Incense perfume: 16 to try, from soft resin to smoky and dark

What incense smells like in perfume

Incense is an aromatic material that gives off fragrant smoke when it burns. The word comes from the Latin for "to burn", and the word perfume itself traces back to a Latin verb meaning "to smoke through". Fire and smoke sit at the root of both words.

Two tree resins, used in both incense and perfume, stand behind the note. Frankincense, also called olibanum, is an aromatic resin from Boswellia trees, and its name comes from the Old French for "true incense". Myrrh is a gum-resin from small, thorny Commiphora trees, and its name goes back to a Semitic root meaning "bitter". On a perfume's note list, the resin appears as incense, olibanum, frankincense or myrrh.

Across the 16 perfumes below, amber and woody are the accords that come up most often, and six list a smoky accord. What sits beside the resin sets the style: vanilla and benzoin for the soft and sweet ones, citrus and tea for the fresh ones, tuberose or orange blossom for the floral ones, and vetiver, leather or dark woods for the dark ones.

That gives five styles, and the sections below follow them. Our incense note page lists every perfume we stock with incense among its notes. This guide picks 16, sets out what each is built from and how community voters wear it, in the order we would suggest trying them.

Comparação rápida

Comparação rápida: Votos da comunidade

#	Perfume	Destaque	Notas principais	Duração	Sillage	Estação	3 ml	10 ml	por ml
1	Encens SuaveMatière Première	Melhor no geral	Incenso, Baunilha de Madagáscar	Longa	Forte	Inverno, Outono	13,86 €	39,33 €	3,93 €
2	Myrrhe MystereTom Ford		Lábdano, Mirra, Olíbano	Longa	Moderado	Outono, Inverno	19,80 €	45,27 €	4,53 €
3	Crepuscule des AmesAtelier des Ors		Incenso, Mirra, Rosa	Longa	Moderado	Outono, Inverno
4	Interlude 53 ManAmouage	Maior duração	Âmbar, Incenso, Lábdano	Eterna	Enorme	Inverno	18,63 €	55,44 €	5,54 €
5	ImaginationLouis Vuitton		Canela do Ceilão, Gengibre da Nigéria, Néroli da Tunísia	Longa	Moderado	Primavera	16,92 €	42,84 €	4,28 €
6	Terre D'Hermes Eau Intense VetiverHermès	O melhor para o dia	Gerânio, Pimenta de Sichuan	Longa	Moderado	Primavera	7,65 €	22,05 €	2,21 €
7	Comme des Garçons 2Comme des Garçons		Folha de louro, Alcaravia, Canela	Longa	Forte	Outono, Inverno	7,83 €	23,67 €	2,37 €
8	Honour 43 WomanAmouage	Melhor escolha floral	Cravo (flor), Jasmim, Lírio-do-vale	Longa	Moderado	Primavera	18,36 €	54,45 €	5,45 €
9	Queen of SilkCreed		Agarwood (oud), Maracujá, Patchouli	Longa	Forte	Outono, Inverno	14,85 €	42,21 €	4,22 €
10	Can't Stop Loving YouBy Kilian		Mel, Lábdano, Estoraque	Moderada	Moderado	Outono	20,34 €	50,40 €	5,04 €
11	CappadociaMemo Paris		Benjoim, Olíbano, Jasmim	Longa	Moderado	Outono, Inverno	16,20 €	49,32 €	4,93 €
12	Spiritueuse Double VanilleGuerlain		Rosa da Bulgária, Cedro, Jasmim	Longa	Forte	Outono	19,35 €	52,38 €	5,24 €
13	WonderwoodComme des Garçons		Cipreste, Incenso, Vetiver	Longa	Forte	Inverno, Outono	7,11 €	22,23 €	2,22 €
14	SieneTiziana Terenzi	Melhor relação qualidade-preço	Incenso, Íris, Mirra	Longa	Moderado	Inverno, Outono	7,38 €	20,07 €	2,01 €
15	Black LacquerTom Ford	O melhor para a noite	Damasco, Madeira de ébano, elemi	Longa	Moderado	Inverno	33,48 €	101,43 €	10,14 €

Mostrar todas as 15 escolhas

Votos da comunidade

Resin and smoke: incense at the centre

These four put the resin in the heart of the perfume. Start here if you want to meet the note itself before anything else.

