Scent One: Hinoki Comme des Garcons for men

Pine and cedar, pleasantly reminiscent of a fresh, damp pile of mulch. Lumber and a bit of earth. I found it refreshing and long-lasting.

Really does smell like a sauna made out of freshly cut wood, very dry with an occasional "wetness" coming through. The sauna feeling is on point, be it wooden jacuzzi or a dry sauna. I can see the old damp barn comparisons though.
I'm no expert on discerning wood notes, but the wood here really is slightly citrussy, and ever so slightly green as if the cypress stump still has a few branches attached. Olibanum and thyme are discernable and add some body.

Not something I would personally want to smell like but very well executed. Definitely leans more masculine, not many women will be able to wear this daily.

Between the opening notes and as this settles into its second act, it oscillates, back and forth several times, for me, between "fresh" and "musty" which brings me unending fascination not only to this scent in particular, but to perfumery and the wonders it holds in general. Though, one might not find "musty" particularly enjoyable or even endearing, any positive feelings and emotions -I- might find with musty are at least in the forefront of my mind in this particular perfume.

To be said of "mustiness" and how wear-able this is as a fragrance, obviously, it may smell a little... unorthodox, to say the least, but personally, I don't care about how I smell in proximity to others. You like my smells or you don't! Sorry! Who's to say one even smells the same things I smell upon myself, anyways? Perhaps my muse finds this enchanting on me?~

That being said, I would have a bottle of this on hand and wear once in a while to change things up. I love the variation of wood in this scent.

the most beautiful thing i have ever smelled in a bottle. i am a hinoki fanboy. it somehow smells perfectly like wet cypress, my favorite scent. people say petrichor, and maybe that is there, but i wouldn't know - my sensory inputs latch onto the wet cypress and don't let go. perhaps by the time the petrichor makes an appearance, i'm already gone. i thought "petrichor" was "wet stone" - perhaps it's that others get that note from "wet wood".
it doesn't last long, and it doesn't project much if you spray a normal amount, at least not on my skin. i don't care, i love it. i don't really use it, but i pop the lid and inhale it whenever i want a little treat.

Does anyone feel as though this has changed over the years due to reformulations?

Blends surprisingly well with Vacation.

Agreed with lefterisparasyris, I appreciate the scent a lot, I think it's a very special blend, but also don't love it on me. I can very easily get the old damp barn feeling, but also, a fantastic woodsy, green, camphory vibe, just like it you're smelling sap on a pine's bark in a wet forest. The more I smell it, the more I feel like I need to get this in full bottle. Also, glad to see I'm not the only one who felt the similar incensy vibe to Kyoto.

The only thing I get with this one is wood, a dusty barn-like wood. Which is oddly very comforting, and that makes it absolutely perfect in every way.


Beautiful...

man this is like picture perfect petrichor (sorry) and i don't even hate the sweetness from the olibanum but that latter element just gets repetitive and cola like for me. bit too linear for true true love i think

There are smells you can really love but not necessarily on you. That was the case with CDG's Hinoki for me. It's a lovely composition, with a cold, woodsy and a strong camphor feeling. It has longevity and identity. However, it strangely doesn't feel like a smell you want to have regularly on you if that make sense.

this is very similar to hwyl. both have the same lemony-kitchen spice thing going on. i dislike it in both unfortunately.

A lot of wood perfumes remind me of Home Depot (which I like), but not this one. It’s young lemony wood, with no smoke. It’s like very light colored freshly cut yellow wood planks. I like it!!! It reminds me of Odeur 53 in vibe not notes: fresh, non-living but of the earth material, for Odeur 53 it’s mineral and earth, for this it’s cut wood and resin.

My vision for this scent….Recently built Scandinavian resort…..

It’s almost TOO lemony and clean for my taste. I think someone somewhere on here described it as “antiseptic.” Next wood perfume I buy I think I will look for a smoky element. I miss Home Depot….

Smells like a breeze through fresh cypress trees. Not very strong or complex, but a very natural and relaxing scent. Fresh, clean, easy to wear, performance is what it is (not super long lasting), on my skin anyway. Office safe and very versatile, pretty immersive into a fresh forest. Not terribly interesting, but accomplishes what I think it was made to do, which is a realistic representation of particular forest tree. I'll wear my decant, and I'd wear it if I was gifted a bottle, but I won't seek one out.

6.6/10

All momocle scents have been exquisite woods compositions. Similar to the Incense series CDG have created with these series woody interpretations that are eminently wearable and fashionable perfumes. Hinoki is also a great woody scent with some addded camphor which lends the scent a fresh citrusy vibe. Camphor can be difficult in fragrances but here the addition is so nicely done and blended that I find it extremely satisfactory.
For straightforward wood lovers and minimalists look no further than this line.

Comme des Garcon Hinoki (2008) - mossy cedar - A scent that instantly transports me back to Japan. #antoinemaisondieu starts with Cypress, Thyme, Pine and Camphor. Aromatic, airy and almost antiseptic. At its heart is Cedarwood mixed with woody notes akin to Iso-e super and Vetiver. This creates a crisp and incense like note. At the drydown, the mosses and a backbone of cedar - reminding one of onsen baths.

This fragrance reminds me of a visit to Kyoto and a delicious plunge into a warm onsen bath .

It is a refreshingly different woody scent, infused with lemon and an intriguing camphorous dry down, like a walk in the woods followed by an immersion in the sauna.

It would be great for a summer retreat when you want to feel alert and open to the elements and what they have to say to the soul.

It lingered much longer on my test strip than on the skin, which sadly dissuaded me from investing in a full bottle.

Edit: So irresistible did I find this fragrance that some months later I DID get that full bottle after all! No regrets!!

Hinoki is an absolutely exquisite, beautifully camphorous, airy, fresh, bitter and dry woody fragrance with gentle nuances of terpenic conifers and cool incense. For me this moderately light and fleeting yet reasonably long lasting scent is wonderfully soothing and works very well also for aromatherapeutic purposes :)

Very addictive fresh camphoric and woody fragrance. I get incense which is not listed

This smells like the wet clothes you left to dry in the sauna, only the sauna was not hot enough to dry them, so now they carry that moldy wet wood smell and you need to wash them.

To be clear, that's a bad smell.

This one is quite utilitarian for me I have grown fond of it but it is rather safe and simple for me. I consider it a very nice dumb reach for when I want something simple and inoffensive like Hwyl which I have and was told this was the more interesting upgrade. But the days of me wanting to wear inoffensive things have become rarer. I've for a very long time been enjoying more challenging scents to wear since they are more fun, and please me. Regardless of having synthetic designer tendencies that are not vastly dimensional, Scent One: Hinoki is made very well and is clean and soapy. I think whoever finds it for the first time will undoubtedly enjoy it for its approachability and uniqueness from other designer woody freshies! Good stuff!

u know how ppl say lacroix tastes like someone said the name of a fruit in another room? this frag smells like someone said 'forest' about two rooms away

To my nose, it's mostly a veil of very light musk, with a tiny hint of spice; or the feeling of a good gin that's a bit special, an arranged gin.

