Chocolate and coffee, anyone? At left, Coffee and Chocolate Incense from Scentscape's limited edition Fall & Winter 2018 collection (and there is also a Tea and Hot Milk incense, if you prefer). The tube's lid functions as a ceramic incense burner. 40 sticks, $12. At right, Paris Cafe (chocolate, coffee and cinnamon) from Fragrance Memories' City & Style collection. 20 sticks + mini ceramic holder, $7.50. Both at Nippon Kodo.
Independent fragrance brand Gallivant recently launched Tokyo, a “zingy, spicy, woody fragrance” that’s a tribute to kōdō, the Japanese “way of incense.” Tokyo’s notes include yuzu, bergamot, black pepper, cardamom and wasabi; hinoki, cedarwood, incense, iris, rose and nutmeg; and amber, sandalwood, vetiver and patchouli. It was developed for Gallivant by perfumer Nicholas Bonneville.
I’ve had luck trying Gallivant’s fragrances in the past, with Brooklyn and Amsterdam becoming my personal favorites from the line. Even when something from Gallivant doesn’t match my personal taste, I can appreciate its smart sensibility. Tokyo fits the Gallivant house style: it’s gender-neutral, appropriate for a variety of occasions, and accented with an intriguing blend of spices…
Skeem's Palo Santo collection includes burning sticks ($24 - $64), soap ($16), essential oil rollerballs ($20), room spray ($32), candle ($36) and solid perfume ($18). "Palo Santo is a sustainably cultivated wood from South America that has natural aromatic properties from its resin. The scent is complex with rich, musky, sweet, citrus notes mixed with mint and pine. This “holy wood” is traditionally burned to ward off bad energy, calm and cleanse the body and mind, and to bring good fortune to those who use it."
Cedar rope incense: "Fredericks & Mae is the design team of Jolie Mae Signorile and Gabriel Fredericks Cohen, who met through a shared love for materials: feathers, thread, gold, and paper decorated their first studio in 2007. Their collaborative practice has since evolved into a series of objects for the home, garden, and sky. The duo's cedar rope incense is designed for use with an incense holder." On markdown, $12 at The Maryn. (Rope incense is generally made with rice paper, and you lay it flat on ash or a rope incense burner to burn it.)
Smokeless incense from Bodha: "Smokeless organic incense infused with the earthy, woodsy notes of Japanese cypress, cedarwood and bergamot to help ground your mind, body and spirit." $28 at Nordstrom.