Almost Transparent Blue
A Lab on Fire (2013)

It could have been a beautiful perfume–a pop and sizzle of yuzu and aldehydes, grounded by hinoki and herbal thyme. It's all there, sort of, but what it amounts to is more of “Another Designer Blue.” The whole thing teeters a little too closely to generic duty free, when I was hoping for Japanese-inspired spa tranquility.

The aldehydes admittedly do a great job here: they radiate out from all sides, and feel alive and captivating without being overwhelming. But the citrus lacks the acetic punch of yuzu, and I don't get much, or any, woods or herbs besides an occasional earthiness set against an otherwise nondescript fresh, clean, and vaguely ozonic sky-hued backdrop.

I've revisited this sample many times over the last two years, always hoping to find something I'm missing. Unfortunately, this perfume just doesn't have a lot to say.

First of all, I read the novel Almost Transparent Blue, by Ryu Murakami, a decade or so ago and thought, this is a very strange book. Never did I think, this story should be evoked by a perfume. Not once. When I saw that A Lab on Fire had named a scent for this transgressive work of art, I thought, “Well, let's see then.”

So, the perfume, itself?

Fresh, fun and young. Candied lime and yuzu. Then musk creeps in. Reminds me of something, at the musk stage, but I can't put my finger on it? Aqua Celestia by MFK? I'm not sure– I'll edit if I can think of it.

The lime is that upper register lime that I can get anosmic to pretty quickly(even at first smell sometimes) but with yuzu's help, this escapes the nightmare headache and horror I get from Guerlain's L'eau Boisee(it also thankfully escapes L'eau Boisee's moment of burnt hair, garlic and onions that can jump out at first spray).

The musk is a nice place to dry down to with the citrus lingering but I don't get the hinoki or even the cedar wood until very late and then it's quite faint on my skin.

I actually quite like this scent and considered giving it a thumbs up. But it's much to young for me and I wouldn't wear it, which feels like a pretty neutral review if I'm being honest.

I'm thinking the title is literal, in this case: a white scent so fresh that it's ‘almost transparent blue', rather than some commentary on a story of sex and drugs in 1970's Japan.

If you're young and like summer sweet/fresh scents with brains and comforting gentle musks, this might be your new love!

Don't care for this. Aquatic, sweet, young. Very little citrus that I can detect. Soapy-fresh. Some would find this pleasant for a while, for me it quickly becomes irritating. Where is the wood? Settles into a sweet musk, at which point (about 10 minutes in) I scrub it off.

Opens with a bright, effervescent blast of Lime and Yuzu. This one sizzles along the top, buzzing at a high frequency and leaving a trail of fresh candied citrus in its wake. It is completely uplifting and bright, almost crystalline in its clarity and overall effect. If you look hard enough you can find something reminiscent of an ‘ink' note within the composition, but had it never been mentioned in the ad copy, I don't think I would have noticed it.

When I apply ATB I'm immediately reminded of shooting stars and Fourth of July sparklers, burning with bright tenacity in a pale, blueish white light before suddenly fading into the void. Almost Transparent Blue lasts about four hours--the first two a dazzlingly fresh expression of lime and yuzu, and the last 2 hours a quiet, sweeter conclusion, leaving just a trace of what came before. I find this very addictive.

Housed in A Lab On Fire's standard 60 ml bottle, both clinical and futuristic in appearance, ATB has an excellent atomizer that sprays generously and disperses the fragrance well. Projection is moderate, longevity on the short side. This is a fragrance best suited for spring and summer or perhaps right out of the shower during the colder months. It is casual and appropriate for daily wear or any time that you want to put something on to refresh yourself.

Two thumbs all the way up as ATB has quickly become one of my favorites. For citrus fans and lovers of all things fresh, this is a must try.