The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The Cathedral of Braga sits in northern Portugal, its Romanesque and Baroque architecture holding centuries of prayers and the particular smell of incense that has worked its way into the stone over generations. Serge de Oliveira grew up near it, or close enough that the memory stuck. When he sat down to compose Myrrhe & Encens, myrrh and incense felt obvious, not as a clever combination, but as the only one that made sense. That simplicity is the point. No artifice, no surprise. Just two materials that have been meeting in sacred spaces for longer than most fragrances have existed.
What makes this composition interesting is the repetition. Myrrh appears twice, once in the heart, once in the base. On most pyramids, that would feel redundant. Here it reads as emphasis, the way a word gains weight when you return to it at the end of a sentence. The cinnamon in the opening isn't sweet spice; it's the clean burn of something just lit. Combined with the citruses, it gives the top a sharpness that could almost pass for fresh. Almost. Then the amberwood and patchouli arrive, and the oriental character locks into place, warm and resinous, the incense holding everything together like a thread.
The evolution
The first spray hits bright. Cinnamon and citruses arrive together, the citrus more atmosphere than star, a vague warmth behind the spice rather than a distinct note. Thirty minutes in, the myrrh surfaces. Not the sweet kind. This is the resinous, slightly medicinal myrrh that smells like the moment before a church service starts, when the air is still and heavy with anticipation. The patchouli follows, earthy and grounding, but the amberwood keeps it from going too dark. By the second hour, the incense is dominant, not smoke, exactly, but the smell of something that has been burning long enough to leave a residue. The drydown is where this fragrance earns its name. Myrrh and incense together, with a clean musk that keeps it from becoming oppressive. On skin, expect six to eight hours. On clothing, longer, the myrrh especially lingers, and there's something almost ritualistic about the way it stays.
Cultural impact
Myrrhe & Encens sits in a specific corner of the market, natural perfumery that doesn't apologize for being heavy. The 100BON philosophy of limited, honest ingredients means this fragrance doesn't try to do everything. It does one thing: oriental resin, done without compromise. Wearers who seek it out tend to be those who want fragrance to feel like presence, not suggestion.
