This is the only one I got from the “Image of Reality” series.
Gosh it’s just so beautiful and dramatic lol
And that pearlescent moon… makes me consider of perhaps adding a light behind when I put it on display.
Main notes of sandalwood and cedar. Tapos with rose, vetiver, musk, carrot seeds, cardamom, papyrus and silk. Although tbh di ko alam anong amoy ng silk lol
Powdery and airy, very woody. Not too complex nor deep. Talagang office friendly but high-end ung dating nya.
Kung ikukumpara sa other fragrances, sabi ng asawa ko more masculine and woody version daw ni Fleur de Peau. For me it’s like Tam Dao but without nung incense na simbahan scent.
Pero I saw online people say para siyang combination ng Another 13 and Santal 33. Same sila ng magic. Alam mo yung hahanap hanapin mo siya in the air? It feels transparent, like a skin-scent. Pero makapit siya, lalo na sa clothes.
I’m really glad to get the larger bottle. Kaso un lang, andami ko nang Byredo lol naman kasi ambango.
Mag open daw sila ng shop sa Greenbelt?
Let's say nagbabalak ka magka new phone this year and you have the budget naman. Why would you or would you not get the foldable iPhone Duo?
For context, I moved to Japan and found that fragrance culture is different here.
There's more importance placed upon how your smell is perceived by others, rather than going "I wear whatever I want". Especially in enclosed places where people can't escape your fragrance. Like inside trains and buses, restaurants, small shops, workplaces, etc.
People do wear fragrances in Japan, of course, but they mostly go for the softly wafting ones. Skin scents are used a lot, as well as those that smell clean and inoffensive.
>Seiketsu-kan (清潔感) is the Japanese cultural concept of giving off a neat, well-groomed, and fresh impression.
Those that make you smell out-of-the-shower, or wearing fresh laundry are also incredibly popular.
Fragrances that are gourmands, spicy, animalistic, leather/tobacco, or those with impressionable notes are still used. But they're used sparingly and only when you know you'll be spending time mostly walking outdoors in the open air.
Even now I sometimes hesitate to wear fragrances, especially to work. I've made a compromise to wear ones that turn into a personal bubble, rather than announcing myself to everyone the room.
For example during cooler months (autumn/winter), I wear Byredo's Gypsy Water which is known to have a lighter projection. It has notes of juniper berries, sandalwood, incense, lemon & bergamot, vanilla, pine needles, amber.
I do two sprays under clothes before heading out. In the afternoon, I reapply its lotion on my pulse points. When I move, I can enjoy my fragrance without disturbing others.
How about you guys? What fragrance in your collection would you wear in Japan?
Yung mga "Hay nako, buti na lang talaga... at least..." na bumubuhay sayo through the year.
I know my wife likes black & white.
Saw her scrolling for some outfits and they were those colors. And she mentioned something like “Japanese akubi” fashion.
The new release looks just like that style, so I got a box and got this perfect birdy. (I dunno why but it looks like a bird to me lol)
I’ve put it on one of her black bags. I’m gonna leave it on her dresser to find when she comes home. I’m excited to see her reaction.
That smile and half-lidded eyes. And that clown outfit is just…
I dunno what to feel about the design.
May trip kasi kami, eh kulang ung maleta.
So nag halughog kami sa bahay. Just in case may nakatagong maleta sa kwarto.
Ayun. May nahanap naman kami and… VOILA. Merong naka siksik na pera!
I know forfeit na yung value netong cash, kasi napag lumaan na ung currency. Hay sayang, pang souvenir na lang siya.
I've tried LV Imagination, it's soapy and citrusy.
I've tried Wulóng Chá, it's fresh and citrusy.
I've tried Matcha Meditation, it's sweet and floral.
I've tried Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea, it's powdery and floral.
But why is it that I don't smell the tea? I smell the other notes, only those other notes, but no tea.
I'm a big tea lover and I have it everyday (I live in Japan). Green tea is grassy, bitter, and green. And if roasted, then it's nutty, and sometimes a bit like seaweed (like oolong tea).
So now I'm wondering if my nose cannot smell the tea note used in fragrances.
Perhaps the tea note talked about in fragrances is a misnomer, and that it's actually NOT a literal tea smell, but something else.
Or maybe the tea fragrances I've tested are different from actual tea fragrances.
I don't know, and I've always been embarrassed to ask because everyone else is talking about tea fragrances as if it's so obvious.
What in the world is "tea note"?
Sabi nila vetiver ang main note ni Bal d'Afrique, pero halos wala akong mahagilap. Ang fruity and creamy nya for me. Nasan si vetiver?
I know Byredo is known for subtle scents. Naisip ko baka need nya ng help to push that note outwards.
Meron akong isa pang vetiver-forward na fragrance, and that's why isa to sa absolute fave ko talaga from Diptyque. So I thought, why not layer it with Vetyverio.
