Dover Street Market (Comme des Garcons)

Guest review by Scott

How many of us have fallen in love with a fragrance, dithered over its bottle-worthiness, only to have the fragrance discontinued, never to be seen again, even on eBay? Damn those financially responsible moments! I have had many moments like these, finding the perfect (insert coveted object here) and going back to the store, sometimes minutes later to find it gone, snatched up by a more decisive shopper.

Elternhaus’s MoslBuddJewChristHinDao was one of those fragrances for me. Mark Buxton’s transparent woody incense really grabbed me; the $300 price tag for 50 ml did not. Nor did the 3-pound block of cement it came in. Perfumista reviews either waxed euphoric or bemoaned the arch “unifaith” concept and balked at the price. I dithered. And then it was gone. I contacted Mark Buxton (okay, I was desperate) and he told me it was a limited edition work of art, and it was not clear that it would ever be re-released. Suddenly, knowing it was unattainable, I longed for it. Pined, even. I bought up every sample Patty White had and began my quest for a suitable alternative. Could any other incense out there recreate the dark heart of labdanum, guaiac , immortelle and black pepper with the warm, sensuous sandalwood and cedar drydown?

Since then I have discovered some truly beautiful incense perfumes which have partially satisfied my jonesing. Avignon by CDG is gorgeous, dark and melancholy. Hinoki - Monocle: Scent One another Buxton creation, dials up the Hinoki cypress and again has a wistful, melancholy dampness, like soaking in an ofuro next to a Shinto shrine. The Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum and Heeley’s Cardinal are brighter, more optimistic examples of the genre; the Aedes version conjuring happy Christmas celebrations around a pine tree, with subtle spices, coffee and vanilla; and Cardinal presenting a clean, shining, uncomplicated incense (is happy Catholic an oxymoron?).

I had resigned myself to accepting these as close facsimiles of MoslBuddJewChristHinDao and the best I could do. Until today. I received my sample of Comme des Garcons Dover Street Market, applied, inhaled and my heart raced. Could it be? Yes! Dover Street opens strong and dark, with the slightly musty cold dampness of a cathedral cloister in a Fall rain. The bergamot and mandarin top notes are fleeting and impart no sweetness to the opening. The lovely folks at LuckyScent describe an opening citrus splash reminiscent of an eau de cologne, but this was not evident to me. It quickly settles into coriander, black pepper, olibanum, and juniper berry, with a hint of smokiness. My heart beating, I waited for the drydown, and there it was, the warm cedar, pine and labdanum – and sandalwood (though that latter note is not listed, the accord is very similar to the drydown of 10 Corso Como, without the licked-skin sourness of that one). Dover Street takes the wearer on a journey from the damp, cold, austere cloister to the cashmere-like warmth of woods, snuggly and comfortable by a fire.

This wears close to the skin after the first half hour, with minimal throw prior to that. It is definitely a fragrance for quiet contemplation or meditation. Longevity is not its strong suit; I needed to reapply after 3-4 hours, but did so happily so I could re-experience the progression. And for me Dover Street Market is, without a question, bottle-worthy. Speaking of bottles, this one is fairly stark and utilitarian, calling to mind other CdG bottle designs for Odeurs 53 and 71 and Play. And at $90 for 100ml, no dithering is necessary.

I would love to hear from our devoted readers about their experiences with those bottles that got away….

Year: 2009
Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Black Pepper, Coriander, Frankincense, Juniper Berry, Cedar, Patchouli, Pine, Ciste Labdanum


Scott Lauze MD is a psychiatrist in private practice in San Francisco and a perfume enthusiast.