Short and simple. Highly perfumed sticks. Decent quality - no off-notes either on the stick or the burn (which have similar scents), though there is a fair degree of volatility, possibly from aldehydes, which can be quite icy in the nose and cause headaches. The scent is sweet, fruity, soapy, perfumed. There may be herbs and flowers in the mix, but the accord assaults me more with the fruits. Lagging slightly behind are faint, delicate florals. It's an OK accord, but does feel more like a "fruity fresh" bubble bath than what most would associate with incense. I like incense makers who are modern and bold and come up with new and lively scent accords, such as this No. 10; however, pleasant though it is, it doesn't touch my soul or my intellect. This is too familiar as an everyday scent associated with room fresheners, and various bathroom lotions and potions, to tickle my interest.
Essentially this is well made, decent quality incense with a pleasant and attractive scent, though too familiar as an everyday home fragrance to spark much interest. But it is likeable, and I'm quite happy to burn these sticks around the house. They are well behaved, and, though the scent (as most perfumed incense does) fades rather than lingers, it does sweetly inform the room with an acceptable and inoffensive fragrance.
Essentially this is well made, decent quality incense with a pleasant and attractive scent, though too familiar as an everyday home fragrance to spark much interest. But it is likeable, and I'm quite happy to burn these sticks around the house. They are well behaved, and, though the scent (as most perfumed incense does) fades rather than lingers, it does sweetly inform the room with an acceptable and inoffensive fragrance.
This was part of a Variety pack, commonly available in America, though also available on UK Amazon for just under £12 including delivery.
Gonesh incense is made in Chicago! That said, I've never tried it myself haha
ReplyDeleteYes. The company has made incense in Chicago for over 100 years, thus making them one of the oldest incense companies in the world. They originally made cones under the name Hindu Incense Company, but in the Sixties a young family member took charge, changed the name to Gonesh (after Ganesha, the elephant god), and shifted production from cones to sticks.
DeleteI am kinda interested that in the 1920s the company was bought by a family of Lithuanian immigrants (who still own and run it). I looked into the history of Lithuanian incense, to see if there was a tradition there, similar to that of Germany, perhaps. I found some incense being made today in Lithuania, and that should be arriving soon.
I asked the seller to tell me a little bit about incense in Lithuania, and this was Daniella's response:
Lithuania doesn’t have a long, continuous incense-making tradition in the same way as Germany or parts of Asia, but it does have a deep heritage of herbal burning, ritual smoke, and plant-based scent use tied to Baltic pagan practices.
Historically, Lithuanian households burned dried herbs (juniper, sage, wormwood, birch, pine resin, etc.) for cleansing, protection, seasonal rituals, and healing, especially during midsummer (Joninės) and other folk celebrations. So while the format wasn’t always “incense sticks or cones,” the cultural use of fragrant smoke is very much embedded in Baltic tradition.
About the makers you mentioned, our incense is made by two Lithuanian creators, Vilius and Marius, working with a brand called Smells like Spells. Their work is essentially a modern reinterpretation of Baltic and Northern European ritual scent traditions, blending: traditional herbal knowledge + Nordic mythology symbolism + modern perfumery and incense craft
The incense (and all of our scent products) are handcrafted using natural plant-based ingredients and folk-inspired recipes, combining ancient ritual practices with contemporary design. These products also weave storytelling into each scent, drawing on mythological figures and archetypes, which gives the incense a strong narrative and ritual dimension (very much aligned with Baltic folk spirituality).
Regarding other Lithuanian incense makers, they are not many. Lithuania’s incense scene is relatively small and niche, but growing. Beyond this, you may also want to look into: small herbal craft makers focused on juniper or Baltic herb smudging bundles, natural perfumery studios in Vilnius and Kaunas experimenting with resin-based incense and essential oil blends, or artisans working with pagan or Baltic spirituality revival practices. Some other incense making brands are: Yamuna’s Incense and The Scent of Lithuania (e-Scent).
It’s not yet a large “industry” like in Germany or Japan, but it’s an emerging craft space rooted in folk traditions and ecological materials.
This is the website:
Deletehttps://www.foresthomesstore.com/collections/incense