Incense, sandalwood and citrus are to niche perfumery what ruffians, loners and chain-smoking philosophers are to French New Wave cinema. Incense, with its dark connotations, can be made either sultry or brooding. Sandalwood is the wood of choice to imply anything mysterious, while citrus is versatile enough to be twisted into anything you wish. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Comme des Garçons the Jean-Luc Godard of the perfume world, and as its three fragrances, Blue Santal, Blue Cedrat and Blue Encens, in the Blue Invasion collection demonstrate, it’s possible to discover something new even in very familiar themes.
In traditional perfumery blue is the shorthand for masculine, and if you ever see blue juice in the bottle, 99% of the time, you’d be right to expect a men’s cologne. Unless you’re holding a bottle of Thierry Mugler Angel, of course. Comme des Garçons doesn’t quite do the kind of about-face that Angel performs, but all three fragrances are comfortably androgynous.
Blue Santal
The most traditionally masculine of the lot is Blue Santal by perfumer Antoine Maisondieu. It mixes sandalwood with pine and juniper, landing it straight in the sports cologne department. The top note is metallic and high-pitched, all gleaming chrome and polished wood, but the milky sweetness of sandalwood then buffs down some of the sharper bits, Blue Santal becomes rounder and softer. In the end, it’s still far too abrasive and rough, and the company of creamy sweetness and metallic citrus is off-putting. It lasts forever.
Blue Cedrat
The citrus in Blue Cedrat is citron, Citrus medica, that smells more like flowers than any other citrus variety. I brought back five large fruits from my trip to Sicily, and when I opened the suitcase, everything smelled of honeyed petals and sweet lemons. To create her blue citrus interpretation, perfumer Nathalie Feisthauer blends rose and green citrus peel into a lavish dose of cedarwood. The opening is sparkling, and the transition to the sheer petals and then to wood shavings is elegant. Blue Cedrat is abstract and polished–you won’t smell like a carpentry shop, and it’s versatile enough to be a perfume to wear when you don’t feel like wearing fragrance. But for the price ($125 for 100 ml), it may not be interesting enough.
Blue Encens
I saved Blue Encens for last because I couldn’t imagine how it might be possible to do something else interesting on the incense theme. Haven’t we seen them all–fresh and dark, zesty and brooding, reminiscent of Indian temples and Christmas Mass. Blue Encens, designed by perfumer Evelyne Boulanger (she also worked on Zagorsk for Comme des Garçons), is a surprise. It crosses peppery incense with a gin and tonic, which seems incongruous but is exciting.
This is not a heavy incense like Comme des Garçons’s Avignon or Tom Ford Sahara Noir. On the contrary, Blue Encens sparkles. First, the marriage of incense with cardamom and pepper feels icy and fresh, but after a while, it becomes bittersweet and herbal, and you can almost taste the musk and the spices of gin. The drydown fashioned out of musk and amber is languid and radiant, with a lingering salty aftertaste. It’s a sexy incense number.
