It all started with my trip to France in 2023 and the many pauses along the way to rest, restore and seek solace in ancient cathedrals.
In Australia I rarely venture into a church but in Europe the pull is strong, I guess it's the history at first but then it becomes more than that. They are quiet places to have some respite from the heat (or the cold), a place to rest weary feet and whilst there, a place to contemplate the day, the week, life.
I ventured into one in Aix en Provence where the remnant scent of frankincense incense was strong - I have always loved Frankincense, I adore it as it fills me with on overwhelming sense of calm & contentment. I decided then & there that I will create a parfum rich in this beautiful resin and incorporate other elements of the scene around me on that day, in that space - well worn oak benches that have provided a place of repose for many tired bodies, the scent of dusty limestone walls and old paper from books that have touched a thousand hands, the warm glow of reflective candles, even the geraniums at the entrance in terracotta pots.
I called it Encens et Bois as an ode to this place & the French language - in English - Incense & Wood.