No. 3 - Bushman's Candle du Nababeep & Encens d'Arabie Heureuse Lostmarc'h 2013

Basically, there isn't much more to say here, as my predecessor has already illuminated the fragrance very well in his comment.

When I tested No. 3 this morning, I really didn't know whether I liked it or not. I found it great, interesting, and different. But I couldn't quite categorize it. That seems to be really difficult, as it is an unusual scent that doesn't smell odd, disharmonious, or difficult to wear.

It's all about incense, but it's not a clichéd and already smelled a hundred times incense scent.

In the opening, I smell an ethereal-bright, sparkling-resinous, camphor-like-fruity incense. The bitter orange skillfully highlights the fruity accents of the incense, and I don't know if it's the "Bushman candle," but some fragrance component seems to emphasize the slightly camphoraceous aspects of the incense a bit more. Still, No. 3 doesn't smell really fresh, but rather resinous.

I don't know if the following association comes from the name or from the fact that my sample dispenser pointed me in this direction: something waxy seems to accompany this incense. You can almost feel this texture; you seem to smell it.

I find No. 3 very ecclesiastical, but not in the sense of a mass. No. 3 doesn't smell like a church where incense is currently being burned. I don't even know how that smells, as I am neither baptized nor a regular churchgoer. I only know how incense smells when burned at home. However, I do enjoy visiting empty churches because I find them beautiful. And there is a typical smell of (extinguished) candles, old books, cold stone, and incense that was burned during the last mass.

This combination of wax and incense feels ecclesiastical to me, but not sacred. Do you understand what I mean? It smells like a church without any connection to religion.

I don't perceive jasmine as very dominant. I am also a bit jasmine-hardened, drink a lot of jasmine tea, and like jasmine; perhaps that's why. However, this waxiness also seems to have something floral about it, which is not indolic but rather delicate-floral. The cedar seems coherent to me, so No. 3 does have a somewhat dry-woody edge.

Above all, the bitter orange runs very extensively through the fragrance for my nose and seems to be very decisive for its development. It prevents the cedar from becoming too dusty, supports the fruitiness of the incense, and perhaps makes the jasmine appear a bit more delicately floral. It always provides contrast and complements.

What I absolutely must say: Who the hell came up with this name? If one should really be approached about this fragrance, what does one respond? I could probably never remember the whole name.

No. 3 is really not scratchy, and yes, it is cooling and warming at the same time. Probably just as needed. Many fragrances try to be independent and unusual, but often they end up smelling like cheap backyard concoctions or are hardly wearable. But here, everything feels super natural and high-quality, unusual yet rounded and harmonious. Only a few fragrances achieve that!

Whether I want No. 3, I still don't really know. It just leaves me a bit perplexed. The fragrance costs €170 according to the website, but it seems that 140ml is also included in the bottle. That seems fair to me. Perhaps a candidate for a small decant for more precise testing, as I have rarely been so indecisive. Not about whether I like a fragrance. I think it's great. But about whether I want to wear and have it myself.

Right off the bat: No. 3 of the Comptoir de Senteurs Collection has made me happy! It really doesn't deserve that I - as a "Parfumo novice" - comment on it first:

Bushman’s Candle (Sarcocaulon crassicaule or Monsonia crassicaule) is a succulent steppe plant from Namibia. Its essential oil is said to smell similar to frankincense. Additionally, the second designated main ingredient is frankincense from Yemen: Sounds like a lot of frankincense, maybe too much? - No:

Gentle frankincense, softly embedded in bitter oranges and dry flowers. From the very beginning without many transformations: Wonderful hours of leisure and tranquility - in a sunny oasis! I sit or lie or stroll meditatively through the oasis, in the shade of a shimmering orange grove. Surrounding me are dry and softly scented steppe flowering plants, and from the surrounding desert, a warm wind brings mild resinous wood and frankincense aromas. I begin to float and am happy - for about 4-6 hours, then the dreamy mirage bids farewell and a barely perceptible sweet-woody afterglow remains. Or I spray again and the oasis happiness begins anew….

A soft, warm, dry, sunny frankincense scent that does not scratch. A meditative feel-good fragrance. Not "church frankincense." Unisex or perhaps a bit more masculine. Suitable for all seasons (warming in winter, cooling in summer) and for many occasions: Leisure hours during the day and evening as well as fieldwork, office, or practice (probably stress-reducing). I will try not to use it too often to avoid becoming desensitized.

Unusually simple bottle made of apothecary glass with a screw cap; from this, a 15ml spray bottle, whose mechanism feels high-quality, can be refilled with a small glass funnel. An unusual but practical and high-quality presentation that makes the fragrance the main character. I like it a lot.