(HMS) Blue Pearl Lavender

  

Second review - scroll down for earlier

First review

I was excited by the Blue Pearl brand's Classic Champa, a masala style incense with delightful scents which I reviewed in Jan last year (2022). I then ordered a bunch of different scents, and was a little disappointed that what arrived was pretty much standard bargain basement style perfumed charcoal incense such as their below par Sandalwood, though there was also some moderately decent perfumed-masala such as the Patchouli.  A combination of Blue Pearl being a private label, albeit being a charity (raising money and awareness for the Syda Foundation ) rather than a commercial set up, that the incense fragrances had a lack of ambition (single scent mainstream), and that the quality was clearly variable (presumably though sourcing from different makers), made me lose interest in the brand. 

This perfumed-charcoal Lavender, though, has caught my attention. The sticks are 8 inches long with 6 inches of charcoal paste hand rolled very neatly onto a plain machine-cut bamboo splint and then dipped in a rather elegant perfume. It burns for a satisfactory 50 minutes. There is some volatility on the stick, and the scent is rather perfumed and moderately heady, with touches of cool menthol, and a good awareness of lavender. The volatility is a little sharp and off-putting,  though the calming qualities of the lavender, combined with its pleasant sweet floral allure, overcomes that negativity, and offers a promise that can't be ignored. 

On the burn the fragrance opens up, and without the cool menthol volatility a sweetness develops, supporting and enriching the lavender and bringing in elements of vanilla, white chocolate, with moderate touches of semi-sharp fruit such as raspberry. It's herbal more than floral, and the lavender feels more like a perfume than real lavender. However, it's an engaging combination of scents that inform the room without overwhelming, and delight the senses. There's enough variety and change in the scent to keep the interest. This is not quite a heavenly incense - the perfume feels a little bare, lacking some of the richness and depth that can come from a quality masala - but is immediate and very pleasing. We like it. 

 
Date: Sept 2023    Score: 37 

See also:

HMS Ab Lavender sold by
Sacred Boutique / KrishnaShopping.Com
March 2024 - Score: 24 

HMS Bhagwan Incense Lavender Bliss (P)
Nov 2023 - Score: 28

***

Haridas Madhavdas Sugandhi

Blue Pearl

Best of Lavender

Reviewed on Rauchfahne