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Friday, 31 May 2024

HEM Lime Lemon

 



Huge chemical wave on the stick - shockingly cool volatility. Sharp synthetic citric notes along with some muffled old leather. Not good. 

Scent on the burn is moderate, there's a citronella / lemongrass element to this, some burning sage; it's pleasant enough, quite herby along with the citric notes. It's growing on me - the sage aspect I like. And there's points of woody, musky interest here and there. Hmmm. Yeah, it's OK. Better than I was expecting from the scent on the stick. 


Date: May 2024   Score: 29
***



HEM Everest

 


I've noticed a number of perfumed incenses titled Everest, such as Gokula Everest, and they appear to have a similar scent - cool, herby, aqua, touch of sage and lavender - rather like an old fashioned men's cologne. I looked up information on the Everest scent, and it appears to have been developed by Avon in 1975 as a Fougère style scent. 

This HEM version falls well within the style - the scent on the stick is somewhat chemical and volatile, which fits in with the sort of men's colognes that Avon marketed in the Seventies. It's cool, herby with lavender, touches of rose, aqua certainly, minty, faint chocolate, orange pith. It's OK. Reminds me a little of Brut by Fabergé, which is a crude but classic Fougère scent. I kinda like the idea of Fougère, but the reality is that it's not really my sort of scent - too many heart and head notes, not enough soul. I like wood and musk in my perfumes and incense - as regular readers will know! So incenses with too many top, especially sharp, notes, without enough soul or base notes (especially woody sweet ones) to balance will rarely get me excited. Each to their own. There are no absolutes in scent enjoyment (and it's best to discover yourself what you like without going to websites where you are told what is "good" and what is "bad"), so one person's seduction will be another person's turn off. 

It's a moderately attractive scent on the burn - somewhat less cool and frigid than the scent on the stick, warmer with some sandalwood and patchouli hints, though also some damp smouldering sawdust. It's OK.  

The Carhartt burner shown in the photo was sent to me by Aida of IncenseBurnerHolder.com as a gift. I love the look of it - it was created as a promotional item for Carhartt by the trendy Kuumba incense company, along with some "specially created" incense sticks. I have acquired some of those sticks, and will try them out shortly. Oddly the sticks are meant to be burned upside down, which has been the subject of some discussion as to if this is an appropriate way of burning incense, as when upside down the stick will burn quicker and hotter.  We will be doing tests soon to see if we notice a difference in the aroma of sticks burned at different angles. 


Date: May 2024   Score: 25
***



Thursday, 30 May 2024

Lemongrass and Citronella scents

 



Lemongrass is occasionally used as an incense scent, mainly in everyday perfumed-charcoal sticks, or in lower end citronella fly-repellent incense, so it's not an incense that I find fills me with pleasurable anticipation. My encounters with lemongrass incense has been that the scent is fairly simple - some earthy, herby lemon with some lavender and/or sage aspects, and perhaps a musky base (depending on formulation or lemongrass source - Cymbopogon citratus, the West Indian lemon grass, tends to be more lemony, while Cymbopogon flexuosus, the East Indian lemon grass, tends to be more musky), and while generally likeable is not a scent that excites or interests me. 

Lemongrass is an economical plant to convert into essential oil, so it is more likely than not that most lemongrass incense is made with an essential oil; though, to cut costs, it would be blended with a carrier, so would be classed as a fragrance oil rather than a pure essential. 
 
 
 
 Reviews
 
 * = Review over five years old so may not be reliable


 
HEM Lemongrass (P)
 May 2024 - Score: 27
 

 
One Aromatics Lemongrass (P)
June 2017* -Score: 24
 
 
Pan Aroma Incense Sticks - Lemongrass (P)
 
May 2013* - Score: 23
 
 
 
