Which rose incense should I buy?
Choose a rose incense by what carries the rose. Looshi Allure pairs rose with aloeswood, the smoky wood perfume calls oud, and soft musk, so it smells of rose, but the warm kind.
Choose a rose incense by what carries the rose: Looshi Allure pairs rose with aloeswood, the smoky wood perfume calls oud, and soft musk, so it smells of rose, but the warm kind. Looshi makes artisanal incense, rolled by hand with real ingredients, with grounding scents from across the world.
What rose smells like in incense
Distilled rose oil doesn't smell much like a fresh rose, according to Wikipedia's article on rose oil. Wikipedia explains that the heat needed for distillation makes some of the rose's compounds break down chemically. That's why, the article says, rose attar, the distilled oil, doesn't smell very similar to fresh roses.
Wikipedia says it takes a large amount of rose petals to distill a small amount of essential oil. Wikipedia puts the typical yield at approximately 1:3,000, depending on extraction method and plant species. Wikipedia's article also notes that some oils sold as rose oil are up to 90% geranium or palmarosa to 10% rose.
So the word rose on a box is only a starting point. What you're choosing is how that rose smells once it's lit.
What oud is
Oud is a wood that turns resinous only after its tree is hurt, and Scent Evolution explains that oud forms only when the tree becomes infected by fungi or suffers physical damage. Oud Renad describes oud, also called agarwood, as a precious resinous wood that develops from the tropical agar tree.
Scent Evolution says oud's scent can be smoky, leathery, sweet or woody, depending on the oil. Oud Renad adds that chips of oud wood are commonly burned as incense, releasing its rich scent.
Natural oud is extremely expensive and chemically unpredictable, according to Scent Evolution. For that reason, Scent Evolution says, most modern perfumes use a combination of natural oud oil and synthetic molecules.
How to choose a rose incense
Choose a rose incense in two steps: decide which rose you want, and check how the stick is made.
A bright rose stands on its own. A warm rose is grounded by a wood or a resin. If rose has struck you as so sweet it's sickening and very synthetic, the warm, grounded kind is the one to try.
For the second step, read the box for how the stick is made and what its fragrance is. Our guide to hand-rolled or dipped incense explains the difference between the two methods. On fragrance, look for the words no synthetic fragrance.
Allure answers both steps as a rose incense: a warm rose grounded by aloeswood, hand rolled with no synthetic coating, nothing dipped, and made with no synthetic fragrance.
If you're weighing rose against other scents, our guide to which incense to buy covers the wider choice.
Allure, rose with aloeswood
Allure is rose, but the warm kind: soft, a little sweet, and grounded by aloeswood, the smoky wood perfume calls oud.
Allure's page names three notes and pictures each one: rose as the petals on the table, aloeswood as the smoke in the air, musk as the warmth on the skin. Together they make one scent, a lush, fresh rose deepened by aloeswood and warmed by soft musk, rich and close, never loud.
A verified customer wrote: "These are the only incense I've ever liked."
For a second scent beside it, the Sensory Space Incense Bundle pairs Allure with Euphoria.
To smell the warm kind of rose for yourself, see Allure Incense Sticks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the nicest smelling incense?
The nicest smelling incense is the one you'd want in your own room, so taste decides it more than any ranking. If you love florals but find most rose cloying, a warm rose with a wood beside it is worth a try. Looshi Allure is one: lush, fresh rose with aloeswood and soft musk, and the full incense collection holds the other scents.
Is aloeswood the same as oud?
Aloeswood and oud are two names for the same smoky wood. Looshi's page for Allure describes aloeswood as a smoky wood and says perfume calls that wood oud. In Allure, that wood grounds a lush, fresh rose and sits with soft musk, the warmth of skin.
Will rose incense smell too sweet?
Rose incense doesn't have to smell too sweet: the one to look for is a rose grounded by a wood. Looshi Allure is soft and a little sweet, grounded by aloeswood, warmed by musk, and made with no synthetic fragrance. A verified customer said of Allure that "they just smell fresh not perfumey."
Will rose incense take over the room?
Looshi Allure won't take over a room: its page says the rose, aloeswood and musk stay soft together and never take a room over. For any rose incense, read the description for words like soft and close rather than bold or intense, because those words tell you how much space the scent wants.
What do I burn rose incense in?
Burn rose incense in a holder, or upright in something heatproof with a plate underneath to catch the ash. The Ring Of Serenity is a hand-thrown incense holder shaped into a perfect circle. Whichever you use, burn the stick in an open, well-ventilated room and let the scent come to you.
Sources
The Discovery Set
Can't pick a scent? Try four.
Any four of our eight scents, two sticks each, $20. And the full $20 comes back as credit toward your first box. Make room for four.
Build your set · $20