If You Like...Then You May Like...Incense Edition

In the If You Like...Then You May Like...posts, I'll take a scent category and suggest specific perfumes within that category that certain people might be drawn to. If you usually ignore a certain category because you think you don't like it, you might be surprised! I think there's pretty much something for everyone to be found in each of the perfume families.

via naturaleinfiniti

Incense Edition

Incense is a word tossed around by a lot of amateur perfume hobbyists. It can often be found in newcomers' "definitely no" lists, and calls up images of high school bedrooms, head shops, and grandmothers (if you're Asian!) Oftentimes, I'll hear niche/indie perfume newbies complain that "every scent in my order from X shop smelled like incense!!" However, incense perfumes can be incredibly sophisticated, unusual, comforting, or exciting, depending on the blend. There are a thousand ways to describe incense, and even more individual "ingredients" or notes that can make up an incense blend. Some of the more popular ones include frankincense, myrrh, Dragon's Blood, Nag Champa, and amber/resin/wood notes. 

But incense doesn't smell like just one thing. Even if you consider yourself a lover of, say, only light florals, allowing your nose to experience a variety rich incense scents will allow you to better develop your sense of smell. Scents that all smelled the same to you when you first tried them may smell distinct and amazing after getting used to heavier smells. Incense scents are usually long-lasting as well, due to the heavy nature of the scent components, so if you find perfumes disappear too quickly, consider adding some incense blends to your collection!

If you like...Orientals, you may like...heavier incense blends containing Dragon's Blood, Nag Champa, and floral notes.

If you already like classic Orientals like Shalimar, you're in luck because you are already a budding incense-lover! The amber, wood, spice, and subtle floral notes in the Oriental family are commonly found in incense scents, and they make up some of the richest and most luxurious incense perfumes. Incense is probably already in your favorites category, or you just didn't realize you were missing out on something that's right up your alley. 

Notes to look out for:

• Oudh
• Amber
• Spice
• Dragon's Blood
• Nag Champa
• Jasmine
• Smoke
• Myrrh
• Benzoin
• Kyphi

Product Suggestions:

• NAVA Osirian Purnima Line: One of the most excellent and well-developed incense lines out there in the indie perfume world, this line has a wide variety of incense blends. They all smell distinct from one another, but they share a rich, soft, purring incense accord that is browned, blackened, spicy, and smooth. For a traditional-incense lover, my first pick is OP Anubis, which has a dark, honeyed amber note that wraps sinuously around the incense heart of this perfume. (Note, this is a seasonal collection that has been around for several months. It may return or stay permanent, or it may go away.) Second pick is OP Thoth, which mixes guaiacwood (like a less scary oudh) with kyphi (kyphi is a catchall for ancient incense scents, traditionally Greek or Egyptian) for a spicy, sweet, thick incense smell.
• Alkemia Hex: Although this only lists a few traditional incense notes, the spice and resin really make this a dark, sweet incense winner. The night-blooming floral notes lend a sweet lightness without taking away from the richness.
• Arcana Honey and Venom: This is an adventurous pick: the smoky dank oudh will shock you at first, but if you let yourself breathe it in, it blooms into something more complex and enchanting than a typical woodsy scent. The kyphi in this is spicy, heavy, and sweet. This is a blackened, assertive incense scent that develops into the richest, sweetest, warm perfume.

If you like...fresh scents, you may like...brighter incense blends with notes like frankincense, wood, amber, patchouli, vetiver, and fruit.

If you consider yourself a lover of fresh/green scents, you may be a fan of unisex/men's fragrances, and you may be a newcomer to the indie scene. Perhaps you're used to the light, citrusy EDPs that a lot of mainstream brands carry. Maybe you think that the most inoffensive, light perfumes are the only ones you can tolerate. In reality, the zestiness and freshness you are used to in your perfumes can be found in incense blends, they are just made deeper and more complex with the addition of darker woodsy and resin notes. Frankincense in particular is a note some people are unfamiliar with, but is one of the best ingredients for green perfume lovers. It's a tree resin, but it smells fresh, piney, zesty, and lemony, rather than the sweet honey you might associate resin scents with.

Notes to look out for:

• Frankincense
• Amber
• Cedar
• Teak
• Sandalwood
• Patchouli
• Vetiver
• Fruit
• Oudh (used sparingly)
• Herbs/herbal flowers like lavender
• Moss

Product Suggestions:

• Deconstructing Eden Gentian House: The ultimate fresh/green incense scent. This smells like a witch cleaning her house on a rainy spring day and burning sacred incense. The vetiver and herby floral notes make this scent unisex, fresh, green, but the opium smoke and frankincense make it an unmistakably lovely incense scent. See full review.
• Deconstructing Eden Black No. 1: This scent utilizes patchouli to its fullest. Patchouli is in the mint family, and is truly not as scary as some people think. It's dark, zesty, a little stinky in an interesting way, and totally complex. In this scent, the patchouli is raw, damp, and makes me think a rainy forest and muddy clearings, mingled with hazy spicy incense smoke. See full review.
• Haus of Gloi Snow Wolf: The pine-like zestiness of frankincense is on full display here, accented with evergreen notes and anchored by deep, dry cedar. A masculine scent, rich, but cold and fresh at the same time. If you think incense has to smell like fire or smoke, you're missing out! (Note: this scent is seasonally available as a winter/Yule scent.)
• NAVA Eternal Egypt Anniversary: The most incredible blend of aquatic(!) and resin notes. This is the most indescribably fresh, sexy, and cool-yet-warm scent. Everyone who smells it loves it, and it's especially good for men. It's like if Davidoff Cool Water were sophisticated and interesting (the bookish guy you meet in your lit class vs. the dbag who hits you up over the keg.)

If you like...fruity or floral scents, you may like...sweet, complex incense blends with notes like rose, jasmine, carnation, amber, myrrh, berries, and vanilla.

If you're normally a fruity/floral kinda girl/guy, you might share characteristics with people who like fresh/green scents. Either you are sensitive to strong smells, are used to very tame mainstream blends, or just like to smell pretty. Nothing wrong with that! Incense can add something mysterious and nuanced to your favorite floral and fruity notes, though. Berries and dark fruits make a wonderful accent for incense. They're not too light, but they bring some freshness and their juiciness complements the dark nature of incense. Myrrh is a fabulous incense resin that, like its cousin frankincense, doesn't smell like your typical idea of "resin." Far from being a plain woody smell, myrrh has a rich, fruity, sweet honey scent that is dynamite with berries and florals.

Notes to look out for:

• Myrrh
• Amber
• Jasmine
• Rose
• Vanilla
• Berries
• Bergamot/citrus
• Spice

Product Suggestions:

• Solstice Scents Thornwood Thicket: This fruity-incense scent mingles dark crushed blackberries with a very rich, dark incense background. The oudh and moss make this a very dark incense scent, but the fresh sweet berries make it more wearable for someone who enjoys fruit scents.
• Cocoa Pink Spell Caster: The myrrh works exceptionally well with mulberries and amber here. It's syrupy and juicy at the same time, golden and cozy.
• BPAL The Caterpillar: The rich floral notes in here (carnation, jasmine) mixed with the fresh vetiver and bergamot are a great balance for the heavy incense. You end up with a delightful mix of light and dark, fresh and deep.
• NAVA OP: Bastet: From the Osirian Purnima line mentioned above, this rose scent is slinky, spicy, sexy, and fruity. It smells like rose petal jam, Turkish Delight, and a whisper of incense in a luxurious, exclusive storefront. 

If you like...gourmand scents, you may like...sweet, powdery or syrupy incense blends that utilize chocolate, spice, sugar, honey, Nag Champa, and smoke.

Powdery can be a dirty word in the perfume world. People use it to describe scents that go flat or cloyingly-sweet, and they're often thinking of the ubiquitous, awful baby powder scent. Powdery in this case means something more like the scent/vibe of flour or powdered sugar. Light, fluffy, smooth, soft, and sweet. Nag Champa is a great note to look for if you like gourmands- its soft fluffiness mimics cakey or cookie notes, and it's complemented very nicely by spicy and food notes. Syrupy amber that is more on the honey side (rather than the dry, woodsy side) also does well in this category. You'll find that rich resin notes aren't as different from your comforting bakery scents as you'd think. Note that overt smoke notes do very well in this category because smoke + baked goods mingle in a very natural, harmonious way. Vanilla, obviously, is a stellar partner to any resin or incense/smoke scent.

Notes to look out for:

• Amber
• Copal
• Honey
• Kyphi
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Marshmallow
• Nag Champa
• Dragon's Blood

Product Suggestions:

• OHWTO Venom: This could be filed under floral as well, but the floral-incense (Nag Champa) is used with the almond-amaretto and it ends up smelling like a powdered, sweet, floral cookie that you're eating, with just the memory of smoke lingering around you.
• Solstice Scents Foxcroft Fairgrounds: A great intro scent for those who are REALLY shy about incense. The main notes in this are the cotton candy and funnel cake, mingled with a great fresh air note, and a bare wisp of incense. Very easy to wear, great for wetting your whistle on incense scents. Full review here.
• Solstice Scents Smoky Mountain Mallow: A must-have for anyone who even vaguely enjoys marshmallow scents. This transforms the campfire treat into something more sophisticated and unusual by adding rich smoke, lapsang souchong tea, heaps of resin notes, and a dose of dark wood. Excellent for pushing your gourmand-only tastes further into the dark, complex world of incense perfumes. 
• NAVA Queen Amber: The honey is the star here, and it's accented by gingerbread-like spices which make this smell cakey, rich, and gooey. You can practically taste the syrup dripping from this, and you can absolutely smell the rich, dark, crumbly incense accompanying it.