HEM Anubhuti

A sample of another HEM incense. Ho hum. I'm not anti-HEM as some people are, as some of the perfumed incense work for me, but they are not a brand that excites either. Anyway, as I open up the sample packet my first thought is that there is only one stick inside, yet when I'm sent samples there's usually at least two, and often more. Only Gokula have send me single samples, and that's because they are masala incense. And then as I pull the stick out of the inner sleeve I notice first that the smell is really nice - a natural scent, informed by vanilla and spices, and then that, gosh this is a masala stick. Natural incense, as the Indians say. This is the first ever masala incense I've had from HEM. Interesting. A little while ago I encountered a masala/natural incense from another producer who is widely known in the West just for perfumed incense, and that was Tulasi's Vidwan, so this is not the only mainstream perfumed incense manufacturer who also deals in masala.

Anyway, shortly after lighting it up I notice that it contain halmaddi. Not a huge amount, just a little. And I like that. I am particularly sensitive to halmaddi - it tends to scratch the back of my throat, and sometimes worse, but just a little is fine. Personally I would prefer not to encounter any halmaddi in an incense, but there you go.....

This is a very pleasant incense, and though it never quite lifts, it gently informs the room and leaves a very clean and pleasant aroma hinting of musk and patchouli along with that initial vanilla. Yep. Decent stuff.

Anubhuti is Hindu for the general feeling or impression you have of someone or something. It is your emotion or psychic or physical response rather than scientific or rationale.

Date: April 2020   Score:  35

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HEM Corporation

Veer Special 3 in 1

Incense packs which contain a selection of fragrances are quite popular in India - very often there is little or no attempt to identify or even differentiate the scents, it appears to be simply accepted that there will be different scents, and it matters little to identify them. I have two sample packs of Veer's Special 3 in 1. With this small pack the scents are differentiated by coloured inner sleeves, but on the larger pack (which comes with a free pen!) the inner packs are the same, and the differences between the brown coloured incense sticks are only detectable by a very slight difference in shade of brown.

The sticks are all machine made, and are decent quality everyday perfumed incense. The red has an attractive mineral quality which at times really lifts with top floral notes underpinned by musk - it presents and has elements of a modern body perfume rather than an incense. The green is more crude and simple, it is quite heady and floral like a rose incense. The yellow is OK, though is fairly generic perfumed incense. All in all this is very decent stuff.


Date: April 2020   Score: 29

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Veer incense

Veer Fresh & Fresh

Another free sample from Veer. Decent quality everyday perfumed incense. This has an attractive floral aroma. It's nothing special, but it does the job, and leaves the room feeling cleansed, perfumed, and energised. The sticks burn slowly, and decently strong without being too smoky or assertive, and the fresh scent lingers a long time. Decent stuff. Top end of everyday incense.

Date: March 2020   Score: 29

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Veer incense