Myrrh - identifying its scent, picking the best blends

[aedes]

Just a (hopefully) quick question. I'm a relative newbie to perfumes, and I haven't ever smelled myrrh by itself before, so I wanted to check with the pros before putting in an all-myrrh order.

 

I've tried a few imps now, and a lot of the notable ones (penitence, cathedral, and medea) start off differently, but then after about 3 hours all mellow out to almost the exact same warm, slightly sweet, amber-y smell. Since myrrh is the common ingredient in the three, that's what I assumed it was.

 

It's not the scent I originally intended on going for, but I guess my skin really likes it, and it smells nice, so why not work with your skin, right?

 

So, if it is myrrh, are there any particular scents you'd recommend? I like the end result of Penitence and Cathedral, but those first three hours sort of made my nose curl with the bitter, resiny scents. I'd like to avoid that in the future. Medea suprised me with how nice it smelled, even when wet. Definitely smelled like a candle or perfume shop on me. Comforting and wonderful, though I'd prefer it as a room smell as opposed to a personal one. Anubis, Wings of Azrael, and Bastet sound interesting. I'm mostly looking for a good myrrh (or whatever it is)-based scent that doesn't have the initial bite.

 

Thanks!

 

P.S. patchouli smells positively awful on me, so that would be the only real stricture. Velvet and Nyx also sound interesting, though I'm not a big chocolate fan and florals turn to powder very easily on me. It might be interesting to see myrrh and musk together, since my skin seems to amp both. Which would win? Two scents enter, only one scent leaves. Bwahahaha!

Edited September 9, 2005 by aedes

[wickedgoddess]

I love myrrh so I have tried many of the myrrh scents. Don't let the chocolate scare you from Velvet; it's sweet but not particularly foody. It's one of my favorites.

 

Another great choice is Athens, which is honey and myrrh, with a bit of wine. Once again, it's sweet but not foody. I find myself craving that scent sometimes.

 

Anubus is glorious! At first the embalming herbs scared me away, but embalming herbs are herbs, spices, honey....it's not a light scent, but it's magnificent!

 

Sin is also wonderful, but if you don't like patchouli you should probably stay clear.

 

The same with Wicked and florals. It's very floral, so you probably should avoid it.

 

The soft myrrh in Bastet and Nefertitti is just that, very soft. I barely recognize myrrh in those scents.

 

I hope that helped!

[aedes]

Awesome! That does help. Thanks!

[Galena]

Anubis is LOVELY

 

what I like about myrrh is that it winds down to a lovely warm skin sort of smell. resins work brilliantly on my skin, and Myrrh on me is a sexy skin smell.

 

if you can get it, Bruja is a lovely example of this. "Menacing, bewitching and darkly sexual. A blend of myrrh, amber and lilac."

 

think it might be in Hexennacht too, as it has the incense and warm skin smell.

[lookingglass]

Hecate, too. You get an almond blast at the beginning, but it dries down warm and sweet, without being foody.

[aedes]

Awesome! More imps to move to the top of the list. Almond blast probably won't be bad, I think it was the frankincense in the blends that was coming up all harsh and bitter at the beginning. Once that was gone, all that was left was creamy, ambery myrrh. Very nice! So almonds should give a nice, smooth jump start. Bruja and Hexennacht sound solid, too.

 

Oh boy. So many imps coming to me! I think I'm going to be able to heap them into a kiddie pool and start rolling in them a la Cartman.

 

"mmmm... BPAL imps... feel so good against meh skin"

[Miss Lynx]

Actually myrrh has a very dark, bitter scent -- at least judging from the actual resin. Frankincense is a lot sweeter, though it does have bitter undertones to it as well.

 

Remember the lines from the Christmas carol:

 

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume

Breathes an air of gathering gloom

Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying...

 

Magically, it's usually used in oils and incenses that pertain to death and the underworld. Frankincense, by contrast, is associated with the sun and often used for purposes associated with spiritual purity, prosperity and success.

 

Now, it might be that some varieties of myrrh perfume oil are sweeter and gentler than the actual resin, but the idea of myrrh=sweet, frankincense=bitter seemed kind of backwards to me.

[aedes]

Now, it might be that some varieties of myrrh perfume oil are sweeter and gentler than the actual resin, but the idea of myrrh=sweet, frankincense=bitter seemed kind of backwards to me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hm! Perhaps I was mistaken! Hah, and now I have roughly 8.2 billion imps with myrrh in them coming out to me, so I suppose I'll know for certain soon!

 

Though now I've double checked w/ Medea and it has myrrh, but no frankincense, and I could swear it had the same amber-y smell as Penitence and Cathedral did after a day at work. We shall see, yes, we shall see.

 

Now I'm going to start looking for frankincense scents!

 

Edit: Another hopeful sign for myrrh: Danse Macabre, which has frankincense, but no myrrh, smelled not-so-great on me, and nothing like those other three. Heheh, it's a fun, scientific sort of excersize to try to isolate these individual notes. Only adds wood to the fire of my BPAL addiction.

