple of times the scent grew on me! The incense note is the same as in encens suave, but this scent has an interesting add of creamy salted caramel that’s stays in the background. A little different combo for me with the salty notes and incense in the beginning, but I got over it :) Now I wear this scent practical everyday and do love it!

I like this scent so much! The first time I smelled it, the incense hit me hard (very church-like, I saw a priest waving the incense burner :-)). But on a second smell I liked it so much: the oud, incense and warm, cosy basenotes. Bought a second bottle!! Reminds me of 'Parfum Sacré' de Caron, but less spicy, warmer. More of a comforting fall-winter scent. Very sensual too, the scent envelops me without being too strong.

Sultry, libidinous incence :) The most sensual version of incense I've ever had the pleasure to wear. I am usually not necessarily a fan of smoky incense and its church connotations in parfum but this is incredible. Gourmand incense. As an owner of only a travel spray - I would gladly buy a bottle of this visiting when Venice next time.

Kimse kusura bakmasın hiç bir şeye benzetemedim. Belki diyorım comme des garçons incense koleksiyonu kyoto bilmiyorım. Garip bir koku yani ben sevdim. Elinizde 5 taneden fazla niche parfümünüz varsa alın derim. Sabah uyandığınızda sıkmak istemeyebilirsiniz. Fiyat performans canavarı

The union between the incense and the salt caramel is astonishing. Unfortunately, this union fades after the first hours leaving space to a more woody and "cocoaish" fragrance (which balance the general sweetness). A great way to be remembered is both formal and informal situations.

Such a beautiful perfume! Even though I’m not the biggest fan of incense, so was not expecting to like it at all. But actually here, it is perfectly balancing out the caramel. Super pretty! Also met with several people and everyone noticed it and it stayed on me for good 6-7 hours.

This is love at first sniff! It's like a baked mince tart infront of an open fire. Not like BTFP, this is different, I tried most of the above as a comparison and none hit like this does! Simply a beautiful, warm hug on Christmas day! 10/10

Absolutely beautiful. You would think there are tons of incense based fragrances in the market but trust me this one has just the right amount of gourmand cocoa that makes it stand out. Performance is also great. 10/10.

Pretty good fragrance. The notes give an accurate picture of it to me : it's an ambery scent focused on incense with a sweet back bone. Performance is pretty average which is surprising considering the scent itself.

Cacao and Incense are what I smell something out of this world if you like angel for men the original you will love this one and incense lovers are gonna really enjoy this scent Longevity is not an issue

Oh my... orthodox church smell mixed with burnt caramel. Warm and intoxicating.

Bear with me in this review, as I am quite a laic when it comes to incense in perfumery. /Pun intended./ This seems to be quite a unique creation from this house, as I see many of their other fragrances being compared to some very famous creations from TF, MFK etc. And for that particular reason, I’ve never been much curious to try them. Mystic Incense is an exception - I was immediately attracted by the combination of notes, more so because I do like incense in perfumery, but do not own an incense-centric perfume specifically, so I was looking forward to find something that could fill that gap. Plus, those gourmand references really did make it stand out from the rest of the fragrances I considered trying, so I finally decided to purchase a decant. My first thought when I sprayed it - church, my nearby Christian Orthodox church. I almost felt weird wearing it, due to the connection I made, but the whole experience was still quite intriguing. Today I am wearing it for the second time, and I am feeling more of the gourmand aspects, but it still remains a very forward churchy-incense fragrance, as others have mentioned. Another interesting aspect is that it’s not as heavy or thick as one would expect - with 4 sprays on my neck, I do not smell it constantly, but get some random whiffs of it, and I must say that it feels quite smooth in the air. I definitely like it and appreciate its uniqueness, I love when fragrances “transport” you somewhere and give you this whole olfactory experience. I’m probably not going to purchase a full bottle, but I’ll be wearing my decant with pleasure, for as long as it lasts. I hope the Merchant of Venice continues to create such unique blends in the future. I will be most definitely looking forward to explore more of their stuff. Big “like” from me!

I was very happy to finally sample Mystic Incense by The Merchant of Venice but I have to admit that I am very disappointed with this. When I say disappointed I mean specifically with the intensity and overall performance of this scent. The fragrance itself is a beautiful but soft, moderate sweet incense with some subtle caramel and dry fruits. Don’t get any salty facets or any cacao in here. But the way it disappears from my skin after a few hours is just simply disheartening. It’s such a faint, subdued smell from the opening that it’s obvious that it is not going to last well or project. I think this is more suited to someone who is new to incense, otherwise don’t bother. There are far better, stronger incense fragrances on the market that I would not recommend a whisper of a fragrance like Mystic Incense. For what it is, it costs way too much. If you’re into a good quality incense scent, try Vanagloria by Laboratorio Olfattivo, for about the same price, or if you have the budget, get Encens Suave or Babycat. All three of these scents are excellently executed, intense and perform superb!

