Koudou (“the way of incense”) is a Japanese incense ceremony that has a long and esteemed history tracing its origins to the Edo period (1603-1867). Involving more than 30 years to truly master the art of Koudou, the ceremony is comprised of several steps that include kneading and burning of incense. Kenzo’s new fragrance is dedicated to the ceremony that emphasizes the sense of smell. Flower Oriental, composed by Alberto Morillas of Firmenich includes notes of kyara, violet, Bulgarian rose, vanilla and Sichuan pepper. Kyara, derived from agarwood, is one of the most prized incense ingredients. Flower Oriental is described as the original floral notes of Flower with the resinous woody notes of agarwood incense.
6 Comments
Tara: I tried it, but was underwhelmed. The top notes were lovely, with a delicate incense smell, but the drydown turned into a rather unpleasant sharp chemical odor. Such a pity as I love the bottle. October 31, 2005 at 1:34pm
BoisdeJasmin: Tara, thank you. I also love the bottle, as I do most of Kenzo bottles. Too bad about the drydown… October 31, 2005 at 1:37pm
kristen: I tried it, and like Tara, was underwhelmed. I loved the pepper, but then as the fragrance dried down, I detected something like paper pulp, which only got stronger as the day went on. I know this is an odd description, but it smelled the way a roll of toilet paper smells when you take it out of the plastic papery and stuffy.
It was strange and disappointing, as I am usually a fan of Kenzo fragrances. I wore Parfum d’Ete as a teenager and lately I’m into the Summer and the original Flower. November 1, 2005 at 4:20pm
BoisdeJasmin: Thank you, Kristen! I probably should try it anyway, but now I am a little bit less eager. I used to wear Parfum d’Ete in high school as well, and I remember how much I loved it. The bottle is still one of my favourites. November 1, 2005 at 5:04pm
Rafael: Hi everybody,
It’s so dissapointing to read that this fragrance is underwhelmed. I’m a big fan of Alberto Morillas (I can’t recall one of his creations I don’t like) and indeed I think that the Flower concept is a magnificent creation. It’s incredible how it can always smell new and inspiring, a modern classic I would say.
So, when I read Kenzo was enriching it with agarwood incense I thought it could only go better.
Well, if you wanna smell something new from Kenzo and Mr. Morillas, try Summer Kenzo. A beautiful floral, a green lilac I would say in one word, that sounds so new since I haven’t seen this note explored in recent compositions. November 4, 2005 at 10:14am
BoisdeJasmin: Rafael, I will definitely try myself, because I am also a fan of Alberto Morillas’s work. The Flower concept was certainly inspiring, and the sensequent variation was nice as well.
I have not tried Summer Kenzo yet, but I will make sure to do so. The green lilac mention by you is very appealing. November 4, 2005 at 11:57am