Incense Matthew Williamson for women and men

This is a little gem but I never, ever where it stright-up by itself unless I am home alone.

MW Incense is made to mix. It is the perfect way to dirty a rose, smoke up a vanilla & turn fruity florals into oriental masterpieces. It tones down the sweetness, quietens high florals and stops a cirtus from screeching.

Alone, it is a bit of a one-hit-wonder. There is no story, no progression, no suprises. MWI is just what you would get from a some crumbly incense: dark, brooding & sniffably-addictive in the way that bonfires are...strangely comforting, naturally savoury & with a rich, earthy aroma. It is a leathery, meaty kind of incense with plenty of bone-dry sauna wood.

The image I get is of rich browns, purples & greens swirling around the inside of a heavily fringed leather satchel worn by a nature-loving, free & ever-so-slightly grubby flowerchild who rolls her own. Unconventially pretty with thick black brows, aquiline nose and sun-kissed skin. Not a hint of soap or scrubbing for this wood-nymph - just a good wafting of smudge-sticks & crushed garden herbs. A dirty-pretty-thing that knows nothing of gender-boundaries, laws & life's confines or stresses.

Incense can be worn by men or women with ease and is far, far more classy & classic than the low price tag would suggest. Worn alone it is perfect for an introverted, artistic moment for zen-like clarity but PLEASE this one is made to shine when you layer it over other scents.

Grab it while you can - a rare treat at a bargain-basement price.

A straightforward incense, and inexpensive to keep in your perfume wardrobe if you are a lover of this genre, which I am. Not particularly churchy IMO, not too much sweetness or other notes to explore. I really appreciate this one for its simplicity (and its odd pink bottle).

I have ordered a couple of samples of the CDG incenses and will be interested to compare them.

Edit: This is the "Clayton's' version of incense, for when you can't get a Comme Des Garcons. I have now tried all 5 CGD Incense series, and Matthew Williamson pales by comparison....but then who can afford to blow their budget on CDG?? (I confess I bought a FB of Avignon).

Summary: Matthew Williamson Incense is just fine, and an affordable scent.

This scent is no liar. It is pure incense, certainly quite linear but it does soften towards the end. It is remarkably similar to the Comme des Garcons Incense series, most notably Avignon and Jaisalmer. It's not terribly dry or cloying as it has a nice sweetness to it. I agree with Miss Guerlain that this does give CDG a run for it's money and at 1/4 the price it's a great introduction to incense scents. The bottle is well designed but it is ultimately rather cheap looking. Lastly, there is nothing feminine about this so if you're a man who likes incense then do give it a go.

It was a blind buy and unfortunatelly a great disappointment. It smells cheap violet and heavy insect reppellant. Very linear and dull. Who wants it? I'm giving it away right now. DON'T BUY IT.

I don't get any "church" here, rather I would call it a refined incense and patchouli blend, which smells much more expensive that its price tag. It's a predominantly resinous and woody fragrance, no floral or sweetness in it, absolutely stunning)) two thumbs up for this one!

Please,be smart&buy "Incense" by Matthew Williamson instead - for a near fraction of the Comme des Garcons "Series 3 Incense: Kyoto"-price. Matthew Williamsons smells niche & exklusive. Compare these two & save your money!!! Differences between the two? YES = The only difference is that this "Incense" by Matthew Williamson smells much more refined, niche, and expensive! PS: Luca Turin, perfume-guru of "The Guide" likes this too!!

Oh my, this is stuff is strong. From the beginning I get LOADS of incense, but actually there is really nothing else. I cannot feel any other note, so that's a pity.
What else can I actually say? This is the pure old church smell, but do I really consider going around and smelling like this? No, it's little bit too much. And there's no other note supporting, so there is nothing that makes this wearable.

Well, I'm an ex goth who's also a lapsed Catholic so, hey! All bases covered. I love this and bought a bottle for my mum too as its similarity to frankincense is absolutely true. It's a meditative, soft scent which stays close to the skin and doesn't try to be sexy or overbearing. It's definately unisex and I would say that its only downside is lack of longevity.
- surprised that styrax isn't listed in the notes as to me, it's pure frankincense

To be honest, I was extremely surprised by this fragrance. In a very positive way.

First of all, that Matthew Williamson decided to bring to market such an unusual scent, while most fashion designers play rather safe. Secondly, that one can make a real incense fragrance and close it in a pink (!) bottle.

It takes quite a lot of courage to work on something this outstanding, while most perfume appearing on the market end up being light florals or sweet, non offensive orientals.

Incense is certainly not what you would call "pretty". It is intriguing, earthy, dirty, harsh, dry. For me it does not smell like a church at all, more like a wooden cottage of a witch, with lots of smoke, herbs, mysterious potions on the shelves. It might be difficult to like, but if you manage to tame it, you will surely enjoy it a lot.

Bold and outstanding, I must once again say that it was a splendid surprise to see in in stores, where it seemed to appear somewhat agains all the newest trends.

An unusual fragrance; the 'old church' effect derives from a curiously dry almost peppery top note that is not so much 'woody' as actual Wood - dried out, woodworm-ridden wood at that. And while it does smell of patchouli, it is patchouli honed to a strangely sharp, icy note, in contrast to your more typical hippy effect. All of which makes it rather urban - the earthiness is rather 'damp concrete in an underground car park'. The incense, smoky note is very fleeting, and the dry down soon becomes more sandalwood than incense. I wear it to the office, because it is so not romantic or fluffy in any way

I love this, it suits my style with lots of paisley, sequins and silk. It is woody without choking you, very fresh. But I do agree with previous reviewers, it does not have great staying power. Especially not the wonderful incense note, which is what I like the most with this fragrance. I want this as a perfume!

I love old churches ! I found it as good as Annick Goutal but cheaper. It seems to have staying power too.

Smells like 'old church' as one of my colleagues succinctly put it.

I owned this fragrance for about half an hour before giving it away.

Avoid.

Incense should follow the wearer around all day, intriguing passers-by and developing into something even more mysterious as evening draws near. That's what I expected (something like Black Cashmere, which I simply crave this time of year), but I have to say I was sorely disappointed.

Yes, we have a true incense that hits you at first spray, but it's a one-hit wonder. Nothing else happens. At all. It's like finding a lost manuscript for a brilliant novel with an exciting opening paragraph... and blank pages thereafter.

I know this is supposed to be layered with his other fragrances for a custom blend, so perhaps I am judging this very unfairly.

Every now and then I spray this as I'm getting into bed - it's very restful and calming but certainly not a mainstay in my fragrance wardrobe.