What does incense smell like in perfume?

Frankincense oil is fresh and resinous rather than smoky. A 2008 analysis of Omani resin described a balsamic, slightly spicy odour, and a 2022 study found Somaliland and Somalia B. carteri resins rich in α-pinene and limonene. The churchy smoke in a perfume is built around the resin with other materials: Amouage lists agarwood smoke in Interlude Man, and Tom Ford lists palo santo and pine tar in Ebene Fume.

What is the difference between frankincense and olibanum?

They are the same resin from Boswellia trees. Olibanum is the trade and perfumery name. The 2008 Omani study cited in this guide opens: 'Frankincense or olibanum is a plant product.' Scento keeps separate note pages for olibanum and frankincense, but the resin behind both is the same.

What is the difference between frankincense and myrrh in perfume?

Frankincense tends to brighten a perfume, while myrrh is darker and bitter-balsamic. Amouage lists both in Epic Man, frankincense in the top and base and myrrh essence in the heart. Tom Ford's Myrrhe Mystere and Jo Malone London's Myrrh & Tonka are myrrh-led, so they show the darker side of incense.

What is the best church incense perfume?

No single perfume deserves that title. WhatScent's incense guide names Comme des Garçons Series 3 Avignon as the reference church incense, but Scento does not stock it. Among stocked perfumes, the closest are Amouage Epic Man, which lists frankincense and myrrh, and Comme des Garçons 2, which a retailer lists with Japanese sumi ink, incense and cade oil.

Which incense perfume is not too heavy?

Judging by the listed notes, Jo Malone London's Myrrh & Tonka (lavender, Namibian myrrh and tonka bean) and Amouage Guidance (pear and frankincense on top) should wear lighter than the resin-heavy picks. That is a reading of the note lists, not a claim from the makers. A 2 ml decant is a low-cost way to check.

Is frankincense endangered?

It depends on the species. A 2019 Nature Sustainability study found population collapse in B. papyrifera, now the main source of frankincense. A CITES CoP20 document lists B. sacra as Near Threatened (1998 assessment). A 2025 Oman assessment found regeneration in 97% of B. sacra transects and no widespread declines there.

Does incense calm you?

The only evidence cited here is a 2008 study in mice. It found that incensole acetate, a constituent of Boswellia resin, produced anxiolytic-like and antidepressive-like effects in wild-type mice. The compound was purified from the resin and injected into mice. The study tested neither incense smoke nor perfume, and the authors say only human trials could give final proof, so it supports no claim about wearing perfume.

Can I try incense perfumes before buying a full bottle?

Yes. Scento sells 2 ml, 5 ml and 8 ml decants, hand-poured from original full-size bottles. For the 13 incense perfumes in this guide, a 2 ml decant costs between €5.90 (Comme des Garçons 2) and €20.90 (Black Afgano), prices read on 22 October 2026.

Best Incense Perfumes 2026: 13 Picks by Style

The ranking

Thirteen perfumes, grouped by style rather than crowned. Each row repeats the 2, 5 and 8 ml retail prices read on 22 October 2026.

