More newby reviews (2)
Really enjoying spending an hour or two in the afternoon listening to an ebook and making notes on a new incense stick or two. I'm still very new to incense but here's more of my collection (so far). Price wise, these are all in the low range.
I'm super prone to migraines from scents, so I've included how much I can burn before the migraine brain tingles and nausea kick in for anyone else with scent sensitivities. Anything that gets to 3/4 is fine for a full stick if I move far away from it. I try scoring them without considering this unless it's really bad.
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Name: Nippon Kodo Seiun (Blue Cloud) Black (very low smoke) - 8.5/10
Sensitivity: 1/2 stick
This incense perfectly fits its name and is what I can best describe as the politest incense I've had so far. I can barely smell it at first, but it gently builds as it slowly drifts around the room. It's a very subtly sweet with a fresh earthiness and hint of dew and has nearly no smoke at all.
The sweetness does get a bit much in the last 3rd though so I snap this in half so it doesn't build too much. I particularly love how this smells about 20 minutes after it's finished burning. It leaves a very faint hint of the dewiness while leaving the air feeling so fresh and clean. Very refreshing.
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Name: Kousaido Hanga Choju-Giga Sumo 4/10
Sensitivity: 1/4 stick
I've came to the conclusion that I don't like the Hanga series. This is ok, if very synthetic soap-y smelling, but nothing to write home about. I can't really dfescribe what it smells like besides a muddy fruity/floral soap. Oddly it smells awful in the box unlit, but smells completely different when burning. It's just... fine, but I wish I hadn't bought it and will likely give it away. Unfortunate because the boxes from the range are so cute.
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Name: Kousaido Hanga Mijikayo 2-3/10
Sensitivity: instant
I might have gotten a bad batch of this particular one but I haven't liked any of the Hanga set yet. It seems like the ingredients are not mxied properly. I get random bursts of very strong notes from a garden flora, a musky dampness and a sickly, migraine inducing sweetness that completely overpower everything else when they hit. It's not pleasant while burning. I'm getting the impression that Hanga incense is a really cheap range upmarked for tourists or something. I'll be giving these away like I have with the apple one and definitely won't be buying any more.
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Name: Kamayama Musk and Rosewood - (can't rate fairly)
Sensitivity: instant
The bottom of the tub says that Kamayama is a candle house and this smells exactly like what you'd expect incense made by a candle house to smell like. If I didn't know it was incense, I'd have thought it was a soy candle or room diffuser and comes with the same instant nausea/brewing migraine I get from them. That being said though, I actually liked it once I'd put it out and could only faintly smell what lingered. I think someone who likes scented candles and diffusers would love these and would rate them highly, but I it's not for me.
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Name: Shoyeido Xiang Do Forest - 6/10
Sensitivity: 3/4 sticks
These tiny boxes that include are really small and portable. They'd probably be great if you want to go sit in a park or somewhere and have some on hand. It's pretty strong.
This is a winter forrest personified when it gets started. These have a rick and heady evergreen top note and a subtle clean note that makes you think of those classic christmas cards with the cabin in a forrest covered in snow.
Sadly, it just smells like weed if you're not paying any attention to it which I'm really not fond of.
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Name: Kunjudo paper incense #5 - 7/10
Sensitivity: none
This would be higher but I can smell the paper burning occasionally and it's very smoky. Otherwise this is really good. It has a pleasent sweetness and overall smells modern and luxurious without smelling too perfume-y. I can identify the notes much more easily with this compared to traditional (pressed?) incense too. Not really a feature but an interesting observation. The strips are really nicely fragrant unlit, so I've put one in my purse for a nice little burst of it anytime I open it. I want to try more of these.
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Name: Shoyeido Kunro Kanro (Sweet Dew) - 6/10
Sensitivity: 3/4 sticks
This is a very uncomplicated incense that does exactly what it says on the tin. Simply a sweet, pillowy dew. similar to Forest, it's quite strong and a bit overpowering despite how small the sticks are (about 7-8cm). The sweetness is a bit sickly while burning for me personally, but it's not unbearable.
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Name: Kousaido Saga no Asagiri (Morning Mist of Saga)
Wooden box (thicker) version - 7/10
Low smoke version (not pictured) - 9.5/10
Sensitivity: none
I accidentally bought both the wooden box version and the thinner low smoke version in a cardboard box (70g) and MUCH prefer the low smoke version. The wooden box is really nice but the sticks are much stronger, produce a lot of smoke, and are too thick for any of my holders.
that aside, I LOVE this in the low smoke variant. It has notes of moss, damp earth and a crisp misty clean note that's quaint and nostalgic. It's probably a weird association but it makes me think of any rainy scene in the old(ish) watercolour Peter Rabbit & Benjamine Bunny animated movies. This will probably be one of my favoites during summer when it gets too hot.
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I'm also half way through a sample pack of the Yamadamatsu premium sampler (10pcs) and wow. Just wow. I'm taking my time with these and have 2 packs, once to see if I like it, twice to be sure, but it wasn't necessary lol.
