Fragrance of any kind can set the mood, whether it’s a spritz of pheromone perfume for date night or a gingerbread candle at the holidays. The best incenses, however, set a more specific type of mood—one that can invite meditation, contemplation, and even spiritual connection. To wit: it’s said that ancient Egyptians lit frankincense and myrrh as offerings to the gods, delivered via curls of smoke drifting toward the heavens.
Our Top Incense Picks
Of course, the best-smelling incense is also used for secular purposes—as a vibey dose of aromatherapy, as home fragrance, or as even home decor. Known to waft through yoga studios and spas, the smoky scents are also a fixture of the wellness world, and those in the beauty biz have a healthy appreciation for it, too.
As you’ll see, top hair and perfume brands make their own high-quality incense, and nearly every Allure editor has a favorite stick to light up at home. Some of those faves are listed in the edit below, which features new and established incense brands and scents ranging from milky to woody, and from floral to spicy. May this light a fire under you to make your world a little more fragrant, one stick at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: DedCool Mochi Milk Incense
Dedcool
Mochi Milk Incense
Why it’s worth it: You may know DedCool as the go-to brand for unisex, layerable scents that are almost obscenely addictive. Case in point: Its Mochi Milk Fragrance won a 2025 Best of Beauty Award for being clean, sparkling, and just sweet enough. But DedCool also offers a selection of functional fragrances to freshen up the home, including room and linen sprays and—I’m getting to the point now, I promise!—incense. Available in 20-stick packs, DedCool incenses have a long-lasting burn time of about an hour and come in three scents, including Mochi Milk. When used as incense, the gourmand fragrance warms the home with a comforting scent that somehow smells like fresh laundry and artisanal marshmallows all at once. Sold separately, DedCool’s incense holders turn incense into home decor. Available in pink, blue, and orange, the semi-opaque objets d’art can double as ashtrays.
“I cannot get enough of this incense, which I burn in my office every day. In addition to its ridiculously delicious scent, I love that it has such a clean, nonsmoky halo effect. The room just smells fresher and sweeter after it’s burned out. Everyone who’s come to my house lately has commented on it—one was a neighbor who exclaimed, with real delight: ‘Your home smells lovely!’ as soon as she stepped in.” — Jenny Berg, contributor
- Key notes: marshmallow, sweet rice milk, vanilla bean
- Size: 20 sticks
- Burning time: 1 hour per stick
- Total scents available: 3: Taunt (bergamot, vanilla, amber), Xtra Milk (amber, bergamot, white musk), and Mochi Milk
Best Citrusy: Oribe Cote d’Azur Incense
Why it’s worth it: There’s much to love about Oribe, including the Dry Texturizing Spray that’s considered one of the best styling products of all time. Among its many virtues, the product bears Oribe’s signature Côte d’Azur scent, a famously captivating mix of woody and floral notes with citrus from fresh lemon, Calabrian bergamot, and Sicilian orange. Though Oribe’s Japanese-made incense won’t give the hair a sexily mussed look, the Best of Beauty Award winner will infuse the home with the same heady scent that infuses its beloved finishing spray. Think of this as the incense to light while getting styled for a night out—or adding a touch of Mediterranean-style glam to a night in.
Tester feedback from managing editor Alessandra Foresto
“The woodsy incense sticks I burn regularly come from some of my favorite Japanese temples, and while those bring back very special memories of my time in Tokyo, this incense set transports me right to the South of France for sure. I love that its citrusy notes feel unexpected! The burn time is also impressive (they promise 20 minutes) and the gold base is super chic.” —Alessandra Foresto, managing editor
- Key notes: fresh lemon, blackcurrant, Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian orange, tuberose, blue cyclamen, white butterfly jasmine, sandalwood, vetiver, crisp amber
- Size: 75 sticks
- Burn time: 20 minutes per stick
- Total scents available: 3, including Desertland (juniper berry, lavender, pine, cedarwood), Valley of Flowers (Bulgarian rose, peony blossoms, textured woods), and Côte d’Azur
Best Earthy: P.F. Candle Co. Amber & Moss Incense Sticks
P.F. Candle Co.
Amber & Moss Incense Sticks
Why it’s worth it: P.F. Candle Co.’s hand-dipped incense comes in meditative scents inspired by nature. Among the best sellers is Amber & Moss, a musky fragrance that’s like a hit of damp, sunlit earth on a mountain trail. The incense sticks are made with natural ingredients, including charcoal, and have a long-lasting burn time of about an hour per stick. The brand’s scents are strong enough to bring a dreamy, California-coastline vibe to any space, but they’re not overpowering. If moss isn’t your thing, the incense also comes in Patchouli Sweetgrass and Sandalwood Rose, among other scents.
