the lauded shoyeido at last. maybe it's just placebo from hearing so much good, but these are convincingly higher quality than anything else i've tried so far. (the transparency in their ingredient list may contribute to that.) each stick is 22cm so i break them in half when burning.

i adore how easily their clear and unintruded scent fills the room, although the ingredient blends i've tried so far aren't my absolute favourites. they linger for hours on end, to the point where i can burn half a stick before bed and still catch hints of it the next morning. i hope to keep trying more from shoyeido and eventually find something that really tickles me.

• 《kyonishiki》 spicy, warm. also known as kyoto autumn leaves. it took me a moment to put my finger on it but it smells exactly like the potpourri sachets we put inside the christmas tree. the cinnamon note is especially deep and prominent.
  • ➢ murata $4.60/35 ct
• 《kyozakura》 spicy, also known as kyoto cherry blossoms. unfortunately, the heavy clove in this is a bit off-putting for me.
  • ➢ murata $7.65/35 ct