Shoyeido Magnifiscents Diamond

  

Second review - scroll down for earlier

This is a sample sent to me by Irene of Rauchfahne. The sticks are quite diddy, but burn two at once and they do make an impression. The scent is clean, perfumed, delicate (yet makes a firm impression), floral, and light creamy sandalwood. It is mildly spicy - nutmeg and cinnamon, with some vanilla notes. There's a ongoing scorching paper note, which I tend to find on wood-based sticks, but it's not intrusive and is not unpleasant. It adds an intriguing contrast to the light florals and the vanilla, which becomes a little too cloying as the stick burns. I like this. 

Date: Jan 2025   Score: 30 

First review

Diamond contains sandalwood, frankincense, cinnamon, ginger lily, and patchouli, and represents "Power". The stick is a greyish brown or tan colour, fairly neutral. The scent on the stick is delicate and perfumed - quite sweet (which always attracts me) with an awareness of vanilla and a warm spice more like cumin than cinnamon. I'm not really getting the scent of the named fragrance ingredients. 

Though very thin, on the burn it produces a little more of a dry smoky scent compared to fragrance than I was expecting - I assume this is due to fewer fragrant ingredients in proportion to the binders and burners. The scent on the stick is lovely. The scent on the burn is a little thin and ordinary, with little real awareness of the stated fragrant ingredients. Though small, it does gently inform the room - just warming it up in a subtle, understated manner with that vanilla and cumin/cinnamon.  I think subtle as well as warm and sweetly pleasant are the key words here. Prices are generally around $/£5 to $/£9 for 9g (30 sticks): Sunnyside $5; Amazon £8;  Violey €8.   

Date: Jan 2023    Score: 26 

***

Japanese incense

Reviewed on Rauchfahne

Shoyeido