I also have a vague impression of something watery floral, not really sure what, but it seems I'm the only one and my nose may be tricking me. It's beautiful, well crafted, and the "ah what do I smell?" effect is definitely present at the first few sniffs.

But beyond that, I think it's a very cold perfume and it lacks a little extra soul. It becomes more aromatic-dry on the drydown, which I think for the moment relatively unpleasant.

Well done, but not a perfume that will have deeply touched me. So indeed, it's possible to find something similar at a lower price (I still have to find what).

Medicinal, aesop-hand soap-esque hinoki

like a breath of fresh air taking a walk through the trees. a beautiful, calming scent. might go full bottle.

Mossy pine trees and herbal baths. Art in a bottle, smells like heaven.

One of my favorite scents, ever. It’s a pity it is so fleeting on my skin—otherwise this would be the one for sure. As it is, at least in the 2022 decant I recently purchased, it says hello and goodbye almost in the same breath.

A wonderful, calm, sophisticated pine fragrance. A true masterpiece!

Strong pine smell with a hint of lemon. I initially get a burst of cleaning product that is masking a urinal, but fortunately that dries down very quickly to a woody sauna kind of smell.

Soothing woody fragrance. Make me able to stay calm in noisy and stressful office. It stays on skin for the whole day, and on clothes for even the next day! Love this scent sooooo much that I decided to write my first Fragrantica review here.

Right off the bat this reminds me of pine-sol due to it's lemony cypress/pine note. Fortunately that fades a little but always lingers in the background. It's light, airy, refreshing. No smoke or heavy earthiness here, but a little bit of spice and camphor to keep it interesting. I wouldn't say this is that green though. Green is separate from woody or piney to my nose, but I think the sour lemon-wood notes are close to the "green" that's typically bitter and leafy or stem-like. I want to like this but it's not that deep and complex, and the lemon-wood accord is just too much like pine-sol for my tastes. An unfortunate memory association.

This isn't really a hinoki scent (the inspiration is there), but it is an amazing airy, sauna-inspired woody scent. I think of wooden baths and steam touching cypress needles. Woody, green, realistic leaning. It smells like fresh-cut conifer wood but not necessarily a pencil cedarwood (which is a plus for me.) Camphorous and resinous but the main components are wood, needles + air. Everyone else has said I wanted to say, but because I love this perfume so much I just had to leave a review.

I have seen many people describe scents as "being forest after the rain". I've disagreed many times (I have to wonder if they ever stepped inside a forest before). This one does actually feel that way for me though it is not damp or rainy at all but has familiar atmospheric qualities. I love anything naturalistic + conifer with a nice dose of wood and this is easily one of my favorites. The downsides are the longevity, I would give anything for this scent but lasting a few more hours. Also, I highly recommend layering it with Heretic - Dirty Hinoki.

CdG Monocle Hinoki is mildly terpenic, peppery cypress, stiff black waxy leather, and that creepy sterile electrical spark ozone-y aroma that you smell on the jet bridge gangway when you’re waiting in line to board an airplane. This is overall a deeply anxiety-inducing fragrance, conjuring imaginary but highly plausible scenarios wherein I have a connecting flight in Atlanta and that I have only 13 minutes to make it to the gate and the gate is all the way at the other end of the terminal. I don't need this stress in my life!

This is the first fragrance that I fully fell in love with. It is so intoxicatingly green, throws me into a state of calmness. It helps me return to a stableness within myself, a serious beauty. Green, gray, brown, clear rain drops. Quiet moment next to a chilly bus window. Closed eyes.
I wore this heavily during an odd vacation I took to San Francisco to visit a friend. I was in a period of thick depression, separation, heavy eyes and constant fatigue from citalopram. In the days I walked around alone, taking in the new city, insanely beautiful surroundings but such a fraught culture and mythology. I had to come home each day from wandering parks that were practically nature reserves to take sweaty naps on a leather couch, then wake myself up and reapply Hinoki. It is corny but with the this scent I gained a certain peace towards life during a period where I was grappling with sufferance.
This fragrance is very fleeting, little trace of it after a few hours of wear.

This reminds me a lot of cdg Black, but a little greener and more woodsy. Could easily be worn in winter or summer, but suffers from incredibly weak longevity on my skin. Very nice scent.

After giving Aesop Hwyl, Kyoto, and Hinoki individual testing, Hinoki is different enough to set itself apart.
Hinoki is alive and green and vibrant.
I am a happy green branch swaying in the breeze.

As I sprayed my sample for the first time, my first reaction was to pull my face away and the first thought that came into my mind was 'varnish'. As I came back to it half a minute later I was flooded with various intricate woody notes, not the dusty dry type, but rather the damp fresh aromatic scent you get from snapping a green branch with an eastern twist (mainly camphor).
Cedar is clearly at the heart, but cypress and resin are definitely noticeable too. People describe it as green, but that is somewhat misleading because it isn't particularly 'leafy' as much as it is damp, mossy and woody with a fresh camphor nuance.
Nice, but ultimately I would rather have a room smell like this rather than myself.

Update: the opening is definitely astringent and bitter, but it really mellows out quickly. Forgot to mention this is very much unisex the same way a tree doesn't have gender, but conifers are sometimes associated with male scents historically so keep that in mind.

I don't know what genuine Hinoki smells like, but this smells like a single, real, genuine thing. Before seeing that note pyramid, the only way I can interpret this is as one unified albeit complex wood note. The various facets of what makes up a fresh, damp, coniferous wood are explored and blended masterfully here.

Without knowing what actual fresh Hinoki smells like, I'd say this smells like a genuine, fresh, pine-y sort of tree smell outside in a damp forest. It's wet and green, herbaceous, and sharp in a way that is simultaneously somehow comforting and gentle. It cools you down in the sort of way you might not mind even on an already-cool day. It's the sharp herbaceous green of evergreen trees, complete with the snap of twigs and the dripping of water off its needles. I'm going to have to explore this one more.

On another wear, I noticed the sharpness in this almost feels warm somehow, as if there is something like ginger holding up the spicy green notes. The illusion comes and goes, and I can't tell what's really there and what isn't, but that soft-yet-piquant green spice is fascinating.

