Resins are the hardened aromatic saps of trees and shrubs, collected across the Mediterranean, Arabia, Africa and Asia. As a family they smell warm, balsamic and slightly smoky, and give fragrance depth, staying power and an ancient character.
The category covers frankincense (Boswellia), myrrh (Commiphora), benzoin (Styrax), labdanum (Cistus), opoponax (sweet myrrh), styrax, elemi and tolu balsam. Most are tapped by wounding the bark and collecting the hardened tears, then steam-distilled or solvent-extracted to produce essential oils, resinoids and absolutes. Resins have been used in temple incense, medicine and perfumery for over five thousand years.
Resins sit in the base. Perfumers use them to build amber accords (Shalimar, Habit Rouge), incense compositions (Avignon, Passage d'Enfer), and to give gravitas to oriental, woody and leather bases. They pair beautifully with rose, oud, vanilla, spice and tobacco.
Resinous fragrances perform best in autumn, winter and evening wear, and give fragrance a distinctly sacred, cocooning character.
