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Musk/Kasturi is a very popular fragrance, known for its pungent, animalic, warm, earthy, and slightly sweet notes. Originally, musk is obtained from the musk pod found under the skin of the abdomen of the male musk deer (Moschus). However, harvesting musk pods is expensive and unethical, as the species is protected. Alternatives such as plant-based sources, such as Erythranthe moschata flowers, Jatamansi or Spikenard(Nardostachys jatamansi), as well as synthetic musk like Galaxolide,are used in perfumes and incenses. Therefore, most of the musk incenses do not smell exactly like the animal musk, but they resemble most of their notes.
Hope you all would enjoy this incense comparison!

This is an 8 inch machine rolled masala incense. The fragrance when not burnt is quite spicy, with jasmine, musky and dry sandalwood notes. When burnt these notes gets more pronounced, especially the dry sandalwood and spicy notes. The animalic, floral musk note gets in between these notes throughout the burn.
BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham Indian KasturiThis is a 9 inch masala inches with its bamboo end dyed in purple color. The cold incense is very musky, sandalwood, soapy and herbal fragrance. When burnt, the initial smell is there but it has notes of vanilla and rose. There is also the animalistic, pungent note that resembles animal musk and it mixes it well with resinous and creamy undertones.
Cycle Flute MuskThis is a 9 inch machine extruded dipped incense. The fragrance when not burnt reminds me of an aftershave lotion. I would describe it as an alcoholic, clean, woody and musky fragrance. When burnt, the musk note intensifies with vanilla, while the alcoholic note just fades away.
Tulasi Premium KasturiThis is a 9 inch handrolled masala incense. The fragrance when not burnt is very intense. It’s very musky, which is reminiscent of the animal musk, with green, sweet notes. When burnt, the musk note intensifies with sweet, rose, green and spicy note. There is also the note which is reminiscent of sandalwood. I really love this incense.
Shalimar Blue MuskThis is a 9 inch machine made perfumed masala incense. The fragrance when not burnt is soapy, musky, and floral. When burnt, these notes gets accelerated with fruity, creamy, and gardenia notes. I find this incense nice for daily use and I will repurchase it.

This is a 8 inch perfumed masala incense, where the paste has beeen hand-rolled to the ends (almost) of the unevenly cut bamboo core. The fragrance is most of powdery, sweet rose, with mild muskyness and soapyness. It’s an ok incense.
Nikhil’s Kasturi Dhoop SticksThis is a 5 inch dipped dhoop stick. From smelling the cold incense, it smells exactly like Medimix Sandal and Eladi Soap. When burnt I can get the Soapy smell from it, but the soapy smell gets reduced and gets overpowered by nice Musk fragrance, with sandalwood and sweet fragrance.
Tulasi Navrathri Amber KasturiA part of Tulasi Navrathri Gift Pack. This is a 7 inch perfumed incense, with its bamboo core dyed in reddish pink color. The fragrance when burnt is quite fresh, animalic and cosmetic-ish.
Arsi MuskThis is a 9 inch charcoal dipped incense. The fragrance when not burnt smells very soapy, clean and floral. When burnt, the soapyness note mixes with rosy, green, synthetic musk notes. It’s an ok incense.
Liberty Viji- Miracle MuskThis fragrance is part of their 7in1 pack. This is a 10 inch charcoal dipped incense. I did not enjoy this incense. It a very intense fragrance which is reminiscent of a musk scented floor cleaner. It’s very synthetic and just ughh.


This is a 9 inch hand rolled charcoal-dipped incense. The fragrance is the same as Cycle’s Flute Musk. It’s clean, musky, woody and sweet, but this has sandalwood and earthy notes. It’s nice.


This is a 9 inch handrolled masala incense, and the paste has been rolled very thick onto the bamboo core. The fragrance when not burnt has sweet, perfumey, musky, earthy notes. When burnt, these notes comes alive with strong, herbal, grassy notes of heena, with floral, spicy, agarwood notes.


This is a 9 inch handrolled masala incense. The initial smell is of heena. It’s grassy, herbal, floral and strong with animalic note of musk. When burnt, these notes comes alive with sandalwood, rose and saffron notes. I really love this incense and will repurchase it.


This is also a 9 inch masala incense, which has been rolled onto the bamboo sticks very generously. The cold incense smells like a rum cake batter to me. It’s very buttery, alcoholic, fruity, nutty and sweet, with warm, earthy note of musk. When burnt, these notes gets mixes with floral, spicy, caramel-ish, resinous notes. It’s a very luxurious, gourmand type of fragrance and is great for any occasion. I really love this.


This is a handrolled masala incnese. When sniffing the cold incense, there is earthy, floral notes with mild camphor, musk and a note which reminds me of vermilion powder. When burnt, the musk and woody notes becomes more intense, while the vermilion powder note fades away. It’s good, but I would prefer the musk scent o be a little bit more intense.

The sticks are 10 inches and it’s a machine extruded masala stick with little incense powder sprinkled on top and the bottom bamboo stick is dyed in bright, hot pink. I love this. It has that wooly animal musk fragrance with intense floral hints and betal nut, betal leaf, rosy, spicy and sweet fragrance of Pan Masala, which is a chewing tobacco. This instantly reminded me of my Grandma’s fragrance which takes me back to nostalgia.

This is a 8 inch charcoal incnese, the fragrance when not burnt is of floral, clean synthetic musk. When burnt, these notes comes alive with sandalwood notes. It’s a very mild synthetic musk incense which is very pleasant.








































