Messe de Minuit Etro for women and men

I received a sample of this beauty from a fellow fragrantician, and I have to say that I have never smelled anything like this!
WOW! When I put it on my skin, I wasn't expecting what I got.
The first note I perceived was lemon zest, real enough that it made my mouth water. It actually made me thirsty, it was so sharp.
After about a minute of warming up on the skin, the myrrh overtakes the lemon. The myrrh adds a sweet dimension to the background of lemon.
As the fragrance goes on, the myrrh lingers and the citrus fades. It doesn't last extremely long on my skin. It lasts about 3-4 hours.

I've never been to a Catholic church or an orthodox church (I was raised Southern Baptist...we didn't use any incense in church at all), so I can't vouch for it smelling like a church. I could have only wished for our church to smell like that. WOW!
I absolutely adore this scent! I wear myrrh essential oil sometimes, and this is very myrrh-y. I will have to test again soon to hunt out the patchouli and cinnamon.
I definitely can recommend this!
Edit: Upon subsequent applications of this, I can definitely spot the patchouli. It is not in the foreground, instead it sits subtly in the background...giving off a slight warmth after about 30 minutes on my skin.
I absolutely adore this fragrance, but on warmer days it disappears even quicker than the 3-4 hours.
If this were less expensive, or the lasting power longer, I would buy this in a heartbeat. One of the most beautiful and unusual perfumes I have encountered.

The scent was incense and aldehydes on me, almost bitter-sweet, with a dusty edge at first, gradually becoming greener, airier, and more dewy. I liked the way it was and the way it changed on my skin.

I'm in the path of my holy grail. Every day I feel getting closer.
The name "Messe de Minuit" had all to be a devastating crush in the longing and missing memories of my childhood: family in christmas excursion to church at midnight.
And when I sprayed today my first drops on my neck and wrists, I was not prepared to the overwhelm I fell afterwards. It was the first time I felt closer to perfection in perfumery, this meaning in a rush being in the past, meditation break, traveling to a place of interior regrets, and nostalgia of the forever lost innocence.
Patchouli perfection. Nothing more to say now.

For about a month, I wore this almost every other day. I really enjoyed how this doesn't smell like a perfume at all, but like the clothes of a person who burns incense a lot.

After a while I couldn't wear this anymore. I could smell thick, slowly floating incense that was pretty impressive and true-to-life, but in the background I could smell something sour and musty, like a moldy orange. Think: Attack of the Killer Oranges where they roll down the aisles of a Catholic church.

Holy incense! This one is really perfect. Blend of citruses and incense really gives a Christmasy feel. I'm a lover of stronger perfumes. This one surprised me, because it is simultaneously smoky and joyful, heavy and light, serious and frivolous.

I should note that I tried two versions of MdM: the second edition of EDC and EDT. There were some differences - EDC seems more fresh than EDT in the beginning. You get a citrusy blast at first sniff, whereas in EDT you can feel myrrh and patchouli at the beginning. EDT lasted a bit longer (~7 hrs) in comparison to EDC (~5.5 hrs). If I had to choose, I'd choose EDC - this is a very unique composition, as I mentioned earlier, with rich range of notes from sour to smoky and more complex development with plot twists. You wear it and it grabs your attention every 20 minutes.

Also what I wanted to mention - this is completely a daytime perfume for me, I can't imagine wearing it at night, well maybe unless the Christmas Eve, the special night full of miracles and heavenly touch, though it's the longest night in the year. But for the rest of the year I'd prefer to wear it on sunny day in snowy winter - contrasting weather for contrasting perfume.

Am I the only person in the whole world who smells here loads of dried lavender with a tiny bit of inscense instead of church full of holy smoke?

I love it! I don't wear it around other people much. It's the BEST sleeping pill in the world! Very very unusual!

Messe de Minuit is a very realistic smell of the Orthodox church. It feels like a flow of warm air from the candles in the face when you enter an old church with thick walls painted with frescos. A very true smell of the melting wax and damp dusty building.

Incense, amber, patchouli and myrrh are some of my favourite notes. I'm a sucker for anything dense, woody, spicy or resinous. Messe de Minuit was predestined to become part of my collection.

