Wednesday, 21 March 2012

Aftelier Perfumes Shiso

I've had a sample of Shiso for a couple of months now, courtesy of Cymbaline (thanks!). I'm not really sure what to make of it. It's a curious fragrance, to be sure.

Fragrantica describes it as 'an aromatic green fragrance for women and men. Top notes are clove and pepper; middle notes are shiso, pandanus and geranium; basnotes are sandalwood, patchouli and agarwood (oud) Mandy Aftel states that Shiso is based on an old Geisha formula.

To me Shiso smells very herbal, with a definite green and powdery aroma. I wouldn't say it is green as in sappy stems, but evokes powdered herbs. One note that definitely stands out for me, particularly in the first half of development, is geranium. Before I even read the notes, I could identify it. There is something about the use of geranium here that is apothecary in feel. I don't know if anyone has smelled the bath and body products by Neils Yard Remedies, but Shiso smells a lot like them, quite old-fashioned in a way, which seeing as Aftelier is basing this on a turn-of-the-century formula, is perhaps not surprising.

As the fragrance develops, it becomes even more powdery, yet quite woody at the same time. Later on I get the agarwood note, but not the patchouli and sandalwood very much. I had to look up Pandanus, which apparently is a tropical plant used a lot in Southeast Asian cooking, smelling a bit like bread or rice. I can't say I detect such a note in Shiso, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. Shiso leaves are used a lot in Japanese cuisine and apparently taste a bit like a mixture between basil and coriander and a little bit bitter. I can't vouch for that as I have never smelled or tasted Shiso leaves. 

When all is said and done, I can't say that I am blown away by Shiso, but it is very distinctive and unusual. For that I do give it kudos and certainly am glad I've tried it. I could see myself trying it from time to time, but not wearing it as an everyday fragrance.

2 comments:

  1. Michael, thank you for writing and posting your thoughts on this perfume, it was quite educational for me as I've never taken the time to sit down and analyze it myself.

    I bought Shiso from Mandy Aftel a couple of years ago, when she introduced her line of perfumes at a store here in Seattle. Out of all the perfumes I smelled that evening, Shiso was the one I kept coming back to. It attracted and repelled me at the same time and was different from anything else in my collection. I especially loved the way it didn't smell very strongly when I put my nose to my wrist, but then a beautiful smell would appear unexpectedly in the air around me.

    Shiso is challenging and I certainly don't wear it often. I love it best outdoors on warm summer evenings where the occasional breeze will remind me of its uniqueness.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cym, that's a great description of Shiso. I shall certainly wear it in a few different circumstances and see how it wears. I also found it attractive and repulsive at the same time and I don't mind that at all.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails