To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
lkq517intitytek – :
Superb. Understated. Intelligent. Familiar yet far away.
And still rather difficult to describe, even after 8 years.
Those who know know and those who don’t? More for us.
But I only recently came back to this gem.
It has very strong associations for me with the fellow I was with when it was released, it being his all-time favourite then & now. An artistic, mercurial, but successful type. To this day I know he keeps a bottle in his bathroom, one in his car, one in his office, one in his bag – the devotion is deep. So I had to go away from it for some years despite my own undying affection for its complex yet quiet beauty, sensitive grandeur, and stoic… warmth.
The association has faded enough now in my mind to allow it to become enough mine. It’s not powerful, it’s not terribly long lasting. But all is forgiven on account of its affable, piquant, & handsome charm.
I can’t say it reminds me of Dover Street (nor the Market) itself much, per se, but it does conjure up cool wet West End pavements, the first maudlin North wind of Autumn, affection-worn wooden window seats… and induces a generally reflective mood… wanting for an afternoon fireplace, a pint, and a newspaper.
Good stuff.
★★★★☆
gershenzon – :
Like the previous reviewer, I am also surprised this fragrance doesn’t have more street cred. For me it combines all the complexity, polished execution, and incensey warmth I love about many Comme des Garçons fragrances with an everyday flexibilty that I was specifically looking for. Mind you, by ‘flexibilty’ I don’t mean that Dover Street Market is in any way generic. Even within the CdG line—which you’d think would have already explored incense/woody fragrance combinations to its, CdG’s, limits—it stands out as unique. Many of the best CdG scents require a specific mood or event for me to find the right application, as where Dover Street Market can really be worn at any time, anywhere—though, admittedly, I doubt this attribute will hold up as it the weather warms up. I’ve been wearing it nearly every day this winter, changing things up occasionally with Wonderwood. It has a certain organic coming-out-of-hibernation vibe that would probably make if nice for early spring as well.
As many reviewers have already pointed out, there is quite some shifting complexity here (see Mary-Jayne’s and Na0’s reviews below for an accurate description of what I mean). Along with the pine and pepper, I definitely get the citrus blast up front that serves as a bright wakeup, but dissipates quickly enough to not be much more than that. I love most of Comme des Garçons’ incense-centric scents, and it’s that pairing with fresh wet pine and juniper berries that really makes this scent what it is for me. It has the meditative qualities that are often mentioned in reference CdG fragrances, but I think of this more as a contemplative walk through a pine forest on a cold sunny morning, the snow on the ground and trees just beginning to melt. I live in a vibrant, bustling, but aesthetically drab city that suffers from monochromatic grey skies for 4 months out of the year, and this scent has become a trusted comfort and anti-misanthrope for me during those times.
Some obligatory performance notes: I get good longevity on this. If I spray it in the morning it easily lasts until late in afternoon to early in the evening, so I’d say a solid six hours of good performance. Projection is what I would call ‘intimate.’ I’m not one for imposing my scent on unsuspecting bystanders, and I think DSM is appropriately a scent for you (pro tip: spray a bit on your clothes to indulge in a few sniffs throughout the day) and those with whom you’re directly interacting.
kharlamov – :
I am surprised that more people don’t know, own and love this one as I had expected it to be popular within the Fragrantica community – it surely has so many interesting features and characteristics usually enjoyed, yet only 10 reviews in 5 years and only 44 members owning it!
This opens to me with a strong pine + pepper that makes it feel quite “cool” and somewhat bracing in the top notes. Very quickly however other notes rush to join in, a smooth incense – one of very few perfumes with an incense note that I can actually perceive as smelling incense-y – combined with a beautiful ceder, coriander seeds, fresh tartness of juniper berries and a hint of resinous ambery warmth from the labdanum and patchouli.
Interestingly while I consider this to be quite a cool scent my partner described it as smelling warm, rich and ambery and said it reminded him of a carved North African wooden box containing incense and resins. It is unusual for him to be so descriptive of perfumes, often his judgement is along the lines of “too sweet”, “very perfumey”, “nice” or “I don’t like that one”, but he really enjoys this one and has asked to borrow it before. He also loves to smell it on me and always gives positive feedback to this one.
This reminds me of being in a hot country on a cool and unusually wet day. It conjures for me an image of being on a paved path up a wooded hillside walking towards a village church. It has rained recently, maybe 10 or 15 minutes ago but the sun is starting to peep through the overcast grey skies and the ground is starting to dry, the trees shaking off their rain drops, and the smell of faint incense, old wood and cold stone floors breezes out through the open church door to greet us. I find it a very evocative scent in terms of the clear mental image it paints for me. It is quite a calming and purifying scent although that doesn’t mean it is icy or cold. I find it pleasing to wear and it is one I tend to choose for myself for days when I don’t care what others think and just want something fairly calming and close wearing.
That said, sillage appears to be larger than I anticipate as Himself comments on it when sat next to me, but it won’t fill a room.
Longevity is moderate, around 5-6 hours for me generally, but it is an EDT and is reasonably priced at £58/100mls so you can always refresh and respray without worrying too much!
This is really good stuff! Great scent that feels calming, purifying, evocative and well constructed, and for a good price. This one is entirely unisex although it would probably not appeal so much to those who favour very sweet, gourmand and fruity scents. This one deserves to be better known!
slavarik_29 – :
For some reason, I’ve started wearing this on days where my mood is the absolute worst and I don’t feel like talking to anyone.
