Terror & Magnificence
Church incense and kyphi for the architect Hawksmoor, settling onto cool wet stone.
Perfumer: Pia Long
Terror & Magnificence looks to the Georgian architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. Echoing the nods to Ancient Egypt in his buildings, it pairs church incense, candle wax, papyrus and kyphi with a wet stone accord that recalls London’s first rain after a hot summer.
Saffron, black pepper and birch tar lead in. Incense, tobacco absolute and kyphi form the core, with warm resinous smoke and a sense of dry wood.
Myrrh, benzoin and labdanum settle with vetiver and the wet stone accord into a cool, mineral finish. The title fits a scent where dread and grandeur occupy the same space.
