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Iki
There are quite a few terms in Japanese that do not translate well into other - especially non-Asian - languages. (In contrast, many German and other European words can only be paraphrased in these languages; for example, although the feeling exists everywhere, the term 'Schadenfreude' is unique to us.) Many of these poorly translatable words stem from Japanese aesthetics and - closely related to this - philosophy. One of the classical ideals of this aesthetic is 'Iki'.
'Iki' essentially refers to the habitus of being 'sophisticated yet not overindulgent - innocent yet not naive' and means 'having experienced life, having tasted both its bitterness and its sweetness.' Iki is the result of personal maturity and development, uniting qualities such as cultivated urbanity, refinement, and esprit, worldly wisdom, and sensual pleasure, as well as a coquettish yet tasteful aura of sensitivity. Iki cannot be bought or learned; it must be earned.
Certainly, one could find Iki in many - especially the older and classic - fragrances from the house of Guerlain. Yet none embodies it quite like this one - Mitsouko - which not only shares a Japanese reference in its name. For more than any other, Mitsouko combines all that I have attempted to summarize as 'Iki' in the previous paragraph - sensitivity and mature cultivation, along with the self-assurance that comes from the knowledge of this cultivation and maturity. Mitsouko is almost a way of life.
Even more than the more popular Eau de Parfum, the Extrait condenses the feminine delicacy of an orchard in the dim twilight with the cognac-colored nobility of ripe fruits and spices, which seem so familiar that one almost forgets their originally exotic origins. Mitsouko is the archetype of the French Chypre - confidently serene and cosmopolitan-urban - and undoubtedly meant to be worn only by a woman who radiates all these qualities with the same nonchalant naturalness even without it.
Conclusion: a, perhaps 'the' titan within the Guerlain portfolio. And 'Iki' through and through.
'Iki' essentially refers to the habitus of being 'sophisticated yet not overindulgent - innocent yet not naive' and means 'having experienced life, having tasted both its bitterness and its sweetness.' Iki is the result of personal maturity and development, uniting qualities such as cultivated urbanity, refinement, and esprit, worldly wisdom, and sensual pleasure, as well as a coquettish yet tasteful aura of sensitivity. Iki cannot be bought or learned; it must be earned.
Certainly, one could find Iki in many - especially the older and classic - fragrances from the house of Guerlain. Yet none embodies it quite like this one - Mitsouko - which not only shares a Japanese reference in its name. For more than any other, Mitsouko combines all that I have attempted to summarize as 'Iki' in the previous paragraph - sensitivity and mature cultivation, along with the self-assurance that comes from the knowledge of this cultivation and maturity. Mitsouko is almost a way of life.
Even more than the more popular Eau de Parfum, the Extrait condenses the feminine delicacy of an orchard in the dim twilight with the cognac-colored nobility of ripe fruits and spices, which seem so familiar that one almost forgets their originally exotic origins. Mitsouko is the archetype of the French Chypre - confidently serene and cosmopolitan-urban - and undoubtedly meant to be worn only by a woman who radiates all these qualities with the same nonchalant naturalness even without it.
Conclusion: a, perhaps 'the' titan within the Guerlain portfolio. And 'Iki' through and through.
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