Shoyeido – Magnifiscents – Amethyst

In October 2022, I bought a few boxes of the Magnifiscents and one of the now discontinued Angelic line second hand. A box of this Gemstone series costs around €7. Included are 30 sticks, 14cm long and have a burning time of approx. 30 minutes.

Ingredients according to the package:  sandalwood (Santali lignum), cinnamon (Cinnamonomi cortex), Saussurea (Saussurea radix) and spices

What is listed on the Amethyst packaging as Saussurea, is better known to us as costus. However, this root is rarely found as a raw ingredient in retail, only very well-stocked incense retailers carry it. It is one of the many plant sources of musk scents. It has a strong animalic smell that reminds me of sheep or goats, but also has a very interesting softness and warmth to it and is subtly sweet. In Amethyst, I can find this softness, but without slipping into an animalic character.

The scent of Amethyst is primarily very sweet and warm. If the incense sticks of the Daily series are too sweet for you, you should give Amethyst a pass. Even for me, its smell is a little too sweet on some days, but now and then, it’s just right: A creamy-soft, almost sugary-sweet soul-comforter; a plush jumper among the incense stick scents.
In addition, there is an equally soft, woody base note and the cinnamon seems to bring a little bit of extra warmth into the composition, although I can’t claim that I am able to pick it out.

For me, Amethyst are the right incense sticks for those days when you want to quit everything and become a princess.