Poet’s Jasmine

It's 1820, and a French silkworm smuggler reaches his destination--a tiny little town deep in the snowy mountains of Japan. A kind elderly man and his wife run an inn where weary merchants stop to rest on their long journeys. To the side of the inn, a narrow path leads to a natural pool of hot spring water, which is enclosed by fragrant hinoki trees. After removing his clothing and immersing himself into the pool of healing waters, the old woman scatters a bowl of delicate little dried jasmine flowers into the water, and the jasmine-scented steam rises into the sky. This is what comes to mind when I smell Poet's Jasmine. I made some of this up of course, but my little vignette is based on the movie "Silk" starring Keira Knightley. Jasmine typically reminds me of summer when used in perfume; of being outdoors; of golden sunshine. Once again, Ineke brings something innovative to the table. Poet's Jasmine has a contemplative mood, which fits its name perfectly. The scent makes me picture a gray and slightly damp day; a day on which I might rather cozy up on my couch and read a book or perhaps write something thoughtful in my journal. I am much pickier than the average person when it comes to jasmine in perfume. I live in a place where jasmine grows abundantly. Most jasmine perfumes fail to please me as they smell synthetic and sharp. While this perfume clearly revolves around jasmine, the other notes make their presence known only to bring out the best in the jasmine flower. Ineke seems to have an unusual talent for enhancing floral notes rather than detracting from them. My immediate impression after spritzing was of jasmine green tea pearls and a quiet breath of star anise. As the fragrance developed, it became more green and then more woody. I'm so used to exotic interpretations of jasmine, which are usually flanked with strong spices, rose, resins, and a host of other notes. Even soliflores seem to have a certain harshness about them. Poet's Jasmine is so Japanese in nature, reminding us of the beauty in simplicity. This perfume truly pays tribute to our friend, jasmine.

I received this recently from a lovely swapper. I have been fortunate enough to have tried everything the Ineke Alphabetical Collection but had not tried anything from the Floral Curiosities line. This opened very painful for me . . . I was honestly shocked at the "bathroom stench" if you get what I mean. I think it might have been the combo of guaiac and star anise. I went to scrub it off but dinner was starting to burn and . . . . . About 30 mins later I kept getting this waft of absolutely wonderful soft floral, slightly herbally (but not quite green) aroma. This a definitely a floral but I do think that the tea and citrus keep it fresh and not becoming a overwhelming heady floral. I could not stop sniffing my wrist. This was an amazing olfactory journey that lasted all night and the sillage is just enough to leave an impression as you walk by. I do recommend going light with this as it can be strong if one is over zealous. What a delight!

If you love jasmine - run - don't walk - to your nearest Anthropologie to pick this one up. Think of it like "After My Own Heart" but replace the lilac with jasmine. There's a lovely citrusy brightness to it, which makes it one of the first (and only) jasmine-based scents I can tolerate for myself.

Poet's Jasmine is a lush, creamy floral fragrance that opens with a burst of citrus set off by aromatic rosemary and star anise. A heady, intoxicating jasmine blooms in the heart anchored by smoky woods in the base.

First Impressions (small bottle): As a person who loves jasmine. I was excited for this perfume. Unfortunately this is a huge disappointment to me. The jasmine is WAYY to indolic, and smells like an old lady fruit perfume? I don’t know what that not is, but it’s not at all pleasing. Verdict: Big pass- old lady fruity indolic jasmine, with nothing calming the jasmine.