Shoyeido – Magnifiscents – Obsidian

I bought this opened box of Obsidian at the beginning of 2025 on Kleinanzeigen.

A pack with 30 sticks of approx. 13.5cm length costs about €7. The burning time is given as ~ 30 minutes.
You’ll find some additional information on the overview page for the Magnifiscents line.

Ingredients: sandalwood, frankincense, aromatic ginger and spices.

On the pack it says ‘aromatic Ginger’ as an ingredient, but in some shops (such as Padma Store) ginger lily is listed instead, which is also named as an ingredient in Diamond. On the old packs, the Latin name for the ingredients was listed; unfortunately, this has been omitted on the new ones.

The ingredients list reads very similarly to that of Diamond, and so I expected the two to smell similarly and that I would like them similarly, which has, however, misled me before with Shoyeido.

Between the two, there’s actually a great similarity, though. The main components of the composition seem differently proportioned, which gives each of the two fragrances its own character.

Obsidian opens with a relatively creamy sweetness, but this is quickly replaced by pronounced resinousness, which makes the fragrance feel more dry and powdery.
The spicy aspect in Obsidian tends to feel warm, and in comparison to the bright and fresh feeling character of Diamond, Obsidian feels darker and more tranquil by contrast.
Additionally, I find them less sweet than Diamond and I discover a slightly tart note in them.
In combination with the dry resin note, the spicy sharpness in Obsidian doesn’t give that gingery freshness of Diamond but is rather spicy-aromatic. Nevertheless, I find it pleasant; it causes an interesting tingling in the nose.

Obsidian and Diamond seem like two sides of a coin; one dark, one bright. I find both fragrances interesting and pleasant.
If I had to choose, I’d opt for Diamond.