An interesting idea for a new line came upon the creators of the famed blue box Nag Champa. That would be the line of combinations of Nag Champa and another incense. Nag Champa Spicy Patchouli Combo includes 8 grams of that very Nag Champa along with 8 grams of an truly outstanding patchouli incense. It has the classic Satya backbone of a semi-sweet amber along with the carefully measured addition of deep, earthy, rich dark patchouli. Nag Champa Spicy Patchouli Combo offers the chance to experience two excellent incenses in one pack.
Tag: Patchouli
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About Morning Star Patchouli Incense
The Morning Star Line is all about theme and variation. The theme is that of a crisp, clean, light sandalwood base. In this case, Morning Star Patchouli Incense, it has the additional element of soft, earthy, slightly peppery patchouli. It’s not an over-the-top patchouli. It’s used as a subtle spice to the sandalwood base. It’s so very calming and grounding. We found it ideal for heavy study of difficult material. Since it is so unobtrusive, it won’t distract the mind away from concentration. In fact, it seems to cool the mind that might be overheated. We also found Morning Star Patchouli Incense useful when overtired and found sleep difficult to initiate. It’s gentle enough that it can be used in small environments and will not trigger those who are sensitive to heavy perfumes, which is rare for a patchouli. Each pack comes with a little tile to put the stick in, but we still recommend putting it on a fireproof surface.
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About Patchouli, Light Essential Oil
When we published our blog on the subject of Patchouli, Dark Essential Oil, it created an interest in the contrasting Patchouli, Light Essential Oil. Just how different are they? They are like day and night. Patchouli, Light Essential Oil is brighter, less sweet, more assertive, “hotter”, and greener in fragrance than dark patchouli oil. It also has a note to it that is akin to white pepper. Dark Patchouli oil is sweeter, softer, and earthier. Which one is better? That’s purely up to the nose of the individual. We will even wear both to get the best of both worlds. As it ages, it mellows considerably and becomes less “hot”. It actually will begin to resemble dark patchouli over time.
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Satya 60’s Patchouli Incense
What’s that…another patchouli in the Satya line? Yes, it is, but relax, they’re all so different. Satya 60’s Patchouli is of them all the driest, that is to say the least sweet. That doesn’t mean it’s bitter or smokey, it’s just not that sweet. It has a clean, dry amber core that it’s self has a calming, cooling effect. To this, earthy, spicy patchouli has been added. It has for lack of a better word, an older fragrance that makes one think of antique or curio shops. Satya 60’s Patchouli has developed quite a following. It’s not unusual for one purchase to be a dozen or more packs. It’s too bad it doesn’t come in larger packs. We could certainly use them.
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About Satya Patchouli Forest Incense
We don’t keep it a secret that we are in the camp of patchouli lovers. We are aware that patchouli can be somewhat polarizing. Those that tend to dislike it describe it as smelling like dirt, dirty unwashed bodies, swampy, etc. Those that do like it describe a sweetish, earthy, spicy quality. How can we bridge this gap so that everyone can enjoy? Satya Patchouli Forest does just that. Like most Satya incenses, it has a semi-sweet, amber, vanilla base, but Satya Patchouli Forest is a bit sweeter than the average Satya and it has a very carefully measured, earthy component of dark Indonesian patchouli. It’s such a light element that even those who tend to dislike patchouli can still appreciate this selection. Of Satya’s patchouli incenses, this is certainly the sweetest offering. For something drier, Satya Patchouli would be a thought, or drier still, Satya 60’s Patchouli would be the way to go. As they get drier in fragrance, the more noticeable the patchouli becomes. Satya Patchouli Forest offers a perfectly balanced fragrance that is sweet enough for even those who are not fans of patchouli, but for those that do love patchouli, it’s heavenly.
