The Scent of Ancient Rites

For a fragrance born from the scent that once anointed papal garments, I expected ecclesiastical austerity, antique woods, and liturgical incense. This is one of my most sought-after olfactory experiences, and I’m yet to find one more evocative than LAVS.

It opens with a sharp, petrol-like spiciness - an earthy black pepper forming the foundation for medicinal clove and cooling, almost minty cardamom. The scent is unmistakably churchlike, but there’s a harsh, almost acrid quality to it, like catching a faceful of the sharp polish used to lacquer the confessionals.

This peppery heat softens as tendrils of citrusy incense begin to swirl overhead - ethereal and transparent as they wisp up the cold stone walls, yet full and resinous as they curl between the waxy rosewood pews. Austere, yet pristine, the incense carries not the slightest hint of ashy smoke.

I once wept before the paintings in the Vatican Museums, yet I’d never dream of hanging them in my home. It’s a similar experience here: a masterwork I revere from a distance, not one I’d spritz on casually.

Such pure, non-smoky incense fragrances rarely have much longevity, but LAVS lasts for over 12 hours on my skin. It remains close for the duration, but will remind you often that it’s still there.