After 4-5 hours, I'm burying my nose in my arm trying to get any last whiff of Hinoki, which has been faint through most of its life. This isn't great performance for the price, particularly for a deep, woody scent, where I might hope for a base that lasts. For that reason alone, I don't know that this is one I'd want any more of. Still, I'll keep enjoying my sample, applying a little more liberally and hoping the cold months help me savor Hinoki just a little longer.

Absolutely stunning. The first time I wore it the cypress nearly overwhelmed every other facet and it was so incredibly fresh and green I half-expected foliage to start sprouting from the seams in the seats of my car as I drove around running errands. Now that my nose has had time to acclimate to it I'm picking up these beautiful wood notes, as deep as anything I've ever encountered. It's nothing like holding a block of dead, processed wood to your nose, which is what I typically associate with woody fragrances, but like walking through an untouched forest or the rich, piney blast of a branch freshly shorn from a tree, still so fresh with life that it's almost damp. It reminds me so much of the woods that surrounded my childhood home and the solitude of losing myself in them for hours at a time. The way the green notes dance at the very edge of sweetness is a thing of beauty. It may be the most natural fragrance I've come across; there isn't even a sense that this is mimicking anything from nature, but one that an aspect of nature has somehow been captured and immaculately preserved. There's this tremendous, quiet sophistication to it, and a self-assuredness that's only achieved at the very highest levels of a craft, once it becomes clear you no longer have anything left to prove. This is my first experience with Comme des Garcons, and it's immediately obvious to me why they're held in such high regard.

This is truly gorgeous. Green, woody, incense, airy, serene. Very well done, sophisticated, unique. I get good sillage and solid longevity.

-Refined, clean, soothing scent.
-Linear.
-Has a refreshing watery quality to it. Like an oasis in a vast desert.
-Really reminds me of MUJI's Hinoki essential oil diffusing through a good humidifier. (as opposed to smelling it straight from the little bottle.) (-)

If i absolutely douse myself in this I get that toothpaste note after an hour or two that I've seen a few other mention but otherwise it's quite a wet, earthy wood. gets a more classic dry wood scent after a few hours. def not an every day but i love for special occasions--makes me feel like i just walked out of a forest trailing mist with dirt under my fingernails wearing sheer ann d

High quality vetiver is a key note in this. Worth mentioning as most focus on the Hinoki, cypress, moss, and camphor. Rightfully so but this is also as much a beautiful vetiver as it is all the other notes.

First impressions - a quiet and gentle breeze carries the scent of bushy and thick vegetation around me. Green accords mixed with citrus-laden woods accompany the breeze and pair well together. Very herby/slightly spicy and would appeal to many people.

After a few hours - basically non-existent. Lasted maybe an hour on my skin which is a bummer because it is a nice fragrance. It leans a little too generic for me which is a turn off for me because at the price point for this and the story that’s being told with the fragrance I want to smell and experience something unique.

Sillage and longevity - meh; below average. It’s soft and gentle which is appealing for some but for me I had to reapply multiple times and even then it barely lasted an hour and the sillage was pretty weak.

Would I buy a bottle - No. It’s a nice fragrance but it’s nothing special in my opinion.

3 words to describe this scent - gentle, herbaceous, soft

Such a wonderful scent! But completly gone within two hours!!!

Comme des Garçons Kyoto and Hinoki and Aesop Hwyl are all in the same family.
I'm gonna give a shot at comparing them:
Kyoto - Airy, grey smoke on mountain, dry temple incense
Hinoki - Camphor, dampness, cypress, green forest incense
Hwyl - Deeper woody vibe, more resinous, mossy forest floor incense.

I am absolutely in love with this perfume. It's so unusual and special. Reminds me a bit of a gothic church, but in a luxurious way. Currently starting my fourth bottle.

Rich, deep and authentic woody scent with powdery, damp wood and soil notes.

I haven't visited Japan (yet) so I couldn't tell what real Hinoki wood is meant to smell like, but whatever's in here... it's real. Deep heavy wood real. The other 3 perfumes in this line have a strong note to brighten up/play on top of the wood-base but here it's the main star. Do you know those wood-house cabins at national parks around the USA that you sleep in? The ones that blast your face with a woody note when you enter them? It's that kind of fragrance. The powder-y accord is very gentle which really helps give that "wood-house cabin" closed space feeling. The other 2 supporting notes are the dampness and soil which are distinct enough to notice but they come together as a pair. I can't pick out *which* notes from the list create this couple as they're blended and balanced really well, but they're beautiful and frame the wood accord here incredibly well. I find that the soil and and dampness come after the powderiness which makes this perfume really feel like you're leaving a woodhouse cabin and walk into the woods (from a closed space to an open space).

I love this. Considering FB. If you enjoy woody scents you should definitely check this out (as well as all the other fragrances in this line!).

reminds me so much of grand tour by goest, just with a more notable wood (almost woodchip) scent

Like bathing in a mossy creek in a forest. I love it.

I adore CDG perfumes but I do not think I am biased when I say that this is an absolute winner, as is this whole series. I literally feel this on my skin 12h if not more- projection, sillage, smell- this is just perfection.
First spray was weird, I was like, hmmmm do I like this? Five seconds after I was like: I adore this.
It is woody, but in the nicest possible way. Wood that is fresh and young, daring and mesmerising. I love the pine smell which I feel quite a bit here, and its generally woody-green vibe, like a garden of trees and tree ash smell.
I am a woman I think than any woman over thirty with an attitude and personality needed to wear this can pull it off. It is so sexy as well. Nothing not sexy about this gem.

5/10

I agree with the other reviewer who noticed a damp and almost moldy quality to this. The first image that came to me was that of a rock being overturned and the smell of the wet dirt underneath it. It is definitely compelling how evocative it is of a forest.

2 hours in, I like it more. It smells like a dry sauna now. Very contemplative, good for reading or sleeping. Still don't love it though.

Another wear later: a very slight soapiness, which reminds me of flowers, very small flowers on a field of herbs or some kind of fuzzy tree. Pretty. I like it a lot now.

Rei Kawakubo is CDG’s owner. She is an avant-garde Japanese fashion designer. So it can be a good reason for being the special line (monocle) fragrances based on Japanese culture, this time with woody mood!.
Hinoki was launched in 2008. It takes its name from the hinoki cypress, a tree that is famous because of its usage for making traditional wooden bath. It’s a fresh, lemony/terpene, wet woody scent & at the dry down light incense/smoky smell. I get a little clean & powdery vibe which made it more lovely. It’s so amazing woody scent. I completely fell in love with it.

