WHAT I SMELL: Fleur Japonais opens with a soft milky magnolia that is quickly greeted by lilting cherry blossoms that are seemingly caressed by a light breeze. The perfume is intoxicating in that it’s full of body, yet light in presence. But there’s also a hidden strength in the blossoms in that their beauty is full of passion and power with the promise of rebirth. As the perfume develops, the soft and beautiful florals even out in consistency creating for a blanket that’s silky smooth. And along with that beautiful blanket is just the right amount of light incense that dreamily floats above the blossoms. Here, Fleur Japonais feels as if it is creating a passage to an ancient Japanese temple. In the end, a light powder with the incense and a soft sandalwood residing underneath, makes you feel as if you’re walking along a quiet path laden with freshly fallen pedals; pink above and pink below. Beyond gorgeous.
From Shalini Parfum:
Fleur Japonais is inspired by the revered Cherry blossoms of Japan. The “Sakura” season is a celebration of life as the pink flowers embrace the temples of Kyoto.
The parfum is a heavenly composition of ephemeral Cherry blossoms, intoxicating Magnolia flowers, Frankincense, Labdanum and Sandalwood.
Fleur Japonais reaches for the heavens as the pink flowers merge with the ethereal smoke from the woods and resins.
In Japanese culture there is an association between the Sakura and the Samurai – the flower and the man. They are both admired for their fleeting beautiful lives. It is believed that the soul of the Samurai lives in the Sakura.
Clouds of pink caressing your face. The delicate fragrance of Cherry blossoms scents the air. The temple bells chime softly as the soft scent of the fragrance floats like pink petals caressing the earth.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Dreaming in a sea of pink.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE FLEUR JAPONAIS: soft, serene, spiritual
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FLEUR JAPONAIS: Colognoisseur, The Plum Girl
BOTTOM LINE: Simply put, Fleur Japonais isn’t a perfume that is mean to shock, surprise or jolt you with twists and turns. Instead, it’s quiet beauty just takes you in without force and leads you softly to the most sacred of place within your soul.
- Bone Rating: 5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Floral
- Nose: Maurice Roucel
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: Cubique glass bottle with the glass stopper $500 for 50 ml, Cubique glass bottle with black bulb atomizer $500 for 50 ml, Small spray bottle $150 for 7.5 ml. Byzantine glass flacon $1,100 for 100 ml. White Lacquer and Gold Plated Travel Spray, $415 for 12.5 ml. All parfum extrait.
WHAT I SMELL: Mixed Emotions opens with a beautiful minty fresh cassis which moves ever so slightly to the evergreen in a rapid manner. Almost immediately, the perfume feels as if it resides on the edge of the forest where the green and the fruits seem to beckon all living things to commune with its ripened juice. After a short while, the fruit begins to quiet and soften, but the blackcurrant sweetens with the addition of a hint of violet while a soft tea note begins to enter. Here the perfume becomes more contemplative. Did I say contemplative? In a very short time, the perfume starts to move towards the semi-funky when wafts of light sweat come into play. For non-perfumistas that may sound like a horrible thing, but for those in the know, it can be enticing; and in this case, it’s exactly that. As the perfume continues to develop, a light violet begins to occupy the space where the blackcurrant resided along with the lightest of tea and incense. Here, the perfume is once again contemplative, soft and engaging and to me, very, very pretty. In the end you’re left with a quiet, lightly sweet musk of a perfume. Mixed Emotions is pretty and rather intimate in just the right kind of way.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Mixed emotions? Maybe. But to me, it’s sweet emotions. (And to clarify further, that means sweet related to love vs. sweet related to sugar!)
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The eternal rose.
The Scented Hound 