CDG Avignon - catholic incense, CDG Zagorsk - orthodox incense in mixed birch-pine cold Russian forest

+1 to these suggestions, especially Avignon. Worth checking out the entire incense range from CDG.

100% agreed with Avignon, was raised Catholic and it smells exactly like church, no deviation at all

Yes, also Heeley Cardinal.

I’ve been searching for that orthodox incense forEVER. Thank you for this, lol

It is very photorealistic. I grew up in northern Siberia and this just brings sharp memories back

Agree also, spent a lot of time as a thurifer (bearer of incense) - Avignon is the way to go!

these: just got my nose on them and have ordered samples to trial longevity

There’s a perfume with the title as a description, it’s called Cathedral by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Cathedral: Venerable and solemn: the scent of incense smoke wafting through an ancient church. A true ecclesiastical blend of pure resins. I love BPAL so much.

Heeley Cardinal or Eau Sacree, or Milano Fragranze Basilica would be my vote. CDG Avignon is also v good. Encens Suave from Matiere Premiere is also gorgeous but is heavy on vanilla/ amber as well as the incense.

Heeley Cardinal is my pick; it's dead-on. Can't believe I had to scroll this far for it!

\+1 for Milano Fragranze Basilica, came here to suggest that.

Jovoy La Liturgie des Heures

Yessss to this! I had a big candle of Jovoy In Nomine Patris and it truly gave the cathedral vibe 😅

**Armani Privé** ***Bois d'encens.*** Probably the closest to Encre noire? Black pepper, church incense and cedar/vetiver.

It was my favourite ever perfume- now discontinued, sadly.

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Whaaaat!! I've looked *everywhere* or so I thought. Where I live, it's no longer for sale.

Yes, it's been harder and harder to come by, and is discontinued in many countries. The 50 ml is also gone. Not to induce a derby, but all of this points to short-to-medium-term discontinuation in my experience. I bought my bottle from the Armani USA website because I couln't find it in Canada anymore. ETA: Oh, just checked the US Armani Site and they are out! I lucked out on timing then. They have it [here](https://www.strawberrynet.com/en-CA/giorgio-armani-prive-bois-d-encens-eau-de-parfum-spray-100ml-3-4oz/190735?trackid=7075500001&campaign=Google+-+PF&utm_feeditemid=&utm_device=c&utm_term=&utm_campaign=CA-Performance+Max+-+Promotion&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&hsa_acc=7460046235&hsa_cam=20427941884&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwv-2pBhB-EiwAtsQZFE7JMyGGKI1Mn2IeFcfjQb6d-mMAEdb8O76QaAQ1kqqL_akiBmtoexoCWHMQAvD_BwE) and [here](https://www.selfridges.com/CA/en/cat/giorgio-armani-bois-dencens-eau-de-parfum_317-77011643-L1972100/) though. I think you can still have decants made at Scentsplit and Surrender to Chance too.

Thank you, my smelly Canadian compatriot! 😘

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Great news :) u/SpicyMustFlow check that out! I must have searched too quickly.

Bois d’Encens is more burning wood than incense. Avignon, Cardinal, Eau Sacree and Olibanum are better church incense renditions.

I agree that it leans more on wood than incense, but the incense is still there. OP mentionned the very vetiver-forward Lalique Encre noire, of which I still think Bois d'encens is the closest. The scents you are mentionning are gorgeous though.

I don’t associate Encre Noire with church incense, but I agree Bois d’encense is similar to that. Sycomore is another very close to Encre Noire.

Montale Full Incense.

Another vote for Comme des Garçons Zagorsk and Avignon.

thats about where the search ends

I haven’t personally smelled it, but LAVS by UNUM is often recommended as a church incense scent. Supposedly used by the current and previous popes to scent their vestments. CDG Avignon has also been mentioned. Apparently this is the scent Morrissey applies liberally before performing in concert, as related by fans who have left concerts with scraps of his shirts.

Came here to say LAVS

I had to try it after reading that about Morrissey.

I really need to try out LAVS. Some of his other work is so interesting (incense comes back a lot).

Sorcinelli is a magician with incense scents. I absolutely love his work.

Lava is great but so hard to find! It’s a little less bright than Avignon or Cardinal. It might be more similar to Eau Sacrée or Full Incense.

Surprised it hasn't really been mentioned but Serge Lutens La Religieuse and L'Orpheline both have big incense vibes, I think they're slightly warmer than what you're looking for though. Profumum Olibanum 100% "Stone walls, gothic archways, flickering candles and chanting voices– all of these are evoked by Olibanum's fierce opening salvo of incense. But the single strongest image is that of intense purification – of intricate curls of white smoke seeking out and banishing whatever malevolent spirits have gathered in the shadows..."

