Matcha Meditation

So, I own Tea Escape, and I've always wanted to try Matcha Meditation to compare. Later I discovered that Under The Lemon Trees is actually very much within the same green tea family of the other two, so these, in a way, comprise Replica's "trilogy" of green tea scents all coming from different angles. I like all three and I can't say that any of them live in the realm of Replica's more banal and incredibly low performing offerings (I'm looking at you, Sailing Day and Bubble Bath) - Matcha Meditation is heavy on the jasmine, and has the fullest body and strongest presence of the three. (Which, if you're looking for a calming and 'gentle' green tea fragrance à la Bvlgari The Vert etc., perhaps steer clear!) It also has the most powdery feel of the three, and is very much a cross between a sweet and frothy matcha latte and a jasmine milk tea. It's a full-bodied, classic white floral with sweet, earthy and lactonic accords. If I go back and forth smelling Tea Escape and Matcha Meditation, MM is drowned out by jasmine a lot more in comparison (though still recognizable as having a green tea note), while Tea Escape feels a lot more balanced and is much more forward about being a tea scent. Think of it as a sweet and frothy matcha latte with a strong and very present dose of jasmine, that mellows to a less interesting white floral musk. It's kind of like the baby of Tea Escape and Mugler's Alien. - Tea Escape has 85% of the same DNA as Matcha Meditation, with a similarly very creamy and lactonic feel, but it's instead more green, a little more citrusy and zesty (I'm a big earl grey lover so the heavy bergamot presence in the opening is very much welcome!) and has more of an 'herbal' quality to it thanks to the mint and mate notes. The drydown is cozy and smells like warm milk and rice pudding. Tea Escape also has jasmine helping to add a 'creamy' and smooth quality but it's not as heavily reliant on jasmine as Matcha Meditation is. Think of it as hot genmaicha tea, with a side of milky sweet rice pudding and with a spritz of mint leaves and citrus to add some freshness. It mellows to a cozy and sweet milky rice musk. - Under The Lemon Trees, despite the name, is definitely a green tea scent, and it essentially takes the more green and citrus aspects of Tea Escape and makes them the only star of the show. It has a purely citrus-heavy opening, so instead of the gentler splashes of bergamot and mint you're greeted with a strong dose of lime and dry spices, but the heart of it shares the DNA of Tea Escape (green tea + mate), just without any of the milkiness or creaminess. It's the only truly unisex fragrance of the three, and the drydown isn't warm or creamy or food-like but rather your more traditional ck one style woody musk. It's kind of the baby of Tea Escape and ck one. I can't really decide if I need to own more than one, I definitely like all three... and if I wasn't spoiled with Tea Escape I'd certainly be just as happy with the other two. You're not missing out on a ton though, MM and TE are of the same school of thought enough to almost be flankers of one another.

Wow... this is one of my all-time favorite fragrance! It was love at first sniff 🍵💚🍫🍃 Everything about it feels like me. I absolutely love the matcha latte vibe. It’s fresh, yet deliciously gourmand, and I get a beautiful white chocolate note that makes it so smooth and comforting. I live in a tropical climate, and this is incredibly easy to wear in the heat. It’s one of the few gourmand fragrances that still feels refreshing, making it a perfect summer day gourmand. I recently got my bottle so I haven’t received any compliments on it yet, so I am not sure about his projection, but honestly I enjoy smelling it on myself so much. It’s one of those fragrances I wear for my own pleasure. I was disappointed to learn that Maison Margiela discontinued it. I really hope they bring it back someday—or create something very similar. I was lucky enough to find a bottle online, and I’m cherishing every spray. Sometimes, when I want a little more projection and a stronger tea note, I layer it with Wulong Cha by Nishane. On its own, Wulong Cha is a bit too dry for me, sharp, and almost masculine for my taste. But when layered with Matcha Meditation, it’s transformed. Matcha Meditation adds sweetness, and that gorgeous white chocolate accord. Together, they balance each other beautifully. When my husband smelled me wearing both of them he noticed and said I smelled “fresh” 🍃☺️ This fragrance always reminds me of a Starbucks matcha latte—in the best possible way. It’s modern, comforting, unique, and not something you smell on everyone. I’m completely in love with it, and that matcha with white chocolate note is simply addictive.

Oh this is sooooooo yum. A sweet and fresh matcha tea scent that’s calming and comforting.. yet completely addictive and utterly delicious. It opens with a creamy, slightly powdery matcha tea note that feels green and smooth.. instantly evoking the sensation of sipping a perfectly balanced iced matcha latte. But here’s where the magic happens.. the white chocolate. It adds a velvety, sweet richness that mingles with the matcha and jasmine so seamlessly.. it feels almost too good to be true. The sweetness isn’t overwhelming, but as it warms on the skin, it blooms beautifully.. becoming deeper and more indulgent with every moment. The florals (mainly jasmine), while present, take a backseat over time to allow the true stars of the show fully shine.. this white chocolate matcha tea duo. And when it does? Oh my god. It’s like pure delicious temptation bottled. I’m completely obsessed. The combination is so well balanced.. sweet but never cloying, fresh but never overly green. Versatile for any occasion. It’s like the scent draws you in and before you know it, you’re hooked. This is not just a perfume; it’s a mood, a vibe, a sensory escape. Sweet, refreshing, and dripping with creamy indulgence. The only negative I have is it doesn’t seem to last as long as I’d like, but I don’t really care because it just smells sooooo good! Edit: I have an interview tomorrow at the Replica counter in Nordstrom! Wish me luck!!

Not really what I was expecting when I first sprayed it but I ended up loving it anyways. I thought it was going to be a much damper, greener, kind of dark matcha but its light and more of a matcha latte kind of scent. Very calming and nostalgic scent, it brings together matcha tea notes with a bit of white chocolate , with the white florals, especially Jasmine, doing a lot of the lifting that avoids this turning into a super sweet gourmand. It really is not a gourmand and its more of a light, airy , green scent. As another commenter mentioned, its very spa-like which is a feature I also found on a totally different fragrance, the legendary Body Kouros from YSL. However on that one the spa features are strong benzoin , incense and eucalyptus, this is a totally different approach. Beautiful composition and just like Margiela's Flower Market , it is a complex scent that ends up smelling very familiar and minimalistic to our noses. Unisex but due to the white florals it can be considered slightly more feminine leaning. Performance is still to be tested but seems pretty adequate, not too crazy but not weak either. All year scent but it will shine in slighlty warmer days. UNIQUE profile!

First couple of wears: The opening is realistic matcha powder used in drinks. It brings me back to carefree times hanging out at coffee/milk tea houses with close friends. This top note is short-lived though, much to my disappointment. Turns floral, sweet but sharp, quite immediately. This is a white floral fragrance to my untrained nose. Not a like but not an unlike either because of that interesting matcha accord. Never smelled anything like it in a perfume before and I want more. I'll use up my sample for that special initial blast. Moderate sillage and great longevity (esp on clothes). Can be worn all year. It’s pretty strong for an EDT. Did 4 sprays (one on the chest, close to my nose) on an especially hot day and the heat made this unbearably louder and sharper. I couldn’t stop sneezing. After several wears: This really grew on me. I get milky green tea and creamy white chocolate and little to no florals now. Odd how this changed so much. I don’t consider this a white floral perfume anymore, it’s a gourmand now and it’s delicious! My sample has long been empty but I can't stop thinking about it... Bought a full-sized bottle!