Replica - Matcha Meditation Maison Margiela 2021

As a self-confessed tea drinker and tea lover I come of course olfactory not past tea perfumes. Meanwhile, I was allowed to test quite a few tea scents and this one has remained particularly in my memory:

The start is just wonderful! When spraying on such an original matcha note comes to light, which immediately brings me back to Japan in a tea ceremony. I, in the kimono, holding the steaming bowl of tea in the hands, which my predecessor lovingly whipped up with the bamboo whisk. A moment of peace. I have yet to smell that in a perfume!

The pleasure is unfortunately, however, instantly over again. Just as you are supposed to empty the matcha bowl in 3 sips, Replica has implemented the experience too seriously and already 10 minutes later my bowl is empty.

In a real tea ceremony, sweets are also eaten, called Wagashi. In this fragrance then also a lot of sweetness appears, but rather something in the creamy direction. The fragrance pyramid talks about white chocolate here. This light sweetness is then mixed with white flowers. This sounds harmonious and to me it also smells like that!

This brings me to the conclusion that matcha is a niche tea. But in order for matcha to expand its success into the modern world outside of traditional Japan, additives had to be added:

Milk and sugar.

As a matcha latte, green tea made it not only to the modern cafes of Tokyo, but also to America and Starbucks. And thus to the whole world. The masses just don't like tart and bitter, they like sweet. This is probably exactly why Replica thought the scent would be better received if it wasn't just tart, or as some even say "fishy".

So the Japanese became an American tea ceremony: in a to-go mug with cream and sugar and a piece of cake to go with it. First matcha and then jasmine tea. From tart to smooth. From bitter to sweet.

Even if I would wish that the matchanote in this fragrance stays much longer, this fragrance convinces me. It remains namely despite everything a harmonious and creamy-fine tea fragrance, which is unlike most tea fragrances not only in the summer wearable.

Matcha latte is indeed betrayal of the "Ur-Matcha" but still better than no matcha at all...

Thanks for reading! :-) And if you like matcha or green tea with milk and jasmine, try this scent!