Autumn in Lhoka

I was drawn not only to the Tibetan inspiration for Autumn in Lhoka, but also its barley accord and usage of bran absolute, and when I first smelled it I immediately fell for it. This has the texture of autumn, a chestnut brown warmth, as comforting as a bowl of porridge with molasses, with the melancholy of the waning days of harvest. Describing a fragrance as balanced comes with questions on what defines such an assessment. What does it really mean for one to be balanced? Yet I am compelled to express the feeling of balance here, where no element overpowers—rounded pepper and muted smoke, a creamy malt and smooth grain. Autumn in Lhoka is a fragrance that appeals to my desire to simply inhabit it rather than examine its components. It has that monolithic beauty of a grounding incense. In fact, it reminds me of a Shoyeido incense I used to burn a number of years ago. I can't exactly recall which one, but when burning it, its glowing ember and a couple of candles would be the only light, and I would listen to the album Tibetan Bells by Henry Wolff and Nancy Hennings. Like this incense, Autumn in Lhoka invites me to feel; it releases a pressure valve with its savory, earthy beauty. While there are 99% natural ingredients in the formula, it has a satisfying persistence.

Leathery opening with flecks of something that’s almost briny, similar to nori. Also spices, seems like cinnamon. 20 mins in, creamier, almost a custardy note. Spices more prominent. Indeterminate but nice woods in the background. Something keeps making me think “nutmeg.” Could be that or a combination of other spices and woods. Clove could be in the mix. Suitably autumnal. Evocative and interesting but cozy. Maintains its scent profile but becomes more soft-focus, powdery, smeary, warm, close as it dries down.

Beautiful woody bhutanese-temple incense. Reminds me of Dzongkha (interesting coincidence since Duchaufour crafted three scents for the same brand in an adjacent collection), but a Dzongkha that wouldn't have been botched up by the lychee note used by Duchaufour, which I really dislike. Perfectly balanced between woods and spices, warmth and smoke. Somwhat austere, but deeply poetic and meditative. Good performance too.

Projects really well for the first couple of hours then simmers down to a cream of wheat with sweet incense like fragrance. Really lovely, pretty, 'office' friendly and perfect if you're looking for a fragrance with incense and creamy warmth that you wear, and doesn't wear you. Absolutely perfect for Autumn days. Now I need to try Summer for the osmanthus note, and Winter for the anise note. Fantastic house.

Best one in the line of Himajomo, quite safe but also unique. A boozy smokey built around incense, if you don’t like overly sweet smoke ambery perfume, this one's for you. I think they do this justice in terms of the cultural concept aspect with this one, the others are difficult for me to understand. Worth the price, but definitely not cheap, blind buy safe if you are willing to pay for it.

Opens smokey and dry aromatic, like the coal and wood you burn in a sauna Fir, dry wood and incense together give a very calming and relaxing experience Not detecting much cinammon but tar is most definitely present adding depth and darkness to it

I dont know much about perfume but Autumn Lhoka makes me feel calm and like I am in the pagoda everywhere haha.

I found this one interesting when reading about it and I wanted to try it out, so I ordered a sample. Now, eight hours into wearing it while working from home I realise that I've fallen in love. It makes me feel calm and serene. There is something very meditative about this scent, and at the same time it feels a bit sensual. I love the soft smokiness and the spicy wheat, it makes me feel at ease. Like a light and airy golden veil around me. I do also get a sense of being connected to nature. I need this in my life.

A very austere and dry incense/cedar/patchouli/cinnamon combination to my nose. Overtly woody and masculine. The cinnamon is subtly sweet. Like a far off cousin of Bel Ami or similar old school fragrances. I think it is a well made fragrance. It has warmth and depth. 8.1/10

Not nearly as masculine as I expected. Spicy incense but not overpowering.

I've been cycling through the discovery pack, and while it might not be the period to wear this, I've had a hard time with it... Now it might be an interaction with my skin or even my wristwear, but after 30 minutes (so the middle to end notes I'd say) I cannot get the smell and association of formaldehyde out of my head... Pretty terrible link to make. Otherwise we're on a light sillage, and for the longevity I couldn't say.

The fir is very strong and quite masculine in that regard. The incense note is an absolutely spot on rendition of a dark purple stick of not Tibetan but Bhutanese incense. The cinnamon and barley come together to enhance that Bhutanese incense note and it’s quite impressive in its realism. But unfortunately it’s overpowered by the fir.

Sweet, spicy and boozy pathouli-heavy amber. I don't smell most of the listed notes. It is not bad if you like the genre, but not very original.

