2020-03-23 Bloomberg Businessweek

67

THEONE Bloomberg Pursuits March 23, 2020

Can’t getoutdoors?

Invitea natural,

woodsyaromainside

withhigh-endincense

Photographby

Victor Prado

Scentedcandles
maybealltherage,
buttheritualistic
natureofincense
makesitabetter
toolforachieving
a Zen-likestate.
Atleastthat’sthe
thoughtbehind
thesophisticated
scentsofCinnamon
ProjectsLLC,
createdbyAndrew
Cinnamonandhis
husband,Charlie
Stackhouse.When
theywereasked
bytheinteriors
studioApparatus
tocollaborateon
a stickto coincide

THECOMPETITION

• Designstudio
  Communehas
  produceda$ 32
  incensepackwith
  Kyoto-basedKeijirou
  Hayashi,whose
  family’scraftgoes
  back 180 years.The
  sandalwoodsticks
  burnquicklywithout
  thesometimes
  overlysweet
  odorthewoodis
  oftenchidedfor.
  
  
  • Beckoning
    Spring($52for
    35 sticks)from
    the 300-year-
    oldJapanese
    brandShoyeidois
    presseddirectly
    intotheshapeof
    astickinsteadof
    beingformedaround
    apieceofbamboo—
    givingitscombo
    of clove,patchouli,
    andcamphormore
    roomtoshine.
  
  
  
  


• Lisn,foundedin
  1989 asa Shoyeido
  offshoot,creates
  sticks($ 54 for10)
  that,atlessthan
  3 incheslong,area
  microdoseofbliss.
  Thebrandisalso
  collaboratingon
  acollectionwith
  theMitsui hotel in
  Kyoto,whichopens
  insummer.

THECASE

ThatNagChampa

youburnedin

college lefta

persistentaroma

for a reason:The

sticksaremade

frombamboo

wood.Interlude,on

theotherhand,is

handmade inJapan

withcharcoal,which

allowsmoreofthe

actualingredients

togettheirdue.The

earthyfrankincense

is leavenedby

thefloralnotes,

particularlythe

tuberose,knownfor

itsclean,gardenia-

likesmell.Plus,

becausethere’s

nowoodcore,the

sticksproduce

considerablyless

smoke,soyoucan

clearyourheadspace

withoutchoking

likeatouristina

Buddhistmonastery.

$ 40 ;cinnamon

projects.com

witha furniture

releasecalled

Interlude,theduo

doubleddownonthe

musicalthemeand

conjuredthe smell

ofa violincase.The

fragranceis a mixof

frankincense(togive

it leatherynotes),

irisandtuberose

(toreferencethe

silk-velvetlining),

androsinandspruce

wood(tomimic

theinstrument

itself). A svelte

packageholds

25 sticksthathave

a burntimeof 25 to

30 minuteseach.