Midnight Mass

[Ghost of a Rose]

This perfume is a traditional Roman Catholic sacramental incense, most often used during a Solemn Mass. Traditionally, five tears of this incense, each encased individually in wax that has been fashioned into the shape of a nail, are inserted into the paschal candle. This is, of course, represents the Five Wounds of Our Risen Savior. Symbolically, the burning of the incense signifies spiritual fervor, the fragrance itself inspires virtue, and the rising smoke carries our prayers to God.

My imp is a decant from Mellifluous. ETA: I have the 2011 version.

In the imp: Oil is clear and a dark orange color, like medium-dark amber. It smells (surprise, surprise) like incense, perhaps with a touch of patchouli.

On me, wet: The scent is warm and dignified. Besides the hint of patchouli, there is also a very faint trace of pine or some such balsamic note, and some sweetness that is almost floral. I don't recognize this incense at all - it is something completely unfamiliar to me (having been raised as a Protestant.) I have been to Christmas Eve Midnight Mass services a couple of times, as well as funeral masses, but don't remember anything like this. Nor have I smelled anything similar in headshops or with any of the many kinds of incense I've burned at home. I am surprised that I don't detect the familiar notes of frankincense and myrrh. Very intriguing. And yes, it does evoke a spiritual mood. As if it should not be worn casually, but reserved for sacred occasions and rituals.

After 10 minutes: The sweetness/floral note has strengthened. In fact, this is considerably sweeter and more flowery than most incense, even ones with floral names. It's almost cloying. It's possibly rose, but strange - something quite different from the typical tea rose scent. It makes me think yellow rose. Thirty years ago I used to have a fragrance oil that smelled exactly like this, and I think it was called Yellow Rose. And perhaps there's another floral as well: could it be lily? - the heavy scent of funeral wreaths? It has an aspect approaching the sweetness of decay. This is not at all what I expected!

After 20 minutes: I don't smell the incense, patchouli, or pine-like notes at all anymore, just the heavy floral sweetness. It makes me think of a funeral mass rather than the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass.

After 30 minutes: The cloying sweetness has settled down, and now it smells more like natural flowers. There's still a faint undertone of rankness, but that is a characteristic of real lilies. The flowers do make sense (if I'm right about what they are), since both roses and lilies are associated with the Virgin Mary, and lilies with funerals as well.

After 1 hour: Same as above. This is still a floral perfume rather than an incense-y one.

After 1 hour and 15 minutes: Ah, now I'm finally picking up the spiciness of frankincense. It provides a very lovely balance to the flowers.

After 3 hours: A gentle note of incense remains. There is no trace left of the florals.

Verdict: This blend has special kind of beauty that is heavy and somber. It's not a perfume to be used casually, or for work. Florals are my favorite fragrances, but even for me this is a little overpowering for about the first 30 minutes. But the concept of a most solemn and formal religious occasion is superbly realized, and this would be perfect for such an event. Use sparingly. I don't recommend wearing this in a perfume locket (due to the strength and because it is enhanced by time on the skin.) It might be amazing in an oil warmer, as a room or altar scent for rituals and other spiritual practice. Will I get a full bottle? Yes, if I can afford it. It's not one of my top priorities, but I would like a bottle if possible.

My rating: 4 stars

[Incendiare]

Woodsy and resiny with a touch of earthiness. It elicits images of a warm cabin than a church, really. There is also a swirl of smoky incense on top. This year's blend is softer than last year's, in my opinion.

[thekittenkat]

This review is for the 2011 version.

In the decant: Lovely resins!

Wet: Frankincense and myrrh, perhaps some of that golden amber. Not as sweet in a resinous fashion as when sniffed from the cap.

The dry-down: More of a warm scent than last year's version when sniffed on the wrist, but still with a cool feeling. (Perhaps that echoes the chilliness of a great cathedral?) The sweetness is coming back, but it's not a foodie/fruit/floral note, but once again some wonderful combination of the incense and resins with the beeswax candles. All the sort of thing that one would associate with a High Mass on Christmas Eve. This is a scent that I must try a tester of each year if possible, as it's just that good.

