Passage d-Enfer Eau de Toilette

I wanted to love this one, I really did. I'm a long time devotee of Timbuktu by the same house and the reviews I read of this fragrance made it sound like it would be the perfect match for me. I got no incense or even a hint of mystery out of this one, it was just pure soap with poor longevity and zero sillage. I'm envious of those who seem transported by this one, when I read your …Read more

Love! I still have half of my 3.4oz bottle from a decade ago. That was my "incense period", when I bought & wore four Comme des Garcons Series #3 Incenses, Passage d'Enfer, Etro Messe di Minuit & Shaal Nur, and also Heeley Cardinal.

I love incenses -- was really into them around 2004-6(?). I don't want to drain my expensive bottles, so I've been …Read more

Passage d'Enfer smells more like redemption than sin to me (in lieu of the darker, more ominous overtones its name suggests), but it's a lovely juxtaposition. It takes on a calming (albeit ephemeral) presence on my skin; it dries down quickly into pronounced lily and white musk notes, and I don't get as much of the frankincense. It's sweet, but not cloying. I wish it lasted …Read more

Leave it to Olivia Giacobetti to create a frankincense fragrance that's light and airy, so unlike the heavy incenses you commonly find. I get the cool dank stone of an ancient building; fresh water with a mineral touch, like water from the garden hose; a hint of flowers; and a spicy, cedary, lightweight frankincense that dries down with a salty, hay-like feel, similar to one of the …Read more

The frankincense and lily in Passage d'Enfer are an intriguing play on the themes of dark and light. The feel of this is dry, dry, dry - all woods and incense (dark), cooled by a breath of lily (light). It feels slightly detached, aloof - it calms but does not comfort. Pd'E smells very similar to the smoke given off when white sage is burned. The religious connotations of lily and …Read more

Notes: lily, aloe wood, frankincense, benzoin and white musk.
 
This fragrance opens with a grey, smoky melange comprised of frankincense and wood. The lily is not detectable per se, but is definitely present to lighten the overall accord. The wood has a peppery, pungent quality which is good, as otherwise the accord would have been too bland. This is a cold fragrance that becomes …Read more

white lily, frankincense, aloe, white musk


With such notes it was hard not to sample. One if the few of its kind without rose and woodiness and I love that. It actually makes for a more unique scent than it would otherwise be if any of the two had been added. The beautiful aloe colours this composition. Less is more as Passage d'Enfer proves. It has a delicate smokiness from …Read more

Unlike most L'Artisans, this lasts a very long time on me, and I have enjoyed every minute. It is light at first, mostly just cedar, and becomes stronger as the incense warms up; later I can smell the floral-soap base others have mentioned--like creamy lilies and musk with a hint of rose attar that melts softly into the skin. I thought it might turn into Dove soap, but it is much creamier …Read more

Incense and soap! It is a weird combination but somehow it (almost) works. It is surprisingly light and can be definitely worn during the day, although I am not sure if it is a winter or summer fragrance ( notes would suggest winter but I liked it slightly better in the summer). Staying power is average and rather expected from L'Artisan ( almost 2 hours on my perfume-eating skin). It is …Read more

I joined MUA to find my signature scent--a concept I've always loved, even though one hears the term "fragrance wardrobe" more often these days. I also asked my husband for input, since I really had no idea where to start. He said, "You should smell like cool, misty dusk or dawn in an interesting place." I referred this poetic description to the MUA fragrance board, and …Read more