Everything I had read and heard about scent culture in China and Japan said that people preferred softer scents and nothing too loud. It explained the popularity of Jo Malone in Asia, but my information must have been years old, because when I got there, I realized that scent culture there is more alive than it is in North America, where scent culture is partly wiped out by “clean girl aesthetic”. I shouldn’t have been surprised; India has an appreciation for scent and perfume that’s alive and well, and I found that in China, like in India, people especially love plants and florals, and their scents, some of which have their own therapeutic values. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Anyway, perfume stores, both with imported and local goods, were always a stone’s throw away and there were a plethora of brands available. On an incredibly hot day, we chanced upon the Amouage store, and I had to go in for a visit. What I hadn’t been prepared for was that English wouldn’t be so ubiquitous in China. The salesperson at @amouageofficial spoke no English, so what we missed out on was the consult that buyers can get in the store, and then the wall of perfumes lights up the scent that has been recommended for you. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
They also didn’t have any of the latest launches, Existence, and Outlands was missing from last year’s trio of launches. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Thanks to the Internet, we find out about new things so quickly and people can buy and experience them at home usually within weeks of the launch, even if you, like me, live in a perfume desert. But this didn’t just apply to perfume. There were lots of things that had me thinking – oh, I have that at home already, or oh, I’ve already tried that. And I guess that’s ok. I still had an amazing time.
