Zen

I'm not sure why I haven't written a review for Zen yet. I love it and have owned it since 2015, with it being one of the few fragrances that I've repurchased. I also owned Coco Mademoiselle in 2001 and for a couple of years after that so I have a pretty good feeling on both. And while they're definitely within the same vein, they're far from being as similar as some people say they are. Well, at least to me. Zen is rounder and smoother than Coco, which I stopped wearing back in the day because I felt she sat on top of my skin, instead of just blend with my chemistry. Coco leaves a stingy feeling in my nostrils while Zen just hugs me. Zen is also sweeter. Zen is special to me so it requires a bit of a back story. In late 2015 my previous relationship had ended after the bigger part of a decade and I was lost. Completely lost. Financially I was struggling. I had a seemingly good job but once my ex was gone I realised that because I loved my job, I probably had overlooked the fact that I wasn't being paid all that much. I suddenly was alone, my car gone, my fancy TV gone, basically most of my things gone besides my old bed, couch and my cat. I was barely making ends meet at the same time all my friends were having kids and buying houses and traveling. Including my ex that started a new relationship with a coworker three months after our relationship ended, bought a house and had two kids within two years. People, it was rough. lol. I was so ashamed of this new position I was in that I'd sometimes lie to my friends when they asked if I wanted to try out a new restaurant or something that cost a little more. Very few people knew how bad things really were, how much worrying there was, and how stuck I felt. But, things happen for a reason. I soon found a new apartment that was a little more budget friendly than the one I had shared with my ex, and me and my cat moved there and started a completely new chapter in our lives. For 8 months I went to work, walks and then home to my cat. I'd cook dinner and read in bed with my cat sleeping next to me. This is where the healing began. Within the sadness and pain and struggling I was going through when coming to terms with the fact that the future I had once wanted and thoroughly believed was destined for me, wasn't going to happen, I felt happy too. I really enjoyed my work even if I wasn't getting a lot of money from it, the few close friends I had were truly good and wonderful people and I had a family that always let me know I wasn't alone. And I had my cat. We had a roof over our heads, I could feed us. One of the most important things I learned from that time was to enjoy the things you could allow yourself to buy or do. Before this I could buy nice things without really thinking about it and as a result I ended up consuming a lot and not enjoying all that much. Who knew that having to go everywhere you needed on a bike, in all kinds of weather, counting every penny to make them last through the month and finally have the courage to tell your snobbier friends that me, as a 33 year old woman at that time could not afford to take a trip with them any time soon, or go to fancy restaurants, would be so freeing? I started to really think about who I was outside of another person. Why had I put all my dreams and wants on hold to cater to someone else? I had self willingly put myself in a box and stopped listening to who I was and what that person wanted. One day I was walking through Debenhams. I often would go window shopping and then perhaps treat myself to a new nail polish and I'd feel so spoiled. This time though I wandered into the perfume section. I had been so into perfumes when younger but somehow that had gotten lost over the years and at that time I only had a couple of leftovers. Maybe it was time to look into that part again. I sniffed a couple of them but wasn't finding anything that wowed me. Until I picked up Zen. Now I can be fuzzy when it comes to fragrance and most of the time need several wearings before deciding to buy but this time I felt like I had found my scent. I sprayed it on and went home, looking forward to listening to what Zen had to say. I really didn't need to listen for long because I knew this was exactly what I needed. I had not allowed myself to buy anything fancier than the occasional nail polish and a new mascara when I had run out, so I felt it was time for a bigger treat. A couple of days later I went back and bought it. I had rearranged a couple of things (I got super creative with rice, frozen vegetables and beans during that month!) and I was so proud to walk in there and just buy a new perfume! I realize that Zen isn't considered to be expensive, but at that time for me it was. I felt so fancy walking back with my bag and when I got home I proudly put it on my vanity and admired it. It was so much more than a perfume. It was a symbol. A symbol of the free woman I had finally found. That woman loves perfumes, cooking, painting, eating alone, camping, music, cats, reading, family and friends and so much more. She doesn't need anyone else to feel whole. She only buys things she absolutely needs or loves, and boy does she love what she spends her money on. Quite the transformation from before when a new perfume was bought randomly and without thinking, just to buy something new, tossed on the shelf and not given much more thought. It truly felt good to have fewer options. And some years later when I was in a position to buy more, it felt good to be highly selective. And it still does. Zen complimented my new life very well. That was my only fragrance apart from a body spray from The Body Shop but that was enough. And when the time finally came, my first date since the breakup, Zen did not let me down. I had gotten a superlike on Tinder, this scary app I had been toying with for two months mostly because people had told me it was time to "have fun". And there he was, a tourist in my country that super liked me. I thought to myself "he's cute, and he doesn't live here and I'll probably never see him again. What's the harm in going out for a quick drink?" Well, four years after that date here we are. Still together. Iceland meets America. Luckily he had fallen head over heels in love with my country before he even met me so finding reasons to come back after that date wasn't hard for him. Only a month after he'd left, he was back. Meeting my cat and showing me pictures of his dog. A couple of months into our relationship we were talking about the beginning of us and how crazy it had been. And what he had to say made me oh so proud. "I remember walking into the bar and seeing you and being nervous. And then I gave you a hug and I remember thinking that you were the best smelling person I'd ever met". I can't ask for a better compliment than that.

