As a devotee to the Incense perfume genre, I'm sad to tell you that my eyes often glaze over when I read a perfume has incense in the name. Sure I still love it but there's so many and so many that don't really bring a lot that's new to the table. Whether it's 'precious' or 'Noble' or whatever...and in this case Mystic. What I will say is that MoV Mystic incense doesn't mess around in the slightest. It gives a good account of itself as far as incense is concerned covering the toffee facets of myrrh and the genuinely darker aspects found in Frankincense, usually quite a bright smell to me, if a little churchy and eerie. Olibanum and frankincense come from so many different origins that the materials can be quite different. I actually prefer the cheaper stuff to be honest and this has that roughness and impurity but lodged in the heart of quite a classy, well thought out composition. As good as it is, I actually think I'd get a little fatigued wearing it. I only tried it on my arm but it was fairly heady, I have a sample and will update this review when I wear it properly. MI is primarily a dry, spicy, woody incense which is both expected but at the same time has more impact that you might think. I feel the conflict and contradiction of my view and I'm desperately trying to be helpful. I'd say incense fans will definitely not be disappointed. Update 14/02/24 I often say I will update when I wear it 'proper' but rarely do if something doesn't take my fancy enough for me to bother ever revisiting it again. Well this did and I can honestly say that beyond the initial pleasantries and olibanum lean of this perfume, it's not something I pay big bucks for, I think there's better resinous perfumes out there, which are probably in a much less attractive bottle and that's where this brand have collectors by the nuts (or whatever you have) because no matter how mediocre or clone brandy MoV get I don't think I'm alone in searching for one that I can justify buying, simply to own one of those lovely, precious vessels. On the positive side Re: the fragrance, Peculiarly I think the gourmand element, a sort of caramel accord (actually more like fudge to me) works well with the the light and shade of the elemi/olibanum whatever is making up this 'incense' accord.

This is one of the best perfumes EVER! Certainly one of the most tight chypre's I've ever tried. It's epic, but not in a huge look at me way. It's not a loud flamboyant chypre, it's just a very well constructed piece. It's no slouch though, you won't forget you're wearing it. Guy Robert is a master. It was so long ago that I tried Rochas Femme (a dear perfume collector friend it) that I genuinely can't remember what it was like, nor was I a massive fan of the genre back then anyway. However this Dior makes me want to seek out Rochas Femme. To reduce fragrances down to Male and Female tropes is something I avoid but for me the oakmoss coupled with unsweetened, musky, powder in this fragrance makes it spectacularly masculine and wearable. I would urge any man who likes his classic, 70's and 80's men's stuff to try this perfume, because you'd be pleasantly suprised. I have a mini from the early 80's and it's fantastic! Mildly animalic, musky, opening gives way to a suggestion of peachy aldehyde powder, full on oakmossiness, lighly spiced carnation talc, rosehips, balanced woods and a ton of little added nuances as it dries down. It's spectacular but not dressy, it's practical, wearable on a regular basis, and feels...well...real. I need a old bottle of this.

The opening few seconds are gorgeous but you can feel yourself gaining 20lbs and developing type 2 diabetes upon the first sniff. This is an indulgent vanilla scent, gourmand, nicely balanced and not too 'thick' or lumpen, however it's still absolutely too sickly and not enough interest to make it appeal to me. I'd get annoyed by it after minutes, seconds even. That's what happened.

Soooo... This is a fragrance I've wanted to try for ages for several reasons. 1) I'd love to own ANYTHING from this house as the bottles are lovely. 2) I LOVE saffron. 3) They seem to have a respectful, niche pedigree. Maybe that's the wrong word, certainly a perceived respectability as far as I can tell. 4) I've seen this one in particular at very reasonable prices at online discount retailers. Firstly, don't let the Tuscan Leather comparisons put you off, not only the fact that TL is a decent and popular fragrance and that might be wholly appealing to you, but because it's not a copy. It's strikes you as a 'TL lite' to begin with, but for me doesn't have anywhere near the nose wrinkling WTF'ness or 'raspberry' note people often describe. This is generally drier, thinner, woodier and as it dries down becomes more prominent (in a subtle way) with saffron. I like the way it evolves but it's likely to always live in the shadow of the more boombastic end of this type or sub genre of fragrance. I actually think it would be less full on or potentially annoying than TL, but that also mean it's not as rich, or big a statement piece and not as strong or long lasting either. I see this as a trade off, if you even want to make direct comparison which would be obvious (and all I've done so far in this review) but refrain if you can and accept this for the fragrance it is. I enjoyed it.