Where I live, the Winter months are cold, windy and rather dull. Heavy orientals tend to provide the warmth that I crave and desire during this season. A direct translation of Messe de Minuit is midnight mass. Okay, forgive me Christians, but this fragrance isn't religious or 'churchy' to my nose whatsoever. It's an exotic blend of spices and resinous woods, with a drizzle of honey. I would wear this fragrance through the gates of hell or even to entice my lover on a night where passion was particularly desirable.

A unisex fragrance, it is indeed. I dare say a man would smell intoxicating while wearing Messe de Minuit. I probably wouldn't be able to tear myself away from him. But mind you, it's hard to resist myself sometimes in this beautiful elixir. Animalistic is another great word used to describe Messe de Minuit's magic.

It is so deliciously spicy on my skin, that it leans occasionally towards being a gourmand. It smells almost as good as a Christmas cake laced with rum and raisins. Actually many reviewers have noted its somewhat 'Christmasey' feel.

I'm loving Messe de Minuit, and it's only my first day of wearing it. The longevity is superb, as is the sillage, and on that note, please apply this fragrance sparingly as it does sit on the skin rather strongly. I've always wanted to explore the Etro range, but I've left it rather late. I'm glad we're getting acquainted now.

Now I understand what the incense is...
The opening is bright, quite chypre, then the base...
I feel the сhristian church aroma and wetness, I mean the smell of the damp building. From the one side - that fragrance makes me calm and relax, from the other - it smells disturbing. Something from my memories...

It opens orange and cinnamon with woody smoke, than comes patchouly and honey. When dries down, I smell wood,patcouly,musk and cinnamon with a little bergamot. It's sharp and deep at the same time. I like it very much, but can not say for which occasions is the most suitable, depends on personal feelings. It can be winner on summer night or winter day.It's good when I feel shortage of energy!

What I like at Etro , is that usually doesn't classify perfumes into womens and mens. In my opinion that should be a general rule. People are sometimes frustrated if wearing a perfume which is classified like opposite gender scent. That's something what I don't really understand, but that's how it is.
What do you think guys, the most important after all is the smell itsef, isn't it ?!

Bravo ETRO!

Stating to the name of this fragrance I was expecting a dark and mysterious interpretation of the churchy frankincense theme but all I got was a (no more than) honest spicy citrus-patchouli-honey combo with some incense. The citrus is mainly orange that while blending with cinnamon and honey brings to mind of those bags of potpourrì you receive as a present from you neighbours at christmas. Not completely bad, but absolutely nowhere close to Avignon, Bois D'Encens or Zagorsk.

Rating: 6/10

Someone pointed out this scent and some others by Etro to me. I usually like incense scents. I think I tested the complete Etro line that was in the shop and didn't like any. I don't know what Etro does to it's scents that they all are so very harsh and masculine. Nothing for me. Also my companion that day didn't like any of Etro. Sometimes I think there is a reason, why some brands are not spread so much.

This is a bit much for me at first, but eventually dries down to a very pleasant fragrance. The notes are natural, well-articulated, balanced, and there is good dynamism. It takes at least an hour with my skin chemistry to get to this point. Longevity and projection/"sillage" are good to very good, but not outstanding. Note that this is not a dry, woody frankincense (like Avignon or Timbuktu, or any number of ones released during the incense craze of a several years ago) but more of a damp, resinous incense. If you have never smelled this, you may like the former but dislike this one, so sampling first is a good idea. I don't like the dry/woody, niche incense fragrances, but instead think of this one as my "true" incense fragrance. If I want a fragrance with a clear, dry, sandalwood/incense type note, I've got a few to reach for, including vintage Zino and Cat5alyst for Men.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: According to a member of basenotes.net, there are at least three versions of this fragrance. The first was an EdC with a round label on the bottle. This one is very musty and not very fresh. The second one is also an EdC, but it comes in a box with a brownish/reddish paisley pattern. This is the one I have tried. The bottle has a gold cap and there is a square label on the bottle, though it says the same thing as the first version. The most recent version is an EdT and is the freshest one, possessing little of the musty/incense qualities of the first two. The one I have, apparently, has a nice balance, though if you want the full musty treatment, you'd want to try and track down the original (good luck with that!).

translation of merilu59's review

"mentre molti profumi di incenso hanno tendenza a portare le associazioni delle chiese polverose scure antiche al punto che confina fra misterioso e deprimente, questo odora luminoso
È messa di natale cattolica in una bottiglia. Adorabile, caldo, resinoso, delizioso."