This is a camphor centric fragrance. Or should I say: the impression of camphor, given by an ultra loud combo of cedar, incense, a smoke aromachemical, and as always Iso-G super (aka cypress). Performance is average.
Will please fans of cold incense, woods and dry greenery a-la FM French Lover.
I love it, despite its linearity and its clealry synthetic composition. I recommend it, but would suggest to wait for some discount or sale, as the full retail price might result a bit too steep in view of what it delivers.
Fall days, masculine but a younger women with personality might also wear it easily.

The delectable sense of possibility: summer camp at dawn, traipsing through wet woods; sticky sap, the product of longing. An ancient cabin shared with a lover you barely know, listening to Sketches for my Sweetheart the Drunk. An Adirondack lean-to at dusk, an eighth of Philosopher's Stones. The excitement of the raw aliveness of a forest. Ceremonial solitude and the quiet reverence of earth.

Pulling the scarves out of the back of the closet, I discovered on one of them a scent trace that must have remained from last winter. The cypress is clearly discernible with some incense. In that detective game, my choice comes down to just two candidates, two brothers in cypress, "Hinoki" and "Hwyl". At first glance, they could be swapped. But when they are sniffed in parallel, two different characters can be noticed. Like many CdG perfumes, "Hinoki" combines something "usual" and something "unusual", something "acceptable" and something "unacceptable". Here it is the note of cypress (today probably one of the most common smells, from bath products to the toilet fragrances), which from the beginning appears together with something slightly repulsive, similar to the smell of turpentine or tar. "Hinoki" subsides very quickly and after a short time it becomes a skin scent, dark green-wooden one. Also “Hwyl” has cypress as the dominant note, but its development is different. At first it feels almost medicinal, like some tincture. The note of thyme appears, and with it the perfume gradually gains depth, which is made up of cypress and incense in the background. Unlike his brother, who seems to be all in the clash of the dissonant elements and soon after retreats, “Hwyl” is more steady and somehow more vertical. Its incense is what remains after the spices pass. It gives the fragrance a different character. “Hinoki” suggests a walk in the woods, the beauty of the tree, and perhaps a conversation with it. "Hwyl" rather a meditative space made of conifers. Two brothers in cypress, different, but each beautiful in its own way. It will be that last year's traces were left by the latter.

I get mostly camphor, with a noticeable incense, freshly cut and damp woods support. After long hesitations, I finally decided to get my hands on that one. Very happy, but glad I found a decent deal for it, since its modest performance might justify its full retail price. Still, a beautiful fragrance.
Fall days, unisex (a bit) masculine, 25+

Put me in the love it column.

L-O-V-E

I like all kinds of wood and forest aromatic scents, and this one is a superb, pine forest...very photorealistic. I’m not an expert on the scent of real Hinoki so I wasn’t let down.

I don’t detect anything unnatural. Camphor is initially very strong but it moves back into the composition after about 15 minutes. Then it’s a freshly cut wood scent. I’m also picking up green notes.

For an EDT, I’m getting acceptable performance, between 2.5-3 hours. I’m not sure I would pay retail, but if anyone is selling their bottle—like a reviewer below from 2015 who sold their bottle for $50– please contact me. (And that’s not because the bottle is not worth it, it’s because I’m on a Covid reduced budget)

As an avid fan of East Asian cypresses and a regular user of Hinoki essential oil, I have to say I was disappointed when I tried this perfume at the local store (when I desperately wanted to like it!)

Perhaps my nose has been desensitized due to regular use of essential East Asian cypress oils, but the Hinoki accord in this perfume was weak and fairly inaccurate. This scent did not take me back to Taiwan or Japan at all - places which I am intimately familiar with, where these cypresses grow natively.

A nice scent, but not as advertised.

Performance was poor on my skin - three sprays on the hand, and my nose could not pick up anything after 3 hours.

A very reluctant pass for me, as I really wanted to like it.

•Photo realistic coniferous trees• The first release in the collaboration with Monocle. Commes de Garcons doing what they do best with a strange but beautiful Turpentine note. Hinoki doesn’t give the impression of obvious use of synthetics like many other CDG perfumes, instead this is a calming atmospheric scent that puts you in a place somewhere green and lush in Japan.

I have to agree about the poor longevity. It doesn't last more than one/two hours on skin, and in this price range........that is something to consider.

The scent, however, is nothing short of breathtaking! Wonderfully green, woody and mossy, slightly campherous, resinous, a whisper of incence.......and NOT sweet (hooray!!). Truly evocative; it conjures images of a coniferous forest, its green, dewy freshness, its stilness, its mystery, and speaks of spiritual solitude. Magical, though very short lived......

If this were available as a room spray.....Oh my God!

Hinoki is not the cedar or sandalwood or other woods many fragrances try to display, this is a fresh carved wooden plank in a Japanese bath, the fragrance carried up by the steam.

This is an excellent woody/aromatic from CdG based around the Japanese cypress, Hinoki. This note is very similar to cedar in many ways, but with a noticeable lemon vibe. The addition of cedar, vetiver and pine creates a distinct camphoracious accord, which cools the composition down nicely. The signature CdG incense note is there too, which results in a subtle nod to Kyoto from their incense series to my nose. The structure is ethereal and feels cool, almost austere in a sense, but still welcoming. Unfortunately this one retreats fairly close to the skin quite quickly on me, which is a shame, but it does linger long enough for you to thoroughly enjoy. The bottle design is minimalist, and classy. It’s something I love having in my collection.

Beautiful woody/smoky scent, but very weak. Longevity is worse than of Demeter fragrances. On the skin it's 2 hours at best.

a dry, coniferous photorealistic impression of what hinoki smells like. the cypress adds to the composition amazingly well and they work together to create a thought and memory provoking perfume. this is the smell of japanese forests, and for the most part, it reminds me of visiting and living in japan quite artfully.
onsen, outdoor structures and all manner of materials are made of hinoki, and this scent conjures up memories of rural japan.
i don't think i want to smell like this, but i do want to smell this...

Beautiful pine scent. Sunday morning dew.
It's Avignon in the forest.
Where Avignon smells like the inside of a big church, Hinoki smells like it was abandoned and taken by nature hundreds of years ago.
Interesting, fresh and energetic. 9/10.

Hinoki gets 10's across the board from me, but don't let that encourage you to wear it. The less people who wear this one the better.

That being said, if you're not wearing a CdG scent of some description, then are you really wearing any scent at all?

Very nice, incense/piney fragrance. But poor performance. At $100 for a 50ml, that's a hard pass for me.

That said, I'm a man with bold tastes, women or men looking for an initmate frag may like this one a lot - I hesitated for long if buying it or not, as the smell is quite creative.

A perfect mix of cypress and cedar.

I have no clue how Hinoki wood smells, but if this is it - I love it!

