Arielle Shoshana, Matcha, and a Sweet Giveaway

Saturday and Sunday, available in 10ml travel size and 30ml. My quick photo is not doing them justice.

I have exciting news from this past weekend’s Arielle Shoshana launch party for her second perfume, which is called Sunday.

Let’s back up a bit.  Her first perfume (now renamed Saturday) was released a couple of years ago, before the idea of a series emerged, when it was simply called Arielle Shoshana.

That first scent is built around an amazing passionfruit and saffron center, a scent Arielle had always wanted to do, and now she’d done so with Cécile Hua.  It’s a really novel scent construct, and if the idea of grapefruit/passionfruit/rhubarb in a perfume makes you excited, you should try it.  Me? I thought it was gorgeous, but it just never seemed like something I would reach for.

Then I read about her new scent, Sunday. According to Arielle, “Sunday’s inspiration was my favorite Sunday morning brunch beverage, our neighbor True Food Kitchen’s matcha horchata. It’s the most addictively delicious blend of sweet, spicy, and green flavors. The first time I tasted it, I thought to myself, ‘This needs to be a perfume.’”

And that, my fragrant friends, sounded very much like something I would reach for, so I put a big red circle on my calendar for the launch party.

They funded the development on Kickstarter, which 1) whoa, how cool is that?! And 2) sounds like a total pain in the ass, but they got it done, apparently. I’m picturing them packing up boxes until 4am on launch day.

Mods of Sunday lined up on the counter for us to sniff.

From the website: “A gentle swirl of matcha green tea, creamy rice milk, and a delicious sprinkle of cinnamon. Sunday serenity, any day of the week. Notes: Matcha Tea, Rice Milk, Cinnamon, Maté Absolute, Cardamom, Coconut, Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla.”

I got to sniff the mods, all lined up on the counter, which was a hoot—the perfumed version of listening to someone adjust the bass and treble settings on your stereo.  This one was a little sweet, that one a little flat… a little too milky, a little too sharp.  Then, voila, finished.

So, how is it?

Somewhere there may exist a video of me at the launch, sniffing my wrist and literally jumping up and down in a perfume-dork’s frenzy of delight.  This is…… this is one of those handful of perfumes that I sniff and think, you made this just for me.  It’s a perfect comfort scent, and perfect for this time of year. On my skin it starts out a little sharper and greener with the matcha, although still very creamy as you’d expect with that list of notes.  The spices show up a few minutes later.  It’s gourmand, yes, but for something inspired by an actual milky drink it’s not especially food-ish (drink-ish?). The far drydown on me has a hint of a milky-sweet finish I jokingly called Froot Loop accord (to a look of abject horror from Ari, lol) – I think a nose-trick of the vanilla and coconut?  I dunno, but it’s great.  Ari, please don’t kill me.

What’s next on the list at some point in the future?  Monday, of course – a bold, coffee-inspired fragrance.  I’m looking forward to it.

Here’s a link to their site, where Saturday is available in sample, 10 ml and 3.4oz – how cute are those bottles?  Sunday is…. bummer, all sold out at this moment.  But lucky you, Arielle gave me 10 ml travel bottles of both Saturday and Sunday for a giveaway, so make a comment if you want into the draw!