[ami226]

2011 version:

 

On the skin: Kinda herbal incense? This smells slightly more bitter than I was expecting. The bitter herbal fades after a short while and now it smells like... a slightly earthy incense.

 

That's really it for me. It just doesn't smell amazing on me.

[milo]

Christmas in a bottle. I love Midnight Mass, and I have a bottle of 08, but have a sniffie of the '11 version to test out. Lot's of incense, very resiny, and it's got a pine vibe here somewhere, but maybe it's my imagination. A classic bpal creation.

 

'12 version: Maybe a touch more spice here, but still lovely as ever. I'd really like to see how a guy's chemistry will react to this.

Edited February 6, 2013 by milo

[zeldaZ4]

2012, from Decanter Ralenth.

 

ITI: Christmasy and beautiful. I don't know if I have ever smelled Catholic sacramental incense, but this definitely smells special.

 

On Skin: Wet, on my wrist I smell cedarwood and dark resin, as well as an evergreen that could be pine or cedar.

 

Dry, it evokes not a Wintery Church of Worship, but a Summery Cathedral of Play. The Okefenokee Swamp Ride at Six Flags Over Atlanta, or the old Monster Plantation at Kings Island, Ohio. Those theme parks always smelled like fresh cedar to me, from the miles of newly-sanded fencing baking in the sun. But the cedar of the Swamp Ride & Monster Plantation smelled deliciously dank and spooky from its contact with the water on which the boats rode thru the dark tunnels. Midnight Mass smells exactly like that!

[fufu_berry]

On wet: Oh no, screaming roses. Very much like the dried rose-petal rosary note in Vial of Holy Water to me.

 

Drydown: Some cedar is attempting to emerge, but is being smothered by roses.

 

Dry: Getting a little more incense-y, but still a lot of sharp rose. This scent is unfortunately very not for me.

[LateOne]

Got this as a bottle on ebay. I love Cathedral, so another incense blend sounded intriguing.

 

Wet/in bottle: rich incense, almost like Cathedral.

Drydown: Incense and pine resin(?! was not expecting that, but it's nifty).

Dry: A rich, sweeter incense, with hints of sweet pine.

 

Awesome scent! The sweetness isn't overwhelming, but it is noticable and blends the incense and pine notes together. Imagine a fresh cut tree in the middle of a Catholic Mass, and this is the scent. Wonderful!

[filigree_shadow]

I had a bottle of the 2005 version of this many years ago -- I didn't wear it so I swapped the bottle, but my husband liked it so I kept a decant. I don't think I ever got around to writing a review of it, so I stuck it in the back of my BPAL box until I could write a review and then send it on its swappy way. ...Aaaaand that was 6 years ago. Been sittin' there ever since.

 

So here's my review: Smells like a sweet, high-pitched incense scent. A little bit powdery, a little bit woody (like balsam? a sacred sort of wood scent), and very lightly floral. It's nice, but not my thing.

[theredshoes]

Review of the 2012 bottle -- I have a decant from (I think) 2009 and really like it.

 

In the bottle: Slightly sharp but not unpleasant, and wood/balsam rather than flowers or incense. This is a rather thick clear golden oil that's even a little sticky.

 

Wet: Spicy, faintly floral, woody. I do pick up hints of the rose and lily. I think the spice is caused by frankincense, maybe balsam fir. There's a forest-y smell that isn't green (on me, the BPAL green note turns to ugh), a little like pine or fir. Almost no incense. Not exactly a floral scent, but I'm not really getting any resin either.

 

Drydown: This fades fast, but lingers. As it dries I get more of the wood and frank, and then the flowers peep out again near the end, before it gets very faint, which happens on me after maybe about six hours. Really doesn't last as long as I expected.

