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Hem Eucalyptus Incense Review

The Zen Hippie — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:54:08 +0000

Koala Bears. That is the first thing that pops into my head when I hear the word eucalyptus. The second, after a moments thought, is some terrible cough drop that trumpeted how it was made with eucalyptus. Mercifully I have forgotten the brand. Anyway, Hem offers a eucalyptus incense that is actually surprisingly good. Well, surprising to me anyway as I have had wildly varying rates of success with Hem incense before. I am certain that one of the reasons for that is the charcoal in the stick.

The eucalyptus stick in question is crisp, clean, and well, “minty”. It is a recharging and energizing scent and the only negative thing I can say about it is that it suffers a bit (to me) from the charcoal stick. It introduces a very faint, bitter note into what is otherwise a perfectly clean and refreshing scent. Other folks here at The Zen Hippie find it to be very good as well and easily recommended for an energy and mental clarity boosting stick.

This kind of clarity of scent is exactly what I was hoping for in Hem’s Cedar stick and I did not receive. That stick was a little muddy and lacked the clean and bracing characteristics of cedar. Not so with this stick. Everything is in place for a wonderfully enjoyable scent that I am sure I will add into my rotation and enjoy again.

Hem Cannabis Incense Review

The Zen Hippie — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 02:33:29 +0000

I am not sure what I expected from this stick, but the thought had crossed my mind that it would smell like cannabis sativa since the name on the package is “Cannabis” and it features the leaf we all know so well. Strangely though it smells very little like the cloud of smoke that generally hangs over the crowd at a Dead concert. Instead the scent is very perfume-y with faint spice notes and a very pronounced sage-like note as well. If the scent was supposed to be the earthy, musky, woody scent of cannabis sativa it missed the mark by a wide margin. That doesn’t mean it is a bad smelling stick though. I actually like it for the sage-like clean and clear notes.

Interestingly, the combination of scents in this stick would probably make it a perfect companion scent for those times when you want to fire up a number and contemplate life, the universe and everything. The muskier, warmer notes would probably blend really well with the cleaner, sage-like and lightly perfumed notes of this stick. Or if you are not into that sort of thing it would make a pretty good general purpose stick. The scent isn’t heavy, or earthy and it is just complex enough to remind you of something every now and then.

You can get a cool hex pack here.

Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa Incense Review

The Zen Hippie — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 05:16:33 +0000

Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa. Named for the famous Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba and introduced in the mid 1960′s, it would be the gold standard for nag champa for quite a long time. It seems a few years ago that Shrinivas Sugandhalaya altered the formulation of their nag champa to use less halmaddi as it is becoming increasingly more expensive. Because of that people began casting about for a nag champa that was closer in scent to the original Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa. They seem to have settled on Shanthimalai nag champa as the winner there and claim it is more like Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa than Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa itself!

However, that will lead into the never ending debate of which is the best, which is the most pure, and so forth and so on till the cows come strolling home. My goal (and job) is to try and help you decide how to get the most for your money when it comes to enjoying an incense of any scent or brand. I don’t have biases and I am not a scent snob. I have caused true incense snobs to hemorrhage on the spot when I declared their favorite, un-pronounceable, amazingly expensive incense did nothing for me.

So with that aside firmly spell checked, lets talk about Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa. Is it worth the hype and number one selling incense spot? Well, yes and no. Make no mistake, it is an excellent nag champa. Perfectly representative of nag champa incense. Warm, earthy, sweet, slightly “moist” smelling and with plenty of character. However, that comes with a big “but”. That is to say but for me personally there are better nag champas available. Shanthimalai being one and Goloka being another. I think the reason Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa is number one is that people have yet to discover some of the other nag champas that are out there.

In the end what it comes down to is your own personal preference. I like Tulasi Nag Champa because it is just a bit cleaner and lighter. I like Golden Nag Champa sometimes because it is a bit “flatter” than others. I like Goloka Nag Champa on occasion because it is a bit “muskier” than the others and I like Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa because it is well rounded, if not entirely full bodied.

So take your pick, but don’t stick with just one. Each nag champa we sell has its own unique character and you would do yourself a disservice as a fan of nag champa not to give them all a chance.

You can start your journey here and complete it here.

Hem Champa Incense Review

The Zen Hippie — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 04:21:45 +0000

The Hem incense company puts forth a very good effort with their Hem Champa. Unfortunately it doesn’t have what it takes to be a serious contender to the current kings of the hill. Don’t get me wrong, I am not dismissing this version of nag champa with the wave of an elitist hand. It is just that what is an acceptable formulation of nag champa has such narrow margins and any scent that strays too far out of them falls by the wayside. This is by popular vote and not my personal opinion.