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About Patchouli, Dark
Patchouli, Dark is our fancy way of saying “Pure Dark Patchouli Oil” It’s intuitive that the title would bring up the question, “Is there light patchouli oil?” There is, but it differs dramatically from dark patchouli oil. Light patchouli oil, being lighter in color is created when patchouli oil is distilled and kept in chemically neutral vessels such as stainless steel, ceramic, glass, etc. This keeps the oil from any change. It tends to be aggressive, hot, sometimes animal-like, and with notes akin to black and or white pepper. We’re not saying it’s bad. It’s simply a preference. Dark patchouli oil is created when the oil is stored in cast iron. The essential oil reacts with the iron, darkening the color, smoothing out the more aggressive, hotter notes, leaving the sweeter, earthier scent that we more often expect from patchouli. Is it better than light patchouli? That’s purely based on opinion, so we can’t say. There are times we prefer one or the other or even a combination of the two. One of our favorite uses for dark patchouli is to put a few drops directly onto an incense stick. This will give off a powerful note of patchouli to accompany the base stick. The only key is to not get any on the very tip that flame is applied to.
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About Satya Patchouli
There are dozens of different Satya incenses. We have our share of them, but we don’t have them all by far. Nearly all of them, with a few exceptions have a similar core fragrance, that being a medium bodied, semi-sweet amber, vanilla-like quality. From there, each has its variant on that theme. They have three differing patchouli variants, Satya Patchouli, Satya Patchouli Forest, Satya Natural Patchouli, and Satya 60’s Patchouli. All three are wonderful in their own right. Of the three, Satya Patchouli is the most straightforward in its approach to patchouli. It has that classic semi-sweet core that we expect, but to set it aside from the rest, it has a noticeable element of earthy, rich patchouli. The manufacturers recognize the quality of this particular offering and have made it available in 40g packs. That is reserved for only a dozen or so of their fragrances. If you’re a nag champa fan and a patchouli lover, this is an intuitive choice.
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Patchouli Incenses
I became aware of something I was doing for so long without much thought. I was applying patchouli oil directly to incense sticks. I guess without thinking, I was aware of a lack of convincing, true patchouli incense that isn’t choking and has a sweeter component to balance the bitter, earthy notes of patchouli. We do have some patchouli incenses, most of which I do have a high opinion. Having said that, I often feel the need for something more complex or balanced. Without being aware of that need, I added patchouli oil to some of my favorite incenses and it filled a void that I didn’t know I had until it was filled. This lead to the addition of other oils to incenses. Some had amazing, unexpected results (some good, some not). Clove oil on incenses gave them an interesting juicy fruit gum quality. I expected to get dental office and I got juicy fruit…go know.
Failures involved lavender oil, which surprised me a bit, all citrus and any mints. The key to success is using a pure essential oil and a good sweet incense base. I especially have come to enjoy patchouli on sairanjani champa, satya super hit, satya natural, vampire blood, and goloka nag champa. Another point is to avoid getting any of the oil on the very tip of the stick that is to be lit. I also found that putting dots down the length of the stick with little patches without oil work best. That allows intervals of with and without patchouli to not fatigue the nose. Another point is to avoid getting any of the oil on the very tip of the stick that is to be lit. If the oil is ignited, it will burn like a torch and give off acrid sooty smoke…bad. I will continue to mess around with this process. Thus far, it has been interesting. -
0ur House Patchouli
Patchouli… It is part of what we are. Few fragrances are as polarizing as patchouli. Even through the unfair presumption of its wearers’ political ideology and/or lifestyle, the fragrance alone is so provocative that it creates a fairly well defined line of cleavage between those that like and those that dislike. It is like licorice candy or cilantro…love/hate. We are blessed with being in possession of an old lot of perfumer’s grade patchouli oil. Few oils get better with age; patchouli oil is one of the few that does, if carefully stored. What we found was 20-plus year old perfumer’s patchouli oil. It is something rare and wonderful. The entire lot is about 2 kilos. I hand fill these 1/3 ounce roll on vials with this precious anointment. I am able to let them go for $20 for the 1/3 ounce. It is a bit more dear than the Aura Cacia 1/2 ounce, but I can safely say it’s a step up…no disrespect meant to Aura Cacia indeed. 1/3 ounce goes a long way…do not deny yourself the pleasure. If nothing else, swing by, give the tester a whirl, and see for yourself.