The Incense Hunter

Photos used in reviews are taken by me, sometimes supported by promotional photos. Some illustrative images on general pages may be AI-generated or AI-assisted.

Thursday, 4 June 2026

Temu - Cheap and Cheerful



I think pretty much everyone in the world with access to the internet is familiar with the massive and very cheap online shop Temu, even if they haven't actually bought anything from them.

Temu is operated by PDD Holdings. PDD Holdings was founded in 2015 in Shanghai, China, by a business entrepreneur Colin Huang, originally as the parent company behind Pinduoduo, a massive online agricultural shop in China. Its legal headquarters are in Ireland for tax and business reasons, such as having a neutral EU corporate identity, though operates primarily from China. It made over US $5 billion profit in 2024, making it one of the world’s most profitable retail‑tech groups. 

Temu is famous for its very low prices. It manages that by using a direct-to-consumer shipping model that sources products directly from manufacturers, primarily based in China, while bypassing traditional retail middlemen. It successfully and legally uses various loopholes in tax and customs laws to keep costs and expenses low, which tends to annoy those businesses which do pay tax and customs. I hadn't bothered with Temu initially as I assumed the stuff they were selling was poor quality. It wasn't until I became aware that the low cost was largely due to the tax avoidance.

David Hardy, the likeable owner of Ancient Wisdom, made a video about how Temu made him angry by their operating practise in which they ship tons of product around the world, but because they list the products as small packets they avoid import tax and vat. My Temu orders are delivered in one bag, but inside the bag are individual packets each with their own custom sheet giving a EU import address scattered around Europe. According to a report by Paket-international.com, this is because Temu uses local European based warehouses - the goods had been transported from China earlier by container ship, and then distributed to local warehouses from where they are dispatched when customer orders come in.  

From my experience of buying incense (and other goods) I find the products in general to be of acceptable everyday quality at a considerable value for money price. There's nothing distinctive or craft about the incense, but is the sort of stuff that would be bought for everyday use in China. It's a low cost way of dipping a toe into the Chinese incense market. It's not great stuff, but is a pointer of the direction of travel.   



Reviews

↑ = Score moved up after previous review 
= = Score remains the same as previous review
PW = Perfumed Wood



(Fujian Incense) Agarwood
March 2025 - Score: 40


Temu Small Auspicious Clouds Goose Pear (PW)
March 2025 - Score: 37
  




  

(Fujian Incense) Al Cao Xlang (Wormwood) (PW)
Mar 2025 - Score: 34
  

(Fujian Incense) Wu Chen Xiang
(Agarwood - Black Aloes)
Dec 2025 - Score: 34
  








(Fujian Incense) Lao Shan Tan Xiang
(Old Mountain Sandalwood)
March 2025 - Score: 27
  
   
Yongchun County
Small Auspicious Clouds Ambergris (PW)
 Jan 2026 - Score: 26↑


(Fujian Incense) Old Mountain Sandalwood
Mar 2025 - Score: 25
  
   
Small Auspicious Cloud
Ciqcai Dragon Blood Flower (PW)
 Jan 2026 - Score: 25↑ 


Temu "Traditional Craft"
Lavender incense coil
March 2025 - Score: 25
  




(Jinjiang Jiulong Technology) Lavender
March 2025 - Score: 24
  

(Hongru) Peach
March 2025 - Score: 24 
  
 
White Sage Incense Sticks
Mar 2025 - Score: 24
  

(Shenzhon Xuxinda)
Small Auspicious Cloud Sandalwood (PW)
Mar 2025 - Score: 23 
  



  
Small Auspicious Cloud
Ciqcai Sweet-scented Osmanthus (PW)
 Jan 2026 - Score: 22= 


Yongchun County Small Auspicious Clouds
Goose Pear (PW)
Jan 2026 - Score: 20↑
  

Changsha Phantom Night-Tuberose
March 2025 - Score: 18
 





Reviews: 30
Top score: 40
Bottom score: 17
Average: 28
***


Retailers of Everyday Incense
   
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Tuesday, 2 June 2026

Knox Bunte Duftkegel (Colourful Incense Cones)



Gift from Irene of Rauchfahne, who had herself received them as an ironic gift from a friend. A selection of coloured cones moulded in straight sided pyramid shapes. The perfume is mixed in with the wood powder and binders like modern masala incense, but with no cold throw scent on the surface. The scent is locked into the dried wood paste, so will last forever according to Knox: "The incense cones have an almost unlimited shelf life without losing their pleasant fragrance." The box says it has a retro 1972 design - which no doubt would be meaningful to those familiar with Knox over the years. It kinda looks like the designs for  toys I used to have as a child, so more sort of 1950s or early 1960s to me. I had some wooden building blocks which were in a box with the same soft colours. 

