Comme des Garcons Series 3 Incense: Kyoto Comme des Garcons for women and men

Opens piney, soapy and slightly fruity. I get lot of cedar wood. This scent is cedar done right. I also get lot of iso e super. If you like Terre d'Hermes, you'll probably like this scent too.

Comme des Garçons Incense Series 3 KYOTO is burnt wood incense perfume with a slightly less burnt drydown in which tea appears also to be present. The composition does not have an oily or resinous texture at all, unlike most of the oudh perfumes I've tried.

KYOTO seems to me sometimes like incense ashes liquified but also, in turns, crushed sticks of unburned incense. That's about it for the development trajectory, though, as this is a fairly simple affair. I do not detect any floral notes at all, just incense in one form or another—there can be no denying that, as advertised, incense is the focus of this creation!

Despite the lack of a significant oily base, KYOTO has good staying power and fairly big sillage. I would not call this perfume either masculine or feminine but rather omnisex—or perhaps even asexual. Definitely a better choice for the fall and winter months. I'm not sure how this would work in the heat.

frm

well here u hav to wait for the dry down, after 1 hr this fragrance is outstanding and longevity is good, but it stays i very close to skin ,

Simple and obvious. I get a kind of soapy incense, with some vetiver. It starts to give me a headache after a while, though it's not sharp. Rather, I find it "synthetic," for whatever reason. I'm not a fan of these kinds of fragrances, but once in a long while I'll sample one again, just to be sure I'm not missing anything. I can't compare it to others because I dislike them all and wear them so infrequently that I don't have enough memory to provide that kind of opinion. This one does feel softer than the others, though.

UPDATE: Far into the drydown, it seems to become more complex, and interesting, but there is that "metallic dust" quality that some may not like.

UPDATE #2: This began to smell similar to something else, and after a few minutes I realized what it is: Listen for Men by Herb Alpert. They are not identical; Kyoto is woodier no doubt, but if you are looking for the far drydown of Kyoto you should try Listen. The first few hours, though, aren't that similar.

This one starts out with a blast of incense followed by a cypress note giving a woodsy aspect to this fragrance.

In the drydown the burned wood aroma still present and so, the fragrance stays until the end. The coffee note which was the note that awakened my curiosity about this fragrance was not detectable on my skin, sadly.

This is really nice layered over MPG Santal Noble (sacrilege, I know - sorry MPG purists) It seems to add back or at least round-out what's missing from the recent reformulation of Santal Noble. The two are very synergistic with each other.

On it's own, it is quite a bit like Japanese incense in the general sense - you know, the pressed sticks without any bamboo. It's got a cozy, dry, subtle warmth that feels like a melange of dried woods - somewhat reminiscent of hinoki, cedar, cypress and sandalwood blended together with a touch of coffee. Dry in a very dry sauna sort of way - it gives off a bit of heat - and to me it's very calming.

As for smelling like Kyoto, I wouldn't know - I'm just a fan of most simple, daily Japanese incenses and this seems to sum it up well in a wearable sort of way.

Being a girl in far east who had traveled to Kyoto several times, this doesn't smell like Kyoto to me. It doesn't even conjure up the imagery of far east particularly. Obviously that is because there are so many ingredients which are not instinctively/directly link to Japan. Especially it has an oily, a bit sticky, plastic feel of woody undertone that smells rather peculiar to me. It doesn't bother me but it just cannot create any image or emotion that I desire from a fragrance to touch me. However, my younger sister who is a very incensy girl seems to like it a lot. But she loves Avignon much better which is completely her Holy Grail. As my favorite from the line is Jaisalmer. Both of them are so true to what they are intended to depict. If you are looking for a scent which depicts Kyoto both emotionally and intuitively better, I will definitely pick Kyoto by Santa Maria Novella as my personal recommendation. It is strong, cypressy, woody, and incensy, cold and aloof with delicate charm of earthy iris & ethereal lotus at the beginning but ends in deep, warm, meditative woody-incensy sumptuousness. I can smell the air and mountain of Kyoto from the bottle literally. Definitely worth of a try.

CdG Incense Kyoto has a very calming, soothing and relaxing effect for me. I smell mainly the aroma of cypress oil, the green of vetiver and the wood of cedar. I found similar cypress and vetiver notes in Encre Noire Lalique which is darker and stronger. Of the two, I like CdG Incense Kyoto more for the smoother woody incense aroma.

