Category: Beauty and Fragrance

Oshiroi by Meleg Perfumes

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I have something incredibly special for you today. Sometimes I cannot believe how lucky and privileged I am that my passion gives me the opportunity to experience things like this. Oshiroi, created by small-batch artisan perfumer Matthew Meleg, is the first fragrance to be made officially in conjunction with geisha, specifically the house of Umeno Okiya of Kamishichiken. If you’re reading this blog, you likely already know what oshiroi is, but for any new readers or people who found me through unusual channels, it’s the traditional name for the classic white face paint used for centuries by maiko and geisha (as well as other theatrical, aesthetic, and celebratory performers — but in the modern day it’s most commonly associated with the flower and willow world).

Meleg Perfumes are all hand crafted using the finest oils and fragrances, and Matthew’s passion for both perfumery and Japanese traditional arts shines through with every thoughtful choice, from the fragrance to the bottle to the external packaging.

As I am not a perfume expert by any means, I will share the official description and scent notes:

The Perfume
Oshiroi is hand-blended in my garden laboratory using pure orris butter—one of the rarest and most precious ingredients in perfumery—and other fine natural materials chosen for their softness, grace, and timeless beauty.
Every bottle is crafted with care, and this inaugural edition is strictly limited to 500 pieces worldwide.

Top Notes: violet enfleurage
Heart Notes: ylang ylang extra organic, heliotrope
Base Notes: Orris Butter from Florence

As soon as I saw these on Etsy, my heart soared, and then sank. I knew a product made with this much love and attention would not be friendly to my budget. However, I thought maybe I could purchase a tiny tester, like the ones you get from stores, so I threw caution to the wind and sent out a message. Matthew got back to me with a response I could not have dreamed of. He offered to send me a custom travel-size to test out and share with you all. Even though this fragrance is a limited run and not available in the travel size he offers for some other products, he went out of his way to not only send me one, but to make this gorgeous custom package for it. You guys. I can’t.

The fragrance is just as transportive and stunning as the packaging. It somehow manages to feel vintage but timeless, not old and stuffy by any means. You can just imagine this scent wafting delicately through any period in time. It’s floral, but not too much. A bit powdery, a bit woody, but all so perfectly balanced that it never feels heavy or overwhelmed by one note. I can imagine that my grandmother might have worn this and I mean that as the highest compliment. She was an incredibly stylish, fashion-forward, and put-together woman, and the person who inspired my love of Japanese traditional art from the beginning.

Also, the packaging for the full-sized bottles is a work of art in itself. This is a showpiece, something you’d be proud to display along with a collection of vintage kimono and artwork. Not only is the bottle itself stunning, it comes with a certificate of authenticity as well as a little hanameishi from maiko Umemai.

photos courtesy of Matthew Meleg and Umeno Okiya

This perfume is by no means an impulse buy, and I understand that times are tight for a lot of us. I wish I could turn it into a daily fragrance but it’s so special that I will be saving it for important moments. But for anyone enamored of the flower and willow world who has the budget, it’s an incredibly unique and worthwhile splurge. It’s on par with buying a designer fragrance, but comes directly from a passionate artisan and an actual geisha house which makes it all the more special. It also inspired me to do something fun that should be posted soon, so keep an eye out.

Please check out Oshiroi and other Meleg Perfumes on Etsy, even if it’s just to admire the stunning beauty of these products.

 I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me. 

Olfactory Journey Through Japan – Feat. Demeter Fragrance Library

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While I was continuing my hunt for a true sakura fragrance, I stumbled across Demeter’s incredibly wide selection of fascinating and unique perfumes. I knew I wanted to try their cherry blossom out, but I was also intrigued by a variety of their other offerings. I suspected that a lot of them would pair elegantly with kimono, and bring a whiff of Japan into your mundane daily life. I reached out, ready to purchase but hoping they could arrange a custom sample pack to save a bit of money. Imagine my pleased surprise when they kindly offered to send me a selection of my choice to review!

Without further ado come join me on a journey through the fragrant air of Japan, courtesy of Demeter Fragrance Library.

Black Tea

We start our day with a voyage, strong cup of black tea. With notes that balance toasty and floral, this is a comforting and familiar scent that will awaken your senses. Reminiscent of the perfect brew of wakoucha, this black tea fragrance is versatile and grounded, making it lovely by itself and an excellent base for layering.

purchase Black Tea here

Plum Blossom

While not as universally-beloved as her spring sister sakura, the ume or plum blossoms exploding across branches is one of the iconic images of late winter and coming spring — especially when paired with the charming bush warbler. Their scent is headier and richer, and a bit more mature, but no less transportive and this perfume captures that note perfectly. Minus the bush warbler, of course. If you’re looking for a deeper, slightly more complex floral then plum blossom might be for you!

