The one with all the incense- Comme des Garcons

This might be the tail end of winter, but with temperatures and windchill in scary single digits, incense scents are just the thing. After going through several samples of Cardinal and still not getting it (though it layers nicely with almost every scent you'd try. I've been committing more fragrance sins than I'd ever confess here), I turned to Comme des Garcons Series 3: Incense.

I tried the most popular ones: Kyoto and Avignon, and gathered all my courage to revisit my old nemesis: Zagorsk.

Avignon: This is what Cardinal should have been but fell short. The incense here is darker, deeper and more interesting then the soapy pine of Heeley. I lack the Catholic background and memories to make it a really evocative experience (being Jewish would do that to you), so there are no hooded priests when I'm wearing it, just more proof that good patchouli can make everything smell a little better.

Kyoto: I've never been to Japan, but if that's how it smells I will most likely love it. The incense here is more elaborate than in Avignon, and to my nose and skin is sweeter and less predictable. The different woodsy notes blended well on my skin into one cohesive image of dark green brunches against wintery sky. Pretty and Chilly.

Zagorsk: Are you scared yet? I know I was. My previous encounters with this one didn't end well. The first time I tried it all I could smell was pungent, rubbery smoke, band aid and pencil shaving. I tried it several times, working hard to find the promised beauty, but my only discovery was that I should never Zagorsk and drink. There was cookie tossing involved, and it wasn't pretty.

Still, I ordered a new sample and braced myself.

I have no idea if it's the fact that all my previous attempts at Zagorsking were at the height of summer, or it's my aging skin that has changed. It could also be my nose that has learned a lesson or two in the past seven months. The fact is that the bad industrial smoke was nowhere to be found (it now resides safely in Profumum's horrid Fumidus). Instead, I got all the cedery goodness and the floral notes, both violet and iris that softened it and made it (dare I say it?) pretty.


Out of all the three CdGs that I played with, Zagorsk is by far my favorite. Kyoto and Avignon, as pleasant as they are, lack a certain sexiness and flirtatious quality that I'm after at this moment. I'm going to have The Blond test them both. I have a feeling that their straightforwardness would work better on a male skin. Zagorsk isn't an "eat me" fragrance, but it has just enough pretty and intriguing elements to make me want to wear it again. Not that I'm getting a full bottle. I'm scared that at any given moment it might turn and once again become Bois de Turnpike. It's not a chance that I'm taking ever again.

Ummm... No

Last night I delved into the little bag of treats- the samples I got from Luckyscents. The little vial was Zagorsk by Comme des Garcons from their Incense series. I should have taken a whiff before putting this on. Maybe that would have saved me and my sensitive stomach. But I didn't.

The first thing I smelled was of something synthetic burning. It reminded me of a very muggy day on that particular part of the NJ Turnpike where you can smell the stench of several power plants and factories. The middle notes were only a bit better- burnt wood and more burnt wood. I let my husband smell my wrist and he commented that it smells medicinal and plastic, like a band aid. I agree with him. As it dried down, the Russian incense became more prominent, but the overall aroma of it was still vile.

We were in a hurry to go out, so all I could do is wipe it as well as possible and apply the light and airy Valentino V Absolute, which my instincts have told me would mask and not clash with whatever remained from Eau de Eww. It sort of worked, but I still had a whiff of the horror in my nostrils and head for the entire evening, resulting in an upset stomach by the end of the night (the second mojito might also had something to do with it, but my reaction would never have been so bad if it wasn't for stomach turning quality of Zagorsk).


This overload of bad wood has made me crave sweetness today. So I decided to sooth myself with something that I knew must be the opposite of Zagorsk. Another sample I had was of Des Filles a la Vanille Je t'aime, a scent that normally would be too fruity and candied for me, but today I was willing to give it a try. I desperately needed something warm and friendly, which Je t'aime definitely is. It's also non-complicated, almost syrupy and very lacking in depth and notes. I'm already getting tired of the berriness of this scent, but it did the trick. I'm almost cured from the lingering nastiness and ready to resume wearing something that actually smells good.


Late Edit: I'm laughing reading this. Zagorsk has turned into a great love. A full bottle is now residing in my cabinet.