Overall it is an excellent representation of nag champa. Earthy, warm, sweet, sensual even. What the problem seems to be is that it also has a slightly bitter or pungent note that comes through every now and then. The scent isn’t as cleanly nag champa as Goloka, Golden or Shanthimalai nag champa. What that note could be I am not entirely certain. It could be the bamboo stick that the formulation is wrapped around. In that case perhaps I just got a batch made from badly cured bamboo. Or it could be some mystery ingredient that I can’t readily identify. Whatever the case may be I find that one note to be very distracting and it takes away from the enjoyment of the stick somewhat. It tends to make the overall scent just a bit harsh.

Of course, you have to realize that scent is subjective and you might not find the note distracting or even present at all. I do think this is a very good incense stick at a very good price but I also think that there are much better nag champa scents easily available.

Golden Nag Champa Incense Review

The Zen Hippie — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 03:41:32 +0000

Previously I reviewed Tulais Nag Champa by Sarathi Perfumery Works. I stated that it doesn’t seem to get the respect that it deserves when in fact it is a very good nag champa. I like it because it is a bit “cleaner” and not quite as earthy as some nag champa. I realize that this might be a drawback to some people so here is a recommendation for a nag champa that is different in character while still being true to the scent of nag champa.

Vijayshree Fragrance, the makers of Golden Nag Champa deliver an excellent nag champa. It is everything that a nag champa should be. Including the slightly damp feel of the sticks when first opened. There is a reason that this nag champa consistently ranks right up there with Goloka, Satya and Shanthimalai. The scent is warm, earthy, woody, sweet and with those hard to pin down occasional notes of vanilla or nutmeg. So it smells exactly as you would expect nag champa to smell.

My only complaint (and that is too strong a word really) is that it is a bit “flat”. It isn’t quite as crisp as some sticks and not as clean as the Tulasi version. Of course we all know that scent is highly subjective and the little, virtually imperceptible things I notice (or not) will be meaningless to others. Take it from me, this is a very, very good nag champa and absolutely worthy of being in the all time top five.

You will not regret purchasing this stick. It smells wonderful and the price is more than right.

You can get a box here.

Tulasi Nag Champa Incense Review

The Zen Hippie — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 02:58:29 +0000

Among all of the myriad nag champa offerings in the world it seems like Tulasi doesn’t get much respect. While Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa, Golden Nag Champa, Goloka Nag Champa and Shanthimalai Nag Champa battle it out for the top spots, Tulasi barely gets a mention in comparison. Which is sort of sad because it is definitely worth not only a mention, but it is worth trying as well.

So lets get this out of the way first. Nag champa is sweet, woody, earthy scent that can have notes of vanilla and nutmeg as well. It is distinctive, unique, signature of Indian incense scents and incredibly enjoyable. Now, with that said I want to tell you why I like the Sarathi Perfumery Works version in Tulasi Nag Champa. It is oh so slightly more floral and woody than other offerings. This (to me) makes it just a little bit crisper and slightly cleaner than some sticks.

I am not going to say it is a pure representation of nag champa, but it is nag champa with just a little more sweetness and light. I find it to be very enjoyable and I use it quite often. I still prefer Shanthimalai “Red” Nag Champa as my overall favorite but this wonderful version definitely has a place in my collection and I don’t think many people (if any) would be disappointed with it.

Help give it the respect it deserves by clicking here.

Are You Crazy, Writing Bad Reviews For Things You Sell?

The Zen Hippie — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 02:56:27 +0000

People must think I am out of my mind. Selling incense and giving it not so great reviews. True, that doesn’t follow the usual advertising paradigm which is to lie, then lie some more, but I would rather be known for what I am. Honest. I would rather help people make good decisions with how they spend their money than attempt to take it from them with any form of deceit whatsoever. If I write a review of an incense and it isn’t glowing, at least it is honest and may help people make a good decision.

Scent is subjective. What I love, others may be repulsed by. What others find positively incredible, I might find to be disgusting. So there is no way that any two people can experience an incense in exactly the same way. All I try to do is write as clearly as I can what my impressions of a given incense are and whether I personally like it or not. It goes without saying that some incense is of high enough quality and of such good formulation that most people will find it palatable. Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa is a good example of this. There is a reason it is the number one selling incense in the world.

So why do I stock incense that I don’t particular care for? Because what I said in the last paragraph remains true. Even if I positively hate an incense, someone somewhere will love it and be glad that I have it in stock for a fair price. The opposite is also true of course. I might be delighted by an incense that others may find to be an assault on their nasal passages, but I will be happy to find someone who sells it at a fair price and treats me well as a customer.

With that being said, my reviews and impressions are as honest as I can write them. Everyone may not agree with me, but that is what makes the world a wonderful place. You don’t have to agree with me or like the same things that I like. You are free to pick and choose and explore and find the things that make you the happiest. Never take anyones word on what will make you happy and please you. Figure it out for yourself. I think you will find you are a lot happier that way.

I hope that I can help with that as far as incense goes by being honest about the things that I sell.