Church-style frankincense and myrrh
Epic Man by Amouage
Frankincense appears in both the top and the base, with myrrh in the heart.
2 ml
€11.95
5 ml
€26.90
8 ml
€38.95
Church-style: dry ink and incense
Comme des Garçons 2 by Comme des Garçons
Sumi ink and incense over patchouli and cedarwood, released in 1999.
2 ml
€5.90
5 ml
€13.90
8 ml
€21.90
Church-style: myrrh-led resin
Myrrhe Mystere by Tom Ford
A myrrh duo with absinthe, sandalwood and a black leather accord.
2 ml
€18.90
5 ml
€31.50
8 ml
€44.95
Smoky resin
Interlude Man by Amouage
Frankincense and opoponax in the heart over agarwood smoke.
2 ml
€11.95
5 ml
€26.90
8 ml
€38.95
Smoky resin: palo santo
Ebene Fume by Tom Ford
Palo santo smoke with black pepper, cistus and pine tar.
2 ml
€18.90
5 ml
€36.50
8 ml
€52.95
Smoky resin: dark and hashish-inspired
Black Afgano by Nasomatto
Nasomatto says it aims to evoke the best quality of hashish.
2 ml
€20.90
5 ml
€39.50
8 ml
€59.90
Smoky resin with oud
Ombre Nomade by Louis Vuitton
Raspberry, incense, benzoin tears and oud wood.
2 ml
€18.90
5 ml
€41.90
8 ml
€59.95
Soft and sweet incense
Encens Suave by Matière Première
Somalian incense resin with coffee and vanilla.
2 ml
€12.90
5 ml
€25.50
8 ml
€38.95
Soft and sweet: vanilla
Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain
Guerlain describes vanilla’s smokiness; note databases list incense up top.
2 ml
€16.90
5 ml
€33.90
8 ml
€51.95
Soft and sweet: resin amber
Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens
An amber resin fragment from the souks of Marrakech, with vanilla and patchouli.
2 ml
€7.90
5 ml
€17.50
8 ml
€27.90
Soft and sweet: gentle myrrh
Myrrh & Tonka by Jo Malone London
Lavender on top, Namibian myrrh in the heart, tonka bean beneath.
2 ml
€8.90
5 ml
€16.50
8 ml
€24.95
Bright frankincense in a floral
Guidance by Amouage
Pear and frankincense on top, then saffron, rose and jasmine sambac.
2 ml
€12.90
5 ml
€29.90
8 ml
€44.90
Bright frankincense: extrait
Guidance 46 by Amouage
The same floral frankincense idea at 46% oil concentration.
2 ml
€16.45
5 ml
€37.90
8 ml
€55.95

The best incense perfumes fall into four styles: church-style frankincense and myrrh, smoky resin, soft and sweet incense, and bright frankincense in a floral. This guide picks 13 stocked perfumes from those styles, using each maker’s own notes, with 2 ml decant prices from €5.90 to €20.90.

Church-style: Epic Man, Comme des Garçons 2 and Myrrhe Mystere lean on frankincense, incense and myrrh.
Smoky resin: Interlude Man, Ebene Fume, Black Afgano and Ombre Nomade add wood smoke, palo santo or oud.
Soft and sweet: Encens Suave, Spiritueuse Double Vanille, Ambre Sultan and Myrrh & Tonka warm the resin with vanilla, coffee or tonka.
Bright and floral: Guidance and Guidance 46 pair frankincense with pear and rose.

Key figures

75%+

Of 23 studied frankincense-tree populations lack small trees (2019)

Nature Sustainability ¹

Halved in 20 years

Projected frankincense production, as modelled in 2019

Nature Sustainability ¹

24.1–46.4%

α-pinene in commercial frankincense oils (2022 study)

Plants (MDPI) ²

46%

Oil concentration of Guidance 46

Amouage ³

Guidance among Scento’s most-bought perfumes in Europe, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026

Scento Fragrance Index

€5.90

Lowest 2 ml price on the list (Comme des Garçons 2)

Scento catalogue, read 22 October 2026

What incense smells like in perfume

Frankincense, also traded as olibanum, is a resin tapped from Boswellia trees. Its oil is fresher than most people expect. A 2022 study found that Boswellia carteri resins from Somaliland and Somalia are rich in α-pinene and limonene, and that commercial samples ranged from 24.1% to 46.4% α-pinene². α-pinene is a pine-smelling terpene; in our reading, that is why the oil reads green and resinous before it reads churchy.

The composition shifts with species and origin. The same 2022 study reports that Ethiopian and Sudanese B. papyrifera has a notably different profile, with octyl acetate predominant². A 2008 analysis of Omani B. sacra found E-β-ocimene (32.3%) and limonene (33.5%) predominant, and described the oil as having a “balsamic slightly spicy and perfumery odor”⁴.

