Encens Flamboyant is an oriental fragrance that launched in 2007 and was created by Isabelle Doyen and Camille Goutal. The air is filled with an enchanting, heady aroma: one can sense its presence without knowing its source. There appear to be thin wisps of smoke rising from an incense burner. Like an ancient perfuming ritual glimpsed from behind a veil, Encens Flamboyant fascinates and intrigues, without ever allowing itself to be fully captured.
It features top notes of incense and black pepper; middle notes of frankincense resin, nutmeg and cardamom; and base notes of old church incense, fir balsam and mastic. Encens Flamboyant is an eau de parfum, edp.
Fragrantica: "My quest for the perfect pine fragrance has led me to Encens Flamboyant (ok I know it’s fir, same difference), which I blind bought for a steal. Straight away this shot up to my second favourite pine fragrance of all time (after Caron’s Yatagan), this is pure magic in a bottle. As the name suggests, incense leads the way. Initially it’s quite sharp and spiky, but soon settles into a gorgeous dry and airy aroma, yet doesn’t inherently feel smoky, it’s too clean. The sweet, sharp and green presence of pine needles fills the air around me, it’s got an incredibly comforting and festive feel to it, yet at the same time rather sombre and lonely. It perfectly embodies those few days following Christmas. Burnt out candles, a fireplace cooling down, the tree starting to dry out. It hints at the comfort and warmth of the day before, filled with the slight melancholy of realising that it’s all over. Isabelle Doyen is an absolute genius."
Fragrantica: "Well...You definitely get an incense accord here and some type of ethereal spice accord. Side notes: Overall, it's a very light scent that seems to be blended with masterful precision. I almost can't believe that the perfumer was able to create such an aroma with these accords listed above. This is someone playing chess while others are playing checkers."
Fragrantica: "I love incense perfumes, and bought this on a blind buy based on this fact, and that I generally like Goutal fragrances. I'm glad I did. It is the lightest incense perfume I've come across, so light that it almost feels like I'm not wearing anything...and yet it's there. Dry, peppery pine with the softest ever hit of frankincense with none of the raw, resin-y edginess that often features in incense perfumes. Instead of a cathedral right after mass, this is a temple you stumbled across in the middle of an old forest, empty but with a feeling of being well-loved."
Fragrantica: "This is such a beautiful and emotionally tender perfume. I've seen it described as "mortal" and I agree. Sometimes it feels like coming upon a church in the middle of the woods just before sunrise or stepping into one off the busy street in the heat of summer into a completely different world. Either way you're always alone and the church is empty and dim. You spend a long time there. There's someone there who's lit the incense a while before you came in but you never see them. You can smell their tea they've made. You drift upwards with the frankincense, up into the rafters in air cooled by stone. The surrounding pine makes itself more known on the drydown. It really just takes me to a place. This lasts for about 7 hours on me with a nice average projection. I put it on one day in the morning and was working out in my garden in 100-degree heat when caught a whiff of it and it smelled like shade. Frankincense really shines in warm weather. Overall just a joy to wear."
Fragrantica: "This is the perfect incense but also so much more than incense. As others have commented, it is dry, with forest notes. There is a delicate, dry smoke note well-hidden in there too. Overall, it contributes to create a cool, magical, shivery feel, which - for me - is just as welcome on a wintery evening out as it would be in the heat of a summer day. My husband rarely notices fragrances but asked from the other side of the table if I was wearing something different and thought it was great. The projection, therefore, is just as you'd want it to be, and the longevity was very good - I could smell it faintly on my skin the following morning. This would be a fantastic signature, appropriate and elegant in every situation, and utterly unisex. It is complex enough to be interesting and feels like a satisfying drink to slake your thirst."
Fragrantica: "Recently I purchased a bottle of this perfume from the French house of Goutal. I smelled it first in a typical small cute perfume store in my hometown. I asked for an incense perfume and the very charming older lady with tons of knowledge about perfuming offered me to test a few. Great perfumes like L'Orpheline from Serge Lutens and Guerlain Encens Mythique invaded my nose en senses. Encens Flamboyant stood out for me though. It smelled complex, dry, elegant and classy with a nice subtle old classic woody undertone. I went home with a tester and a few days later I pulled the trigger. I received the newest version in a beautiful thick glass classic looking bottle (not the same as the one in the picture above). I sprayed it on me and I smelled the same class and subtle but very present and rather complex incense. This is a typical enchanting jewel in the tradition of great classic French perfumery. I smell old churches and centuries old buildings in Paris or Toulouse. There is a marvelous tea note that's quite prominent. And this eau de parfum is not overwhelmingly strong and balsamic. There is some freshness from the berries, pine and herbs. The projection is very intimate. But it stays on for a long time. In the morning I could still smell a hint of the delightful elegance that gave me a smile. This is a jewel! I love it's elegance and subtle but noticeable incense and wood. It's a pure and classy fragrance that I wil cherish like a precious gem. It will be a perfect scent for coming fall and winter. But in the right circumstances I can wear this on not to hot days in spring and summer. I am sure that there is much more to discover from the house of Goutal."