Tester feedback from designer Briana Rengifo
“P.F. Candle Co. Amber & Moss Incense Sticks are one of my favorite fall incenses that stays lingering in the air for hours. There’s nothing better than the ritual of lighting a cozy incense at the end of the day. This one smells very earthy and smoky, but never too overbearing, and it has a long burn time—so one stick goes a long way.” —Briana Rengifo, designer
- Key notes: moss, lavender, sage, orange, lavandin, amber, musk
- Size: 15 sticks
- Burn time: 1 hour per stick
- Total scents available: 9, including Patcholi Sweetgrass (cream, sweetgrass, smoke), Golden Coast (eucalyptus, sea salt, redwood, palo santo), and Arroyo Oak (vetiver, frankincense, California oak)
Best Spicy: City of Scents Marrakech Scent Sticks
City of Scents
Marrakech Scent Sticks
Why it’s worth it: City of Scents is one of the more giftable incense brands, with display-worthy packaging splashed in textile-inspired design. Plus, whether you (or your giftee!) dream of renting a flat in the Marais or skiing in Aspen, the city-inspired fragrances can help you feel like you’re there. But when the mood calls for something cozy and spicy—say, when it’s a damp or chilly day—Marrakech is the scent to take a match to. Spiced with souk-inspired notes of cinnamon and tobacco, the fragrance also has notes of amber and orange blossom.
“I love burning incense in my apartment because it instantly turns the cozy level up a notch. But I always get tired of the usual patchouli-heavy scents that feel straight out of yesteryear. City of Scents has tons of beautiful options, but Marrakesh is the one I keep coming back to—it’s a warm, amber-y blend with notes of orange, tobacco, and cinnamon that makes my whole place smell like winter in the best way. Plus, it’s made without artificial fragrances, so it doesn’t make my nose burn even when it’s been lit for a while.” —Lily Wohlner, commerce writer
- Key notes: orange blossom, tobacco, cinnamon, amber
- Size: 12 sticks
- Burn time: 20 minutes per stick
- Total scents available: 10, including Paris (bergamot, jasmine, rose, lily), St Barth (frangipani, sea salt, jasmine), and Cape Town (ginger, vanilla, lemon, amber, petitgrain)
Best Floral: WA:IT Tramonto The Ritual of Release
WA:IT
Tramonto The Ritual of Release
Why it’s worth it: Wa:It incense can be used in rituals that foster focus, release, and mental clarity. Umi blends warm notes of cinnamon, cloves, and sandalwood, while Alba: Dawn sharpens the senses with Italian-roasted coffee oil. Named after the Italian word for sunset, Tramonto is the scent I recommend for bedtime. Its powdery, floral fragrance comes from a mix of soothing botanical oils, and the dainty incense is light and delicate enough to burn at your bedside. With an international pedigree, the sticks are made in Awaji Island, Japan, using natural ingredients from Italy, including tree-bark-derived Machilus powder.
- Key notes: botanical oils blend
- Size: 40 sticks
- Burn time: 25 minutes per stick
- Total scents available: 3, including Umi (cinnamon, cloves, sandalwood), Alba: Dawn (Italian-roasted coffee oil), and Tramonto
Best Woody: Biology Still Natural Incense
Biology
Still Natural Incense
Why it’s worth it: Biology infuses its small-batch incenses with botanical extracts and essential oils. Its incense comes in three fragrances that share a woody thread: Enlighten has notes of oud-like agarwood and cypress, while Halcyon layers cedarwood with sage and palo santo. But if you want a touch of the gourmand, Still is the scent for you. Designed to settle (or rather, still) the mind, the incense has a hint of vanilla to soften its foresty mix of sandalwood, cypress, wormwood, and juniper wood. Each incense scent can be purchased on its own or with a jade incense holder; the brand also sells a bundle with all three scents (a perfect gift for someone special).
- Key notes: sandalwood, cypress, wormwood, vanilla, juniper wood
- Size: 40 sticks
- Burn time: 50 minutes per stick
- Total scents available: 3, including Still, Enlighten (longan fruit, cypress, licorice root), and Halcyon (sage, palo santo, cedarwood)
Best Gift Set: Byredo Trois Encens Incense
Byredo
Trois Encens Incense
Why it’s worth it: It’s okay to splurge on incense, especially when it’s as chic as Byredo’s. (Talk about quiet luxury.) Available as a gift set holding three bundles of incense and a ceramic holder, the box features three of Byredo’s most popular home fragrances. Bibliothèque channels a wood-paneled library with notes of vanilla, birch woods, and leather accord, while Tree House invokes the outdoors with notes of bamboo, sandalwood, and myrrh. Finally, Burning Rose is a smoldering floral blend that grounds rose petals and violet in birch and ebony wood. Though it’s handmade in Tokyo, this is larger than traditional Japanese incense, and each stick has a generous burn time of 30 to 40 minutes.
- Key notes: Bibliothèque: plum, cinnamon, leather accord, sandalwood, violet, birch woods, patchouli, vanilla, Burning Rose: rose petals, French marigold, rose absolute, violet, birch woods, ebony woods, Tree House: bamboo, pimento, hay, labdanum, myrrh, cedarwood, guaiac woods, leather, sandalwood
- Size: 60 sticks
- Burn time: 30-40 minutes per stick
- Total scents available: 3, including Bibliothèque, Burning Rose, and Tree House
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