Thé Vert Roger & Gallet 2000

One of the great unsolved mysteries of humanity for me is the question of why men do not like tea, or rather, why almost all green tea fragrances available are either women's scents or barely classified as unisex. When a perfume lover thinks of tea, they might think of Elizabeth Arden or Bulgari, but certainly not the latest sport flanker from David Beckham.

After all, green tea is actually quite a robust affair, something that could definitely lean towards the masculine in the traditional understanding of gender roles. But no, the gentlemen of creation prefer to spritz chocolate bars or pudding pastries behind their ears and leave a wonderful scent like "Thé Vert" to the ladies. Well, some coffee uncles might think green tea is too much in the direction of a rehab center.

Admittedly, when the generous gift from Mrs. H. from M. reached me some time ago, I thought of Roger & Gallet and the old-fashioned packaging more as grandma's toilet soap than a cool fragrance, but during the few warm days we recently had, it proved to be a great refresher. This may be due to the fact that alongside a beautifully bitter tea note, a whopping three citrus fruits join in: grapefruit, mandarin, and yuzu.

According to the packaging text (it is always amusing to study these desperate acts of creatively challenged copywriters), it is the ideal scent to immerse oneself in the balanced tranquility of a tea garden at the foot of the sacred Fuji, which rises impressively into the sky with its radiant atmosphere. Whether one must have studied Japanology to operate the sprayer, I could not clarify.