Boy Vienna – 11:11
I received these incense cigarettes (yes, you read correctly) from Nathan, who in August 2025 sent me, alongside a small selection of incense stick samples from his collection, also a few homemade sticks and tinctures.
You’ll find his review of Boy Vienna – 11:11 here.
Boy Vienna (or is it Boy Vienn A ?) is a fashion and lifestyle brand of a fashion designer and multimedia artist named Afaf Seyam, who’s apparently mainly active on Instagram and TikTok. The cigarettes are produced in New York City.
If you’re a smoker and get frustrated about cigarette prices: a pack of this incense costs $35, which currently corresponds to €29.95; it contains 18 cigarettes – ‘incense sticks’ I meant to say.
The incense cigarettes (or is it cigarette incense?) are officially not intended to be smoked or even put in your mouth. You light them and let them burn down, preferably in an actual ashtray.
The description reads as follows:
“Make a wish, it’s 11:11.
If you catch yourself looking at the clock at 11:11 it means you’re on the right path. This is the time you’re supposed to visualize what you’ve been dreaming of.
Not for smoking. This box contains 18 incense sticks inspired by traditional cigarettes. A fragrant and interactive fashion accessory that looks as good in your bag or on your coffee table.
Light the sage stick on the non filter end and hold by the filter side to join in on any smoke break or let it burn in an ashtray.“
Picture provided by Nathan Upchurch.
I have no idea what the orange bits might be that can be seen in Nathan’s picture. Nathan couldn’t make sense of them either.
The ingredients are: sage, lavender and rosemary.
It is emphasised that it’s not white sage.
The smell of the unlit cigarettes is intensely herbaceous with a sweet tone, and reminds me of my drawer(s) full of herbal teas.
I hadn’t read the ingredients list before the first sniff, but could still remember from Nathan’s review that they contain sage, and I smell this ingredient most strongly; followed by a floral note where I’d have initially guessed chamomile. Oops. 😅 (It’s actually lavender.)
As an ex-smoker, it felt extremely strange to light these ‘incense sticks’ and let them smoulder away, sitting in the old ashtray. It really took me some effort to overcome the reluctance.
The fragrance is relatively harsh, as one would expect from a bunch of herbs loosely packed in a paper tube. Unlike Nathan, though, I don’t smell much of the paper.
At least that was the case with the first ‘incense stick’; today, with the second one, the smell seems more unpleasant than at the first time, and it does remind me of cigarette smoke to some degree. Especially in the adjacent room, where the smoke catches a little, I perceive a smell as quite unpleasant.
In high concentration, the smell feels harsh, a little acrid and bitter. If you burn this incense in a small room, it’s certainly about as pleasant as if you actually smoked in there. However, with some fresh air, the smell is considerably better.
After the first centimetre has burnt down, I start to recognise an actual aroma near the window: the lavender makes itself noticeable, perhaps with a touch of the sweetness of rosemary. I also catch an almost minty freshness that can as well only come from the rosemary.
The sage is, in fact, quite subtle. I have the feeling that it’s not the freshest sage, but I’m comparing it with that coming directly from my garden…
With the first cigarette, I’d found the after-smell quite alright; herbaceous and only moderately smoky. With this second one, however, I find the after-smell ashy and unpleasant, much closer to the olfactory experience of cold cigarette smoke. I wonder whether it’s because I left the ash and butt of the first cigarette in the ashtray.
The stupefied looks from both my best friend Max and my mother when they discovered the used ashtray in my living room were quite entertaining. My mother even let out a horrified ‘Are you smoking again!?’ When I explained to her that it was ‘incense’, she sceptically sniffed at the ashtray and gave me the side eye. 😆
These incense cigarettes are such an odd gimmick!
It amazes me how successful Boy Vienna seem to be with them.
Nathan mentioned in his review how quickly many of the varieties were sold out, and currently at the top of the shop page there’s a notice that due to the current order volume it can take up to 3 weeks until an order is dispatched. However, this applies to the entire product range, not specifically to the incense.
Should this type of incense actually be your thing, I suggest you buy a cigarette rolling machine (or a cigarette stuffer) and fill it with herbal tea instead of tobacco. That’ll certainly be cheaper.
The core concept of Boy Vienna overall sounds interesting, I find the idea of sustainable fashion great and ‘gender bending fashion’ sounds fun.
But do you need pseudo-cigarettes to treat yourself to a moment of mindfulness and remember your wishes?
Or to join in during a smoking break?
Are cigarettes really (still) stylish?
I don’t think so – but perhaps I’m just a hopeless fashion Crétin. 😉