This was always my second favorite incesne. It is VERY close to the original. Just a bit more spice and is less sweet and floral. Only a subtle difference that most people wouldn't even notice. But I have a very well trained nose. I like it. It's pretty close and certainly much nicer than the counterfeit Red Crystal that was going around for many years that was so disappointing.
All in all, I feel the monks at the Monastery where this is made, did a pretty good job of recreating this extraordinary fragrance, using the original ancient recipe.
The sticks are a bit thinner and lighter in color but just as strong as the ones from my old box that I bought several years ago. Nice to see the box is the same. There is another version of this on this site that I might buy and compare the two and see if I like one over the other. Maybe they're the same, just in a different box . I don't know.
I also would gladly pay for economy shipping and wait longer for it to arrive. It was packed very well and there's not one broken stick. I think it would survive a longer journey, if packed as well as this was. So, the opportunity to choose less expensive shipping options would be appreciated, however, I can't say I disliked how fast it arrived. It got to my home near Chicago in less than a week!!!
I wish the product descriptions were more informative, as I'm allergic to Patchouli, so I REALLY hesitate to try other incesne products because I could get stuck with something that disagrees with my nose and makes me ill. I used to LOVE Patchouli, but I'm afraid that I became sensitive to a created, man made Patchouli fragrance and now, cannot even handle the real thing. So as an allergy sufferer, more transparency in listing ingredients would be very nice. You never know what someone might be allergic to.
I think it would be polite to list the ingredients with their common, English names or have a conversion table of some kind, so we can look up the ingredients to be sure we're not buying something that causes discomfort. Especially with such high shipping rates.
The experience with this seller couldn't BE more positive! I give the store a solid, 10 STARS!!!!
This is really nice incesne. I love the way it calms my Spirit. It freshens the air in my home and the scent lingers for a couple days, too! I'm extremely pleased with it! I will buy more, for sure.