There are six fragrances - Rose, Lavender, Oriental, Citrus, Conifer, and Violet, with the cones coloured accordingly.  Irene has reviewed the cones, and patiently described her impressions of the scent on each. I'm not good with wood paste incense, especially when the perfume is used as sparingly as Knox does with these, so I didn't spend much time with them. I got a smouldering paper scent from the Rose. The Lavender has a drying paint and warm wood scent with a hint of vague floral that manages to stay ahead of the smouldering wood.  The Oriental is spicy smouldering wood with a gourmand scent quality that is almost attractive. Naming the scent Citrus, same as naming the next scent as Conifer kind of points to where we're at with these cones - there's just an airy wave in the direction of an idea of a scent - they can't even be bothered to pin it down to a particular fruit or a particular tree. The Citrus is vague  smouldering wood paste - kinda warm with bonfire tones and fireplace soot. It's a little sharp. And it's oddly not as bad as my description paints it. The lingering scent in the room when the cone has burned down is fairly fresh like lemon. The Conifer is reasonably pleasant, and is somewhat recognisable as a German incense cone, as some form of conifer scent is popular because in Germany incense cones are associated with Christmas and Christmas trees. It is mildly citric, and like the Lavender smells of drying wood paint.  The Violet does smell sweet, somewhat heady, and with a distinct floral character. It is quite vibrant and pleasant, with some of the least awareness of the base wood paste. 

All in all after the disaster of the Rose (I'm not a keen lover of rose scents, so perhaps not a good one to start with), I quite liked this little collection. The ambition is modest - indeed, it says on the box that these cones are intended as air fresheners. And they are not expensive - €3.99 for a box of 40 cones, plus shipping,  from Knox. 


Date: Jun 2026    Score: 25/50
***

Knox incense


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Monday, 1 June 2026

Smells Like Spells Eir Healing Spell



I was reviewing some Gonesh incense, and noted that the company was founded by Lithuanians who had moved to Chicago. I was curious as to if there was a tradition of incense making in Lithuania, as there is in Germany.  I found some incense for sale on ForestHomes website which said "Created in Vilnius, Lithuania". Excited, I ordered some, and asked the website owner, Daniela Coelho-Rodriguez, some questions to which she responded, allowing me to quote: 

"Lithuania doesn’t have a long, continuous incense-making tradition in the same way as Germany or parts of Asia, but it does have a deep heritage of herbal burning, ritual smoke, and plant-based scent use tied to Baltic pagan practices.

Historically, Lithuanian households burned dried herbs (juniper, sage, wormwood, birch, pine resin, etc.) for cleansing, protection, seasonal rituals, and healing, especially during midsummer (Joninės) and other folk celebrations. So while the format wasn’t always “incense sticks or cones,” the cultural use of fragrant smoke is very much embedded in Baltic tradition.

About the makers you mentioned, our incense is made by two Lithuanian creators, Vilius and Marius, working with a brand called Smells like Spells. Their work is essentially a modern reinterpretation of Baltic and Northern European ritual scent traditions, blending: traditional herbal knowledge + Nordic mythology symbolism + modern perfumery and incense craft

The incense (and all of our scent products) are handcrafted using natural plant-based ingredients and folk-inspired recipes, combining ancient ritual practices with contemporary design. These products also weave storytelling into each scent, drawing on mythological figures and archetypes, which gives the incense a strong narrative and ritual dimension (very much aligned with Baltic folk spirituality)."

I found that a helpful, detailed, and very exciting response. 

The incense arrives in a sturdy glass tube with cork sealer. The Eir Healing Spell is the first I reach for. It is described on the Smells Like Spells website as a "natural juniper, myrrh and ambergris incense", and on the ForestHome website as "Created in Vilnius, Lithuania". Both of these are a big draw for me. I love exploring incense around the world, and discovering new places where it is created; and I am becoming more and more attracted to botanicals and natural ingredients. I have not lost my attraction for the olfactory pleasures and possibilities of perfumed incense, but I'd like to learn more about botanicals, especially as they are the true heart, soul, and core of incense. 

