Kyoto

Beetroot is a tuber that could give sensory problems to the sense of smell, very subjective problems that depend greatly on experience. Once removed from the soil and washed, the tuber still has an organic-type odour similar to the soil, but more concentrated or enhanced. The root vegetable, besides its particular appearance, has a sweet and earthy taste, due to a compound called geosmin, produced by the plant itself. This substance gives off the earthy smell we all know. You know, after a storm when we smell this earthy smell coming from the ground? It is caused by a substance in the soil in this case. So it gives this not-too-sweet vegetable a touch of sourness. Everyone doesn't like or appreciate beetroot, which can be a polarizing tuber. Given that I like it, it has never happened to me before to come across a fragrance with this note among its ingredients. This bizarre element led me to make a blind purchase, which turned out to be a wise decision. First, Kyoto is a fragrance with balanced scents of incense, rose and vetiver. It belongs to the rosy, earthy, rooty, musky, smoky, and unconventional categories. However, as soon as I smelled Kyoto, I couldn’t help but imagine something earthly, the smell of damp autumn foliage. Frondescence, leafage, or foliage — call it what you prefer — but that’s what I feel. Kyoto gives off a very intense herbaceous scent, dizzying, reminiscent of freshly picked field vegetables. There is a decadent rosy scent that overlaps the earthy, a bit sweet, a tad tart, a hint of floral smell. The Turkish rose emerges undaunted, slow but astonishing, bittersweet and slightly peppery. I don’t remember any other perfume with this amazing opening, an earthy rose raised to the umpteenth degree. Not outdated, not the ordinary rose, but spicy and green, a truly revolutionary rose. As well as being earthy, the opening also has a slightly metallic undertone. This could be due to the rose petals and beetroot tubers that immediately come to mind. A dry incense, austere, very faint, with lemony hints fills the heart of Kyoto. While I find the slightly clerical incense appealing, it appears airy and sober as a feather here. It mixes with the rose and takes on musky tones. Bursts of incense flutter throughout Kyoto’s development. But the real magic is the sweet earthiness of the beetroot, it changes everything. If you are fond of incense, then this might not be what you’re looking for. In this movie, it is not one of the principal actors, but an extra who serves to fill the scene without dominating it. It blends seamlessly with the rose and gives the vetiver a smokier undertone. The dry-down reveals a smooth, vegetal, grassy, and slightly astringent vetiver, only a touch. The same vetiver that we also find in the homonymous Guerlain, very fickle, is sometimes sweeter and earthy and other times more herbaceous and peppery. Towards the end, the incense floats above everything. On my skin, it begins earthier and then floral but then becomes musky and animalic, with fresh vetiver balancing the rose from becoming too overpowering. It would not be unreasonable to include a tinge of white musk in the concoction. Floral, earthy, loamy, and smoky, Kyoto is a fragrance that is very sensitive to temperature and humidity. There are a lot of changes in the scent throughout the day, which is something I appreciate in a perfume. This scent has a moderate projection, and it lasts for a long time on the skin and even more on clothing. It screams cold weather, fall, and a great day and evening scent. If it were embroidery, the beetroot would be the thread covering the warp made from all the other notes. I base the review on a bottle I have owned since October 2022.

I adore this scent. I'm wearing a test spray today and I'm deeply in love with the lasting rose scent plus something interesting going on - it's not simply a Stella type of single note rose, though the rose is very similar (and I am a fan of Stella) but there's something else there. My husband says it smells like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, and he means that as a deeply appreciative positive. I am so sorry I am late to the game on trying to find a full bottle. It is an absolute pet peeve of mine that stores have a tester out for something that they have no stock of and none to order from other stores (Looking at you, Nordstrom Broadway Plaza - we are not friends today) I ordered this from England and hope their website is not mistaken in terms of stock. It's expensive shipping but worth it. Update: the bottle from Harrod’s arrived! It’s beautifully packaged with the small scarf wrapping the bottle, inside a larger Kyoto archival quality box. So lovely. Diptique says “ Presented in the furoshiki tradition, the bottle is wrapped in a fabric printed with the Sarayi pattern created by diptyque's founders.”