The fragrance itself has a somewhat transparent quality to it and, instead of being linear, it shifts seamlessly between the different stages and notes. Notes I find to be represented are camphor, pine, moss, thyme, different woods and incense (probably due to the olibanum). The overall sense is that of being in a green forest, with the camphor giving off a slightly "turpentine"-ish effect - sort of like opening a paint can in the middle of the woods. The woody parts also give an impression of a wooden sauna, when the damp seats and walls are slowly being heated and steamy. Warm, dry and very natural smelling. Projection and longevity are mostly average, but overall an excellent scent though a little expensive.

A fine and unique offering from Antoine Maisondieu.

Heyyy. CdG has added a new medicine to its cough balsam series: Hinoki. The other one "Kyoto" was citrus flavoured cough balsam, and this one Hinoki is (guess what) cypress+citrus flavoured cough balsam.As an ex-admiror of the house I am looking forward for their next cough balsam flavour :-p

This is a fragrance that I initially disliked. The opening is really funky and I was getting hung up on the top notes. Where this comes into its own is during the drydown and in the basenotes. Just a beautiful, natural wood scent that is both very manly and clean. Even my wife remarked that it smelled fantastic.

Some prior reviews have likened this to Diptyque Tam Dao (which I love), and while I would have initially laughed at this comparison, I now get it. It isn't the same scent, but it has the same concept using a different wood(s).

In the end, this scent haunted me so much that I did place an order for a FB.

This is amazing, a true masterpiece. A wooden temple in the forest. The first perfume I like olibanum in. Not very wearable on me, as there is no compromise to make it anything else than a perfume painting, so this will be only a weekend scent for me, until I finish my sample.

Oh just a tremendous tree scent. Absolutely bristling with botanical vigour, spiky sap and bark and needles and resin, with a gorgeous spicy warmth throbbing away steadily underneath the dry, airy, exhilaratingly conifer-heavy zing of aura up top. Almost verges on notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, the wood is so special. Yes, very much like Aesop Hwyl, but perhaps classier overall. Very very much a confirmed WANT. The sort of trees I'd be happy to hug forever. This one whisks you straight to your own private cedar hot tub overlooking an enchanted forest, for sure. Just wonderful. Like all the CDG woods, it is no sillage monster, and longevity fades out just past 6h on me, but these are minor weaknesses when weighed up against the sheer beauty of the smell itself.

This is genius! Wonderful Hinoki wood with a sharp green pine / forest vibe, even slightly smoky. The most natural fragrance I have come across so far. Starts strong and mellows down to a long lasting skin scent. Utter beauty.

If you know what true aged hinoki wood smells like, you will be transported by tbis fragrance. Excellent scent.

Sadly, it wears very close to the skin with poor longevity..

And for that, I pass on a full bottle and prefer my mix of essential oils of cypress, balsam fir needle, vetiver and frankincense with a drop or two of cedar.. Missing that hinoki nuttiness and pinch at the opening but after 5min, it’s virtually the same.. and lasts ages longer..

This fragrance is brilliant. Sharp opening, soft drydown, pronounced cedar note... can't get enough! You won't get compliments or noticed with this, but it's not that kind of fragrance. It's really a fragrance you wear for yourself.

From some of the reviews here, this is similar to monicle scent 2, Laural.
I tried that one and it smelled like Tea Tree oil, medecinal and camp.horous.
Some here say the same of Hinoki, it's like Tea Tree oil.

I love cypress, and realistic forest fragrances. Diptyque has some good ones at a better price that last, Tam Dao and L'Eau Trois.
And also ELdO has "Eloge du Traitre", also a very beautiful realistic evergreen fragrance. These 3 are my favorite realistic forest fragrances, and of course the ultimate, exquisite "French Lover" by Frederic Malle.

I have a 200 bottles collection, niche and designer, and this is still my favorite scent, even if performances are bad. Turpentine, woods, vetiver, musk and a flower.

A beautiful and bright pine-based incense which evokes the smell cedar and Japanese "Hinoki" wood. This light and airy creation adds notes of cypress, turpentine, camphor, cedar, thyme, pine, frankincense, moss and vetiver to create a well balanced and easily wearable scent. The downside like many CDG offerings is low to moderate sillage and longevity. The perfume conjures up of a morning walk in a pine laden forest. Clearly, yet another winner from the always unpredictable and edgy house of Comme des Garcons.

This might be my favourite scent this decade! I spend a lot of time in Japan, and love the scent of Hinoki bathtubs, inscense and traditional buildings and shrines made from this extraordinary wood. On my skin, it gets a lot more complex, and turns into a fresh, spicy scent with a woody base. Low sillage and medium staying power - that's my only complaint, I wish it lasted longer!

I do enjoy this! As a lover of Sauna and Onsen, I adore this fragrance as it smells just like the resinous and camphorous wood coupled with incense. I enjoy it very much. Hinoki is calming, refreshing and soothing. Its a unique scent, not a traditional perfume, rather it evokes an atmosphere.

Enter a Home Depot superstore in feudal Japan. Hinoki is Comme des Garcons in prime form. CDG fanatics know very well how this house excels with woody aromas, and even more so when inspired by anything remotely Japanese. The opening infamous turpentine blast will be off-putting to many, but it's quickly reduced to a ghostly breath within the stunning cypress and cedar. Like walking on newly tarnished wooden floors in an unfinished room surrounded by dark, forest greenery. I don't think "temple" is very fitting as the turpentine vibe overrides any sense of meditative smoke. Far from a bad thing, and there's a wet, dewiness here that really reminds my of being in the woods. Somewhat medicinal and very pretty, Hinoki is perhaps the cousin scent of Kyoto, my personal favorite from the incense series. Sadly, like many in the CDG lineup, it isn't the greatest performer. Seemingly reduced to a skin scent after about two hours. How I weep.

A pale but damp wood. Has a moist, almost moldy note that reminds me of some patchouli fragrances. Medicinal. An unusual fragrance, almost unwearable but never going that far, which seems to be typical for this house. Stripped down and modern. The very definition of "clean", that is, austere verging on antiseptic (but not quite). Not for everyone but I find its angularity quite beautiful.

After six months or so he has ceased to cause me such irritation that caused the original. Of course for me it will never become neither Laurel or Sugi, but here's what I think about it now: сold, straight, fragrance without revealing, reminiscent of rain in a clean, coniferous forest, falling on the mossy leaf ground. Tears in the spring forest. But I will not wear it in the summer. His time - autumn and warm winter. For some reason this perfume brings me some sense of sadness. Perhaps it whispers something medical. Camphor is actively presented. Camphor is sad too.

***
Today (16.06.2016) rather cloudy, but warm (22-24 degree Celsius) and wet day; I decided to put Hinoki. Well, what I say is pretty good. Comfortable and fresh for me. He brings moist air around you as the raw atmosphere just past the rain in swampy or pine forest. Sitting close to the skin. Do not shout even with abundant application.

