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

Few days ago i've read on Luckyscent a colored review about a  colorless fragrance, Zagorsk, able metaphorically to epitomize the soul of this melancholy scent. The reviewer writes that this fragrance exudes the soul of a russian ghost haunting a dirty-icy cemetery and resting his soul agaist the porous ancient stones near the cold wet earth. The Zagorsk's stony and metallic (in perception) though burnt  and resinous (in the substance of elements and consistence) temperament shares with the more complex and temperamental Black Tourmaline Durbano that sense of desolating coldness, gothicness and abandon in a bare land. Both are incensey (basically based on  frakincense), smoky (about Zagorsk i would rather talk about burnt candles, incense and resins), tarry and resinous of coniferous woods (pine, cypress, birch) and both are cold, solemn and aromatic even if the equally tarry Black Tourmaline is a darker, deeper and more complex scent with a stroger presence of incense, with more dust and medicine in composition, without any trace of florals and with a more articolated composition. Likewise the overly spiritual Durbano's one, Zagorsk, with its almost balsamic and mentholated feel, probably reinforced by the usage of pimento berries, conjures at me that cold and impersonal ambience of a woody orthodox church near a forest (i've visited one near Ladoga lake not far from San Petersburg). The woodsy smell, the chilly aroma of the wood's resins as birch tar, the exhalation of burning incense during the mass, create in those kind of churches a shadowy odour that Zagorsk partially reproduces with the camphoraceous  coldness of resins, with the sharpness of cedar and frankincense (initially evident), the smokiness of woods, the aromatic greens, galbanum and coniferous and despite the metallic floral whiff of the faint violets and iris.  I agree with Foetidus when writes that the link of birch tar and violets is too much to arouse strong appeal but nobody could deny that the secret appeal of Zagorsk is fully appreciated just by the lovers of the cold, impersonal tarry fragrances.

15th October, 2011. (Last Edited: 27th December, 2011.)

A smell the oak barrels, generously tarred and heated on the sun...
The aroma of the Orthodox Church is softer, a bit sweeter. Here is too much tar but not enough incense.

15th October, 2011. (Last Edited: 1st November, 2011.)

Something about Comme des Garçons Incense Series 3 ZAGORSK does not sit well on my skin—or in my lungs. There can be no denying that this is an incense perfume, but it hits me quite a bit differently than KYOTO. ZAGORSK, too, is not very oily or resinous, but the wood of the incense seems more bitter than burnt and slightly rubbery as well. Like KYOTO, ZAGORSK is also devoid of detectable floral notes, but this composition seems quite a bit more masculine to me. The sillage is rather big for a masculine scent, but this will be perhaps welcome to those who like the peculiar quality of the composition, although I'm wondering how many people would really want to be around other people who smell like this. I do not mean to suggest that ZAGORSK is repellent, but on the other hand I myself do not find it very appealing at all, and my distinct impression is that, if over-applied, this fragrance might have a mildly suffocating effect—something like breathing at high altitude where oxygen is in short supply or inhabiting an old building with traces of asbestos in the attic. Désolée.

2nd July, 2011. (Last Edited: 9th July, 2011.)

Alfarom summed it up. I love all of the CdG Incense Series scents :-)
This one is not to long-lasting with a couple sprays,as are the others from this CdG series. But if you put a lot on it will last...about 5-6 sprays to my neck kept it strong for about 6-8 hours. Silage is good. Avignon & Kyoto still have the best longevity with 2-3 sprays. But all of them are very well put together fragrances. I love this series and cant be without these in my wardrobe.

14th May, 2011.

If you like the hinoki cypress smell I think Zagorsk is a much better interpretation of the theme than it actually is Monocle Scent 01 by the same house. A dark-green coniferous base (pine and hinoki) mixed with the most chilling and stark frankincense around. Minimalistic and austerely distinctive but incredibly compelling as well. One of my favourites incense of all time. Highly recommended!

16th April, 2011.

Maybe this is no scent for people who've never actually been to a Russian church... to a place like Zagorsk (nowadways called Jewgenij Possad again) or a fairy-tale town like Suzdal....-
but if you want to travel to such a place... scentwise... try Zagorsk in a bottle. It is a theme-fragrance, probably inappropriate for daily use, use in offices and banks...but in the privacy of your home, in winter, it can work marvels. It's extremely atmospheric and heart-moving, especially when you long for the medidative, sheltering feeling only a Russian church can provide you with (And normally, I claim to be an atheist...). Well, I know this is highly subjective stuff I'm writing here, but on the other hand, olfactory experience is totally subjective. One of the fragrances I don't want to live without.

4th December, 2010. (Last Edited: 5th December, 2010.)