With its sharp pine-incense-juniper components, this fragrance is like a coat of varnish on a freshly-made piece of furniture. It makes me feel protected, if that makes any sense.
One of my favorites from Comme des Garçons.
Giaco – :
What you read in the notes is exactly what you get, and the reviews below are accurate.
To simplify, however, and to add my own two cents, Dover Street Market opens up as a chilly, wet pine powerhouse, chased by a smokey yet sour marriage of incense and bergamot.
The woody notes (pine and cedar) are extremely organic and lifelike, whereas the incense, which in my opinion becomes the loudest note in this fragrance after a few moments, is very cloudy and suede-like.
I would classify this fragrance as a hip and gloomy Woody Oriental, and appropriate for most settings, but perhaps more of a nighttime fragrance. Would definitely call this one unisex as well.
My only complaint is that, at least on me, it doesn’t stick around very long. Two hours maximum when I’ve worn it.
выф – :
Comme des Garcon are so impressive with their range of fragrances and Dover street market is no exception.
Started out with thin top notes which deceive you into thinking this will be a linear citrus scent but then after the bergamot comes juniper and cedar.
Then an aromatic mixture of pine/incense in the heart with a overiding amber accord from ladbanum.
It’s a quality outing, fresh and clean juniper/citrus vibes with woods & resin in the base.
Minor criticism is that I didn’t get the performance from DSM that I was expecting, longevity was not great on my skin but again I will need to test it out properly.
Lovely smelling stuff though.
dubman – :
This is very good,in my opinion. It is a safe,well blended fragrance, that has a slight edge to it. The juniper,pine and incense, merge superbly in the heart.
A CDG fragrance that is versatile,complex and bottle worthy. A blind buy, that has worked out brilliantly. Under the radar? This doesn’t deserve overlooking. Great!
sanek7516 – :
This is love at first sniff.
Lovely pine-incense frag with spices and woods. In the line of Hinoki but more easy and less incensey.
Very well blended, original and with good quality. Smels like walk into a pine forest in a rainy day.
Very good price too!!!
A total surprise for me. 😀
scent: 8/10
longevity: 7,5/10
sillage: 7/10
Jasmine_fromAC – :
I just bought this fragrance today. It was a cold, windy, rainy day and I sprayed this on and it instantly warmed me up. Spicy incense and patchouli just made me feel warm and cosy to face the dreary day. This fragrance is best for cold weather, so if you didn’t like it the first time, try it again in the cooler months. I love it and I’m so glad I have it in my collection as a great everyday or lazy day scent.
Vilperd – :
What a shifting complexity ! O.o
I swear, here was my reaction when I smelled it.
“Ah, that’s a peppermint/”pine” citrus one !”…
*2 minutes later*
No ! Rather an oriental incense !
*later*
Whut ? It’s a chypre now ? Da hell is that ?!
And finally … Ok, in fact, it’s all 3 simultaneously ! Incredible !
Very complex, very deep, very intense. Hard to describe, really hard ! And you won’t smell twice the same notes !
Hmm… Let’s try to summarize it (It’s not accurate, but it could gives you an idea)
– Take agrums, add some pepper.
– Lock up them with burning incense stick and fresh strong pine
– And add a floral chypre-woody base.
Result ? A lovely sort of warm oriental one, with a fresh citrus and pine, making it at the same time dry and cold. Blowing your nose ! With that, a floral-chypre typical background.
You obtain an amazing eclectic smell. Magnificent feat to have succeeded to mix-up so different notes in a very consistent one ! I’m impressed !
jrv166InsuffBooni – :
This scent has so much going on at the same time, it is a masterpiece of complexity. This opening of pine and juniper suggests to the wearer that this may be a summer cologne type frag. But seconds into the opening, the smokey, incense accord wafts through, now sharing the limelight with the fresh sunny opening. From here, the two stories coexist and intermingle to create a compelling and multi dimensional perfume that will keep the wearer enthralled for hours.
A slight comparison to Bond No 9 West Broadway could be made due to the juniper/incense combo, but this is lighter, and more subtle. But in this instance I would say less is more…
make2012 – :
“Dover St” opens with a strong blend of incense, mandarin, spices and a weird olfative deja vú of the glorious “Tar”. Yes coal tar.
Juniper and pine goes ahead fading quickly into a incense-dark- woody essence with an undertone of a hidding note that stands between all the components: to my nose soft sweet cinnamom.
The perfume finds its end linear and transparent, patchouli, incense and then I get a fecal touch, similar to a typhonium arum flower, shy in the background mixing itself with the smoky background.
“Dover St.” develops as a soft incense scent with a weird pugnent nuance that, in fact makes it addicitive.
It actually doesn’t have the atmospheric or mystical atmosphere of the “Incense line” but lovers of that line will fall inlove quickly on this one.
A pleasant, wearable fragrance for woody-incense addicts.
Long lasting and projection average, though.
alex.sx1 – :
This is a great unisex scent probably edging towards being slightly more masculine. Totally unique but in no way unwearable; it’s a fragrance with personality and an interesting one at that. It’s quite smoky and woody but with pine/mint overtones that give it freshness. Settles into the skin beautifully nd just manages to catch your nose every now and then. The smell is perfect for dirty, sooty London Town. My only quibble is the Commes fragrances tend to be reasonably expensive.
Highly recommended and at the very very least worth a test spray.