Benzoin

Benzoin is the sweetest resin in perfumery, harvested from Styrax trees in Southeast Asia and India, where it has been burned as sambrani in temples and South Indian homes for centuries. Unlike frankincense and myrrh, benzoin smells overtly sweet, almost like vanilla mixed with caramel and old church wood. By planetary-correspondence tradition, benzoin is Venus and Jupiter: Venus in its sweetness, its softness, its overt warmth, Jupiter in its sacred, ceremonial use and its expansive comforting quality. Benzoin is the resin most often used to give modern perfumes their cozy, hot-blanket warmth. It pairs naturally with vanilla, amber, and tonka to build gourmand bases, but it is gentler than any of those. On skin it reads as comfort, home, well-being. Wear it in winter and on cold travel days. Pairs with vanilla, amber, sandalwood, and rose.