Noseworthy Discoveries d’Annam Chapters 1-3
D’Annam is a fine fragrance house based in Vietnam with three collections rooted in the “deep tapestry of Asian cultures”, with their perfumes inspiring “calmness, delight & inclusivity”. They have a particularly pointed approach that resonates with me – “a respectful study of local heritage & its delicate nuances”, partnering with local artists to honor these Asian cultures in the most authentic ways. When building Ethéré Parfum & my own collections, I also wanted to keep an ethnobotanical approach to my cultural studies background and build my formulas off genuineness rather than what is trending or what “classically smells good together”.
D’Annam does a beautiful job of combining both ingenuity and traditional craftsmanship, highlighting both the past present and future in these mostly unisex, mostly all-year-round fragrances. Particularly in Chapter 1, one can really tell the company has put a lot of effort into research and presentation. Their delightful discovery sets have everything – a clean yet colorful aesthetic, a story-driven approach to each sample, and even provides you with testing strips (something that I feel ALL discovery sets should have!). With each whiff, I could tell that they use well-thought-out ingredients and safe fragrance materials (plus, the packaging is all 100% recyclable!). D’Annam also gives back to the children of Vietnam with a portion of proceeds earnings each year – certainly a noble addition to a fragrance brand. In addition, their ‘Le Petit’ Journal has some additional lovely reads. Overall, I have been very impressed with this brand and can’t wait to see what else they come out with (a Thailand, Indonesia, Phillipines, Indian or Korean collection would be so cool to see!)
Quality: 5/5
Originality: 4/5
Presentation: 4.5/5
Price: 5/5
Order (Descending, all Chapters, including F/M/U classifications)
Standouts:
Kimono (F) : one of the most evocative & special perfumes I’ve ever sampled; the lipstick note accuracy astounds me & the fragrance itself settles into such a nice intimate, close-to-the-skin aura
Harvest Season (U) : fresh yet herbal, citrus plus autumn all wrapped in one very unique fall fragrance that I immediately started using as my pocket sample perfume (Kimono will be winter, & Princess of China in spring!)
Princess of China (F) : such a beautiful, sophisticated lychee-forward fragrance; the perfect spring scent
White Rice (U/F) : if this perfume was stronger, it would be at the top of my list! Lightly sweet, close-to-the-skin, vividly an expression of its namesake
Tokyo Nights (U) : not only does this have a lovely plum wine heart, but a specifically Japanese plum wine core (which I have been lucky enough to try IN Tokyo) with a hint of tobacco & spice
Mooncake (U/F) : I was so shocked when I could actually smell the salted egg yolk; so specific and subtle yet another perfectly intimate and distinctive gourmand from d’Annam
Japanese Whiskey (U) : a boozy, sweet but nuanced unisex scent that balances perfectly in all directions; the “Mizunara Oak” note also feels particularly noseworthy
Pomelo Oolong (U) : the most “tea” tea perfume I’ve ever smelled; like you are bathing in citrus oolong in the best way
Strawberry Mochi (F) : this one moved up the most spots on this list over time over spraying and wear; at first I wasn’t sure, but the more & more I tried this wonderfully feminine sweet-but-not-sweet mochi-like fragrance, the more it actually gave me comfort
Pho Breakfast (U) : an extremely nuanced, spicy, sharp green that is slightly different with each whiff and has you curiously sniffing every few minutes (this one I truly came back to the most!)
Greats
Through the Forest (U) : a sweet, mossy walk through the forest
Da Lat (F) : very rosy forward & leans a bit mature, but has enough nuances to be really interesting
Vietnamese Coffee (U) : wonderfully balanced, & most definitely reminiscent of its namesake
Chinese Calligraphy (U/M) : exquisitely distinctive ink fragrance; I felt transported to a historical Asian period-piece drama
Phu Quoc (U/M) : the only aquatic in all three collections – & a very nice one with a little twist at that!
Hinoki Meditation (M) : a fresh, surprisingly gentle woodsy scent that genuinely calmed my senses
Spring Festival (U) : this one has almost as many layers as Pho Breakfast, but each layer reminded me a lot of the other perfumes in the collections
Arashiyama (U) : calming & fresh - although, if I hadn’t read the description of the perfume’s story, I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint any lead note
Matcha Soft Serve (U/F) : truly smells exactly like what a match soft serve ice cream cone would smell like, to the last drop (if I was a matcha fan in general I would definitely have this higher on the list!)
Moonlight Samurai (M) : the alcohol note accurately smells distinctly like sake - which is very cool - but is just slightly too sweet & sake-forward for my taste
Don’t Bothers (only two!)
In the Garden (F) : smelled solely like honeysuckle to me & tickled my nose
Sakura Snow (F) : the lightest whiff of cherry blossom for about 2 seconds & then completely disappears (maybe like.... snow?)
My Top Recommendation For Those Who Love:
Floral: Da Lat
Fruity: Princess of China
Citrus: Pomelo Oolong
Fresh: Through the Forest
Green: Pho Breakfast
Powdery: Kimono
Gourmand: Mooncake
Woody: Hinoki Meditation
Spicy: Harvest Season
Aquatic: Phu Quoc (the only aquatic in these collections!)
Final Thoughts
I absolutely adore the fact that all of these fragrances could 100% be worn year-round. My Ethéré Parfum ideas heavily surround seasonality, and although I do see some of d’Annam’s fragrances as more of a “daytime” or “nighttime” perfume, each blend has a balance to them – similar to how you can see the balance through the amount of true unisex scents there are in these collections. The few masculine scents do leave a bit to be desired, with versatility and more of that d’Annam signature innovative fragrance building, but the unisex and feminine side of their perfumes really do shine. The price is 1000% worth it. With the first look and spray, I could tell how carefully each spritz was considered. D’Annam very much excels in care, quality, and unique fragrances and I do highly recommend.
Chapter 1: Enchanting Vietnam > Chapter 2: Memories of Japan > Chapter 3: Majestic China
