Padma Perfumery Works – Kisna Chandan

This is a “Flora Bathi” mini Masala, bought from Ephra World Shop. The box, containing 10g (6 incense sticks) costs €0.95 – 16 cents per stick.

Kisna Chandan has absolutely nothing to do with Chandan (= sandalwood) scent-wise. Neither with any natural nor a synthetic sandalwood scent that I know of. It smells tart, almost sharp, and reminds me of the somewhat pungent, dark note in men’s fragrances, which I often associate with oakmoss and which I also find in many “forest”-themed incense sticks. In this case, I perceive the scent as somewhat soapy; old-fashioned curd soap comes to mind.
I also detect an oily-dry note that I’ve come across in other “Chandan” incense sticks like Orkay Vedika – Chandan, or Maharishi – Ram Raj, both of which are much sweeter. Sweetness is hardly present in Kisna Chandan, which at least prevents it from triggering an association with decaying plastic for me, as Orkay does.

In the after-smell, the tart-spicy character remains prominent, which can be seen as a positive aspect. However, that’s about the only positive thing in my book.

Overall, I find the scent terribly intrusive and unpleasant; I can’t tolerate it even outdoors. The smoke weighs heavily on my bronchi. I don’t even want to finish one of those, just approx. 6″/15.5cm long sticks.