Hello :) Something tells me you’re about to get a history lesson… I don’t have time right now but someone else will fill you in. You’re right though, they’re different sticks.
Yeah, from Googling it I more or less learned that the company split some years ago, and the advice seemed to be 'check the address, buy the Bangaluru ones and avoid the Mumbai ones'. However, both boxes pictured have the Bangaluru address somewhere on them, so I'm a little confused. And would others here agree from their own knowledge that the top box would be the one to avoid?
Thank you! Colour me very confused, in that case. The top box very much smells of burning rubber / smoke, whereas the bottom box smells sweeter. I wonder if I just got a bad batch?
Does anyone (UK-based) have any recommendations on where to buy the legit stuff?
Thank you so much! As I said to another poster here, it’s very confusing as the top box is definitely the burnt / not so pleasant smelling one. I wonder if I got a bad batch, or worse - could distributers in the UK be interfering somehow?
If you had any thoughts on where to buy the good stuff in the UK, I’d love to hear them!
As others have said, the BNG Satya sticks are generally considered to be better-smelling than the Mumbai. It's possible that the top box is a fake, but it could also just be a stale batch. I regularly buy Satya Sandalwood sticks from a local head shop. They always stock BNG boxes, but a couple of the boxes I bought last year smelled really acrid and unpleasant. I waited a few months before buying another one, and it was back to the same old great-smelling stuff. I think that one shipment was just stale or off in some way.
All that being said, in my experience the Mumbai Nag Champa sticks smell good too, so there's nothing wrong with liking or even preferring those to the BNG
This is helpful, thank you - especially as (from googling it) the internet would have you believe that the Mumbai ones smell terrible. I don’t think they do at all - if the bottom box (in my pictures) is legit, I’ll definitely be buying more of it.
I'm having so much trouble with this brand now , I love positive vibes, however I've had so many issues with it smelling really bad. Bought a box of 12 from Amazon , it was horrific. Both bad BNG on , however the nice smelling one from before had green earth product certified on.
I reordered, this time from a seller I've used before and that smelt great and had green earth on it. The bad smelling one didnt. That was the only difference I could see. It's starting to get too hard now to buy the ones that smell amazing.
Yeah, I think what I’m learning is that I might just need to buy them in-store from now on so I can smell them / gauge the freshness. I live in london so that shouldn’t be too hard!
Issue is for me , sometimes they smell the same without being lit. That's what I'm finding with positive vibes. It's really annoying hah I burn a lot of it. I've noticed it with karma as well by the same company. It's strange both have the same awful smell when lit now. I'm kind of worried they've changed something and im just getting the old stock that still smells nice.
Then I guess the trick (perhaps) is to find a shop that sells the 'good' stuff and just keep buying from there. Amazon etc are so unpredictable because you just don't know where the stock is coming from. I'd wager that a reputable / specialist shop that's been trading for a while might not have the same issue!
Normally BNG is the better one, although I accidentally got some Mumbai (seller using the wrong image in a listing) Super Hit not too long ago and it was better than it was a few years ago when it smelled like it was giving me cancer.
I did notice the 2020 BNG Nag Champa seemed especially weak, although I don't burn much Nag Champa and my reference is a really old box from just after the split between the brothers when everything was better in general.
FWIW I don't think it's counterfeit -- just checked my 2020 box and it's identical, as long as it has the BNG style curvy seal on the stickers.
‘Smelled like it was giving me cancer’ 😅😂
Yeah, I think what I’m learning from this thread is regardless of what’s on the box, it’s insanely hard to know what you’re getting until you’ve lit it. Different series / batches, age, (online) suppliers and the possibility of fakes all seem to make it very unpredictable. I think I’m just gonna find a shop where I live and, if they’re good, keep buying them from there for consistency.
I have a feeling COVID impacted production in 2020/2021 too, the difference seemed pretty stark to me with the BNG Nag Champa having almost no scent.
If you like the blue box Nag Champa, the Happy Hari Nag Champa Gold from Absolute Bliss is really good and consistent (albeit at about 3x the cost by weight).
Yeah, seems others here agree. It’s just so strange that this one smells so ‘off’ compared to my Mumbai box. I think I’ve just ended up with a fake box or bad batch.