Comme des Garçons Blue Santal, Blue Cedrat, and Blue Santal Eaux de Toilette are available at Luckyscent, Aedes, Apothia, Beautyhabit, Barneys New York, Senteurs d’Ailleurs, or at the Comme des Garçons boutiques. $125 / 100ml
80 Comments
Caroline: Have to admit I’ve never sampled CdG, but your opening sentences drew me in–the Jean-Luc Godard of perfumery indeed! May be tempted to try Blue Encens. August 14, 2013 at 8:31am
Victoria: It’s a line that’s definitely worth exploring, especially if you like quirky fragrances. The recommendations made to George below include many of own favorites. I don’t love everything in the collection, but there are many memorable and unusual scents. August 14, 2013 at 11:48am
Anne: My first CdG was White and then Zagorsk. since then I tried almost everything but those two are still my favourites. Def need to sample Blue Encens. August 14, 2013 at 8:33am
Victoria: I also love White, and unlike many fragrances claiming to represent a color, it actually does work and feels snowy white. August 14, 2013 at 11:49am
george: I have to admit I- like Caroline- have never been tempted too much to try the CDG range (although I do think I tried the peppermint sherbet fragrance once). As someone new to this range, are there any fragrances within it than anyone feels very strongly about? It would be useful to get a consensus on maybe five fragrances I or anyone could try ( i think that’s about my limit for a visit) the next time I visit Liberty. 🙂 and would they include any of the blue range, Victoria. August 14, 2013 at 8:47am
Andy: I just wanted to add:
I am relatively new to perfume, so while I haven’t tried everything from Comme des Garçons, I definitely think a perfume from their incense series (I love all five perfumes!) is worth trying. Especially if you like incense fragrances, these don’t disappoint. I’m especially fond of Kyoto and Avignon, and I would venture to say that either one would be a good starting point–Kyoto because its peaceful, meditative demeanor changed my preconcieved notions about Comme des Garçons perfumes, and Avignon because it replicates the scent of the incense in a Catholic church like nothing else I’ve tried. August 14, 2013 at 9:18am
Anne: To my favourites I would add CdG Eau de parfum, their first one. It’s unique, unlike anything else. August 14, 2013 at 9:23am
Austenfan: I second this. It’s probably my favourite CdG, mind you I haven’t smelled a lot of them. But it is a very distinctive scent. August 14, 2013 at 4:38pm
Annikky: I don’t know about consensus, but I agree that Avignon and the original CdG are good contenders for your first 5. I believe there is a certain agreement that they do incense, wood and wierd pretty well, so this could be a starting point. I haven’t tried everything, but I would also consider trying Wonderwood, Daphne, Calamus and something from the synthetic series (probably the craziest of them), if available. August 14, 2013 at 11:31am
Annikky: Just to clarify – Daphne and Calamus are not about wood, incense or wierdness, I suggested them to illustrate the range. And because I enjoy them 🙂 August 14, 2013 at 12:54pm
Victoria: I don’t remember Daphne that well (it’s based on the scent of bay leaf, right?), but I love Calamus. It’s a very interesting green fragrance, with an earthy and musky finish. August 14, 2013 at 3:14pm
Annikky: I don’t own Daphne, but I think I remember it being a very maximalist take on tuberose with lots of stuff happening in the background. It didn’t strike me as a typical CdG scent at all, but I liked it. It’s kind of in the same camp with their Stephen Jones fragrance, which is a non-traditional violet, but still – violet! By Comme!
I believe the bay leaf one is the second in the Monocle series, Laurel. But I might be confusing things, it’s difficult to keep it all straight. August 14, 2013 at 3:41pm
Victoria: Gosh, I give up, especially since they have so many collection. It’s impossible to keep track of them all. Just checked Michael Edwards’s book, and yes, there is Laurel by CdG in the Monocle series. Your memory is impressive, Annikky! August 14, 2013 at 3:54pm
george: As soon as I read Daphne I thought Daphne the Naiad, who was turned in to a bay laurel. But – upon research of Annikky’s suggestion- it seems the perfume was named after Daphne Guinesss and is a floral creation. Maybe you are walking down the same path that I was- plus also thinking of the other system of naming that cdg has? August 14, 2013 at 3:43pm
Victoria: You’re right! 🙂 The other day I was on the phone with my grandmother solving a crossword puzzle. And one of the question was about an ancient Greek myth involving a bay laurel bush. So, Daphne and bay association was on my mind. Actually, it would be great to have a fragrance around a bay leaf. It’s such an interesting scent, especially the essential oil, which has a green mango top note. August 14, 2013 at 3:53pm