EDITING my initial review for this fragrance, which was originally written in January, 2023. I left a horribly scathing review, which primarily cited an overpowering, thick, sticky, syrupy, cloyingly sweet, caramel note left on my skin when everything else incense in this EdP quickly evolved and left. This time 'round, I am actually enjoying Mystic Incense a bit more. Unlike my initial experience with this perfume, I note much more church-y incense, which is DEFINITELY frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, etc. Any caramel note that lifts is certainly NOT overly sweet, or thick, or cloying. The salty, sweet, caramel note that peeks through is just enough to sweeten and mellow out the extremely resinous, woody, incense opening notes. Longevity is very good at 4-6 hours. Silage is minimal-to-moderate. Mystic Incense is a pretty incense fragrance with an additional gourmand twist.

A secret cult room in a dark monastery. Here, the divine powers are completely devoted to darkness. Faces are covered and the praise of evil continues. Incense of amber, myrrh, olibanum, dried grapes, and the smoke of a live burning wood shavings fill the room. That's the image this scent creates in me. Even though it's not listed, I feel the presence of myrrh and olibanum. I think the notes are not complete and the resins are missing, because there is also a smell similar to elemi resin (spicy citrusy resin). According to the name, I was expecting something a more smoky smell, but it's more amber. I would say church-like in general. Edit: The more serious relative of Encense Suave.

Strong incense and musty woody notes are dominating the first few minutes of this fragrance. It is easy to think that one might have oversprayed due to the strength of the notes. However, already after 15 minutes, Mystic Incense starts to weaken and is soon nothing more than a skin scent. Even spraying my clothes does not improve the weak sillage. A few hours after spraying, when burying my nose in my sweater, I perceive a musty scent that reminds me of the smell of a cork from a vintage red wine. Therefore, Mystic Incense is definitely an acquired taste and might be worth trying for incense enthusiasts and lovers of earthy notes.

Strange slightly vomitous note on first spray, but within moments it is a bowl of dried fruits, mostly raisins in liquor. Within a few minutes, the caramel comes out, and then about forty minutes I get a touch of incense. Smells to me like a church in Europe at Christmas (which is odd, as I have never been to a European church at Christmas time), but I like the ancient feel of this scent. I have no way of knowing, but I imagine this is how it smelled in the fourteenth century. Yet another intriguing offering from The Merchant of Venice.

‘Quick Fragrance Reviews’ on Youtube described this as an incense-y version of Margiela’s By The Fireplace... I agree LOL. It has the deep resinous, woody quality of oud and sweetness lended from it’s gourmand notes (caramel and dried fruits). Despite smelling light, it still somehow feels anchored to the skin rather than airy. Lasts long but responsibly, it trails off the skin in time to apply another fragrance the next day. I don’t LOVE it, I don’t suppose many will love it, but a lot would be content with it. 7/10

Finished a 0.5ml sample in one go. It's a linear, simple, sweet incense scent. You cannot expect it to have the richness of the mid eastern type of incense frag, but given the price point it is still OK. Suits someone who wants a light, non-intruding, office-safe incense scent. Will keep you upbeat for about 3 hours :-)

It is so faint on me that I can hardly smell it at all. What there is of it is quite lovely. Not too sweet, not too heavy of an incense. I just wish it were more intense even if the longevity isn't there.

this was a lovely surprise... a gourmand incense! still very woody smoky incense forward, but with a hint of caramel on top and dark chocolates in the base.

smells like an old monastery. i really like it.

Great gowns, beautiful gowns....🫠

Tested on a hot summer afternoon. Initial spray on cloth smelled nice. The cloth was left in the sun for a minute to heat up, and the composition fell apart. It did not smell good enough to try on my arm. When the cloth was brought inside in the AC it returned to having a nice incense smell. I don't need any more fragrances that I can't wear in the heat since it's hot here a lot, so I don't need a bottle of this.

Salty caramel and faint dried fruits. Then, woody notes and incense, very faint. There is a cacao, balsamic sweetness in conjunction with the incense and woody notes. A well done, soft, spiced incense. Beautiful, but just not strong enough. Way too weak.

Oh Lord. My first review was right after blind buying this, so i was in a state of denial LOL this does NOT last. It's a decent fragrance I guess, don't blind buy this

This smells exactly like midnight Mass: church incense + caramel candy. A few hours later the dry down is pure Coca Cola. I’m saving this for the Christmas season.

Pretty decent blind buy. At first, it smelled of incense and scotch tape, but once I got to smell it more, it smelled more like incense cola. Quite nice, but weak

Blind bought this, first impression... it reminds me of my pencil case. Smells like freshly sharpened pencils.

