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FloatingTime
Very helpful Review
5
Sticky rice nostalgia
This fragrance is mostly carried by a beautifully realistic steamed rice note. More specifically, it carries the smell of the "sticky rice herb", or Nuo Mi Xiang, Semnostachya Menglaensis (I don't know any English name for it), which is sometimes used to scent teas.
Here the steamed rice (or rather sticky rice herb) is combined with subtle roasted sesame and blonde woods, which creates an association with bamboo chopsticks and furniture. It is a bit sweet on my skin, like some rock sugar was added.
If there is any paper here, like the name suggest, it is rice or bamboo paper. Or maybe it is the rice itself, delicious as it is, but asking to be painted with colorful condiments.
After a while the white musk gains in prominence, although the sticky rice herb stays for a pretty long time as well. Near the end - after about 5 hours - it's mostly musk and bamboo wood.
I don't think it projects very far after the first hour (unless you use more than two sprays), but it is not a skin scent either. It seems to hover about 20 cm above the skin for hours.
It's hard to rate this scent. It's definitely interesting and something I did not smell in perfume before, but not for all-day or frequent wear. In any case, I don't see myself wearing this outside of my house or even when having visitors. However, I tend to associate steamed rice with childhood family cooking, hence making this a very soothing scent for me, especially the opening and the first hour. Even then, I tend to find the phase where the musk starts to overpower slightly suffocating.
In sum, a very interesting fragrance to sample and try, but definitely not a blind buy.