Edited September 8, 2005 by aedes

[yeahbutnobut]

I have some myrrh essential oil and it does smell quite bitter, however i have heard there are many varieties including, I think, a 'sweet' myrrh. Some of the myrrh scents in BPAL are quite sweet, but in a dark way, not golden-sweet like amber. There are also 'light' and 'dark' myrrh notes in BPAL, I don't know the difference between them though.

 

I adore Anubis as well-there's something about it that smells 'honeyed' to me, like golden honeyed resins.

 

If you like cinnamon you should give Chimera a whirl-it has a dark, sweet myrrh scent to it. The honeysuckle note in it is barely noticeable.

 

And also, La Petite Mort. It has ylang ylang but that's not too strong-it's mainly a skin musk with myrrh, and it's quite sexy, I think!

[Malista]

Opoponax is also known as "sweet myrrh," and on me it is. Many of Beth's myrrh blends go bitter/savory and loud on me, but two of them -- Bastet and Chimera, are among my all time favorites, and I never would have known they contained myrrh if I hadn't read the ingredients. Same with the discontinued Bruja, which I love. There are others that have surprised me, too, such as Medea, which is dark and incensey but delicious on me. I know there must be different formulations called "myrrh," but I also think it has to do with what other notes are in the blend, and how they interact. I can't ever predict, so if I the other listed notes are things I like and know work on me, I'm apt to give it a try, and just hold the thought that the myrrh may ruin it for me, so I don't get surprised if it doesn't work.

[sookster]

in my humble opinion, Athens and Velvet would be right up your alley!!

They are two of my ultimate favorites.....

 

ETA: oddly enough I found that Chimera had little to no notes of myrrh that my schnoz could detect....this could have everything to do with chemistry though as certain scents seem to grasp hold without letting go while others seem to wither away........

Edited September 12, 2005 by sookster

[Siren29]

MOVED this conversation from the Anubis review thread. --Shollin

 

I was looking to this as a prime myrrh scent. It's quite lovely and the myrrh's definitely there, though I think the general incense smells win out in the end. So, slightly off my mark, so to speak, but I think I'll definitely keep it around for days I don't mind smelling a little like a head shop 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Try Wings of Azrael for that Myrrh yummy scent. Very tasty oil (not that I eat it or anything)

 

Bastet...pleasantly changes over time also into a WONDERFUL scent.

 

Cairo..is one I always wear when drinking wine...I dunno...it's just fantastic when the senses are full on ! I recommend both!!!

Edited September 14, 2005 by Shollin

[aedes]

Try Wings of Azrael for that Myrrh yummy scent.  Very tasty oil (not that I eat it or anything) 

 

Bastet...pleasantly changes over time also into a WONDERFUL scent.

 

Cairo..is one I always wear when drinking wine...I dunno...it's just fantastic when the senses are full on !  I recommend both!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

W. o. A. was very nice, but only after about an hour of it smelling like awful green dishsoap. So I'm undecided.

 

Bastet is on it's way!

 

Penitence is lovely but smells too bitter at first.

 

Actually, my favorite myrrh so far is Darkness. But I'll definitely try Cairo! heheh, so much fun!

[aedes]

Time for a bit of an update:

Yes, Velvet was very, very yummy. Definitely a "curl up in cuddly clothes" smell.

 

Anubis was good, but smelled a little bit too incense-y for me. Boy said it smelled very nice, though.

 

Wings of Azrael is lovely, but only after smelling like strong, green dishsoap for an hour.

 

Darkness is my favorite so far of the myrrhs, a bit of an evening scent as the florals are a tad heady, but the boy also just LOVES it.

 

and, yep, my skin must just turn myrrh into this rich, smooth, golden smell. It's weird! But I feel lucky

 

In other scents, what has also worked very well on me are Seance, Yog-Sothoth, and Dorian.

 

I'm waiting on Bastet, too. And I just gotta find some Athens, Chimera, La Petit Mort, and maybe some others.

[Siren29]

Try Wings of Azrael for that Myrrh yummy scent.   Very tasty oil (not that I eat it or anything) 

 

Bastet...pleasantly changes over time also into a WONDERFUL scent.

 

Cairo..is one I always wear when drinking wine...I dunno...it's just fantastic when the senses are full on !  I recommend both!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

W. o. A. was very nice, but only after about an hour of it smelling like awful green dishsoap. So I'm undecided.

 

Bastet is on it's way!

 

Penitence is lovely but smells too bitter at first.

 

Actually, my favorite myrrh so far is Darkness. But I'll definitely try Cairo! heheh, so much fun!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think you'll love Bastet then...at first I was hesitant but later (a few weeks) I went back to it and fell in love with it. Very odd, it will definitely be a scent to wear in Autumn coming!

 

I concur on Darkness and try Haunted for a soft scent if you like all of the above ones. Try an imp of it just in case!!! Hope that helps!