I got this! I love a Serge Lutens but a Ltd edition Serge Lutens? Even more so. I've been thinking about adding an orange blossom perfume to my collection for a long time. I love the smell of the Orange flower absolute material I have, but not even the best natural perfumes can capture it in a practical perfume format. This Serge Lutens comes pretty damn close but still retains the overly waxy, cleanliness of what I know to be an accord created with OB aroma chemicals. I actually think the best accord I've ever made is an orange blossom one, it's not great but it's okay. The curious thing about this is that the Orange blossom turns to a cumin like, dirty, sweaty smell for about an hour after application, and combined with the sweet white floracy it reminded me of old taxi seats, magic tree and slight BO smell...doesn't sound great huh? It is though. It's somehow cleaner and more inviting, beckoning you in like clean, 'earned' sweat.Anyway this goes away and it becomes a relentless, creamy, waxy, fatty orange blossom, which delicately applied is an absolute dream. I like the Zellige design, I'm such a philistine that I didn't even know what it was, well I knew what it was not what it was called. Anyway a brilliant addition to the collection. I'm happy.

Okay, this is one of those olfactory experiences that in hindsight makes sense, not that it didn't at the time but seeing who the perfumer is, comparisons it makes complete sense now. So when reaching for my first sniff of Linari I found the other bottles, intimidating and illegible with all those patterns on and such so I arrived at Notte Bianca because it was the only one I could read clearly, without squinting my eyes and screwing my face up. This was on a recent trip to Amsterdam and smelling this among other things, I did think would be hugely memorable but has remained in my olfactory data banks. I liked the bright, modern citrus and spices in the opening and the bare, starkness of it's aroma chemical heart, giving that cashmere and vetiver feeling. Now that I know it's a Mark Buxton composition I'm like..."Of course it is!" and as much as I like stuff like Bal d'Afrique, I'm just not blown away by them and having only flippantly tried this on my wrist once I couldn't commit to it. Also oddly enough on the same Amsterdam trip I actually bagged Vetiver Tonka from the Hermesence line, which has the most 'this perfume reminds me of votes' on here. Spooky. Perhaps I had meant to get this and didn't? I found the opening of Notte Bianca to have more sparkle a touch less heft of fougere warmth, but sure they share the same woody, cashmere heart.

Yet more opulent, modern, strangeness from this perfumer. Golden Seranade is somewhat in the mould of Rasquinet's recently notable releases like the Moon or that one for Histoires (I forget the name) and another one I've forgotten the name of...(not doing very well am I? Anywho...They have this unusual, plastic saffron, into smokey, boozy, oud vibes all at the same time. Complex, resinous, woody scents. This one is a little more accessible though and much more on the warmly spiced, boozy side of the street. I thought it was very nice and definitely evocative of the kind of Glenn Miller, smokey, romantic, early 20th Century for whatever reason. I really enjoyed it.

This charmed me to begin with and that's what made me buy a small travel spray but I find it fascinating from a technical standpoint. The Jasmine note (accord even) is very interesting in that it's clearly emulating nature but from messing with Jasmine aroma chemicals (of which there are many) myself, I can sort of smell the genesis of this Jasmine note. For starters it seems less like a jasmine sambac to me, and although has traces of indole, which make it natural smelling, it's not a full whack of jasmine skank. This has that...inside of a banana, exotic, tropical fruit, funk and trace of ylang to it. It feels like a white flowers accord with aspects of tuberose too, and it's an interesting exercise for someone like me who is constructing recreations of florals like this to see how master perfumers like Nagel do it. Not only that but how it's carefully and skillfully blended with a woody base, that has the complimentary creaminess to accent the florals. The delivery...well it is mainly a jasmine fragrance to be honest and it lasts well and opens room filling but mellows well. I like it but it's not the most uplifting heavenly jasmine I've tried in my life.

