L'Ibasho

This master perfumer series was created with Japan in mind and the experienced I had when sharing this perfume convinced me that this fragrance paid true and accurate homage to the country. I obtained a sample bottle of this and was on the fence about it because its not typically what I would wear. I met up with a group of friends and one of which was a Japanese lady who works in the perfume / fragrance industry. So I thought I'd share the story and also the sample with her just to get her thoughts. I was not prepared for the reaction... She spritzed it and took a long whiff.. and had a puzzled look on her face. She didn't move for about 10 seconds and then quickly took a second smell. After that, she looked down and was silent. I thought that the scent must not have been to her liking and was about to say something. But when she finally looked up, she had a tear in her eye. I was alarmed and asked her what happened? She just said "This smell reminds me of ... Home." The traces of cherry blossom, rice and ink are what permeates the air in a Japanese home / town and that's what she picked up. The fragrance may not agree with everyone but that one experience convinced me that Maison de L'asie and Antoine Lie got this 100% right when they called it the Japan chapter.

This is very special to me. I spent a few years living in Japan and I often find myself chasing fragrances that bring back memories of nostalgic times in my life - this one does that for me exceptionally well. I had been looking for a Spring scent that includes cherry blossom but leans unisex and this fits that bill perfectly. The powder of the cherry and rose opening is well balanced with the earthiness of the patchouli/orris dry down - the base notes also give it wonderful longevity. I bought this as a decant and much as I love it I'm not sure if I'm going to spring for the high price of the full bottle, but I will be cherishing every spray of the 15ml that I have!

Wore it in Singapore's heat and humidity. Pure poetry. Ricey and Inky at the start, with the florals cutting right through. But as the scent progressed, it evolved and every stage showcased a different character. It mellowed into a soft, floral and powdery scent and it was truly beautiful. Very unique, refined and elegant. I wear fragrances for complexity & storytelling and I dislike uncouth beast mode nonsense. This closer to the skin. Longevity ~6-7hrs on my skin.

I love this perfume so much , is quiet and beautiful. When I wear this perfume, I feel very zen . On my skin , the most prominent nots are cherry blooms and rice . Harmony in a bottle. I wish the price is cheaper... . I am going to need to save a for a full bottle.

I can’t decide if I like this scent or not. It’s unique that’s for sure! The opening is a bit abrasive to me, it’s a loud punch of cherry blossom mixed with ink that’s a bit off putting to me but as it dries down there’s something intriguing about it. At times it smells comforting and I’m like oh that’s nice and at times the talc note is too much and makes me want to scrub it off immediately lol. I think that’s the note that’s giving me trouble anyways. I will retry my decant again in cooler weather. Not a lot of projection but lasts forever on skin. Regardless whether I like it or not I think it’s very high quality and definitely a niche scent.