Ancient Wisdom Lemongrass (P)
 Dec 2023 - Score: 21

 
Asoka Love in Life Lemongrass (P)
 May 2015* - Score: 20
 

 
 May 2023    Score: 15
 
 
 Oct 2023  Score: 11
 
 
FlyAway Citronella Incense Coil (P)
 March 2017* - Score: 08
 
 
Scents tried: 8
Top: 27
Bottom: 08
Average: 18
 ***
 
Different Scents
 

Wednesday, 29 May 2024

HEM Lemongrass

 


Lemongrass is occasionally used as an incense scent, mainly in everyday perfumed-charcoal sticks, or in lower end citronella fly-repellent incense, so it's not an incense that I find fills me with pleasurable anticipation. My encounters with lemongrass incense has been that the scent is fairly simple - some earthy, herby lemon with some lavender and/or sage aspects, and perhaps a musky base (depending on formulation or lemongrass source - Cymbopogon citratus, the West Indian lemon grass, tends to be more lemony, while Cymbopogon flexuosus, the East Indian lemon grass, tends to be more musky), and while generally likeable is not a scent that excites or interests me. Eugene offers a Lemongrass in his Bhagwan range which promises to be more interesting than average. But, meanwhile, here's a HEM Lemongrass. 

Lemongrass is an economical plant to convert into essential oil, so it is more likely than not that most lemongrass incense is made with an essential oil; though, to cut costs, it would be blended with a carrier, so would be classed as a fragrance oil rather than a pure essential. There is a clear lemongrass scent on the stick - a woody and fresh lemon with a grassy citronella tang. 

There is a fair amount of black smoke when the stick is lit, so it's likely that a chemical fixative such as DEP, has been used - though some folks say that black smoke is  common in all sorts of incense, including natural hand made incense. Anyway, the scent is a little smoky and a little sharp, but does smell of lemongrass, but in a fairly simplistic, citronella sort of way - kinda basic, and more about being an insect repellent than an aesthetic scent to please and interest.  It's OK, but it's lemongrass, so is not my thing. 


Date: May 2024   Score: 27
***





Saturday, 25 May 2024

New Age Code 1995 Thousand Aromas

 


New Age are a California based wholesaler founded in 1995. This Code 1995 Thousand Aromas is a bamboo-splint based smudge which New Age have had made for them in California since 1995. The ingredients are "Jasmine, Gardenia, Patchouli, Roses, Vanilla, Lavender, Coconut, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, and other special all natural herbs".  I got my pack of six sticks from ExoticIncense in America for $5. ExoticIncense do ship internationally.  

The scent on the stick is fascinating - a melange of florals, resins, and spices. A little cool and a little prickly, and not really balanced - it's just a glorious mess that assaults the senses gently and pleasantly. There's a blur of late summer fields and coastlines. Mineral, marine, "sea breeze" notes that lift and invigorate the gentle floral display. There are similarities with the same company's Five Elements Incense - both in appearance and in aroma experience, though this stick has way more aromas, and is in danger of losing control. This is not so much a crafted incense as something more organic and natural - an almost casual, instinctive grouping together of fragrant substances that are not structured like a fine perfume such as Chanel No5 with a careful arrangement of soul, heart, and top notes, and so there is no form or harmony, and some of the scents clash a little rather than balance or counterpoint or compliment. But that assault of the senses works. The fragrant clashes add sparkle and interest. This feels organic and natural and real and vibrant. The beauty comes from its casual naturalness, and the interest generated by stone cold mineral notes laid upon light florals laid upon musky woods and all swirling together. Nothing really dominates. This is nature in harmony. It's beautiful, and it's profound. And it's not too heady or overpowering. The scents are here in the room and noticeable, but they are not clamouring for attention. I love this. I love the rawness and the energy. Yes, it's a little rough. Yes, I would prefer more base notes to hold it all together (shame on me for that, but that's how it is). And, yes, I would like a few less off notes, and more control of the olfactory experience. But, I do love its sheer wildness. And perhaps something like this could be my way into appreciating the organic wildness of Tibetan incense


Date: May 2024   Score: 41 

Friday, 24 May 2024

HEM Love

 



I thought this was clove incense when I first read the packet, then was wondering why it smelled of rose rather than spice. The rose scent on the stick is pleasantly heady, sweet, and floral. The scent on the burn is less defined, though as it diffuses through the room the rose scent starts to settle in a modest, warm, and floral manner. 

