Statik Olfactive The Forbidden Temple
J’s image of Statik Olfactive The Forbidden Temple
The Forbidden Temple is the newest release of the Forbidden Collection composed by perfumer Paul Kiler. It pays homage to jasmine tea one of the most famous scented teas in China. Paul Kiler is a tea lover and has created his own tea accords for The Forbidden Temple making up fifty percent of the composition, along with more accords unique to this perfume. Each of elements of the composition were chosen to incorporate traditional elements of Asian culture both which Paul Kiler and Statik Olfactives creative director Chris Martin have a passion for and are fascinated by.
Perfumer Paul Kiler and Statik Olfactive The Forbidden Temple courtesy of the brand.
A soft swell of incense smoke rises up from your skin as The Forbidden Temple opens. A complex yet smooth array of frankincense facets greets your nose, fresh citruses with a touch of candied sweetness, a cool pine green and soft woods giving you this sense of calm. Imagine you’re within a meditative space where incense is burning and its scent is lingering in the air while relaxing with a delicate cup of tea. It’s joined by the glowing aroma of warm fruity sweetened teas, creating a gentle presence giving a comforting feel within the white soft incense smoke. You can feel the jasmine unfurl releasing a soft heady scent into the incense smoke as the steam from the tea rises to meet it. Paul Kiler cleverly uses Hinoki as a counterpoint to the sweeter facets of The Forbidden Temple, it’s brings in a colder breeze of minty fresh greens with a touch of camphor whispering of the darkness outside the temple. Soured lemony woods give a beautiful umami effect, as sweeter elements are released from the tea and incense smoke.
Photo by Max Griss on Unsplash and Statik Olfactive The Forbidden Temple image.
As more of the jasmine blooms so does a sweetness, a jammy apricot with a floral feel ripens. It took me by surprise the first time I wore Statik Olfactive The Forbidden Temple, I couldn’t work out where this delicious apricot aroma was coming from around me. With the floral facets it’s almost like osmanthus is present, it has a creamy fruitiness that smooth yet with enough jamminess to make you come back for more sniffs. This is another accord Paul Kiler has built. Incense and osmanthus, especially when it has that fruity floral facet shining are two of my favourite scents in perfumes, beautiful musks is another and The Forbidden Temple does all three in stunning ways. But for now we’re only getting tastes of that musky base. The tea facets are handled in such a beautiful delicate way, it picks up on those stunning delicate facets of short brewed Chinese teas, giving The Forbidden Temple a warm steam like feel as more woods, the Armenian woods add to this warmth with a subtle balsamic richness resins with a touch of smoky vanilla that’s smoothing out some of the Hinoki’s sharper facets rather than adding a sweetness. The way the materials are balanced gives The Forbidden Temple a relaxed and calming feel, its semi transparent as the incense smoke adds a soft focus of meditation.
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
Swirls of incense hang over smooth powdery woods like the steam from tea lingering like a thought over a wooden cup. Bois d’Encens keeps that fresh light feel, it’s a co-distillation of olibanum and cedar wood keeping that fresh frankincense fruity citrus facet while making the cedar’s woods feel softer giving a powdery warmth. I think it’s also responsible for the soft animalic balsamic ambery purr you get when you’re more intimate with The Forbidden Temple. Some desire spilling into those meditative thoughts for anyone getting close. A touch of myrrh’s dark rich sweetness adds to the quiet intensity that’s lingering in the woody musks of the base. Paul Kiler has composed his own smooth musk and captive molecule for The Forbidden Temple, the smooth musk blends spices and incense while his bespoke molecule is an accord built from tea, florals and more incense. I love the final dry down of The Forbidden Temple, it’s muskiness has beautiful facets that make me think of one of Kiehl’s Musk, maybe it’s the blend of florals doing it, that softly indolic jasmine is still there with the powdery woods and sandalwood giving a sensual smooth sensation.
J’s image of the gold flakes in Statik Olfactive The Forbidden Temple.
The tea again lingers at the back feeling delicate letting the florals merge into a soft abstract bouquet, it feels so smooth letting the materials dance over and through each other, merging like a dream. The Forbidden Temple captures that sensation of temple incense, as if a soft floral white ash coats your skin, scented with those thoughts and memories as you sipped a stunning jasmine and apricot tea.
The Forbidden Temple is a stunning perfume that captures three of my favourite elements in perfumery and combines them in a way I didn’t think was possible, I’ve been wearing it a lot since I got it and it’s another favourite I’ve smelled in 2025.
Notes: Apricot Jasmine Tea, Hinoki Wood Essential Oil, Sandalwood, Armenian Wood, Bois d’encens, Frankincense – extractions of several types and countries, including both partially and fully pyrogenated, Myrrh, Smooth Musk, PK Perfumes specially made captive basenote molecule – blending tea, florals, and incense.
Disclosure: A bottle of Statik Olfactive The Forbidden Temple was sent to J for review; thoughts and nose are their own.
J Wearescentient, Senior Editor, artist & olfactive writer.
Statik Olfactive The Forbidden Temple courtesy of the brand
Thanks to the generosity of Statik Olfactive, we have a 50 ml bottle of The Forbidden Temple to give away to one registered reader in the USA or EU. You must register for your entry to be counted. To be eligible, please comment on what sparks your interest in J’s review and where you live. Draw closes 1/8/26
Please read Mimian’s review of Finding Forbidden Love and Sandi’s review of Home for the Holidays here, Nicoleta’s reviews of Crème de Menthe Cafe here, and Scarlett Lady (a 2025 Best of Scent). Karl’s review of Into The Wild. Statik Olfactive is Michelyn’s Best Independent House of 2025
Statik Olfactive fragrances can be purchased on their website, as well as Emanuel New York, and Absolute Fragrances.
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