@nekoni koban, when I sniffed the scent I've been shot to heart of feodal Japan and Kurosawa's cinema.
It opens so bold, deep, dark, wild and hypnotizing! This part last for about 30 minutes and then the dusty dirty dry smell transfers to and royal aroma with bold incense. The middle and base are so safe unlike the opening that is scary and mystic, so mystic. A touch of floral chilly odor appears in the undertone in middle part and leads the rest.
The perfume is linear, but the mood only turns from darkness to divinity! Dries down similar to Loewe 7; comparing to Loewe 7, it's longevity and sillage are extremely powerful.
It's a must for who loves incense.

longevity 10/10
sillage 10/10
scent 10/10

mm.. doesn't remind me of Kyoto or Japan particularly. I do get a dry sandalwood, but it seems covered over by a soapy floral which I find a bit "lady's boudoir"-ish. By using immortelle (not native to Japan, as far as I know), they may be trying to replicate the kind of smoky scent of Japanese camelia ("tsutsuji"). Anyway, not for me, this one, but a lady of my acquaintance likes it quite well. It's more of a fragrance than an incense, if I can make that distinction.

A minimalistic masterpiece. Kyoto brings to my mind of the unscented incense sticks used by the Nichiren Shoshu Buddhists (the Japanese most practiced Buddhism branch). An austere but gentle fragrance, quite, versatile and discreetly distinctive. A bone dry structure that's still very compelling with notes of incense, cedar and cypress oil. Another Duchafour's masterwork that's simple but superbly executed.

In my opinion minimalism needs solid skills to be seriously compelling and Mr. Duchafours is one of the few perfumers who's able to add the extra touch that really makes the difference. Highly recommended!

Rating: 8/10

I agree somewhat with Doc Elly that this isn't like an incense, however it depends what your take on "incense" is. For me, incense brings to mind a subtle smoky element, which is missing in Kyoto. No it doesn't smell like my Japanese incense sticks either. It is the strongest of the CDG incense range, and very raw, sappy and woody, and not very sweet. That being said, it is still a beautiful fragrance and I would rather wear it than a zillion floral/fruity/greens etc. In my opinion it deserves an 8.5/10.

Each CDG incense is a remarkable journey, and it is worth trying all of them.

To me, the first thing out of the sample vial is strong, freshly-ground nutmeg or mace, along with woody and green notes. At no point do I smell any coffee at all. I don’t smell much incense, either, or anything remotely resembling any of the Japanese incense that I have. As the mace goes away, the cedar and cypress leaves and woods appear.

I would like to be able to say that the overall impression is like walking down a sun-warmed forest path, and maybe it would be, but I just can’t get past the spicy smell, so the overall effect is more like a kitchen spice-drawer than anything out in nature. The actual scent is so incongruent with the listed notes and description that I have to wonder if my sample was mislabeled.

For the first hour there’s some sillage, but after that there’s only a subtle skin scent that remains linear. After 3-4 hours it’s mostly gone. It is, after all, an EdT, so lack of longevity is not too surprising. To me, Kyoto is a warm, sweet, spicy, woody scent, not an incense one.

This is the only CdG incense that doesn't go really sharp and woody on me. It' has the smell of the Japanese style powdered incenses, without actually smelling like Japanese incense. It's a nice incense scent, very true, but a bit pricey.

Love this? Please,be smart&buy "Incense" by Matthew Williamson instead - for a near fraction of this overpriced Kyoto. Matthew Williamsons smells niche & exklusive. Compare these two & save your money!!! Differences between the two? YES = The only difference is "Incense" by Matthew Williamson smells much more refined, niche, and expensive!

PS: Luca Turin, perfume-guru of "The Guide" likes "Incense" by Matthew Williamson too!!

I had much hope to like this/i love incense/, but unfortunately it smells like bug spray to me.There is something very sharp and artificial in the beginning which settles down afterwards, but still this "chemical" feeling stays on.

I`ve been sniffing Kyoto since yestersday, and unfortunately I can`t smell any incense in it. There`s even much more incense in Shiseido`s Zen. What I get is really beautiful cedar, fresh and refreshing, I can almost hear cedar resin drip onto some freshly cut wood. I can smell no coffe, which again is a pity, `cause I love coffe scent in frags. The patchouli blended with the woods is very... hmmm... elegant, very appealing. Patchouli can be earthy and I like it then, but not here. There`s a sweet note, which I can`t track. All in all, it`s a very interesting scent. On the one hand, very masculine, on the other one, very sensual in its own way. Yet, my husband doesn`t share my admiration. For him it`s just a smell of cheap cologne :-).

I get dry sandalwood, in the Japanese fashion. Nice, and my fav Comme/Garcons incense next to Zagorsk, but I still prefer the more resinous Etro Messe de Minuit as my go-to incense scent.

