Geisha Vanilla Hinoki
Aroma M (2016)

Vanilla Hinoki is in many ways a sister scent to Geisha Noire, sharing as it does a lemony resin topnote that probably owes at least some of its structure to a combination of petitgrain and elemi. But while Geisha Noire goes on to develop a satiny sweet-n-salty resin drydown that seems to extend for miles below ground, Vanilla Hinoki levels out into a fresh, silvery ‘Japanese woods’ accord that is all surface.

Amyris, a wood that smells like a smokier, far more bitter version of Australian sandalwood, gives the scent an aromatic brightness. The hinoki wood smells green and unripe, like a rasp of bark excised from a silver birch sapling and infused with lemon peel in perfumer’s alcohol. It smells – to put it bluntly – like raw lumber.

Because of its linearity, I find Vanilla Hinoki to be clean and uplifting without pulling on any memory chord in particular. There is much to be said for a vanilla-based scent that is woodsy, green, and unsweet. It would work wonderfully on anybody who hates foodie, floral vanillas or who wants to wear a vanilla-based scent in summer without causing everyone around to gasp for air.

This review is for the EDP.

This has a warm, spicy opening with nutmeg, clove, a faintly sweet eggnog vibe, & patchouli humming along beneath. It puts me in mind of a scented Christmas candle, but after the first half hour it gets more interesting. There's a deliciously nutty note in the heart, joined a little later by smooth, sweet smoke. And suddenly it reminds me of the smoky vanilla base of none other than Shalimar! I could swear there's some opoponax in here, too. It all fades to a skin scent after four hours, & is pretty much gone after five, but that base is a very pleasant surprise indeed. I look forward to wearing this one over the festive season.