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Floral "clean incense" perfumes

post #1 of 24
8/30/12 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
This morning I did a comparison of lighter, feminine frags that feature incense: Diane edp on one arm (myrrh), Gres Cabaret on the other, and Galliano edp on a kneecap.

I want to write off Diane as so many others have: just another clean-patch half-arsed chypre, but it wafts of something clean but intriguing--a bowdlerized Aromatics Elixir: probably for layering only! Yet I do find myself liking this scent.

Cabaret is a gentle standby but fleeting and quiet: superb for its cost: roughly $4/oz.

Galliano edp, which I had been very impressed by at first is now seeming sweet and cloying for the first hour then dries down into something like rich, vintage pink lemonade as interpeted via a witch's brew. Can't decide if I love it or hate it.

The Gaga scent was supposed to have some of this, but I didn't find any incense in it. Anais Anais sort of qualifies, but it's not quite right for a clean incense, just as Shalimar is too sexy to be a cleaner incense?

Then there's always Barbara Bui, but I don't get a lot of incense from it. Any other "clean incense," (that is not super fiery or deep but still clearly incense) preferably somewhat floral or feminine? Or ... what are your thoughts on the ones I've mentioned?
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post #2 of 24
8/30/12 at 7:35pm
Wow! Tough requirements, thanks to the "clean" and "floral" parts.

What about Atelier Bois Blonds, Comme des Garcons Zagorsk, or CB I Hate Perfume Just Breathe (no floral but green, clean, and light). Another possibility might be Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Silver Fir, but it may not be clean enough -- maybe a bit more sweet than you're looking for because of the balsam, but the spearmint and green tea may cut through the sweet.

That's all I've got...
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post #3 of 24
8/30/12 at 7:44pm
Thread Starter 
Nice picks ExtremeK... I should probably specify that I don't actually like "clean" fragrances but was borrowing a term I had seen others use of "clean incense," which I think means more like Japanese incense instead of Avignon-type Catholic kind? Does that make any-sense to anyone? Maybe best to say: fem-incense!
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post #4 of 24
8/30/12 at 7:49pm
What came to mind is Comme des Garcons Daphne. Heady, very powdery tuberose with orange and a big incense note.

There are just too many good fragrances out there at times, I'm surprised I don't own this.
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post #5 of 24
8/30/12 at 7:51pm
A while back on the Katie Puckrik Smells site, Dan was raving about layering Comme des Garcons Avignon (which I consider to be the incense touchstone) with Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely. 2 Lovely sprays to 1 Avignon spray. Haven't tried it myself, but if you have the two sitting around, you might want to give it a try. For a cleaner effect, I would probably try swapping out Avignon with Heeley's Cardinal, which is a brighter, cleaner, less smokey Avignon. Don't know if that would work as well, but it might be worth a try.

(Have you tried "Cardinal" on its own yet? It smells of clean linens and church incense - no floral to speak of, but definitely a "clean" incense.")
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post #6 of 24
8/30/12 at 7:52pm
Thread Starter 
I tried Daphne twice in the first week or so of being into perfumes at all and couldn't see past the tuberose for a beginner, but still loved something in the drydown. Incense it was! Digging out that sample. Thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugandaraja View Post

What came to mind is Comme des Garcons Daphne. Heady, very powdery tuberose with orange and a big incense note.

There are just too many good fragrances out there at times, I'm surprised I don't own this.

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:
Originally Posted by LA2000 View Post

A while back on the Katie Puckrik Smells site, Dan was raving about layering Comme des Garcons Avignon (which I consider to be the incense touchstone) with Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely. 2 Lovely sprays to 1 Avignon spray. Haven't tried it myself, but if you have the two sitting around, you might want to give it a try. For a cleaner effect, I would probably try swapping out Avignon with Heeley's Cardinal, which is a brighter, cleaner, less smokey Avignon. Don't know if that would work as well, but it might be worth a try.

(Have you tried "Cardinal" on its own yet? It smells of clean linens and church incense - no floral to speak of, but definitely a "clean" incense.")

Defo need to try Cardinal. Don't own Lovely yet but I might as well. It's the only current-issue non-niche celeb frag that I like + Avignon sounds right. Thanks!
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post #7 of 24
8/30/12 at 10:20pm
Vintage Byzance was described by Luca Turin as a floral incensy with a liquid, steamy feel. But the version I have (a late incarnation before it was axed) is just soap.

