The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Encens Suave Extrait began as a question: what happens when you push the original formula further? Aurélien Guichard had already built the EDP version around a single powerful accord, incense softened by coffee and vanilla. The Extrait took that foundation and intensified it, concentrating the perfume beyond what the original allowed. The incense note takes center stage here, rendered in a richer, more resinous form that speaks to its ancient roots. What emerges is a fragrance that feels both familiar and expanded, as if the original composition had been given more room to breathe and develop its character fully.
The structure is deceptively simple. Coffee arrives on the skin with presence, arriving and asserting itself before the other notes unfold. The heart belongs to frankincense and vanilla absolute, a pairing that sounds familiar until you notice how Guichard executes it: the incense surrounds rather than dominates, creating an enveloping warmth while the vanilla adds a complementary sweetness that balances the composition.
The evolution
The opening hits first, Venezuelan coffee, dark and immediate, almost bitter enough to taste. The frankincense makes its presence known shortly after, emerging as something substantial and aromatic. The incense is cushioned by vanilla absolute, creating a smooth transition between the coffee's intensity and the resinous heart. The benzoin and amber form a foundation that settles close to the skin, developing warmth over time. On fabric, the labdanum can linger, offering a faint, resinous trace that carries the memory of the fragrance forward.
Cultural impact
Encens Suave Extrait has found appreciation among those who seek a rich, resinous interpretation of incense in perfumery. The Extrait version offers a deeper, more concentrated experience compared to the EDP, with a focus on the raw, aromatic qualities of frankincense. The fragrance carries presence through its substantial use of incense, creating a scent that feels both grounded and elevated, connecting the tradition of resinous materials with a modern creative sensibility.
The House
Matiere PremiereMatiere Premiere is a French niche fragrance house founded in 2019 by seventh-generation master perfumer Aurélien Guichard. Based in Grasse, the historic heartland of French perfumery, the brand takes its name from the French phrase for raw material, signaling a philosophy built around the purity and provenance of individual ingredients. Matiere Premiere stands apart as the only fragrance house whose founder cultivates his own botanical ingredients, growing Rose Centifolia, Tuberose, and Lavandin on his land in the Grasse region under organic farming conditions. The house has grown from its initial six-fragrance collection to 19 perfumes, spanning core eau de parfum lines and the more concentrated Extrait de Parfum collection introduced in 2024. Distribution has expanded to over 50 countries through approximately 400 retail partners including Harrods, Liberty, and Saks Fifth Avenue. In 2024, Kering Beauté acquired a minority stake in the company, though the founders, including Guichard, Cedric Meiffret, and Caius von Knorring, retain majority ownership. Each Matiere Premiere fragrance centers on a single exceptional natural material, expressed at high concentration to reveal its true character and create a distinctive sillage.
The Creator
Aurélien GuichardAurélien's style could be described as refined and elegant, with a focus on natural ingredients. He often uses roses, a nod to his family's history, but he isn't limited by tradition.