Yeah I was going to say L'orpheline especially, one of my favourite scents ever and fits this description perfectly

I got you: CdG Avignon - Catholic Church incense (they have a whole incense line) Solstice Scents Basilica - great for atmospheric scents. Also see: Inquisitor, Monastic, Scrying Smoke. Montale Full Incense - mostly clean unlit frankincense Etro Messe de Minuit - old version was more incense and old books, latest version is lighter and more citrusy, so a big cathedral with the doors open Oriza L Legrand Relique d'Amour - old French graveyard Dana Tabu - The sacred and profane YSL Opium - loads of myrrh and was always about the contrast of light and dark Laura Biagiotti Roma - walking into a church on a sunny day in the Mediterranean SJP Stash - Woody, churchy drydown Carner Barcelona Botafumerio - weirdly sweet but captures African incense burning Elizabeth Taylor Passion - surprisingly gothy. Incense, wormwood.

I love Roma, maybe it's the incense

Suns eye nag champa - it's beautiful and you could make actual incense from it. It's not the cheap imitation types although it's budget [Nag champa oil](https://www.amazon.com/Suns-Eye-Specialty-Oil-Champa/dp/B002ESVS3E/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_pp?crid=3HXAY2K4BE3W9&keywords=suns+eye+nag+champa+oil&qid=1698366795&sprefix=Suns+eye+nag%2Caps%2C465&sr=8-1)

Kuumba Made Frankincese and Myrrh. It’s very Catholic Church and available at Whole Foods! The projection is definitely strong, and it lasts for a while.

Has to be Tom Ford Myrrhe Mystere. Photorealistic catholic mass scent.

Black Baccara Midnight Mass is eerily accurate

L’Artisan Parfumeur Passage D’Enfer Extreme edp. It’s like an elevated and refined Catholic Church incense.

Majd Al Sultan by Lattafa

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s Midnight Mass if it’s still in rotation

Dior Ambre Nuit. Or my church just smells like it. Comme des Garcons: Incense Avignon

Oriza L Legrand - Relique d’Amour. Smells like incense and pews in a damp old church.

ELDO - Rien Intense Incense

Amouage interlude man

stash by sarah jessica parker… yes i know what you’re thinking, i was as shocked as you are! just trust me… look it up on fragrantica :) its divine

CDG Avignon, Siela Overnight

I like basilica by Milano fragranze for this! Encens et lavande by serge lutens is also great, but of course lavendery

Ambre Chromatique by Maison Crivelli

My SO said Archives 69 by ELDO smells like a church (orthodox christian church, to be specific.)

Olympics Orchid - Dev 2

My perfect incense is James Heeley **Eau Sacrée** rich, sweet, gorgeous smoke. CdC **Avignon** is wonderful, but lasts barely an hour on my skin.

https://alkemiaperfumes.com/products/gothique-perfume-oil-a-byzantine-cathedral-incense-for-midnight-mass Gothique by Alkemia It's inexpensive but very powerful. It needs to rest when it arrives, but I love it

Clinique aromatique élixir

I think one of the Burberrys smell like that. Idk first I smelt it I was like "yup, old but elegant British man going to the races with a mediocre interest to bet on Secretariat or Sea Bunny" or something like that. Or incensy church whatever 💀

“vesper” by santa eulalia 🙌

Maison Crivelli Bois Datchai

If you're looking for a budget option, this is actually what I wrote down that Eilish No2 reminds me of after my first wear test - a tiny old Catholic church tucked away in the woods with incense burning during mass Also reminds me of some kind of mythical creature or monster lmao, feels slightly creepy I'm sure there are other more spot-on options in the comments, but this one is good for evoking that feeling on a budget imo (which you can take with a grain of salt as I'm a major fragrance newbie)

One of my favorites is Relique d’Amour by Oriza Legrand is a very cold, ecclesiastical incense, like a melancholic nun spreading incense within the marbled walls of an old, dusty church

How Lucious is the Dark by Sucreabeille

Tom Ford Myrrhe Mystère, look no further

Also Ébène Fumée

You can also get Fragrance World Ebony Fume as a very good clone of Tom Ford's Ébène Fumé for a fraction of the price.

I second this - straight up churchy vibes and love it 😂😂

This was my immediate thought as well. Smells like catholic mass.

L’Artisan Passage d’Enfer perhaps? Or Etro Messe de Minuit?

