See Prices

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Molecular Collection

shi_sõ Nomenclature 2017

7.3 / 10 86 Ratings

A perfume by Nomenclature for women and men, released in 2017. The scent is green-fresh. It is still in production.
Compare

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Main accords

Green

Fresh

Synthetic

Spicy

Fruity

Fragrance Notes

Shiso

Spearmint

Glycolierral® Ivy

Ivy

Vervain

Cardamom

Blackcurrant

Perfumer

Bertrand Duchaufour

Ratings

Scent

7.386 Ratings

Longevity

7.070 Ratings

Sillage

6.568 Ratings

Bottle

7.471 Ratings

Value for money

6.425 Ratings

Submitted by Michael, last update on 10/28/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the Molecular Collection collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Poème de Sagano

Lothair

Juice House - Lemonade + Pink Pepper

Reviews

8 in-depth fragrance descriptions

04/11/2022

9Scent 10Longevity 7Sillage

Vitodito
94 Reviews

Vitodito

Helpful Review 2

Acid love

This perfume is sooooo beautiful. It’s one of the best summer fragrances which, to me, smells from start to end like YELLOW PLUM.

An acid fruity juice so refreshing, and i am actually so surprised about the performance which is really great.

Finally a summer bomb which doesn’t smell like lemon bergamot and neroli.

Huge one, Bertrand!!!!

04/23/2025

7.5Scent 9Longevity 8Sillage

craiged
3 Reviews

craiged

Really Green

Shi_so opens with a blast of verbena and shiso rounded out by a tart, fruity undertone I find difficult to parse. The dry-down is dominated by a soapy ivy that feels self-consciously vintage, like I'm assembling a trendy outfit with my grandfather's old suit pants. Longevity is impressive for how crisp and light the scent is; wear it if you want to feel together, but not too serious.

06/17/2025

mlodiknotes
8 Reviews

mlodiknotes

Where the Ivy Grows

"Tucked away in a quiet Tokyo alley, a sleepless speakeasy lingers behind a wooden door overgrown with ivy. Blink and it will slip away like a dream.

It’s the first day of summer. I forgot where I was going. Now a shiso cocktail sits in front of me—fresh and herbal. Did I order this? I take a sip and let the gin try to remember.

She slid onto the stool two seats down. “Lemon and cassis?” the bartender asked, already pouring. Her smile said it was routine. The drink arrived with a sprig of spearmint that sparkled under the light.

They chatted effortlessly, her energy cheerful and lovely. I sipped my cocktail, daydreaming their words were for me.

I excused myself, rehearsing a line in my head as I washed my hands. Something simple. Something to make her smile.

When I returned, all that remained was her empty glass, and a sunbeam spotlighting the stool where she had been."

02/03/2018

9.5Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Zauber600
49 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Zauber600

Top Review

shi_sõ - modern synthetic in green

On the homepage of the American manufacturer nomenclature, there are some comments on the topic of synthetics in fragrance production:

You may not know their names, but you have smelled them.
In fact, you are probably smelling them right now.
Without them, your fragrance simply would not exist. While natural essences take the spotlight, synthetics are the secret infiltrators that trigger fragrant revolutions. It was the discovery of coumarin that brought forth the first modern perfume, Fougère Royale, in 1881. Aldehydes give Chanel No. 5 its abstract shine. Ethyl vanillin enhances Shalimar's plush décolletage. Hedione® radiated from Eau Sauvage. And no contemporary fragrance could do without synthetic musk or the ubiquitous Iso E Super.
Whether they mimic nature, reveal its innermost secrets, or transform into botanically impossible scents, synthetics are the true building blocks of perfumery. Elegant solutions discovered by scientists and brought from laboratories to skin and nose.

And here is something about the fragrance ingredient Glycolierral®:

Although fragrance chemistry may not yet be as green as nature, its colorful palette today goes far beyond "grass" or "Granny Smith." Givaudan's herbaceous Glycolierral® captures the cool scent of a crushed ivy leaf - hence the name Givaudan has given the molecule, derived from the French word for "ivy," Lierre.

I ask for your understanding that I quote the text from nomenclature here for simplicity. The discussion of natural vs synthetic fragrances is also in full swing on Parfumo, considering all possible criteria (e.g., quality). This topic belongs only to a limited extent in a comment about a fragrance and should be better handled separately in the forum or in blogs. I only mentioned it to place this synthetic fragrance in a comprehensible context and to facilitate access to shi_sō.
Personally, I find it more than remarkable that nomenclature, just like Oliver & Co, CdG, and some other (newer) manufacturers, clearly points this out. Respect for that!

