Lisa Hoffman has launched Japanese Agarwood, the fifth fragrance in her Variations collection. Like the others in the range, Japanese Agarwood is packaged in a set of four versions designed to be worn at different times of the day and night (morning, daytime, evening and bedtime).
Rich and powerful with sweet woody notes mingled with a peculiar cedarwood bouquet. Within this complex, one also discovers mysterious earth nuances that are a delight to explore.
I will update with more detailed fragrance notes if I can find them. [Update: the description in a Lisa Hoffman email newsletter says "Inspired by the lush, natural oils from the rainforest. Subtle hints of Italian Bergamot, Spiced Ginger Accord, and Warm Amber evoke the sensual spirituality of the Far East".]
Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood is available in a set of four 5 ml perfume oil rollerballs, $150 in a leather case (as shown) or $90 for the refill bottles only. (via lisahoffmanskincare)
Other recent launches from Lisa Hoffman: Madagascar Orchid.
Has anyone smelled her previous releases? I'm of two minds about the concept; unless these variations-on-a-theme are really quite significantly different from each other, I'd just as soon take a pass. For this price — not exhorbitant, but not exactly cheap — I'd want terrific quality, too. I DO loves me some agarwood. . .
I have not smelled any of the earlier releases. I just had to share that “peculiar” is one of the funniest words that I've seen in ad copy yet! (It doesn't really have the most positive connotations).
I haven't! I'd try them if I saw them, but the concept doesn't really interest me much. And have to say– what a lousy description of a perfume! Obviously they are not counting on selling it online.
My guess is these sell at least OK if she keeps launching new ones? I wasn't certain, but just verified that agarwood is the same as oud: love it but don't need this round-the-clock gimmick, as I mentioned last time. Still like the cases though.
They aren't very widely distributed, so don't know that they sell like gangbusters but apparently somebody does buy them.
Is anyone else suspicious of the idea of wearing different strains of the same fragrance at different times of the day? Such specific formulations seem to indicate that every user has the same chemistry – which is obviously not the case. Unless I'm misunderstanding the point?
Not sure why chemistry would be an issue with these more than any other perfume? I mean, the day ones are lighter, the evening is heavier, I think the bedtime one is powdery. Those things shouldn't be chemistry-dependent.
The trees which produce agarwood are threatened and endangered species that are not under protection because the countries they are found in don't care. =( Plus, by the time this stuff reaches us, it's been through many hands, and is probably dilluted…so we're paying for people to wipe out endangered or threatened species, AND we're getting an inferior product. That's stupid.
http://www.naha.org/articles/agarwood_article.htm
Keli, It is true that agarwood is endangered in the wild, but there are sustainable agarwood plantations now, and beyond that, there's no reason to assume there's any real agarwood in this fragrance anyway. If there is, it isn't likely that there's much given that it's the same price as the other sets in the line.
I've smelled this fragrance along with the other Lisa Hoffman fragrances and I'm in love with this one. There is something very clean and satisfying about this smell. It sounds funny but I just want to bath myself in this fragrance. It's the same fragrance that is in the Spa Shower collection but it's more developed in the perfume line. The variations are really variations and the fragrances are different but they relate to one another and mesh really well when layered. I absolutely love this stuff and it's worth a try. You can always contact the people at Bergdorf Goodman or the Lisa Hoffman website and I think they'll send you a sample if you ask. I wish they made everything with this scent i.e. detergent, linen spray, shampoo etc etc…I'd buy it all. Sounds obsessive but I never liked a fragrance as much as I like this one.
Interesting, I don't usually think of agarwood as clean. Will have to give it a shot…