Oh my holly buddness! This is the best scent I have ever smelled! I want to emphasize the word SCENT because that's exactly what I mean - the best smell of all smells, including perfumes. This is so divinely gorgeous that you wonder if it's appropriate for you to wear it if you are just a human, not a goddess. It is distinctively different as well. In the world where most perfumes seem to be born from incest or at least carefully arranged marriage between distant cousins, ZEN is like a miracle bastard. Sniffing it for the first time brings you to believing that other worlds must actually exist cause you just smelled the proof! ZEN has it all. It is pretty and ultimately pleasant yet uncommon and elegant. It is innocent yet sexy. Subtle yet present. For its innocent part it slightly reminds me of a 1993 fragrance Kookai Oui-Non, probably because of the bergamot and pineapple notes, as well as that cheerful/happy vibe, although Zen is incomparably more interesting and sophisticated than the former one. For its sexy part it is reminiscent of Narciso Rodriguez for Her. It has the same stimulating, tireless, air penetrating component (musk+cedar?) that keeps it from turning dull. It has a delicate silage every time you turn your body which basically makes you feel like waltzing all day long :)

Wearing this after a shower feels great. This is a spring and summer perfume. "Zen" is a bright, juicy fruit mix with a dominant patchouli note and a floral base. Super modern and stylish. My favourite fruity fragrance. The sharp patchouli which I love so much is the highlight of the fragrance and slices through the composition. The citrusy notes are surprisingly well executed without a hint of cheap quality. Although I am not crazy about pineapple as a perfume note, it fits very well here. This fragrance appears minimalistic at first bit it is farily complex and well blended. It is reminiscent of expensive shampoo and great for daily use. Because it wears close to the skin, it would be a good choice for those who work in an office or a hospital. It would make a great gym fragrance, too. I do have to refresh it at some point during the day because I love smelling this on myself. As a result, it lasted quite long on my scrubs even after washing them in the washing machine. My bottle has the new, wooden cap, and I have to admit I prefer it to the original clear one. Cool bottle.

Zen by Shiseido There is such a beautiful scent hidden inside this gorgeous golden cube bottle. But I dont find it ZEN at all. According to the nose, Michel Almairac, Zen contains a ’blue rose note’ an imaginary abstract which should be a merge of violet and rose, but its not lipsticky. To me this is a unisex fragrance with a classic, chic and sophisticated vibe. All the notes are perfectly mixed. I find that no particular note stands out alone, except for the patchouli and cedar notes that provides structure all the way. Its a bit powdery and there are highlights of musk, citrus and clean soapy florals blended in. Shiseido Zen is easily compared to Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, but Zen has a brighter and more radiant nature. Its lighter, less powdery and pleasently soapy. More simplistic, with a slightly ozonic and herbal feel (I think theres gentian in this composition?) But its still a bit mysterious due to the note of incense and a wet earthy feel of patchouli after night rain in the forest. Sillage is medium and the longevity is very good.

Interestingly, I get neither Chance nor Coco Mademoiselle from Zen EDP. Upon first application, I get the cedar but with a lovely brightness from the fruits and florals. On my skin, it begins a tad like Chloe Nomade EDP and the wood stays as the prominent note for me even after dry down. This fragrance really grew on me because it's a well-blended fragrance, and I enjoy the more complex end result: light florals and fruits, much lighter woods - and a brighter rather than dirty edge (this coming from a chypre girl...). This quickly, and surprisingly, became one of my favorites. Sillage works well for me because I didn't go in to this fragrance expecting to command a room. Longevity, however, is not a heavy hitter, so I simply reapply mid-day. I suggest finding a way to sample Zen before you purchase it - simply because it may wear differently on you. For now, there appears to be a sufficient supply of final product still available. 2021 Update: Shiseido is selling Zen again.