30 Demeters in 30 Days: Day 9, Incense

When I placed my most recent order with Demeter, really a shameful number of the half-ounce bottles, I couldn't decide which I was likely to prefer, Holy Smoke or Incense, so I ordered them both. They seemed as if they were two sides of the same coin, but I figured I was likely to love at least one of them. It's the sort of chance I'm always willing to take, particularly at $5 a pop.

They're not as similar as I thought they would be, and Incense, as it turns out, is the one that stole my heart. At first it has a biting edge: it is strongly reminiscent of the frankincense in Incense Rosé, dark, sultry, a bit spiteful. Slowly, over time, the angles melt away to curves and reveal a slightly woody, slightly fruity core of softer incense. Give it more time, and the scent becomes sweet and deep and luminous; it smells of tolu balsam and ambery resins and mystery, with occasional intimations of the earlier bite, just a bare hint to remind you that you're not smelling something innocuous, but a scent born of fire. There's no smoke here, nothing burning, just glowing embers.

Unlike most Demeters, Incense grabs your skin and hangs on for dear life. A vigorous workout and a hot shower and a sinkful of dishes won't compel it to dislodge itself. It's going to last for hours--at least on me it does.

Demeter Incense is extraordinarily beautiful, complex in a way that you wouldn't expect such a bargain-priced scent to be. It is making me so happy these days. I own about a zillion scents, but I can see that am going to use this half-ounce up and then buy a big bottle, and maybe so should you. I can't recommend it highly enough.