parfums*PARFUMS Series 3 Incense: Kyoto (2002)
by Comme des Garçons

I grew up around temples (and incense) that have a scent similar to that of Kyoto's.

... And yet it still does not bore me, despite being decidedly linear. Comforting and contemplative.

On the other hand, people could say that "It's just incense." Well, tell them that you don't feel like carrying around burning sticks of incense.

The spray goes on almost invisible at first. I can detect some slight floral sweet notes, but that's it for its topnote. But in a few minutes, the fragrance starts reacting and amber with some cedar starts wafting. Several minutes after that, it dries down to a wonderful incense that doesn't get directly in your face like the Avignon.

The scent seemed almost too light when I applied it the first time. I was worried that it would disappear on me quickly, but somehow it endured and stayed around forever and a day. The scent stays pretty close to the skin, but with a light breeze, there shouldn't be any problem with the sillage.

It is inexplicable why, in the sweltering days of summer in Houston, Texas, I have had an urge to explore Comme des Garcons' Incense and Wood Series. It makes no sense and moreover, I did not grow up around incense (I'm not Catholic, Buddhist, Russian Orthodox, etc...) or any forests of note so these are not reference smells for me but wow, I am certainly enjoying these perfumes!

Comme des Garcons' Kyoto is the "prettiest" one of the incense series, an austere bunch of scents. It is most similar to CdG's Zagorsk but Kyoto is a wee bit more girlish and fruity incense whereas Zagorsk is uncompromising warm wooded incense. Another observation is that Kyoto is similar style-wise to CdG's Ourzazate in that they both start off powerfully and then gracefully scale back to become almost minimalist fragrances. If it weren't for today's energy prices, I would crank my air-conditioning way down, pull on a cozy sweater, spray on Kyoto and luxuriate in it! Winter can't come to the Gulf Coast fast enough.

Here are Kyoto's notes, per The Perfumed Court: incense oil, cypress coffee, teak wood, vetiver, patchouli, amber, everlasting flower and Virginia cedar.

Incense and woods. Very dry woods. Like in an old temple with large wooden crossbeams. Has a sweet tonka bean like base to it. Great but not impressive enough for a bottle.

This doesn't smell like Kyoto, or of Japanese incense, at all. What it DOES smell like is Precious Chandan incense from the Indian firm Hem. If you can't make it to Barney's to sample this, just go to your local Indian grocery, head shop, or street incense vendor and buy some Precious Chandan. To my nose, at least, they smell so alike that the nose (Now Smell This attributes it to Bertrand Duchaufour) must have either filched the idea or been heavily "inspired" by it.

This is a pleasant, rigidly linear fragrance with excellent longevity and moderate sillage. I don't like it as much as I once did--it seems kind of treacly to me now--but I still like it enough to hold on to my bottle. It is definitely better suited for cool weather.

My friend got this for himself n I had the pleasure of trying this one out...Its is so much like Chirstian Lacroix Tumulte(Which I jus love)....
This one is a very wonderful cologne n worth givin a try...