This may be one of my favorite scents of all time. It is certainly rosy and has the scent of beets, as well as fresh green leaves. But my favorite element is the base note — it’s like walking into a concrete garage, or the scent that radiates off the sidewalk when it’s just started to rain in the city. It’s the scent of dusty, dirt-covered rocks when you’re hiking on the side of a mountain. I say that with love. I have pica and it’s the EXACT scent that makes my mouth water. And now I get to wear it whenever I want!!!! I don’t think this smells anything like the city of Kyoto, but I see the connection, this collision of industry with tradition and beautiful forested mountains. The dusty stone steps leading through Senbon Torii, tucked away in the woods. Edit: I wore this to work as a middle school teacher for the first time — this is definitely a beast mode perfume. 3 sprays was an offensive amount. Multiple kids asked me if I’d been eating bell peppers or cucumbers. One said “it doesn’t smell bad, but it definitely doesn’t smell good.” It lasted my entire 7 hour shift. One spray max if you’re in an indoor area!!

This is so incredibly beautiful! It starts off with a sweet yet bitter peppery rose with a rooty vetiver base, then the pepper tempers down some to make way for beet root to come forward to complement the rose, sweetened with a bit of amber resin (does not smell of ambroxan, don’t worry). And what a complement these notes are to each other, wow! The frankincense incense note is there, but is a very light waft and just an accompaniment to the other notes. This is such a wonderful rooty, earthy, yet lightly sweet perfume that I just had to have it in my collection, immediately. It is what I had hoped Comme De Garçons Rouge would be. This and Venise are a limited release as part of the Le Grand Tour collection for the 60th anniversary celebration of the house. The presentation of the bottle is gorgeous with the Furoshiki wrap. I almost didn’t want to open mine, but I had to get at the beautiful perfume that was inside. Definitely FBW, don’t hesitate. Very nice layered with Venice, to bring out more of the green.

As per some of the reviews, this is truly a perfume that does not remind me of any perfumes I've smelled, ever. It opens quite floral and peppery for me, and over time the dry down becomes this soft, green rose. It is not a loud, intense, smoky rose that smells overripe/overtly sweet. Instead it is cool and balanced, and has an earthy quality that reminds me of a lush late summer garden. I'm normally not into green scents as I find them overwhelmingly squeaky and therefore uncomfortable, but the balance achieved in this perfume is sheer poetry. There is a certain "controlled" quality to this perfume that I love and within this setup you experience a deep beauty. A kind of delicate balance that has been achieved. Don't be thrown off by the "incense" - it is not woody/amber like a true patchouli kind of woody, but rather a soft gentle warmth that the rose layers on top of. To me this does not in any shape or form resemble Philosykos where the dominant note seems to be coconut.

This is one of Diptyque's best creations, and one of the best fragrances I've ever smelled. I love rose fragrances, especially earthy, green roses and this is the most perfect earthy rose. The beetroot is such an interesting note, it adds a sweet dirt vibe to the green rose. The incense allows for this fragrance to be worn through multiple seasons. I blind bought this fragrance after seeing a review describing it as "spicy tomatoes". For most this would be a turn off, but that sounded so weird I just had to try it. I'm soooo glad I did, this is one of the most cherished fragrances in my collection. I wish this wasn't a limited edition, I pray Diptyque comes to their senses and brings this back for another release at least!!! For an EDT, longevity and sillage are fantastic, 8-ish hours on skin, eternal on clothing. Price doesn't matter, I'd pay whatever they charged for another bottle.

Lovely natural earthy rose, and the quality is there as always. The opening is fresh vegetable green and beetroot, which feels so different from the usual green. As the opening fades out a little, although beetroot remains, rose emerges with some vetiver. Dont really get incense on my skin. The beetroot is such a nice touch, and make it so different from all rose perfumes i have tried, and bear in mind that im a rose lover and own/tried so many! Also, i dont find this to be a daring as people here finds it, so feel free to blind buy if you manage to find one. The performance is quite good, surpassing 6 hours longevity (although faintly towards the 7-8 hours mark), with moderate sillage (a little lower than the usual diptyque edt but its still not too bad). Considering that the smell is heavenly, and the packaging is superb, its definitely one of diptyque's finest.

A total stunner, nonetheless wholly reminiscent of both Eau Rose and L'ombre Dans L'eau from Diptyque. I would also say some of the herbal bite recalls Geranium Ordata, my truest love from the line. All are literal garden scents, not fantasy, impressionistic gardens, but the honest sensory experience of the location that puts you right there. Green, outdoorsy, very low to the ground where it's dark and shadowy, yet still fresh like clean air and lacking any dirtiness whatsoever. The dry and vegetal dominates but doesn't overwhelm because there's no denying that this is a rose scent of the highest order. I can't stop smelling it, I really want it. I just don't know if it would be too repetitive for $190, seeing as I have the other Diptyques.

