Zen Original

OOh, so lovely... Today this beauty sings with daffodil, and hyacinth, and bright carnation and even mimosa - thanks to all the fresh flowers in my home I can compare the scents and it's bright and festive - on a pillow of a natural warm oakmoss. Beautiful and serene.

Oooh I remember this too right along w Murisaki from the 80's. Nice.

I feel fortunate to have received a sample of the original, classic ZEN (1964) edc from a generous fellow fragrance traveler, and all the more, having now read her glowing review and discovered that she has shared some of a precious elixir in short supply! When I donned ZEN for the very first time, it occurred to me that this perfume may have been the very first proto-aquatic fragrance. The difference was that this composition did not bother me and did not smell like a chemical soup or rotting melons or Windex or anything of the sort. As the perfume (and it is a perfume, despite the edc designation!) dried down, I began to fall in love with its soapy iris and galbanum--a truly classic combination, and I understood why ZEN is so beloved to some. I suspect that one reviewer (at another site...) may have ended up with either a reformulation, or worse: a fake. I say this because I'm pretty sure that this fragrance is out of production, so someone--perhaps not the seller, but perhaps the seller's seller...--may have filled an empty bottle with pseudo-ZEN juice. To me, this elixir offers a subtle yet captivating beauty. If you are a lover of soapy orris and galbanum, then you would love--or would have loved--this!

Lovely and soft, very greenish-aromatic, which I think keeps the floral from being overbearing. I even detect a small amount of smokiness in its early phase, rare in my experience for a perfume this green. Not what I'd describe as a playful fragrance due to its shyness, but one you know you can count on in most circumstances. Drydown brings about a quiet woody ambery base with a very mellow musk. Longevity is moderate, projection is intimate to close. I have the original perfume, vintage with just a small amount left in the black bottle for reference. Also one of the most gorgeous perfume bottles I have. Light, inoffensive, very classic, reminds me of a woman who is smart and expects to be listened to and taken seriously.

Current EdC classic, spray mist: Light yet heavy, surprising longevity despite being an EdC. Haven't had any comments about sillage. The scent behaves rather linear on my skin. Many of the notes are of my liking and many reviews predicted this to be something for me. My skin does however interpret this scent differently than others and this one did not want to be my friend. I'm not that good with the notes so I'll give the associations instead. I get deep thick sweet honey, earthy sencha tea, tobacco and beer. One more note also, but I'm not sure I dare to write it. Yes I do, urine. I would suggest sampling before purchase if interested. I hope that the bottle I tested from has gone bad, so if I see it somewhere else I'll definitely try it again.