Boy oh boy! It’s Friday already. Portia coming at you from AustralianPerfumeJunkies. It is my last Friday on the Perfume Posse I have been upgraded to Thursdays!! So excited about the move and will be bringing you the same mental, barely literate frag reviews, LIVE Video Sniffs and off topic magic from around the globe. Please drop by and say Hello next Thursday.

Just recently a buddy, Dionne, and I did a trans-continental decant swap. It’s a super fun thing to do. We sent each other our willing to decant Full Bottle lists and each was allowed to make a selection of 6 fragrances to be sent in 2.5ml sprays. So for the cost of postage and decanting supplies we each get to try 6 new things that the other had loved enough to buy a full bottle. How great is that? It’s also fun to see a list of what other perfumistas have in their closet! MWAAAHa Ha Ha and general rubbing of hands. This is my first cab off the rank. I spritzed myself this morning before I went to bed and couldn’t wait to have another go today. I love it so much that I’d like to share my thoughts with you…
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Sonoma Scent Studio Incense Pure

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Sonoma Scent Studio gives these featured accords:
frankincense CO2, myrrh EO, labdanum absolute, cistus oil, natural oakmoss absolute, aged Indian patchouli heartnote fraction, sandalwood, cedar, ambergris, orris, angelica root absolute, elemi EO, vanilla absolute.

Loads of the bloggers have talked about the airy quality, the memories and the magic that Sonoma Scent Studio Incense Pure evokes for them and I completely agree all of these are true and valid reactions. My reaction is similar. I spent a lot of my childhood in Roman Catholic Churches and Cathedrals because I went to a Nuns primary school and a Jesuit high school so what I remember when I smell Incense is singing, in the choir from day dot and during late primary school being lucky enough to make a couple of records with the choir we spent a LOT of time practicing in the church and got to sing a couple of times in St Mary’s Cathedral, the huge edifice in the centre of Sydney, a very big deal. We were told back then that singing is your soul dancing and I believe it still; 2 of my all time favourite things. So when I smell Incense Pure I am transported to the joyous, halcyon days of singing the most wonderful God songs with my buddies in Church, at weddings, for events and always with the proud and adoring eyes of one or both my parents privately buffing their mental nails at how well they’d done. HA HA HA!!

Incense Pure opens with vanilla and frankincense on my skin and these are the mainstay of the fragrance through its whole life, everything plays back up roles supporting the stars and making them look more interesting by being gorgeous but not overpowering at any time. It’s a completely harmonious ride through. The crisp woods, cool roots and salty sea air ambergris come and go, fade in and fade out. This is all about smokey resinous incense, sweet vanilla and towards the very end at about 5-6 hours I get the crackle and humus rich earthy depths oakmoss brings (maybe the patchouli is adding to it?).

I didn’t think Sonoma Scent Studio Incense Pure was very loud but I had to go visit the bank today and in that kind of space I felt quite definitely perfumed and that was 4 hours into today’s wear. I wasn’t skunking anyone but I could smell myself as way more that an intermittent waft. This is because the concentration is extrait/parfum level at 20-24% fragrance!! WOW!So my advice would be that it’s a little too aggressive for close working conditions or frag phobic workspaces. Perfect though for dinner, date night, sex dates and family outings, the dry down purr will definitely make your intimate partners growl and it lingers extremely well on fabric too so maybe a spritz into your favourite scarf, or on the pillow as you leave a one night stand you’d like to return to.

Photo Stolen en.wikipedia

Also a Historical Note:
Encens Tranquille was released August 2007 and was discontinued when it no longer met IFRA regulations. Incense Pure was developed to replace ET and was released March 2010.

SonomaScentStudios has a wonderful sample program starting at $3.50/ml or $40/17ml or $75/34ml (extrait/parfum)

As always wishing you only the good stuff. If you liked this you may also like to pop over and have a squiz at the madness and meyhem that goes on over at AustralianPerfumeJunkies. We LOVE to have visitors so leave us a howdy if you do make the jump.
Till Thursday,
Portia xx

Sonoma Scent Studio Incense Pure is one of the most reviewed fragrances I’ve come across. It seems to be universally loved by all that it touches. Here is a list of previous reviewers and some super great frag blogs you may not have heard of before.

Blog Reviews of Incense Pure:
Ayala’s Best of 2011 on SmellyBlog
JoanElaine’s review on Redolent of Spices
Birgit’s review on Olfactoria’s Travels
Katie’s Top 2011 Holiday Picks on Katie Puckrik Smells
Victoria’s fall 2011 favorite incense scents on Bois de Jasmin
Marla’s discussion on Perfume Smellin’ Things
Victoria’s review on Bois de Jasmin
Robin’s Best of 2010 list on Now Smell This
Marla’s discussion on Perfume Smellin’ Things
Dave’s review on Il Mondo di Odore
Katie’s review on the Katie Puckrik Smells blog
Robin’s review on Now Smell This
Abigail’s review on I Smell Therefore I Am
Suzanne’s review on Perfume Journal, Eiderdown Press
March’s review on Perfume Posse
Nathan’s review on Nathan Branch blog
Mark’s review on Cafleurebon