I am not a fan of incense fragrance but this one is not to bad even for me. It is not to harsh or sharp when it comes down to the top note and middle notes. Overall, 6/10 for a incense.

My prefered of CdG encense series. More wearable than Avignon (reminding people catholic church too much) so I got few bad comments on Avigon but good ones for Kyoto. Anyway, with or without comments, I prefer Kyoto to wear it, but equally Avignon to smell it.
Now I tested it seceral times, I LOVE this scent! Maybe a buy some day.

edited: oct 03

9/10

The best of the incense series. I sampled all of them for a long time and settled on the woody balsamic Kyoto. Doesn't break the bank either.

straight up, i get amber, sharp black espresso, sandalwood... then this incense starts to weave through... it feels like it's wafting through my nostrils in tender wisps, i can almost see the smoke moving through the air and a slight breeze changing it's direction.

then the incense makes way, slowly you can see from behind it a wood box, my untrained nose says rose wood but it's probably teak as the notes say...

wow... all i can say... this is a masculine fragrance, but i felt it took me on a journey. i don't know how it would be to wear, but i really enjoy it with a bit of Sushi Imperiale by Bois 1920 lurking around... but im a girl...

I have bought it unsniffed and was really looking forward to it, but I was also a bit afraid about the outcome.
I already had perfumes with incense in it, Kyoto is probablky the most literal incense fragrance I have ever tried apart from John Galliano EDP. Except that JG is a scent of an old, cosy, wooden church where incence was burnt, reminding me of Christmas masses.
Kyoto is raw, sharp, dry. There is nothing cozy about it. I would not say it makes me think of religion or shinto shrine as such though, but more about wild forests with its moss and woody notes.
An interesting fragrance for both men and women.

HEY, guys i just put my order in for kyoto, i have read all your reviews adn i hope that all of it is true so if any of you read this then please feel free to share more, i now have to wait,also in my collection of colognes this is one i do not have is incense so if you have any more to share please i welcome it

My second favourite in Incense series. It's a peaceful, calming scent, I can smell cypress, woods and incense, but it's very delicate incense. Very good staying power.

Totally agree with flannelman's comment on Kyoto. To me Kyoto is a beautiful incense. The most wearable scent in the CdG's incense collection. When spray Kyoto, I have the feeling that I am overwhelmed warmly and peacefully with the calm, the deep, the smooth, just like when I'm standing in a pagoda in Japan.
To compare with C.Lacroix's Tumulte, Kyoto's smoother, lighter, deeper, less masculin, while Tumulte is dry, stronger and edger. However, they are really similar to eachother.
Onething that I complain about Kyoto: its longervity is not so good.
Anyway, Kyoto is really a signature incense scent. 8,5/10

I have been wanting to try Kyoto for a long time and was not disappointed when I finaly did. This is a pretty, elegant, very wearable incense and cedar fragrance with a delicate hint of fruitiness. It's soft, round and ethereal.

It is of course tempting to make a comparison with another incense and cedar fragrance: Christian Lacroix's Tumulte. They are undoubtedly in the same family, but there are important differences. Tumulte, for instance, is much, much dryer and has a definite harshness in the top notes. Kyoto on the other hand opens very smoothly and even with a hint of sweetness. There is also a difference on the skin: Kyoto seems to be warming it, while Tumulte does not. On the whole I would say that Tumulte is more rugged and masculine, Kyoto more elegant and peaceful.

If you like incense, try Kyoto. The olfactory trip it will take you on is well worth it...

I would say this is my favorite CdG fragrance in my collection at this time. Every time I wear this scent, I feel like I have traveled to Japan visit the beautiful Buddhist Temples.
I can imagine my self meditating in front of a large Buddha statue while the beautiful incense is surrounding me. This scent brings me peace of mind and tranquility.

Aeternitas, I agree with your description of this fragrance. It does remind me of a "cedar wood campire." This fragrance was added shortly after my first comment. I truely enjoy wearing this fragrance and it always puts me into a relaxed state of mind. CdG fragrances are a must to any collection. I plan on adding each of The Incense Series to my collection.

I agree with mariotgomez, if you haven't tried the incense perfumes of CdG, you should :) They are truly amazing. I have tried this one, Kyoto, and Avignon. Kyoto was my favorite. I smell like I have been sitting around a cedar wood campfire and I love the smell of campfires and cedar. Of course, it smells distinctly of incense. It's amazing and I must have it!

You have not experience the CdG series 3 Incense collection, you must! You will be surprised where each fragrance take you.