1Melhor no geral

Encens Suave by Matière Première

Notas de saída

Café

Notas de coração

Incenso, Baunilha de Madagáscar

Notas de fundo

Benjoim, Lábdano

Altura do dia

Serão

Experimenta: 3 ml 13,86 €10 ml 39,33 €

The French word encens means incense, and here it sits in the heart next to Madagascar vanilla, under an opening of coffee. The base is benzoin and labdanum. It is a unisex Eau de Parfum from 2019, with an oriental spicy accord. On staying power, most community voters rate it long lasting. Votes on projection lean strong. Season votes point to winter and fall, and the hours voters name are evenings and nights.

2

Myrrhe Mystère by Tom Ford

Notas de saída

Benjoim, Canela, Pimenta-rosa

Notas de coração

Lábdano, Mirra, Olíbano

Notas de fundo

Âmbar, Almíscar, Sândalo, Baunilha

Altura do dia

Serão

Experimenta: 3 ml 19,80 €10 ml 45,27 €

Launched in 2023, Myrrhe Mystère opens with benzoin, cinnamon and pink pepper, then moves to a heart of myrrh, olibanum and labdanum. Sandalwood, amber, musk and vanilla close it, and its accords read balsamic, resinous, warm spicy and sweet. It is unisex. Most community voters call the lasting power long lasting. Its projection, in the votes, leans moderate. Voters tie it to fall and winter, and to evening and day wear.

Crépuscule des Âmes by Atelier des Ors

Marie Salamagne composed Crépuscule des Âmes, a 2015 unisex perfume that opens with bergamot and orange. The heart holds incense, myrrh and rose, and amber, oud, musk and benzoin close it. Its accords run from warm spicy and aromatic to amber, musky and smoky. Most community voters rate its longevity long lasting, and most rate the sillage moderate. Voters tie it to fall and winter, and to evening and day wear.

4Maior duração

Interlude 53 Man by Amouage

Notas de saída

Bergamota, Orégãos, Pimenta-da-jamaica

Notas de coração

Âmbar, Incenso, Lábdano, Opopónax

Notas de fundo

Agarwood (oud), Couro, Patchouli, Sândalo

Altura do dia

Saída à noite

Experimenta: 3 ml 18,63 €10 ml 55,44 €

Amouage says this one rests for six months in Muscat before release. It opens with oregano, pimento and bergamot, then the heart holds incense, opoponax, amber and labdanum. Smoke, leather, agarwood, patchouli and sandalwood sit underneath: it is the only pick here that lists smoke as a note. If oud is the note you came for, our guide to oud perfumes goes further. Interlude 53 Man is presented for men, for going out. On lasting power, most community voters choose eternal, and most pick enormous for projection. Winter and fall draw the most season votes, with night and evening as the favoured hours. Readers who like this style can also see the best Amouage clones, where seven clones are judged against originals such as Interlude Man and Decision.

Fresh and dry: citrus, tea and ink

Here the resin sits in the base, under citrus, tea or ink. Two of the three draw daytime votes, so this is the group to try when a heavy incense feels like too much.

5

Imagination by Louis Vuitton

Notas de saída

Bergamota da Calábria, Cidra, Laranja da Sicília

Notas de coração

Canela do Ceilão, Gengibre da Nigéria, Néroli da Tunísia

Notas de fundo

Chá preto chinês, Madeira de guaiaco, Olíbano

Altura do dia

De dia

Experimenta: 3 ml 16,92 €10 ml 42,84 €

Citron, Calabrian bergamot and Sicilian orange start Imagination, followed by Tunisian neroli, Nigerian ginger and Ceylon cinnamon. The base turns to Chinese black tea, Ambroxan, guaiac wood and olibanum, so the resin arrives last, beside the tea. It was launched in 2021 for men. Most voters rate its longevity long lasting and its sillage moderate. It spans three seasons in the votes (spring, fall and winter), and voters pick it for day, office and evening.

6O melhor para o dia

Terre d'Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver by Hermès

Notas de saída

Bergamota, Toranja, Limão

Notas de coração

Gerânio, Pimenta de Sichuan

Notas de fundo

Madeira de âmbar, Olíbano, Patchouli, Vetiver

Altura do dia

De dia

Experimenta: 3 ml 7,65 €10 ml 22,05 €

Terre d'Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver launched in 2018 for men, with work as its listed occasion. Bergamot, grapefruit and lemon open it, Sichuan pepper and geranium form the heart, and the base brings olibanum, patchouli, amberwood and vetiver. Its accords lead with citrus, aromatic and fresh spicy, with woody and earthy below. Votes on longevity lean long lasting, then moderate. Most voters rate the sillage moderate. It is the one pick voters place in spring and summer, for daytime.

