Tokyo Nights

This is probably going to be my first review for a perfume, and most likely last. So before i give you my review, let me give you a short introduction to who i am, and why it matter. Im a 20 yr old guy, and i have the biggest love for gourmand scents. If it smells sweet or just slightly edible, there is quite a big chance i have it in my collection. With that being said, let me get straight into my review of Tokyo Nights by d'Annam. So the first thing to note is the notes (pun intended) listed: Umeshu, Tobacco, Smoke, Osmanthus and Amber. Sounds not too unique, but still kinda special. And that was the thought i had going in for my first smell. I was speaking to the salesman at the store, and he was telling me about the story behind it. He was explaining the scent, as a cherry/plummy scent, with a very smoky tobaccy undertone, and honestly? I didn't care much for the story, nor the description. But when i smelt it!? Holy *@*#. The first impression i get is this freshly opened bottle of Umeshu(Kinda similair to whisky - smell wise, but much cleaner). And then, it turns a bit more sweet and, almost smoky, but not really. The plum manages to shine through without being overly fruity, or too much? After a few hours it becomes like a subtle skin scent, but somehow still projects? In smells like the time you first fell in love, and were willing to do ANYTHING, just to get a moment of attention. Its a weird feeling? But honestly the best thing i have smelt in many many years. The description of the scent it: "Sharing one umbrella— the person more in love gets wet" And somehow thats just what it feels like, i can see for some how it smeels like being wet, but happy, and for others a bit more on the dry side, feeling loved. Its a very dynamical scent, and one that does what its suppossed to amazingly well. Honestly? A Masterpiece, just due to the storytelling, and scent alone. Rating: 9.99/10

it's the middle of the week, you missed your last train home, and you decide to pass the time in a tiny bar hidden in the narrow backstreets of kabukicho it is a cramped dim space, and you just know this spot has been open for decades, the wooden walls holding onto the smell of smoke from countless cigarettes and thousands of cigars. the door is always open, inviting, carrying a gentle breeze of spring air, already fragrant with flowers. clad in your old leather jacket, you sip on your umeshu, served hot, wafts of it caressing your face with their warmth. you finish your drink in 30 minutes and stay snuggled in the corner, hazily browsing a random rock magazine taken from the bar counter before you order another shop. someone outside lights up a cigarette while chatting loudly with their friends. to summarize - it's a great, photorealistic olfactory experience that reminds me of one particular date i had. if you ever had umeshu, or if you love tart plums/quince liquor, you will fall in love with it and realize that a date with this perfume is something you wish to have everyday. the thing is, it's very fleeting. the initial shot of liquor only lasts half an hour, disappearing - sip by sip, like your drink - into a gentle smoky-woody skin scent. given the price, i wish i could have more of the delicious liquor to enjoy. also, i'm not a fan of these bottles - they may look like a cool egg, but the caps aren't the easiest to open.

I found this in a niche shop in Stockholm, Fab Lab. I remembered seeing the egg-shaped bottles on Facebook ads. The ones they had in stock at the time were "Vietnamese Coffee", "White Rice" and "Tokyo Nights". I smelt them in that exact order, and loved Vietnamese Coffee. To my nose it was very photorealistic. coffee-aromatic and slight lactonic. I had a tiny "wow"-feeling when I smelt it. Thought I'd go to the next one. So I tried White Rice, got put off instantly. Nothing for me at all. Then... then... Something magical happened - Tokyo Nights. The initial spray took me aback. What is this? I've had this drink before. Shortly thereafter, as the plum settled and the tobacco & smoke started to mix in, you could instantly feel the city streets of Tokyo during a night out. The only thing missing from making it photorealistic in this sense would be the asphalt/pavement smell. So I knew there and then; this is my magical date night scent from now on - said and done - purchased.

At first spray, it's fruity, intoxicating and suitably sweet with a tad of earthiness to it. The umeshu/plum wine is absolutely lavish and divine, and the tobacco can be detected lingering in the background. After the first hour, the wine begins to fade and the tobacco comes more so to the forefront, becoming less lush and a bit more refined. Then, about three or four hours into the wear, the smoke and amber start to emerge in an incense-like combination—powdery, rich and sweet. It remains in this stage for the remainder of the wear. Overall, I really really enjoyed this and there is no better name for a perfume like this as it smells like what I imagine a night out in Tokyo must. The longevity is great as well, lasting for about 10 hours on me. I gush over every d'Annam perfume but it's because they deserve it. This scent is expertly crafted and, as with every other perfume of theirs I've smelled, each note is detectable and well-balanced.

Wow, this one is really something. Unlike any other scent I’ve smelled. I’m half-Korean, half-Japanese, and although I have personally never traveled to Japan, this is undoubtedly a very Japanese scent. The mental image I get when I smell this on myself is a man (or woman, pretty unisex I’d say) sitting at a cramped, dimly lit bar enjoying a Japanese whiskey, smoking a cigar, and eating dango—all while a pink cloud of cotton candy floats around him. Not that it smells particularly like cotton candy—just more of the mental image of it. This is a soft scent, but soft in a very distinguished sense. A friend of mine told me as soon as he smelled it on me that it blasted him back to a childhood memory. Honestly, it did for me too—it reminded me of being a kid in a ramen shop and smelling the ladies’ perfume from the next table over. If you have any Japanese or Asian roots I would venture to say this fragrance will conjure up some sentiment.