Inside the glass tube is a detailed pamphlet with plenty of information about the history of incense, the ingredients, and the rituals to perform when burning incense. It also says: "Country of origin: Nepal", and "Ingredients: 100% natural plants, guar gum". I'm cool with the 100% natural plants, though I find it a little vague compared to the juniper, myrrh and ambergris description. I'm less cool with the Nepal detail. It looks at this point that the recipe is developed by Vilius and Marius in Lithuania, but made in Nepal - presumably because of the experience the incense makers there have with plant based incense. I write to Vilius and Marius, asking for clarity regarding the ingredients (especially the ambergris as it is rare and expensive), and the production set up. They respond promptly, saying: "there is real ambergris, just in a very small amount as it is definitely very expensive", and "some of the ingredients/raw materials are sourced from Nepal as some of the plants we use are not growing in Lithuania or cultivated in big quantities. But the production itself is held by us / done by ourselves." 

So there we are. 

The sticks are extruded dry dhoop. They look, feel, and smell the same as Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan incense. The similarities are astonishing. The scent on the stick is quite natural - earthy, herby, spicy - the scent combination somewhat pleasantly resembles mild curry powder.  The scent on the burn is earthy, herbal, gently smoky, with some awareness of resin which varies and wanders. It feels natural and vibrant, and folks who like plant based incenses, such as those made in the Himalayas, are likely to feel at home with this Eir Healing Spell. The connection to Nepal incense is quite remarkable. That two cultures so far away from each other should share such a close connection to incense is fascinating.  

I like these sticks. I like that they feel natural, that they are fairly mild (when burned  in moderation - one third to one half a stick at a time, with plenty of ventilation, and a moderate distance from me), and that there is some sweetness and floral notes in the mix. It's woody and herbal and a little dry and rough, but not in an off-putting way. I've been burning a lot of Indian incense recently which has relied a little too much on modern aroma chemicals, so it is refreshing to have a break and explore something quite natural like this. I am more than a little disappointed  that this Lithuanian incense presents exactly like Himalayan incense, such that I'm not finding anything new in the incense. However, the curious connection between Lithuanian incense and Himalayan incense is something interesting to learn. And, on the whole, I have modestly enjoyed it, not just as a break from regular incense, but also as a refreshing hit of something quite natural and naturally beautiful. Not an incense I'm likely to burn  that often as plant incense is not really my thing  - it's not a style of incense I find myself reaching for;  however, I have found it pleasing and enjoyable and refreshing. 

Available from Forest Home at £7 for a glass tube of approx five sticks; shipping extra; or from Smells Like Spells for €8, shipping extra.


Date: May 2026   Score: 30/50
***

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Sunday, 31 May 2026

Incense in Germany



A start. Just a placeholder at the moment.  

There is a long tradition of incense making in Germany, with the miners in Erzgebirge making incense cones to anoint themselves with frankincense smoke for luck before going to work. And now incense cones are a big Christmas tradition in Germany!


Incense makers
Jeomra's Raeucherwelt (Incense World)
Craft maker in Heppenheim

Georg Huber (Jeomra) runs an online incense shop, Raeucherwelt.de ("Incense World"), in Heppenheim, Germany, specialising in pure frankincense, and since 2022 has been making incense in Germany with an incense machine he ordered from India. I'm excited at what he is doing, and while the results, for me, are at times a little too focused on the materials rather than the fragrance - at their best, such as with Natur Pur Weihrauch Rose, they are awesome. 

I find what Huber is doing fascinating, along the same lines as what Benyamin Shoham is doing with Seraphim Incense in Israel, and particularly what Pure Yemen are doing in Yemen  - creating modern incense sticks using pure ingredients in countries which do not yet have a tradition or culture of incense sticks. This is exciting, bold, ground-breaking incense making, and they deserve respect and support.

Reviews: 4
High score: 50
Low score: 27
Average: 35/50


SamsaSpoon
Homemade Incense

Reviews: 5
Top score: 50
Bottom score: 26
Average: 36

***

Carl Jager are a fourth generation German incense maker, founded in 1897.  

Reviews: 3
High score: 35
Low score: 27
Average: 32/50

***

* Knox  German firm founded around 1865 during the interest in Germany during the 19th century for burning incense cones as a disinfectant or medicine. The leading incense maker in Europe. Their cones are small, cheap, wood powder with synthetic perfume. Short lived, poor quality, and even poorer value for money. 8 scents reviewed, average score: 20
  
***

* Crottendorfer. A German incense-cone manufacturer based in Crottendorf since 1936. 10 reviews - average score 24. 

