Bhagwan – Himalayan Musk (vs. Pure – Nepal Musk)

I received this pack as a sample from Eugene, the owner of Bhagwan Incense at the end of 2023.

All the boxes contain 15g, but since they come from different sources, the number of sticks varies. Himalayan Musk contained 15 incense sticks. At a price of €4.95, this makes it €0.33 per stick.

I’ve been putting off writing this review for a long time. Shortly before receiving these samples, I had already published a lengthy review of Pure – Nepal Musk, and I believe these are essentially the same sticks.

The sticks from both brands don’t smell completely identical, but they’re ‘siblings’ and look (and smell) remarkably similar.
Bhagwan’s batch smells as though it has absorbed slightly more oils than Pure’s; perhaps because the Nepal Musk I got belongs to the Absolute line, which is less heavily soaked in oils than the sticks from Pure’s Connoisseur line.

I find Nepal Musk to have a greener, more herbal scent; and in the context of Himalayan Musk’s scent description, I now even think I can detect some patchouli in it. However, combined with the sweetness, it still evokes an association with woodruff for me.

Himalayan Musk, on the other hand, actually allows me to perceive the musk promised in the name. Furthermore, it smells more volatile, more perfume-like than Nepal Musk. This is reflected in a fine, slightly piercing note, which I’ve found as well in a few other Bhagwan varieties. As with those, I suspect HMS as the manufacturer here as well.
Funny enough, I detect less patchouli in Himalayan Musk, even though it’s mentioned in it’s scent description. At least to me, it seems less herbal than Nepal Musk; almost as if there’s patchouli in the base rather than in the perfume.

Himalayan Musk and Nepal Musk are like fraternal twins. If you like one, you’ll probably like the other as well.