Austenfan: Laurel is quite a nice bay leaf rendition and I actually own a bottle of it. I like it, but I think there might be a better version possible. This one smells a lot like Alep soap. ( And a bit like Vie de Château). August 14, 2013 at 4:35pm
Victoria: Hmm, I like the smell of Alep soap, although I’m not sure if I need a perfume that smells like it. Still, worth checking out, I think. Thank you! August 15, 2013 at 11:07am
Victoria: There are many excellent suggestions below, and I hope that you will receive others. I would also start with the original Comme des Garcons (from 1994), then Comme des Garcons 2 and 3, both of which are different interpretations of woods. Wonderwood is another favorite. And I would also throw one of the incenses into the mix, either Blue Encens, Kyoto or Avignon. August 14, 2013 at 11:52am
Hannah: My top 5 favorites are: CDG EDP, Wonderwood, Ouarzazate, Hinoki, 2. August 14, 2013 at 12:13pm
george: Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I think the naming system of CDG has put me of going in depth in to the range before- numbers say or suggest nothing, and the single ingredient naming system makes everything sound a bit too Demeter. (Also, the shape of some of the bottles reminds me of something VERY off-putting) But I shall be aiming for 1,2,3, Avignon, Calamnus and Daphne, and all the others suggested in good time. Thanks again everyone! August 14, 2013 at 3:50pm
Merlin: Quarzazate was my first niche perfume and I still think its an extremely unique incense. Also don’t leave out Stephen Jones which is somehow destitute and bare but also strangely pretty. Its kind of the opposite of Daphne which is all plush elaboration:) August 14, 2013 at 5:48pm
Hannah: The incense series was my intro to niche perfume. The first time I ordered samples was to try Avignon and Kyoto, and I just got the others to finish off the set. Avignon and Kyoto are a good place to start, but I definitely don’t recommend stopping there because I did/do not like them. My favorites in order are Ouarzazate, Zagorsk, Jaisalmer, Kyoto, Avignon. August 15, 2013 at 1:07am
Annikky: A very good point. I see Avignon as a great reference incense and I really think it’s a must-try for a perfume lover, but I’d rather wear any of the other four. August 15, 2013 at 3:22am
rosarita: CdG was my introduction to niche and I try to sample as many of the line as I can, even though I’ve been underwhelmed for the last several years. Blue Encens sounds really interesting; incense is one of my favorite notes. Thanks for the reviews! August 14, 2013 at 8:58am
Victoria: They can be polarizing, but if you fall in love with them, they are some of the most interesting perfumes to wear. I also explored early in my niche forays, but I feel that I appreciate them more right now when my tastes are a bit more eclectic and I don’t wear only florals. August 14, 2013 at 11:54am
Emma M: Oh, shame that Blue Santal is a sports cologne – sandalwood is one of my favourite notes but that doesn’t sound like my cup of tea at all (wearing Tam Dao today to help me concentrate while I attempt to get some work done!)
I’ve tried and admire CdG’s Avignon and Zagorsk but they aren’t something I think I’d wear. I’m fascinated by incense but timid about it as a personal fragrance; I enjoy it best in florals like No. 22. I’m intrigued by Blue Encens though, especially the musk and amber drydown you describe, since every autumn I launch into a cozy amber phase. August 14, 2013 at 9:31am
Victoria: The sandalwood note itself in Blue Santal is extremely sharp and abrasive, which is another reason I wasn’t a big fan of this perfume. Tam Dao, however, is a favorite.
If you prefer incense subtle, I’m afraid that Blue Encens won’t be the right perfume to try. Have you smelled Atelier Cologne Bois Blonds? It could be a better dry incense introduction, because it blends it into plenty of woods and smoky tea. The end result is gauzy and sheer, which is a surprise. August 14, 2013 at 11:56am
Emma M: Thank you for the suggestion – Atelier Cologne is next on my list of houses to sample so I’ll be sure to give Bois Blond a try August 14, 2013 at 4:06pm
Victoria: They now have such a large collection, and many of the fragrances are very nice. August 15, 2013 at 11:08am