So where does the smoke come from? In our reading, it is built around the resin. One retailer guide lists the usual incense accord as frankincense resinoid, myrrh, labdanum, styrax, benzoin, opoponax and synthetics⁵, and the makers’ own lists below show the rest: agarwood smoke, palo santo, pine tar, cade oil. Myrrh, the other classic church resin, supplies the darker, bitter-balsamic side.

Incense is often described as calming. The evidence is a 2008 study in mice, which found that incensole acetate, a constituent of Boswellia resin, produced anxiolytic-like and antidepressive-like effects in wild-type mice⁶. The compound was purified from the resin and injected into mice; the study tested neither incense smoke nor perfume, and the authors say only human trials could give final proof⁶. No human claim follows from it.

For the notes themselves, see our pages on incense and frankincense, and the olibanum page for the same resin under its trade name.

How we chose

Each pick had to meet five tests: the maker (or, where stated, a retailer or note database) names incense, frankincense or myrrh; each of the four styles is covered; the perfume is in stock and not paused; a 2 ml decant price exists; and the notes can be quoted from a source. Scento’s own order data is shown beside the picks where it exists. It is context, not a crown.

Decants cost more per ml than a full bottle. The point of a 2 ml vial is to find out whether a resin suits your skin before committing to a bottle.

Church-style frankincense and myrrh

WhatScent’s incense guide names Comme des Garçons Series 3 Avignon as the reference church incense⁷. We do not stock it, so we will not pretend any pick below is a replacement. These three are the nearest stocked options.

Epic Man by Amouage

Amouage lists frankincense in both the top (with pink pepper berry, cumin, cardamom, saffron, mace and nutmeg) and the base, with myrrh essence in the heart over oud, sandalwood, patchouli and leather. The concentration is 23% oil⁸. It suits cool evenings and anyone who wants the full frankincense-and-myrrh pairing in one bottle.

Epic Man as a 2 ml decant (€11.95); 5 ml €26.90, 8 ml €38.95

Comme des Garçons 2 by Comme des Garçons

A retailer listing gives Japanese sumi ink, incense, patchouli, cedarwood, angelica root, vetiver, magnolia, amber and labdanum, with cumin and cade oil among the rest. It names Mark Buxton as perfumer and gives the release as 1999⁹. Fragrantica lists the base as incense, patchouli, vetiver, cedar, amber and labdanum¹⁰. It reads dry and inky rather than sweet, and it is the lowest-priced decant on this list.

Comme des Garçons 2 as a 2 ml decant (€5.90); 5 ml €13.90, 8 ml €21.90

Myrrhe Mystere by Tom Ford

This is the myrrh side of incense rather than the frankincense side. Tom Ford lists a myrrh duo (myrrh essence and myrrh resinoid), absinthe essence, sandalwood, jasmine absolute, an ultra vanille accord and a black leather accord¹¹. It suits those who find frankincense too bright and want a darker, more resinous centre.

Myrrhe Mystere as a 2 ml decant (€18.90); 5 ml €31.50, 8 ml €44.95

Smoky resin

Here the resin is only part of the story. Woods, leather and burnt notes supply the smoke.

Interlude Man by Amouage

Amouage lists bergamot, oregano and pimento berry oil on top, amber, frankincense, cistus and opoponax in the heart, and leather, agarwood smoke, patchouli and sandalwood in the base. Pierre Negrin is the perfumer, and the concentration is 29% oil¹². In Scento’s Fragrance Index for Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 it ranks #19 among masculine-labelled perfumes in Europe.

Interlude Man as a 2 ml decant (€11.95); 5 ml €26.90, 8 ml €38.95

Ebene Fume by Tom Ford

Tom Ford lists a palo santo accord, an African ebony accord, black pepper, cistus resin absolute and pine tar essence, and describes “the mystical essence of Palo Santo smoke”¹³. Basenotes reported it as a Private Blend addition in November 2021¹⁴. It is a good test of whether you like smoke without the church. For alternatives, see our Ebene Fume alternatives.

