The Great Empresses of Japan

"The Great Empresses of Japan" is by far the best scent of "Romea D'Ameor" and I find it to be drop dead gorgeous powdery, sweet heliotrope based perfume. It actually resembles very much the hit "What we do in Paris is a Secret", but I would prefer this creation over the "...Paris" anytime. Firstly I must admit that the opening was a bit too much for my taste, I was basically hit in the face by all things powdery - iris, violet, heliotrope and tonka. The first 10 minutes you simply have to live trough. The heart brings a fantastic boozy heliotrope sweetness calmed down by tiny bits of vetiver freshness. I do not get any flowers, fruits or whatsoever, it is exclusively a powdery, dry and sweet heliotrope scent. I am very, very impressed, this is a perfect scent if you love powdery heliotrope. I am very surprised that this has not gotten as much love and even more as "What we do in Paris is a Secret".

Gorgeous Iris/Heliotrope centered hazy dream. A little natural sweet from the ylang, freesia, and melon, fresh but not detergent like...a dreamy haze of gentleness when the heliotrope and iris develop. Dewy fresh but not green, no bitterness. Delicately clean powdery floral. Like a water garden full of iris, violet, and heliotrope. Here and there a dash of lily of the valley for weightless white floral etherealness. Discreet peony and rose tame any oiliness with lovely floral depth. Wonderful woody/musk/vetiver base that frames everything and supports like a forest surrounding a water garden. The sandalwood/teak is a nice clean woodiness balanced by a soft and non gourmand vanilla for great balance in drydown. Tonka adds just a touch of gentle spicy depth here and discreet vetiver adds a nice earthy depth without overt dirtiness. This is beautiful and relaxing.

It is the third time I wear it. I still can't figure out the first 20 minutes of this perfume. I smell a bitter powdery almond, something greenish, a small chaos. But after this first part, it settles into a soft, light, gentle, powdery clean and sensual scent. I love it. I wish I could understand the first few minutes because its annoying not to know what smell you are projecting.

Whoa! This scent scared me! I have tried all of the Romea line and I like/love most of them, except this one. It is turning me off! I get a strong, overbearing plasticky scent, that reminds me of a waxy lipstick smell mixed with fresh cardboard. This only lasts for about 10 minutes, then it becomes the powdery iris/rose, but I still don't think this suits me at all. It has a very false feel to me. A couple hours later it has dried down to a very soft powdery vanilla-iris. It's nice now but I don't like waiting this long to like a perfume and it is similar to others I already have.

Roméa D'Améor LES IMPERATRICES JAPONAISES is a textured tea fragrance to my nose. However, unlike many mainstream tea offerings, this one seems natural, not scarily synthetic. Light but inviting with a touch of what seems almost rice-like starchiness. Perhaps I am succumbing to the power of suggestion, but this really does smell like Japan to me. Does it smell like the empresses of Japan? Unclear. But LES IMPERATRICES JAPONAISES is definitely a perfume that I'd like to wear in casual settings. Reminds me a bit of Guerlain LES VOYAGES OLFACTIFS TOKYO, and also the bambooishness of Weil BAMBOU, although this composition has a stronger woody note in the drydown and the tea is less dominant as well. Simple, clean and refreshing without being soapy at all, this is clearly a unisex, cologne-ish perfume. 3.26.11