IncenseOpens with
Woody NotesHeart
BeeswaxDries down to
David Seth MoltzThe nose · 109 fragrances · also made Debaser (2015)Portrait →Will you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
DS&Durga · Sold as unisex
Handbook For The Recently Deceased
The hushed quiet of a library at midnight, where the scent of old books and beeswax candles fills the air.
Full bottle: Premium tier, typically $100–250. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
Handbook For The Recently DeceasedPremium · $100–250
39%Similar accords, often for lessKhurafi · Lattafa PerfumesBudget tier, under $40 · shares incense and woody notes8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
The story behind the bottle.
Handbook For The Recently Deceased by DS&Durga, launched in 2021 and crafted by perfumer David Seth Moltz, is an enigmatic olfactory experience that balances smoky incense with earthy woods and warm spices. It opens with the striking contrast of chalk and paper, evoking a sense of quiet contemplation before diving into the rich layers of beeswax, patchouli, and artemisia. The composition melds these elements into an almost sacred blend, creating a space that feels both intimate and expansive.
Apply this fragrance in thin layers to allow its complex notes to unfold gradually. The smoky incense top notes dissipate quickly, revealing the deeper woody and balsamic heart after about an hour. It reads best close to skin rather than across a room.
Fig. 01 — Handbook For The Recently Deceased, DS&Durga
Where to buy.
Wear it for a week first
A decant costs a fraction of a bottle and tells you how it lasts on your skin.
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David Seth Moltz
Unusual landscapes, forgotten historiesS. & Durga in 2008. His fragrances tell stories of specific, often overlooked moments in time and place, such as El Cosmico, created for a trailer and teepee campsite in the high desert of West Texas.
Designer DS&Durga
More from the house · founded 2007 · United States
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Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the $100–250 price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalHandbook For The Recently DeceasedDS&Durga · Premium · $100–250Lattafa PerfumesKhurafiShares Incense and Woody notesunder $40★ 4.27 (188)40%Match
Lattafa PerfumesNight OudShares Incense and Woody notesunder $40★ 4.05 (79)41%Match
Lattafa PerfumesRoyal Highness GoldShares Incense and Woody notesunder $40★ 3.57 (7)39%Match
Lattafa PerfumesMusk AndalusiShares Incense and Woody notesunder $40★ 4.00 (9)
With DS&Durga King Majesty Bergamot Chypre
Adds citrus, fresh spicy and earthy; shares patchouli.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
Still under the radar: loved by 22%, disliked or hated by 44%.