WHAT I SMELL: Izayoi opens with a fresh green citrus that quickly moves to a putty like plastic-ish yuzu and rose. It’s pretty, but it reminds me of a plastic bottle that would hold shampoo, bubble bath or some product for infants. At this stage the perfume is rather light with a very subtle and subdued projection, but after a few minutes the perfume begins to build with a lightly peppered spice. The spice, mixed with a slightly metallic rose, is again subtle and subdued as it adds just the perfect amount of depth to what I find to be an overall crisp and clean perfume. And not soon after, a vetiver slowly moves the florals out of the picture and together with some anise it takes the perfume in a woody direction. But thankfully the perfume remains light and full of air. In the end, Iazyoi is a light woody vetiver whisper of a perfume.
From the Di Ser website:
Izayoi is a word for the the moon, and in Japan it means the moon on the 16th day after the new moon. The Izayoi shows a moon reflected on the water which symbolizes the seen and unseen of this world and the world beyond.
Top Notes: Green citrus, bitter
Heart Notes: Spicy, light-floral
Base Notes: Earthy, woody
Ingredients: Bergamot, Green yuzu, Japanese rose, Neroli, Nutmeg, Japanese pepper, Rosewood, Ylang ylang, Star anise, Vetiver, Cypress, Agarwood
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Japanese Shoji lamp; peaceful beautiful light.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE IZAYOI: clean, mystical, controlled
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT IZAYOI: No written reviews found.
BOTTOM LINE: Izayoi is an enjoyable skin scent that’s nice and easy to wear. Beyond that, there’s not much else to say.
- Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Citrus spicy woody
- Nose: Yasuyuki Shinohara
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $230 for 33 ml parfum extrait
WHAT I SMELL: Lucienne’s opening is fresh with a light and airy citrus which moves quickly to a aqua magnolia that is framed by a starched and clean linen. The perfume starts off light and then seems to rapidly intensify while retaining its freshness. There’s a familiarity to the perfume that I can’t pinpoint, but there is something that reminds me of the way new clothes smell in an upscale store. Continuing on, the floral turn towards the “bathtastic” with all of the familiar scents that linger after a bubble bath has been taken…along with the slight humidity. Here the perfume is even more familiar as it takes me back to the 1970s and the smell of bathroom beads, bubble bath and shampoo. Lucienne is lovely in that it feels like an easy to wear old friend.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A well designed bathroom of yesteryear.
WHAT I SMELL: Desiria opens with a soft and beautifully haunting magnolia that’s sheer, light and airy. It also feels as if it’s been infused with puffs of cotton as it’s warmed with a light ambered hue. As the perfume slowly exhales like a deep breath off the skin, a rounded rose quietly comes to the forefront as if a magic wand had been handed over from the magnolia to the rose. The rose is lightly sweetened, but for the most part, it stays mysteriously wrapped up in the sheer cotton just like the magnolia was. Here the perfume remains, projecting nicely but with an ethereal persona. Desiria isn’t complicated, but she’s sheer magic.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Rose colored feathers.
me that it was Desiria. I told her how nice it was but that I was surprised how soft it was for a perfume for men. Of course, not needing another perfume in my collection, I did what every perfumista does…I asked for a sample. When I got back home, I looked up the perfume on the Bvlgari website. Interestingly, it can’t be found on the US site, but it is available on the Bvlgari Mexican site (for international sales only?). I also found that there is Desiria for women (pictured up at top) and Desiria for men (see bottle to the left). In looking at the website copy it appears to be the same, but the notes are slightly different (but I do think it’s the same perfume). What is crazy is that the 100 ml for women is approximately $440 and the 100 ml for the men’s version is approximately $500. In any case, if anyone knows if they are the same I would love to know. And as much as this is a beautiful perfume, it does not justify anywhere near the price they are asking. I am so confused!
The Scented Hound 