• Parfums des Beaux Arts by DSH Bancha EDP Natural Perfume Review

    Date: 2010.08.25 | Category: fragrance | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    Parfums des Beaux Arts by DSH Banacha is a 100% botanical, natural fragrance. I usually fall hard for botanical fragrances because they are typically very long-wearing but very close-wearing. Parfums des Beaux Arts by DSH Bancha is described as

    ” In alignment with nature, this refreshing fragrance eases us through transitional months, as signs of vitality begin to resurface all around. Bancha’s earthy-green notes are inspired by the fresh tones of the traditional Japanese tea of the same name and comprised of essences used in traditional ayurvedic healing, to ensure complete wellness through the scent’s simple meditation. Let’s welcomes spring’s fresh start…”

    Being a natural perfume, I feel that Bancha really adjusts to my skin depending on different variables, heat, etc. It seems to be a different fragrance every time I wear it. In cooler weather it is much more “warm” and mossy. In warmer weather it is much more refreshing and citrus. Because of this, I’ve had to spend much time sampling it, examining it. This review was written on a mid-60′s day.

    Rows of fresh green tea with Mount Fuji

    green tea fields and Mount Fuji

    At first Bancha is very tart citrus on me. It isn’t a juicy citrus, you can tell it’s the peel of limes, green mandarin, yuzu, very tart. There is a green freshness with the tartness. It does smell like an herb garden. I can’t distunguish the different herbs, I just get “green”. The greeness is very “alive”. These aren’t dried herbs. The greens mix with the citrus. Eventually this fragrance begins to smell a bit “juicy” on me. I love that this fragrance uses jasmine to add sweetness. The jasmine in Bancha reminds me of sweet, dried jasmine tea. Florals are present in Bancha, but they aren’t feminine. The base is what really works for me. I get the faintest terpenoid from pine needles. The fragrance wears mossy on me, dry mossy (I’m in Western Washington, I know my mosses). The scent becomes a bit foresty, a dry, summer forest. DSH’s Bancha is a wonderful interpretaion of bancha (a “mature” green tea with a hay-like aroma). Bancha has the green freshness of green tea because of the addition of green herbs. The tart citrus notes make the scent refreshing. The jasmine adds a tea-like quality to the fragrance. And the base of moss, pine needles, and woods are what make this “bancha” and not any other green tea fragrance. The base makes this one dry, pastoral. But, it never smells “dirty”. The florals, citrus, and greens keep this smelling clean, fresh. Being a natural perfume, it wears for a long time.

    Parfums des Beaux Arts by DSH Bancha is a very relaxing, soothing perfume. It’s a cup of hot bancha. This fragrance wears closely to the skin, it seems to work with the wearer. It’s amazing how it transforms to your body chemistry. It’s a very intuitive fragrance. Some fragrances can be described as “sexy” or “flirty”, something you may wear for someone else. DSH Bancha is meditative. It’s a fragrance you wear for yourself.

    Notes listed include green mandarin, lime peel, spearmint, yuzu, centifolia rose, holy basil, jasmine, pine needle, Australian sandalwood, Himalyan cedar, and moss.

    Give DSH’s Bancha a try if you like tea fragrances. It’s very difficult for me to compare Bancha to other fragrances so I have to think of fragrances that are somewhat similiar. Give it a try if you like perfumes like Parfums de Nicolai Vie de Chateau Eau Fraiche EDT, L’Occitane Green Tea with Jasmine EDT, Creed Silver Mountain Water EDP, Sisley Eau de Campagne EDT, and/or Shieseido Zen Eau de Cologne.

    The 1 oz. EDP retails for $70. Other sizes are available on DSH’s website and beautyhabit.com.

    Want more reviews? Try…

    Scenthive

    Perfume Shrine

    Perfume-Smellin’ Things

    *Disclaimer: I received a sample of this product from DSH. I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. My opinions are my own.