Matthew Williamson released his original Incense perfume in 2002, then inexplicably withdrew it from the market not long after, breaking the hearts of numerous incense fragrance fans along the way.
So now he’s back (as of 2007) with a new version of Matthew Williamson Incense. I haven’t yet encountered the original, though I wouldn’t think this new version comes off well in a fair fight between the two. There are still wails of anguish emanating from certain corners of the internet over the demise of the original Matthew Williamson Incense, but I can’t imagine anyone even noticing if this new version vanishes tomorrow with a quiet poof.
Matthew Williamson Incense is a little bit patchouli, a little bit frankincense, a little bit sweet vanilla (that must be the labdanum?) and it curiously shies away from any actual smoke in its body. It’s a light, sheer scent that cleaves to the mantra of the new minimalism: “Be pretty, be pleasant, let no one remember you were here!” L’Artisan Parfumeur finesses this territory much better with Timbuktu, a delicate and ever so slightly smoked floral — it’s not my thing, but I know plenty of other people who rave like lunatics about it.
Matthew Williamson Incense is part of a four fragrance collection listed as Matthew Williamson The Collection, and is not yet available in the United States. The Collection is promoted as a mix and match set, which is either sheer laziness on the part of the perfumers (“We couldn’t be bothered to actually complete the darn fragrances, so why don’t you do it for us?”) or pure genius on the part of the marketing department (“I’ve got a brilliant idea! We’ll tell everyone that these perfumes were created to be layered with each other — then they’ll buy all four!”).
If you’re truly set on getting yourself a Matthew Williamson scent, I’d suggest Warm Sand, one of the other fragrances from The Collection. It’s as light, warm and pretty as Incense while including a faint ginger flower note that has the decency to leave an impression.
