Shi-sõ

I really love this- so excited to wear it as it continues to warm up. The opening gives you a hit of tart, green bitterness. The rhubarb is the main player at this point, accompanied by citrusy lemon verbena and sharp shiso (glycolierral). As it dries, it loses some of the rhubarb character and leans more into the ivy. It becomes soapy and clean at this point while still maintaining a bit of those sour/bitter qualities. The final dry down remains soapy and bright. I swear there's musk in here, too. Notably, I don't think this scent presents as particularly "natural", nor does it try to. I would recommend sampling first if you have trouble with "synthetic" smells. Lasts pretty long for a fresh fragrance, projects off my skin for a good 5-6 hours. Very loud projection for the first 30 minutes or so, but calms down a lot after that. I usually don’t like to consider packaging, etc. in my reviews, but my experience here was exceptional so I feel inclined to talk about it! I bought a 50ml bottle of this direct from Nomenclature, and they sent me 6 complementary samples and a 10ml refillable travel atomizer. A very nice surprise. Additionally, their 50ml bottles are so cute. They're surprisingly ergonomic (which is often overlooked in perfume bottles, I feel...) and have great atomizers. Highly recommend!!

Shi-so was a delightful surprise for me; I got a sample by accident and tested it without any expectations, only to find the most vibrant GREEN scent ever. I love it, it's so fresh and tart/zingy without a trace of the citrus accords that usually account for those characteristics (and that I also love, but variety is the spice of life and this take is way more unique). Also, it smells totally natural, and hence utterly unisex. It's the kind of scent that makes me really happy, kind of giddy, like spring after a long winter, or a breath of fresh air after opening a window in a stuffy room. I do have to agree with TheInspector that it's mostly the opening/top notes that steal the show, and the musky drydown is much less spectacular and not especially good on its own. But that's only to be expected with such a vibrant fresh natural scent, and besides, the loveliness of the opening does indeed stay present in a more subdued way for a long time, so it's easy to ignore the base notes. With late spring and summer ahead, I need at least a big decant in my life as soon as possible! And I definitely want to explore this house of Nomenclature, which I'd never heard of a few weeks ago.

Sparkling, super fresh, super green - almost gourmand. Much more gourmand than Menthe Fraiche from Heeley, or any number of similar mint/spearmint/peppermint/fresh scents. And also much better performance. It has super performance, its bright airy opening straight away letting you know what you are in for. A darkness from the blackcurrant helping body it out rather than other traditional scent types, also helping make it more like a perfume than an accident whilst cooking, the rhubarb detectable when you think about it helping giving an encapsulating balloon. Exceptional for the price beating many famous brands with their offer.

WOW! This one deserves huge accolades. Just realised it is a Bertrand Duchafor creation so... not surprising now... I received a small bottle and it impressed me so much I’m on the hunt for a big bottle. Super green citrus zesty opening dries down after a few minutes and the green herbaceous side comes out mint riding on top. The verbena muting the “chopped fresh herb” effect by now so it feels more like a fresh cologne rather than natural crushed food. An hour later and a smooth rhubarb with shiso over the top leaves you enchanted - refreshed and uplifted. Not super strong in longevity but extremely well made other wise.

This is one of my favourite new releases from the Esxence 2017. They’ve interpreted the most interesting green note of Japanese shiso leaf in a deliciously quenching fragrance that borrows scents from sunny lush greenery. It strikes me as extremely crisp, walking the line between cool metallic air and fresh cut herbs, with no citruses but with the same uplifting and invigorating effect. It doesn’t smell of vintage green; it is rather contemporary and new, succeeding in its goal to capture a modern take on the classical theme of Eau de Cologne.