Description
“This Winter I found a scent of unusual richness, elegance and singularity. It is a scent of peace and warmth for me: Hinoki, the Japanese Cypress. With this scent, I feel enveloped, warmed and calmed… it’s just what i need for the dark and colder months of Winter.” – DSH
oil essence samples are 1/3 full.
katykatt (verified owner) –
This is not a dark fragrance on me. Instead, it is a clean and calm wood fragrance that somehow gives me a tactile memory of running my hands on perfectly smooth unvarnished wood. The drydown is somewhat sweet yet still woody. This is a very easy, lovely fragrance to wear.
leenichol (verified owner) –
Hinoki opens with a flash of the pungent bitter-sweetness of raw Hinoki oil. Right away, though, it morphs into something quite different…a “cultured” Hinoki. This perfume is redolent of the scent of lacquered Hinoki, which retains the scent of the raw wood and oil, but enters new territory altogether.
Traditional lacquered Hinoki uses none of the modern chemicals now associated with “lacquer.” Traditional Asian lacquer is the sap of the Japanese urushi tree. So when Hinoki wood is lacquered, one is applying layers of this sap onto the raw Hinoki.
This perfume is the scent of that combination – raw Hinoki fused with urushi sap. When I first applied it I had to sit down, as it made me weak in the knees with its beauty and old-world mystery. And then I realized why the impact was so strong. It smells exactly like the interior side of a Noh theater mask. These masks are carved from Hinoki cypress, and the exteriors are painted in accord with the character the mask is intended to represent.
But the interior is lightly lacquered, and when used for decades or even centuries, the fragrance is utterly unique, utterly specific. This is that scent! Dawn, I have no idea how you worked this wizardry, but I am beside myself with happiness. Thank, thank you!
DSHPerfumes –
This review makes me blush in gratitude to know that I have hit the mark. I am not familiar enough to know what a seasoned hinoki mask would smell like, but I love that my Hinoki design hits it! This is a wonderful reference… thank you for sharing your impression! <3
anadevice (verified owner) –
This is amazingly realistic, and just a tiny dot is so fragrant. The wood is smooth and rich with a golden warmth, very comforting and immediately recognizable as hinoki. There’s a fresh, aromatic quality that makes me think of a peaceful forest. The aromatic notes are absolutely gorgeous, not too green or spicy, just that fresh, zesty heat that is unique to hinoki and hiba woods.
This is incredibly complex for a single note and could easily be worn alone but would be just as lovely layered.
aliendumpling –
This hinoki oil is warm, rich, and meditative. I feel as if I’m being wrapped in a comforting, woody scented blanket when I wear it! I’ll admit I have never had the pleasure of smelling hinoki wood in real life, but this is what I imagine it’s like. I’ve tried quite a few perfumes featuring hinoki and this is the one I keep going back to. The oil extrait is truly impressive both in sillage and longevity – a little goes a long way!
noelle7432 (verified owner) –
Mmmmm very meditative. Hinoki isn’t a fragrance I’d wear out–I typically like more feminine or slightly sweet fragrances–but this activates that part of my brain that triggers relaxation, in a similar way that clary sage also does for me.
Hinoki has the humidity and coolness that i experienced in a redwood tree forest, but also a subtle brightness to it, which i think is the lemon. Its not noticeable as lemon, but its there. There also is a subtle musk, which I think is patchouli (now that I look patchouli up), which is providing that cool forest earthiness. This combination is perfect for something dark and relaxing without being heavy.