BIC Magic Egipcia (Egyptian Magic)

This stick is a little different to the other BIC South American market square packs - this one is machine extruded. I'm quite happy with machine extruded for perfumed charcoal incense. It's neater and more consistent. And, after the initial outlay, it is more cost-effective to make. I have this happy vision of women in pretty saris sitting in a circle and merrily chatting away as they hand roll incense sticks, though the reality is often more like a factory, where the women sit in rows while an overseer walks up and down to make sure they are working, or the woman is working alone in a cramped space at home with her children around her - sometimes getting the children to help roll the sticks in order to meet the quota. So hand rolling may not be a positive experience. But I think we tend to cling to the romantic vision of hand-rolling. And I think we tend to find the notion of noisy, dirty, automated machines off-putting in our romantic notion of how incense should be made. But at this level - the everyday perfumed charcoal, where the incense is (mostly) not burned for spiritual, ritual, emotional, or religious reasons, then logical, economical, consistent quality, machine making is OK. 

I was expecting Magic Egipcia (Egyptian Magic) to be musky - and there is something musky in this - but it's a fairly vague, somewhat chalky musk, more cool, crisp charcoal than warm, sensual musk. Hmm. It's a little herby, and it's moving toward patchouli, but on the whole I'm finding too chalky, too chemical, too mineral, for my taste. It's mildly pleasant, but after the positive feelings I had toward these BIC square pack sticks while burning the Sandal Wood, I'm now feeling less indulgent. 


Date: Oct 2023 Score: 23 

BIC / Panchavati