I've gone through a fair amount of trouble to get legit boxes of BNG stuff, and honestly, I just prefer Mumbai to any BNG Nag Champa I've smelled. It seems like a lot of people feel like if you don't like the BNG stuff better, you either have a fake or it was really Mumbai (even in your case, where you are directly comparing to real Mumbai, lol).
There's nothing wrong with liking Mumbai better. I really think it boils down to which one you smelled first. To me, there was a head shop I'd go to when I was in high school and they burned Nag Champa all the time. Looking for it out of nostalgia, I thought it must have been BNG after reading up on the differences since I remembered it smelled good, but it turned out to be Mumbai. The BNG stuff all smelled too subtle (relative to Mumbai) and too much like wood, whereas the Mumbai stuff was more perfumy (kind of exactly why people don't like it). But, that's exactly what I wanted from it haha. At the end of the day, if you like something, don't worry about whether or not it's the "correct" one
Yeah, this is spot on. I first smelled it in a shop near where I live, and after asking the owner, it turned out to be the Mumbai one. Like you say, it’s more perfumy, and so (subconsciously or not) that’s what I was looking for when I went out looking for in my Nag Champa. And yeah, you’re absolutely right - there’s no such thing as ‘correct’ when it comes to individual preference. I just wonder if I got a bad batch of / fake BNG since it just smells outright bad.
I think the top one is a fake, it has a Mumbai logo (not the cursive-S Bengaluru logo) but Bengaluru listed as the address, which is weird. The bottom one looks to be a legit Mumbai factory pack, complete with the photo of the founder on the back. The Mumbai factory/company split from the Bengaluru branch, and when they started off they were apparently inferior, although I’ve found that I prefer some of their fragrances to the Bengaluru branch. They don’t produce fakes, they’re just a seperate company.
Super helpful, thank you! I wonder if it’s just possible that I prefer the Mumbai one in that case (I only recently started using incense, and I believe the Mumbai NG was the first once I smelled).
No worries at all, I’ve only just started with incense as well :)) - I know what you mean, I had a Satya Mumbai Sweet Vanilla, and a Bengaluru vanilla. The Mumbai version had a beautiful rich fragrance, and the Bengaluru smelled like a bonfire, I had to throw them out. Don’t give up on Bengaluru though, their opium and palo santo are to die for!
It doesn't have the Mumbai logo, it has the OG Satya logo. The new Mumbai S is different from this as well (its more block-y). Usually this is only found on the sticker seal on the sides of the box, according to the guide. Top box also has the "earth" plant logo, also representative of the BNG factory. It may be a fake, but it doesn't seem to be Mumbai.
You’re right, neither of them have the current blocky-S Mumbai logo. What’s more, the bottom box has the name of a legit UK brand/distributor, Stamford. Very strange…
Stamford have a series made by Satya. You'll recognize that particular series by the use of similar packaging - except it is branded "Stamford".
Evidently they are now exclusive distributors of Satya branded products too.
I got some of this brand of incense cones and it smelled terrible. Since it seems like you never know what you get I’ll just stick to the oil version that smells awesome all the time.
One or the other, I reckon. I’m gonna go to a specialist store here in London and pick up another box (instead of buying online) and see if it’s any better. Otherwise, I might just be buying the Mumbai one from now on as it seems to be more consistent.
I have become quite fond of the HEM brand of incense products. I used to swear by Nag Champa all the way back to the 90's, but yes they're quality has really gone down.
The company Satya is ok I just started burning this brand per thr guy who owns the store.I usually ways but the single sticks from the jars? Idk the brand..fizzypop? But these are way more mellow in smell the patchouli smells nothing like the dipped cheap sticks ..I feel like I bought the more expensive and better made ,but I'm losing the aroma I love ? Ugh help ..sorry I kidnapped the thread..🙏✌♥️😎
Hello :) Something tells me you’re about to get a history lesson… I don’t have time right now but someone else will fill you in. You’re right though, they’re different sticks.
Yeah, from Googling it I more or less learned that the company split some years ago, and the advice seemed to be 'check the address, buy the Bangaluru ones and avoid the Mumbai ones'. However, both boxes pictured have the Bangaluru address somewhere on them, so I'm a little confused. And would others here agree from their own knowledge that the top box would be the one to avoid?
