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CdG Avignon and Heeley Cardinal

post #1 of 14
3/13/11 at 11:02am
Thread Starter 
I searched the archives but did not seem to get an answer I needed.

Which of these two incense scents:

a) Smells more like a thurible during Mass
b) Lasts longer on the skin
c) Has better sillage

I enjoy incense fragrances and enjoy L'Oocitane's Eau des Baux and Caron's Parfum Sacre. (Both of these have good sillage and longevity.)

Thank you for any help in advance.
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post #2 of 14
3/13/11 at 12:25pm
Heeley Cardinal
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post #3 of 14
3/13/11 at 12:25pm
I own and love both but based on your criteria I would suggest Avignon. It is a dark and heavy incence where Cardinal is lighter, brighter, and slightly effervescent. Avignon would no doubt satisfy your search for that Catholic Mass inscense. While both are similar in spirit, I think of Avignon as the classic gothic cathedral while Cardinal would equate more to a modern Catholic church.
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post #4 of 14
3/13/11 at 12:53pm
Definitely Avignon.

Also try Etro Messe de Minuit.
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post #5 of 14
3/13/11 at 1:02pm
I haven't tried them enough to comment on longevity. But as others were saying, Avignon smells closer to the catholic church not-so-pure incense (that is, heavier, with some burnt notes etc), while Cardinal is lighter, purer, more citrusy. I actually find Zagorsk even more church-like, presumably because in my church in italy they didn't use pure incense but mixed it heavily with other pine-like resins, an aspect that Zagorsk captures well.

These are much more literal than the two perfumes you mention. Another churchy fragrance is CDG Man 2, which smells like incense plus snuffed candles, thus giving the whole experience. And just a couple of days ago I tried Hindu Kush by La via del profumo, which also replicates in a literal way the old church experiences of my youth: incense plus floor wax plus camphor - evidently the churches I entered with my grandma were heavy on floor waxing. Excellent (though short lived).

cacio
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post #6 of 14
3/13/11 at 1:06pm
Avignon
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post #7 of 14
3/13/11 at 1:18pm
I'm wearing cardinal right now, I love it, smells like high mass but very light and airy, it's like a ray of sunshine coming through stained glass at the cathedral, love it love it love it...silage is medium and it's longevity is very good
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post #8 of 14
3/13/11 at 2:46pm
Avignon for reasons that others have already noted. I'd also add that, while I love Cardinal's bright top notes, I'm less fond of the dry down. I love Avignon top to bottom. I don't wear it very often though, because it weirds out my lapsed Catholic friends.
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post #9 of 14
3/13/11 at 4:04pm
.........
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post #10 of 14
3/13/11 at 8:05pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you all for the input!
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post #11 of 14
3/14/11 at 12:28am
For an authentic frankincense fumes experience you may try M Micallef's Shanaan. Good sillage and impressive longevity.
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post #12 of 14
3/14/11 at 11:39am
I'll register another vote for Cardinal. Bright, dry, airy, longing... captures the vibe perfectly. It is on my to-buy list.
I find Avignon to be the only CdG Incense one I don't care for. A bit too sweet and vanilla-centric for my taste.
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post #13 of 14
3/14/11 at 12:12pm
My choice, given the criteria: Avignon.

Avignon packs more punch than Cardinal. It also feels darker and more austere. Cardinal smells comparatively "polite" on me by comparison.
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post #14 of 14
3/14/11 at 2:08pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you all again for the input. It looks like Avignon is ahead on this one for my next "try" list.
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