Myrrh - identifying its scent, picking the best blends

[Vampy]

Not sure if it's been suggested yet, but Priala the Human Phoenix (from CD) packs a wallop of myrrh. (It also packs a wallop of cinnamon, so if you don't like cinnamon that might be out...) It's very sweet and spicy and just a touch soapy on my skin.

 

To me myrrh is bitter-sweet, where as frankincense is more just plain sweet. If you're interested in trying some frankincense blends, Magus and Hymn are both pretty heavy on it.

Edited August 14, 2007 by Vampy

[kraken]

As far as I'm concerned the ultimate myrrh scent is Priala, The Human Phoenix.

Ah, yes, I totally forgot about Priala as I just tried it recently. I love it!

[septima_pica]

Oh man, myrrh is my favourite thing ever. I think all my favourite scents have it as a base. Athens is the strongest of all (look out, don't put on too much!), but Sri Lanka and Anubis are also really nice clear myrrh with other incensey things added, cedar and weird herbs respectively. Nyarlathotep must have some myrrh in it, although it goes screaming lemongrass yellow because of the ozone note, rather than that dark amber colour that myrrh always smells to me. Lilith is good as well, if roses and wine work for you.

 

Three favourite scents: dirt, tonka, myrrh. If I could find something where those three all worked together, I'd have my perfect all-time perfume.

[DARKBEAUTY28]

Black Lotus has both myrrh and amber in it and it dries down to such an amazing scent on my skin. I too was trying to figure out what that scent was so I could get other BPAL's with that same note/s. I wonder if it is the mix of the myrrh and amber or if it is just one of those notes that I really like. I can only describe that the note I like is a sweet, almost sweet tart, powdery note. Does anyone know which note it could be? The myrrh or the amber? Thanks!

[Josh]

Black Lotus has both myrrh and amber in it and it dries down to such an amazing scent on my skin. I too was trying to figure out what that scent was so I could get other BPAL's with that same note/s. I wonder if it is the mix of the myrrh and amber or if it is just one of those notes that I really like. I can only describe that the note I like is a sweet, almost sweet tart, powdery note. Does anyone know which note it could be? The myrrh or the amber? Thanks!

 

After a couple months in the bpal world and my fussy nose refusing to distinguish individual notes I went to an oil shop and bought 1/3 dram vials of about 40 different oils. It was a great way to train my nose to sniff out particular notes. For me, bpal oils are blended so well that picking out individual notes isn't always the easiest thing in the world.. but of course there are oils like Goblin, for example, where the patchouli screams and screams.. but that's one exception. As for myrrh... it is such a cozy scent.

 

I have never tried Black Lotus so I can't provide too much insight.. but the slightly sweet powder is pretty much synonymous with amber -- amber being my least fav basenote.. it's very basic when compared to 'meaty' and deeper basenotes such as sandalwood (heaven) and patchouli.

[AEris]

Black Lotus has both myrrh and amber in it and it dries down to such an amazing scent on my skin. I too was trying to figure out what that scent was so I could get other BPAL's with that same note/s. I wonder if it is the mix of the myrrh and amber or if it is just one of those notes that I really like. I can only describe that the note I like is a sweet, almost sweet tart, powdery note. Does anyone know which note it could be? The myrrh or the amber? Thanks!

 

I haven't tried Black Lotus yet, either (gotta toss it on the wishlist), but I'm guessing that the "note" that you are attracted to is the result of the blending of several, if not all, of the notes. The powderiness and some of the sweetness is most likely from the amber, and the 'sweet tart' note is almost surely from the lotus, which (some people say) smells like candy.

 

Myrrh smells like sweet, resinous, almost powdery incense.

Sandalwood smells like sweet woodsy awesomeness, and is very distinctive. Hard for me to describe.

 

Black Lotus sounds freakin awesome, and now I want to try it, too!

[ivyandpeony]

I love Black Lotus!

 

I think Aeris is right about the combination effect of the lotus and the resins - I have a sniffie of Lotus single note from back in the day and I'd describe it as similar to that sweet pink bubblegum, not the kind that has a hint of mintiness but the kind that's just pure sweet. Lots of people compare lotus to fruity candy and I think that's valid too.

 

Of all the resins, amber is my favorite with myrrh as a close second - frankincense doesn't always work on me. So take this with a grain of salt since this is as interpreted through my body chemistry

 

I'd describe amber as the deepest and the spiciest of the three. BPAL's Egyptian amber note makes my eyes roll back in my head, it's so good. Myrrh I find lighter and sweeter. Frankincense is the lightest of the three, it's spicier than myrrh but not as sweet - the problem I have personally is that it can work or it can go anywhere from a little soapy to sharp to almost kerosene-y when it doesn't work.

 

Josh's idea is a good one - even if you don't want to invest in a bunch of single note oils, just a sniffing expedition to a health food or new-agey store that carries a wide selection of aromatherapy oils can help educate your nose on some of those hard-to-distinguish notes.

[allidavie]

Hope this doesn't come across as self-promotion but myrhh and amber lovers should definitely try out Aeronwen - it's awesome, if I do say so myself. Hee.

[ivyandpeony]

Aeronwen is such a whore! No, really, that's a compliment!

 

It is a really good myrrh/amber blend, so far on me it's working out to show off the best of both those notes.

[DARKBEAUTY28]

Thanks for all of your help!

 

Josh that is a good idea. It would be nice to know what each notes smells like so I can pick them out. Thanks for suggesting that. Someone in another thread also recommended in order to see what amber really smells like is to buy the amber resin blocks. I might buy one of those so I can see what true amber smells like.

