Pigmentarium Oratorio Review (Théo Belmas) “Incense Done Right”

Pigmentarium Oratorio

To be succinct and direct, the more I wear Pigmentarium Oratorio, the more things I find to love about it.  Primarily it’s a cool and decidedly modern incense and cedar focused perfume that’s light on the fog of religious/church-y connotations and heavy on the knowing air and aloofness of its modernist composition. It’s restrained, confident and cool and unlike a lot of frankincense forward fragrances I’ve tried, Oratorio feels playful.

The cold stone wall and sheer weight of societal evolution associated with the heritage and cultivation and trade of olibanum are in here, but so is a mandarin spiked neroli presented alongside an almost cola, caramel sweetness and a slightly soapy, weightless jasmine. Overall, it stays contemporary, chic and soothingly mellow with Symrise perfumer Théo Belmas serving the characteristic barbs of frankincense alongside a buoyant, subtle floral hue.

L-R: Perfumer Théo Belmas and Pigmentarium founder, Tomáš Ric

“Drawing contrast between the dynamics of the city, where the day already belongs to tomorrow and the space of an old church, under whose vaults time has stopped…”

That’s how the Prague based Pigmentarium describes Oratorio’s concept and the perfume itself definitely does a great job of realising that contrast. Fusing ‘old world’ raw materials (olibanum and opoponax) and the new school, molecular type of insistent perfumery creates a perfume that celebrates archaic olfactory notions and makes them feel lovingly tailored to modern life. A little like the assurance of an oversized soft knit, ¼ zip, polo collared jumper, which feels like a bit of a smart casual statement even though it’s already recognized as an evergreen classic.

Notes: mandarin, neroli, olibanum, cedarwood, atlas cedarwood, jasmine, patchouli, opoponax

Disclaimer: a sample set of Pigmentarium’s perfumes was kindly provided by Soliflore, the exclusive stockist of the brand in the UK., my opinions are my own

–Oli Marlow, Senior Contributor

All images used courtesy of the brand.

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Released in 2023

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