Incense 01

i usually have prejudice against hyped fragrances but this one genuinely deserves all the hype because of how amazing it is !! I've always been on the look for an incense fragrance that checks all the boxes of what I want in it: smoky, dark, punchy spicy, churchy vibe, and a surprising creamy vanillic twist. and ofc, Incense 01 nailed all of those !! This fragrance starts off very smoky like VERYYYY SMOKY. The smoke in this reminds me of how the palo santo opening smells like in Eilish No.2 which is quite fuzzy on the nostrils. It also smells like hickory and a perfume-y barbeque sauce? OKAYYYY I mean that doesn't sound good but trust me that's just how it smells for the first few minutes I promise the way it develops is where it's at. As the scent dries down, the savory scent of Incense 01 starts heading towards a sweeter route with the tiniest hint of soapiness. Just when you thought you'd smell the same fig note you'd find in Diptyque's Philosykos, Incense 01 surprises you with the lovely scent of creamy coconut oil which gets sweeter in the long run. At its heart, it smells like a roasted coconut dessert topped with caramelized nuts. It's quite nutty without smelling too much like sesame oil or peanut butter which is often my problem with nutty notes in fragrances. Although it has almonds, you really don't get to smell it on skin but definitely more on clothes !! AND THANKFULLY THE ALMOND IN THIS DOESN'T GO CHERRY COUGH SYRUP !!! Instead, it's a very play-doh smelling almond which I'm obsessed with because I love the creamy scent that's only exclusive to play-doh lol it's such a comforting nostalgic scent. What I also love about the play-doh scent in this is it perfectly complements the base notes. The creamy scent of play-doh makes the vanilla in this extra creamy without being sugary and syrupy. As for the similarities, maybe I kinda get the Purpose 50 reference tho I never got to smell it. However, I am familiar with Guidance 46, which people say Purpose 50 shares some similarities with being its "men's version". Well, I guess so then? Because there's this hella strong creamy, doughy, smoky, woody dry down I get from Guidance 46 that I totally smell in Incense 01. One thing I found impressive about this fragrance apart from the frankincense note not wanting to budge is the longevity. This thing haunts you like you inherited a curse from centuries ago. It stays with you like its THATTTT sticky. Which kinda pisses me off because you think washing it off would be the best solution but no that does nothing. I repeat. THAT DOES NOTHING. I've had a towel that I used last week (which i alr replaced ofc) and even after three uses, the scent of rubbed off incense 01 was still in it and I could smell it whenever the towel got damp. And when I tell you it sticks to everything, IT STICKSSS TO EVERYTHING, so good luck if ur future ex wears this. Ofc, I only shampoo my hair every two days because of scalp reasons, but whenever I use this fragrance I HAVE TO WASH MY HAIR AFTER A GOOD USE. And yes, even if you were only to shampoo your scalp bc you don't want dry and frizzy ends, this fragrance will force you to shampoo your whole head, unless you want to smell this for 3 days straight. I learned the hard way by having fragrances randomly smelling like incense 01 because I thought a good soapy shower would be enough BUT NO, AFTER WEARING THIS, ALWAYS SHAMPOO WHEN YOU'RE DONE EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T PLAN ON USING SHAMPOO BC IT'S NOT WASH DAY. Don't even mention pillow sheets and blankets because yes this thing will stick on everything you touch and will linger in your room for as long as it wants. I'm not even exaggerating this but even my dad smelled this fragrance on our dogs bc one time when I wore this, I played with them for a while, and out of nowhere my dad starts saying "why do they smell like coconuts?" AND HE SMELLED IT ON THE SPOT WHERE I HUGGED OUR DOGS. Longevity is not the only absurd thing about this, even the projection is too much. I let my mom try it on her wrist and I could smell this 10 feet away from our living room. On the bright side tho !! I never reapply this bc of how strong it is and so far I think I've only used 3ml of it because this is strictly a 2-3 sprays max type of beast. As much as I love the scent on this one, I rarely wear it because the longevity is hella annoying. Having impressive longevity sure is great but too much is TOO MUCH. (I love a beast projection tho, so that don't matter). If you were looking for a true incense fragrance, this probably isn’t it but if ur into incensey semi-sweet gourmands, then this is worth having.