Pareho silang powdery and fresh, citrusy and bright. Summery.
At ayun nga, ambango nila. Na-balance yung sweet fruitiness ni Bal d'Afrique with the powdery dryness ni Vetyverio. Mas lalo silang naging unisex together. Clean and soapy fresh!
Hay, mukhang meron nakong magiging staple combo ah.
We're going through a brutal summer in Japan. I thought I'd be safe doing some layering of "subtle" summery scents today to work.
Something bright, powdery, citrusy perhaps. Wouldn't that be refreshing and wonderful? My selfish ass actually thought that what I'm doing would be a treat for my coworkers.
I did a couple of sprays of ISO E super and a full spray of Diptyque's Vetyverio EDT each of my shoulders.
Grabbed my bottle of Eau des Sens and did a spray each on my waist.
Put on my undershirt, and then a polo on top. Then my monkey brain entertained another selfish idea. How about adding a cool herbal touch?
So I did 3 sprays of Aesop Tacit on my shirt's lower back, so that it'll make a sillage as I walk.
That's like a total of 10 sprays. Mind you I had to ride my bicycle to work under the brutal summer sun.
I arrived at my desk all sweaty and hot. My skin burning the alcohol on those fragrances like crazy for sure and making my 10 sprays of fragrance hotpot to explode within that enclosed AC office space.
Immediately the guy beside me pointed and offered I take the empty desk out in the corner because, and he said, "It's probably cooler out there."
A few minutes later, my coworker on my other side across the aisle literally covered his nose with his shirt. The guy who tried to make me sit at that other desk opted to sit out there himself.
At first I thought I was probably overthinking this, these fragrances are mostly skin scents with a low projection. But I was just feeling shame and regret, I bolted out to the restroom and tried my best to wash it off with soap and water.
I then spent the next half an hour outside in the hallway, pretending to be on the phone with a fake call, waiting until I stopped smelling like a basket of broken fragrance bottles.
Oh my god, I'm so sorry guys.
I admit na naging hypocrite ako, kasi initially sabi ko never ako kukuha ng Aesop. I always considered it overpriced. Tapos eto ako ngaun, meron nang dalawa lol
Tacit: Napaka refreshing wow. Very green sa unang spray pa lang, herbal and dry. Nakaka relax para akong nasa spa or luxury resort. Pero sabi ng asawa ako naaalala daw nya yung Salonpas haynako. Anyway masarap gamitin during hot weather, instant coolness feeling, parang minty halos. Mapapalingon ka pag naamoy mo to talaga, it's good.
Hwyl: Magnetic nya for me. Kaso ang hirap ma-describe eh, basta addicting yung amoy nya in the air. Hahabulin mo siya. I guess medyo mysterious ang aura nya? Da best to if you’re in AC kasi bagay siya sa cooler temps. It smells like how chai latte tastes. Yung nasa cold copper mug sa isang bougie tea shop. Sana that makes sense.
I heard mabango rin si Eidesis and Eremia, and also Marrakech Intense.
Kayo ba, anong nagustuhan nyo/meron kayo from Aesop?
Binenta sakin at a hugely discounted price yung 50ml bottle kasi hindi na raw mashadong nagagamit. Na-excite naman ako kasi antagal ko nang gustong magka Aesop.
It's not really a blind buy, kasi nakapunta nako sa shop nila dati. Wala lang ako naalalang nag stand out to me from their lineup that time. Kaso I figured ang rare magka-chance ng ganito. So I bought the bottle.
Mmmm... ang fresh, herbal, dry. Kabaliktaran ng malagkit na feeling, very cool talaga on spray. Perfect sa mainit na panahon. Refreshing.
Yes ma-citrus siya, pero yung green notes mostly ang maaamoy mo. But not green na amoy halaman ah, but more of parang green herbs. Like yung mga thyme, sage, basil, rosemary ganun.
It doesn't smell dated nor mature. Tsaka it's truly unisex.
At ang una ko pang naisip, wow hindi siya amoy perfume/cologne ah. It smells natural, para kang pumasok sa isang room or space. Like an expensive spa sa isang luxury hotel.
So kapag naamoy mo siya, it's not really "Wow, ambango niya!" But more like "Wow, ambango dito!" Sana may sense tong pinagsasabi ko lol
Tapos meron siyang soft powdery note. Nung tiningnan ko yung scent profile niya online, apparently meron pala siyang vetiver. And I love vetiver, daily driver ko si Vetyverio (Diptyque) at my workplace.
Hindi malayo yung projection nya. So maganda to kapag ayaw mong mang-bulabog. Kunwari at work, school, or pag may lakad ka at takot kang mangamoy pabango ng sobra. Tipong maaamoy ka lang nila pag kasama ka nila.
Tsaka long lasting din ha. Nagspray ako nung umaga, even after lunch naaamoy ko pa rin siya on me pag gumagalaw ako.