#1298 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Glad I got a decant instead of blind buying this. It's not even close to EDP potency. The scent's nice enough, but it's pretty much cologne level in strength. You'll really have to overspray this. I was expecting a strong incense but it's more a hint of chocolate saltwater taffy. Doesn't hold up in heat at all. Even in wintertime you'd have to spay your clothing to get this through the morning. Disappointing after "La Fenice for Men" was so impressive. I'd pass on this.

This would be so much better if it were slightly stronger. It smells nice but it’s exceptionally weak. It’s really only a skin scent. Longevity - 5/10 Sillage - 3/10 Price - 3/10 Thumbs down from me unfortunately.

Too forward incense for my taste. Mandala by Masque Milano is a much better indirect incense that transforms beautifully.

Holy Mother of Cocoa, this is delicious. I did NOT expect an incense fragrance to be so gourmand and FRIENDLY and yummy. It really hit me with the cacao first, even though that's not supposedly a top note--and no doubt the caramel was part of that sweet hello that said "You're gonna love me. Just give up now." Well, I did. I have a sampler from Merchant of Venice mostly because I was hoping to fall in love with just one scent enough that I could justify springing for one of their truly spectacular bottle designs. This was not the one that I thought would be a big winner. Now I am afraid that maybe I'll love them all and then be truly in a deep quandary. So, on first sampling I don't even think the incense is that prominent. The scent is above all, terribly inviting. It's sweet but that sweetness is on the down low, once I got past the initial blast of choco-caramel. This is one I'll be curious to continue to read others' reviews because this appears to cause really different reactions.

I love the historical & luxuriousness of this perfume. The packaging feels like opening a treasure chest (map included lol). The bottle is beautiful lying there in a golden satin bed. The scent notes are as described but i wouldn't have incense on there twice. Faint incense. Thats certainly not the focal point on this one despite the name. To me, it blossoms into a decadent Christmas pudding, doused with rum or brandy & lit afire. Then, while still steaming, creamed custard is drizzled over it & ready to be devoured. Beautiful & delectable. It's sillage is weaker than one would expect w everything else being of such high quality, but i think if it was stronger, it may be too much. It's rich & a very lovely, autumn/winter perfume. I'm looking forward to wearing it around Christmas time. So addictive.

i like this a lot. very incensey (of the vintage messe de minuit kind), kind of sweet, over lovely dry chocolate-woods. the whole thing not too sweet, not too austere, and strangely transparent. in a way it does for incense what ellena's vetiver tonka does for vetiver. i could wear either for the same mood (something earthy yet warm and a bit sweet, but not too heavy.) this is the first perfume that i bought mainly for the bottle. i've tried several of this house because i *really* wanted one of those fabulous bottles -- and the juice generally *really* isn't anywhere close to as good as the presentation, alas -- but this was the one that finally stuck.i will wear this. and the bottle makes me happy :-)

I really wanted to be wowed by Mystic Incense. The presentation is amazing and the notes listed and comparisons seemed promising, but I have to agree with aczwy. On my skin it opens like a warm sugared donut served on a cedar plank. And it mostly stays that way for a couple hours until it fades to sweet nothing. It is very pleasant while it lasts, I will give it that. But I don't really understand how people are getting incense out of this. If you took out the smoke and watered down By the Fireplace until it was about 70% strength, then yeah...this is it. Great bridesmaid or co-pilot fragrance where you want to smell pleasant but not be the center of attention.

I really wanted to enjoy this as the Venetian style glass bottle is quite attractive. It does open with detectable olibanum resin seemingly blended with raisins and prunes, and I found this to be enjoyable, but it grows sweeter and sweeter over time, and I grow more disillusioned. I've concluded that I don't really want an incense fragrance to be also gourmand. I've decided the Merchant of Venice reminds me of the Aretha Franklin interview where she shows shade after being asked for her thoughts on Taylor Swift: "great gowns, beautiful gowns." The Merchant of Venice is the "great gowns, beautiful gowns" of modern niche.

ok i realize this is going to sound incredibly demented and almost impossible but the first blast of this reminds me of the smell of herbed pizza dough—complete with the oregano and everything. i can definitely get caramel, salt, and dried fruits if i make my brain parse the notes that way, but in tandem these notes have a slightly savory, bread-y effect. the dry down is a soft woody incense, but not really smoky, almost like the incense is unlit. i personally don't think this is anything special but i wouldn't mind smelling it on someone else!

Dark spiced vanilla, Coca-Cola and thin tendrils of cocoa scented incense. At first it reminded me of Encens Suave Extrait version because the Extrait version is sweeter. Then it rapidly blooms with spices and it seems to be more similar to Encens Precieux by Van Cleef & Arpels. Yes, more like Encens Precieux but slightly chocolatier. If you want something slightly darker and sweeter, try Insulo. If you want more cocoa, try Ile Bourbon Fabbrica de la Musa.