Incense 01 is one of the most popular fragrances that SwissArabian produce and is definitely one of the most hyped. I had the chance to pick it up for US$25 recently which is just over half the RRP, and enjoyed the tester so I pulled the trigger. The packaging suggests it is rich and indulgent and the juice does not disappoint. It goes down powerfully and surprisingly wet, and it leaves the sheen on your skin that you expect from high end fragrances. First reaction is that it is very sweet indeed and, as the name suggests, very incense-forward. The frankincense in this is super rich and a bit churchy, but the juniper in the head and nutty accords in the heart notes keep it from being too cloying. There is a saltiness in the middle that feels nicely judged. I wasn't expecting to liken it to Gris Charnel Extrait but it is, weirdly. The fig and the rum over the woody base and the oak moss really make it quite similar although Incense 01 is sweeter and heavier. It is a lot more than just incense and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to, because incense is sometimes a slightly difficult sell for me as a central theme. I enjoy some but find others to be too cloying and staid for me. This is a very good one, I must say. As you would expect for an extract concentration, this has serious sticking power and really heavy performance. I get 9-10 hours on the skin although interestingly it doesn't sit close as a skin scent after that, it just fades off. I really enjoy the way it deepens in the drydown but find the star of the show, the bit I really enjoy the most, not to be the incense but the way the other accords interact with it and change it. My favourite is the savouriness of the nuts and the velvety rum in the middle that stay in the whole time. The bitter cacao note in the base is gorgeous too. Really, really nice and super enjoyable. The whole experience is very rich and feels hedonistic to me. I am not sure this is a daily wearer as it feels a bit too special and complex for that but as a date night or special occasion fragrance it is an extremely strong proposition and I would say pretty much unmissable at this retail price. Some of the SwissArabian frags I've tried have felt a bit muddled, over-synthetic and over-sweet but I really recommend this one as it is really well blended indeed. Three Word Summary - Gift Of Frankincense Scent - 8/10 Drydown - 8/10 Sillage - 8/10 Bottle/packaging - 9/10 Performance - 9/10 42/50

I was thinking about buying Incense 01 for months, but was scared without sampling it first. I do not like spending money on samples though... I did eventually pull the trigger and blind bought after reading lots of positive reviews and I'm glad I did. People say this fragrance takes you on a journey and it is true. It's spectacular. It's rich, bold and comforting. Also mature and classy. It's like no other perfume I own. Currently my nr 1 Swiss Arabian perfume. Incense 01 starts a little green and a soapy thanks to juniper and bergamot, but then the roasted nuts and fig start to shine. The addition of vanilla and dark chocolate make it smell delicious, but not cloying like some of your usual vanilla gourmands. Then you also get the frankincense throughout which makes it dark and mysterious. People notice when I wear it and say that I smell 'different', but in a good way. It leans slightly masculine, but I wear it happily as a female. I think it's totally unisex. Strictly cold weather perfume. It's quite expensive for a Middle Eastern perfume, but it's well worth it. It's better quality than any of my more expensive designer perfumes, so I've happily paid it. I just wish it also came in 100mls bottle rather than only 50. Great perfomance, lasts forever and projects well too. I do about six sprays and I'm good to go, even though I am usually a notorious oversprayer. Not needed with Incense 01, it's very potent. I did no maceration/maturation and been using it straight after buying. Beautiful presentation too. Its brown bottle really reflects how its smells. If you like mysterious churchy incense (with lots of comforting nutty sweetness) you're gonna love it.

Blind bought this today after having it on my wishlist for like half a year. First of all, the presentation. It comes in a very high quality box, and has an exceptionally beautiful bottle design - the orange color, the clean simple shape and an intricated metal cap make this an excellent showpiece. But most importantly - it smells phenomenal. Light, airy incense mixed with nuts, vanilla, chocolate and woods really lifts the mood. It's surprisingly wearable, but do not overspray it! Two-three sprays are more than enough to not just smell the whole day, but also to have a long-range sillage. If it smells funky in the beginning, let it settle. The drydown is great, with notes softening down and blending in with each other. Since this is an Extrait De Parfum, the 50ml bottle is more than enough. And it is a great deal for its price, performing much better than its equally-priced designer counterparts. For that price, you are getting a unique high quality niche scent. It is NOT blind buy safe, but I know that it's not very common in stores, and the house itself does not offer tester sets. I have never seen decants of it either. It's up to you if you want to risk it for the biscuit. 8.5/10, amazing

Oh wow! Outstanding from the very first spritz! The frankincense is just spot on! Literally like burning little pieces of the resin or chomping into bits of mastic! Refreshing and invigorating in the opening, I think due to the juniper. Both juniper and frankincense make me think of essential oils from past aromatherapy massages so feel very soothing to my nose. Creamyish dry down with something like a candy cane moss. It's beautifully sweet yet still perfectly unisex. Stunning blend, the other notes are hard to pick out individually and are somehow delicious yet bakhoor like. It's not overtly figgy for those who don't like fig fragrances, I know many are averse. Honestly it's everything I enjoy in a fragrance. 10/10 for me and might even knock one of my fave 5s off the top spot on here! Unless you despise a pure strong frankincense note, I would consider this a safe blind buy. Such a welcome addition to the 01 series. LOVE! 💖✨ Edit : You know what this layers well with? Guidance. For a more frankincensed up version. I purchased mine on Tiktok shop at a great price, certainly no more than £40 which is good for SA. After 9 months it has sweetened up a lot and the longevity is insane.