Unique! It smells like kneeling down in the soil in a rose garden in the opening, but as it dries down it warms up with those spicy, incense-y notes. I don't have anything like this in my collection. However, I think I will be saving this one for cold weather or for when I'll be indoors the whole day - I wore this to go shopping on a hot day in Texas and all my friends could smell was spicy pepper! update: still love this one a year later but still very much a cold weather / WFH scent bc it is SO strong on me lol. also, don't spray it on your clothes because it sticks around. got some on a sweater i wore for a few hours but kept smelling it in my closet so i had to wash it.

Blind bought it after reading the reviews. The packaging is impressive - bottle is wrapped in a very nice piece of cloth. First note is extremely strong beetroot but in a couple of minutes it becomes more rosy and peppery. I would say it smells like veggies, black pepper, a bit woody with the slightest note of rose. Very unusual, reminded me of black pepper by cdg. Love it :) Update 1: now I can feel vetiver, wood, something sweet and wet earth, and somehow it's quite an exciting smell Update 2: it's really strong and sometimes goes back to beetroot only and actually made me sick to my stomach

Reminds me so much of Henry Rose Sheep's Clothing as the beetroot gives off a spicy peppercorn especially in the opening. The beetroot does dry down to be more vegetal/earthy then the pink pepper in Sheep's Clothing however paired with the rose they present similar profiles. Both have a musky character to them, and as others mentioned I don't get the incense but am able to pull a slight smokiness from the vetiver. It's a really great fragrance and I'm so happy to have been able to get a bottle from a reseller online. If you can't get your hands on Kyoto, definitely check out Sheep's Clothing.

came across this shortly after it left diptyque’s website and was contemplating purchasing but then sort of forgot abt it. over a year later, i was reading the fragrantica reviews and was reminded of how intrigued i was by the notes and ordered a bottle (new and unopened!) off a french ebay seller, a little under retail even w the international shipping. so glad i blind bought this! beautiful and earthy, i love the way this sits on my skin. it reminds me of a weekly after school program i went to at the botanical garden, and the mud when it had just rained.

I walked into the boutique when this was still for sale, not expecting to buy anything and walked away with Kyoto. Very glad I decided to be financially irresponsible that day - this is one of my favorite rose fragrances. Simple but powerful, very earthy and a little grassy. The incense brings a smoky element that shades this with a bit more mystery than your average garden scent. I really, really hope they bring this back in an archive sale someday because I know that once I use up my bottle it's gone.

Ah, I just LOVE this. It's so odd, but perfectly me. I'm not usually one for rose fragrances, but there's a mystical interaction between the beet and the flowers that makes it all very earthy and dirty yet juicy and semisweet. Not for the faint of heart, I'll admit. But it's the only Diptyque I've ever liked enough to buy (and I've sampled maybe 10 of them – Do Son, L'ombre dans l'eau, Philosykos, Eau Capitale, etc etc).

I desperately need Diptyque to release this perfume again... My roommate in university had this perfume and she was an angel to let me spray it every now and then. I literally think about Kyoto all the time. It literally transports you to a wet rose garden and you transform into a proud honeybee who works hard to pollinate this garden. Please Diptyque release this again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Starts off with a bright and realistic red bell pepper (which is so specific and fun) then mellows into an earthy beet with rose. I like to wear it most in wintertime, where the pepper and rose stay architecturally delicate and don't get too sticky (as when I've tried it in summer). Strong lasting power, and I love the complex rosey next day remnant of this the most.

Up top it’s a tart rose, like a cranberry rose, a cute effect from the vetiver. The incense is there if you go looking for it, even then it’s subtle. The cool surprise is the use of beetroot which gives the composition a loamy characteristic. Lasts a good while on skin, even more on fabric. A charming earthy floral, quiet but noticeable.

One of the best outstanding and easy-to-wear fragrances. What makes it so unique is the combination of beetroot, rose and vetiver. I never thought of beetroot until I was told that is what I'm smelling. I can see why this could become a signature scent, something that can become nostalgic for someone. great creation! 9/10!

when i first smelled it back when it first came out, i didn't get it, but now i can't stop thinking about it. too bad it was a limited run. really beautiful.

I bought this in 2021 and use it sparingly. It is so special. I love the beetroot earthy note. I feel like I'm planting roses in fresh soil.