Incense
dry resinous smoke, the smell of a church rather than a bonfire
In 107 of 1747 fragrances here, most often worn in winter
What it is
Usually frankincense resin, tapped from Boswellia trees in Oman, Somalia and Ethiopia, and burned rather than worn for most of its history.
What it smells like
Dry resinous smoke with a citrus lift at the top, the smell of a cold church rather than of a bonfire. It reads as solemn, and it is one of the few notes that can make a fragrance feel like a place instead of a person.
Where it sits
Which layer of the pyramid it is listed in, across every fragrance here that carries it. A base note is one you smell for hours; a top note is usually gone within the first.
What it turns up with
How much more often than the catalogue average. 1.0x would be chance, so these are the things that genuinely travel with it rather than the things that are simply common.
When it is worn
Against the average fragrance here. The line marks that average, so a bar past it means this is worn in that season or setting more than most.
Houses that use it most
Counted across the fragrances here, which reflects what we cover as much as what a house makes.
Amouage (11), Byredo (7), Xerjoff (7), Prada (6), Azzaro (5), Mancera (5).
The description above is written here. The counts, pairings and seasons are measured across every fragrance on this site that lists it. We have not smelled every bottle behind those numbers.
Fragrances with incense
The best known of them, each with its full note pyramid and its cheaper alternatives.
Giorgio Armani
Acqua Di Gio Profumo
Availability may vary
Paco Rabanne
Invictus Victory Elixir
Availability may vary