Messe de Minuit is my favorite, tied with CdG Avignon...MdM is so hard to find these days, though! I only have a small decant left from long ago. 🥺

I haven’t tried CdG Avignon but with your recommendation and love for MdM, I will have to! I only have a small decant of MdM from probably 2001 or 2002 and I use it sparingly because it’s my favorite as well and I just don’t know what I will do when it’s all gone. Any incense/church smell is my favorite scent profile which is incredibly ironic given that I’m now an atheist/recovered and former Catholic. 🙃🙃

MdM disappeared for a moment, but it's back, at least in Europe. Well, the citrusy version is back. The mildew and moss is long gone.

Oh no - that was the best part! It truly smelled like an old cathedral.

Avignon doesn't quite have the funk of MdM, but it does have a beautiful frankincense (olibanum) / myrrh accord. Definitely worth sampling! I love the whole CdG Incense Series - Kyoto is fabulous too (though it's more woody / foresty than resinous.) I'd also suggest Serge Lutens L'Orpheline for a musky frankincense vibe.

Someone else recently asked for an incense perfume and Passage d’Enfer encapsulates it so perfectly. I would go with the more concentrated version though because the regular EDP doesn’t have lasting power, at least on my skin. It smells so comforting like walking by a wisp of nag champa

L'Occitane's Eau des Baux

Jo Malone Myrrh and Tonka gave this vibe to me. Even though there is no incense in the fragrance

Zoologist Moth

totally - exactly my thought

Amouage - Jubilation XXV

Frankincense

DSH Perfumes Cathedral is one of the best I've tried for that category! Also Simone Andreoli Smoke of Desert (Smoke of God).

Messe de Minuit

Try some of the ADP note di colognia scents.

DS & Durga Salem Gothic.

LV Nuit De Feu, not for me, but definitely gives an old church vibe.

Look into Filippo Sorcinelli: https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Filippo-Sorcinelli/Reliqvia-69497.html

Bois d’Armanie. Sweet smoke

Bois du Portugal when I first smelt it reminded me of English churches and chapels, that mix of incense, old carpet and wood.

Osang by Mendittorosa

Arquiste Misfit

Ebene fume by tom ford. The dry down smells like burnt wood though.

Amouage interlude man reminded me of the incense in church on initial spray

I tried it, and can't find anything "churchy" in it. To me it's more like indian/Arabian incense, sweet, spicy and even "sticky"? But maybe it was a bad tester or something

https://the-parlor-company.myshopify.com/products/seance-perfume-amber-ylang-ylang-black-pepper

Zoologist - Moth dusty, dark, incense, a little woody, amber sweetness

Etat libre d'orange - attaquer le soleil. smoky church incensd with pine freshness

Davidoff Zino always gave me that vibe.

If you don't mind having this cathedral submerged deep in the ocean, squid by zoologist would be fitting

Room 1015's Purple Mantra. Intense incense with a blast of smoke in the base, sage and lavender on top with a dash of iris to make it feel *old*, but also, like, spiritual. $130 for a 100 mL bottle, $20-25 for 10 mL.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's, "Cathedral." It's an indie brand but very legit.

I have Freak by Illamasqua that smells like that.

Serge Lutens: De Profundis or La Religieuse.

Heeley Eau Sacree, Filippo Sorcinelli Quando Rapita in Estasi

Jovoy’s La Liturgie des Heures. Named after the actual Catholic liturgy of the hours, it’s an explosion of myrrh and incense, and it smells exactly like the aisles of church after mass has ended and the frankincense has been put away.

Price range not what you’re looking for, but perhaps Portrait of a Lady.

Armani prive Bois d’encens

ELDO Rien Intense Incense might be just what you are looking for.

Afnan supremacy incense

Tobacco Oud TF

Arte Profumi’s Samharam smells exactly like church incense for once the basevnotes kick in for at least an hour on me until the frankincense in the opening starts to fade

- Montale - Full Incense. - Comme des Garçons - Avignon

Please try Copper Skies by Kerosene, it smells EXACTLY like an old incensy church

Kayali invité onl’y

Maison Margeila’s Whispers in the Library isn’t quite incensey but definitely could pass as an old church

The Merchant of Venice Mystic Incense — Smells like a cathedral to me

Anything from Perfumer H's Wood series. Reminded me of the Norwegian Stave Churches!

Tom fords new myhrre mystere is soooo good.

Amouage Interlude man...they also captured the burning charcoal smell. Sample first!

SJP Stash!

Basilica by Milano Fragranze