HEM The Sun

  

Hand-rolled charcoal paste on a hand-cut bamboo splint. A little messy, and the charcoal dust comes off on the fingers. Warm, spicy scent on the stick. Pumpkin, raw sausage meat, and shoe conditioner. Floral notes - rose. Green notes - mint. A surprisingly good accord. 

The scent on the burn is warm and delightful, albeit displaying a little too readily the synthetic origins of the scent. There's a chemical lemon tone, likely from D-limonene, a natural terpene that is extracted from oranges, and is a by-product of condensing essential orange oil to make it stronger. Though natural, when scent molecules are separated from their companion molecules they don't smell "right" - they lose some of the odd complexities that make them special, including the off-notes that by themselves might smell bad, but when blended with the pure notes create a profound and complex accord that astonishes us. Synthetic is, for me, putting scent molecules together that can smell delightful, but somehow miss the beauty and power of the natural original. As such, for me, the best synthetic compositions are those which don't attempt to emulate originals, but instead aim for a unique and original accord. And that, to be fair, is what is happening here. 

I have enjoyed the three planetary themed HEM incenses I have burned over the past few days. This has a good woody base, quite light and mossy, with fragrant citric notes on top. It is a chypre accord with light, warm elements of Brut by Faberge - not my favourite accord, but one that when down softly and warmly, as here, can produce a pleasant, cleansing, and calming atmosphere. I like this.

Date: June 2024   Score: 33

***

HEM Corporation