Monday, January 05, 2015

Tackling the Classics: Angelique Encens by Creed



Once long ago for a song I got a decant of Angelique Encens by Creed. It was almost on a whim that purchase and now looking back I really wish I had gotten more. Angelique Encens has now been discontinued by Creed, in the weird Creed fashion where it apparently goes into their "vault", and is then released once a decade as a limited edition. Whatever, Creed. I will stop my annoyance with Creed and go to the actual scent.

Angelique Encens is truly worthy of the adoration that those who have smelled it bestow on it. It is simply one of the most beautiful delicate dry interesting takes on incense out there. The beginning of Angelique Encens for me is the sweet entrance of angelica, a note with not enough love in perfume as far as I am concerned, easier on the nose than anise with a green sweet gentleness that perks up your mouth when you smell it. It is then followed by a soft marshmallow vanilla and a very soft dove grey amber, what then follows is the most interesting use of a cedar incense. The use of the cedar incense offering a unique spark to Angelique Encens, it keeps the scent balanced in a world of ethereal and cool.

While many associate this scent with Marlene Dietrich, the scent was made for her by Creed, I have always had other images in my head with this scent. The softness of it so wonderfully hazy that it makes for something more comforting than noir. It is a misty gray scent, all softness, but never overt.

Try if you like: L'Heure Bleau by Guerlain, Jicky by Guerlain, or Chergui by Serge Lutens.
first image provided by fragrantica.com 
second image: Fumee d'Ambre Gris by John Singer Sargent

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