Keiko Mecheri Embruns (2014) {New Perfume}

Keiko Mecheri has launched a new masculine fragrance called Embruns which is inspired not only explicitly by the motif of the maritime landscape in perfumery but perhaps even more essentially for the house artistic director by Zen philosophy...

According to the ad copy,

"In Zen philosophy, two notions of time coexist: the melancholic beauty of the ephemera opposes the immutability of all things. Keiko Mecheri perfectly illustrates in her olfactive creations these two concepts of time; the time passing that inspires her and the sheer notes that reveal the petrified character of the infinite."

This is the third opus which draws on a Zen inspiration after Génie des Bois and Bois de Santal.

Composition includes notes of yuzu, sancho pepper, cardamom, salt, citruses, spices, fine sake, white almond, orris, suede leather, incense, woods, amber, toasted tonka beans, vanilla, sandalwood, cedarwood.

It might seem a bit surprising to confer a Zen-influenced perfume with gender characteristics such as describing it as a masculine perfume. Something here feels like a narrowing down of the idea after it seems to open up expanses of thoughts, to the point where it borders on inconsistency.

Price: $115 for 75 ml of eau de parfum.