Best Palais Bourbon by Memo Paris Alternatives & Similar Perfumes
Palais Bourbon by Memo Paris is an oriental spicy fragrance that blends rich incense and resinous oud with creamy vanilla and warm patchouli. It unfolds with aromatic cardamom and black pepper, softened by sandalwood and vetiver, while hints of cinnamon, benzoin, and geranium add complexity and depth. Those drawn to a smoky, resinous, and warmly spiced scent with a smooth woody base will find this composition distinctive.
Meek Passion by MINT £170.00
- Key notes:
- banana
- cinnamon
- patchouli
- pineapple
- vanilla
- vetiver
- Aromagroups:
- fruity
- woody
Purple line
Perfumer: Serge De Oliveira
An extravagant fruity perfume in which warm boozy spices (cinnamon and cloves) incite carefree fruit into jammy debauchery in some dense sweet patchouli setting. Check out the crazy banana explosion in the opening.
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The Sniff on Mint's Meek Passion:
"[it] is a scent for those who like their fragrances on the darker, more impolite and dirtier end of the spectrum. It evokes booze and sweat and smoke on the skin in its wear. The way the fragrance begins though is cheerful and totally unexpected making for an interesting juxtaposition."
Sand by And Fragrance £125.00
- Key notes:
- banana
- benzoin
- cardamom
- incense
- labdanum
- sandalwood
- Aromagroups:
- woody
Cigar boxes. Camden market bong shops reeking of joss sticks. Old lady soap. Sandalwood sometimes gets a bit of a bad rap. Undaunted, we’ve taken the dependable old fave and turned it on its head.
We’ve tracked down a unique Australian sandalwood versatile enough to handle hints of outlandish but ethically and sustainably sourced banana, cardamom, black pepper with weird and wonderful Labdanum and Benzoin resin. Which all means that this is sandalwood unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
So, unlike the bong shop, it won’t make your hair stink for weeks.
Oud Imperial by Perris Monte Carlo £160.00
- Key notes:
- birch tar
- incense
- oud
- patchouli
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- unconventional
- woody
Perfumer: Luca Maffei
It's a perfume built around natural oud and it meticulously highlights most nuances oud might posess: dry driftwood, then a mushroomy damp stump aroma, smoky charred logs and suddenly soft honeyed amber and green leaves.
Oud accords are often made safer and sweeter in a lot of perfumes. However, natural oud oil would only be distilled from a certain type of tree developing a fungal infection and responding to it in its own chemical way. Hence real oud oil smells both like old damp wood and at the same time like some clean smelling medicinal substance and lots of aromatic shades in between.
Oud Imperial explores this dichotomy of earthy vs. sunny, ancient vs. fresh, decay vs. renewal and so on.
Also available as an extrait. The EdP option smells drier and more like a damp autumn forest (and has a peculiar mushroom effect). The extrait of Oud Imperial is more ambery (softer) and the smokiness of natural oud is much more pronounced.
Perris are rebalancing each composition for the extrait version. They shift the focus from the top notes to the base raising the amounts of base ingredients to achieve a richer, more opulent and luxurious effect. Pure indulgence in the theme.
PG26 Isparta by Pierre Guillaume - Parfumerie Générale £140.00
- Key notes:
- incense
- oud
- patchouli
- peru balm
- rose
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- woody
The famed summer rose of Isparta, Turkey gives its name to the 26th fragrance from the esteemed Pierre Guillaume.
Specially picked early in the morning when their alluring scent is strongest, the half open petals still glistening with dew the Isparta’s summer roses has an intense, rich and lightly spicy character.
Opening with delectable red fruits, Isparta starts with a subtle harmonious sweet accord.
The mysterious character of the rose is heightened by balmy and resinous facets, veiling the rose with clouds of incense and smoked agarwood.
With a deep velvety base of amber and musk, PG26 Isparta is an alluring and bewitching rose perfect for exploring the darker side of spring.
Pair this perfume with the indulgent Isparta hand and body wash infused with the same fragrance.
Rasputin by SweDoft £120.00
- Key notes:
- cardamom
- cloves
- dark musks
- incense
- leather
- oud
- tonka beans
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- spicy
- woody
Cardamom, patchouli, cinnamon, cloves, Mexican chocolate, incense and musk. SweDoft uses the richest and finest ingredients to get the perfect blend. The juice also contains one of the best varieties of natural Indian oud.
Even with this unique collection of ingredients, SweDoft were still not satisfied with the results of traditional blending.
So they decided to do something unusual, while referencing the final part of Rasputin's story. They dropped the container with the perfume juice to the bottom of the Oresund Strait.
After 90 days, the water pressure in the dark, glacial sea produced unique results. The ingredients had flawlessly combined to fuse the formula.
Lovely Problem by Space Fluid £190.00
- Key notes:
- beeswax
- cinnamon
- leather
- patchouli
- sandalwood
- smoke
- vanilla
- ylang-ylang
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- leather
A pile-up of contrasts: cinnamon along with tropical florals frangipani and ylang ylang, against the earthy bitterness of artichoke and leather. This almost-gingerbread, almost-cement perfume confuses the senses with its animal/vegetable/mineral mystery.
Squire Jack by Plowden & Fallow £88.00
- Key notes:
- cardamom
- frankincense
- geranium
- incense
- nutmeg
- sandalwood
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- spicy
- woody
A celebration of great British eccentricity and all-round mischievous behaviour. This unique fragrance is an ode to the Mad Squire, his legacy of a life lived knowing no bounds and his fiendish love for outlandish stunts. This composition contains broad lashings of velvety woody opulence, finished with the earthy undertones of society’s eventual condemnation.
Squire Jack is an aromatic, oriental and woody perfume created for the rule breaker; this is a scent above all that captivates that free spirit of those that can’t just help but dare.
Vanuatu by Sora Dora £170.00
- Key notes:
- black pepper
- cardamom
- cumin
- papyrus
- patchouli
- sandalwood
- violet leaf
- Aromagroups:
- green
- woody
This extrait is named for the archipelagic country in the South Pacific Ocean, source of the sandalwood in the base. Vanuatu is a lively, confident blend of spices (black pepper, cardamom, cumin) dappled across characterful woody materials (sandalwood, patchouli, cedar and papyrus). Putting meat on the bones is fig milk, with violet leaves adding sharp sparkle. A fragrance for unexpected adventures.
Grande Ile by Nissaba £150.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- cloves
- incense
- patchouli
- pink pepper
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- spicy
- woody
Grande Ile blends the bounty of Madagascar — vanilla, pink pepper berries and black pepper — into a sensual and comforting spicy amber. This award-winning scent blends a warm ambery accord with clove, caramel nuances and a rich woody bouquet. Contrasting notes of dry cedar, creamy vanilla, and resinous touches create depth and intrigue. Grande Ile’s enveloping trail unfolds gently on the skin, revealing evolving facets throughout the day. Depending on who you ask, this intriguing beauty moirés between Oriental lilies, a vanilla sauna, and a smoky souk.
Bohemian by SweDoft £185.00
- Key notes:
- incense
- leather
- oud
- smoke
- vetiver
- white pepper
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- woody
Bohemian adds a new oud variety to Bloom’s portfolio of oud themes perfumes – Moluccas oud. It has been obtained for you by Swedoft in that same remote tiny archipelago that was the cause of spice wars over pepper and nutmeg in 17th century. Moluccas have their own unique micro-climate and soil enriched with volcanic ash.
So please savoir the earthy leathery oud note that reflects the faraway island’s topical air. The perfumer highlights this material’s earthy vibes with white pepper, vetiver and patchouli.
Bohemian is a potent rich leather perfume, smelling of leather maps, precious spices and single shot pistols hidden in antique treasure chests.
About Palais Bourbon by Memo Paris
- What makes Palais Bourbon different from these similar perfumes?
- Palais Bourbon combines a rich oriental spicy blend with a balanced use of oud, vanilla, and woody notes alongside aromatic spices like cardamom and black pepper. Many similar fragrances emphasise some aspects such as smokiness or sweetness but may lack the full layered complexity or the precise balance of incense and resinous warmth found in Palais Bourbon.
- Which of these fragrances is best for someone who prefers less sweetness?
- Oud Imperial and Rasputin are good options as they focus on smoky, leathery, and animalic notes with minimal sweetness. Sand also offers a cleaner smoky character without fruity sweetness.
- Are there any fragrances here with a powdery or fresh character?
- Yes, Atmayatra and Squire Jack both have powdery qualities, while Lovely Problem and Squire Jack include fresh elements that lighten their oriental spicy bases.









