Best Incense Scented Perfumes for Women

Incense is such a familiar part of culture from across the globe, that for many people, it has become synonymous with comfort and spirituality. Beyond all of that good stuff, it can also be infused into fragrance to create that warm smokiness , that adds just a bit of an edge to a perfume. For this post, I have selected seven fragrances that have an incense element to them. Some will be more than others, but I wanted to get many options for differing tastes.

Incense Perfumes: What are the Top Smelling Fragrances?

Woody Resinous Incense

Full Incense by Montale– This one goes exactly as the name describes. It’s pretty much a linear fragrance with not too much depth. However, the resinous quality, woods, and the familiar smell of incense makes this one fantastic.

Full Incense does have a sweeter quality, not as smoky (it still is), as some might like. Fresh cedar with greenish aromas peaking through during the duration of the wear.

Great Guerlain

Guerlain Shalimar Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3 Ounce– An absolute classic fragrance. Again, this is one that isn’t a ‘pure’ incense perfume, though it is prominently featured. An absolute classic of a scent.

Shalimar is an exotic blend of vanilla, citrus, rose, jasmine, leather, and musk. It’s got a nice bit of citrus, that floats around in the smokiness of incense, and plays well off of the leather note.

The citrus is pretty strong up front, but then the smoky, vanilla, and leather trio will move in and push the fruits aside.

At times, you will get more of a powdery feel from Shalimar, then, the smoky and warmth with sweet vanilla. It’s been around forever, still appreciated, and still a great performer. There have been many flankers of Shalimar, that have been released over the years, but I have to give the original its due.

Citrus, Rose, and Incense

INCENSE ROSE 1.7 OZ. BY ANDY TAUER by Andy Tauer– Quite a dark perfume with the warmth of incense and sweetness of rose. But first there is the mandarin note which brings the citrus front and center. Very unique and performs well.

Incense Rose can be somewhat difficult to find, at least at a good price. Nonetheless, the opening act is less about the incense and more about the citrus and rose. That phase gives this perfume an attractive and bright aroma.

Later, the smokiness and spice will come through much more. Light spices, rose, and the incense note that we’re looking for.

Smoky Sweetness

Tom Ford Black Orchid By Tom Ford For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4-Ounces– Black Orchid is a complex blend that features a wonderful incense note which only increases the wonderful mysteriousness of this fragrance. Unisex scent that is dark and sweetened by chocolate and vanilla notes.

Dark, rich, and spicy. A loud and sensual gourmand fragrance featuring notes of black truffle, black orchid, plum, and patchouli. Bold and sexy wear that can sometimes be polarizing.

Black Orchid is not only a top level fragrance with its sillage, but it seemingly lasts forever. Yes, Tom Ford fragrances are priced on the higher end, but you get every penny’s worth with this perfume’s performance.

It’s sweet, it’s dark and dry, it’s smoky, and then powdered. Black Orchid is complex and deep, with plenty of personality.

Woody Incense

Giorgio Armani Prive Bois D’Encens Eau De Parfum Spray 100ml/3.4oz– A dry and more earthy take on incense. This Armani formulation is a pretty simple and straightforward one but it is still unique, if familiar at times.  This one is probably one of the most ‘pure’ on this list.

Dark, woody, resinous, with hints of spice and sweetness. All of which is wrapped up in a light incense haze. The pepper can be strong at first, but it will settle to a more gentle form within the composition.

This came out well over a decade ago, so, bottles are tougher to come by. Worth a try, at a decent price.

Cathedral Myrrh

Incense Avignon– This one was a part of Comme des Garcons series of incense inspired scents. Avignon is the classic Catholic church aroma of frankincense and myrrh.

It’s pretty tough to come by a bottle these days, but could be a go to for those looking for that old Cathedral scent. This one is quite a bit like Montale’s Pure Incense, except with the additional myrrh being a bit heavier in this one.

Complex High End Option

AMOUAGE Epic Woman’s Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 fl. oz.– Typical Amouage, a very loud and long lasting scent with the oriental flavor. This one feature caraway and rose, which creates a floral based incense perfume.

The opening act has a huge amount of spice, mainly from that caraway note and cinnamon. There is also a bit of fruity sweetness, floating around, but the incense note in the dry down is great.

It settles down into a smoky, lighter spiced, sweet vanilla and warm amber blend. Oh, and a big dash of oud, to really give it that woody smoke.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.