Cardinal (2006)
by Heeley

Heeley Cardinal

Incense will always be one of my favorite notes because I've found that every perfumer is able to do something different with it. In 2006's Heeley Cardinal this might be one of the most accessible incense scents out there. It is certainly one of the most straightforward incense scents out there. Cardinal is a simple composition of five notes; incense, cistus, grey amber, patchouli and vetiver. As you can tell this is incense straight, no chaser. No floral accords or wood accords to get in the way just straight ahead incense. The top of this starts out with the incense in full flower just like you get from a swinging censer at High Mass. It stays that way for quite a while before it becomes modulated by the appearance of the amber which adds some warmth to things. The patchouli and vetiver show up in the base but they never become prominent more like grace notes to the incense. The cistus never seems to breakthrough to my nose at any point which is too bad because a light rose at the same intensity of the amber at the top might have turned this from very good into spectacular. What is here is the best incense "soliflore" I've worn. I like it better than Avignon because it is lighter on my skin and that makes it more versatile to wear.

Tons of conmmentas and blah about this one, but in essence one can buy Eau the Cartier way cheaper and - surprise - after 15 minutes they smell identical,

It's lighter and fresher than I thought it would be. It's not particularly complex, but it's very nice. It smells just like the airy interior of a Catholic church. It's clean without being astringent and smooth without being syrupy. The effect is the nostalgic scent of a traditional church without the stale or heavy quality of actually being in one filled with a bunch of people. Ultimately, it develops into something that smells a lot like eucalyptus after a new rain. I think it would make a great cold-weather, outdoorsy, or formal occasion men's fragrance.

I never thought I'd find a more "churchy" incense scent than Avignon, but Cardinal is it. Compared side-by-side with the CdG, Cardinal is more natural smelling (Avignon has a chemical undercurrent I never noticed before - and still only notice when comparing it directly to Cardinal). It is also rounder and more interesting. Sadly, I don't get great longevity out of it - couple of hours at best - but it is so heavenly I'm happy to make allowances for that. HUGE thumbs up!

The top note of Heeley's Cardinal perfume was an astringent dry, soap smell that rushed through my nose to the back to my throat. I truly felt like I was tasting soap. Cardinal was that pervasive (or should I say, invasive?) And I applied it sparingly! After about an hour, Cardinal calmed down to become an austere, powdery green fragrance that reminded me a great deal of Balmain's Ivoire. At around hour 3, Cardinal became became rather nice but I am much too impatient to wait that long for a fragrance to develop.

I know Cardinal is much revered in certain perfume circles as a "reference incense" and all that, but I think that Comme des Garcons' Kyoto and Ouarzazate are much wearable and pleasant than this.

Here are Cardinal's notes, courtesy of LuckyScent: incense, cistus, grey amber, patchouli, vetiver.

Heeley Cardinal has a pretentious name and a wonderful smell. It's light, bright incense of a very Roman Catholic variety; and contrasts with CdeG Avignon, which is darker and more gothic. It is also clean with just a touch of a soapy note in the development which I find works very well. I don't know if the current rage with incense fragrances will continue, but I hope this stands the test of time. I wonder, was there ever a Cardinal Heeley?