Ebene Fume as a 2 ml decant (€18.90); 5 ml €36.50, 8 ml €52.95

Black Afgano by Nasomatto

Nasomatto says it “aims to evoke the best quality of hashish”, gives the release as 2009, and notes the cap is “made out of burnt oak”¹⁵. The maker gives no note list. Liberty, a retailer, lists apparent notes of cannabis, coffee, tobacco, resins, woods, incense and oud¹⁶. It is the dearest 2 ml decant here, and the darkest.

Black Afgano as a 2 ml decant (€20.90); 5 ml €39.50, 8 ml €59.90

Ombre Nomade by Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton gives the key notes as raspberry, incense, benzoin tears and oud wood, and says “a smoky wisp of incense floats towards the heavens”. Jacques Cavallier Belletrud is the perfumer¹⁷. Fragrantica dates it to 2018¹⁸. In the Scento Fragrance Index (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026, Europe) it ranks #4 overall and #1 among unisex-labelled perfumes. For the oud angle, read our niche oud guide.

Ombre Nomade as a 2 ml decant (€18.90); 5 ml €41.90, 8 ml €59.95

Soft and sweet incense

These four soften the resin with vanilla, coffee, amber or tonka. They suit anyone who likes incense in principle but not the austerity.

Encens Suave by Matière Première

The brand text, as carried by a retailer, describes a Somalian incense resin magnified by labdanum absolute and benzoin absolute, with a coffee extraction and vanilla absolute¹⁹. Matière Première’s own page names Aurélien Guichard as perfumer and calls it “un encens plaisir, charnel”, an incense built on an accord of coffee and vanilla²⁰.

Encens Suave as a 2 ml decant (€12.90); 5 ml €25.50, 8 ml €38.95

Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain

Guerlain describes “a sheer excess of vanilla” that reveals “its smokiness, woodiness and generosity”, with jasmine, ylang ylang, benzoin and cedar²¹. Fragrantica lists incense, pink pepper and bergamot on top and dates it to 2007²². Guerlain’s own text does not list incense, so treat it as the sweetest, most vanilla-led pick here. See our vanilla perfumes guide for more.

Spiritueuse Double Vanille as a 2 ml decant (€16.90); 5 ml €33.90, 8 ml €51.95

Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens

Serge Lutens describes “a fragment of amber resin picked up by Serge Lutens during a wander through the souks of Marrakech”, with notes of vanilla and patchouli²³. Fragrantica’s longer list includes resins, myrrh, benzoin, bay leaf and oregano, and dates it to 1993²⁴. It is the second-lowest-priced decant on the list.

Ambre Sultan as a 2 ml decant (€7.90); 5 ml €17.50, 8 ml €27.90

Myrrh & Tonka by Jo Malone London

Jo Malone London lists lavender on top, Omumbiri myrrh from Namibia in the heart, and tonka bean in the base, describing the resin as the “rich, hand-harvested sap of the Namibian myrrh tree”²⁵. Judging by that note list, it should wear lighter than most of the resin-heavy picks above. That is our reading, not a claim from the maker.

Myrrh & Tonka as a 2 ml decant (€8.90); 5 ml €16.50, 8 ml €24.95

Bright frankincense in a floral

Here frankincense is the lift, not the weight.

Guidance by Amouage

Amouage lists pear, frankincense and hazelnut on top, saffron, rose, jasmine sambac and osmanthus in the heart, and cistus, sandalwood, akigalawood, ambergris and vanilla in the base. It calls this “the Amouage triad of Rose, Frankincense and Ambergris”. The concentration is 25% oil, and the perfumer is Quentin Bisch²⁶. Amouage also cites the French Fragrance Foundation Awards: Best Niche Fragrance 2024²⁶. It ranks #3 among the most-bought perfumes across Europe in the Scento Fragrance Index, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026. Our Guidance alternatives guide looks at what else sits near it.

