Hi I’m Cathie!

I have worked for Shared Earth since our Liverpool branch opened in 2006. I love this shop and I am in my element here as I’ve always loved anything ethnic or unusual. My home is a combination of Shared Earth and IKEA with heavy Victorian influences. This may sound a bit mad but it works for me. I am the shop’s connoisseur on incense. It’s one of my weak points; I literally can’t stop buying it, even though in my house right now I have over 20 packets. Below is my guide to good incense..

Stealing the number one spot is my new favourite, the white sage from our elements range. It’s so clean and fresh, perfect for the daytime. We have only just started stocking it and it is already a firm favourite with the staff. In fact, only 12 packets were sent and 10 of those never made it to shop floor (not just through me though) as staff absolutely loved it too.

I usually burn a couple of sticks together for the added aroma. Two of my firm favourites are Patchouli and rose (part of the Satya nagchampa range). Don’t be put off by the sound of them, as they smell nothing like hippies and old ladies. They actually blend beautifully together and if you want to get fancy, burn our meditation and relaxing incense with them too (also part of our element range).

We also sell a range of incense from a company called Greater Goods called ‘The mother India fragrances’ and they are absolutely divine. They can appear pricey but in reality they are in actuality really good value for money. Apart from the fact the sticks are visibly bigger than most other brands they burn on average 3 times longer too, oh and there’s twice as many. Lastly, apart from the mother India fragrances being fairly traded, for every pack sold, the company donates 5p to charity. Win win all around.

I love them all but my favourites are the Shanti Nagchampa (the yellow one), it’s a blend of rose and jasmine, with a woody base; a very traditional temple scent and Yoga (the dark green one). Yoga is made up of classic sandalwood, with oakmoss, patchouli and vetiver. It’s a real night-time fragrance, reminiscent of the original Radox from my childhood, so makes me feel all warm and safe and nostalgic.

I know some people don’t like the smoke given off by incense but my trick is always lighting them in a well ventilated area. I light mine in my hall and keep all the doors open so the aroma drifts through my whole house and it smells lovely.. Finally, it wouldn’t be right not mentioning Shared Earth’s own brand of incense. They’re all made with essential oils and have a massive range of individual flavours so you can mix and match to make your own blends. There’s too many scents to choose from as a favourite so I’ll leave you to decide that one..

.. and don’t forget we have a wide range of incense holders too.

Cathie (Liverpool)