Oshiso

I usually know how I feel about a fragrance after the first wear. However, this one I’m still figuring out. I initially smell the bergamot and apple blossom which is nice and refreshing during these hot days. After a few minutes I pick up the slight spice of the shiso and then The fragrance becomes one I can’t quite wrap my mind around. This is definitely a long lasting fragrance. I wore this in the sun, working hard in my garden. 6 hours later, I can still smell it. This dry down might be the most satisfying part for me so far. Very unique fragrance, excited to continue trying it out.

Immediately, as I sniffed it, I thought "This smells like L'Eau Papier!" Very similar fragrances when it comes to the inky, ricey and lactonic facets. If they were a texture, I would both classify them as velvet. (Think the friction between your skin and velvet as you stroke it.) But where L'Eau Papier is delicate and a relatively weak performer - this blasts on, loudly! It also completely lacks the romantic flair. If L'Eau Papier is Cinderella, then Oshiso is it's mean step sister. Definitely not a blind buy! I appreciate what this fragrance is, but I would never think to wear it myself! And even though it's very much a unisex fragrance, I think it would be more flattering on a man.

Horrible chemical ambroxan hell after a nice opening which lasts 10 mins. The terrible abroxan funk is then impossible to wash off. It's a hate from me.

Like a distant relative to Pierre Guillaumes Aqaysos (which i love very much) however Oshiso is a fresher and a little sweeter variation due to the apple blossom and heliotrope. whereas Aqaysos gets denser as it dries down with the cocoa bean and woody notes. All-in-all, this is easy to get along with, safe blind buy worthy if you're into fresher fragrances that have a woodsy like back bone and a tad bit herbal nuances (from the shiso) personally loving it.

It's an interesting mix between past perfumery and actual perfumery. The opening is very bright and beautiful, there's a huge dose of heliotrope and some citrus to start the game. The ambrox appears and lowly, lowly becomes the first player. In the first part it is interesting, the milky feeling provided by the heliotrope becomes a little salty, but the final result is: The ambrox plays a really loud performance.