A Scent (2009)
by Issey Miyake

At 1st spray, I didn't think this was going to go well....

But an hour in, I really like it! It's different from most of the scents I have. Probably will use it in fall and winter, but it's working well on this chilly Spring day....

Genre: Green

Issey Miyake’s A Scent is a knife-edge sharp green fragrance that smells as if compounded of equal parts tomato leaf, galbanum, laundry detergent, and household glass cleaner. It is no doubt meant to be clean, fresh, and modern. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the brief to the perfumers was to “make an updated White Linen.”

In the event, what has emerged is a crude, chemical gloss on the Lauder classic – what White Linen might smell like were it made on a quarter of its budget for ingredients. I’m no great fan of White Linen to begin with, and this mildly caustic brew is no improvement.

For a green scent that’s paradoxically acerbic and appealing, I’d recommend Jean-Claude Elléna’s obscure but fascinating Eau de Campagne, which was done for Sisley way back in the 1970s, but smells like something Comme des Garçons might have released last week. It’s challenging and refreshing, yet consummately wearable, with a surprising vetiver drydown that completely trounces the white musk and screechy florals on offer from Miyake.

Fresh, greengrass, somehow ozonic pungent opening (they say verbena, I'd say citral and calone), some white floral notes with light and slightly milky musks, a hint of sparkling ginger, some bittersweet fruity accents – almost pimiento-like. Light vetiver base. After a while it pops out a weird camphor-rubbery feel. Overall a cold, static, metallic, linear, artificial scent – sadly, not in an "avant-garde" meaning (forget CdG, Escentric or nu_be or other brands like these), rather a scent which wants to look pleasantly green and safe with just a hint of a – safe, again - "minimal look". Where "minimal" then turns into "anonym". Trendy and uninspired.

5/10

the first time i tried on a magazine sample i thought it was great scent but i decided to buy it first spray in my wrist ohhhh i felt like going to throw up and afterwards gave me headache so disappointed i still could feel some notes of jasmine after while reminds a little bit of light blue docce gabbana i thought it was waste money by this particular perfume

I bought this the year it came out for my mother for Christmas. She is VERY difficult to please with her fragrances, as she doesn't like them too sweet or heavy or acidic. She loves 'A Scent,' and now I get it for her every year. The original (not the pink floral other version of this scent) is light and fresh, yet warms up on the skin, and lingers subtly. Because it is slightly "dry" it could almost be a unisex scent. Highly recommended fragrance that is fresh, yet elegant and can be worn day or night, at work or play.