mindcandy pennies from the overgenerous lunatic

Perfume review: Shiseido Zen for Men

I love zen. i love how simple it is yet how mind boggling it makes things. Kinda like a virus in a computer. It is also the word used to describe the feeling when someone gets a very, very good and refreshing idea.

And somehow, i decided to buy a magazine that came with a small 1ml sampler which was only 1/2 filled. 0.5 ml worth of perfume. barely enough to cover my pits. I remember some samples being filled to the brim of the 1ml sampler.

Shiseido, a womanly, feminine brand has already released Zen for woman 2 years ago and has recently launched Zen for men. It features a topless guy in a highly artistic posse for the poster. the same, sadly cannot be said for the fragrance itself. The bottle looks like some modern japanese building.

the top notes consists of fruits. yes guys, fruits. A fruity male scent. Now add a scarf and the beret and start using the words fabulous and darling in a sultry way. No offense to the gay guys but fruity notes always gives that impression. The notes of kumquat and pear, laced with nutmeg should remind you of Vicks Vaporub as nutmeg pierces into your nose. The overpowering rhododendron lingers and blends with the earlier nutmeg with hints of sweet violet creates a semi-hypnotic feel. unfortunately, the vicks vaporub sensation that the nutmeg gives does not disappears with that. It then dries off to a musky, leathery feel tamed with patchouli, a very masculine but subtle scent, thanks to the mixture of leather, musk and patchouli which can be clearly distinguished.

And i must ask: where's the zen? if a man wears a fruity scent, is he a fruit? or what is the sound of one fruit clapping? to be manly by being unmanly? these are the type of koans that this scent will inspire.

I do like Zen for men, because it is very unusual. However, it is also, unfortunately a scent that screams MAMA'S BOY. Also, who wants to walk around smelling like vicks vaporub? I'd say that this is a really nice fragance, if it werent for the nutmeg's overpowering scent. Sniffing this scent reminds me of some kid who spilled fruit juice over his tummy which mom rubbed vicks on yesterday night, or rather the morning after you were rubbed with vicks and nutmeg oil because you were sick and mommy massaged you with it. That would be the only part of the fragrance that turned me off. When that dries off however, the base notes exude a distinct powdery masculine fragrance that is..metrosexual. Most guys will find it too feminine to pull off as even girls could use this perfume. It says its for me but in reality it is an unisex perfume. More towards the feminine side. It is too edgy for women, but any guy who uses it will be a fruit as well. It smells gay. Gay as in fabulastic, scarf and beret softie gay. A wood-based scent would have balanced out the femininty of the violet and rhododendron because musk and leather is just not heavy enough to weigh down the floral notes.

This is a great scent to use if you work in an office with a lot of guys, or if your boss is a guy as it will not challenge their dominance in the office. Girls will most probably notice the musky and leathery finish which will make them feel safe. This is one of those perfumes that you will need if you need to blend in and look invisible or lay low. or look gay. However, i believe gentlemen would find this scent condescending as it isnt too challenging. While it may not work for all men, it certainly will help some men soften up their image/personality...much like how an overly brash young man will need it to create the illusion of a gentleman. It's great to be used in special occasions, parties and the office but definitely not when you're having a date.

Well, perhaps it is natural that perfume houses that specialize in feminine perfumes and things come up with such a feminine-masculine scent. After all, Estee Lauder, Chanel and Lancome all had metrosexual male scents. Guess Shiseido will be joining them.