NIMI – Chakra Assortment

Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) – Myrrhe & Weihrauch

Ingredients: “Myrrh, olibanum and the resin of the benzene tree on a base of: Sandal, Shorea wiesneri, vetiver root, cedarwood, cinnamon bark, patchouli leaves, jasmine flowers, champak flowers, mace, clove buds, rose buds, nutmeg, lemongrass, lemon, orange peel and labdanum resin.”

I’m puzzled by the extremely long ingredient list (a trait several of these varieties share); it looks as though they simply listed every main ingredient from the entire line plus a few on top.

The aroma is very flat. It’s vaguely resinous, but not distinctly frankincense-like. I notice the myrrh a bit better, yet not in a pleasing way: it smells slightly bitter, but balsamic. As so often, myrrh brings a faint ashtray note that’s most obvious in the after‑smell.
There’s also a weak spicy nuance, perhaps nutmeg, that I don’t care for.
Mostly, the sticks just give off a moderately pleasant smoky smell.

In a way, I’m reminded of the discontinued Incensum – Myrrh + Frankincense; those were more resinous (but not really better).

Sadly, I can’t suggest a perfectly matching alternative to this blend, yet there are plenty of excellent natural options for frankincense or myrrh incenses:
Indian Frankincense out of Aromandise’s encens ecologique Line (only available at brick-and-mortar stores in some European countries);
Frankincense as well as Myrrh Melange by Jiri & Friends (the latter is their interpretation of the classic “Three Kings” blend of frankincense, myrrh and benzoin, if you ask me);
any of the frankincense sticks made by Jeomra, if you’re looking for a robust, clear resin scent;
Heritage Oman Frankincense Sticks (also potent and very resinous) and
the Frankincense and Myrrh varieties out of BERK’s Green Line.

Brow Chakra (Ajna) – Rosemary

Ingredients: “Rosemary, camphor and cedarwood oil on a base of sandal and lemon powder.”

In Brow Chakra, I can detect the rosemary, though not strongly. It’s a slightly herbal‑sweet scent overlaying the otherwise generic smell of burning plant matter; fairly smoky but not unpleasant.
The camphor seems to have dissipated.

Rosemary is extremely rare in incense. I’ve only reviewed two incenses featuring it: Mother’s – Rosemary Lavender and Ispalla – Protection (which has a palo santo base).

Throat Chakra (Vishuddha) – Sandalwood

Ingredients: “Sandalwood, geranium, cedar, vetiver and patchouli oil on a sandalwood base.”

The description announces: “The incense uses extremely expensive, pure sandalwood bark!”
In twenty years of exploring incense, I’ve never encountered anyone trying to sell me sandalwood bark as incense, let alone premium incense.
Only the heartwood of the sandalwood tree is fragrant, and it takes many years to form; the older the tree, the better – and rarer – the material. For more details, watch the video Why Sandalwood Is So Expensive or read this [DE] blog article by Georg Huber.

The raw sticks smell very generic, like some cheaper Indian dry masalas.
The scent after lighting is a bit piercing, yet a fairly dense sandalwood aroma does emerge. It’s a balsamic, woody scent, soft but hardly sweet.

I’m not sure what causes the harsh note, but it reappears after a few centimetres. It feels as though the fragrance is oversteering, even though it isn’t especially potent.
I suspect the listed patchouli oil might be causing this, though I usually love patchouli.
In stronger air dilution, the experience improves, but it still doesn’t feel particularly balanced.

Throat Chakra is among the better‑smelling varieties of this sampler, but I still wouldn’t call it good. It’s a bit of a shame, as the potential is apparent.

For other natural sandalwood sticks, try Jeomra’s or Jiri & Friends.
There are also many attractive sandalwood scents in the Japanese incense sector, which is generally regarded as quite natural.

Heart Chakra (Anahata) – Cinnamon

Ingredients: “Cinnamon bark and cinnamon oil on a base of sandalwood, on a base of wood powders.”

Heart Charkra has far the most potent fragrance in the sampler. It’s intensely cinnamon‑spicy‑sharp and sweet. The type of sweetness makes me suspect storax (liquidambar) has been used; in high concentration, this very potent balsam resin becomes piercing and petrol‑like.
The intense sweetness lingers in the after‑smell, leaving a pleasant aroma together with the warmth of cinnamon. Sadly, Heart Chakra is the only variety I can state this for.

Heart Chakra is the friendliest, most accessible of the lot.
Even so, there are many cinnamon sticks I much prefer. Once again, Jeomra’s, also Aromandise and Pema Of Tibet.

Solarplexus Chakra (Manipura) – Davana

Ingredients: “Davana, cedar and patchouli on a base of: Vetiver root, cedarwood, cinnamon bark, patchouli leaves, jasmine flowers, champak flowers, mace flowers, clove buds, rose buds, nutmeg, lemongrass, lemon, orange peel, benzene tree resin, olibanum resin, myrrh resin and labdanum resin.”

Davana (or dhavanam) is Artemisia pallens, a mugwort species native to India.

The aroma could be stronger, yet it’s more pronounced than in the other two herbal scents of the line. Still, the scent profile is predominantly smoky.
The sticks have a rather dry, aromatic-tart herbal note; not as dark as the following patchouli variety, but fairly stern in character. Fresh air reveals an attractive spiciness and a touch of freshness.
Near the end of the first stick, I caught a slightly salty note, which I found interesting.

The scent isn’t really my taste, but it isn’t bad in itself.

Sakral Chakra (Svadhisthana) – Patchouli

Ingredients: “Patchouli oil on a base of patchouli leaves and sandal.”

This is a dark‑green herbal smell with a faint earthy tone. However, I can only conjecture patchouli’s distinctive character. The profile is rather flat and not very aromatic.
The smoke has an ashy undertone and tends to be unpleasant.

For natural patchouli sticks, there’s a good selection of much better options:
Faircense – Patchouli and Aromandise – Patchouli;
Shoyeido – Overtones Patchouli for those who like it sweet, and
The World Makes Scents – Patchouli cones (and now also sticks) for an entirely unsweetened take.
Furthermore, Jeomra makes unique patchouli sticks, especially interesting for those who love the essential oil.
(Plus Marco Polo’s Treasures – Patchouli and Kāma by AGARA; the reviews are still in progress).

Root Chakra (Muladhara) – Vetiver

Ingredients: “Vetiver, patchouli and cedar on a base of: Vetiver root, cedarwood, cinnamon bark, patchouli leaves, jasmine flowers, champak flowers, mace flowers, clove buds, rose buds, nutmeg, lemongrass, lemon, orange peel, benzene tree resin, olibanum resin, myrrh resin and labdanum resin.”

I struggle to detect vetiver – or anything else in particular. It’s simply a not‑unpleasant smoke smell. Natural vetiver sticks often have a profile like this, yet still reveal a specific character; these do not. The ingredient list even mentions highly aromatic resins such as olibanum (frankincense) and labdanum, which you really should notice – but I can’t claim I do.

If you want natural vetiver sticks, go for Faircense – Vetiver. Jeomra now offers vetiver sticks too, though I haven’t tried them yet.