[puddingirl]

My boyfriend loves me in Armani Night, and I get complemented whenever I wear it. I know it has myrrh notes. Also, my two most fave insense sticks are Myrrh!

 

My fave bpal blend so far is Snake Oil (I've only tried 6 imps).

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for me please?

 

 

Thank you

[naeelah]

My boyfriend loves me in Armani Night, and I get complemented whenever I wear it. I know it has myrrh notes. Also, my two most fave insense sticks are Myrrh!

 

My fave bpal blend so far is Snake Oil (I've only tried 6 imps).

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for me please?

 

 

Thank you

 

You'll definitely want to try Asp Viper. It's Snake Oil with myrrh, almond, and mandarin.

 

Just search the bpal catalog for myrrh and see if anything looks appealing. I'm not sure what to recommend, without knowing if you like sultry, or floral, or dry, etc.... If you want rich, sexy myrrh blends, Bilquis might be a good idea, as would La Petit Mort, Sed Non Satiata, Athens...

 

Penitence is just myrrh with frankincense, so it's probably a good one to try.

[kraken]

Mmm, myrrh... I didn't know that myrrh could be used in perfume until I discovered BPAL. Now I love myrrh and if a new blend comes out with it, I just have to try it.

 

Here are my top five general catalog myrrh favorites. Velvet is my OMG scent. As soon as I discovered that scent, I knew I had to try anything else with myrrh.

Velvet gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh

Voodoo resonant blend of myrrh, patchouli, vetiver, lime, vanilla, pine, almond and clove

Bastet luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus

Hecate deep, buttery almond layered over myrrh and dark musk

La Petite Mort The scent of warm, damp skin flushed with the glow of passion, touched by the luxuriant potency of ylang ylang and myrrh

 

Here are my top five limited edition scents. Haloa is my favorite of the five and smells like incense cakes. Purple Phoenix is an awesome violet blend in addition to the myrrh base and the Perfumed Garden was the first floral blend that I really liked (I'm usually not a flower scent wearing person).

Haloa wine grapes, myrrh, frankincense and olive leaf, and the warm scent of offertory cakes

The Perfumed Garden myrrh and Moroccan jasmine with apple peel, Indian sandalwood, myrtle, quince, citron, and thyme poured over soft musk

Schwarzer Mond: Brian's Creation opoponax, Tunisian black amber, night musk, antique patchouli, zdravetz, terebinth, myrrh, and Pimenta racemosa

Minotaur deep, swarthy black musk dusted by a dark, resinous blend of sacred bisabol myrrh, atramentous benzoin, tsori, balsam, and galbanum

Purple Phoenix myrrh, plum blossom, African violet, cognac, fig, orris, lilac, wisteria, black plum, and Burgundy wine grapes

 

Since you like Snake Oil, you'll definitely want to try Asp Viper Snake Oil with red mandarin, myrrh, and almond from the Carnaval Diabolique collection. It smelled lovely to me in the bottle, but my skin chemistry and Snake Oil don't get along very well.

[concrescence]

i would highly recommend Penitence. it's just frankincense and myrrh. some people find it too "churchy," but on me it's very sweet, creamy, and sexy. it's my #1 bpal and the only one that i consistently get compliments on.

 

another one that hasn't been mentioned yet that i really like is Priala. she's myrrh and cinnamon. i like her a lot.

[303marlena]

2nd the Asp Viper, since it has Myrrh and you already know you like Snake oil. I would also say Midnight Mass if you can get your hands on some.

[Phaedra]

I'll also recommend Pentitence and Midnight Mass. They are both heavy on the incense too but I that. I also highly recommend Athens: "A reformulation and modernization of a true Classical Greek perfume, myrrhine: voluptuous myrrh, golden honey, red wine, and sweet flowers." Not sure if you like florals or sweet blends but this one is a very cozy myrrh blend on me (I happen to really like honey and florals notes though).

[MalJo]

I'm a little bit afraid of incense and myrrh from 7 years of being a catholic alter server and coming home countless mornings reeking of funeral incense. Anyone familiar with Catholic funerals been able to overcome this? There are so many neat seeming scents but I'm so afraid of the incense!

[OneFixedStar]

Another great myrrh scent on me is Death of the Grave Digger. The snow balances nicely with the richness of the myrrh.

[Trish]

As far as I'm concerned the ultimate myrrh scent is Priala, The Human Phoenix. Myrrh can go bitter on me, but Priala doesn't at all! If you also like cinnamon then I really must recommend it. However it is pretty incensey - really good quality rich slightly sweet spiced myrrh incense.

Edited August 10, 2007 by Trishek

[ImperatrixMundi]

Sloth is described as vetivert over black myrrh and to me it smells exactly like very good quality pure myrrh when you burn it as incense on coal or in a burner. Bad quality myrrh smells like burnt nuts to me and is quite awful. So Sloth does not smell very perfumelike, but it is a sharp blast of myrrh and might be good to find out what myrrh is supposed to smell like. I think it is a bit like a sharp and lemony incense.