Flowery Spice

This is Perfume Parlour's budget interpretation of Amouage Opus XII Rose Incense, a study in rose and incense pushed to dramatic extremes. It opens with resinous elemi and a cool curl of frankincense, the smoke arriving early. The heart is a dense, slightly jammy rose laced through with more olibanum - that signature pairing of rich floral and church-like incense the original is built on. The drydown turns warm and balsamic with myrrh, a touch of vanilla and creamy sandalwood. The original is a potent beast, projecting strongly for 8-plus hours and clinging to clothing for a day; the dupe captures the smoky-rose mood but renders it flatter and thinner, with the incense less cathedral-grand and longevity pulled back to a few hours. For a fraction of the price it still delivers a genuinely atmospheric, incense-soaked rose for cold-weather evenings.