Once I pried open the sachet, a wave of freshness caressed my nose, intriguing me in the process. Being me, I immediately applied Mizunara on my wrist and upon doing so, it conjured up an image of me seeing in Satori-san's eyes as she made her way trekking through the late spring month in Mount Akagi.
An amalgam of aromatic nuances immediately greeted me. I could detect the minty, menthol-esque facet of rosemary, mirroring the chilling air she experienced before. As soon as I kept on sniffing my skin, the different ingredients started to emerge, each taking their turns to shine within the spotlight.
On one occasion, I picked up the bracing, almost musky and green odour of galbanum, giving me the impression of sinking my boots through the damp soil. On the other, the combination of clary sage and lavender worked well, emitted clean, crisp notes that were incredibly herbaceous. With the sun shining brightly above me, the light aroma of neroli basked my skin, complementing the aromatic top notes of Mizunara.
The redolence top notes of Mizunara kept persisting through until I came head-on with the profound, oaky nature of the cognac oil on my skin. It left a tingling sensation on my nose, as to how whiskey drinkers encountered sipping on their dense tipple. With clary sage still present at this later stage, it seemed to enhance the leathery note at the top.
By the time I hit the heart notes past the 45-minute mark, here it gets fascinating. Mizunara's woody and somewhat smoky nature materialised, kicking off the aromatic facet from its pedestal. The middle portion of the fragrance radiated a lot of cypress and juniper.
As they both exhibited coniferous properties and similar in the genus, they gave an image of trekking through temperate forest. I could smell the different elements of the cistus note caused it - the damp barks, dry branches, and dewy leaves sprouting from the tree.
While Satori-san delved deeper into the forest, the sunlight dimmed a little due to the dense canopy of trees shielding the ground beneath. The chilling nature of cypress dominated over the juniper note exuded a masculine aura permeating through the combination. Satori-san added the patchouli accord which elevated the green properties of the scent, lending a darker, earthier, and woodier edge.
With the heart notes dissipated at the two-hour mark, Mizunara steered into another direction. This time, it got sweeter as the base notes emerged. Due to the heavy usage of resins - labdanum, tolu balsams, and amber, the fragrance projected out a vibrant and ambery image. I felt the scent's warmth, as though the founder of Parfum Satori sought refuge by the lake, warming up her body in the process as she soaked up the sun's rays.
Her use of chamomile at this stage supplied with an almost sweet, fruity twist to the base notes, accentuating the balsamic properties Mizunara possessed. The creamy properties of sandalwood supplemented the milkiness of the fragrance. I detected a faint and yet, a sharp, leathery odour. I suspected that it was caused by the cistus note, and I got all curious about it.
Despite coming from the same plant, I asked Satori-san on her usage of both cistus and labdanum. Based on my understanding, I know that for the case of labdanum, it could come off as a thick substance with an olfactory impression of being leathery and ambery. Satori-san then justified her use, indicating, "Although labdanum and cistus are both made from the same plant, employing various extraction methods which offer a difference in olfactory notes."
"To me, the labdanum resin is milder and balsamic sweeter than the cistus absolute. Of course, it has a leathery and ambery image, giving volume in the last note. While the cistus absolute embodies the same characteristics as labdanum, it comes across as sharper and more animalic. It strengthens the fragrance core from the middle to the base notes," added by the founder of the Japanese perfume house. I learned something new today!
Her explanations enlightened me, and I finally observed it myself. The base notes seemed to be amplified, and a smoother transition from its previous to its current phase. The fragrance went considerably parched, possibly due to the vetiver that influenced my senses. I experienced the smell of violet leaves, emitting somewhat a metallic accord, which Satori-san herself experienced when she witnessed the colour on the surface of Lake Onuma.
Paying homage to the whiskey contained within the Mizunara's wooden casks, Satori-san's genius touch of faintly adding the kyara note at the end was brilliant. It was very mute throughout the ensemble, although I got the faintest glimpse of it every now and then. I suspect that she did it deliberately, considering the scent only emerged after a reasonable maturation period of twenty years.
Overall, what Mizunara brought to the table was equally impressive. It was as though I got to relieve Satori-san's first-hand experience, indirectly of course, in concocting the scent, right down from her bar sessions to trekking deep within Mount Akagi. All of the accords were harmonised well. I felt the strength and power of the perfume, which resonated well with me.
Rating: 9/10
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Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
Rachelg
Ann