Some thoughts after using this fragrance for over 2 years:

The opening has that wonderful CDG blend of woods and incense that we've come to love(or not, for some), but has an overpowering and bracing camphor note which to me smells like antiseptic solution.

This camphorous note is not long lived and takes a backseat after about an hour, allowing the CDG woods and incense to come to the fore.

Unlike the CDG x Artek collaboration - Standard, which remains quite austere througout its development; CDG x Monocle's Hinoki, despite its harsh opening, develops into a gentle, quiet and calming scent very quickly.

One of my favourites.

Excellent woodsy blend with a hint of powder and a background camphor note that blends nicely into the mix.

Projection is incredibly strong for about the first hour or so, then it dries down to something more acceptable - not quite a skin scent but more moderate. Longevity is also moderate at about six hours.

To me, this is very reminiscent of Tam Dao. If you could conjure Tam Dao with the powder and camphor notes, you'd be just about spot on with Hinoki. Having said all of that, if you're a Tam Dao lover, I can't see how you wouldn't like this, however, if Tam Dao isn't at least a like for you, take a pass on this one.

*** Update ***

After wearing this a couple of times, I can't get over how much of a difference that camphor makes in this fragrance. The note is there and identifiable but not overwhelming in the slightest. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's perfectly blended. It's interesting how this single addition to the mix seems to give an overall "thicker", radiant and more creamy aspect to the scent.

*** Update Two ***

I traded this fragrance away about a year ago and regretted it almost immediately. My plans are to buy a new bottle at some point in the future.

This is just the lightest friend of l'eau froide. L'eau froide is just much stronger and the longevity is waaay better.

I just love this scent. Green, incense forest. No sandalwood to be found. I can't wait to get my hands on a full bottle.

So far the best offering I have encountered from CdG and thTs out of 10 or so I've sampled. I am still in persuit of the holy grail of incense but this is on top for this house

Burada yorum yazan kişilerin büyük bir bölümüne göre bu parfüm İskandinav ülkelerinin ve Japonyanin ormanları gibi kokuyormus. O ormanları görmediğim için bilmiyorum ama yeşili bol bir orman koktuğu kesin. Kokulu bazı ot ve calilarin olduğu ormanda yürüdükçe sonra ayakkabımın altının bu parfümü biraz da olsun andıran şekilde koktuğunu söyleyebilirim. Bu etki ilk 20 dakika var. Sonra ise odunsu ve biraz baharatlı bir havaya bürünüyor. Yine de keyifli havası sürüyor. Ama ilk baştaki etkinin muhteşem olduğunu söylemeliyim. Bu parfüm üzerinde iyi çalışılmış. Farklı olmayı başarmış. Bence hak ettiği ilgiyi görmüyor. Ödül aldımi bilmiyorum ama bence ödülleri hak ediyor. Bunu söylerken tabiki özgün yanını dikkate alıyorum. Genel parfüm sevenler için değil. Onlar için muhtemelen "garip" tanımlamasını hak edecektir. Eğer parfüme meraklıysanız bunu dolabınızda bulundurun. Serin bir sonbahar günü ormanda yürüyüşe çıkın. Keyfini çıkartın. Kalıcılık orta düzeyde, koku dağılımı ise makul. Tene yakın kalıyor, kalması da iyi. Kokunun çok sevdiğim bir derginin adı ile çıkıyor olması daha da güzel. Bu durumda ormandaki yürüyüşe bir de dergiyi ekleyin. Keyfiniz ikiye katlanacaktir.

I love this fragrance. I live in Finland and I've been looking for a wood fragrance that would smell like forests I'm familiar with. I think this is the one I've been looking for. It smells exactly like Scandinavian coniferous forests! When I was a child one of my favourite sensory pleasures was to smell the resin of coniferous trees, so this scent brings back happy childhood memories. The scent is soft, warm and comforting, but it is also very fresh and energetic. Too bad the longevity is so weak. :(

8½/10

Bought samples 2x from luckyscent. Then bought FB. Oops. Looking to sell FB! If interested send me a message - will part with it for $50 + shipping, only been sprayed a few times. I don't like to slam products that are often purely subjective interpretations or a matter of personal taste. This one is just not for me. I get the same "theme" from my bottle of AJ Arabia I, and AJAI is a whole lot smoother, more refined, and way cozier to my nose. AJ Arabia I is also twice as expensive as CDGH and worth it IMO. Try it, you will enjoy!

Damn. I have a drawer now with a stash of FBs I don't wear. Not because they're not nice frags, but when you search for so long and finally find those special scents you LOVE, then it becomes increasingly difficult to wear the ones you like.

The heart wants, what the heart wants.

FYI I also have for sale a FB of Xerjoff Regio if anybody wants a screaming good deal. I'll part with it for $100.

:)

This is one of those perfumes I can and will dose myself with likes its holy water and I'm about to enter le porte de d'enfer. It is one of the most beautiful woody fragrances I have ever smelled. And even if I did not find this scent godlike I would still be in awe for the amazing intepretation of terpentine soaked planks.

Cypress, cedar and pine makes for a sharp, fresh and divine scent. the terpentine dissapear, and with it its sweetness, to keep you inclosed in a cloud of cedar dust.

Please understand that this is a fragrance that is trying to transport you to a calmer and more peaceful place. And it will. It makes me feel not only calmer, but nicer, sweeter and more content.

This is perfume magic.

I have been wearing this regularly since its launch and bow to CdG`s genius.

Hinoki(the cypress) is by far the nicest and most complex wood fragrance out of all the woods. Scent One:Hinoki has remained truthful to the natural product and blended this potion to perfection.The essence of an ancient Japanese temple in a bottle.Yes,the sillage is not great BUT this HAS to be subtle,it`s peaceful AND you should wear this for yourself and your significant other that can share the intimacy of the temple with you from very close.

A masterpiece indeed.

INTO THE WOODS

An easy to wear wood with a hint of smoke/incense and some other pleasant soft notes.

Even with a more than usual dousing of the sample it had trouble projecting past a skin scent and longevity is a concern.

Not a buy, but I used up the sample and enjoyed it.

I'm not going to lie, I'm a sucker for a good woody fragrance. Gucci Pour Homme and Lacroix's Tumulte are 2 of my faves.

Since Tumulte has become impossible to find, I was on a quest to find something similar….which after much searching and scouring reviews, I heard several references to CDG's Hinoki and bought on the blind.

My initial feeling was quite mixed. The initial opening is a blast of the petroleum essence of Tea Tree Oil with wet cedar undertones…definitely not of the norm. In fact, I was quite concerned people might think I was cleaning paint brushes before coming to work…but it cools down to woody/smoky/spicy melange which is quite sublime.

