Description
“Tokyo is the inspiration behind a new fragrance, the seventh in the Gallivant collection, launched globally in September 2018.
Zingy, spicy, woody – a playful tribute to kōdō – the Japanese Way of Fragrance. Says Nick Steward: “I love travelling to Tokyo. I’ve been going there for over twenty years and I’m continually fascinated by the place, the people, the food, the style, the language – the finesse and attention to detail. What I am trying to evoke with this fragrance is that very special feeling of early morning in the city. The air is humid and misty. Wandering the back
streets, electric cables overhead, everything is tranquil and surprisingly quiet – like being in a village with small wooden houses.” “I also wanted to capture the tastes of izakaya eateries, fruits, spices, wasabi – sour and sweet
– a zing on your tongue. The earthy dampness of potted plants outside shrines and wooden temples. It’s refined, spiritual – the kōdō ceremony – sandalwood and smoky incense. A calm elegance amid the big city neon energy.”
Tokyo is a zingy, spicy, woody fragrance. A citrusy head of yuzu and bergamot with black pepper and cardamom, electrified with a dash of wasabi. A woody heart of hinoki, cedarwood, and incense, with iris, rose and nutmeg, on a base of amber, sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver.” – a note from the brand.
The nose behind this fragrance is Nicolas Bonneville.
makei023 – :
The fragrance of Tokyo portrays, through its creative concept, the Japanese art of enjoying the incense, known as Kōdō. It is one of the three classic Japanese arts of great refinement, although it is a practically unknown activity in Japan, nowadays.
According to Nick Steward, Creative Director of the company: “The earthy dampness of potted plants outside shrines and wooden temples. It’s refined, spiritual – sandalwood and smoky incense. A calm elegance amid the big city neon energy.”
Tokyo has notes of yuzu, bergamot, black pepper, and cardamom, plus a dash of wasabi, on top of the composition. Then, the body of the fragrance brings the woody notes of hinoki and cedar, as well as iris root, nutmeg, rose, and incense, on a base of amber, sandalwood, patchouli, and vetiver.
On the skin, Tokyo shows us a completely different side from the one we are used to when we think of fragrances of Japanese origin that are full of citric content. It is indispensable to understand the concept of this creation in order to take advantage of every nuance of this Incense Ceremony, created by young and talented perfumer Nicolas Bonneville. That’s because Tokyo is practically an incense perfume, from start to finish.
To understand Tokyo, you must imagine the incense burning on the ember, as if it were made with the base notes, always warm. Now imagine a few pinches of pepper being sprinkled together with cardamom seeds and a bitter wasabi paste, which makes a low sound while it melts. To keep the smoke stronger during the ceremony, chips of hinoki (a cypress of Japanese origin with woody and lemony scent) are added, reinforcing a refreshing smell in the air. The prayers gain strength, while drops of essential oil of roses fall on the embers. Finally, a creaminess emerges, as the smoke dissipates in the air and the fiery red gives way to the white color of the ashes.
In terms of projection, the fragrance of Tokyo is not as explosive as of Tel Aviv or London but exudes non-stop and without bothering other people around. It does not evolve much, but it has good longevity. To conclude, I believe it will please the male audience more than the female audience, but it is one of those indispensable items for those who enjoy incense fragrances.
Dima AREY – :
Designed as a modern wood spice, this perfume is a mishmash of notes that unfortunately does not quite work in evoking the imagery of either Tokyo or Japan. The opening notes are citrus (yuzu barely detectable), wasabi, pepper and cardamom. The heart showcases incense, rose, cedar (hinoki undetectable), iris (so prominent, why?), and nutmeg (another why?). The base is patchouli, sandalwood, amber and vetiver. Unisex (slightly feminine leaning) with moderate sillage, longevity and projection. It is not a totally bad perfume, but it is fairly generic, somewhat pedestrian and not particularly memorable. It is however an inexpensively priced niche and may attract those looking for safe and quiet but somewhat different scent. Enjoy!
onga – :
I smell immortelle in top notes, then yuzu, strong pepper, hinoki and sandalwood into dry-down, where it becomes less aftershavey and slightly more unisex I think.
I definitely recognise yuzu as it’s in Opus by Penhaligon’s (which a male friend of mine wears) and in Eau de Soleil by Cartier. I find it has a nice bitter sweetness that seems to really suit spicy perfumes of this nature.
Hinoki I’m familiar with from Aroma M’s lovely Hinoki Vanilla perfume, which has a delicious juicy lemon and naturalistic vanilla to soften it, making it more typically feminine I suppose
I find Tokyo a touch too similar in scent to lots of aftershaves I’m familiar with, so I wouldn’t wear it myself, it’s nice, though not particularly unusual.
zsi303Bessinepome – :
I enjoy the whole line, but Istanbul and Tokyo stand out to me.
Tokyo takes a harsh scent like wasabi and makes it light, easy going, and wearable. How? A casual mix of fresh and spicy cardamom, a lemony green accord in the mid called “Hinoki”, sweet powdery iris a la Dior Homme Eau, creamy santal, and softly sharp pepper and incense notes. The result is a unique fresh-spice scent that will refresh in the heat and comfort in the cold, be bearable in all condition, and just right for all occasions. Soft, personable, and a touch quirky, Tokyo by Gallivant is certainly worth a full bottle.
tolik2505 – :
Tokyo adds another interesting variation to the Gallivant catalog, a fragrance dominated by incense but with resins, woods, and some florals.
Incense accompanied by notes of amber, cedar, sandalwood, rose, and iris provide a colorful experience.
I admit I’m not intimately familiar with yuzu or hinoki, though, as much as wasabi is a familiar spicy element that adds some flair despite the incense itself seeming rather sober and easy-to-wear.
The scent is surely year-round-wearable but pivots to colder weather, categorically, a nod to the cooler weather experienced in temperate Japan. Its performance is slightly above average on projection and a bit better on longevity, and certainly contains the art and creativity meriting its niche pricing of $95 for 30ml.
Toyko makes for another neat entry, increasing diversifying the catalog of Gallivant, which is becoming deep and rich with variant influences.
7 out of 10
aksel – :
First impressions from the sample: I am in love.
Beautiful zesty, green opening with slight incense and even a bit salty dry-down, very calming scent. Instantly it reminded me of Aqua Fahrenheit which I adore and slightly of BdC, but Tokyo is very calm, comforting, slightly powdery delight.
Can not wait to explore it further, could be my new favorite from the Gallivant.
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