Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Let me start my review by saying that I’m not the type of person to ever leave reviews. But my lifelong passion for Nag Champa has led me to feel like I HAVE to Write a review, for those of you just like me, searching for the old school original Nag. The short version of my review if you don’t like to read, THIS IS NOT AUTHENTIC, AND SMELLS VERY BAD WHEN BURNING. And for those of you that want to know more details, you can read below, and look at the photos I’ll be posting with this review. And of course no one has paid me to write these words. I didn’t get anything for free, and I have no agenda with telling you my opinion on this. Just simply that we can all be one step closer to finding the authentic Nag Champa we are searching for. I bought this particular incense after scouring all of the nag Champa options on Amazon, and this one seem to have some of the best reviews. And quite a few people claiming this is absolutely the holy Grail. So I bought it in good faith, and why not it was pretty cheap too. But was very disappointed when it arrived. I decided to give it a chance despite my hesitation on its packaging. But when I burned it, I also found that it smells very similar to burning sweet cardboard. If that scent description makes sense. It literally smells like sugary paper being burnt. Maybe a small hint of something nag, but mostly like burning paper. It’s gross, it hurts my nose and my throat, and it makes my house smell like a garbage can caught on fire. After I realized that this is not the droid I was looking for, I begin to look more critically at the packaging. And I noticed some very obvious tells on the packaging, that it’s probably a counterfeit. A very blatant counterfeit, that Amazon shouldn’t be endorsing at all on their website. Because counterfeiting name brands is illegal right? Now I feel like I have to give you a little bit of background information. I have a local hippie store that I bought Nag Champa from for so many years. I can’t even remember when I first started buying it there. Maybe around 2002? And at this local store I had purchased a Nag Champa box, that remained in my incense drawer since about 2011. Untouched and still had numerous sticks inside. I stopped burning incense for a few years when we built a new house. Basically just being paranoid about new drywall and new paint, and not wanting it to get damaged by candles or incense. But some odd years later I came to my senses and realized how much I missed my Nag! So of course I begin looking to purchase some new nag Champa. When I found on the inter-webs very quickly, was that there is this huge counterfeit monopoly over copying the original Nag Champa now. So I found the best contender on Amazon to buy and try. And I wouldn’t back to my local hippie store that I always used to buy it from, and purchased a small box from them as well. In my photos you’ll see the comparison. Most pictures the box from 2011 is on the top. The middle box is the local box purchased from the hippie store. And the bottom box is the one purchased from Amazon. so I found the best contender on Amazon to buy and try. And I went back to my local hippie store that I always used to buy it from, and purchased a small box from them as well. In my photos you’ll see the comparison. Most pictures the box from 2011 is on the top. The middle box is the local box purchased from the hippie store. And the bottom box is the one purchased from Amazon. I also inquired with the guy working at the local hippie shop. I asked him if he knew about any vendor changes with who they got their nag Champa from, at any time over the past 15 years. He did say that about five years ago the vendor they purchased all their incense from had shut down. But they were given a highly reputable new vendor recommendation, and that is who they have bought from every sense. I asked him if any of the longtime nag purchasers had any complaints when they switched vendors, specifically about it not smelling like nag anymore. He told me that he had worked there for many many years, and that honestly no one had ever made that complaint to him. He did say that his very good friend noticed that the formula had changed a bit in the nag. But not that it was a complete change, just a little different. So I’m assuming that must’ve been About the time that the brothers who created the nag Champa company had their lawsuit and separated from each other. Producing a slightly different product than before. But if you get the authentic one, it should still smell up the same alley. Not in a completely different ball park like this Amazon one. The one I got from the local hippie store, I can absolutely verify that it does smell very very close to the nag Champa from my memories. about the time that the brothers who created the nag Champa company had their lawsuit and separated from each other. Producing a slightly different product than before. But if you get the authentic one, it should still smell up the same alley. Not in a completely different ballpark like this Amazon one. The one I got from the local hippie store, I can absolutely verify that it does smell very very close to the nag Champa from my memories. I would even go as far as to say, that the difference is so minute that only the most particular knows will notice the small change. But this review was supposed to be about this Amazon nag! And this one is horrible! Please do not buy it. Please do not waste your time. If you plan on burning the sticks, you will be disappointed if you are an old-school nag Champa burner, seeking that once again. But this review was supposed to be about this Amazon nag! And this one is horrible! Please do not buy it. Please do not waste your time. If you plan on burning the sticks, you will be disappointed if you are an old-school nag Champa burner, seeking that once again. ITS NOT IT!! AND IT SMELLS LIKE BURNING PAPER!! GROSS! Now I don’t think it’s totally necessary for me to point out every single little detail that is different with its packaging. You can flip through the pictures and see the obvious differences yourself. The most blatant difference that I do want to point out though, is the random giant leaf logo. Where the heck did this giant leave come from? It’s certainly not original to this company. You can see that the box bought from my local shop doesn’t have this giant stupid leaf logo. Instead has the correct logo. Very very blatant! I noticed the inside bag, also has the stupid leaf logo. And the one bought from the local shop, you guessed it! No stupid leaf logo on the inside bag! Please flip through the pictures yourself, and you can draw your own conclusion, as you are probably a grown adult with a functioning mind. I encourage you to make your own conclusion based off the images. And if you figure out someway to report a seller for selling counterfeit items, please report the seller. Maybe we can work together to shut down all these bogus fakes selling their crap on Amazon, under the precedence that they are real. Good luck to everyone on their nag Champa search and journey! May your journey be filled with many smiles.