Reve d’Ossian is a warm, approachable liturgical incense that’s far less austere than, say, Cardinal, Avignon, or LAVS, or even the cold stone and lilies of the same house’s lovely Relique d’Amour.
There’s a glow from the polished wood under the layers of frankincense and myrrh and benzoin, but with a crispness of pine and a huge aldehydic lift, that feels like throwing the doors open on a bright morning.
I like the nod to James Macpherson’s wildly popular epic–not just for the forests and caves and romantic shenanigans, but because it’s not so unlike the myth-making and imaginary histories of so much perfume marketing.
Check out Scottish artist Calum Colvin’s very cool “Ossian Fragments of Ancient Poetry”, too, a series of work exploring illusion, boundary blurring, and constructed histories. Great stuff.
And if you ever get the chance to visit the Oriza L. Legrand shop in Paris, go, because it’s just lovely.
first posted 9 April 2019