Aroma M "Geisha Blanche"

Aroma M fragrances hit my hat trick of 'want.' They are portable, have great longevity, and come in adorable packaging. The line produces both roller balls of perfume oils, and more traditional spray bottles of EDP, but my particular obsession is with the roller balls. They are small enough to tote in purse or pocket but big enough that they aren't likely to get lost or go through the wash accidentally. They come packaged in decorative rice paper and wrapped in a pouch made of kimono fabric. (Packaging win.) Also, and the oils I've tried thus far smell amazing.

My first Aroma M experience was Geisha Blanche. The promo copy suggests that wearing this oil will be soothing and will leave the wearer smelling like they've just stepped out of the shower after using expensive high-end soap. Please. Maybe I just don't get out much or stay in the right places, but I have never encountered soap that smelled this good. Yes, there is a soapiness to the fragrance but not at the opening. The opening is all creamy citrus and very light orange blossom to me. Then the soap comes in, and it smells like what you might get if you mixed the old formulation of Camay with the current white french soap from Avene, and set it out for hotel guests in heaven. I do get the 'fluffy white towel' accord about an hour in, as the scent starts to settle with my chemistry. If you are not a fan clean laundry scents, don't let the potential for towel note scare you - it's not laundry soapish smelling, or starched shirt smelling.

The closest I can get to explaining this note is to go back a looooong time. I can remember being small enough to sit, knees scrunched up, in a square laundry basket. I used to love to do this when sheets and towels came out of the dryer, so my mom could mound them on me and I'd be buried in the soft clean warmth. This is the smell of Geisha Blanche. It's the warmth part that is key, because it is not at all detergent-ish. The cotton scent is distinct from the soap scent, and I'm glad for that because it doesn't make it smell like Sunday-time-to-strip-the-beds washtime. Somehow, this fragrance actually smells like hot cotton, and creamy face soap, with a whisper of flowers and orange water.

Verdict: Lovely perfume, and easily the most soothing substance you can legally slip into your pocket for the price. 4 stars.

Available from LuckyScent, where I purchased my rollerball. Picture is from this same source.