TBA by Josie Natori, 2009

Natori Natori

Notes: aldehydes, rose, plum, ylang-ylang, purple peony, night-blooming jasmine, patchouli, amber and satin musk accord (from Now Smell This)

Milky aldehydes, brandied cherries, rose and amber are the notes that I notice most in Natori. It is a beautifully composed, rich feminine floral with one foot in the classical genre and another in the modern day. Several different fragrances came to mind as I experienced the development. Natori's creamy, aldehydic rose is evocative of YSL Rive Gauche. The boozy aspect and rose-amber drydown reminds me of Chanel Coco's liquored floral heart and spicy sweet finish. The deep drydown is is incredibly enjoyable with something that seems a bit like tart rose-hip preserves and very subtle vanilla powder notes, not unlike By Kilian's Liaisons Dangereuses. The overall effect is reminiscent of Chanel 31 Rue Cambon but without the soured fruit.

There is nothing really innovative about Natori, and it most definitely hits all the right buttons for a modernized take on a traditional fragrance form. I was wondering if I should stop comparing it to other fragrances and simply enjoy it on its own merits. On the other hand, there are days when any of the comparison fragrances I mentioned are not quite right--Rive Gauche may be too dated, Coco too loud, Liaisons Dangereuses too expensive and 31 Rue Cambon a bit off-putting, depending on skin chemistry. In this sense, Natori finds a comfortable intersection of "just right" that makes it an incredibly wearable, delicate but substantial, lovely and feminine fragrance.