Mothersgoods – Nature & Scent – Nag Champa Chandra

I got this pack as a sample in mid-2025 from Georg Huber (Jeomra).

Chandra is one of two Nag Champa compositions that he has created with his team. With Nag Champa Surya and Loban, they form the first three varieties of the Nature & Scent line, which, unlike the Pure Nature line, contain 5-8% synthetic fragrances such as vanillin or nature-identical fragrance oils, which are considered harmless.

As usual with Jeomra, a pack contains 10 sticks of 8″ (approximately 20.5cm) length. The burning time is given as 80–90 minutes each. A pack costs €12.90 (€1.29 per stick).

Ingredients: Balloon dust sandalwood from Indonesia, beech charcoal from Germany, halmaddi from India, joss powder from Vietnam, loban powder from India, forest honey from Germany, sandalwood essential oil, patchouli essential oil, vanillin, nature-identical oils, perfume.

The raw scent of Chandra is jasmine-heavy and fresh, with a slightly earthy and green tone; I suspect patchouli oil is showing here. In between those two aspects, I find a wonderfully soft sweetness and a hint of sandalwood.

The multilayeredness of the raw scent continues when burning, but the weightings are slightly changed. The floral aspect now smells fruity, tangy and bright. The high-pitched jasmine fragrance still plays the main role, but is now accompanied by more softness and sweetness. This seems to arise from the combination of sandalwood, loban and vanillin and is nicely balancing the heady florality.
Unlike is often the case with jasmine fragrances, I don’t find the note in Chandra pungent or obtrusive.

I can’t help finding a certain similarity to the Swarna Champa dhoops by Malaan Gaudhoop, although these differ strongly in their craftsmanship. However, both are ‘Champas’ with a clear jasmine character. The dhoops are considerably more potent, although Chandra aren’t weak either.
The most significant difference in character between the two is probably Chandra‘s pronounced softness, which lends the fragrance a gentle feeling, whereas Swarna Champa have some prominent resinous notes and the tangy and fruity fragrance of the floral aspect stand in the foreground.

Although the jasmine-like smell of Chandra doesn’t really suit my taste, I find it well-rounded and balanced. It’s fun to listen to the fragrance and discover its quieter notes.