Not everyday for me as I wear on the days I want to convey a little mystery.

Even though this did not quite hit that missing Tumulte obsession, it's found a very welcome spot in my collection.

On me this plays out similar to breath of god, not necessarily what I expected or wanted. Art maybe, not something very wearable in Indiana.

Update, I fell asleep about two hours after putting this on and woke up with a beautiful smell on myself

Hinoki fragrance took me back to my ballet days. To avoid slipping while dancing on the wooden floor, we ballerinas would gather around the rosin box in the corner of the studio and crunch-crunch-crunch chunks of dried pine tree sap into our satin pointe shoes to make them sticky before turning a series of pirouettes.

Hinoki tingles with camphor in the beginning and stays absolutely woody, resin-y, and coniferous throughout, just in smaller volumes in the drydown. I wish I knew what Hinoki wood smells like, but as a Lake Tahoe resident, I can say this CdG frag smells like the Sierra Nevada mountains. Consequently, Hinoki sounds some alarms when I smell it..."Did one of the dogs step in sap and track it inside?"

Anywaaaaay, Hinoki would smell sexy on everyone: your bearded, blue-green algae kombucha-drinking boyfriend, your (former) frat boy cousin who built a beer-pong table in his living room in 2004, or your uncle who works for the county water company but has a passion for hiking the Pacific Rim Trail.

This is a scent that brought up vivid images and memories for me: a hike in a damp cedar forest, a night camping in a state park cabin, visits to buddhist temples. The smell is lovely, damp, and woody, a hint of incense, and a lingering cedar-like aroma (presumably the hinoki?) that goes on for hours. I sense the vetiver more than really smell it; it lends a subtle earthiness and groundedness to the scent. This does remind me of Japan, but also of my home in the evergreen-rich Pacific Northwest; it's both familiar and exotic and I adore it.

I blind-bought a little decant of this recently, and now I'm so glad I did! It's so cleanly woody, perfect when you want something refreshing in fall or winter. It's light, somewhat low-key, and not exactly dusky or sexy, so I've been wearing this to school functions, libraries, cafe meetings, etc. It's "appropriate" but still off the beaten path, classy yet kind of hippy. The scent is a little sharp, and rather radiant. I smell a bit like the inside of a woodshop, in the best way possible. Light, freshly-cut wood: my nose picks out pine, cedar, balsa, camphorwood. I wouldn't know the smell of actual hinoki wood if it bit me in the butt, unfortunately, so I can't tell you how prominent that note might be.

To me, Hinoki feels divine.

I don't know how the actual Hinoki wood smells like, but this smells like mixed Piny forest and frankincense. Sometimes piny fragrances can get quite sharp, but not this one. Cedar wood adds creaminess to this fragrance. On my skin it's soft and smooth, calm and perfectly balanced.

If you are into incense fragrances - give Hinoki a try. Obviously, need to try it first, as according to the reviews below, this one gives very different impressions for different people

Similar fragrance - Fille en Aiguilles Serge Lutens. Hinoki is less dense, diffused version of SL.

The opening had a strong herbal/cedar/pine kind of quality, most reminiscent of certain shrubs perhaps. It was quite strong for a while, with a small amount dabbed on, and then it was very weak after half an hour or so. The opening was nice but simple, though if I had applied more it would have been irritating. You can try Club Men by Azzaro for a more "chemical" hinoki note that lasts a long time. That scent is smoother and doesn't have the huge drop in strength that this one seems to have (for the hinoki). I'd rather go for something like Blenheim Bouquet for an herbal/pine scent. I don't seem to be as big a fan of the hinoki note as others seem to be, so keep that in mind.

first impression; smells like CDG-kyoto.
second impression; no it doesn't!!!

the hinoki is strong. having lived in japan, this smell is familiar. i remember smelling this around temples, and if i'm not mistaken, i think this is also used in building the traditional houses...

the camphor then kicks in a minute or two later. sorta smells like black cardamom, campfire-y and moist. only 10 minutes in and i'm quite intrigued...

The masters of Incense have another stunner. The drydown is superb. The opening is very piney but it only lasts about 30 mins. It's very camphoric and resinous. I have never been to a Buddhist temple or anything like that but it's a very soothing scent. It shares similarities to CDG 2 Man with better silage. Not the greatest but it will do. Longevity is about 4-6 hours albeit light after 4. I really don't have an issue with that because the scent is so wonderful. To bad it's $120 and not the usual $80.

This is a really stunning woody/incense fragrance, but then there's this weird chlorine-like note underneath, that's by no means unpleasant, but it does make this scent hard to wear.
I quite like this scent, but I can't help feeling as though I smell like I've been in a swimming pool for a very long time and the smell of the chlorine has sunk into my skin; I've not washed it off, but instead just put on some woody cologne.

The projection is fairly soft, but not a skin scent.
The longevity was quite disappointing. It seemed to have faded around the four to five hour mark.
When you consider that (in the UK) the retail price is £75 for 50ml, that's just not good enough.

The fragrance definitely does it's job with evoking the smell of an hinoki bath. This is definitely what I imagine they smell like.

I think that if I ever did decide to purchase this scent, I'd be much more likely to purchase it in it's candle form.
A room gently filled with this scent would probably be much more pleasing than it is on my skin.

Comme des Garcons certainly know their incense and heady meditative woods. I was really looking forward to this having become a real fan of hinoki wood recently after familiarizing myself with the note. It's a soft woody/citrus type smell which is really gorgeous.
Hinoki is what I expected in that it's a perfect note to build this kind of accord upon.
Superbly woody, with the freshness of cedar, pine, cypress and my favourite... frankincense.
Stunning, clean and hits the mark to me evoking the oriental vibes of a Buddhist temple crossed with and a Scandinavian forrest.
Longevity (which is okay) and projection are not that great (in fact poor) but still Highly recommended.

My mother wears it lately and I can't help but sniff her hair everytime we meet...
To me, this is the smell of fancy, well crafted, old furniture (one of my favourite scents).

True, it's probably made for men, but I find it charmingly unisex for women who can wear it with grace.

Somewhat like a distant relative of my beloved "Spiritus Land" by Miller & Bertaux.

I was a little bit hopeful about what this might smell like before blind buying it.

Admittedly, I have the pale yellow formulation, whereas the above picture shows a much more darker yellow/brown liquid. Whether that means a change in fragrance, I am not sure.

Anyway, the strongest note here is not exactly a natural woody one. Its the exact smell of Dettol disinfectant when you add it to very hot water (not cold water, which achieves a different smell).

