Asian Green Tea / Creed ♥ Green Tea / Elizabeth Arden

8 Oct

I’ve been on the search for an authentic “green tea” fragrance for the longest time, so today I went out of my way to acquire this bottle by Creed called Asian Green Tea. On the same note, I also purchased the uniquely popular Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden (for comparison).


First off, I am extremely picky regarding chypre fragrances, the combination of citrus and labdanum on a bed of oak moss has the potential to smell like synthetic floor wipes to my nose. And unfortunately this seems to be the case with GT; there’s something commercial about this fragrance…the citrus and mint are horribly sweetened and smells processed to boot.

This is a frag that I have smelled before; like being inside one of those retail stores such as Origins and The Bodyshop. It’s generally the same: start off fresh, and then settles into something sweet and Lysol-ish.

When I think of green tea I think of oriental tea leaves with a good balance of citrus and mint, it should be refreshing but not aggressive. So this takes me to Creed’s Asian Green Tea, which I LOVE. It is timid in nature, smells soothing, wholesome, and feels full-bodied. I never realized how musk can produce such an unusual accord when combined with tea and orange. The citrus notes felt subdued by the sandalwood and amber, with floral undertones to mask any sourness that might peek through.

Overall evocative of having a cup of tea while surrounded by spring flowers; AGT is clean and fresh without being in your face about it.

Creed perfumes in general are outrageously priced, but their sillage/longevity are amazing.   Personally if you are in the market for a tea fragrance, this one (in my opinion) takes the cake. However, if you’re not keen on Creed then Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea may be a sensible substitute.


Asian Green Tea by Creed

Top Notes
Bergamot /Orange /Lemon /Neroli
 
Middle Notes
Violet/ Green Tea/ Heliotrope /Rose/ Black Currant
 
Base Notes
Sandalwood /Musk /Amber


 Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden
Top Notes
Rhubarb /Mint /Orange/ Bergamot /Lemon
 
Middle Notes
Carnation /Musk /Jasmine /Oakmoss /Amber/ Fennel
 
Base Notes
Caraway /Amber /Musk /Green Tea /Jasmine /Cloves /Oakmoss /Celery Seeds

Untold / Elizabeth Arden

30 Sep
My goal this week was to experiment with different base pyramids, test out unusual compositions, and giving second chances to notes that initially repelled me. I was on a quest to discover why I disliked pear scents when combined with something nutty (like almonds), so I figured it would be best to combine an ingredient that I love (spices/patchouli) with pear to hopefully bring out its character.

That being said, today I received this gorgeous crystalline bottle of Untold by Elizabeth Arden. It was not love at first sniff, the pear and gardenia was overwhelming. I am extremely prejudiced of sugary fragrances, and the first layer of Untold reminded me heavily of Prada Candy. A fragrance so sweet that I imagined myself swimming in a sea of hot caramel and honey syrup; I am still recovering from that traumatic experience by the way lol.

However Untold had an unexpected surprise for me, after fifteen minutes the amber and patchouli mysteriously appeared and I went from being completely repelled to absolutely in love. The dry down transformed into something delicate and creamy…like a soft vanilla spice. I think pink pepper really complimented the patchouli in this fragrance; combined it gave the floral notes a much deserved lift that made it remarkably feminine and sensual.

Overall I feel Untold would be great for the office woman, or as a nightly routine. It is inoffensively gentle and not incessantly commanding like most fragrances in this category. I love that it isn’t aggressively sexy, vying instead to leave things to the imagination, very classy indeed.


Top Notes
Pink Pepper /Bergamot /Pear /Cassis
 
Middle Notes
Jasmine / Gardenia
 
Base Notes
Patchouli /Amber /Musk