Mona Natural Botanical Incense
Mona Natural Botanical Incense
Forest Herbs & Sacred Resin
Mona is a green, resinous incense built around the sharper character of the forest.
The name comes from Mona, a Kari’ña word meaning “doorway.” The Kari’ña are among the Indigenous peoples historically connected to Trinidad. We chose the name for the idea of crossing a threshold: the small but deliberate movement from the noise of what came before into a space made more intentional by smoke, scent, and attention.
Garden sage, rosemary, and West Indian bay form Mona’s botanical core, giving the smoke a crisp, camphoric quality with the dry depth of crushed leaves and warm wood beneath it. Frankincense and benzoin move through the blend more slowly, bringing a sacred resinous warmth that settles the brighter herbs without softening their character.
Each stick is made by hand in Studio Nadi Sangama on a sun-dried cocoyea stem, then crusted with flaked sage, bay leaf, and coarse grains of frankincense. As the ember moves through the stick, the outer botanicals and resins meet the heat directly, giving the smoke a more immediate, textured expression of the raw materials.
There is no added perfume or synthetic fragrance. Mona is composed from powdered woods, culinary herbs, botanicals, natural resins, and a plant-derived binder, allowing its aroma to come entirely from the materials themselves.
The result is dry, verdant, and quietly ceremonial: green herbs opening first, resin and wood emerging beneath them, and a lingering smoke that feels closer to crushed leaves, bark, and forest floor than conventional perfumed incense.
Mona marks the threshold between one atmosphere and the next.
Scent character: herbaceous · camphoric · resinous · woody
6 handmade incense sticks
HANDMADE IN STUDIO NADI SANGAMA
Built by hand on sun-dried cocoyea stems in Trinidad
TESTED NON-TOXIC
Tested for its intended use
100% NATURALLY DERIVED
Botanicals, woods, roots, spices, flowers, and natural resins
NO SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE
Aroma comes entirely from the materials themselves
CHARCOAL FREE
No charcoal in the formulation
BOTANICAL + RESIN CRUSTED
Raw botanicals and natural resins remain visible on every stick
Scent & Composition
Mona is built around aromatic herbs traditionally valued as much for their leaves as for their scent.
West Indian bay gives the blend its distinctly Caribbean aromatic character, joined by garden sage and rosemary for a sharper green opening. Frankincense adds clarity and resinous lift, while benzoin gives the base a warmer, softly balsamic finish.
Ingredients
Neutral wood flour, garden sage, West Indian bay (Pimenta racemosa), rosemary, frankincense (Boswellia), benzoin resin, xanthan gum, sun-dried cocoyea stem.
Botanical crust
Garden sage, West Indian bay, frankincense resin.
Made by Hand
Every incense stick is built individually in Studio Nadi Sangama.
The botanicals, woods, and resins are prepared and blended in small batches before being formed around a sun-dried cocoyea stem. While still wet, each stick is rolled through its finishing botanicals and resin so they become part of the surface rather than disappearing inside a uniform incense paste.
The sticks are then dried slowly before being wrapped and finished by hand.
The process leaves the materials visible, tactile, and close to their original form.
Burning
Place the stick securely in a heat-resistant incense vessel.
Light the botanical end and allow the flame to establish briefly before gently blowing it out. A glowing ember should remain, releasing a steady stream of aromatic smoke.
Allow the incense to burn naturally or extinguish it once the desired atmosphere has been reached.
Because the surface contains real leaves and resin, the character of the smoke may shift subtly as the ember moves through the stick.
Always burn in a well-ventilated space, away from drafts and combustible materials. Never leave burning incense unattended. Keep away from children and pets, and allow all ash and embers to cool fully before disposal.
Character & Variation
Each stick is formed and crusted by hand.
Differences in botanical coverage, surface texture, thickness, colour, and the natural form of the cocoyea stem are part of the finished incense.
No two sticks will be perfectly identical.
Storage
Keep incense wrapped in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, heat, and excessive humidity.
After opening, rewrap the remaining sticks carefully to preserve their aromatic character and protect the botanicals from moisture.
