HM Hanae Mori 1998 Eau de Toilette

I discovered this fragrance quite a while ago and was initially quite enthusiastic. The wonderful, citrus-minty-berry top note really captivated me. The blend of lightness and Asian mystique is something I haven't smelled anywhere else before. I read somewhere that the scent conveys the image of a samurai, and I think that fits. Perhaps the image of a humble gentleman-samurai, a businessman by day and at night... wait, that story already exists. In a hastily written statement, I described the fragrance as a berry-chocolate niche variant of CK-One, and I still think that fits well regarding the top note.

Then I stumbled. The highly regarded user Schoork (Where have you gone?) wrote a thorough critique here. He accused the fragrance of becoming merely cloyingly sweet and thus interchangeable after just a few minutes, and of not lasting very long. I couldn't really relate to the second criticism, but it is true that the beautiful top note is temporarily completely overshadowed. The scent indeed becomes very chocolatey, and there's not much of the balanced creaminess to be noticed yet.

For a long time, I wasn't sure whether my enthusiasm for the top note was enough to still find this fragrance good in its entirety, or whether it ultimately is just an interchangeable drugstore scent that only stands out with a beautiful top note. I often wore it at home as a "feel-good fragrance." I don't know what it is, but at the moment I tend to question Schoork's judgment again. Perhaps the contents of the bottle have matured further, or maybe it's because I've paid more attention to the fragrance development again. In any case, in my opinion, the second, cloyingly sweet wave of scent is replaced by a third phase in which mint and berry are again perceptible in a beautiful, creamy overall composition. And this third phase is indeed a superb combination of sweet chocolate, creamy vanilla, and also a bit of berry freshness.

Now I am sure of my judgment: The fragrance is great. Those who can endure the unusual scent progression will enjoy all phases of the fragrance. Since the scent progression also sets in very quickly, one can even calculate well when one enters the third phase. Personally, I find the third phase even office-compatible.

In any case, I have learned quite a bit with this fragrance. On the one hand, that Parfumo is truly a great place to explore different facets of a fragrance. On the other hand, I have learned to give a fragrance time and attention and to trust my own nose. :-) In this sense, have fun testing!