Natori

Natori edp I know this may be blasphemous but to me this is like a better version of Nahema. Or at least, a version more agreeable with me. It’s got a touch of oriental depth to it that Nahema lacks that makes the classic vintage rose much more appealing to me. But they are otherwise quite similar, at least on my skin. I associate this perfume very strongly with Chanel No. 5 edt. Not because they smell similar (they don’t) but because they have the exact same vibe to me-cozy classy, perfect for autumn, restrained & sophisticated enough to wear to the office in cooler weather but sexy enough for a date night at the same time. Both make me picture the women of Mad Men, but if Mad Men took place in the 80s and 90s. I wore both a lot during a certain period of my life that I have very fond memories of which just adds to the cozy association/feeling but it was there before that, hence why I made these my autumn perfumes of choice for a while in the first place :) if you like this I strongly recommend trying the EDT concentration of Chanel No. 5, and vice versa. I was so happy to add this beauty back to my collection that I immediately ordered a back up bottle! Natori is a very underrated little perfume house, better known for their lingerie, but much like fellow high end lingerie designer Agent Provocateur, makes excellent, unique, and affordable perfumes as well. And in beautiful bottles too! Oh the bottle for this one is just STUNNING irl, it’s one of my favorite bottle designs along with the original Dior Poison. It’s weighty and smooth and cold to the touch like it’s made of solid polished precious stone. It looks like it holds a magic potion. It smells magical too! Sultry and intoxicating just like Dior Poison (which it happens to share more than a thing or two in common with-plummy seduction, imagine a Poison with rose and amber instead of tuberose and opoponax) though not quite as “poisonous” smelling lol. This is a quintessential floriental. It’s a perfect and definitive example of what a floriental perfume might smell like (and look like, because as I just covered the bottle design is PEAK), like if someone asked you to show them some floriental perfumes that define/perfectly exemplify the genre, this would be one of them, especially a 90s-2000s floriental if you wanna get real specific. That being said I don’t find it at all dated. Like her cousin Dior Poison, she is timeless. A total underrated legend this one is!

I became aware of this perfume after searching Fragrantica for my sister's favorite, Avon's Natori. I thought it strange there was another obscure perfume with the same name, and found myself re-visiting the page here, wondering how it smelled. It just looked so... exotic. Exotic, it is! And dark. Perhaps a little racy. Definitely a nighttime scent (if not a boudoir scent!). The scent and the bottle together seem suggestive, and definitely evoke female sexuality. The rose is soft and feminine - somehow understated despite being prominently featured. The plum, though, wow - very delicious, especially when paired with that sultry ylang-ylang! Lastly, the aldehydes really do provide a fizzy, effervescent quality. Mmm... smoldering! Now, it doesn't seem to last terribly long, but, it's a fantastic blend. Another plus is that it doesn't seem terribly popular or well-known, unlike many of those dark, sultry scents out there. So, it's a unique scent. It's also very affordable. However... The bottle design is the absolute worst I've encountered yet. I don't know where to start! First - the bottle leaks. I bought a 1.7oz bottle, and 25% was gone due to leaking during shipment, despite careful packaging. It appears to be leaking one of the small circular "windows" at the bottom of the bottle. It also leaks from the top. Perhaps this is my fault for trying so hard to get the cap off! I didn't know quite where to pull from, and I tried to be gentle.. but the cap is heavy, and fits tightly, causing an awkward tug-of-war when trying to decap. Sadly, there are yet more bottle complaints (sorry!): The cap seems dipped in some kind of paint to make it black. Because my bottle came leaking, the wetness compromised that black paint on the cap, leaving weird wrinkles and bubbles in the texture. After gently wiping my damp bottle with a tissue, some of the purple paint started coming off in small flecks. The paint on the cap is also flecking off. I've been as gentle as I could with this bottle, but no matter how cautious, I'm ruining it! Which is a shame because it's quite a lovely bottle design otherwise.

Hm, I was expecting fresh air kind of aldehydes, or coldness like in Galliano EDP, plus a sweet plum. What I got instead: very heavily musky rose and thick plum skin with a deep powdery feel from the amber & older style aldehydes (such a wide variety of scents one can get from aldeyhdes!). Again these are NOT fresh, cool air aldehydes but rather those thick soap bubble aldehydes that give it a rather strong, feminine, new-vintage vibe. After no less than 3 wearings (& lots of male compliments!) I have fallen totally head over heels for it. This is now frequently in my top 5 rotation. I get lots of rich plum, that vanilla-infused creamy 'jasmine' from popular scents lately but never gets sickly as many of them lately. Then, as the crowning gem of the scent, the most elegant soap aldehydes! But the vanilla richness and floral lean with plum keeps it from ever actually being soapy overall. It's hard to describe, but oh-so fluffy, sweet, and delightful. To me it is the perfect blend of a deep, rich sweet fruitiness (plum skin), a floral overtone with sweet vanilla, and a rich, heavy powdery sweet aldehydic mix. Nouveau vintage at its best! If you, like me, want to like vintage florals but found they never quite speak to you, this may be your dream come true. A perfect blend of old and new to me, like Boudoir (though they smell nothing alike!). Delish, and an all around pleaser. Love, love, love. Also it lasts OVER 12 HOURS! Amazing, and at under $30? *Swoons* [edited 11.7.15]

Natori EDP. Wow, does this start out wonderfully different. I love plum perfumes, (poison, 273, femme) but this turns in a different direction with the aldehydes,plums and rose. When you think of the floral oriental genre, it is dominated with white flowers, ylang, and carnation at the heart. Natori is special floral oriental because it uses rose and peony with the classic jasmine and ylang for the floral oriental identity. This is not generic by a stretch. Very feminine, bordering on delicate. The musky amber drydown is a delight for those that do not enjoy a spicy base but it is very voluptuous. Passion comparison: Passion is the incence kitchen sink (in a good way) I dont get a Passion feel at all. Natori is really well edited. Opium comparison: Not remotely close. Do not buy this looking for an Opium replacement. Poison comparison: Only the plum note. But there is no tuberose to give it the "poison" vibe. Very remote distant cousin at best. This is great for: -Someone that likes plum or peonies -floral oriental lovers that want a twist on tradition -a nouveau classic scent with memories of 80s/90s style done in an updated way -someone that wants to try the floral-oriental category but wants to start subtle, less dramatic traditional, than the strong, white floral route

First of all I want to thank all of Fragranticans who answered on my topic "Natori"-I was asking if I will like it,is a blind-bye-gift from a friend. I have to thank my friend too,of course for her choice! You were right,I not only like it,I love it!Is such a great perfume,nothing synthetic,nothing dated,nothing wrong and what a great bottle! At the first spray,I've been scared a bit. Something very similar to Femme/Rochas and Passion/E.Taylor hit me and I dislike much both of them. After a while,the fear disappeared and a warm lovely aroma started to develop. Maybe should I say,that's what I was expecting from Femme and Passion to smell like.(But they don't-on me of course.) On my skin,I detect 3 phases,the one better than the other. I can't pin point the notes,but all the stages are lovely. The perfume has on me a life around 6 hours and on clothes more.Is very uplifting and feminine and very vivid,don't stops to send me signs even at the end. I never believed I 've been so enthusiastic with Natori,but here I am! Is so balanced and calm that I don't think it will be someone who don't like it. Sad I have the 50ml bottle! I m gonna finish it in a month!