A Scent by Issey Miyake

a scent opens very green and floral. The hyacinth and galbanum are quite present in the first hour of the fragrance, reminding me of a less austere, haughty version of the fabulous Chanel N°19 EDT. I also smell some lily-of-the-valley in those first hours. It conjures up images of mountains. Crisp air and icecold streamlets, flowers growing between the rocks. Some time later, a scent turns quite soapy, a little harsh even. When that distinct soapy note, that I don't like that much, is gone, a beautiful, slightly spicy powdery, green accord appears, lasting well into the drydown. Oh how I love that drydown, it is so feminine and refined. I don't really smell anything citrussy, no lemon and no lemon verbena, but that's fine by me, I don't really like prominent citrusfragrances. a scent has good longevity; a single spray lasts more than six hours, but I do have to hold my nose close to my arm. I can imaging a scent to be a wonderful fragrance for spring, but now that autumn lies heavy on this land, a scent fits the icy, crisp mornings and the grey overcast skies equally perfect. The bottle of a scent is absolutely gorgeous. Robust and heavy, but very attractive.

My sister gave this perfume to me because she didn't like it, and I am so grateful as I would not have otherwise purchased it based on the notes and reviews it has. On my skin it's just so perfect and I don't normally like green, fresh scents, quite the contrary. But this one is so beautifully elegant, crisp, delicate and complex. It's smells sophisticated and dreamy. The acidity and sharpness of the citric elements are so well balanced, it feels like something green wrapped in a white floral velvet ganache like a delicious lemon balm panna cota, with just enough earthiness not to weigh it down. I have never been to Japan so I don't know how the mountains there feel like, for me this is like a spring morning after rain in a beautiful green garden. It reminds me of Diorella, the original version, but modern and more subdued without being less awesome. It has incredible longevity and range compared to my other perfumes (to me it's in the same class of quality as pre - 2000 formulations, it delivers soll much more than a nose catching intro). My skin is in love with this. You might like this if you are on the winter or spring color spectrum.

Holy basil ... is that Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo circa 1975 I smell? This is a really cool fragrance. Too bad I've only discovered this gem after it's decommission. Shucks. Issey Miyake A Scent (2009) is a pure offering of Zen freshness great for the hottest day. The stoic Buddha in the garden this simple scent remains true from spritz one to lingering end. The verbena plays up the waxy lemon reminiscent of the lemonhead candy I loved as a kid. This perfume literally makes my mouth water. It's not only about the citrus though. Pay close attention and you might find a whisper of spearmint brightening up the crushed tomatoes leaves others have mentioned. The hyacinth is lovely as well. A perfect blend of purple and green. A Scent is not overly sweet and has just enough silage to elicit compliments. More fresh than sexy, I tend to wear this fragrance just for me, it helps me to achieve focus. A Scent has a definite spiritual quality perfect for either quiet contemplation or elegant motion. This is THE fragrance I'd wear to the gym, ballet, fencing or yoga class. That is if I actually did any of that really cool stuff.

This little gem is getting harder and harder to find! It's a classic nouveau oriental, the likes of which I have never found in another fragrance. One of the midwives who helped deliver my first baby wore this scent and even in my birth induced hell, I recognised it as an individual fantastical scent and I needed to know WHAT IT WAS! For years I coveted it and searched everywhere for a bottle. Until finally after years of asking various fragrance stores if they had any in stock, a shopper at a store told me she had one in her own shop and boom, there it was! You only need a very small amount of this wonder in a bottle, it is STRONG! I gave my mother an asthma attack in the car once from being a little too liberal with my application. All in all, this one is hard to describe because it is just so damned individual. It is soooo much better than Issey Miyake's later fragrance in its conicle shaped form, most people don't even know about this one, but if you can get your hands on a bottle, I dare say you will become a cult follower just as I have!

This is the fragrance of melting snow, making it a perfect fragrance for spring (and ultra cooling in summer!). It absolutely sparkles with the brightness of jasmine. On my skin jasmine is sometimes too sharp but the fresh sweetness of the hyacinth note seems to mellow the jasmine by softening its sharp edges. Cedar gives the sense of crisp, clear forest air at high altitude while the lemon verbena provides a cozy, clean warmth that keeps the cedar from seeming too remote. Galbanum contributes the deep earthy smell of the the ground beginning to thaw after winter's last freeze. I don't sense lemon but I believe it functions like a bit of salt in cooking by enhancing the whole mix without really being noticed. Fresh, sparkling and energizing. Also makes me think of standing barefoot in the cool water of a stream on a hot summer day or the slightly sweet taste of water just hand-pumped from a well. A very energizing fragrance that lasts 4-6 hours on my skin. Definitely full bottle-worthy.