Boy Vienna is a brand from fashion designer and multi-media artist Afaf Fi Seyam that has been receiving attention on TikTok and Instagram for its incense cigarettes. I knew I was going to have to try these sticks the minute they found their way onto my screen—it would seem that everyone else felt the same way, as when I made my way to the web store most of Boy Vienna’s incense varieties were sold out. For 35 USD, I was able to snag a box of the 11:11 variety, listed as containing a blend...| Nathan Upchurch
Checking out some sticks from a local store selling Japanese incense.| nathanupchurch.com
A list of every post I've written tagged “{{ tag }}.”| nathanupchurch.com
A list of every post I've written tagged “{{ tag }}.”| nathanupchurch.com
Florals are a notoriously difficult incense category. Today I'm taking a look at Yi-Xin Craft Incense's Pikake Jasmine sticks.| nathanupchurch.com
Some time ago I as I perused the incense display of a nearby Whole Foods, hoping to see the Shoyeido sticks that once graced the shelves, I noticed a range of Indian-style sticks, their otherwise matching packaging in a variety of colors. Listed prominently on each package was the text: “Incense of Auroville.” This caught my attention. Auroville is an intentional community I’ve had a passing interest in since I discovered that some shampoo bars I had purchased were made there[1]. Often,...| Nathan Upchurch
The German neue deutsche härte group Rammstein is known for many things. From their controversial lyrics (NSFW) and legally dubious stage antics (NSFW), to their over the top live performances, one thing the group is certainly not known for is conventional merchandise.| Nathan Upchurch
The good, the bad, and the ugly of manual incense stick extruders.| nathanupchurch.com
Smoke was the first breath of early civilization, its rising plumes a synonym for human presence. This byproduct of life-sustaining flame has been constant companion to our evolution as a species, changing not only human lives, but human bodies. As the ubiquity of smoke rendered transparent to our ancestors’ noses the once harsh notes of burning plant matter, there must have been a sense of magic when our forebears happened to toss a well-resinated tree branch or a fragrant herb upon the co...| Nathan Upchurch
While I like to post incense builds, I haven’t yet posted on exactly how to go about turning raw ingredients into Japanese style incense sticks. Here’s a 1,000 mile overview of the process to accompany a video I recently uploaded to my new PeerTube instance on that very topic. For more info, you can check out IncenseDragon on YouTube, read this very useful article by Irene of Rauchfahne.de, peruse incensemaking.com, and look through some posts flaired with “incense making” on the ince...| Nathan Upchurch
Plant resins come with varying amounts of water-soluble gum content. Beyond the temperature-reducing aspect innate to resins in combustible incense, these gums can further affect how much of a given resin you can include in a build. As anyone who has burned resins on charcoal can attest, with resins high in gum content, the burning gum can introduce off-notes. Gums also serve as binders in incense sticks; while a little is helpful for producing a performant dough that extrudes well and a more...| Nathan Upchurch
I make a fresh, sweet, and green incense build reminiscent of the flavor of white tea.| nathanupchurch.com
I finally figure out how to make myrrh work in a composition.| nathanupchurch.com
I had the pleasure of meeting Dave at The World Makes Scents studio in Bridgeport, Chicago.| nathanupchurch.com
An attempt at a lavender incense stick goes remarkably well thanks to an unusual technique.| nathanupchurch.com
Reviewing Kheoun’s Blend by The World Makes Scents.| nathanupchurch.com
I make a simple, three-ingredient, red cedar and frankincense batch of incense sticks.| nathanupchurch.com
My grand designs crumble as I fail to make the most delicious batch of incense ever devised.| nathanupchurch.com
