Best La Myrrhe by Serge Lutens Alternatives & Similar Perfumes
La Myrrhe by Serge Lutens is an oriental spicy fragrance centred on rich, resinous myrrh combined with warm honey and a fresh mandarin top note. Its heart blends jasmine and lotus with a creamy almond touch, resting on a base of musk, sandalwood, black pepper, and amber for a complex, textured scent. Those drawn to this perfume may focus on the interplay of sweet, spicy, and resinous elements with a subtly powdery floral aspect.
The Serpent’s Orchard by Pictura Fragrans £166.00
- Key notes:
- animalic notes
- fig
- honey
- jasmine
- lactonic nuance
- myrrh
- nettles
- Aromagroups:
- fruity
- vintage/old school
- woody
In a garden long unguarded, where fig trees ripen past reason and the perfume of crushed blooms rises from the warm ground, Eve returns to Eden, empowered. The Serpent’s Orchard is a heady surge of wine and rose, honey and myrrh, jasmine and sandalwood. Look out for the snake among the figs.
Stone Cap: 100% peacock quartz
Osang by Mendittorosa £315.00
- Key notes:
- fenugreek
- frankincense
- heliotropine
- honey
- incense
- labdanum
- myrrh
- oud
- pepper
- peru balm
- sandalwood
- szechuan pepper
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- spicy
- unconventional
- woody
‘All the soarings of my mind begin in my blood’
Rainer Maria Rilke
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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.
Honey Like by Mabra £75.00
- Key notes:
- animalic notes
- honey
- labdanum
- myrrh
- Aromagroups:
- woody
A tribute to the oldest of perfume recipes: incense and resins. Gifted to queens, kings and pharaohs of ancient times, blends of frankincense, myrrh and labdanum conferred status and beauty. Honey Like continues this ritual with its hypnotic blur of muggy myrrh, rich labdanum, feral honey and aromatic incense. Be your own emperor with Honey Like.
Baliflora by Laboratorio Olfattivo £145.00
- Key notes:
- frangipani
- lotus
- musk
- orange blossom
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- woody
Perfumer: Jean-Claude Ellena
«There are places whose scents are stored in memory much longer than landscapes. When the red spider lily, the white lily ginger and the frangipane bloom, encircling the streets, and the lotus opens onto the smallest mirrors of water, the landscapes become fragrance in turn. Among the flowers of Bali, the inhabitants have made the Frangipane, the emblem of their island to offer to the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Centered to ceremonies, dances, offerings where smells and colors mix until they become one, it seemed to me then that the scent of those flowers told the beauty and diversity of the island.»
Nanban by Arquiste £195.00
- Key notes:
- black pepper
- frankincense
- leather
- myrrh
- osmanthus
- sandalwood
- Aromagroups:
- edible
- woody
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.
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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."
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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."
Živeli by Boka £215.00
- Key notes:
- brandy
- honey
- leather
- mandarin
- plum
- saffron
- tobacco
- tonka beans
- Aromagroups:
- edible
- fruity
- woody
“Živeli” (ZHEE-vuh-lee) is a common Serbian toast used to wish good health and a long life. In this extrait, a juicy burst of plum brandy melts into a leathered tobacco, encapsulating a celebratory night out with friends. Giddy joy is further fluffed by cherry and raspberry notes, while the leather aspect is warmed by honey, saffron and labdanum.
This composition is 24% parfum concentration, with 70% natural ingredients. Capped in Mexican Riviera Gray marble in a delicately etched glass bottle.
Bel Air by Molinard £65.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- bergamot
- jasmine
- mandarin
- white musk
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- fruity
- spicy
A floral flight of a thousand fragrances from the Pays de Grasse.
Bel Air, in a contemporary interpretation, exalts the most exquisite flowers of Grasse in a sumptuous, luminous bouquet.
A fragrance in which Centifolia rose, jasmine, tuberose, iris, violet, and mimosa bloom sensuously, eternally. A genuine jewel of light, the bottle is a faithful replica of its predecessor, now tenderly tinged with coral. Bel Air, inspired by an idyllic garden, enchants the eye and heart with its petite pastel flask that radiates intensely bucolic beauty.
Klea by Brandt £185.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- jasmine
- magnolia
- mandarin
- white musk
- Aromagroups:
- citrusy
- floral
Klea opens with crisp mandarin and bergamot, while olive leaf adds an aromatic quality. As it warms on the skin, light and dewy floral notes of water lily, magnolia and jasmine reveal themselves. The citrus and florals intermingle with an aquatic sea salt note, reminiscent of warm skin drying in the sun after a dip in the sea. Papyrus and cedar ground the fragrance with a gentle woodiness, while amber, Egyptian musk and tonka bean add a softly regal quality.
Parisian by Ampersand £60.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- jasmine
- mandarin
- rose
- Aromagroups:
- floral
In the understated chic of Parisienne style, it’s details that matter: the perfect red lipstick, a delicate gold necklace, the right perfume. And this is the right perfume — a sparkling floral and patchouli confection that is lush but not overstuffed. Jasmine and rose meets raspberry and vanilla for put-together prettiness.
Berbera by Nissaba £150.00
- Key notes:
- black pepper
- elemi
- incense
- myrrh
- pink pepper
- smoke
- Aromagroups:
- spicy
- woody
The finest gum extracts from Somaliland — frankincense, myrrh and opoponax — combine in this resinous and sophisticated scent. Berbera is a powerful woody amber suitable for layering, as is common in the Middle East, as well as a standalone manifesto. Opoponax brings nuances of leather and old wood, myrrh swirls in a cola note, and frankincense soars high and dry. A charred-around-the-edges fragrance to uplift your soul and deepen your mystique.
About La Myrrhe by Serge Lutens
- What makes La Myrrhe distinctive compared to these similar fragrances?
- La Myrrhe balances spicy, resinous myrrh with sweet honey and fresh mandarin, combined with floral notes like jasmine and lotus and a warm base of musk, amber, and sandalwood. Many similar fragrances focus more heavily on one aspect, such as animalic notes, smokiness, or fresh florals, whereas La Myrrhe maintains a complex, layered oriental spicy character.
- Are these fragrances suitable for both men and women like La Myrrhe?
- Yes, La Myrrhe and the fragrances listed are generally considered unisex. Their blend of sweet, spicy, resinous, and floral notes can appeal across genders depending on personal taste.
- How do the animalic notes in some fragrances compare to La Myrrhe?
- While La Myrrhe contains a subtle animalic warmth within its myrrh and musk, some fragrances here, like The Serpent’s Orchard and Honey Like, emphasise animalic and beastly qualities more strongly, creating a more primal and intense effect.