Jillie: I was excited to hear Katie Puckrick on the BBC Radio 4 programme “Word of Mouth” yesterday, discussing the language used to sell perfume. She asked the interviewer to describe what he was smelling, and it was fun listening to the notes he was picking up on, especially as I began to think it must surely be Avignon – it was, but I don’t think it was clever of me as I knew that this is one of her favourites! I like Avignon, but sometimes find it a little austere; Katie’s trick of layering it with vanilla is a good one. And it really does transport you to an ancient stone church made of cool stones and dark shadows, with the incense of centuries hanging in the air. August 14, 2013 at 9:40am
Victoria: The program sounds great! I will see if I can catch it next time. And I can definitely see how well Avignon would layer with vanilla. I imagine something like L’Artisan Vanilia or even Vanille Absolument would be great. August 14, 2013 at 11:58am
george: I think she layered it with vanilla (so you are bang on). Here’s a link if anyone wants to listen to the programme (I presume territory depending)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qtnz August 14, 2013 at 3:45pm
george: (autocorrect disabled)- VANILIA! August 14, 2013 at 3:53pm
Victoria: Thank you so much for the link, George! I’ll see if it works for me. August 14, 2013 at 3:54pm
Phyllis Iervello: I love each of the five CdG perfumes in the incense series, with Avignon being the only one that I would rather sniff than actually wear–except when I layer it with either vanilla or rose. August 14, 2013 at 10:29am
Victoria: I know what you mean. I love Avignon, but I would rather spray it on a blotter and enjoy it in the air, not on me. It’s a bit too atmospheric to feel comfortable. Then again, sometimes it’s fun to get out of my comfort zone. August 14, 2013 at 11:59am
Aisha: You had me at “incense” and “sandalwood.” August 14, 2013 at 10:35am
Victoria: Aisha, if you like both of these notes, do try Diptyque Tam Dao (or maybe you know it already). Emma mentioned in the comment above, and I agree that it’s a terrific sandalwood, with a subtle smoky kick. 10 Corso Como is similar, with even darker sandalwood and incense. August 14, 2013 at 12:00pm
Aisha: I have 10 Corso Como (just a fragrance sample). It’s very, very nice. My hubby isn’t too fond of it, though. I also have a fragrance sample of Tom Ford’s Sahara Noir. Another one the hubby isn’t too fond of, but I love. I’m going to just sneak and wear it one of these days. 😉 August 14, 2013 at 1:17pm
Victoria: Clearly, he doesn’t care for incense served straight up. 🙂 Does he have any favorites? August 14, 2013 at 3:15pm
Aisha: He loves YSL Paris (it’s actually my favorite in my collection). He also likes it when I wear Guerlain’s Mandarine Basilic, Atelier’s Orange Sanguine, Estee Lauder’s Pleasures Delight and the Tea Rose oil (or any rose body lotion) I wear after I shower at night. Our son (who’s 10) loves anything that smells “pretty.” 🙂 August 14, 2013 at 3:58pm
Victoria: He has a great taste! 🙂 Paris is a gem! August 15, 2013 at 11:12am
Aisha: I really do enjoy the scent of incense and sandalwood, but it’s not something I would wear everyday because it seems too dressy for a stay-at-home mom like me. Does that make sense? August 14, 2013 at 4:09pm
Aisha: For now, I enjoy just playing around with the fragrance samples I have. That’s how I discovered Atelier and Guerlain. August 14, 2013 at 4:13pm
Victoria: Yes, it definitely makes sense, although I’m starting to believe that perfume is the best way to dress up. I might be cleaning my apartment and wearing t-shirt and yoga pants, but I still feel more glamorous if I wear my Guerlain Mitsouko or Terre d’Hermes. On the other hand, if something just feels wrong and out of place, then it’s not a good fit. August 15, 2013 at 11:11am
Aisha: I once wore Chanel’s Coromandel while doing some housecleaning. Yes, it kind of did feel glamorous. LOL! August 15, 2013 at 3:04pm
Victoria: Well, that would do it! 🙂 August 17, 2013 at 8:00am
Annikky: This must be one of the best opening sentences ever! Great metaphor(s).
Blue Encens sounds great and I’d like to try the cedarwood as well – I often enjoy this note. While I really appreciate CdG as a house, I sometimes feel there is just too much to keep up with and I end up paying less attention even to these fragrances that I actually like/would potentially like. Everything becomes sort of diluted with so many different variations on the same themes. If this makes any sense.
That said, the do have many great ones and I just got a sample of Black. I’m very fond of it’s gentle weirdness. August 14, 2013 at 11:06am
Victoria: I gave up the idea that the perfume houses will be more reasonable about the pace of launches. For instance, I’m about 3-4 launches behind some of my favorite lines like Atelier Cologne. I don’t care about keeping up with their pace. But in case of Comme des Garcons trio, I purchased a set of samples as soon as I could, and I’ve been wearing and enjoying them (Cedrat and Encens, to be specific).