I am always drawn to houses that try to transfert strong concepts into fragrances. The founders of the brand - Vittoria Jiaxin Liu and Randry Glorieux -, inspired by their love of the naturally wonderous Himalaya region, promises a journey into the desolate serenity of the sacred Himalayas, providing an opportunity to return to the origins of life and primordial well-being. Delphine Thierry accepted the challenge and created a quartert of scents inspired by the boreal emisphere four seasons. Apparently, she has learned about the various regions that make up this vast and breathtaking land. The founders provided a list of over 300 native ingredients to the perfumer and together they explored the scent profiles and their Ayurvedic properties when developing the first four perfumes. The scents are made of 95-99% of natural materials provided by @robertet_group There is something really "ancestral" in Autumn in Lhoka. Here the idea is to celebrate the harvest season, a time of hard work when local country-men harvest barely. It is also a festive season, full of rituals to propitiate prosperity; several dishes and drinks will be prepared with barely. Eating, drinking, dancing around a fire, celebrating the cycle of life and the earth that nurtures us while incense is burnt into fields. Thierry was a magician in recreating this atmosphere with an elegance and a subdued tone that remined me of Montecristo by @masquemilano and the evocartive power of some of her compositions. The scents opens spicy: a crisp saffron and a deep carnal pepper (white pepper?). The fir balsam was the material chosen to represent this mountain region. But what really impressed me is the barely accord that emerges when the fir receded. Bran is added: I get the benevolent sensation of drinking an alchoholic beverage: there is certainly not listed in the pyramid in order to create this drink. The birch tar, representing the fire around which country people are dancing is not oppresing. Wisps of incense accompanies the ambery patchouli of the drydown. Follow me on IG @alexolympia6

Once again, Hima Jomo impresses. The whole The 4 Seasons" series is something i'm a big fan of. To my nose: It opens with an almost oud-like note. Clear spicy notes, saffron, and an incense plays in the background too. A strong scent bubble in the opening and for the first hour. . The mid, a warm spicy cinnamon is most prominent. I also get a good dose of woody, barley, a Smokey notes, with a saffron clearly present in the background. A nice scent bubble at this point. I catch whiffs of it from my arm even when my arm isn't close. Still very detectable in the air, but not strong. The dry down is much of the same as the mid. The cinnamon has turned metallic to my nose. And the pepper is all but gone. It's slightly moving towards a gourmand as it dries down. Not to the point of becoming an actual gourmand, but it's the only way i can describe it. All in all, it's a great scent. Absolutely an Autumn vibe scent. When the harvest is in it's final stages and all the preparations for winter starts to get serious. Mostly dark and spicy note, but with barley/grains and soft woods. As it dries down, it turns more towards the winter side of fragrances, and is mostly barley, warm spice, and birchy. There are more to it, but i can't quite put a name to what i get. A Fall and winter, and maybe a spring scent too. Day or night. It's pretty alluring with all the spice and it has an alluring side, yet it's perfectly suited for daytime wear. Casual to semi formal, office safe. Any age. Unisex. Personal score: 9/10. I really love this series of seasonal fragrances from Hima Jomo. I've been very impressed, and i ended up purchasing a full bottle.

I definitely get the notes that indicate a smokey woodiness - they give a hinoki feel when they’re all combined. Plus this savory almost nuttiness of the bran/barley. But then there’s this very metallic hot iron note that’s undeniable. Almost reminds me of Chelsea Staircase from Thin Wild Mercury in that way. I struggle with metallic notes, so this one wasn’t for me in the end - but I appreciate the smoke/wood/savory combo.

To me, this is a masterpiece of natural perfumery. It's a bit gourmand, a bit ambery, yet none of the stereotypes one might have of either (my partner hates both, and loves this). It's softly smoky, not forceful or cloying. It's unique but unobtrusive, for the subtle freaks. Gets better when warmed by the skin. This wasn't an instant love for me, and yet I found myself reaching for it until I had drained two sample vials.

This is incredibly autumnal, but also unfortunately reminds me of Old Spice. It's definitely an elevated and refined version, but I can't undo the association now that I've noticed it. Objectively it's beautiful, and I'd love to smell it on someone else, but not on me.

The faintness of the last of my sample linger in my sleeve, a warm, leathery, spicy scent. I appreciated this fragrance, but I don't love it. It's a nice fall day so I figured it was a good time to use it up, it does suit the mood today for me perfectly.

Ultra-safe blind buy if you enjoy patchouli. I get a lot of saffron at the start and overall it settles quite creamy. I wouldn’t categorize this as spicy, smoky, or boozy at all.

Smells like B.O. in a bad way...