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Fragrance enthusiasts will already know this but smelling like a cathedral/church is major inspiration for perfumes. Typically the fragrances will be very incense forward but they can differ widely. For instance many invoke abandoned churches deep in the woods while others are light and airy in addition be smelling of incense and smokey. While other still are more herbaceous and woodsy. Some can be more specific like a mass on Christmas while other combine the smokiness with delicate floral notes giving a sense of summertime.
This is not a complete list by any means but if you want to smell more like Notre Dame de Paris or just a generic cathedral/chruch here are some options.
In no particular order…
Comme de Garçon Avignon
Directly inspired by Avignon in the south of France, Comme de Garçon’s Avignon evokes the sense of being in a medieval church with its intense incense scent. It smells of Frankincense, myrrh with some dry warm vanilla and a hint of roman chamomile. The effect is one of beauty, darkness and mystery.
Also from Comme des Garçons, Zagorsk has more a woody scent taking inspiration from an Eastern Orthodox Church. While it has clean crisp notes it’s decidedly more gloomy and melancholy, as if you have stumbled on an old mysterious church has long been abandoned in the woods on a dark winter’s night.
Also Comme de Garçon Kyoto is very similar as it’s also features woodsy incense-forward scent.
Basilica
Basilica by Milano Fragranze is evocative of the smokey mysterious scent of incense combine with creamy milky notes and herbaceous notes of rosemary and thyme. It has an earth quality reminiscent of fallen leaves as well as sitting in a pew of an old church in the countryside. These scent notes make for a gorgeous pleasant scent.
Heeley Cardinal
While gothic cathedral can conjure imagery of dark and gloomy place, Heeley’s Cardinal captures the soft, quiet, majestic serenity of cathedrals that bathed in light. Heeley’s Cardinal is both airy and warm while having the incense scent with a touch of linen. The citrus warm incense notes just seem so on brand for Esmeralda.
Anatole LeBreton Grimoire
Anatole LeBreton Grimoire is an intriguing combination incense, smoky candles, wood and with warm vanilla despite conjuring the image of ancient dusty church. It also seems to have herbaceous cedar notes making for enchanting haunting scent.
Serge Lutens L‘Orpheline
An under-rated gem, Serge Lutens L‘Orpheline airs on the softer more melancholic side of the smokey incense aromas. It’s more graceful and light like a dancer or like visiting an ancient church in early June.
Antonio Alessandria Dies Aurorae
Inspired by the memory of entering a cathedral during the holidays. The impression is of wood, incense and nutty aromas adding to a feeling of warmth. The effect of this fragrance is an old-factory tale which can also be read here.
Encens Flamboyant Goutal
Encens Flamboyant by Goutal is more a haunting, contemplative fragrance that is a combination of incense and peppery notes with middle notes of to spicy scents. The result is woodsy yet clean smokey fragrance that more subdue and with a slight sense of melancholy but in a lovely way.
La Liturgie Des Heures Jovoy Paris
La Liturgie Des Heures by Jovoy Paris invokes the feeling of a cathedral deep in the woods with its deep mysterious incense notes punctuated with the freshness of wood particularly cypress. Creating a warm yet light mysterious scent.
Interlude Man Amouage
A more masculine scent, Interlude Man by Amouage is a warm leathery, incense forward, spicy scent that invokes church through frankincense, myrrh, oregano, citrus and patchouli. It’s has those scents of antiquity but it comes off as contemporary and sophisticated.
Midnight Mass Black Baccara
Midnight Mass by Black Baccara has all the hallmarks of a midnight mass that one might go to on Christmas. It has the strong scent of Frankincense along with scents of wood but with addition of merlot notes to really drive the point of being at mass. It also adds in notes of moss to help add to the feeling of being in a scared space at night.
Passage D’Enfer L’Artisan Parfumeur
Passage D’Enfer by L’Artisan Parfumeur combines the subtle smoky incense notes with floral scents. It conjures the smoke from candles wafting through the air to the lofty heights of a vaulted ceiling above. It reads has hypnotic, seductive and unique.
Papillon Spell 125
While Papillon’s Spell 125 is inspired by Egyptian mythology, it features the spicy, warm smokey incense notes combined with floral and herbaceous scents. The effect is alluring, enchanting and captivating like a sorceress in a church.
Tom Ford’s Edene Fume
Tom Ford’s Edene Fume is more seductive smokey woodsy scent . It’s less chruch-centric and more spiritual, more tranquil, more mystical and mysterious.
There are a lot more fragrances that invoke the churches and cathedrals scent with the use of incense notes.
Have you tried any of these. I’ve personally have tried one of the Comme de Garçon scents before it was which was lovely.
Thoughts?
And which on of these scents would you try? I would love to sample Heeley Cardinal, Serge Lutens L‘Orpheline, La Liturgie Des Heures Jovoy Paris, Passage D’Enfer L’Artisan Parfumeur and Papillon Spell 125 but I would try any of these.