And now - finally - to the fragrance:
It begins with a fresh-minty note, gradually mixing in a certain herbaceousness. At first, it's hard to pinpoint, but it leans towards kitchen herbs. Surely, it's shiso, a spicy herb (smells like a mix of mint, basil, and cumin) used in Japanese cuisine. In between, a hint of bitter rhubarb flashes, blending with the previous scent impression. Now you can also recognize the cardamom and the bitter, almost astringent green of the ivy leaves. We are moving in a very bright and plant-green area, but bright green is not meant here. Now these individual components begin to merge, becoming somewhat blurred - this surely has to do with Glycolierral® (smells delicately floral, green, milky, like ivy leaves, also woody. It creates powerful yet gentle milky-green nuances when used to soften/enhance green top notes) - and the fragrance gradually becomes darker and weaker until it disappears on the skin.
Stylistically, shi_sō walks on Asian paths (yes, really!) and reduction is a keyword here; for me, it contains many elements that I associate with Asia.
It is a fairly linear fragrance, which is already expressed in the single-line fragrance pyramid. Nevertheless, shi_sō is multifaceted and shows many nuances. I think that over time, more of this green beauty will reveal itself to me while wearing it.
The truly astonishing thing is that this fragrance comes across as quite natural .. so it doesn't have that artificial artificiality (Thank you, dear Y.!) for example, of the CdG's and fundamentally smells like a fragrance made from natural ingredients.

Genre: Synthetic green travel fragrance

For whom: Lovers of bright and green fragrances

When: Works anytime

Where: During the day for any occasion

Why #1: Because shi_sō is a wonderfully green alternative to the usual barbershop fragrances and colognes

Why #2: Bernard Duchaufour composed it, and this man knows how to create such fragrances (reference Timbuktu + Dzongkha)!

Sillage and longevity: Initially quite strong, gradually becomes more subdued. Longevity 8h +

Alternatives: "Une Nuit à Bali - Murmure des Dieux" - Une Nuit Nomade (a creamy-gourmand variant) and "Oriental Lumpur" - Les Néréides (an oriental-spicy variant)

03/15/2018

7.5Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

Jazzbob
128 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Jazzbob

Top Review 14

Modern Green

We must not kid ourselves: synthetic ingredients can be found in almost all perfumes. The question, therefore, is more about the proportion and effect of synthetic fragrance materials, rather than whether they are synthetic or not. I tend to prefer natural scents, but I have no problem with artificial notes in certain contexts, which are nearly unavoidable in aquatic fragrances. The brand Nomenclature literally stands for naming synthetic fragrance materials, which are essential to the perfume world, yet rarely as well-known as Iso-E-Super or Ambroxan. Glycolierral, which is accentuated in shi_sō, is likely one of those that most people have never heard of.

Whether shi_sō smells like crushed ivy leaves, I cannot say, but without a doubt, I first associate the scent with something juicy and plant-like. However, it becomes clear from the start that the bright green facet is only one of the three dominant ones, as the minty note, which is more of a background element and does not evoke toothpaste, provides a cooling freshness, while the invigorating character of shi_sō is further enhanced by the acidity of blackcurrant. In combination, I must think of rhubarb, as Zauber600 described it analogously, accompanied by a bit of sweetness that never feels sticky, thanks to the long-lasting freshness. Over time, I also perceive the cardamom, and the minty-cool aspect gradually diminishes, leaving mainly the green and sour-fruity effect. The metallic note that some mention, in my opinion, is kept in check. Overall, I find shi_sō to smell less synthetic than many other creations - nevertheless, there is a note reminiscent of typically clean musk. The scent that many cleaning and care products have with aloe vera also seems related to this.

In general, I would say that Nomenclature does not aim to create extremely artificial scents, but rather to show the potential of certain materials and that modern, independent, yet wearable creations can be made from them. shi_sō is definitely worth a test for any fan of green perfumes, but one should not have anything against the very present acidity. The longevity is good for a fresh scent, lasting six to seven hours, and the projection - after the short kick at the beginning - is moderate. I would find shi_sō misplaced for formal occasions, but otherwise, it is quite uncomplicated. Moreover, this is a unisex fragrance par excellence.

More reviews