 

You know, the more I think about it, amber is probably the note that leaves the sweet powdery smell. I saw in some reviews of fragrances with that note that people were saying that they didn't like how amber turned powdery on them (hehe and I like the powdery-ness so maybe I'm a weirdo!) Of course maybe it is a mix of the amber and the myrrh in Black Lotus (or like AEris said, the lotus itself) that is creating the mix of sweet and powdery. Black Lotus is a great scent!

 

I think I may have noticed the sweet powdery drydown in Black Dahlia. I am testing it right now to see if I get that. If so, then I will almost for sure know it is the amber that I like because Black Dahlia contains black amber and no myrrh at all. So if this oil would hurry up and get to that stage on my skin! Of course I would much rather have the powdery sweetness emerge at the beginning of a scent and stay the whole time as opposed to having it in just the drydown.

 

Hmm I've never heard anything about BPAL Egyptian Amber and Aeronwen. I think I'll give those a try.

[lookingglass]

Reviving this thread to give some myrrh some more lovin'! I'm having a serious myrrh cravings right now. Hecate, Old Demons (opoponax=sweet myrrh) and Phantom are what I've been reaching for but I think I may need just a myrrh single note. It's so rich, creamy, sweet and warm...What are your favorites these days?

Edited June 4, 2011 by lookingglass

[Altaira]

The myrrh scent I wear most often is "But Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light" from the 2009 Yules. "Hekaerge" from the most recent Lupercalias was mostly myrrh on me, but my husband thinks it has an unlisted lily note because of his allergic reaction to it.

[backthatelfup]

My favorite scent with myrrh in it is Dawn: Cernunnos. Something about all of those cool woods with the warm, sweet myrrh makes it amazing. Seriously love it.

 

Anyone have recs for Myrrh plus red musk or myrrh plus leather?

[chaismolokom]

I love myrrh! I need more myrrh scents in my life. My favorites where it stands out are Priala and Raven Moon, and I love the touch of it in The Phoenix in Spring.

 

Fetish.Goth has myrrh and leather, but it's the scary slick black kind, so I haven't tried to get my hands on a tester. There are red musk and myrrh in Lunar Eclipse (another favorite!), but the myrrh isn't really a star player there. I'd definitely say it's worth checking out, though! Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse has both, too, and is in the same line.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Fetish.Goth leather is very smooth. I'm very sensitive to chemical-harsh leather notes and this is nothing like that. It's soft leather and resins. I think the myrrh in this stands out more than the leather, and it's my favorite myrrh scent right now.

[Viridian]

I am stalking this thread for recs, because Darkness was my first BPAL love and myrrh turns into something delicious on my skin. Am now kicking myself for not ordering Priala and hoping I can find a bottle when I have money to spare again. Hopefully the CD scents won't be down too long.

 

Am going to poke through my imps and see if I've got any unsniffed of the ones mentioned thus far.

[chaismolokom]

Fetish.Goth leather is very smooth. I'm very sensitive to chemical-harsh leather notes and this is nothing like that. It's soft leather and resins. I think the myrrh in this stands out more than the leather, and it's my favorite myrrh scent right now.

 

Aw, blast! Off to update the wishlist.

[Gwydion]

Wow, the myrrh in Haloa may be the loveliest I've ever sniffed!

[forspecial_plate]

I have a super-aged imp of Brimstone which I took for a test-drive the other day. I think it might be from my first imp order!

 

Anyway I get a lot of myrrh in it. It really jumped out at me, never noticed myrrh in that scent before. Not sure if the aging brought it out. I love myrrh and now I feel like getting a bottle of Brimstone just to put away for a few years.

[Ella LaRose]

I am a myrrh lover<3 but I hate frankincense, the lemon clean resin makes me eww! I also like pretty much only the incense blends:)

My favorites, voodoo, shub, vixen, scherezede, haunted doesn't have myrrh but it is amazing, same feel. Mmmmm, you should look in swaps, I have seen many fir swap that have been mentioned:)

[lookingglass]

Add Heretic to the list! Dark, spicy, animalic: Nagdi frankincense, bois de cade, beeswax, Somalian myrrh, and Laotian oudh (I've snagged a bottle of But Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light, as well).

Edited November 9, 2012 by lookingglass

[lahdeedah]

Schwarzer Mond is pretty wonderfully myrrh. If you like honey, try Sed Non Satiata for a honey/myrrh fix. If you like fig, track down Apatouros, dark chewy fig and myrrh.

[lookingglass]

Bumping this thread again because we are graced with the honor of being able to sniff: Golgothan Myrrh SN. Oooooh!

 

Single Note:

GOLGOTHAN MYRRH

I send thee myrrh, not that thou mayest be by it perfumed, but it perfumed by thee.

 

Myrrh is a sacred plant whose power has been explored for over four thousand years. It is an ingredient in the Kyphi of the ancient Egyptians and in Ketoret, which was used in the used in the First and Second Temples of Jerusalem. Myrrh was also one of the gifts that the Magi were said to have brought to the infant Christ. This tremendously potent and protective plant resonates with the Crone, and is utilized both to explore the Crone’s spheres of death and wisdom, and as a tool to help lead the proverbial child of destiny through darkness to a place of enlightenment.

 

Myrrh, whose name means Bitter Tears, exists within the auspices of both Saturn and Luna, and represents loss and grief as well as the ability to heal and learn from painful experiences.

 

I WONder!!!

Edited November 27, 2012 by lookingglass

[ivyandpeony]

I'm really excited about the myrrh single note! I love resins and I can ID frankincense and amber pretty easily, but I think sometimes myrrh gets tromped by other notes.