There is an old saying that goes:

The worst thing you can possibly do to a woman is bore her.

It makes perfect sense if you think about it. 

Most women’s lives (and men’s for that matter) are a monotonous routine that includes a stifling job, household chores, obligitory appearances at social functions, sleep, etc. 

What people in general, and woman in particular long for is a departure from their normal routines.  Something mysterious.. exotic..  sensual and romantic.

One easy way to incorporate a bit of this into your  life is by taking advantage of the oft overlooked but most memory forging of our senses; our sense of smell. 

Incense can add an air of intrigue to your home which will enhance your love life considerably.

THE BASICS

Incense is a preparation of aromatic plant matter, often with the addition of essential oils extracted from plant or animal sources, intended to release fragrant smoke for religious, therapeutic, or aesthetic purposes as it smolders.

Incense comes in many forms;

Direct Burning (in western countries the most familiar variety)

• Cone
• Cored stick (has a supporting core of bamboo which is left behind after it has burned)
• Solid stick (no core, allowing it to be broken into pieces for shorter burn times)

Using this type of incense is very simple.  Light the tip, allow it to burn for a few moments, and then blow the flame out.  The incense should continue to smolder, creating the desired smoke, and should be placed in an appropriate fire proof holder.

Indirect Burning

• Whole (Incense material is burned directly in its raw, unprocessed form on top of coal or embers)
• Powdered or granulated (The incense material is broken down into finer bits. This incense burns quickly and provides a short period of intense smells.)

Using this type of incense is a bit more complicated, as a seperate heat source such as charcoal or hot ash is required.  Once the charcoal is lit, begins smoldering, and has its flame extinguished, the incense materials described above are sprinkled on top to produce the smoke.

BENEFITS

There are a couple of benefits of using incense;

• Sets an exotic mood through fragrance, which will be associated with the experiences to follow in your long term memory
• A powerful odor eliminator (can be helpful for overcoming any funkiness your apartment exudes, be it food, pet, or your resistence to showering)

WHERE TO BUY

Incense is very inexpensive and can be purchased in a wide variety of places.  Here in Denver, one of my favorites is Tower Records, which has boxes of HAN brand “Dragon’s Blood” (my favorite aroma) for $1.50 each. 

• Online (Spiritual Scents, Incense Galore, Incense Guru)
• Cost Plus Imports
• Pier I
• Local New Age / Occult stores (these will typically offer the highest quality, most expensive incense, and will likely be the only place you can find ‘Indirect burning’ incense locally)

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Choosing a fragrance is very much a matter of personal tastes, although from my own experience I would recommend avoiding ‘musk’ based scents as they can be overpowering. 

In additon to Dragon’s Blood, another of my personal favorites is Frankincense, which can evoke thoughts of church and introduce a very taboo, fun vibe into the proceedings based on that fact alone.

There are several types of burners available, from the traditional wooden plate with a hole on the end used for stick incense, to the brass ‘bell’ looking burners often used for cone incense.

In my place I have a tall, Grecian looking planter which I’ve filled with playground sand.  This acts as an excellent burner for both stick insense, and indirect charcoal based incense.

One final tip; once I’ve lit a stick of incense, I will often walk through my place with it, slowly spreading the scent throughout the house before my guest arrives.

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