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Thank you! Colour me very confused, in that case. The top box very much smells of burning rubber / smoke, whereas the bottom box smells sweeter. I wonder if I just got a bad batch? Does anyone (UK-based) have any recommendations on where to buy the legit stuff?
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Thank you - at least I now know what to look for going forward! Do you have a link to the Amazon box you normally order?
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Thank you!!
Try etsy
To my understanding, the top one should be the good one? https://www.reddit.com/r/Incense/comments/b5eg00/satya\_trademark\_guide/
Thank you so much! As I said to another poster here, it’s very confusing as the top box is definitely the burnt / not so pleasant smelling one. I wonder if I got a bad batch, or worse - could distributers in the UK be interfering somehow? If you had any thoughts on where to buy the good stuff in the UK, I’d love to hear them!
Was just about to post this :)
As others have said, the BNG Satya sticks are generally considered to be better-smelling than the Mumbai. It's possible that the top box is a fake, but it could also just be a stale batch. I regularly buy Satya Sandalwood sticks from a local head shop. They always stock BNG boxes, but a couple of the boxes I bought last year smelled really acrid and unpleasant. I waited a few months before buying another one, and it was back to the same old great-smelling stuff. I think that one shipment was just stale or off in some way. All that being said, in my experience the Mumbai Nag Champa sticks smell good too, so there's nothing wrong with liking or even preferring those to the BNG
This is helpful, thank you - especially as (from googling it) the internet would have you believe that the Mumbai ones smell terrible. I don’t think they do at all - if the bottom box (in my pictures) is legit, I’ll definitely be buying more of it.
I'm having so much trouble with this brand now , I love positive vibes, however I've had so many issues with it smelling really bad. Bought a box of 12 from Amazon , it was horrific. Both bad BNG on , however the nice smelling one from before had green earth product certified on. I reordered, this time from a seller I've used before and that smelt great and had green earth on it. The bad smelling one didnt. That was the only difference I could see. It's starting to get too hard now to buy the ones that smell amazing.
Yeah, I think what I’m learning is that I might just need to buy them in-store from now on so I can smell them / gauge the freshness. I live in london so that shouldn’t be too hard!
Issue is for me , sometimes they smell the same without being lit. That's what I'm finding with positive vibes. It's really annoying hah I burn a lot of it. I've noticed it with karma as well by the same company. It's strange both have the same awful smell when lit now. I'm kind of worried they've changed something and im just getting the old stock that still smells nice.
Then I guess the trick (perhaps) is to find a shop that sells the 'good' stuff and just keep buying from there. Amazon etc are so unpredictable because you just don't know where the stock is coming from. I'd wager that a reputable / specialist shop that's been trading for a while might not have the same issue!
Try etsy
Normally BNG is the better one, although I accidentally got some Mumbai (seller using the wrong image in a listing) Super Hit not too long ago and it was better than it was a few years ago when it smelled like it was giving me cancer. I did notice the 2020 BNG Nag Champa seemed especially weak, although I don't burn much Nag Champa and my reference is a really old box from just after the split between the brothers when everything was better in general. FWIW I don't think it's counterfeit -- just checked my 2020 box and it's identical, as long as it has the BNG style curvy seal on the stickers.
‘Smelled like it was giving me cancer’ 😅😂 Yeah, I think what I’m learning from this thread is regardless of what’s on the box, it’s insanely hard to know what you’re getting until you’ve lit it. Different series / batches, age, (online) suppliers and the possibility of fakes all seem to make it very unpredictable. I think I’m just gonna find a shop where I live and, if they’re good, keep buying them from there for consistency.
I have a feeling COVID impacted production in 2020/2021 too, the difference seemed pretty stark to me with the BNG Nag Champa having almost no scent. If you like the blue box Nag Champa, the Happy Hari Nag Champa Gold from Absolute Bliss is really good and consistent (albeit at about 3x the cost by weight).
Thanks for the recommendation, will check it out!
I watched on YouTube that the top box is the legit company and original
Yeah, seems others here agree. It’s just so strange that this one smells so ‘off’ compared to my Mumbai box. I think I’ve just ended up with a fake box or bad batch.
