Frankincense is bright, resinous and slightly citrusy-piney, while myrrh is darker, warmer and more bitter-medicinal — both are resins tapped from trees, but from entirely different genera, and they smell like two distinct sides of the same ancient story.

Two Different Trees, Two Different Moods

Frankincense comes from Boswellia trees and has a lifted, almost sparkling quality when burned or used in perfume — resinous but with a clean, uplifting edge. Myrrh comes from Commiphora trees and reads as heavier, earthier and slightly bitter-sweet, with a warmth that sits low in a composition rather than lifting upward.

Why People Often Confuse Them

Because they are so frequently mentioned together historically — most famously as two of the gifts brought to the infant Jesus — people assume they smell similar, when in practice a perfumer would use them for quite different effects: frankincense to add clarity and lift, myrrh to add depth and gravity. Both feature heavily in our guide to amber and resins in fragrance, part of the complete guide to perfume. Our bakhoor and incense range includes resin-based blends if you want to experience either note in its rawest form.