Unum Lavs – incense fragrance perfection

Unum Lavs has done that rare thing you want every perfume to do – distract you so much that you can’t seem to find interest in other fragrances.

Unum Lavs has a cool back story, so let’s start there. Well, start with Nero Profumo’s post on this, which is where I got the history, as well as a great review of Lavs and the other Unum fragrances.

Lavs started out as a room spray.  Listen, given my rambunctious spritzing of it, it’s becoming a room spray here too.  An expensive room spray, so I’d like them to reissue the room spray version of this.  It was a spray used to scent garments as well, and did perfume the both Pope Benedict and Pope Francis’ garments.  Popes that smell spectacular for sure, this is a good thing.  Anywhistle, the room spray got reworked and turned into a fragrance.

Now, Unum Lavs is that rare thing – a small perfume house with a little fragrance that starts this shitstorm of interest because — who knows?  Someone talks about it, it gets a great review, more people talk about it. I’ve learned to catch those perfume unicorn signs early and try to get in the front vanguard of the lemming pack because they are almost always right.  They absolutely are about Unum Lavs.

It is the best incense scent I’ve ever smelled. This is coming from a diehard Armani/Prive Bois d’Encens  and Comme des Garcons Avignon fan.  Listen, I’ve got a whole post devoted to frankincense and myrrh fragrances and my deep devotion to them.  My house has incense burning daily in almost every room – oriental, Japanese, that ridiculously expensive Fornasetti stuff that I’m deeply in love with.  There is no lack of love for all things incense in my nose.

So when I declare Unum Lavs the best incense fragrance ever, well, it has to be because… true facts.  My oldest son, who loves incense with the same fervor as me, agrees. On first sniff, his eyes rolled back in his head and he wanted to know where I was going to keep the bottle (under my pillow, you freaking incense frag thief!)

Incense fragrances are subtly different.  CDG Avignon is more reality (deep in the church with rosary beads) and Armani Bois d’Encens is a cold, chilly incense that is calming.

Unum Lavs is some hybrid that takes in both Avignon and Bois d’Encens qualities and then infuses it with breath.  Notes of Jasmine, Cardamom, Black Pepper, Elemi, Coriander, Clove, Labdanum, Opoponax, Palisander Rosewood, Amber, Oakmoss, Tonka Bean are piled into this scent.  I’m thinking it’s the jasmine, tonka and spices that make it soar, pulling in parts of life into the reverence.  Incense, much as I love it, is often too pristine.  Unum Lavs is not that.  It’s also not a THOT either, so don’t be going down that road.  It’s “church tongue.”   If you ever saw “The Wedding Singer,” you know what I mean.  Romanticized contemplation.

Unum Lavs has a great lasting life.  It hangs around on me for the better part of a day, shifting, the incense being softened by the jasmine and spices, retaining all the resin, making it easier to wear.  The problem often with a long-lasting incense fragrance is you get tired of smelling it long before it’s done wearing you.

So, yeah, love, and I wish I could tell you why with more specificity. It’s perfect for me.

Right now it is only available in the U.S. at Twisted Lily in Brooklyn. Not sure how long before it hits other retailers, but I’m thinking not that long because… demand.

Winners of the New York Favorite sample giveaway are – flowergirlbee (Malle Indelible) and Ashley A (Malle indelible). Winners of the Dior Feve Delicieuse samples – monkeytoe, emjhenry and calshopper. Just click on Drop Us a Note at the top of the blog, send me your name and address and remind me what you’ve won.  I’ll send you a quick “got it” e-mail so you know it didn’t drop into my spam filter and then get it sent to you.

Let’s do a giveaway on this one. I’ll give four lucky commenters drawn at random a sample.  Tell me your favorite incense fragrance or do you even like incense fragrances?