We're currently burning Balaji Rose in the outhouse, and I've been noticing how heady and rose like it is, especially after burning some wimpy Nikhil's Mogra. This Hem Love is light and pleasant, but is not as heady as the Balaji. Each to their own, but I do like my rose to be somewhat sweet, powdery, and heady. This is not. 


Date: May 2024   Score: 22
***





Thursday, 23 May 2024

Primo Incense

 



Primo Incense was a brand name used by a now closed American importer for incenses they sold, which were made by Haridas Madhavdas Sugandhi (HMS) of Pune.  The brand name has been taken over by the British importer, Gokula; so Gokula's connoisseur Gaura range has been replaced with the connoisseur Primo range. Gaura and Primo are brand names for the same HMS incense. All that appears to have changed is the name. 

HMS incense is also sold under the brand names Happy HariAbsolute Bliss, BhagwanPrasad Gifts CelestialHare Krishna Das, Windrose Triloka, Blue PearlTOI, Pure Incense, Gokula, Sacred Boutique/KrishnaShoppingBhaktivedanta Manor, etc. Sometimes it's the same sticks under different brand names; sometimes, as with Pure Incense, some of the sticks are made specially for the retailer (for some special sticks Adi-Guru supplies his own oils, and oversees the making of the incense). HMS branded incense can be bought in India - even from Amazon.in, but HMS are reluctant to sell to Western markets where they have existing contracts with retailers. 


Reviews 


Primo Chaitanya (M)
Feb 2024 - Score: 38
  

Primo Blue Lotus (M)
Feb 2024 - Score: 34 
  


Primo Cedarwood (M)
Aug 2019 - Score: 33
  

  
HMS Primo Patchouli (M)
Nov 2021 - Score: 30 

 

HMS Primo Agarwood (M)
Feb 2024 - Score: 28
  


Primo Sandalwood (M)
Feb 2024 - Score: 28
 

Primo Nepal Musk (M)
July 2017 - Score: 26 
  


Reviews: 7 
Top: 38 
Bottom: 26
Average: 31

***






Wednesday, 22 May 2024

HEM Cherry Jasmine

 


HEM are one of the leading producers of perfumed incense, and are both loved and hated; though most folks just take them for what they are: makers of decent quality everyday cheap and cheerful synthetic-scent room fresheners.  Someone has yet to write the authoritative history of incense - it would be good to know when perfumes were first used in incense; when perfumes or oils were first used to supplement or replace the original fragrant incense ingredients, such as those that made up the Egyptian Kyphi and Hebrew Ketoret. And it would be interesting to learn when synthetic scents were first used. It may have started with using plant ingredients to replace the scents of amber from ambergris and musk from deer pods. And when chemists became aware that they could create scents, they did so; initially just for the perfume industry. I know that because of the difficulty of converting lilacs into essential oil, that, over 100 years ago,  lilac fragrance became one of the earliest scents to be synthesised. Some of the longest established Indian incense houses, such as Shroff  and HMS started out as perfumers and attar manufacturers who then moved into incense making. HEM came onto the incense scene comparatively recently (late Seventies - early Eighties), though by developing their own scents in-house they were able to keep costs down, ensure reliability, and be very flexible in the range of scents they offered.  It may be possible that HEM were among the first incense houses to fully exploit the potential (creative and financial) of using synthetic scents in incense, though it appears they were far from the first to make perfumed incense. 

Anyway. The scent on the stick is synthetic room-freshener cherry and shoe polish and damp dish cloth. The scent on the burn is mildly pleasant, though a bit fuggy. It's all a bit meh. Not offensive, but nothing interesting or appealing to catch my attention.   


