Incense In The Wind

Burner Burner - Carhartt jacket incense burner

Friday, 22 September 2023

Absolute Bliss Lotus Flowers

 


Lotus Flowers is a creamy, succulent, smooth and delicious incense informed by vanilla, herbs, and floral notes.  It reminds me of Queen of Lotus, imported by Paul Eagle for his Happy Hari brand. Corey of Absolute Bliss did take over Paul's suppliers, so this may be the same incense - though I understand that Corey sold two lotus named incenses, Floating Lotus Flower and Queen of Lotus.  

The stick is 9 inches long with 7 inches of incense. It is quite a thick incense - the sort of weight and thickness I associate with incenses named flora and/or fluxo, though they often tend to be moister than this. The sticks appear to be machine made, which is consistent with the Happy Hari Queen of Lotus. Paul said that the girl who used to hand roll the incense was the same one who operated the machine. As such he felt there was a continuity.  I like the idea of hand rolling - it does give occupation to poor women, and when rolling in a group I tend to image there is social chat, and a feeling of belonging. Machine extruding produces neater, more consistent sticks which burn more evenly, though - having worked on factory machines - working on them tends to be noisy and boring and wearisome. Also, when I see pictures and films, it is nearly always men operating the machines. But they are more cost-effective for the owners so, other than the marketing value of saying "hand rolled", it is to the advantage of makers to use machine. When lit it burns for 75 to 85 minutes producing an enveloping but not too heavy scent. This offers good value. 

I don't have any of Paul's Queen of Lotus left (it appears that in Feb 2022 I sent the last stick to "someone who I think will truly appreciate it" ), but Ashok of Padma Store has a supply of Happy Hari Queen of Lotus that he sourced from Corey, and they look the same. Though don't quite smell the same on the stick. I shall burn it and review it later. 

The scent on the stick, propelled by volatile fragrant and essential oils, is  warm, neutral, pleasant, with suggestions of creamy sandalwood, waxy floral notes, herbs, and vanilla. It has that pleasant creamy blandness of skin cream. There is something about it that really appeals at first, but that appeal reduces with prolonged exposure. It never reduces to a dislike, merely a sort of satiated acceptance - a pleasing neutrality. It's rather like beige paint in a house - the first impression is of a shimmering holiness, a creamy cleanliness, a bright and almost stunning wow of pristine marble beauty, but after a while the beige just becomes part of the background, acceptable, agreeable, comfortable, but now just background. It lacks contrasts and tension and journey. It lacks mystery and allure. This Lotus Flower is beige. Stunning on first encounter, and afterwards comforting, familiar, and agreeable, but lacking in excitement and interest. 

When lit the flame is small, languid, slow, almost reluctant to consume. There is a reluctance to passion. The scent on the burn is warm, comfortable, familiar, and repeats the experience on the stick. It is a solid, quality scent which pleasantly informs the room with a neutral to sweet creamy warmth, rather like beige paint. It is a fine incense. Just not a very exciting or interesting one. It does remind me of Paul's Queen of Lotus, which initially excited me, but then on repeating burnings that excitement lessoned. The scent and the experience are so similar I feel that this has to be from the same maker.  And what I feel about this, which came to me from Corey just a year or two after Paul sent me his samples, is what I felt about Paul's Lotus the last time I reviewed it - that it is top end of Decent Stuff rather than Heavenly.  


Date: Sept 2023    Score: 38 
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