Resinous familyBase note
Frankincense
Frankincense is a base note from the resinous family: with myrrh, a smoky resin that pushes a composition toward incense and meditation.
- 01Family
- Resinous
- 02Pyramid
- Base
- 03Best seasons
- Autumn, Winter
- 04Type
- Note
What does frankincense smell like?
Frankincense: with myrrh, a smoky resin that pushes a composition toward incense and meditation.
From our page: Resinous fragrance familyA 2019 Nature Sustainability study found evidence of population collapse in Boswellia papyrifera, which it called frankincense's main source.
From our page: Is the World Running Out of Frankincense? What the Science Says
Is frankincense a top, heart or base note?
Frankincense is a base note.
- Top15 minutes to 2 hours
- HeartHour 1 to hour 5
- Base4 to 12+ hours
Frankincense is one of the resins the notes pyramid places in the base, with amber, labdanum and benzoin.
From our page: Top, Middle, Base: How the Notes Pyramid Actually WorksBase notes are the memory: they are what lingers on a coat hours after you took it off.
From our page: Top, Middle, Base: How the Notes Pyramid Actually WorksWhat does frankincense pair with?
Frankincense and myrrh are the smoky resins of the resinous family.
Named partners
Also in the resinous family
The resinous family bridges to
Read more about frankincense
ScienceIs the World Running Out of Frankincense? What the Science SaysNot running out yet: a 2019 study saw signs of collapse in frankincense's main source tree, and IUCN rates 13 of 17 assessed Boswellia species as threatened.
Discovery20 Best Winter Perfumes for Women (2026)The best winter perfumes for women: 20 amber, gourmand, smoky and warm floral picks, from Baccarat Rouge 540 to Mon Guerlain, with notes from each house.
Find the perfumes built around frankincense.
Fragnatique reads every perfume down to its notes and scores it against your own taste, with the reason behind each match written out. Start from a note you love and let the app do the narrowing.