Date: May 2024   Score: 25
***




Tuesday, 21 May 2024

Vakratund Arihanta Premium Masala Dhoop Sticks

 


I love the idea of dhoop, as it's an older form of incense than the joss stick with a bamboo stick in the centre which dates from around 1900 in Mysore. Incense starts with the burning of  single fragrant plants, woods, and resins such as labdanum, agarwood, and frankincense, and then moves to blends such as the Egyptian Kyphi and Hebrew Ketoret, which are burnt on hot coals or charcoal, and then moves to compounds in which flammable material such as charcoal or wood is mixed with fragrant ingredients, so can be ignited by itself - hot coals or charcoal not being required. Dhoop is this compound incense, and is the incense method used through most of  Asia: Tibet and Japan in particular use the dhoop method. 

But though I love the idea of dhoop, I tend to only get on with thin dhoops Some of my favourite incenses have been thin dhoops, such as Padmini, Panchavati, and SamsaSpoon's Swiss Pine. The thicker dhoops I find a little overbearing, both in terms of the heady nature of the fragrance, and the amount of smoke. I like a bit of heady - I like Balaji incense, which tends to be hearty and Indian, but the headiness of Balaji tends to be in the fragrance alone; while with thick dhoop, there is the extra element of the amount of smoke, and the sheer weight of the fragrance.  I believe thick dhoop is a particularly Indian form of incense - it's suitable for homes where windows are fully open, and where consumers want lots of smoke to keep away insects and lots of fragrance to cover up the bad aromas you'll get in hot countries. Thick dhoop is assertive and overwhelming. 

I tend to burn incense on my desk when reviewing (normally incense in our house is burned in corners of rooms - in plant pots, or on incense holders in strategic places which are away from where anyone is sitting), but I find thick dhoops too heady for that. So they are placed - as has been this one - on the other side of my study. And that has worked - though I've had to be a little patient while waiting for the fragrance to develop around me. 

Vakratund is the brand name of a fairly young incense company, United Fragrances, who were founded in Ahmedabad, on the upper Western coast of India, in 2011. Vakratund is one of the names of Lord Ganesh, the elephant god. Arihanta is not a scent, as I originally thought, but appears to be related to a state of being in the Jain religion, which seems to be similar to the nirvana of Buddhism. 

The dhoops are hard (there are also wet dhoops) and covered in a green melnoorva powder. There is a vivid green scent on the stick - a little sharp and volatile. The company say they use essential oils, so I assume the volatility comes from blending it with something like DEP, a fixative that enhances and prolongs the fragrance - halmaddi is another such fixative. There are coconut, lime, leather, and sandalwood in the scents on the stick. 

When lit there is a lot of black smoke, and strong, hungry flames. It's like burning plastic or rubber. The first few times I blew the flames out too quickly and found that the stick had only partly caught, so I had to light it again. After getting used to it, I braved the flames and smoke, and left it burning long enough to fully catch before blowing out. I like incense smoke. It is one of the joys of burning incense. There is magic, mystery, and spirituality in incense smoke. And dhoops do produce a lot of smoke. I find that very often there are two columns of smoke when burning a stick or dhoop. I don't know why there are two columns - but I find that so beautiful: the way the smoke column will split in two, and then swirl and dance, sometimes together in harmony, the swirls mirroring, and sometimes dancing apart then coming together again. And all this while the room is being filled with fragrance. Incense is awesome. 

I like the scent from this dhoop. It is light, delicate, sweet, floral, like fairies whispering and dancing. There's sandalwood to ground the experience, or perhaps the sandalwood gives the florals their body and energy, like horses carrying the fairies through a forest. I have burnt a few of these dhoops, and each time I discover and enjoy more of the Arihanta fragrance. Lime, coconut, sandalwood, light florals. I don't know what oils they have used, but the combination works for me.  I'm looking forward to trying more Vakratund dhoops - I bought a combo deal from Aavyaa.com of six different scents for ₹1,240.00 (approx £12). Unfortunately Aavyaa seem to be currently out of stock of Vakratund incense (and I also notice that prices have gone up on Aavyaa - but it's still one of the best sources for the best, most interesting, and most authentic Indian incense). It's worth keeping an eye on Aavyaa to see when it comes back into stock, because this is good stuff. 