SirCharles gives an excellent comparison below to Jo Malone's Oud and Bergamot a very original fragrance that to me smells like dark, sodden & modern wood, kinda synthetic but also some of the qualities you get from oud of certain origins. Then the bergamot which doesn't smell like bergamot, but doesn't smell enough like any other citrus not to be either. Enough about that though because although I definitely get the association, the delivery is about as different as one could possibly imagine. This has a subtlety to it, and broadly woodier theme's with a light ethereal spice to it. Light top notes, but enough to catch my interest when I sprayed it in a Hermes boutique and a mellow heart. My description doesn't do it justice, Agar Ebene is very good though. I was compelled to buy a mini travel spray.

I really find it hard to convey how much I love this fragrance. It's absolute magic, it's exemplary perfumery yada yada all that gushing stuff. In reality though it costs an absolute fortune and begs the question is any perfume worth dropping this kind of doe for? In a moment of weakness/stupidity....? Yes, I could be convinced. Obviously I'm not saying you are stupid if you buy this, because we all have our budgets and if you are a high roller then you can't get much better than this, truly. I mean there's plenty more expensive perfumes than this and if I had the money perhaps I would buy them all, but maybe I'd also drive a Ferrari and never wear the same pair of draws twice...? So there's that. The way it behaves on skin is amazing too. I mean initially I said about it 'filling a room' and being long lived on the strip and 'brutally strong' 'only one spray required' etc... but there's a clue in the expression there 'brutal' and that doesn't suggest a great perfume necessarily, certainly not what I'm looking for anyway. Fall into stars however only seems that way momentarily before settling into one of the most rewarding experiences only delivered by the very best perfumes in my wardrobe. I'd like to say this is only for special occasions but in reality I could wear it frequently and for any purpose and never tire of it's themes. I didn't quite know that straight away (like I said I thought it would be too strong) but wearing it today has cemented the positive feelings I had from first sniff. That first stiff is laden with oud, I mean characteristic, animalic, mild cheese, aged wood, fruits, dark booze it's a cracker and it just develops and develops. Crucially what Laudamiel has done here is make a modern seeming composition that has the heart of a middle eastern, oriental, oud attar, squarely front and centre. It has a honied depth which just keeps on giving. Then it shimmers into a gorgeous leather faceted, skin enhancement, with a huge amount of sweetness but never saccharine and no spikes from pink pepper or anything whatsoever in fact. The leather doesn't even bite, nor is it cliche smooth, you can't (at least I can't) smell any one particular material, it's a big rounded mass of a thing twinkling away like a fine cut opal or the stars the title has you falling into. Just feels like it might be a masterpiece. Thoroughly blown away by it... And being the cantankerous, misanthrope I am, I really didn't want to like it. I mean the flacon's looked average (they are actually lovely in person) the brand sort of came out of no where (don't they all?) what I mean is there's not the heritage story of a Nicholai for example. Also, I remember thinking 'she's pretty' at a lady in the pictures of the Strangelovenyc lab without realising it was Helena Christensen(!) Who is creative director. Not that it has any bearing but an interesting factoid I suppose. Also the sustainability aspect and choice of Oud as a focus may seem a bit passe now but having had a quick sniff of the other ones I can say that the quality and wonder carries through the line. The choice of Givaudan and specifically of Cool, renegade, perfumer Christophe Laudamiel was a wise one, as he seems to be teasing out the magic of oud and the other fine materials they have chosen to work with. I actually feel superior wearing it, not in a ego sense or flexing about opulent, pricey bottles or anything. I genuinely feel pity for others who don't (and really can't) smell better than me today. (wow that sounds patronising and needlessly competitive... haha) This is how I feel though, like greatness is emanating from my person. It's not fair. It's like taking an AK47 to a fist fight. If I come into some money I might buy the tiny bottle because Fall into Stars is too good not to. I think Oud lovers will like it's authenticity but I don't see it being a darling of the Attar crew. This is more about composition as as such will have a broad appeal. It's mesmerising, I am well and truly under it's spell. ps: Oh....Bless the lovely Tanja and Phine from Perfume Lounge in Amsterdam for giving me a precious sample of this stuff.