Elbenzauber – Parijat

This is another pack from Arkanum des Lichts, a low-priced online retailer that I unfortunately cannot recommend. I paid €3.90, while the regular price for a pack (15g) is €4.50.
Since the thickness of the hand-rolled sticks varies, the number of incense sticks inside ranges from 9 to 14. I had 13. The burning time is stated as 40–60 minutes.
If you’d like to know more about the brand, you can read the main article here.

On the brand owner’s site, it says about Parijat: “The ground flowers of magnolia, geranium, and lotus combine with a little dammar resin to create a floral fragrance that is uplifting and relaxing.”

An acquaintance of mine in India, who makes incense, has taught me that Parijat is the name of this plant. It’s one of the many flowering plants often wrongly labelled as ‘jasmine’. But when I read the sticks’ description, I think this is more likely just a fantasy scent.

I’ve revisited Parijat from time to time, but I simply can’t seem to connect with the scent. It’s not bad, but it just doesn’t appeal to me.
The scent is rather subtle. For me, it has a strong powdery, or slightly dry aspect, which gives it a pleasant softness. At the same time, it’s slightly tart, which, together with the sweetness of the fragrance, reminds me a little of caramel that’s been slightly overcooked. Sometimes I find the sweetness reminiscent of vanilla, but I can’t really settle on that.
Finally, Parijat has a noticeable woodiness and a slight spiciness, which, together with the softness of the fragrance, is quite pleasant. The scent is also floral in a non-specific way.

Although I find Parijat rather subtle, the fragrance quickly becomes a bit dull if it doesn’t have enough space to unfold. I find the sticks most pleasant when I place one in the next room and the scent is drawn towards me with the airflow from the tilted windows.