HEM Morning Mist Incense Sticks

Second review - scroll down for earlier

I'm not sure what a morning mist is supposed to smell like. This has some mineral qualities akin to the marine or sea breeze elements in some room-freshener or bath foam products, which are produced by Calone, a scent molecule devised by Pfizer in 1966.  It has a cool volatility on the stick which nips the hairs on the inside of my nostrils. It's not an unpleasant scent, though it's no more interesting than an average room freshener, and doesn't really engage my attention. The scent on the burn is a sort of scorched sea breeze. It's not ugly, but it's not impressive either. I have little time for it. It's small and boring and way too chemical. 

Date: May 2024   Score: 20 

First review

It's HEM time!  HEM do tend to divide opinion. They are a popular company, and many people like HEM because the incense is bright, simple, and straightforward; but others dislike them because the scents are not natural, and can be a bit brash as well as simple. There are better quality incenses available, even among the perfumed incense, but HEM succeed because they are readily available and are very cheap.  I am not a fan of HEM, but I don't dislike them, and I was tempted by this Amazon offer of 22 packs for £10 back in April and got it. The package came straight from India by air, so the perfume in this, and the other 21, is reasonably fresh - which is important with perfumed incense as the perfume can and does evaporate over time.   

HEM incense is cheap, decently made (you always get the scent of the perfume), and can sometimes surprise with a delightful scent, such as their Frankincense-Myrrh, which I rate higher than their masala incense. HEM is the sort of casual incense that we use around the house to brighten up the place, or cover up stale or bad smells. We don't generally use HEM to sit and enjoy the scents, though sometimes a  HEM scent just hits the spot; and, like drinking a straightforward pale lager can be palate cleansing and refreshing after sampling a range of imperial stouts, so it can be diverting to burn a HEM after a period of burning some complex masala incense.  

The chemical origin of the scent on this Morning Mist is clear straight away. The scent on the stick is sharp, volatile, and plainly chemical. It is again quite chemical and artificial on the burn. It burns rapidly and quite hot, throwing up an abundance of blue smoke which does look quite attractive. Perfumed charcoal incense tends to burn more rapidly than masala incense, though this can vary depending on the quality and thickness of the masala as well as the lengths of the sticks. In general a decent masala will burn for around an hour, while a decent perfumed charcoal will burn for around 30 minutes. This HEM Morning Mist burns for around 50 minutes. 

It is difficult to pin down the scent. It is a fairly generic perfumed charcoal scent. It is sharp, bright, perfumed, slightly floral - jasmine, inclining to pine disinfectant, with some familiar and fairly attractive notes that I can't quite pin down.  On the whole it's a fairly clean and acceptable scent that is better than I'm painting it. I'm not going to rave about it, but I like its fresh boldness, and that it is crisp and uplifting. I like its simplicity and directness. It is uncomplicated and unpretentious. It is what it is - a simple chemical scent soaked onto a charcoal paste. It quickly and boldly brightens the room, penetrating into several rooms. The downside, as is the case with much perfumed incense, is that, unlike masala incense, it doesn't leave a lingering incense smell in the house. However, it is OK.

Date: Dec 2022  Score: 25

***

HEM Corporation