My gateway to the Aesop world was Marrakech Intense Eau de Parfum, which was one of those scents that as soon as it reaches your nostrils, you know it`s meant to be in your collection. Aesop stores are popping up all over the world, but in Japan the sales clerks gatekeep fragrances like they`re golden eggs, you just can`t touch or apply anything yourself, and the spray you get comes with a lot of conversation I don`t really want or need, a modest spray that sometimes barely lasts long enough for me to still inhale any molecules as I gently make my way away from the chatty sales staff. So I ordered the discovery set, but so far only this briny aquatic has touched my heart. Karst is a strong breeze on a stormy sea that somehow smells calm and clean, a paradox. The salt feels as though it`s been purified and you can see the few drops of sunlight streaking through the clouds reflected in the little sand and sodium crystals. The herbs are clean and bring to mind coastal shrubbery fighting its way against the tides. A clean smelling, evocative aquatic.
