Tokyo by Kenzo

You prepare yourself for the big meeting...it will start in just a few minutes. You are surrounded by the hustle and bustle of meaningless motions, everything feels tight. Tight suits, tight ties, tight glances, tight smiles...you wish there was a way to depart, even for a moment. You inhale deeply and close your eyes...You awaken in the center of an immense cedar forest, lost from all of civilization. The heat of the rising sun gently warms the earth and grass around you - the lemon yellow rays creep steadily toward you. The wind sweeps through these gentle giants carrying their peppered ponderings and a clear rush of calming coolness. Everything else fades away - you are one with the earth and the wind, with nature and the sun. Your skin soaks in the infinite beauty of nature in solitude; you are renewed and invigorated. Your consciousness trickles back into reality - the meeting has begun yet you feel nothing but resolution. Your body still tingling from the kiss of cedar and lemon, pepper and cool wind, and the warmth of nature at peace. You are ready for war. Day 86 - White noise Listening to: The Gathering - My Electricity Notes: This was one of my first fragrances, ever. It spurred my love of peppered woods and the soft touch of centering nutmeg. The description states this fume is of deep darkness - I experience the exact opposite! I am elated in the presence of this simple and beautiful fume. It is undoubtedly synthetic, but there is something serene in its presentation. It opens with an invigorating blend of pink pepper and lemons...one sniff puts a smile on my face and eases my nerves ever so slightly. I cannot really sense ginger in here (it usually tingles on the skin) but it could lend to the brightness of the opening. The core of this fume is a wonderful interpretation of cedar - powerful yet peaceful. There is the slightest hint of a warming nutmeg and the rush of a cool breeze from deep within the fume...it stays a slightly smoky and peppery cedar and warm nutmeg for 6 to 8 hours (I don't get how people say this disappears in a few hours...I finished my original bottle from 2008 and the replacement from 2013 is the same). It does quiet significantly around 5 or 6 hours, but it maintains the presence of spiced wood and musk until the 10 hour mark. Ultimately, this is a subtle yet powerful representation of the wonder of cedar and the strength of nature...a delight for all to experience!

This is a fragrance I always forget I have, but am pleasantly surprised when I rediscover it. That is not to call it nondescript - rather, I would say its implementation of a prominent combination of pink pepper and green tea (at least for me) makes for a rather interesting take on a spicy men's fragrance. For lack of better terms, this fragrance is very "Seattle" - it always seems to come alive for me when I'm in the city on a rainy day. It's soft, though, and that's really where I land on "like" as opposed to "love." It was a complete blind buy for me, and I would say that's safe to do. If you're intrigued by the notes like I was - I always tend to gravitate towards scents with pink pepper, and this is no exception - then give it a whirl. These days, it certainly won't cost you all that much to try. Editing to say that, since writing this review, I have made an effort to wear it more. I have fallen in love with this interesting spicy fragrance all the more now! Still have problems with performance and sillage - have to spray quite a bit for it to be noticeable - but when I get it on my clothes, it's such a nice scent that lasts for days. Still love you after all of these years, Kenzo!

What a beautiful scent. I only received this early today but it is already one of my favourites, I’m not being rash either just because it’s new to me. It’s a soft spicy woody scent predominantly, it is rather dry but the composition is very smooth and well rounded. I don’t find any of the notes dominate the fragrance, the spices are calm and balanced, not loud and harsh. You do pick up fresh ginger root on the opening. Then the fragrance comes through like tea & spices, with the woody notes being the base of the scent. It’s actually pretty unique, without being ‘out there’ or unusual either. Just lovely and fairly simple. I think it shares something with Tea Tonique by Miller Harris, though I’m not saying they are the same. It certainly isn’t an everlasting nuclear fragrance... but it isn’t supposed to be, it’s not that kind of fragrance.

I "blind" bought this for hubby based on your comments, our positive experience with Kenzo scents and the ginger opening. Thanks for the tips. It is a new favorite of mine and great for fall. This smells like a contrast of light and dark. At first a bright blast of citrus, ginger and zing tickles the nose. Then, the top notes zip away quickly, and a wonderful five-spice aromatic woods aroma plays for a few hours. Longevity is a bit modest yet the arm's-length sillage is nice for those who want to smell it. It won't overpower. I like that it is not sweet but is zesty. Also I'm thinking that this will not smell good on some people. It does work in our case. After buying the original m7 about 10 years ago, this is the best scent for cooler weather I've smelled that we both like.

This is a very unique frag and It's one of my favourites. It begins very spicy until the tea note begins to dominate then the spicyness goes and it mellows into a zen like sort of state. It sticks to the skin within 1-2hrs so if you're trying to impress someone you'd prob have to invade their personal space. Tokyo should be worn on rainy days. It complements the smell and I think the rain might actually help with the projection. If you're familiar with the frag, just imagine what it would smell like after the rain has fallen, the place is still damp and smell of the rain still lingers. My theory is that the warm moist atmosphere might actually prolong the life and quality of the smell. with a little help from mother nature this smell will surpass amazing 8/10