While many incense perfumes have the tendency to carry the associations of dusty dark churches to the point that they border between mysterious and depressing, this luminous odour is Catholic mass in a bottle. Adorable, warm, resinous, delicious.

mentre molti profumi di incenso hanno tendenza a portare le associazioni delle chiese polverose scure antiche al punto che confina fra misterioso e deprimente, questo odora luminoso
È messa di natale cattolica in una bottiglia. Adorabile, caldo, resinoso, delizioso.

I am very fond of most Etro scents including this one. It seems that maybe some people are reacting too much to the very first opening fragrance which is a little sharp and quite incensey. But as with all good perfume it evolves and changes as it blends with your own chemistry. The Etro perfumes are sophisticated and complicated which makes them so satisfying to wear. You can sniff your wrist every 10 minutes and notice a small change or a new fragrance development. Messe de Minuit dries down to a very subtle very pleasant smell. The frankincense shock at the outset is just its opening line to a very interesting, historically accurate, romaticist conversation that is private and enlightening for the wearer. If you were put off at first try, have another chat with it, you may come away with a new appreciation.

this is not an easy to wear fragrance, but - oh! it's quite special)) For once, this is the truest frankincense representation in perfume I've ever came across (at least the type of incense burnt in most Orthodox churches): smokey, orange-zesty and woodsy; you have to be in a mood to wear this.

Just got a sample of this in a swap, and I'm loving it! I don't get anything musty, depressing, or creepy from it, maybe because of not having all of the Catholic associations. It seems like a warm, cheerful scent to me. I can see how it could seem Christmas-y, but in a happy, not a cold way. At first I smell a little bit of citrus, a lot of cinnamon, sweet honey, and what I assume is ambrette. It dries down to a lovely spicy-honey-musky scent. There's not a lot of incense, especially compared to something like Avignon, which is pure incense (and one that I also love). I would wear Messe de Minuit any time. I think I would even spray it on myself, and that's saying a lot.

OMG! I have to agree with all previous reviewers about churchy Messe de Minuit! It is a very good and exact rendition of the typical smell of ancient well kept, not too dusty Catholic churches and even more Ortodhox churches! It is not something I would wear on myself. Definetely too reminiscent of a church, which is not my aim and would be annoying in a long time, but definetely an interesting, clear, and well crafted scent!

Yep - it is repeating the smell of the incense that is burnt in Catholic or Orthodox churches.Slightly sour, smokey, woodsy.Very bright glimpses of orange peel and wax candles.It is definitely not ordinary and will draw looks and comments!How is it possible to forget someone that smells like a wedding in a church?

I love it, my husband loves it, my kids love it - and we all went trick or treating wearing Messe de Minuit tonight! Very suitable!

When I sprayed it on my skin at the first time, and labdanum notes made me feel myself in the church. I'm not a catholic, I belong to a Russian Orthodox Church, and it smells in our Russian churches like this perfume does. It was a strange and unusual feeling, like my room returned into a small Russian Orthodox chapel.
Then came some orange notes and it make me feel more comfortable. I think I will use it rarely.

OMG! it's a frickin' graveyard! I've got some creepy scents in my collection but this is by far the creepiest I've ever smelled! Heh, Halloween is going to be fun this year: dress like a corpse, smell like a corpse. Great!

I agree with CaraMia completely. There's a note in resin church incense that is at once sweet and slightly musty and this has it down pat. It is Catholic midnight Mass in a bottle. Lovely, warm, resinous, delightful. I can see the candlelight streaming through stained glass right now...

This is the closest thing to a real churchy midnight mass incense that I know. It has that gorgeous aroma down perfectly. I don't know what went into the incense I remember or whether there was any Myrrh in it at all, but this Etro fragance is reminiscent. Even if you don't think that smelling like a church at Christmas is a good thing, this one is definitely worth a try. Don't think this is a head shop smelling incense or a burnt smelling one because it isn't. It is posh and rich smelling. My only qualm is that it should last longer, but 4 hours can get me though a nuce evening.

I love it!