J’s image of Olibanum Osmanthus, Tubéreuse, Sacra and Oud

Founded by Gérald Ghislain in 2021, Olibanum perfumes have a focus on materials with an olibanum CO2 extract bridging all of the perfumes. I’m a massive olibanum/frankincense fan and regularly heat the resins on my small subitisim heater and more recently have been taking a boswellia sacra supplement. Some people dissolve the resin in water and drink it, which is nicer than chewing it, but make sure your using the medical grade resins for that. Olibanum is a perfume house I’ve been intrigued about since its conception and having read Nicoleta’s fantastic review of Neroli, I had to finally try it and as an incense lover, I was not disappointed.

Olibanum Logo courtesy of the brand.

I spent days dreaming trying to work out how to combine a trio to make a summery floral incense perfume that had a top, middle and bottom, working with the vast selection in Olibanum’s line to choose from and having smelled these four, I’m dying to smell more. My first thoughts where citrus and Yuzu for a top, but I wanted to the Osmanthus which also has a fruity fresh opening, Opoponax was also under consideration to give a more resinous base to the layering combination, vetiver and Sandalwood too could easily work. I went for Oud in the end; it gives a little more florals with a darker mystery and woods. Tubéreuse was an instant choice, the Oud had already given me some rose. Sacra was a must try to as it’s the base of many enhanced by fir balsam and musks.

Perfumer Céline Perdriel Gérald Ghislain of Olibanum and Histoires de Parfums courtesy of the brand

Each of Olibanum’s perfumes are already a complete composition by perfumer Céline Perdriel in themselves and deserve a much more in-depth look; they have an evolution but can be layered to create your own unquiet combinations. Having the shared olibanum CO2 extract makes it easy for them to work with each other. Personally, for me when layering it’s less about layering perfumes over each other and more about wearing different ones on various parts of the body. It wafts in the air around you giving you this continually unique experience as you move though the day.

J’s image of Olibanum Osmanthus

Olibanum Osmanthus: Soft apricot florals paired with a cool incense pine smoke musky haze let a soft peachy rose bloom in a cool pine incense haze. Olibanum Osmanthus uses chiaroscuro beautifully not only it light and dark tones, but also textures too. It’s cool smoky incense wrapped around a soft Osmanthus rose with gentle woody facets that also whisper of soft leather. It’s darkly sweet like a kiss you won’t forget. The dry down reveals some woods that have been lurking in the base while the fruity sweetness has become a stunning osmanthus flower with velvety feeling petals again with hints of fir and pine giving those warmth like spiced bodily feel rather than aroma. It’s a delicious osmanthus perfume with some of its softer suede facets wrapping around you as it fades into a soft musky floral haze. Notes: Osmanthus, Rose, Dry Woods

 J’s image of Olibanum Tubéreuse

Olibanum Tubéreuse: A playful fleshly floral elegance drips from Tubéreuse, it’s got a sexy slinky ylang ylang draped over its shoulders giving it a smooth seductive feel. it’s cool icy incense stare counters the whispers of its more bubble-gum playful side as it starts to ooze seductive spices, as the ylang ylang is stripped away revealing tuberose’s smooth voluptuous fleshy petals. As its dries down Olibanum Tubéreuse gets deliciously creamy with its gentle spices humming with desire, its stunning seductive, the kind of plumpness you want to taste as it gently purrs in an almost animalic way. It’s a rather sexy tuberose that likes to flirt. Notes: Tuberose, Ylang Ylang

J’s image of Olibanum Sacra

Olibanum Sacra takes you deep into the woods, fir and pine aromas vibrate with a bright green hue and feel so citrus fresh like the finest mountain air. Green balsamic facets start to form soft white plumes, almost like clouds with a softly squishy density. More resins give off this fresh terpenic aroma as if you have tapped a tree and the resins tears are forming in front of your nose. You can feel the fir and pine trees as gentle peppery aromas tease your nose. There’s a beautiful sense of calm, as you smell Sacra, it has a thoughtful depth to its seemly endless musky plumes. It’s got just a hint of ambery sweetens to it that conjures images of the resins tears glowing with a blue green hue as light passes through them. Notes: Olibanum CO2 extract, Fir balsam, White Musks.