Comme des Garçons 2 by Comme des Garçons

Mark Buxton composed Comme des Garçons 2, a 1999 unisex perfume, and its pyramid of eighteen notes is the longest of the 16. The opening stacks aldehydes, angelica, tea, mandarin orange and mate. The heart adds ink, magnolia, nutmeg, bay leaf, coriander, caraway and cinnamon. Only then do incense, patchouli, vetiver, cedar, amber and labdanum arrive. Votes on its longevity go to long lasting, then eternal. Sillage votes go to strong, then moderate. Fall, winter and evenings are where voters place it.

Incense with white flowers

Each of these three pairs the resin with tuberose or orange blossom, and all three are presented for women.

8Melhor escolha floral

Honour 43 Woman by Amouage

Notas de saída

Coentros, Pimenta, Folha de ruibarbo

Notas de coração

Cravo (flor), Jasmim, Lírio-do-vale, Tuberosa

Notas de fundo

Lábdano, Couro, Olíbano, Opopónax

Altura do dia

Serão

Experimenta: 3 ml 18,36 €10 ml 54,45 €

Rhubarb leaf, pepper and coriander open Honour 43 Woman, and the heart is a bouquet of tuberose, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and carnation. Under that sit labdanum, olibanum, leather, sandalwood, vetiver and opoponax. It dates from 2021 and is presented for women, for going out. Most voters put its longevity at long lasting. Sillage votes lean moderate, then strong. Spring is its season in the votes, worn in the evening or at night.

9

Queen of Silk by Creed

Notas de saída

Magnólia, Osmanthus, Açafrão

Notas de coração

Agarwood (oud), Maracujá, Patchouli, Tuberosa

Notas de fundo

Madeira de cedro, Incenso, Baunilha de Madagáscar, Almíscar

Altura do dia

Saída à noite

Experimenta: 3 ml 14,85 €10 ml 42,21 €

Saffron, osmanthus and magnolia open Queen of Silk, a 2024 perfume for women. Passionfruit, tuberose, patchouli and agarwood form the heart, and the base holds Madagascar vanilla, Ambroxan, myrrh, musk, incense and cedarwood. Here the resin is one of six base notes, under a heart of fruit and flowers. Longevity: most voters say long lasting. Sillage: votes lean strong, then moderate. Fall and winter are its seasons in the votes, and night and evening its hours.

10

Can't Stop Loving You by By Kilian

Notas de saída

Flor de laranjeira, Paradisone

Notas de coração

Mel, Lábdano, Estoraque

Notas de fundo

Baunilha de Madagáscar, Musgo de carvalho, Olíbano

Altura do dia

Serão

Experimenta: 3 ml 20,34 €10 ml 50,40 €

Orange blossom and paradisone start Can't Stop Loving You. Honey, labdanum and styrax follow in the heart, then oakmoss, Madagascar vanilla and olibanum. It came out in 2023 for women, and its listed occasion is work. Longevity votes lean moderate, then long lasting. Most voters call the sillage moderate. Voters name fall and spring, with evenings and nights.

Sweet incense: vanilla, honey and tobacco

Here vanilla, honey or tobacco leaf sit beside the resin. If you already like gourmand or ambery perfumes, start here, and see our guide to amber perfumes for that wider family.

Chergui by Serge Lutens

Serge Lutens names Chergui after a hot, dry Eastern wind and describes it in terms of sap, resin and elixir. The notes agree: tobacco leaf, honey and amber lead, and the base mixes hay, incense, sandalwood, iris, musk and rose. It is unisex. Votes lean long lasting for longevity and strong for projection. Fall and winter draw the most season votes, and voters wear it at night, in the evening and by day.

11

Cappadocia by Memo Paris

Notas de saída

Mirra, Açafrão, Baunilha

Notas de coração

Benjoim, Olíbano, Jasmim, Mahonial

Altura do dia

Serão

Experimenta: 3 ml 16,20 €10 ml 49,32 €

Cappadocia launched in 2023 as a unisex perfume for work. Vanilla, myrrh and saffron open it, and the heart holds benzoin, sandalwood, frankincense, orris root, musk, mahonial, rose and jasmine. Frankincense is the only place on this list where the note is spelled that way. Lasting power leans long lasting in the votes. Most voters rate its reach moderate. Fall, winter and the after-dark hours are what they name.

