Attractive box, free wooden incense holder, and recycled temple flowers used as part of the combustible ingredients. There is a resemblance to Phool in terms of packaging and use of recycled temple flowers; that is because Help Us Green was founded in 2019 by Karan Rastogi, who co-founded Phool in 2017, but then split with co-founder Ankit Agarwal due to disagreement over how to fund the business (Rastogi wanted organic growth, Agarwal wanted external funding).
I love the idea of using recycled flowers as an incense combustible - it is kinder to the environment, and helps reduce the impact of climate change. However, the down side is that flower waste have off-odours, such as damp and decay, which can intrude on the overall fragrance accord, and/or the natural flower scents can clash with the intended fragrance. Careful drying and sorting can mitigate, though all too often there is batch inconsistency due to the variability of the sourcing of the flowers. Where I have found recycled flower incense to be attractive, such as with Calmveda, when digging deeper it appears that the flower waste is only a proportion of the combustible. However, even if only a proportion of the combustible is flower waste, that is better than none at all.
I love the idea of using recycled flowers as an incense combustible - it is kinder to the environment, and helps reduce the impact of climate change. However, the down side is that flower waste have off-odours, such as damp and decay, which can intrude on the overall fragrance accord, and/or the natural flower scents can clash with the intended fragrance. Careful drying and sorting can mitigate, though all too often there is batch inconsistency due to the variability of the sourcing of the flowers. Where I have found recycled flower incense to be attractive, such as with Calmveda, when digging deeper it appears that the flower waste is only a proportion of the combustible. However, even if only a proportion of the combustible is flower waste, that is better than none at all.
I have liked the Help Us Green incense I have tried so far - indeed, I have liked some very much indeed, such as the Patchouli, and as Help Us Green is focused on the environmental side of re-using flower waste (rather than just following the trend), I find myself aligning with this company.
Mogra is the Arabian jasmine, and while there have been jasmine incense I have enjoyed, on the whole it is not an incense fragrance that particularly delights me. From the start of this blog I have emphasised that scent enjoyment is personal - it is individual and unique due to the complexities of how we perceive scent via emotions and memories. Some scents I enjoy more than others. Some styles I enjoy more than others. There is no universal 'good' scent; we each react differently. What captures my imagination might leave you indifferent, and what you love, I might actively dislike. People often ask me for recommendations, or to tell them which incenses are "good"; but we each need to find that out for ourselves. Like finding our life partner ourself. You can't read on a forum or blog which partner is best for you, especially if the writers know nothing about you. Same with incense. All I can do is describe the incense honestly, and then say how I respond to it, especially in comparison with other incenses I have had over the years. That I am not a fan of mogra/jasmine should be borne in mind when reading this review. If you love jasmine, then your reaction to this incense will likely be rather different to mine.
The cold throw scent on the stick is perfumed, slightly damp and musty jasmine/mogra. Mild sweetness, hint of White Musk, florals, new leather handbag. Not hugely inviting for me. Scent on the burn gives me the same experience. There's jasmine perfume, some suggestion of pale sandalwood, and a mild hint of damp, which could be the jasmine perfume or the waste flower combustible, as I have experienced the same accord with both jasmine and recycled flowers. Floral scents seem appropriate for recycled flower incense, as the scents can merge together. If the fragrance is appropriately formulated then the off-notes from the recycled flowers are incorporated into the intended floral scent and enhanced or covered up by the subtle merge.
I'm not put off by this mogra, nor by the recycled flower combustible; however, jasmine is not my thing, so this doesn't excite me.
I'm not put off by this mogra, nor by the recycled flower combustible; however, jasmine is not my thing, so this doesn't excite me.
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