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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Shadows- Tauer Perfumes Incense Extrême (and a readers giveaway!)



The samples of Incense Extrême arrived a few weeks ago, the same day as the package containing my new camera. I ignored the bigger box and ripped open the envelop with the Swiss postmark. You got to have priorities and digital cameras don't smell.

Like all Tauer fragrances, Incense Extrême takes you places. While Andy described it on his blog as a minimalist scent, there's absolutely nothing here (thankfully!) to remind you of the biggest minimalist of them all, Jean-Claude Ellena (can I say thankfully again?). You get that unmistakable Tauer touch which goes from the top notes all the way through to the base that has more than a little of the "Tauerade". The frankincense is peppery and fresh at first, then becomes darker, woody and dry. Very very dry.

The "extrême" in the name might make you expect an over-the-top Catholic church on steroids kind of incense, or the entire CdG Incense Series crammed into a single bottle (Zagorsk would eat them all). This is not that scent. Instead, you get the different faces of frankincense, paired with a little wood and a little orris. Some feel it has a lot in common with Andy's limited edition, Orris, but my skin doesn't support this theory. Orris is more kaleidoscopic with the different layers picking here and there and revealing themselves almost randomly. Incense Extrême is much more streamlined and pulled-together. There's starkness in it, bold and clean, it dries down almost soapy, remains close to the skin, with just a hint of the shadows lurking from beneath.

Andy has warned me that this scent is basically masculine and would suit my husband better than me. A masculine label has ever stopped me before and I like wearing this scent, but when I smelled it on my husband I knew what he meant. A man's skin (or my man's skin) brings out more of the dark and mysterious part of the scent, those dark silhouettes on a bare ground.

Incense Extrême would be available starting tomorrow from Luckyscents. I have a few samples to give away, so if you're interested please leave a comment. I'll announce the winners early next week.

Art: Pine Shadows by Hamilton Aguiar from the Vinings Gallery.

15 comments:

  1. I've always enjoyed your thoughtful reviews on perfumes. Please put me in the drawing!

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  2. I'd like to be in the drawing too. I love Andy's other scents, and a new one is a big event! This one sounds lovely.

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  3. I'm a long time reader and have been curious about Tauer perfumes for a while, mostly because of the way you describe them. I alreday know that my taste is close to yours, so I know I'm gonna like them! Please add me to the draw.

    Sarah from Maine

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  4. I've never smelled any of Andy's 'fumes so yes please, put me in the drawing!

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  5. On a cold and rainy day this sounds lovely. I love masculine scents and it is, yet another, reason to find a man!

    Please add my name to the drawing.

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  6. So i'm not the only one to think that minimalism and perfume don't go well together...
    I've never smelled anything by Andy Tauer, but I already know I could enjoy many of his scents.
    They are very hard to find in Italy, at least in my small provincial town, where, on the other hand, TWO stores carry Bond n. 9!

    And Jean Claude Ellena bores me to death.

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  7. I am loving the incense cloud that perfumery seems to be passing through, and would love to smell this one, too. Please include me in your drawing!

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  8. Ooh PLEASE put me in the draw - I love anything Andy does! (And DRY is good - I totally worship L'Air du Desert Marocain!)

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  9. I'm not too late, am I? I love coming here for the perfume reviews, and it would be fun to be in the drawing!

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  10. Another fan of your blog who would love to be in the drawing. I'm dying to try this!! Would you put my name in please?

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  11. we really are scent twins aren't we?

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  12. Everyone who asked to be included in the drawing is in. I'll announce the results next week.

    I'm very happy to meet new and old readers. Thank you very much for being here and for the encouraging words. Feedback is one of the best parts in this blogging experience.

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  13. Edwardian- I love love love Italy! You might want to check Andy's web site (http://www.tauerperfumes.com/) to see about European distribution. I think the ladies of the Perfumed Court ship samples to Europe, but it's kinda ridiculous for someone in Europe to have them shipped from America.

    The subject of Ellena's perfumes is worthy of a separate post, which I'll have to write soon. Right after I bulletproof my house.

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  14. Tom- You and I were cut from the same piece of very fine silk ;)

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  15. I'd love to be in the drawing, too.

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