Rakugan (Sugar Sweets)

This is really lovely. The honey and wax smell I get is actually a near perfect replication of Asian milk bread, a scent that you don't find in other pastries. It's very distinct and brings a smile to my face as I think about the smell of all the Chinese and Japanese bakeries I frequent. It's a lovely scent, sweet but not cloying, unlike the latest rash of marshmallow and candy scents we've been inundated with. Comforting, but not your typical vanilla comfort scent, perhaps more rice-based and powdery . Interestingly, rakugan is the name of the mochi sweets popular in Japan, not their milk bread, yet milk bread is what I identify. Rakugan is unique and I expect to apply it frequently. Will be getting a bottle, pronto. Edit: just thought of a good comparison--this smells like honey toast made with milk bread

I've never tried rakugan, but to me it smells like a secret recipe of french toast that's been candied made with love that's served with maple syrup and glass of milk. Smells so delicious 🩷

I love this... it's sweet, happy, peachy, and unabashedly girly. It opens like candy, but after a short time I smell a lot more of the peach.

I was looking forward to trying this as I loved the idea of a fragrance inspired by Rakugan. Now Rakugan doesn't have a super defined smell or taste, but I imagined something powdery, a little bit sugary with the malted flavour of ground rice flour (most common base for Rakugan). There's no fruit involved but I appreciated J-Scent wanting to express the colourful presentation of Rajugan in perfume form. This was a blind buy and when I received the bottle, I noted that it said 'New Formula' so I'm not sure what was changed. On my bottle the Maple note is a middle note, and indeed I don't get any in the opening. It's very fruity. I catch the apricot the most, then apple. It's a very candy-like fruit though, which reminds me of the giant candy balls you'd get at Japanese summer festivals. It then dries down into a sweeeeeet vanilla with hints of candy fruit. I did catch some cedar but the base is otherwise really subtle. It's not unpleasant, but it's an interesting one to wear on its own. I was conflicted each time I sniffed. Do I like it or not? Today I layered it with Voyage d'Hermes (I find it a touch too sharp and dry) and they complemented each other really well. I'll happily try the other J-Scents though may wait until someone can get me a discovery set direct from Japan as it's not cheap shipping full bottles to Australia! I might add for those who find J-Scent's projection/sillage weak. Japanese people do not enjoy strong perfumes. Most live/function in close quarters so wearing a beast mode frag would be considered bad etiquette. Scents are worn intimately and subtle wins out every time.

Was intrigued by the couple of reviews commenting that this smelled like a japanese bakery, but on my skin—true to its name—this was all about rock sugar candy. Think powdered konpeito with a playful burst of jammy apricot at the start. There’s an initial softness, but it quickly descends into a denser sweetness that feels more like solidified maple syrup than fluffy milk bread. I do detect that waxy quality mentioned in the reviews, like crystallised, coated fine candy, almost a little synthetic to wear comfortably. Thankfully, the waxiness begins to fade after a while, leaving behind a sugary confectionery finish that clings like dusted icing sugar on sticky fruit-syrup-ed fingertips. Rakugan is undeniably charming for those who love your sweet gourmands, but it does walk a fine line between a delightful sweet treat and indulging in one too many. Pure, concentrated sweetness, adorable—also slightly deadly.