Heera: Saffron Sandal, Pure Chandan, Rudraksh
I first read about Heera on Incense in The Wind, and my samples also all come from Steve, who sent them to me as part of our incense exchange.
Heera is a brand that is easily available in England, but can be only found sporadically in Germany. A pack usually costs under €1.50.
Saffron Sandalwood
Saffron Sandalwood seems to be the only variety that Steve has not yet reviewed.
To me, the scent smells neither like sandalwood nor does it have any notes that I would associate with saffron or kesar incense sticks.
The scent is fairly generic, reminding me of cosmetic products like body lotion, with a vague, sweetish fruity note, as I have often found in incense sticks that aim to suggest a resin scent.
Pure Chandan
Chandan is the Indian word for sandalwood. Pure Chandan are roughly in a similar vain as Goloka – Chandan or Vijayshree – Nag Chandan, although I find both of these a lot better. Not least because both manage to evoke the enchanting sandalwood sweetness that these sticks lack to a certain degree. Pure Chandan smells a bit washed out, and I detect a somewhat perfumey, generically floral note in them. Over time, a tart note builds up, which I also find perfumey, but in this case, in a rather stereotypically masculine aftershave-like way.
You can find Steve’s review here.
Rudraksh
Like with Saffron Sandal, I smell a cosmetic note here, mixed with a freshness that comes across as fruity and slightly resinous, but not in a particularly natural way. However, it is much more pronounced here than in Saffron Sandal. Additionally, I smell a very vague floral note.
The scent reminds me of shampoo and thus smells clean in a way. Regarding this, Rudraksh has a certain similarity to Tanishtha by Goloka or Sree Vani – Lakxmi. Yet, both of these have significantly more character. Especially compared to Lakxmi, Rudraksh just smells generic and soapy.
By the end of the stick, I am quite glad that it is used up. I don’t know if I could manage to use up a whole pack of them.
Here is Steve’s review.