Guidance as a 2 ml decant (€12.90); 5 ml €29.90, 8 ml €44.90

Guidance 46 by Amouage

The top adds rose water, pink pepper and bitter almond to the pear and frankincense, and the base adds ambrette, georgywood and cypriol. The concentration is 46% oil³. Fragrantica reported the announcement in June 2024, again naming Quentin Bisch²⁷. It ranks #8 across Europe in the same Fragrance Index window.

Scento analysis of the Fragrance Index and maker notes: three of Scento’s 10 most-bought perfumes in Europe are on this list and carry frankincense or incense in their maker notes. They are Guidance (#3)²⁶, Ombre Nomade (#4)¹⁷ and Guidance 46 (#8)³.

Guidance 46 as a 2 ml decant (€16.45); 5 ml €37.90, 8 ml €55.95

Comparison table

Thirteen incense perfumes compared: style, notes, launch year, 2 ml retail price (read 22 October 2026) and Scento Fragrance Index rank
Perfume	House	Style	Resin and smoke notes	Launch	2 ml retail	Scento rank	Source
Epic Man	Amouage	Church-style frankincense and myrrh	Frankincense, myrrh essence, oud, leather	–	€11.95	–	Maker page
Comme des Garçons 2	Comme des Garçons	Church-style: dry ink and incense	Sumi ink, incense, patchouli, cedarwood	1999	€5.90	–	Retailer; note database
Myrrhe Mystere	Tom Ford	Church-style: myrrh-led resin	Myrrh essence, myrrh resinoid, absinthe, black leather accord	–	€18.90	–	Maker page
Interlude Man	Amouage	Smoky resin	Frankincense, opoponax, agarwood smoke	–	€11.95	#19 masculine	Maker page
Ebene Fume	Tom Ford	Smoky resin (palo santo)	Palo santo accord, cistus resin, pine tar	2021	€18.90	–	Maker page; Basenotes
Black Afgano	Nasomatto	Smoky resin (dark, hashish-inspired)	Resins, woods, incense, oud (retailer’s apparent notes)	2009	€20.90	–	Maker page; retailer
Ombre Nomade	Louis Vuitton	Smoky resin with oud	Incense, benzoin tears, oud wood	2018	€18.90	#4 Europe, #1 unisex	Maker page; note database
Encens Suave	Matière Première	Soft and sweet incense	Somalian incense resin, labdanum, benzoin, coffee, vanilla	–	€12.90	–	Maker page; retailer
Spiritueuse Double Vanille	Guerlain	Soft and sweet incense (vanilla)	Vanilla’s smokiness, benzoin, cedar; incense listed by Fragrantica	2007	€16.90	–	Maker page; note database
Ambre Sultan	Serge Lutens	Soft and sweet incense (resin amber)	Amber resin, myrrh, benzoin, vanilla, patchouli	1993	€7.90	–	Maker page; note database
Myrrh & Tonka	Jo Malone London	Soft and sweet incense (gentle myrrh)	Lavender, Namibian myrrh, tonka bean	–	€8.90	–	Maker page
Guidance	Amouage	Bright frankincense in a floral	Pear, frankincense, rose, ambergris	–	€12.90	#3 Europe	Maker page
Guidance 46	Amouage	Bright frankincense in a floral (extrait)	Pear, frankincense, rose water, cypriol, 46% oil	2024	€16.45	#8 Europe	Maker page; Fragrantica news

Where frankincense comes from and why the trees are in trouble

The resin in these perfumes comes from a species group that is under pressure. A 2019 study in Nature Sustainability inventoried 23 populations of B. papyrifera, “now the main source of frankincense”, covering 21,786 trees. It found that over 75% of studied populations lack small trees, that natural regeneration has been absent for decades, and that projected frankincense production will be halved in 20 years. It names cattle grazing, frequent burns and reckless tapping as causes¹.

A 2012 study in the Journal of Applied Ecology, covering 12 populations in Ethiopia, recorded adult mortality of 6–7% per year. Its models projected a 90% decline in the size of tapped and untapped populations within 50 years and a 50% decline in frankincense yield within 15 years²⁸.

