Goutal
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The myrrh hits with immediate resinous clarity—almost sharp, with that characteristic slightly bitter quality before the beeswax begins softening the edges. Within minutes, a faint honeyed warmth emerges, creating an intriguing tension between incense and something almost edible.
The gaiac wood becomes the anchor, its woody-smoky character deepening as the tonka and benzoin unfold beneath. This is when Myrrhe Ardente reveals its true personality: a complex interplay of burnt resin, beeswax sweetness, and dry wood smoke that feels both comforting and slightly austere, like standing in a baroque chapel at dusk.
The fragrance retreats rather than transforms—benzoin and tonka provide creamy amber undertones, whilst the smoky accords fade to a whisper. What remains is subtle and skin-close, a lingering warmth tinged with woodsmoke and distant spice, though longevity is disappointingly minimal for an eau de parfum.
Myrrhe Ardente Goutal is a fragrance that smells like consecrated smoke trapped in amber—sacred, yes, but also dangerous. The myrrh opening is immediately resinous and slightly medicinal, but Isabelle Doyen refuses to let it become austere. Instead, she grounds it with beeswax in the heart, which transforms the composition into something almost edible, honeyed but never gourmand. The gaiac wood acts as a tether, lending a bitter, almost tar-like woodiness that prevents this from becoming a simple incense fragrance.
What emerges is something genuinely unusual: a scent caught between a temple and a tobacco merchant's shop. The 76% smoky accord doesn't read as campfire or barbecue—it's the dry, acrid smoke of burning resin, the kind that clings to fabric and hair. Beneath that sits tonka and benzoin, which provide warmth and a subtle spiced sweetness (64% spicy accord), but they're restrained, never reaching for caramel or vanilla indulgence.
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4.1/5 (193)