J’s image of Olibanum Oud

 Olibanum Oud: This feels like a darker more night time take on Sacra, while also making be think of traditional Bakhoor with the oud and dark rose facets forming a rich dense incense smoke as those terpenic fir and pine notes swirl around the edges. It has a much darker balsamic smokiness too, but still with coolness that each of the perfumes possesses. It’s a suave and elegant musk cool haze that’s rather delicious to wear, darker woody facets give it depth while a gentle peppery rose unfurls with a soft elegance playing off the deep resins in the base. If you like your frankincense dark Olibanum Oud is stunning.  Notes: Sensual woods, rose.

J’s image of Olibanum Osmanthus, Tubéreuse and Sacra 

Light Layering

With Olibanum Osmanthus apricot fresh brightness right away gets way richer and peachier in a plump floral way, cool florals swirl through fir and pine trees as their sour greenery makes the rich sweetness richer. The tuberose feels more fun here; it’s less flirty and plumper and juicier like its petals are ready to drip with rich fruits. The sweetness is well balanced as it plays against the cool resins found with in each of the perfumes. I really love the way the osmanthus and Tubéreuse play off each other giving it a more adult playfulness. It’s like it’s playfully flirting yet has this icy coolness from the Sacra as those white musks take hold. Osmanthus’ soft fruity facets give this layering combination a rather light playful feel, paired with the sacra and tuberose it feels like happy thoughts and contemplation about love as you walk through a forest on a summer’s day. Tubéreuse creamy side wears like new love with just a whisper of lust.

J’s image of Olibanum Osmanthus, Oud and Tubéreuse

 

Dark Layering

Again, Olibanum Osmanthus with its fruity facets turn dark, this time it’s a deeper richer, cool peach, while tuberose makes it feel smooth in a really seductive way, it’s ylang ylang & tuberose petals give it’s a silky feel with darker hint of soft leathers and spices as the Olibanum Osmanthus and Tubéreuse merge. A darkly rich balsamic smoke plume gives this a mysterious feel while the florals whisper of sins of the flesh. Imagine cool sweet naked skin sliding on a smooth silk lined leather jacket, its hums with delicate spices of tuberose making rose blush and turn a darker shade of red. Soft woods rise up as this rich haze takes you into the night. More fleshy florals are revealed letting the tuberose shine in this layering combination, the Oud’s darker richer facets make it feel fuller and richer letting the smoke resins cloak it in a soft veil of mystery. As the tuberose gets creamy, a softer rose is revealed giving this combination a fresh rubbery leatheriness, it’s like the resins have bonded to the petals capturing the incense smoke in layers between them. There’s a smooth feeling like cleans sheets that have been warmed by bodies, but still cool as the heat flies away leaving an almost chilled church-like incense feel with a hint of gothic lily. This Olibanum dark layering combination has unlocked a sexy summer Goth perfume.

 

Each of these perfumes are stunning on their own and I really loved seeing how they worked with each other to make the experience more unique. I’m a big fan of what Olibanum are doing especially as a lover of incense.

 

Disclosure: Olibanum. Sacra, Oud, Tubéreuse and Osmanthus travel sizes were sent to J for review, thoughts and nose are his own.

 

-Senior Editor J Wearescentient, artist & olfactive writer.

J’s image of Olibanum Osmanthus, Tubéreuse, Sacra and Oud

Thanks to the generosity of Olibanum we have a reader’s choice of either J’s Light or Dark Layering Combination set for one registered reader in the USA or EU only. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on J’s individual reviews/ layering suggestions of Olibanum Osmanthus Sacra, Oud, Tubereuse and where you live.  Please leave the names of the perfumes you would like to win as a  3 x 12 ml set: Light Layering is Olibanum Osmanthus, Tubéreuse, Sacra or Dark Layering Olibanum Osmanthus, Oud, Tubereuse.

Available in the EU https://www.olibanum.com/products/

Draw closes 7/23/2024

Please read Nicoleta’s review of Neroli and her 3 you should be wearing Olibanum Sacra, Vanille, Iris.

You can read Michelyn’s interview with Gerald Ghislain here

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