12

Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain

Notas de saída

Bergamota, Laranja-amarga, Incenso, Pimenta-rosa

Notas de coração

Rosa da Bulgária, Cedro, Jasmim, Ilangue-ilangue

Notas de fundo

Benjoim, Fava-tonka, Baunilha, Almíscar branco

Altura do dia

Saída à noite

Experimenta: 3 ml 19,35 €10 ml 52,38 €

Guerlain says the excess of vanilla in Spiritueuse Double Vanille brings out a smoky, woody side, and the notes explain how: incense sits in the top beside bergamot, pink pepper and bitter orange, while the heart adds Bulgarian rose, cedar, jasmine and ylang-ylang. Vanilla rules the base with benzoin, tonka bean and white musk. This one is unisex. On staying power the votes lean long lasting; on projection, strong, then moderate. Voters pick it for fall and winter, through the evening, the night or the day.

Dark incense: vetiver, resin and wood

These three pair the resin with vetiver, leather or dark woods, and voters pick all three for fall and winter. Beyond the 16, Toskovat's Inexcusable Evil takes the dark side further: its incense sits with concrete, rain notes and sandalwood in the base, after an opening of gunpowder and iodine. Our Toskovat' samples guide reads the four Toskovat' perfumes in our range note by note, Inexcusable Evil among them, and gives a sampling order from the most wearable to the most challenging.

Wonderwood by Comme des Garçons

Antoine Lie composed Wonderwood, a 2010 perfume for men. Bergamot, Madagascar pepper, caraway and nutmeg open it, then cypress, Virginia cedar, incense and vetiver take the heart. Sandalwood, guaiac wood, agarwood, cashmeran and patchouli finish it. Its accords lead with woody, fresh spicy and aromatic. On projection, most voters say strong. Votes on longevity lean long lasting. Its season votes go to winter and fall, and its time votes to evening and night.

14Melhor relação qualidade-preço

Siene by Tiziana Terenzi

Notas de saída

Cipreste, Zimbro, Couro

Notas de coração

Incenso, Íris, Mirra, Patchouli

Notas de fundo

Âmbar, Mel, Almíscar, Sândalo

Altura do dia

Saída à noite

Experimenta: 3 ml 7,38 €10 ml 20,07 €

Leather, cypress and juniper open Siene, a 2019 perfume for men, and the heart holds incense, iris, myrrh and patchouli. Amber, sandalwood, musk and honey close it. Leather is the first note on its list, and our guide to leather perfumes covers that family on its own. Siene is listed for going out. Votes on longevity lean long lasting. Votes on sillage lean moderate. Voters reach for it in winter and fall, at night and in the evening.

15O melhor para a noite

Black Lacquer by Tom Ford

Notas de saída

Pimenta-preta, Tinta, Rum, Vinil

Notas de coração

Damasco, Madeira de ébano, elemi, Peónia

Notas de fundo

Olíbano

Altura do dia

Saída à noite

Experimenta: 3 ml 33,48 €10 ml 101,43 €

Rum, ink, vinyl and black pepper open Black Lacquer, a 2024 perfume for men, and the heart holds ebony wood, peony, elemi and apricot. Olibanum alone forms the base, so here the resin has the last word rather than the first. On longevity, votes lean long lasting. On sillage, most voters say moderate. Winter and fall are the seasons voters name, for night and evening.

The 16 at a glance

Our order puts the resin-first perfumes ahead because they show the note most plainly. Your skin and your taste may well reorder the rest.

Try a soft and a dark incense first

Incense reads very differently from one perfume to the next, so test it before a bottle. Our suggestion: one soft, one dark, both in 3ml. A 3ml of Encens Suave is 13,86 €, and a 3ml of Wonderwood is 7,11 €. Try them on separate days and notice which resin you reach for again.

A 3ml decant gives around 60 sprays, enough for several wears. A 10ml decant gives around 200 sprays and suits the one you wear for weeks; Encens Suave's 10ml decant is 39,33 €. Read more about what a decant is, or how to choose a perfume without smelling it.

Seven of these are unisex, and our unisex perfume page lists more. To place incense among the wider groups, read our guide to fragrance families.