06/06/2025

DRKSHDW
95 Reviews

DRKSHDW
1
AGGRESSIVELY SOAPY, INDOLIC MONSTER WITH GREEN-CITRUS CLAWS
I'm going to start off by saying that I'm very picky when it comes to jasmine. Most jasmine perfumes tend to go overly soapy, indolic, and vintage on my skin. Even the supposedly fresh, innocent ones. But I do love a realistic jasmine, the kind that smells like a blooming bush at night. I adore star jasmine. And most of Serge Lutens’ jasmine offerings really work for me.
So, naturally, I was excited about Yassemi. Because it was advertised as a true-to-life jasmine scent lingering in the summer air.
This thing? Total betrayal!
Yassemi turned out to be my absolute least favorite jasmine type: the aggressively soapy, indolic monster with green-citrus claws. It smells exactly like my great-grandmother’s closet, crammed full of decades-old soap bars. SOAPY is the keyword here.
On top of that, it leans heavily into the vintage white floral-citrus territory. Think Diorella-style florals. And while I can enjoy vintage, soapy, and powdery scents, this particular type of soapy jasmine just doesn’t sit right with me. Also, there’s a lot of lily of the valley and that specific variety of soapy orange blossom I try to avoid. As it sits on the skin, it warms up a bit and becomes more pleasant — less aggressively soapy and green. But it doesn’t really evolve or develop; the intensity just fades, and everything gradually settles down.
I will say this: it’s clearly a well-crafted, artisanal fragrance with high-quality ingredients. If you're into big, vintage-style jasmine bombs, this might be a 9 or 10 for you.
But for me? It’s a 4.5. Not what was advertised, and honestly, I found it boring and a bit suffocating.
FROM BLOOM TO RETRO DOOM...
So, naturally, I was excited about Yassemi. Because it was advertised as a true-to-life jasmine scent lingering in the summer air.
This thing? Total betrayal!
Yassemi turned out to be my absolute least favorite jasmine type: the aggressively soapy, indolic monster with green-citrus claws. It smells exactly like my great-grandmother’s closet, crammed full of decades-old soap bars. SOAPY is the keyword here.
On top of that, it leans heavily into the vintage white floral-citrus territory. Think Diorella-style florals. And while I can enjoy vintage, soapy, and powdery scents, this particular type of soapy jasmine just doesn’t sit right with me. Also, there’s a lot of lily of the valley and that specific variety of soapy orange blossom I try to avoid. As it sits on the skin, it warms up a bit and becomes more pleasant — less aggressively soapy and green. But it doesn’t really evolve or develop; the intensity just fades, and everything gradually settles down.
I will say this: it’s clearly a well-crafted, artisanal fragrance with high-quality ingredients. If you're into big, vintage-style jasmine bombs, this might be a 9 or 10 for you.
But for me? It’s a 4.5. Not what was advertised, and honestly, I found it boring and a bit suffocating.
FROM BLOOM TO RETRO DOOM...