for arguably one of the lowest-end japanese incenses, morning star is quite lovely. the sticks are smaller than i imagined (12cm) but the price is definitely fair, including the adorable ceramic stands that come with each box. plus the packaging is charmingly coordinated to the point where my collecting/organizing brain is shorting out just thinking about it.

the difference with coreless incense is easily discernible, though there is a slight smoky smell that still penetrates through. i have read that can be a typical feature of cheaper incense (particularly in reference to morning star) so i'm not too worried.

• 《iris》 floral, woodsy, light. burns with a warm and smoky sweetness. if i had to compare it to anything, i would say memere's house. possibly my favourite from the florals in this line.
• 《lavender》 musky, herbal. similar to typical men's scents, but not overpoweringly so.
• 《jasmine》 sweet, floral, warm. light and vanilla-like. i was anticipating the crayola magic scents but this is far from it. strong and smoky when lit.
• 《cedarwood》 herbal, earthy, wet. like a forest after rain with fluctuating notes of something similar to rosemary or thyme. interestingly, when lit, the smell of buttered popcorn somehow emerges.
• 《yuzu》 citrus, fresh, green, spicy. notes of clove. an indistinct smoky smell.
• 《lotus》 sweet, floral, watery. sweet, almost cloying, and lacking depth. of the basic florals in this line, it may be the least complex and most single-noted - though pleasant nonetheless. it's actually grown on me quite a bit as i burn more of it.
• 《green tea》 leafy, green, fresh, wet. reminiscent of the smell of crushing fresh grass between your fingers or piles of wet autumn leaves. the scent stays the same when lit and fills up the room in a comforting way.
• 《pine》 woodsy, rich, sharp, green. very accurate pine scent in its natural state but highly dark and smoky when lit. smells like something i can't put my finger on.
• 《rose》 floral, earthy, rich. burns a bit tart and smoky, losing any lightness it may have had and becoming a crushed and decayed rose petal. a very strong, suffocating scent.

➢ murata $4.95/50 ct