lives up to its name
i really don't pick up citrus at all until the dry-down (fortunately, which tends to be my main issue for matcha/green tea fragrances), but it does leans vanilla-y because of the tonka and wisteria.
this is described as earthy, but i think it's more woody and resinous (some have described the scent as polished wood) thanks to the amber.
i think this composition lives up to its name, in which you're doing a tea ceremony on a wooden floor or table with some wisteria trees outside.
the decanter i purchased this from also thinks that the notes all sit nicely next to each other, but because of this, this is not so much green tea or matcha-heavy if that's what you're looking for.
photorealistic, but synthetic
to me this is an incredibly photorealistic mandarin, strawberry and shine muscat grape tang hulu. all that fruitiness is there, but the cica and osmanthus really makes it smell like the coated sugar, and a bit synthetic. i find it a bit cloying and syrupy, so this leans towards being gourmand, so don't expect something fresh.
must try for pandan lovers
this is a vanilla waffle cone with some pandan ice cream on top!
i don't really find it to be bready, which is probably for the better so that the pandan really shines through!
it is a bit more vanilla, but it still has that green grassiness that pandan normally has, through help from the pine.
this is not overly sweet as some claim; it's great for daily wear. it won't be cloying at all and can be worn throughout all seasons.
i would like to mention this is an EDT, so longevity and sillage is sadly a bit weak because of the concentration.
i've seen some people say it smells like l'eau papier from diptyque, but i personally don't get that. l'eau is far nuttier and ricey than this; pandan is its own specific plant, fragrance, and flavor. also, coconutty.
floral/honey-heavy, not ricey or starchy at all & d'annam's white rice comparison
always a joy to see vietnamese perfumers!
i've been on a search for true, starchy, rice fragrances; to keep it short, unfortunately this does not belong in that category, if that's what you're looking for. this is not a safe blind buy.
this scent is actually jasmine tea and a touch of the scent of white rice; it's even listed as such on the storepage.
the jasmine tea is incredibly heavy. there are also accords that make this smell like honey to most, so if you're not a fan of white floral/honey-dominant scents, this won't be for you.
i'd say the dry down is similar to white rice from d'annam, another vietnamese fragrance house, but white rice is still far more rice-y and less floral than this for reference.
the sweetness of the rice still comes out, but it's not starchy at all, and the tea/honey accords will still linger from beginning to end.
it does dry into a powdery skin scent for me, but i find that it at least has better sillage than white rice from d'annam.
this isn't a bad fragrance at all! it's just about preferences and a matter of if you enjoy dominant floral perfume. :)
no carrot or carrot cake, but still pleasant
unfortunately, i am in the minority where i can only pick up on primarily the citrus, some florals and greens. the sweetness of the cake is only noticable for me in the full dry down, but it's still so incredibly faint to my nose.
it's quite earthy for me moreso than gourmand, until the dry down.
some say that this is moreso of a citrus/lemon cake to them, which steer towards for me as well.. so sad because i've been wanting to try this for a while.
at least it doesn't come off as a spoiled dessert, hutch, cleaning product or soap to me.
i had some friends try and they agreed, but hopefully you get the raving sweet cutesy carrot cake instead of this!