Its not the smell of pine, or Hinoki, its something else wholly chemical and un-woody. Only if you try to concentrate really hard, can you get a passing resemblance to the smell of the green parts (not the trunk) of a conifer tree, but that's really pushing it.

Whatever that note is, it eventually dissipates after 3 or 4 hours giving way to more recognizable woody notes. Comments from friends also point to the smell of Dettol (and not in a good way) - is anybody else getting this? Or do I have a bottle from a bad batch?

If I had to choose a CDG woody, of which there are many, I would choose Wonderwood or Man 2 before Hinoki.Hinoki I would have to wear just for me, because others would not appreciate it without the Dettol connotation.

Yum!! Dry, smoky woods done well. I think this is my favorite CdG frag so far. Much more authentic woods smell than Wonderwood. Very intoxicating if you like the smell of woods. It reminds me of Gucci Pour Homme, perhaps a little lighter and colder. One thing I love about Hinoki is that it's not trying to be complex. You won't find any vetiver, flowers, or baby powder (that last one's directed at you, Rocky Mountain He Wood). If you want an uncomplicated wood frag or if you loved GPH, try this one.

Wow! Very unique. Strange dichotomy of dry woods and wet cement. Really lovely. I like the word used in the previous review: meditative.

On me this was amazing; on a man this would be superb, especially in a sea of Chanel Bleu and Paco Million.

Okay. So I covered my forearms with two generous sprays of Hinoki...

It is deeply resinous, coniferous woods: cedar and pine, with camphor upfront (but not too much), and frankincense. The addition of camphor makes the darkness sparkle. Woooo... That's seriously good stuff. On my skin it is never hamster cage, never disinfectant. As it dries down on my skin, a beautiful treatment of slightly earthy green vetiver emerges and joins with the other elements.

The frankincense never steals the show, the moderate projection never crushes my windpipe between two logs, and the woods are just gorgeous. This is such an expertly balanced, meditative fragrance. I find it extremely relaxing, dry, smoky and silent. It has great, steady longevity as well. Though it is not cloying, it is persistent, so in warmer temperatures I would apply with discrimination.

It reminds me of a deep silence with just the darkness of the woods surrounding me, fresh air laced with incense, and the sound of running water.

Hinoki reminds me of a more silky, dry, and refined version of Espirit du Tigre by Heeley, not because they have the same notes, but because they both convey the sensation of a camphor-laced, deep, resinous forest. I would go for Hinoki over the Heeley whenever I really wanted to relax. Heeley uses peppermint, black pepper, and cinnamon creating a kind of spiciness that interrupts the silence. Not a bad thing, but definitely more stimulating and boisterous than Hinoki.

Like a deep, sparkling forest laced with smooth smoky dry incense, Hinoki works any time of day, any time of year, in any situation where you feel there is not quite enough peace and quiet, or when there is already peace and quiet, and you want to pair something with your surrounding sanctuary.

It makes me extremely nervous to say this but...it just might be perfect. I don't think I would change a single thing.

This may be my favourite masculine fragrance. It is perfect.

WAY overpriced for what it is (which is nice).

It could be one of my favorite..
but to me happens like ALFAROM..cloying me
I think without incense it is a perfect scent that talk about temperate forest,a wonderfull endless forest of pinewood somewhere far from civilization.
I also think it is very polished..
try it!it simply worth it.

update:if it was a sound it would be a very deep sound
an expression of a mature masculine been

update:a more successful idea of pinewood is Memoir man.

7/10

I loved everything about this fragrance, but this is my second bottle, and it's not the same anymore. Much weaker, almost water, can't smell the turpentine anymore. Really sad. The first batch was much better. I won't buy it anymore because the lack of consistence of the house.

It's not bad at all, but if you want a purer hinoki scent, I would try CdG's "Standard" instead. This one is a bit too mixed up with aquatic notes (perhaps in a literal-minded interpretation of hot-spring bathing), as well as a tarry note which calls to mind roof shingles. CdG's Wonderwood is also a similar fragrance, and a better choice.

Plus on the box you have to read the comments of the *achingly* self-regarding Monocle editor Tyler what's-his-name about how it was inspired by his stay in the world's most expensive ryokan in Kyoto... do me a favour...

In the little shop where I use to buy Comme Des Garcons fragrances Hinoki seems to be an absolute best seller and as I love CDG's creations I was ready to buy it without even try it first. I was waiting for my turn at the counter when I decided to spray Hinoki on a paper strip...

In the opening I got Turpentine, Camphor and a "wet" pinewood / cipresswood note. Interesting. Then frankincense joins the party adding an even more resinous feel and some depth to the fragrance. In the drydown cedar reveals itself clearly and with Pinewood turns the scent into a sort of mellow version of Escentric 01 (iso E super?) with a pencil shaving effect. You may now think you've already been into all of this, but believe me, Hinoki's interpretation of the theme it's quite original and distinctive. It has a thin structure but it's bold at the same time. A subtle and yet persistent and austere allure. Well Done.

Unfortunately, or maybe I should say fortunately, while I was still waiting in that little shop for my turn to buy Hinoki I also had the chance to test this fragrance on my skin. What a disaster!!! On my skin Monocle 01 turned to be weird (in a bad way). The wet woods effect I smelled on paper emphasized to cross the border of mouldy woods, after that everything turned into a cloying (yet not sweet) and long lasting drydown.
What a big disappointment! I really wanted to like this fragrance, and i was ready to buy it, but it really doesn't match with my skin chemistry.

Overall, Hinoki is a recommended and quite unique fragrance but make sure to try it before you buy it.

Rating: 7.5-8/10

divine! i got people sniffing me like crazy... :-)

An absolutely glorious scent that brings a feeling of serenity to the lucky wearer that I am :) Excentric, luminous, "unusual" would be an understatement. Smells of rich woods and opulent resins, incense and to add an absolutely delightful touch - thyme. Pure perfection, but way, way out of charted territory. That could be the perfume of a fairytale elf :)

Oh, my. This might be one men love and think women will, too... like those sad women's scents women think men will love and turns out no one's happy except the wearer and the store that sold it.

Hamster cage. Attic. Damp basement. An old wool sweater just taken from a cedar chest. No, it's hamster cage.

This is what a randy hamster would wear on date night in a basement where old, used paint brushes are stored.

This is a long review, so go to general perfumes talk, and check out my essay titled "The Scum of The Earth"

A magic door to an eternal forest. Resins and woods which conjure images of an imaginary place with endless trees. I'd like to get lost there for a while.
Excelent.

A masterpiece.

I just sample this fragrance on a test paper. If you are looking for a fragrance that reminds you of Cedar, this would be it. The hint of incense comes out beautiful y. Kudos once again to the house of CdG.