 

Verdict: I do like this scent -- it's a well-blended rose/spice/wood/forest mix that's very pleasant, and fitting for the winter holidays. It really doesn't remind me of midnight mass, though -- more like Advent Sunday, maybe: quiet but not somber, certain of coming joy, peaceful. I think as this ages the incense comes up, and there isn't as much pine/fir in the older versions.

[zankoku_zen]

2013 version

 

Sweet, warm frankincense resin. It sort of reminds me of the new Catholic church under Pope Francis. Warm, welcoming, and just nice.

[lucycat]

In the imp: Strongly peppery.

 

Wet: This doesn’t smell like church or incense at all. It’s sharp and resiny. It smells like the inside of a Culpeper the Herbalist shop—an English chain that I remember from my visits to the UK in the 90s, though I checked online, and it appears they’re no longer in business. Culpeper the Herbalist sold aromatherapy oils, potpourri, spices, bath and body products, and things like tea and jam, all containing herbs. I can’t pick out any specific note, but this is a great scent memory for me.

 

Whatever church incense this is, it is much, much better than the incense used in the church when I was growing up. We didn’t go to Midnight Mass, but I remember it being used for Easter Vigil. It was cloyingly sweet, permeated everything, and made me cough. Maybe the church used a cheaper incense?

 

Midnight Mass mellows and sweetens as it dries.

[thekittenkat]

This is for the 2013 version.

 

In the decant: Very strongly resinous, lots of frank only mildly tempered by myrrh.

 

Wet: Now a little bit more myrrh amongst the frank.

 

The dry-down: Frank and myrrh--very nice as always. If you keep skipping over Midnight Mass, do try it this year.

[JazzieCazzie]

Bought imps of the 2013 version and was frimped/gifted with a 2012 for comparison, so test-drove them simultaneously, one on each arm, for comparison.

 

2012: IN THE IMP: Round, mellow and slightly creamy -- could that be the beeswax? Not straight incense at all.

2013: IN THE IMP: Sharper than its year-older counterpart and oddly ... winey?

 

Dabbed each on wrist and in crook of arm

 

2012: WET: Actually not getting frankincense OR myrrh upon application. I do think it could be the beeswax overshadowing everything because I've had that issue with similar odd notes in F/M-like blends ... beeswax, ambergris, honey, etc. But whatever it is, it is creamy.

2013: WET: Sharp and acerbic ... like a blend of wine and pencil shavings, the latter providing the slightest frankincense note for me. It's not at ALL like 12 ... I don't know if it's because of its having aged or just a different blend formula.

 

2012: DRYDOWN: Wonky. Whatever is causing the creaminess is not working for me at all. If there is frankincense or myrrh in here, it's getting totally drowned out by the cream.

2013: DRYDOWN: Not good on me at all but for completely different reasons. I don't like winey scents. It's something fruity and sweet but there's something rancid lurking below.

 

OVERALL:

 

Neither one is a keeper for me but, oddly, for completely different -- nearly opposite -- reasons!

 

On a scale of 1-5, both get about a 2.

[milo]

This is the '13 version. Sweet, resiny incense, yep, this is Midnight Mass alright! I do love the scent, but don't wear it, except for maaaaybe a couple of days during the Xmas season. Because of this, I gave up my 08 bottle. I'll get a decant next year, it's really all I need, I didn't even put a scratch in my other bottle. http://www.bpal.org/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/icon_biggrin.gif

Eta 2014 version: doesn't seem to change from year to year. Lovely church incense.

Edited July 19, 2015 by milo

[Tal Shachar]

As much as I love resins, I never bought this one in years past, but got it this year to remind me of my late father. My dad was highest of the High Church Anglicans, and he used to train the altar servers--incense was one of his favourite things, and he was way disappointed when his church stopped having it (lots of people are allergic, I guess).