I personally don't get much incense in Cabaret or Diane. And Cabaret lasts well on me. A niche, richer perfume vaguely remembering Cabaret in niche is HdP 1876, though it is more spicy.

cacio
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post #8 of 24
8/30/12 at 11:26pm
Prada Infusion d'Iris.
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post #9 of 24
8/30/12 at 11:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cacio View Post

Vintage Byzance was described by Luca Turin as a floral incensy with a liquid, steamy feel. But the version I have (a late incarnation before it was axed) is just soap.

I personally don't get much incense in Cabaret or Diane. And Cabaret lasts well on me. A niche, richer perfume vaguely remembering Cabaret in niche is HdP 1876, though it is more spicy.

cacio

I get a lot of incense smell from Diane, but that's really just the myrrh. The Cabaret is definitely not that incensey. More suggested by the patch-rose. I too want to smell the real Byzance but have accidentally bought the reform twice now. Maybe third time's a charm. The tuberose in the reform was TMN sickening-unbalanced. The idea of the original Byzance does seem as if it'd fit this category perfectly! Will try HdP 1876. Thanks cacio.
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post #10 of 24
8/31/12 at 5:55am
Anais Anais
Gris Clair
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post #11 of 24
9/1/12 at 11:48am
I recently tried Olfactive Studio Chambre Noir, and I thought it was a very wearable incense-floral combination.
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post #12 of 24
9/3/12 at 11:40am
Gris Clair
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post #13 of 24
9/3/12 at 6:39pm
The only one that comes to mind is YSL's Nu

Perhaps Silvler Factory by Bond would qualify as clean incense

Editing to add Passage d'Enfer. White flowers and incense and Chanel #22
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post #14 of 24
9/3/12 at 7:57pm
I'll add Comme Des Garcons for Stephen Jones. A bright aldehyde-floral laying on the typical CDG's woody-incensey base. Artsy, sort of weird and definitely clean. So birght that you have to put your shades on whenever you wear it...
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post #15 of 24
9/3/12 at 8:18pm
Passage d'Enfer - smooth incense and smoother white florals.
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post #16 of 24
9/3/12 at 11:32pm
Check out Encens Flamboyant from Annick Goutal - might do the trick.
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post #17 of 24
9/4/12 at 5:58am
There it is - arwen elf mentioned my best suggestion, Chanel No22, so I'm seconding it. Sublime, shimmery aldehydes as only Chanel can do 'em, and glorious florals over the smoothest, most velvety incense imaginable. Very posh, and imo, very feminine.
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post #18 of 24
9/4/12 at 9:40am
+3 for Passage d'Enfer. It's an oddly, weirdly clean incense.

Adore Chanel No. 22, though I definitely don't find it clean. It's much more of a powerhouse, very rich. Certainly femme. Took me a while to detect its incense, though.
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post #19 of 24
9/4/12 at 10:19am
The only floral and clean incense I have is Romeo di Romeo Gigli - lilly, incense and green mango.
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post #20 of 24
9/4/12 at 10:44am
Rochas Byzance in its original form was neither clean floral or incense. It was a big ol' 80s powerhouse oriental. Maybe there was some incense in the base but not in the style now recognised as incense. It was floral but in the floral style of Poison. No soap at all.
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post #21 of 24
9/4/12 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by arwen_elf View Post


White flowers and incense and Chanel #22

How interesting! I'd never thought of Chanel 22 as an "incense" fragrance, so I sprayed some this afternoon and yes, the incense is there in the base although it certainly doesn't dominate (a good thing to me).

Another suggestion: Amouage Honour Woman, which is a beautiful interpretation of white flowers with some subtle incense.
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post #22 of 24
9/4/12 at 4:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alvus View Post

Prada Infusion d'Iris.

This!
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post #23 of 24
9/4/12 at 4:16pm
Try Andy Tauer Incense Extreme. Notes include incense, touch of spices, powdery orris, cedarwood, ambergris and frankincense.
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post #24 of 24
9/4/12 at 8:57pm
Lalique Perles
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Female Fragrance Discussion › Floral "clean incense" perfumes