Date: May 2024   Score:  45 
***

Dhoop

Sunday, 19 May 2024

Vijayshree Golden Nag Palo Santo Masala Agarbathi

 


I came upon Vijayshree in 2017 and was really impressed.  I had some cones and sticks over the years since and pretty much always liked them, so earlier this year I bought a bundle of sticks and a bundle of cones. But had a couple of poor experiences with the cones, and paused reviewing. I think the packets are among those which have been temporarily placed in the attic, but I came upon this solo packet in my study, and lit it up. 

Palo Santo is a fragrant wood from the bursera graveloens tree, which is in the same family as the trees which produce frankincense and myrrh. It is a traditional incense in South America, particularly areas populated by the Inca or Andean people in Peru and Ecuador. It generally has a clean woody scent with hints of lemon and licorice. 

These Vivayshree sticks are very light - there's a very fine amount of dry, soft charcoal paste hand-rolled onto a plain machine-cut bamboo splint. The paste has been coated in a fine golden dust of a melnoorva powder. It looks as you'd expect a neat, well made, professional masala stick should look. The scent on the stick is gorgeous. Lemony and minty with soft touches of sweet creamy sandalwood. Yummy! This does come across as authentically palo santo. 

The scent on the burn is equally soft and dreamy - loaded with creamy sandalwood, there's a gentle and comforting sexuality about this. The lemon notes play subtle tunes above the sandalwood. This is a dream. I must get back to reviewing the rest of the Vijayshree sticks, they really are impressive, and can generally be picked up in various shops around Europe for around £1.50 - such as €1.50 from Spiru.


Date: March 2024    Score: 42
***
Vijayshree Fragrance

Stamford London

 



Stamford London, trading as Stamford, is the continuation of Aargee which was a British company based in Acton, London, and founded in 1978 to import incense and ethnic gifts. As well as importing incense such as Satya and Goloka, they sold masala incense under their own Aargee name, and perfumed-charcoal incense under their own Stamford brand. Around 2020 it appears that the company split, with Nimesh Radia taking the company's own label Stamford brand as Stamford London, while the incense and ethnic gifts section was taken over by Puckator. The Aargee brand, including the masala incense, appears to no longer exist. 

Previous Aargee incense which has continued with Stamford London, and new incense under the Stamford brand will be listed here.  While Aargee/Stamford didn't make incense themselves, and early on would sometimes rebadge existing Indian incense under their own name, they did start to commission their own unique scents. Some scents were commissioned from Satya, and the rights to some of those appear to have slipped back to Satya. Perhaps there was a time limited license. 


Reviews 


* = Review over five years old, so may not be reliable
  
   
Stamford Mythical Range Unicorn's Grace (P)
May 2024 - Score: 31↓



Stamford Mythical Range Werewolf's Bite (P) 
May 2024 - Score: 
30 


Stamford Mythical Range Angel's Touch (P)
June 2019 - Score: 29↓


  
Stamford Mythical Range Vampire's Kiss (P)
May 2024 - Score: 28↓


Stamford Mythical Range Mermaid's Love (P)
May 2024 - Score: 27↓ 


Stamford Mythical Range Pixie's Dance (P)
June 2019 - Score: 26


Stamford Mythical Range Witches' Curse (P)
May 2024 - Score: 24↓



Stamford Mythical Range Incense Fairy's Mist (P)
 May 2024 - Score: 19↑


  
Stamford Mythical Range Goblin's Lair (P)
(P - May 2024): 21↓↓  



Stamford Mythical Range Dragon's Fire (P) 
May 2024 - Score: 21↓



Stamford Mythical Range Demon's Lust (P)
May 2024 - Score: 19=


  
Stamford Mythical Range Pixie's Dance (P)
May 2024 - Score: 19


Stamford Mythical Range Wizard's Spell (P)
May 2024 - Score: 18↓

Reviews: 12 
Top: 33
Bottom: 18 
Average: