shopping list: incense

for when smelling comme des garçons kyoto just doesn't cut it anymore

hi everyone! i’m introducing another series of shorter, less poetic rundown type lists of specific products to offer my recommendations. i’ve been burning a lot of incense lately, in part sparked by the research i did to write my entry all about incense notes, and wanted to share some things i’ve been enjoying in my home. as always, let me know what you think!

shoyeido, plum blossoms (baika-ju)

this is the best entry point into the world of japanese incense: marked by shorter smoke trails, the absence of any binding materials like bamboo to hold the fragrance powder together, and a dry, slightly vanillic powdery take on two traditional woods – sandalwood and aloeswood. with notes of sandalwood, cinnamon, and spice, this is the exact smell i rotate in my tiny little south carolinian mind when i think of what incense smells like in japanese cultural contexts. there are no frills here, but with a $13 price tag and a delicate trail that won’t hurt the heads of even your most sensitive grandmother, what more can you ask for really.