purchase Plum Blossom here

Cherry Blossom

As late winter flows into spring, the sakura on the shores of the Kamo river burst into bloom. Their ephemeral, ethereal beauty is perhaps one of the most emblematic images of Japan. The gentle flush of pink, the flutter of a falling petal, but one thing that pictures can never capture is the clean, delicate, equally airy scent. This fragrance comes close — maybe the closest I’ve come yet. It dries down to a skin-like powdery note, nothing like the soapy chemical cherry blossoms I’ve tried in the past. The only thing preventing it from being the perfect sakura is that it finishes on a delectable rich cherry fruit note. I love it, but it does interrupt the gentleness of the blossom.

purchase Cherry Blossom here

Chrysanthemum

As autumn rolls around, so too does the chrysanthemum, the kiku, the imperial crest of Japan. She’s iconic, she’s timeless, she smells vaguely like a funeral home but in the best possible way. I would normally not feel comfortable making that comparison in a review, but seeing as how Demeter makes a Funeral Home fragrance already, it’s absolutely a compliment in this case. This fragrance captures both the deep spiciness of a pure white chrysanthemum and the bright herbaceous green of the stems and leaves. It’s a bit more unique and interesting than a pure floral would be, and all the better for it.

purchase Chrysanthemum here

Yuzu Marmalade

Next, we find ourselves in Kito, Tokushima province, where the climate produces the best yuzu in the world. Yuzu marmalade is a bright, invigorating fragrance, perfect for imbuing your day with happiness and cheer and bringing a smile to everyone around you. The scent is perfectly balanced between tangy citrus and sweet jammy goodness, and I can see myself falling back on this one time and time again when I need a pick-me-up.

purchase Yuzu Marmalade here

Green Tea

To refresh ourselves, we’ll make a stop at Gion Tsujiri for a cup of sencha. Bright and just a little bit grassy, with a hint of something crisp like pine or citrus? Not quite sharp, but definitely bracing in the best way. It definitely mellows out as you wear it, and envelops you in a gentle green.

purchase Green Tea here

Bamboo

Finally, we find ourselves in the lush bamboo forests of Arashiyama. Unfortunately, with something as personal and preference-based as fragrance, not everything is a winner. I was hoping this would be lush, bright, and verdant. However, on me it just smells oddly like dish soap. However, it smells completely different on my mother so she’s happy to steal it from me! It will not go to waste, but it is something to keep in mind whenever you’re buying perfume online.

purchase Bamboo here

Another great thing about most Demeter fragrances is how well they layer. Because they’re relatively single-note focused, there’s little worry about fragrance notes competing or clashing with each other. The two combos I’ve tried — and loved — were mixing Green Tea & Cherry Blossom, and Black Tea & Yuzu Marmalade. The first is bright, fresh, and perfect for spring whereas the second surrounds you in comforting warmth perfect for autumn. I fully intend to try other combinations as well. I suspect the black tea will also be incredible with the depth of the chrysanthemum and part of me wants to layer all three florals together to see what happens.

These mini sprays are the perfect size to toss in a purse and are very travel-friendly. Just make sure the caps are screwed on very tightly; the green tea one was slightly loose and leaked a bit.

Overall, I’m very pleased with the bulk of these, and the one that isn’t quite meshing with my body chemistry will find a happy home with my mum. Thank you again to Demeter Fragrance Library for making this possible. I encourage you to check them out if you’re a fan of singular and unique perfumes, be they wa or not.

 I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me. 

Kimono-inspired Nails with Maniology Stamping Plates

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Back when I wore kimono regularly, I used to love matching my nails to my outfits. Obviously in recent years that’s gone out the window, but when Maniology released a set of very clearly kimono-inspired stamping plates I knew I had to give them a shot. Nothing wrong with having a fresh set even if they don’t match your outfit, right?

I knew I wanted to make a set that match this blog, so of course I grabbed the Sashiko Stitch plate. I also fell in love with the Draped in Elegance plate that featured a variety of kimono design motifs.

Where possible, I have linked to the polishes I used. However, I’ve been hoarding collecting nail polish nearly as long as I’ve been hoarding collecting kimono so many of these colours are no longer available. In one case the brand doesn’t even exist anymore! I do recommend getting a good white polish if you plan to use it for stamping, especially over dark colours, but the selection for the yuzen-style manicure has a ton of room for interpretation.

