Je Ne Sais Quoi

to echo some of the other reviews this smells super starchy like a green tea mochi. but truly the fragrance version - it doesn't smell 'foody' per say, it definitely feels like a well rounded perfume, but i totally understand comments about its savouriness. The violet leaves and woods ground it without standing out too much, the toasted rice and tea (genmaicha) are pretty dominating but beyond that i find it really well blended. Rice is one of my favourite notes, i have tried several (kenzo amour, a quiet morning, fils de dieu de riz et des agrumes, tea escape) and this is one of my favourites so far, i will definitely be getting a full bottle asap. this is one of the most comforting fragrances i've ever smelled and is amazing to wear to bed - there is nothing sharp or heady in it to my nose which is crucial for sleeping imo. i would suggest people who liked tea escape but not matcha meditation to try this out, its sort of like a fuller more opaque tea escape - they definitely don't stand in for each other but where tea escape is a sort of green tea jasmine jelly, je ne sais quoi is starchy and powdery. both creamy in their own ways. also similar price range as margiela. It also sort of scratches the same green, violetty, savoury powdery itch as grain de poudre by ysl which i love but is very expensive for what it is in my opinion. longevity is good, on my skin i get quite a strong sillage as well. also on a final note the teo cabanel discovery kit is one of the best value ones on the market for niche perfumes - 25 euros for their entire range.

A wonderful abstract genmaicha. I say abstract for it is not one to one realistic genmaicha. I have a bag of it and i compared the perfume and tea side by side. I also brewed the tea. And then added milk to further compare. Sadly, not 1 to 1 BUT, that doesnt change how good this is. This is a deconstruction of genmaicha. Puffy grainy rice note that sometimes goes into biscuit direction (which i like actually) , one of the more realistic green tea notes ive seen in perfumery (theyre always citrusy or sharp or fresh, never like the real tea on its own) and a very nice creamy milky finish. The milkiness is more like a layer on top of all the notes, its not a separate note really. This is indeed powdery, but obviously not an iris or violet kind of powdery. I am quite impressed with how they created that tea accord. AFAIK Theres no way to extract fragrance from tea leaves as of now, so it takes a little time to create a good tea accord. I really really love it. Cozy, warm, gentle, green, nutty, biscuity, milky and smooth. Im typically not an enjoyer of gourmands but im in love with this.

A very unique and delicious gourmand. This smells like a vanillic puffed rice treat, served in a tea house that specializes in matcha lattes, but also serves green tea and warm citrus drinks. It's very sweet, but also quite green and refreshing in the opening, thanks to the violet leaf. The note is dewy and leafy here, not harshly ozonic as it can sometimes be. I read some reviews that said it smelled like popcorn, and while I see where they are coming from, the rice note is distinctive enough to my nose to make me think of puffed rice and not popcorn. There is also something creamy and nutty in this that reminds me of almonds and pistachios, so it amplifies the milky gourmand effect. As the fragrance dries down, it becomes a little darker and woodsier. Vetiver and guaijac wood don't take center stage, but they show up behind the sweet rice treat and tea. Je Ne Sais Quoi is surprisingly strong and loud, don't expect a soft green tea scent like Margiela's Tea Escape. They are two opposite sides of the same wonderful coin, with some similar notes styled quite differently.

Adding this to my repertoire of “the few tea fragrances that don’t kill me”. I got intrigued by the matcha note and ad campaign and this surprisingly doesn’t disappoint. The opening and mid has a lovely starchy tone to present a very composed green note that’s fresh and woody. This very same accord/aroma-chemical is used in Zoologist’s Elephant perfume, so if you’ve sniffed that one you probably will get a sense of what this might feel. I personally find this has zero resemblance to Tea Escape or any other “classic” tea scents that have the very jarring “tea” accord that’s too sharp and artificial. The “mate” and “violet leaf” note description fit this woody green accord well. Dries down white musk with the common Teo Cabanel base (I’d call it a very very bright woody amber base; slightly plasticy but strangely pleasant). The perfume doesn’t develop much throughout but it doesn’t have to. Moderate projection and good longevity (on me). Well done!

Beautiful and very interesting opening, full of dusty rice note then follows into the tea central stage. I, most of the time, have a hard time with tea notes, to my nose many start beautiful and then fall apart into a chemical mess, the good news is, this one doesn't go there, the "bad" news, it doesn't last long either, around 5h on me, which is more then fine for such beautifully crafted scent. It's a somewhat linear scent after the puffy dry rice opening, but a beautiful one indeed, the tea note is green, ethereal and almost spiritual, like the others from this line, it's not a complex scent, but it's very well refine and elegant, for those days you want something lighter and comforting. To my not trained nose I think the tea accord is supported by gaiac wood, musks and clean light vetiver, it natural feel reminds me a bit of the tea accord of Patricia de Nicolai Fig Tea scent, another perfumer I admire.