The picture differs by species. A conservation document prepared for CITES CoP20 lists B. sacra as Near Threatened (1998 assessment), while B. papyrifera has an unpublished Vulnerable assessment, with a draft category of VU A2cd+3cd. It adds that B. papyrifera has been noted to be devastated by overharvesting linked to reproductive failure²⁹. In Oman, a 2025 assessment found that B. sacra likely occupies at least 3465 km² and observed regeneration across almost all populations, with 97% of transects including at least 10% small trees or saplings. Its authors write that the data do not currently indicate significant or widespread declines in Oman³⁰.

For the cultural history of the two resins, see our posts on frankincense and myrrh in union rituals and sacred resins in ancient Egyptian perfumes.

How we compiled this

We read every source on 22 October 2026. Notes come from the maker’s page unless a retailer or note database is named. Prices are Scento’s one-time retail prices for 2 ml, 5 ml and 8 ml, read the same day. Launch years appear only where a source states them. The Scento Fragrance Index figures are ranks by paid decant units across Europe for October 2025 to September 2026.

Sources

Bongers, F. et al., “Frankincense in peril”, Nature Sustainability, 1 July 2019. nature.com
Ojha, P.K. et al., “Comparison of Volatile Constituents Present in Commercial and Lab-Distilled Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) Essential Oils for Authentication”, Plants (MDPI), 16 August 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Guidance 46, Amouage. amouage.com
Al-Harrasi, A. & Al-Saidi, S., “Phytochemical Analysis of the Essential Oil from Botanically Certified Oleogum Resin of Boswellia sacra (Omani Luban)”, Molecules, 16 September 2008. mdpi.com
“What Does Incense Smell Like?”, Fragrenza (retailer blog). fragrenza.com
Moussaieff, A. et al., “Incensole acetate, an incense component, elicits psychoactivity by activating TRPV3 channels in the brain”, The FASEB Journal, 20 May 2008. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
“Best Incense Perfumes 2026: 10 Smoky Picks”, WhatScent, updated 17 October 2026. whatscent.app
Epic Man, Amouage. amouage.com
2 by Comme des Garcons, Luckyscent (retailer). luckyscent.com
Comme des Garcons 2, Fragrantica. fragrantica.com
Myrrhe Mystère Eau de Parfum, Tom Ford Beauty. tomfordbeauty.com
Interlude Man, Amouage. amouage.com
Ébène Fumé Eau de Parfum, Tom Ford Beauty. tomfordbeauty.com
“Latest Tom Ford Private Blend is Ébène Fumé”, Basenotes, 3 November 2021. basenotes.com
Black Afgano, Nasomatto. nasomatto.com
Nasomatto Black Afgano Extrait de Parfum 30ml, Liberty London (retailer). libertylondon.com
Ombre Nomade, Louis Vuitton. louisvuitton.com
Ombre Nomade, Fragrantica. fragrantica.com
Encens Suave, Laure (retailer, brand text). laure.sa
Encens Oman / Encens Suave, Matière Première. matiere-premiere.com
Spiritueuse Double Vanille Eau de Parfum, Guerlain. guerlain.com
Spiritueuse Double Vanille, Fragrantica. fragrantica.com
Ambre Sultan, Serge Lutens. sergelutens.com
Ambre Sultan, Fragrantica. fragrantica.com
Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense, Jo Malone London. jomalone.com
Guidance, Amouage. amouage.com
“Amouage Guidance 46 Exceptional Extrait”, Fragrantica news, 10 June 2024. fragrantica.com
Groenendijk, P. et al., “Limitations to sustainable frankincense production…”, Journal of Applied Ecology 49(1):164–173, 2012. doi.org
Forrest, A., “Conservation status, trade and threats to the genus Boswellia (frankincense)”, CITES CoP20 information document, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. padme.rbge.org.uk
Johnson, S. et al., “Rapid conservation assessment of Boswellia sacra in Oman reveals complex threat and population patterns”, Journal of Arid Environments, March 2025. sciencedirect.com