Sauf – Incense fragrances based on Notre Dame organ

Sauf perfumes are the brainchild of the same guy who did Unum Lavs, Filippo Sorcinelli. That’s the scent that started out as what they scented the Pope’s robes with, then it became a perfume and a gorgeous one – one of my all-time favorite incense fragrances, room sprays, etc.

For the three fragrances in the Sauf line, he took his inspiration from the organ stops of the Grand Orgue at Notre Dame. The bottles are as cute as can be, looking like little organ stops (just guessing on that since I’ve never seen an organ stop up close.).

Sauf Voix Humaine 8 has notes of bergamot, cardamom, elemi, ambrette, jasmine, orange blossom, amber, leather, olibanum, milk mousse, musk and vanilla. Vox Human is the short-resonator reed stop, which sounds like the human voice when pressed.  This incense is rich and creamy, the vanilla and milk worked in perfectly to make sure it doesn’t become a gourmand, but softens it.   It’s like a honeyed incense.

Sauf Plein Jeu III has notes of lemon, ginger, mimosa, black pepper, amber, olibanum, jasmine, cedar, balsam fir, myrrh, oakmoss, patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver. The endless dance of angels was the inspiration.  It does soar. the pepper and lemon with other heavy notes seem to make this impossible, but it’s not, it lilts with little peppered lemon fir bits  dusting up.  Charming in every way, and the lightest of the three.

Sauf Contra Bombarde 32 has notes of elemi, juniper, bitter orange, cedar, sandalwood, amber, caramel and vanilla. The resins, old wax and wood that has built up in the organ over the years/centuries were the inspiration. You know what else must have been under the organ?  Skank, that’s what.  Okay, it’s the cedar/amber that lends a bit of pittiness on the open.  It doesn’t last forever, unfortunately.  Even after that bit, the slightly gourmand notes take incense in a direction I never knew it could go. It feels ancient and warm – a hug that has centuries of experience.

Just when I think I can say Sauf Contra Bombard is my favorite, I go back and smell the other two and can’t decide.  I was wearing all three of them in a disgusting amount all last week. I forgot how much I had on until I went to church. Once I realized, I was hoping everyone just thought mass was going heavy on incense that morning.

These three are like hitting the mother lode of incense fragrances.  It sounds like Sauf. intends to continue with more fragrances in this series – there’s a lot of organ stops. They better, this feels like an amazing beginning, and it’s not enough!  I am so greedy.

Winner of the pick 10 from the Niche lines I chose last week is – aelilly. Just click on Drop Us a Note at the top, send me an e-mail, remind me of what you won and get me your mailing address. I’ll send you a quick e-mail to let you know I got your e-mail and it didn’t land in a spam filter and then get it on the way to you.  I only check Posse e-mail like once a week, so it can take a few days sometimes to respond there.

Giving away two sample sets of these gorgeous Sauf fragrances. Just leave a comment to enter. You can also enter on the Surrender to Chance Facebook page by liking, commenting or sharing that post, which will go up later tonight, so two places to enter to win!