 

Anyway, does this smell like the classic Three Kings stuff that I remember from childhood, hanging out in the sacristy with him while he tidied up? Not quite, but close. Unlike a lot of the Lab's resinous blends, this one distinctly smells like smoke and not just the raw unburned grains. It's more fruity and less woody than the incense I remember (which almost certainly has cedar or sandalwood in the mix somewhere), and there might be something creamy like beeswax going on in this too.

 

I like this a whole lot, but it doesn't strike that instant sense memory the way I was hoping.

[Minh Scent]

Very unpleasant in the bottle,but have learned to ignore this.Rough, upleasant, medicinal on the skin.

Also have learned to ignore this. After 10 minutes I can smell the sweetish frankensence and after 20 minutes, it is so beautiful, I can't keep my wrist from my nose. This is a stunner and could easily be one of my top scents.

[lady_pandora]

This is beautiful. Definitely try it if you like incense. It smells like frankincense and myrrh and something that seems almost...edible; I think maybe this is a beeswax note, which would make total sense. Gradually I also get a note that reminds me of dragon's blood, but not BPAL's dragon's blood, which is sweeter and fruitier. This is like a different dragon's blood that an old crush of mine used to wear, a spicy, woody sort of scent. I wonder if this is something like a red sandalwood that I'm not recognizing when combined with this much incense. Anyway, it's gorgeous. Definitely considering a bottle.

 

ETA, 3/30/2018: The more I wear this over the years, the more I'm sure this contains beeswax and pine in addition to the church incense. Beautiful scent--so soothing I used it as a sleep scent for a while.

Edited March 30, 2018 by lady_pandora

[Auspicious Q]

Wonderful scent memories here for me. I am glad I got a decant. I'm not sure I want this as a personal scent, but I want it as a scent for meditation and prayer.

[bulletslc]

As a huge frankincense fan i dont know why its taken me this long to get this one. In fact, it was part of a blind bottle swap. This is sooo good if you are a resin fan. Reminds me of going to midnight mass with my catholic best friend in high school. Pure, holy and reminiscent of walking out of church into the cold Christmas eve night air feeling blessed.

[d0gbones]

In the bottle: Nothing? Slightly piney, if I really think about it.

Wet: Tree sap? This is weird, it's so nondescript and I'm disappointed.

Dry: Church! This smells exactly like a church. Polished pews and old wood. Later on, a soft incense joins in. It's actually quite comforting.

[aquazoo]

2012 version: I get a soft spice to start. A little waxy, and a hint of old holy water with the sludge at the bottom. In a good way.

[attys]

Got this to use for meditation/spellwork (coping with my Catholic upbringing thru sympathetic magic is normal, right?). But having tried it on, I may actually wear it out more than I'd thought. In the bottle it doesn't really smell like much but on my skin - it's right back to when I was an altar server; I remember having to hold the thurible for midnight mass or other special occasions. This smells exactly like the incense we they used! And surprisingly I rather like smelling like a church; it's a really nice smoky sweetness, plus a nice 'wooden' smell.

[Casablanca]

2009

 

This is a dark amber-colored oil that smells to me of frankincense, myrrh, balsam, cedar, and pine pitch. It's smooth and deep, heavy and meditative. It will not blast your coworkers with unexpected Catholicism, as it stays fairly close to the skin.

The cedar and pine strengthen on me as Mass dries. This is a woody oriental.

I have no idea yet which I would prefer between this and In Templum Dei, the Magdelena, and other orientals, but I think they're all lovely.

[Cali]

There's something in here that I know I don't like and I can't put my finger on it. Is it almond? Some sort of floral? I think it was in Miss Spink too. However, it seems to be fading on application, woo!!

I'm trying so hard to find the deeper meaning but it's just a turnoff for me. Smells like an old lady's bougie perfume to me.

However, I'll try and name some notes I'm getting (I could be dead wrong) but a slight hint of amber, frankincense, again something weird and sweet which is heady and just ugh...

Dry however, it's a tad more resistable. I've not necessarily grown up with churchly traditions, but having an interest in history and architecture I've visited plenty and I can understand how this might bring some well-cherised memories to plenty.