Sashiko & Kintsugi Blog Manicure

Plate used:

Maniology M650 – Sashiko Stitch
(plus the asagao from the plate below)

Polishes used:

Navy – Expressie Feel The Hype
White – Maniology Bam! (B170)
Gold – Maniology It’s Lit (B262)

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Golden Yuzen Manicure

Plate used:

Maniology M677 – Draped in Elegance

Polishes used:

Plum base – NARS Tokaido Express
Gold stamping – Maniology It’s Lit (B262)
Red – Nubar Sultry Red
Orange – OPI Totally Tangerine
Green –  Zoya Midori
Blue –  Revlon Blue Siren
Purple – Revel Nails Whirled View
Pink – CND Tutti Frutti

@kimono_tsuki

Kimono nails featuring @hellomaniology stamping plates マニキュア #着物

♬ original sound – Kimono Tsuki 着物月 – Kimono Tsuki 着物月

Other tools & products used:

Medium almond nail tips
Polish stamper and scraper
Nail art liner brushes
Nail stand
Silicone mat

I did standard straight-to-nail stamping for the sashiko manicure, and made my own transfers for the yuzen-style one. If you’re curious I did make a little video of the process for the transfers, but there are plenty of incredible videos out there that explain how to use stamping plates far better than I could. I would suggest starting with Maniology’s own YouTube page, they have tons of clear and helpful videos.

These plates were a dream to use and the stamping polish made things so smooth and intuitive. I’ve tried some very basic stamping in the past and didn’t have nearly as much luck, and this was my first time doing anything layered or complicated, and I can’t get over how well they turned out. If you want to give yourself a manicure to match your favourite kimono, or just bring a little bit of Japan to your fingertips, I highly recommend these! My only regret is that I didn’t buy more of them. I’ll have to snag some other ones from this collection in the future.

If you buy anything from Maniology, you can use my code TSUKI for 10% off!

 I purchased this item myself and chose to review it.This post contains affiliate link(s). If you choose to purchase, I receive a small rebate or commission which goes to the continued maintenance of this site. 

Review – L’Occitane Cherry Blossom

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I may have not posted about it of late, but my quest for a true, easily accessible sakura fragrance is ongoing. L’Occitane is a French brand that is available world-wide, and Fleurs de Cerisier is part of their permanent collection, so you can’t get much more accessible than that. I grabbed an Eau De Toilette rollerball and matching hand cream, since I alternate between living with electric heat all winter and living in the desert. I can never have too many hand creams!

Please note: L’Occitane recently redid their visual identity and packaging and I purchased these right before that happened, but the product remains the same.

Unfortunately (and this is entirely my fault for not reading details ahead of time), this is definitely not a singular cherry blossom scent. It’s described as having opening notes of cherry, lemon, and freesia. The heart is cherry blossom, yes, but also heavy on the lily of the valley. It definitely has more of the clean, fresh smell I am looking for, unlike the powder-heavy Rituals set from a while back, but it’s still got too much going on to fit the brief. I do enjoy the notes and progression of this one and it will definitely get used. No worries there! The hand cream is also nice and moisturising but absorbs quickly. This is important to me, as someone who spends a lot of time using a mouse and also can’t risk getting products like this on kimono when  am working with them.

So while I have a lovely new fragrance to add to the rotation, my search for the “perfect” sakura continues! Do you have any suggestions? If so, please leave me a comment!

 I purchased this item myself and chose to review it. 

Fragrance Review – Sorce Match Made In Heaven

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They say scent is the sense most strongly tied to memory. It’s also my strongest sense, likely to make up for how terrible my others are. I often try to wear subtle but significant fragrances when I’m doing something memorable so I can relive the moment by going back to that scent.

As you may remember I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect cherry blossom fragrance, and haven’t had a ton of luck so far, but I still seek out interesting perfumes with that particular note. However, I’m also very drawn to more traditionally western gourmand fragrances. It doesn’t hurt that my husband is particularly fond of those on me too.

Today I have the absolute perfect merging of these two worlds: Match Made In Heaven by Sorce Perfumery. It’s described by the perfumery as follows:

The scents of earthy green matcha tea and softly sweet cherry blossom petals find themselves to be an irresistible pairing, while vanilla soft serve, a hint of fresh-baked waffle cone, and a dusting of powdered sugar linger in the air.

The warm earthy green of matcha, the sweetness of ice cream, and the soft freshness of sakura, all in one pretty little package?  You know I had to give it a shot. I bought the 15ml spray because I wanted a smaller size to test but wanted to make sure I got the gorgeous shidarezakura (weeping cherry blossom) label. This is a small independent company and it’s clear they put so much effort into every aspect of their products; it seemed a shame not to share the pretty artwork as well as the fragrance.

Keith and I spent last weekend in one of the more Japanese areas of Los Angeles (more on that in an entry soon) and I figured that it would be the ideal time to try out this scent. Man, was I ever right. This perfume is incredible. The sakura is subtle, so my hunt for that particular note continues, but it strikes the absolute perfect balance between fresh and sweet. I can absolutely see this becoming one of my go-to signature scents, and I suspect I’ll be buying a larger bottle as soon as this one runs low. I may even grab a larger one to leave here in California and take this smaller one back to me next time I head home to Montreal so I’m never without it.

If you’re looking for a pure, clean sakura note, then move on. However, if you’re looking for something warm, comforting, a little sexy, a little fresh, and entirely unique, don’t skip out on Match Made In Heaven by Sorce.

 I purchased this item myself and chose to review it.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me.