The Unexpected Allure Of Incense Perfumes

Growing up, the only time I ever smelled incense was in church. The smoky, resinous aroma created an air of mystery and — supposedly — symbolized prayers rising to heaven. Honestly, I hated the services where incense was burned. The woody scent suffocated my adolescent nose. But lately, I’ve been catching dizzying whiffs of incense on people as they pass by, and instead of feeling heavy or ceremonial, it smells more refined, smooth, and completely mesmerizing.

In the fine fragrance world, incense has had a serious glow-up. Perfumers are experimenting with these ancient aromatics that are less ritual-for-the-sake-of-ritual and more emotional, skin-close, and addictive. Translation: modern and alluring enough for today’s scent-obsessed era.

“Long before modern perfumery existed, frankincense, myrrh, and oud materials were burned in rituals, ceremonies, and spiritual practices across cultures,” says Gustavo Romero of Team of Two Perfumers and founder of the Fragrance Alliance Network. “Fast-forward to now, and incense perfumes are everywhere — but they’re no longer trapped in that church-like box.”

Today, they’re less about religion and more about ritual in the self-care sense — the kind that turns a spritz into a whole mood. And honestly, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

The Rise Of Incense Perfumes

When looking at cultural trends through a wider lens, incense’s resurgence makes a lot of sense. Wellness routines have become less aspirational and more of a cornerstone of everyday life. Whether that includes curating a meditation practice or regularly visiting a sauna, it’s about chasing a feeling — and wearing an incense perfume has become a way to elevate the experience.

“The resurgence of incense in fragrance mirrors a broader cultural shift toward depth, ritual, and emotional resonance,” says Romero. “For consumers who move away from overtly sweet or purely ‘clean’ scents, incense offers something grounding and introspective, a feeling rather than just a smell. It’s about choosing a scent that feels meaningful rather than simply pleasant.”

In other words: incense perfumes don’t just sit on your skin. They set a tone.

What Do Incense Perfumes Smell Like?

Incense isn’t a new perfume ingredient by any means, but it is being incorporated in fresh ways. Early-2000s fragrance blends usually only featured a whisper of myrrh or frankincense, for fear it would overwhelm the entire composition. Today, these deep accords are taking center stage.

“Incense is now a narrative tool,” says Romero. “And thanks to modern extraction techniques and high-quality synthetics, incense can now be shaped, softened, and reimagined in ways that weren’t possible decades ago.”

That flexibility is exactly what makes the note so enticing. Incense can shape-shift depending on what it’s paired with — airy, creamy, metallic, woody, sweet, or almost skin-like. As I’ve sniffed my way through dozens of scents, I’ve marveled at how the accords can take on vastly different personas.

“Incense can feel dry and mineral, with frankincense or olibanum bringing a cool, almost stony clarity,” says Romero. “In other perfumes, it becomes warm and balsamic, wrapped in amber and resins that soften the smoke into something comforting and enveloping. When paired with woods like sandalwood or vetiver, incense can feel grounding and meditative — less about smoke, more about quiet presence.” Incense can be dramatic — or it can be quiet luxury.

Ahead, the incense perfumes proving this once-polarizing note can feel sexy, soft, and deeply wearable.

Modern Incense Perfumes to Try

Time travel to ancient Egypt with Bast, a recreation of the world’s first documented perfume. The spicy, deep scent combines a trifecta of grounding incense accords — frankincense, incense, and myrrh — with a swirl of cardamom, saffron, and amber for a deeply spiritual blend that feels protective and mystical.

Incense takes on an unexpected summery twist here. Calabrian bergamot and black pepper intertwine with a fresh sea breeze to transport you to the balmy Italian coast — but then it becomes flirtatious and sensual as incense, golden amber, and patchouli unfurl across your skin. It starts carefree and coastal, then slowly turns sensual and skin-heated.

Romero considers this Dior perfume a “modern classic” because of how it beautifully incorporates frankincense — something that was rather avant-garde when it launched in 2004. The incense is softened with iris and woods, turning something austere into an intimate, skin-close scent.

Incense’s versatility is on full display in this creamy potion that was inspired by stardust. Rice paper and almond form a silky soft angelic aroma that deepens into a resinous, balsamic-tinged haze. The longer it wears, the warmer it becomes with tonka — vanilla’s more complex cousin that smells like a mix of glowing amber and sweet tobacco.

In this scent, incense plays with airy green facets, juicy raspberry, velvety rose, and rich oud to produce a dance between softness, darkness, and floral radiance. “The incense isn’t church-like,” says Romero of this fragrance. “It’s cinematic, almost kinetic, linking tradition and modernity rather than anchoring the scent in one symbolic place.”

With its contrasting notes, Celestial Whispers can make anyone feel like they’re lucid dreaming. Light dances with dark in every layer of this spellbinding scent: Initially, you’ll catch whiffs of smoky incense and crisp metallic aldehydes, before powdery orris and resinous myrrh soften everything. Finally, it dries down into a warm blend of musky vanilla bourbon and rich cedarwood.

Diptyque rewinds to vanilla’s roots in Eau Duelle, before the note became synonymous with the sugar-bomb gourmands popular today. Boozy bourbon vanilla gets a dazzling kick from pink peppercorn on top, while incense and cypriol (an aromatic root) turn it into a creamy, smooth, and comforting aroma. Everyone who smells this agrees it’s a sleeper hit from the fragrance house.

Smoky and slightly sweet, this mist cloaks you in a hazy, complex incense cloud. Vanilla and cacao meld together for a velvety saccharinity that avoids venturing into dessert territory as wispy incense and wintry birch emerge on the dry down. Wearing this feels like nuzzling up next to a lover under soft candlelight.

One whiff of this ultra-potent blend takes you on a spiritual journey. Leathery saffron sparks against spicy yet grounding myrrh and frankincense undertones, while musky ambroxan keeps it modern and skin-like. The lingering scent bridges the gap between human and the divine.

While Romero says incense can take on a darker, more animalic edge when paired with oud, this fragrance takes your nose on an unexpectedly sweet journey. Rum and caramel apples give this a lively honeyed opening — but before it becomes too sweet, incense and cinnamon add a smoky, spicy edge that turns satiny smooth with hints of chocolate, oud, and sandalwood.