Inouï by Shiseido (1976)

Unprecedented, indescribable, stunning. These are all synonyms for the French word "inoui," and I would agree that Inoui, if not unprecedented or indescribable — is most definitely stunning.

Like Chanel No. 19, there's an uncanniness to its evocation of the forest. But where Chanel No. 19 was muted, vegetal and ethereal, Inoui is hardy and brisk — its aggressive opening of galbanum and lemon (lightly softened and sweetened by peach) is backed up by a forest whose trees, herbs and berries are almost medicinal in their aromatics (pine, juniper, cedar). 

You almost forget there are florals in this perfume at all, although the quiet jasmine does act as a bridge to the soft, comforting drydown of myrrh, musk and the subtle-but-present civet, acting, as it always does, to provide a bit of disquiet and moodiness. Inoui is a symphony in the key of Fresh.

Top notes: Galbanum, peach, juniper, lemon, green accord

Heart notes: Pine needles, freesia, thyme, jasmine

Base notes: Cedarwood, myrrh, musk, civet, oakmoss (notes from Basenotes)

Inoui hits all the spots I'm fond of. I've smelled enough perfume to know that if anything has peach and galbanum in it, I'm a goner. (Y,Aliage, Givenchy III). These are two great notes that smell great together; they whet the olfactory appetite the way a Negroni aperitif gets your taste buds excited for a big meal. 

Like Balenciaga's Fleeting Moment/La Fuite des Heures (with either thyme and tarragon herb notes), Inoui has moments of expressing what the blogger at Mossy Loomings describes as a "radiant herbal jasmine." These gentle notes float through Inoui's green forest like a soft breeze, though; its primary beauty is austere rather than delicate. Once its piquancy dies down, it still manages, even in the warmth of the base notes, to convey freshness through a kind of powdery, clean skin scent. 

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Nothing can terrify and motivate a perfume lover more than the word, "discontinued." The engine of true desire is loss or impossibility, and, being a stubborn romantic, this is partly why I love vintage perfume. Yes, I love the history, I love the artistry, I love sniffing out ingredients that cannot be used now, and I want to understand modern fragrances by becoming acquainted with their antecedents — but I would be lying if I said that getting my hands/nose on something rare isn't a huge part of the thrill. (Inoui is available at the Perfumed Court, and you see it occasionally on eBay.)

I don't even know where I first heard about the discontinued perfume Inoui. Maybe, after hearing so much about Nombre Noir, I wanted to hunt down another rare Shiseido. Maybe I read about someone singing its praises. (Par-Fum's blogger, a perfume maker, is definitely a fan.)

I couldn't find any vintage Inoui ads, but stumbled upon this gorgeous Serge Lutens-styled Japanese commercial for Inoui cosmetics, which I suppose is the incarnation the Inoui name has now. Wow. It's like an Alain Resnais film refracted through the 80s.

Comments

[olen holm]

Incredible.

[Dorothy]

I use to wear Inoui until they stop selling it in Cincinnati.....trying to find it as a reasonable price. When I wore it, men would stop me and ask "what are you wearing?" It is for me.., my signature. Hope that I can find it again.

[Perfumaniac]

Dorothy, I hope you can, too! I can't imagine having a signature scent that becomes close to impossible to find. Keep looking on eBay; it's bound to show up.

[Aurumgirl]

Oh my, I haven't thought about this fragrance in ages, but when I was in my early 20's, it was my absolute favourite perfume. I remember a "shopping" trip I made with a friend--we drove over the border to go into New York state because the department stores there had special promotion gifts they gave away with purchase that we didn't have in Canada at the time, and you could save a lot of money on the exchange rate back then. I held my breath when the border guard pulled my brand new bottle out of my "makeup case" during inspection! I did not want to lose that bottle! It smelled like nothing else and I wish I hadn't been so sure it would be around forever. I sure do miss it.

I miss the original Zen by Shiseido, too--the "new" Zen is not worth trying out, in my opinion; it's almost turned me off the Shiseido counter all together. But they do manage to bring some back around Christmas time in one of the department stores around here. They sell it out almost immediately, every year. I wish Shiseido paid more attention to that.

[Perfumaniac]

Such an intense green scent. I love it, too Aurumgirl. Have you tried Murasaki? I'm trying to get my hands on that, too...

[Aurumgirl]

I did try it, and I remember really loving that scent too. My mother was a Shiseido addict--she used their skincare lines exclusively for decades and whenever she saw a department store ad offering her products with a "Bonus!" we had to drop everything and go out and get some. She accumulated many of their little spray sample bottles of Zen and a few of Murasaki (I remember that it meant "Royal Purple"--a gorgeous scent that was a bit too sophisticated for a teenager like me, though I did risk wearing it now and then). I'm having a little "flood" of those memories now--I really haven't thought about these things for years. Those little Bonus sized atomizers, usually of Zen--I wish I still had them! Good luck on your search for Murasaki.