On The Scent

Author: Nicola Bonn

On The Scent is the podcast destination for anyone fascinated by fragrance (or keen to learn more) a place where perfume snobbery is stripped away, and fragrance is accessible to all.What began as a monthly sniff-in on the Outspoken Beauty Podcast soon became so popular in its own right (and with so many listeners sending in questions and asking for more) that On the Scent just had to go weekly - this time on its own perfumed platform!Encompassing everything from icons and all-time classics to whats new on the high street to the more niche indie brands; Beauty broadcaster and columnist Nicola Bonn and award-winning fragrance journalist and expert Suzy Nightingale give personalised perfume prescriptions, describe fragrances in such an intoxicating way you can almost smell them and help navigate the thousands of scents out there to find the truly incredible ones. Also expect interviews with well-known figures, delving into their favourite scents of all time and opportunities to get to know some of the most exciting perfumers in the world.Whether youve a collection of 500 or are just starting on your scent journey, olfactory obsessives Nicola & Suzy are on a mission to find you fragrances that dont simply smell good, but will re-connect you to long forgotten memories, engage your emotions and very likely blow your mind.
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Language: en

Genres: Arts, Fashion & Beauty

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Season 7 Ep 15: Holy Smoke! Our Favourite Incense Fragrances
Episode 15
Wednesday, 3 December, 2025

Incense is having a real moment and in this episode we're exploring why and also talking through some of our favourite incense scents.Why is incense so popular again? Incense has moved from temples and churches into living rooms,studios and perfume wardrobes; it’s become a chic, modern ritual asmuch as a smell.Trend reports link the boom to the hunger for spiritual and holisticpractices – incense is an easy way to pause, “set an intention” andcreate a little ceremony around everyday life.Incense vs frankincense “Incense” is the whole blend you burn – it might be on a stick, cone, coilor rope – and can contain resins, woods, herbs, spices and florals. “Frankincense” (also called olibanum) is one particular resin, tappedfrom Boswellia sacra trees in Oman, Yemen and parts of the Horn ofAfrica. Etymology you can play with: “frankincense” comes from Old French“franc encens” – high quality or “pure” incense – while “incense” itselfgoes back to Latin for “to burn.” When a perfume lists “incense” as a note, it may mean a full accord ofresins (frankincense, myrrh, opoponax, labdanum, elemi, woods,flowers) or a composition that highlights frankincense alone.What incense actually smells like Frankincense: resinous yet airy; earthy, piney, slightly smoky with asurprising citrus brightness. Myrrh: darker, spicier, slightly medicinal and very “churchy”, oftenassociated with ritual and antiquity. Opoponax: honeyed, vanillic, balsamic and comforting – it softens theharsher edges of smoke. Labdanum: rich, ambery, leathery and almost animalic; gives incenseperfumes that plush, warm body. Elemi: sharp, lemony, peppery resin that brings sparkle and lift to thesmoke. Woods (sandalwood, cedar etc.): add dryness, creaminess orpencilshaving smokiness and form the backbone of many incenseheavyfragrances.Quotes from perfumers: Francis Kurkdjian on why he loves Japanese incense at home: partlypracticality, because “it fills the room in five minutes, whereas candlestake ages.” Yasmin Sewell on the moodshift: “Where a candle may take twentyminutes to resonate in your space, when you light incense there is animmediate scent that fills the room.” Sewell again on why incense made more sense than candles for herbrand’s next step: “I felt that incense really connected with our values,since it’s been used in spiritual rituals for so long,” and “what I reallylove about incense is that it shifts the mood instantly.” Lyn Harris on her daily ritual: “It sets a spiritual tone to my day,” andincense is “an ethereal veil that lingers in the air.” She burns it in themorning to set her mood, sometimes midday to reinvigorate her senses,and even before bed so “there is a sensual haze passing over mynostrils before I sleep.” Chris Rusak on the psychology of burning it: incense is “a great vehiclefor empowerment or catharsis via controlled destruction” and “incenseuse is intentional. It requires fire or directed heat for full expression,which we must effect, contain, and control, in order to destroy it but notourselves.” How it’s harvested: frankincense resin oozes from cuts in theBoswellia sacra tree and dries into golden “tears”, sometimes called“frankincense tears” or “olibanum tears”. The jinn love story: a girl from the jinn falls in love with a human boy –forbidden, of course. As punishment she’s turned into a tree; her griefbecomes crystal tears that people burn on coal for healing smoke with abitter taste that mourns lost love. Ecology: frankincense forests in northern Ethiopia are under threat asthey’re...