I was on the fence about Black (I didn’t want to be challenged quite that much), but I give kudos to CdG for doing what makes sense for its collection. August 14, 2013 at 12:04pm
Annikky: In my case, Black turned out much easier to wear than I expected. “The assault phase” lasts a minute or two (and I enjoy it, maybe because it’s so brief), after that it’s entirely comfortable and the drydown is actually cosy on me. Go figure.
Still, the fact that they are not afraid of strangeness is a big plus in my book. August 14, 2013 at 12:50pm
Victoria: The drydown is cozy on me too, but the first stage lasts for far too long. So, instead I keep Bulgari Black for days when I’m in a noir mood. August 14, 2013 at 3:24pm
Victoria: P.S. Apologies for not acknowledging your very nice compliment yesterday! I’m glad that you liked it. 🙂 I’ve been revisiting some of my French New Wave favorites, hence the connection. August 15, 2013 at 11:09am
Tora: I am very much looking forward to trying the Blue Encens after reading this review. I am at the moment wearing Heliotrope by Olivier Durbano, another sparkly incense. August 14, 2013 at 12:26pm
Victoria: I have so many incense perfumes that I’m becoming picky about anything new, but Blue Encens is unusual. It’s fun to experience the somber incense set against something fizzy, gin & tonic like. August 14, 2013 at 3:17pm
leathermountain: I’ve noticed that many natural perfumers also have a lot of incense scents in their lines. I’m guessing it’s relatively easy to source good-quality incense materials. Is that true?
Lucky for me, I love this category. Sort of like vetiver. If it’s in there, I’ll like it, at least. August 15, 2013 at 10:38am
Victoria: I don’t know if it has to do with availability, but straightforward incense perfumes are not hard to put together. Plus, niche perfume lovers adore this category. Frankincense is a very versatile material. August 15, 2013 at 11:14am
leathermountain: I feel a little like the child at that age when they ask “why?” until you refuse to answer any more. That said….
What makes straightforward incense perfumes easy to put together? Is it because incense perfume materials are close to being perfumes already? I’m thinking of that because we use Palo Santo smoke in the house, and to a point on ourselves and our clothes, and it smells beautiful and balanced and like sometimes that’s all you need.
Any idea why niche perfume lovers adore this category? I suppose I’d have to count myself in that group. Can you please explain me to me? 🙂
When you say that frankincense is versatile, do you mean that it tends to blend well with a wide variety of other materials? August 15, 2013 at 6:24pm
Victoria: It’s versatile because you can change its character by adding different notes. Add fresh green accent, and it will smell stemmy and crunchy. Add patchouli or smoky amber, and it will be dark and somber.
I would imagine that niche perfume lovers enjoy these kind of scents is because they are very different from the department store offerings. But they also don’t tend to be challenging (relatively speaking). Many of us have smelled incense before. Also, it smells very much like black pepper, so this familiarity is comforting. Just my guess though. August 16, 2013 at 5:55am
leathermountain: Black pepper! How have I never noticed that before? Brilliant. August 16, 2013 at 9:16am
Victoria: Part of the pleasure of learning together is in exchanging these kind of impressions. My friend’s observation that bay leaf oil has a green mango top note caused a lightbulb moment for me. It really does! August 16, 2013 at 10:48am
theperfumeddandy: Dear Bois
Given that we are talking ‘Three Colours Blue’ perhaps CDG are more Krzysztof Jieslowski than Jean-Luc Godard.
Gin and tonic and incense seems too irresistibly drunken priest in charge of mass to be resisted frankly, so that, at least, goes top of the ‘to try’ list!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy August 14, 2013 at 3:33pm
Victoria: You must be right. I was just going off my own imagined tangent. 🙂 August 14, 2013 at 3:57pm
Austenfan: I always claim that I am not influenced by the bottle but have just realised that the colour of this trio puts me off. So apparently bottles do matter. From your review I think that Blue Cédrat would appeal to me most.