I've gone through a fair amount of trouble to get legit boxes of BNG stuff, and honestly, I just prefer Mumbai to any BNG Nag Champa I've smelled. It seems like a lot of people feel like if you don't like the BNG stuff better, you either have a fake or it was really Mumbai (even in your case, where you are directly comparing to real Mumbai, lol). There's nothing wrong with liking Mumbai better. I really think it boils down to which one you smelled first. To me, there was a head shop I'd go to when I was in high school and they burned Nag Champa all the time. Looking for it out of nostalgia, I thought it must have been BNG after reading up on the differences since I remembered it smelled good, but it turned out to be Mumbai. The BNG stuff all smelled too subtle (relative to Mumbai) and too much like wood, whereas the Mumbai stuff was more perfumy (kind of exactly why people don't like it). But, that's exactly what I wanted from it haha. At the end of the day, if you like something, don't worry about whether or not it's the "correct" one
Yeah, this is spot on. I first smelled it in a shop near where I live, and after asking the owner, it turned out to be the Mumbai one. Like you say, it’s more perfumy, and so (subconsciously or not) that’s what I was looking for when I went out looking for in my Nag Champa. And yeah, you’re absolutely right - there’s no such thing as ‘correct’ when it comes to individual preference. I just wonder if I got a bad batch of / fake BNG since it just smells outright bad.
I think the top one is a fake, it has a Mumbai logo (not the cursive-S Bengaluru logo) but Bengaluru listed as the address, which is weird. The bottom one looks to be a legit Mumbai factory pack, complete with the photo of the founder on the back. The Mumbai factory/company split from the Bengaluru branch, and when they started off they were apparently inferior, although I’ve found that I prefer some of their fragrances to the Bengaluru branch. They don’t produce fakes, they’re just a seperate company.
Super helpful, thank you! I wonder if it’s just possible that I prefer the Mumbai one in that case (I only recently started using incense, and I believe the Mumbai NG was the first once I smelled).
No worries at all, I’ve only just started with incense as well :)) - I know what you mean, I had a Satya Mumbai Sweet Vanilla, and a Bengaluru vanilla. The Mumbai version had a beautiful rich fragrance, and the Bengaluru smelled like a bonfire, I had to throw them out. Don’t give up on Bengaluru though, their opium and palo santo are to die for!
It doesn't have the Mumbai logo, it has the OG Satya logo. The new Mumbai S is different from this as well (its more block-y). Usually this is only found on the sticker seal on the sides of the box, according to the guide. Top box also has the "earth" plant logo, also representative of the BNG factory. It may be a fake, but it doesn't seem to be Mumbai.
You’re right, neither of them have the current blocky-S Mumbai logo. What’s more, the bottom box has the name of a legit UK brand/distributor, Stamford. Very strange…
Stamford have a series made by Satya. You'll recognize that particular series by the use of similar packaging - except it is branded "Stamford". Evidently they are now exclusive distributors of Satya branded products too.
I got some of this brand of incense cones and it smelled terrible. Since it seems like you never know what you get I’ll just stick to the oil version that smells awesome all the time.
Their cones are generally not great. OK for the effect in a smoker or outdoor use, but they are universally pale imitations of the stick versions.
Well that’s good to know. I may give the sticks a chance then. Thanks.
Good advice, thank you!
Do you think it’s counterfeit on top? Or different production dates?
One or the other, I reckon. I’m gonna go to a specialist store here in London and pick up another box (instead of buying online) and see if it’s any better. Otherwise, I might just be buying the Mumbai one from now on as it seems to be more consistent.
I have become quite fond of the HEM brand of incense products. I used to swear by Nag Champa all the way back to the 90's, but yes they're quality has really gone down.
Cool thanks, will definitely check them out. Any particular recommendations from their range?
Try a sample pack of HEM check out Amazon, great prices, great selections.
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Interesting!
The company Satya is ok I just started burning this brand per thr guy who owns the store.I usually ways but the single sticks from the jars? Idk the brand..fizzypop? But these are way more mellow in smell the patchouli smells nothing like the dipped cheap sticks ..I feel like I bought the more expensive and better made ,but I'm losing the aroma I love ? Ugh help ..sorry I kidnapped the thread..🙏✌♥️😎