Kintsukori

I blind bought a sample of this because I had a dear friend who was a fan of the concept of “kintsugi” that passed away tragically at 15, days before her 16th birthday. She loved girly things but had a lot of edge to her, so I always wondered what she’d be like grown up, my age. The name of the perfume reminded me of her. I almost sobbed putting this perfume on because when I smell how soft and soapy the roses are, catch that hint of lemony sourness behind layers of a warm musk I imagined my friend. To describe this as a person: girly but with a hint of edginess somewhere behind warmth and comfort, someone who is comfortable with themselves and with embracing their innocent girly side, yet still mature. She had a lot of growing to do that she didn’t get to do. Though a stronger and edgier perfume with lots of animalic notes, patchouli, and maybe something awry might fit the memory of who she was I think this perfume captured for me the her that she wanted to be when she grew up. The smell is a bit powdery and that reminds me of make-up my friend loved to wear, she did enjoy rosewater makeup and skin care products from Korea for a period when she was 13, before she started buying into more “American” products with less scent. It’s like the sweetness from when she was really young, but mature, and I adore that. This review is very sentimental and might not reveal a lot about the perfume itself other than it has a very gentle and warm rose scent, I am a bit emotional wearing this, and I don’t think I can describe the notes as accurately as the other reviewers. Still, this perfume made me very happy.

I've only sampled a few Alkemias, and thought it's about time that I tried a few of my own selection. I'm a rose nut, LOL! Seeing the description of this perfume, and others reviews of it, I knew this would be a new and charming addition to my stash. First of all, it is a lovely rose. The strongest notes, IMO, are the musk and rose. I find it feminine, soft and alluring.... it's also very familiar. If you own, or have sampled Ava Luxe's roses, Kintsukori will seem like a visit from an old friend. AL has a few roses that are clearly built around the same rose. I'm positive that Rasa, Bohemian Rose and an older vintage Roses all dance around this same rose (and they're all beautiful and differ from each other so that they're not redundant). AL has another rose that I have and love, but it has a lot going on, and I can't state that this one is the exact same rose.... but it probably is. I haven't worn it for several months (which will be remedied tomorrow certainly) Queen Bess is a glorious composition that I love with a lot going on. Every time I wear it I savor every transformation in this perfect drydown. Tomorrow I'll be sniffing out the rose in particular. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Kintsukori is lovely. A very soft, warm, musky rose. If someone is curious about this particular type of perfume, I say go for it. Certainly sample it. My stash has lots of pretty, musky roses that call for my attention all the time .... do I need another? A rhetorical question indeed. ;-)

Honestly, I wasn't sure I'd love it because of the rose, but I can't really smell it! I smell the musk and the amber, which I love. This perfume makes me feel like I've just been awakened by the soft, warm sunshine rays on my face. I'm laying in clean, soft sheets, my head on a cloudy pillow and covered with a duvet blanket after a very peaceful night of restorating sleep.

I have just returned from Korea and this perfume reminded me of some of the gardens I had been in there. There is a fresh floral and fruit that isn't typical of western perfumes. The lotus, pear and yuzu really shine in this composition. The musk is delicate and subtle and gentle. It is not at all dirty. I plan to make this the official fragrance for my next trip to Korea.

Warm, dense, sweet floral. Behind it is soapiness. And a faint candied amber citrus similar to the caramel and citrus in Memoirs of a Woman but it's definitely not the main chord, its under everything else. It's mostly the sweet and rich pink flowers and soap and you have to look for the rest. This is the scent after resting many months. I bought this for the silk flower- I had actually hoped it would translate as almost entirely silk flower with an impression of fresh summer air. It's slightly powdery though and a bit heavy to render a natural mimosa tree blossom but I do still enjoy it. Lasts and lasts, projects a good amount especially for an oil. I smell it wafting off of me. I got the extrait

from the notes, i didn't think it'd be my cup of tea (pear is not a favorite) but i actually like it a lot (and get no pear.) i find it to be quite musky, with musk, rose and silk tree blossom being the strongest notes, there is a slightly watery element from the lotus, but not in a typical aquatic kind of way. really nice for spring. gets more powdery as it dries down. it has a vintage feel which i like.

This one’s a very muted rose. I’ve had the oil perfume for several months now and it still smells the same. It’s quite underwhelming and has a strong base of wax or candles? When I read the description I was thinking this would be a very lush, fruity, watery, rosy perfume, but it just smells like a thick, old rose scented crayon you find from your childhood. There’s a nostalgic element to this perfume in that it has that playdoughy smell from kindergarten. You won’t exactly smell bad or offensive with this one, but you will smell like you’re a school teacher, so, up to you haha.

This just isn't very good to me and really has that kind of "candle-esque" thing I hate about indie oil perfumes which really doesn't fit the profile of Alkemia, so I don't know if they reformulated in more recent years or what. But based on this sample, I just really don't like this... It's an incredibly artificial musk, some unattractive dusty white flowers, and a powdery rose. 4/10

I wanted to try this because the notes sounded very promising! I used this on one day after I got it, so maybe the scent evolves with time. It had a very distinct baby oil smell for me, both in the bottle and my skin. I found that this lasted through the day with it close to my skin, but it was very much baby oil.

It smells like an Avon creation that my grandma used to wear. As far as I’m concerned, pear is never a good idea as a note. The pear with the lotus and the musk are the dominant 3 notes for me. It smells like grandmas neck.

It's true what they say about oils. Let them sit. I bought my sample of Kintsukori a couple of years ago. Opened it - liked it "okay." Put it in the back of perfume cabinet and now here we are two years later I just ordered the "full bottle" ultime (the stronger formulation). The aldehydes in here add a bright, lemony, fatty note which at first might indeed smell "waxy" to some noses, however this "waxiness" is fleeting and the bright effervescent aspect takes over. The florals are light, a bit watery and play a supporting role to prevent the more dominant musk and white amber from becoming too heavy. To my nose it's soapy, sparkling, golden with beautiful watery floral facets. I love it. I will edit later with my ultime review. EDIT: The ultime is INCREDIBLE. The aldehydes in the ultime are effervescent and stunning and last throughout the entire wear. The notes also include "Japanese Boudoir incense," that note really shines through in the ultime giving it a soft warm background. Also I notice that the water color florals come through more... This juice gives me pure joy! Everything I said above is true but the ultime is a more of a powerhouse. Already contemplating my back up bottle.

Recently I've started a new craft, Kintsukuroi, which is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold. Serendipitously, this perfume came to me shortly after in a swap! I will be smelling it while scouting beautiful antique oriental pieces to break, mend, and display. There is a tinge of mintiness in the opening, I notice this with quite a few top niche blends. True to Alkemia this is high quality, delicious fluffy delicate musk, Kyoto rose - not typical rose, more a fruity light one.(love a good unique oriental rose!) The pear and Yuzu, two of my favourites, give this a jammy gourmand vibe. This was made for me, to practice my new craft in. Does have the signature alkemia vibe, which I'll describe as a gourmand waxy quality.

I ordered this back in December. Though the cold weather, this wore decidedly heavier on me - the rose overpowered everything, and the rose+musk combo had a fetid, sickly edge. I decided to try it again on this warm, spring day and - magic! The musk and rose add depth and are detectable, but they are definitely subdued. The overall effect is fresh and romantic. A hot summer date-night scent, for me.