Medyo malakas lang. Nung nag two sprays ako sa side of my neck, it felt like nagtapal ako ng Salonpas with Vicks sa ilong ko lol napilitan akong hugasan tuloy. But in the air, yes ang fresh, luxurious, and comforting nya.
Gets ko na bakit sikat. Sana lang hindi ka ganun ka expensive.
Feeling ko amoy "mature" na rin yung habol ko, ganun ata pag nagkaka edad na.
Hindi na ganun amoy kwela nor youthful na usually sweet and loud. Ang pabango namin ngaun kasi yung mga comfortable subtle scents na.
I admit. Up until nung early 30s ako, Axe body spray talaga gamit ko. Tapos nadiskubre ko and fell down the rabbit hole of the world of fragrances.
Nagsimula ako sa basics like Cool Water, tapos kumuha ako ng designers like Bleu de Chanel, tapos ngaun eto... nagaadik nako sa high-end niche and other fragrance houses tulad ni Diptyque.
Kami ng asawa ko puro unisex bottles kuha namin, tapos share share na lang kami. Kaya yun ang justification namin na hati naman kami, so oks lang kahit medyo pricey lol
Kayo ba, gumagamit ba kayo ng pabango? Ano gamit niyo?
Kami ng asawa ko we fell in love with the house of Diptyque.
We discovered Diptyque a few years ago. Eto nag-grow na ung collection namin. Lalo na with the summer scents na kinuha namin this month (Eau des Sens and Ilio).
Medyo nakakahilo lang yung presyo if you get the large sizes… pero ung level of sophistication and yung quality.
Yung feeling pag nagspray ka after maligo, pag naamoy mo siya throughout the day sa hangin. Ay, and the compliments!
Tsaka yung sound ha. Alam mo yung tunog ng cap pag sinara mo siya with one finger. Yung tunog ng glass when the bottles clink together.
Sorry, mashadong specific lol
Pero ang nagustuhan ko sa kanya, yung kahit ang unique ng scents pero hindi sila offensive. Skin-scent many of them, at talagang safe for office or school.
Best of all… unisex! Salitan kami ng asawa ko with each bottle.
Not saying lahat gusto namin. May mga scents sila na talagang hindi bagay sa climate natin. At hindi rin naman bagay sakin lol
Kaso kumpara sa other fragrance houses, eto talaga ang pinaka marami naming na-collect.
Kayo ba, anung nagustuhan niyo kay Diptyque?
Especially yung mga "DINKs" (dual income, no kids).
Kesyo sayang daw, aanhin niyo pera wala kayong anak, sino magaalaga sa inyo, you'll regret it.
Hindi ba mas-selfish magkaanak and think of them like a retirement fund/caretaker?
Keeping that fire alive in our 40s 🔥
Well known si Acqua di Parma for their summer fragrances. Tapos yung bestseller nila is Fico di Amalfi, a fig note summer fragrance.
Pero nung ginamit ko siya, I realized na medyo overpowering ung other notes. Halos wala na yung fig, puro citrus lang ang naaamoy ko.
Since I have Philosykos, naisip ko maybe I can use that to boost the fig note?
Uy, ambango. Yung sweet creamy fig and wet green notes ng Philosykos + that fresh burst of powdery citrus ng Fico di Amalfi. The ultimate layering combo, especially on hot days.
Granted, medyo mahina and performance nila. So sakto lang na I can do 3 spritz for each one, and yet hindi siya mag overspray. Hindi siya heavy, musky, cloyingly sweet.
It's watery and refreshing, creamy and slightly fruity, aromatic green na powdery, at talagang completely unisex.
Kakarating lang nya kanina. Unang spray pa lang gets ko na bakit isa to sa most popular.
Ay… Mabango nga.
Luxurious cologne ang peg, citrusy. Saktong freshness, hindi matapang or masakit sa ilong. Pede for office or school pag mainit.
Fruity pero talagang hindi sweet. Perfect for high heat. Apparently, “fig” ang main note nya (fico).
But ibang iba dun sa Philosykos na meron din ako. Yun kasi coconut milky, eto fruity green na fresh. Mas amoy cologne to, at sabi ni misis amoy bagong ligo. Pogi points daw.
Sige eto gamitin ko bukas lol
Mas prefer namin yung hair mists nila, kasi it's a perfect travel size and mas light yung scent profile nya.
Not to mention grabe, one of the best spray nozzles talaga. Fine mist cloud, ang sarap i-spray. Wala pang alcohol content, so pedeng gamitin without fear na nakaka dry sa hair, clothes, or skin.
Naubos na namin yung unang bottles namin. So we bought new ones, tig-isa kami.
And merong included na novelty item yung summer collection nila. We got this Japanese 'uchiwa' na may artwork and engraved na Diptyque sa wood handle. Perfumed pa siya, so it smells like Ilio!
Medyo nakakapang-hinayang gamitin, display na lang namin.
(Sa Japan kami bumili.)