Bay laurel is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Mediterranean, capable of reaching up to ten metres in height. Its glossy, leathery dark-green leaves carry a bold, spicy aroma and have been used since antiquity both as a culinary herb and as a symbol of victory and honour — the laurel wreath remains a familiar image to this day.

Burned as incense, laurel gives off a warm, spicy-resinous scent with a faint, sweet sharpness. The dried leaves are traditionally burned to energetically clear a space and create a focused, ceremonial atmosphere — a scent associated with clarity and a certain sense of dignity.

Oud forms inside trees of the Aquilaria genus, which grow in the humid forests of South and Southeast Asia. When the wood becomes infected by a particular mould, the tree responds by producing a dark, resin-soaked heartwood as a defence mechanism — and it is precisely this transformed wood that becomes one of the most valuable aromatic materials in the world.

Burned, oud releases a deep, complex scent — warm, woody, faintly animalic, layered with sweet and balsamic undertones that unfold slowly over time. Across many Asian and Arab cultures, oud has been prized for centuries as a precious incense for spiritual ceremonies and special occasions, valued for its depth and its meditative quality.