Zen for Men (2009)
by Shiseido

Seriously???? Not worth a purchase. Very cheap smell

Very obvious and mainstream. I have smelled it before somewhere. If you want something cheaper and much more rewardfing to the nose stick to Joop Jump.

Synthetic fruit juice like thousands other drugstore scents. Pass.

I like this one and the more I wear it, the more soothing and relaxing I find it to be. It's no Basala and is more mainstream than I would like it to be but it doesn't deserve the bashing it gets in my opinion.

The opening is fruity and fresh. The unique nashi note is clearly there. The fragrance does become louder afterwards with the heart notes. The combination of the violets and the musk is apparent from the beginning, which reminds me of Narciso Rodriguez for him (by Kurkdjian, of course). The nutmeg gives it a soft and warm feel and I enjoy this spice in fragrances for this reason. I'm not sure what rhododendron is supposed to smell like, however, and can't identify it.

There is a slight smokiness that develops midway and I suspect it's part of the otherwise muted leather note that rises up slowly but what's more noticeable to me is the musk again. It is sweet and not animalic. The patchouli is part of the profile but takes a back seat here. It only shines more in warmer temperatures.

I also get a slight vanillic sweetness in the base (or maybe the nutmeg is still at work). It could also be Shiseido's "calming" signature note that reportedly is used here. Whatever it is, it gives the scent a particular Japanese feel. One of the most interesting aspects of this scent is that the sweetness sort of oozes all of a sudden and comes out in bursts out of nowhere.

I recommend taking your time with this one. I did a 180 on it because of that strange and soothing sweet note. Don't dismiss it quickly.

I don't see the need for overbashing this fragrance. I, for instance, find it quite pleasant and soothing. It is not revolutional or something way new but there is a hint of distinctiveness in it. I'll give it thumb up, I might even own it in the near future.