tomofmunich

The cardamom is the most prominent note for me, especially in the initial spray, but after letting it warm up on the skin for a while the incense and vanilla really shine.nnWarm, spicy and dark in a way that’s both comforting and assertive. The incense gives an edge that keeps this from being completely Christmas-like. Really amazing considering the price, even if you’re only looking at the newer, more expensive presentation.

Main impression is the nutty, dark sweetness of brown sugar syrup and milk like you’d experience at a Qcup or similar budget boba store, the kind that existed in Taiwanese-American strip malls long before boba became widespread in the US. nnNot getting any grapes or distinctly jasmine-like floral notes, just something vaguely sweet and “perfumey”. The brown sugar/coffee and milk notes don’t last very long but at this price it’s fine to spray more than you normally would.

Fruity, jammy and slightly indolic like the actual Osmanthus flower, boosted with additional sweetness. The dried apricot aspects of the flower become more and more apparent as it dries down. Probably the best straightforward osmanthus scent (no tea) for the price point that’s still easily accessible outside of Asia.nnOsmanthus is insanely popular as a flavoring in tea and desserts in East Asia and strongly associated with mid-Autumn festival, making this perfect for fall despite being airy and floral. It leans gourmand to me but this is almost 100% because of my personal memories of osmanthus as a food flavoring.nnI wish this had stronger performance because the actual flower bushes PROJECT but it lasts well on hair/fabric. The lotion and hand cream smell nothing like either the EDT or the flower so don’t bother layering with them.

My initial impression of Hermann was of a Daoist temple on a stormy day when the wet hinoki grows heavy and the incense burners outside have been put out by the rain, leaving just a hint of smoke and incense in the air. I know there's no hinoki note listed here but holy shit this is the most photorealistic hinoki I've found so far, even if it's a cold and wet one and doesn't have the same powdery warmth that the cut wood has. The more I wear this the more I pick up on its blue/aquatic qualities which lend it a synthetic quality that I find a bit jarring, especially with the hinoki impression.

I think this is very wearable in the vein of Fat Electrician or Ghost in the Shell which challenge you through unusual combinations of ingredients/notes that are already popular in perfumery. It evokes a rather dark and chilly atmosphere but it's a peaceful one, and would work well regardless of weather.

(originally reviewed 6/19/25)

Beautiful herbaceous vetiver scent with good longevity on 2 sprays (8-10 hours) but it makes me dizzy. Normally fragrance-induced dizziness comes with nausea and general dislike of the smell so this was a weirdly pleasant experience.

(update 9/22/25)

Still not completely sure why this triggers dizziness when other citrus or vetiver scents don't cause that reaction.