WHAT I SMELL:  Geisha Vanilla Hinoki opens with a bright bergamot that’s soon met with an exotic blend of lightly sweetened spices; which then quickly moves to more of a sweet and sour spiciness.  There is something that is rather familiar to me in the opening and the only thing that I can think of is Lemon Pledge without the full on “lemon.”  But that soon dissipates and the perfume begins to soften, but I still can’t get out of my head this association of some kind of cleaning wipe, be it a much more subtle and softer one.  After 10 minutes or so, a lightly sugared lavender comes to the forefront along with a bit of creaminess.  The cleaning wipe is now gone and you now have this really soft and comforting perfume that is topped with a bit of sugar and spice and it’s oh so very nice.  As the perfume continues to develop, it becomes more woody with lavender becoming more powdered and radiant.  At this point, the perfume has a rather masculine barber shop vibe and it reminds me of the paper neck wrap that old school barbers put on you prior to cutting your hair.  Geisha Vanilla Hinoki is all warm fuzzies to me at this point.  As the perfume continues to develop, the barber shop association really takes hold and the perfume begins to grow and become slightly smoky.  In the end, Geisha Vanilla Hinoki is all comfort.  Very nice.

From the Aroma M website:

Vanilla scents tend to have a cloying, candied effect. But not Vanilla Hinoki. Its key ingredient is a woodsy, smoky vanilla found only in Morocco.

As for the other ingredients:  They kick off with light and sparkling bergamot combined with spicy, wake-up clove, cardamom, and nutmeg. These segue into more soothing mid-notes: cedarleaf, soft bergamot, and lavender. And finally the lingering drydown: exotic, animalic leather; incense-like patchouli; tropical, evergreen amyris; and cleansing, envigorating cedarwood.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  An old school barber shop; very comfortable, easy and relaxing.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE GEISHA VANILLA HINOKI: soothing, reassuring, retro

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GEISHA VANILLA HINOKI: CaFleureBon, The Non-Blonde, Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE:  Maybe you need to be a man from my generation when barber shops were where you got your hair cut, not Great Cuts.  There was a very comfortable masculinity in the atmosphere that was laid back without any stress.  You went in feeling a bit messy and you left feeling like a million bucks.  Geisha Vanilla Hinoki brings back all the sensory aspects of this now fading business.

• Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent:  Oriental Floral
• Nose: Maria McElroy
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense: $90 for 50ml Eau de Parfum

Sample courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary.  Opinion my own.