***

* Huss Incense. German cone maker. Re-founded in 1990. 5 reviews - average score 32. 



Incense shops


* Padma Store, Germany. Sells selected Indian, Tibetan, and Japanese incense. International shipping.   

* Raeucherwelt (Jeomra's Incense World), Germany. Sells resin, a small selection of incense sticks from India, Japan, and Tibet, and excellent home-made incense by Jeomra. International shipping. 

* Ephra-World, Germany. Excellent shop. Wide range of incenses, resins, sticks, powder, smudges, etc. The main focus is India, but they have incense from around the world, and some rare, and exotic stuff, at good prices, and mainly genuine brands rather than re-brands.  



Incense around the world



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SamsaSpoon Homemade Incense



SamsaSpoon (Irene of the Germany based incense blog Rauchfahne) is part of a large group of people around the world who make their own incense using pure ingredients. Such incense is an important part of the history, tradition, and culture of incense, and would have been going on for thousands of years. While such incense may be informally swapped and shared, it is not often available for purchase. Irene shared some of her incense with me as a friend, and on request has sold some (to India I believe), but she doesn't make the incense as a commercial activity. I have reviewed her incense as an example of what homemade or small craft incense is like in order to expand on my own knowledge and experience of the world of incense. 

I have experienced a few other small craft incense makers. Usually loose blends. I find this area of incense making fascinating. Often the focus is more on the ingredients than on the final fragrance accord, so the results may not be in line with the output of a commercial incense house, especially as most home/craft makers are experimenting with ingredients and recipes to discover themselves what works and what doesn't. But they don't have the time, the budget, and often the inclination to repeatedly fine tune a recipe until the fragrance accord is perfected. 

So I was really impressed when I found that much of her output is not just pleasantly fragrant, but actually quite awesome. 


Reviews 


SamsaSpoon
Homemade Swiss Stone Pine (D)
Oct 2023 - Score: 50↑ 


SamsaSpoon
Homemade Indian Frankincense & Cardamom (D)
April 2023 - Score: 42
  

SamsaSpoon
Homemade Burgundy Pitch 
Feb 2025 - Score: 31
 

Feb 2025 - Score: 30
  

SamsaSpoon
Homemade "Dragon"
Feb 2025 - Score: 26 
  

Reviews: 5
Top score: 50
Bottom score: 26
Average: 36

***

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Saturday, 30 May 2026

HEM Green Tea Incense Cones



Scent of paint, fruit, bubblegum, and smoke. Kinda smoky. Difficult to pin the scent down - it's familiar, yet shifts away. The cold throw scent on the cone is sharper, fresher, sweeter, and has a fruit element. The scent on the burn is smoky and vague, though has some sense of hot, brown tea. I'm not getting Green Tea. Meh. It is what it is, but I'd like it to be a bit more fun. 

HEM incense is available all over the world from your favourite incense dealer, or simply the corner shop. I got this one from Amazon as part of a 12 different boxes for £12 deal. 


Date: May 2026   Score: 23/50
***

HEM Corporation

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Rajpal White Oudh



White Oudh is a modern synthetic perfume following the example of White Musk. It is intended to be lighter and fresher, without the animalistic character of oudh, and is generally considered to have been introduced as a synthetic in the early 21st century by perfumers such as Al Haramain and Thomas Kosmala; though there are also white oud fragrances which come from uninfected (and so unscented) agarwood trees. Though at the prices that white oudh is sold in India for use in incense, it is more likely that an Indian incense called White Oudh is using a synthetic. Rajpal classifies this as "Ultra Premium Incense". 




This White Oudh sold by Rajpal gives off a cold throw scent closer to oudh than the Rajpal Bakhoor I've just reviewed. It feels fresher and greener, with a more vibrant volatility. It leans into crisp icy aldehydes a little too much for my taste for an oudh focused incense; though it is an attractive fragrance overall, with a rotting leather vibe.

The scent on the burn is certainly in the area of oudh and bakhoor - some vague moments, and a sense of soggy oatmeal cookies wrapped in bonfire smoke, distract slightly, but overall it's an acceptable accord. It is a tad smoky, and builds, so is best at a well ventilated distance. Decent stuff.  

My samples come from Reddit user Brief_Chemistry. Packets are sold in India via the Rajpal website at 50g for ₹225 (£1.95) plus shipping. International purchases are made via WhatsApp +91 99209 36644, with payments done by bank transfer.  


Date: May 2026    Score: 30/50
***



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