Frankincense
Spanish labdanum
Bourbon vanilla absolute
Indian oud
Cedarwood
Copaiba balsam
Nepalese nard
Persian opoponax
Siam benzoin05/22/2025
ClaireV
969 Reviews
ClaireV
1
Lighter, woodier take on incense
Not all incense scents are alike, a fact that Incense Royale illustrates by mixing some of the resins used in the dark, tarry Pure Incense with vanilla and some of the lighter, sweeter resins such as benzoin, elemi, and opoponax to arrive at an incense fragrance that is a complete 180 degrees from Pure Incense. In comparison to its muscular big brother, Incense Royale floats in on a big powdery, vanillic cloud of scent with hints of cinnamon, lemon, lavender, red berries, and rose – all facets naturally present in the resins and oud used rather than the inclusion of any floral absolutes. A fat cushion of benzoin and vanilla adds a plush, pillowy texture that makes the incense feels luxe and pampered rather than churchy or severe.
There is a faint, sour streak in the woody backdrop that comes from the aged Hindi oud used for Incense Royale, but in general, the oud is not especially prominent. Rather, it sings a low brown note in unison with the other woody notes. Sweet, powdery, faintly resinous, and woody, Incense Royale could be a sort of Ambre 114 flushed with silvery bits of oud. The structure is flooded with citric brightness, perhaps due to the pine and lime peel facets of frankincense, or the creamy, lemony side of elemi resin.
Either way, the diffuse sweetness of the blend feels like it sits at opposite ends to the dark, sticky pungency of Pure Incense. Pure Incense is compacted resin, dark and prune-like, while Incense Royale has light and air and the birds and the bees. Choose according to personal preference, but both are excellent. For ease of comparison, Incense Royale has a very similar feel to softly powdered, sweet incense compositions such as Creed’s Angelique Encens and Guerlain’s Bois d’Armenie. It also shares an airy, woody-aromatic sweetness with Ambre 114.
There is a faint, sour streak in the woody backdrop that comes from the aged Hindi oud used for Incense Royale, but in general, the oud is not especially prominent. Rather, it sings a low brown note in unison with the other woody notes. Sweet, powdery, faintly resinous, and woody, Incense Royale could be a sort of Ambre 114 flushed with silvery bits of oud. The structure is flooded with citric brightness, perhaps due to the pine and lime peel facets of frankincense, or the creamy, lemony side of elemi resin.
Either way, the diffuse sweetness of the blend feels like it sits at opposite ends to the dark, sticky pungency of Pure Incense. Pure Incense is compacted resin, dark and prune-like, while Incense Royale has light and air and the birds and the bees. Choose according to personal preference, but both are excellent. For ease of comparison, Incense Royale has a very similar feel to softly powdered, sweet incense compositions such as Creed’s Angelique Encens and Guerlain’s Bois d’Armenie. It also shares an airy, woody-aromatic sweetness with Ambre 114.
Hektor
PallasCC
Caligari
