The big Morning Star Incense Review Roundup is almost complete. I have but one scent left to review and there is a very good reason I saved it for last. I don’t like the smell of roses. I never have and unless a spontaneous genetic mutation causes them all to start smelling like sandalwood, I doubt I ever will.

When I was about eight years old I would while away hours in the summertime by sitting in the uppermost branches of an old pine tree and daydreaming. This would of course terrify my poor mother because the sorts of pine trees we have here in the south are known for falling over due to things like wind, no wind, excessive moisture, too little moisture, birds landing in them, etc.

Anyway, jasmine is a wonderful fragrance. Exotic, rich, sensual and very memorable. I have been impressed with Nippon-Kodo’s Morning Star line before and I was looking forward to seeing if they could deliver on this scent as well. The unlit stick is impressive and except for a slightly too sharp note I could close my eyes and easily imagine I was holding jasmine from my garden in my hand and not an incense stick.

Towards the goal of enjoying the smell of Cinnabon anytime I want I have tried many incense sticks that claim to be cinnamon. I have found that “cinnamon inspired” might be a better term for them unfortunately. So I was excited to try out the cinnamon from Nippon-Kodo’s Morning Star Line.

I am not a fan of drinks that are boiled water and various leaves or beans. This means that I don’t care for coffee or tea and I get my caffeine from a can. However that does not mean that I don’t enjoy the scent of coffee or tea leaves. I am especially fond of Captain Picard’s favorite, Earl Grey. Just not the actual prepared and ready to be consumed version. So when it comes to tea scented incense, I can be very picky.

Nippon-Kodo features a musk scent in their Morning Star line and right out of the box it is an intriguing scent. It is spicy, sensual, warm and yet with a brighter herbal note as well. I am personally not looking forward to lighting this stick and attempting to give any sort of accurate description of it because musk can be complex and cause a wide variety of reactions amongst people.

Once lit it attains that sharp, spicy note I would associate with red cedar, although not as strong, and yet it maintains the character described above. The difference is amazing and very, very good. I could very easily use this as an air freshener on a day to day basis. The scent is that pleasant without being the slightest bit overpowering.

Lavender is like a miracle anti-stress, sleep aid drug. Our ancestors have known this for hundreds (perhaps thousands) of years and yet a lot of people simply refuse to believe that something natural can have such a profound effect on the human body. I am a big believer in this scent for relaxation and as an aid to help induce sleep. I have used it for years and I know that it works well for me.