And it’s a great review! August 14, 2013 at 4:41pm
Victoria: They do matter! I would also be lying if I said that I’m never influenced by the color or shape of the bottle or even perfume name. For this reason, I try to smell fragrances I review blindly enlisting either a colleague or my husband to relabel vials, and sometimes it can lead to some surprising discoveries. August 15, 2013 at 11:15am
leathermountain: I’d like to try that, too. How do you go about it? Do you put scents into identical vials before asking your accomplice to relabel? How many different scents do you aim to relabel in one go? Are they related to one another in any way? Any other details you’d suggest I think about first? August 15, 2013 at 6:19pm
Victoria: Just ask someone to either transfer them in different vials and assign codes or relabel your vials. Just smell as many or as few as you want, it doesn’t really matter. The idea is just to experience the scent on its own terms, without being influenced by name or packaging. August 16, 2013 at 5:51am
Merlin: So the question is: do you give the Blue Encens a full four stars? August 14, 2013 at 5:55pm
Victoria: Just added the graphics! Yes, it’s a solid 4 star perfume. August 15, 2013 at 11:16am
Merlin: Tks! I figured as much, but I feel so much better seeing an actual rating in good old numerals:) August 16, 2013 at 6:31pm
Emily: Miss Victoria, which incense perfume reminds you of Christmas Mass? That sounds fascinating! August 15, 2013 at 10:05am
Victoria: Comme des Garcons Avignon definitely does! It’s one of the most “liturgical” incenses I know. And Bois d’Encens by Armani Prive does too. August 15, 2013 at 11:18am
Emily: Thank you! I will check out both of them. On another note (ha!), I sampled Jungle L’Elephant based on your lovely review, and it’s rapidly become one of my favorite scents. August 15, 2013 at 12:28pm
Victoria: I’m so happy to hear that you like Jungle! It needs more fans, since it’s such a striking, original perfume. Tigre was also very good, but it’s been a while since Kenzo discontinued it. August 15, 2013 at 1:04pm
maja: Too many perfumes, too little time. Especially for people living outside urban areas since one should be ordering samples of practically anything. At least in my case.
Incense is a fantastic note and Blue sounds cozy and interesting enough. CdG is truly unique – I still remember my shock when I first tried Avignon, I was transported to a French cathedral like in those sci-fi movies. A masterpiece, most definitely. My favorite remains Zagorsk, it is evocative and sooths my Slavic soul. 🙂 August 16, 2013 at 12:27pm
Victoria: If I didn’t have to evaluate fragrances as part of my work, there is no way I could keep up. On the other hand, even so, I barely keep up. In some cases, by the time I get to smell some new launch, it’s already on the way to be discontinued!
Don’t laugh, but I really want to visit Avignon to see if the Cathedral really smells the way I imagine. 🙂 August 17, 2013 at 8:02am
maja: Oh, it probably smells different but somehow the perfume succeeds in representing the universal solemnity of Catholic churches. But a visit to Avignon would be fantastic eather way. 🙂 Zagorks reminds me of my student trip to Urals – small wooden incensey churches immersed in forests along the river Kama. And,of course, a healthy dose of self flagellation with venik during endless hours in modest but cozy banyas. 🙂 August 17, 2013 at 5:26pm
Victoria: I really want to visit Urals. Yours must have been quite a trip! The wooden churches in the region are so impressive in that they are built solely out of wood, without any nails or metal support. And the wood absorbs scents so well… August 19, 2013 at 7:21am
maja: Yes, it was an extraordinary experience. I would love to go back one day. 🙂 August 21, 2013 at 5:58pm
Austenfan: I have visited that cathedral and don’t remember a particular smell. But I visited years ago, so I might be wrong. Avignon is a beautiful city anyway. I especially love the square in front of the Palais des Papes.
I do have a very strong memory of the smell in the attic of the château of Azay-le-Rideau; at the time I thought it smelled exactly like ELd’O’s Rien. Truly wonderful as it is a lovely building in a very charming setting. August 18, 2013 at 9:54am
Victoria: One of the rooms at the National Gallery in London smelled like bread! It was such an uncanny resemblance that I wondered what it must have been. The scent was close to one particular paintings too. Perhaps, something in the lacquer? August 19, 2013 at 7:23am