I have six Hem hex packets left from a cheap bundle I bought off Amazon about a year ago. There's a planets and elements theme, but that's not why I grouped them - they are the ones left because the title and design is arranged vertically rather than horizontally, so is a little trickier to photograph. This one is called The Planet and has an image of some planets in the solar system.
A machine extruded black paste on a machine-cut bamboo splint. Volatile aroma on the stick. Initial hit is quite chemical and off-putting, with sharp top notes that quickly meld down into something floral and heady, roses, before moving into something darker and deeper, something faintly primeval and woody and musky. Of course, whatever is on the stick is largely irrelevant, because we buy incense to burn. The whole essence of incense is in the burn. And therein lies the rub. Because much perfumed incense, such as this HEM, smells better on the stick than it does on the burn. And I think some incense, like those American ones they sell loose in jars, are designed just to make an attractive scent when left open in a jar. They are not designed for the scent when burned. I think HEM do make an effort at making their incense smell OK when burned. But I have noticed that light top notes, floral and citrics, don't burn well, and certainly don't store well (either masala or perfumed); while heavier, darker base notes, woods, ambers and musks, do burn well, and last well (both masala and perfumed). I'm not attracted to this scent on the stick - and I don't think these perfumes have been chosen for how good they smell on the stick. I am quietly assuming that this will smell ok (or least better) when burned than it does right now evaporating slowly on the stick.
The scent on the burn is warmly musky and quite acceptable and attractive, which bears out my comments that this was designed with the burn in mind, and that deeper notes work better in incense than top notes.
A machine extruded black paste on a machine-cut bamboo splint. Volatile aroma on the stick. Initial hit is quite chemical and off-putting, with sharp top notes that quickly meld down into something floral and heady, roses, before moving into something darker and deeper, something faintly primeval and woody and musky. Of course, whatever is on the stick is largely irrelevant, because we buy incense to burn. The whole essence of incense is in the burn. And therein lies the rub. Because much perfumed incense, such as this HEM, smells better on the stick than it does on the burn. And I think some incense, like those American ones they sell loose in jars, are designed just to make an attractive scent when left open in a jar. They are not designed for the scent when burned. I think HEM do make an effort at making their incense smell OK when burned. But I have noticed that light top notes, floral and citrics, don't burn well, and certainly don't store well (either masala or perfumed); while heavier, darker base notes, woods, ambers and musks, do burn well, and last well (both masala and perfumed). I'm not attracted to this scent on the stick - and I don't think these perfumes have been chosen for how good they smell on the stick. I am quietly assuming that this will smell ok (or least better) when burned than it does right now evaporating slowly on the stick.
The scent on the burn is warmly musky and quite acceptable and attractive, which bears out my comments that this was designed with the burn in mind, and that deeper notes work better in incense than top notes.
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