Best Frankincense & Myrrh by Kuumba Made Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

“On a track through an unforgiving desert, starting point and destination are indistinguishable from one another. Terra-cotta hued dunes twist and writhe, their shapes ever shifting. Only the merciless sun and aloof constellations can be trusted to point the way. Weighed down by treasures; some tempting the eyes with their glittering sheen, others enticing with exotic aromas, the camel plods towards a far off marketplace. Water is but a dream now, the taste of sweet dates a distant memory. There is nothing but an endless ocean of sand.” - Zoologist.

Perfumer: Christian Carbonnel.

Frankincense. Bet you’re thinking dark, churchy dusty incense and smells of a dodgy pipe smoking priest’s frayed robes.

Fact is, frankincense can be fresh and fruity. Seriously.

What we do with this arcane and noble fragrance is close to a miracle. A true celebration of fun, fresh and fruit. You ‘eard. And not any creepy old clergy or a spooky gothic church in sight. Thank god.

An ancient ritual. The wonder of green, perfumed resin flowing from the tree. It is reminiscent of journeys along the perfume routes, of the magic of nocturnal ceremonies. Fresh, intense notes of Incense, Opoponax, Storax and Tolu.

January 1618 A Japanese Galleon, the Pacific Ocean

Following a diplomatic mission to the West, a galleon carrying a delegation of samurai charges through dark ocean currents. Loaded with a rare and precious cargo, the ship’s hull is redolent of sweet-smelling tropical woods, heady Spanish leather, frankincense, fine black pepper and other exotic ground spices—the intoxicating spirit of a singular, extraordinary voyage of discovery.

A good perfume to visit if your are in a search for perfect true sandalwood,  smoky and a touch dirty. Arquiste carefully selected the companions for its sandal in this formula: tea and osmanthus, coffee, myrrh and stryrax and others to give it a dark, sensual depth.

***

GQ US on Nanban:

"This is my signature scent. I wear it all the time. And let me tell you: I’ve never worn something that has gotten so many compliments—no sunglasses, no sneakers, no full-body rubber suit. People actually turn their heads and ask me what I'm wearing. And then they jot down the product name. Arquiste’s masterpiece introduces itself with Malabar black pepper and Persian saffron, gives way to coffee, sandalwood, myrrh, and Spanish leather, and embraces you all day with a blanket of frankincense, balsam, and cade juniper."

Read full review

***

Financial Times' resident perfume writer Victoria Frolova on Nanban:

"... approach coffee notes creatively. Instead of mimicking nature, a perfumer instead might fashion a blend that hints at coffee’s pleasing bitterness and heady richness. Such is Arquiste’s Nanban (£160 for 100ml EDP). The composition uses a plush backdrop of woods to frame the smoky, spicy notes of myrrh and incense, with an accent of coffee to lend the composition a dark, delicious twist. It teases with its smoky, nutty warmth, but keeps its presence mellow behind layers of sandalwood and leather."

Read more

‘All the soarings of my mind begin in my blood’

Rainer Maria Rilke

***

A perfumed celebration of saints and superstitions, centred around a fierce fenugreek absolute note lavished with singed pyrazines, sacrificial myrrh and mournful molten honey poured over everything like amber rain.  Meadow blooms, sticky dark resins, pungent balms and ashen clouds of iris swirl like dramatic weather.

An intense incense that shapeshifts between cold/smoky and warm/creamy. This dream belongs to the mythological Irish warrior poet Ossian, who inspired the Romantic literary movement across 18th century Europe. Rêve d'Ossian conjures misty midnight forests with smouldering notes of pine, frankincense and myrrh, before calling forth the benevolence of Celtic fairies with mellow tonka bean and vanillic benzoin.

Perfumer: Hugo Lambert

A bold, exotic scent that begins with a deep narcotic hit of Nagarmotha Root and dark aromatic Patchouli Leaf, the sharp freshness of Makrut Lime Leaf and the earthy elegance of Vetyver Root from Java, all supported by a luxurious modern Somali Frankincense Resin and warm sweet Moroccan Atlas Cedarwood foundation. Sensual and earthy, with a surprising freshness.

This is a 100% botanical perfume made using only sustainable rare plant ingredients grown for us around the world. It was handcrafted at our Atelier in Berlin.

Inspired by the concepts of “green” and “freedom”, Terra Hedera evokes horseback riding on the Mongolian steppe. A green hyacinth intertwined with tenacious ivy and crisp galbanum.

Perfumer: Corinne Cachen

This is an after-dark jasmine that smoulders, thanks to shadow-dwelling frankincense spiced up with Guatemalan cardamom and Madagascar black pepper. The charm of the char continues with cedarwood and cypress.

Perfumer: Alberto Morillas

Perfumer: Julien Rasquinet.

Naomi Goodsir’s Bois d’Ascese is perhaps the smokiest peaty and charred-whiskey-barrels smelling perfume out there. But the smoke in this fragrance is quite contemplative, it’s not the hints of gunpowder or fireworks, neither is it anything foody. The smoke and woods in this perfume are dry and romantically ascetic, rather introvert and they practice self-discipline.