I fell asleep on a fall day colored crimson and burnished gold. I woke up on a winter morning veiled with snow. I can hardly make out the familiar landscape of parked cars, white houses and old trees through the graceful dance of snowflakes. We skipped fall and jumped straight into winter, or perhaps we will go back to summer given our completely bizarre meteorological record this year. So, I decided that I will take advantage of the cold by lighting up the fireplace, making a big pot of tea and wrapping myself in my favorite red blanket with Nabokov’s Speak, Memory. Yet, once this fantasy materializes, I immediately want to get up, put on a warm coat and step into the shimmering, dancing whiteness. As I walk through the empty streets, it all feels new and surprising—the black arabesques of tree branches, the occasional splash of a red maple leaf, a snowflake that touches my cheek like someone’s surreptitious kiss.
In the cool, crisp air, the fragrance that I love the most is that of incense. Its contrast between citrus like brightness and warm smokiness is very dramatic, but the character is serene and calming. I wear incense year round, but once it starts to cool down, it becomes a staple in my wardrobe. My favorite incenses are airy and bright, rather than heavy and resinous, particularly since they lack the obvious liturgical associations. Incense accented blends are also elegant, and their intimate sillage makes them good daytime perfumes when one needs to be conscious of other people in close quarters. Below is a selection of my favorite incense (and incense-accented) fragrances, from the lightest to the richest.
Poll: What are your favorite incense fragrances?
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