Once again, I find myself being sucked by my socials, which ends up sucking my wallet too. But all for something good because I’ve discovered one of the up-and-coming perfume brands! As fragrances become more complex, it’s natural that we all crave something simpler. Something cleaner and perhaps fresher. So when Chasense perfumes popped up on my socials, I knew my wallet was in for another trauma. With 6 perfumes purchased, I knew I owed it to Chasense and the people a perfume review of this tea-based fragrance – ranked from my favourite to the least!
It was another regular doom-scrolling on my socials when I came across a livestream. The background music was calm, zen-like, as if I was enjoying a well-deserved massage. But in the foreground were these peculiarly shaped bottles that he introduced as Chasense perfumes. The bottles looked just like those stones you’d commonly see in commercials or posters for spas – simple, unassuming and well, that’s all there is to it
Then, the influencer highlighted that he, along with his friend, was the first to bring Chasense into Singapore. And he went on talking about how he really liked its tea fragrance. The moment he mentioned Green Tea, Longjing, and all the other trigger keywords, I was hooked. My husband and I have been into tea perfumes lately, but they were all too much for our $100 budget. Thankfully, the influencer was selling them at about $50-$60 each, so I went in.
Based on what I could find, Chasense is known for its philosophy of blending traditional Chinese tea culture with modern perfumery. They look to create poetic, tranquil scents often compared to luxury houses like Jo Malone, Le Labo, and Byredo. Just that everything is more affordable.
They have at least 12 different fragrances, and that doesn’t include their diffusers. But seeing as how this is a relatively new brand with barely any information online, I only got 1 (at first).
For that roasted green tea scent
The perfume with the Longjing tea notes really intrigued me, as I know this is one tea scent that’s most apparent. When it arrived, I quickly gave myself a spritz and fell absolutely in love. I knew this was something I’d most likely love as the perfume didn’t contain any musky notes – I’m not really a fan of musk these days. But I was surprised at how it was as if I’d stepped into a bubble tea store. The only downside is that the scent kind of faded away after about 4 hours, but it’s no biggie because I had only spritzed myself once.
Fragrance notes
Reminiscent of yuzu green tea
Among my favourites, this ranks second, just after the Chasense Spring Tea. The Biluochun green tea scent is super strong, and it smells even fresher. That green tea fragrance is elevated by some floral and slight citrusy notes. It somehow reminds me of Heaven and Earth’s jasmine green tea, just less floral-y – maybe even something like yuzu green tea!
Fragrance notes
As sweet as your 50% sugar level bubble tea
I love osmanthus oolong bubble tea, so I really wanted to get this, but I was hesitant because it contained musk. I tried asking the seller about the perfume, and he shared that it was still more on the sweeter side than musky. So, I dove right in. And I’m really glad I took the chance because the muskiness was really soft. It provided the right amount of balance to the sweetness from the osmanthus oolong while allowing that tea scent to come through. And I’d also like to especially highlight the bottle – just look at that pink marbling on the cap!
Fragrance notes
Heaven and Earth in a bottle, just with fewer florals
I managed to snag a sample of this as well, and I was disappointed… because the seller mentioned that this scent has been discontinued. I loved it so much because it really smells like jasmine. It’s as if someone bottled up your favourite jasmine green tea, amped up the green tea and made it into a perfume. This means you don’t have to worry about smelling so much like jasmine, because the green tea reveals itself in just a bit, to then leave you with a nice floral fragrance from all those middle notes!
Fragrance notes
The crispiest fresh-type of scent
I don’t know about you, but there’s a part of me that sometimes wants to smell like sanitiser. You know what I mean? That crisp freshness that’s hard to replicate with regular perfumes – that’s what you get with the Chasense Zentea Qing perfume. And if I thought the Zenmind Harmony was fresh, this is even fresher. So think of it as a cleaner scent, with some florals – you just can’t find any fault with this scent!
Fragrance notes
Like sweet tangerines, that’s not too citrusy
I’ve been into aged tangerine peel tea lately. And hence, I got the Chasense Ganpu Tea perfume. It’s a citrus-forward perfume, something that I typically wouldn’t like, but I actually do for this. It smells like aged tangerines, citrusy but muted and it fades away to reveal the sweeter side of oranges. Coupled with the sage, bergamot and pu-er tea in this, the Ganpu perfume dries down to be something more woody with a tinge of that orange zesty-ness.
Fragrance notes
Green-like perfume that’s fresh and slightly floral
I only received a sample for this, but I’m considering securing the full bottle whenever my budget allows. This really took me by surprise because of its interesting fragrance notes. It’s fresh, has a slight hint of pepperyness, but mostly green and reminds me of freshly laundered clothes. As it dries, the floral notes come through and you’ll get that tea scent as well! And while there’s musk, it’s also not too much, which is what I love about Chasense perfumes so far.
Fragrance notes
More masculine, wood-like scent
The Zentea Zheng is one of my favourite masculine scents. That being said, since I prefer more feminine fragrances, this is near the bottom. While its top notes were black pepper and cardamom, I didn’t really get that same spice like the Zentea Ya. It’s more toned down, subtle, allowing the black tea and mate tea notes to come through. There’s also that slight sandal-wood like scent that isn’t too overpowering. So much that even my very feminine colleague said she’d wear this herself! Just think of it as a slightly sweet, sandalwood-like scent that has some smoky vibes.
Fragrance notes
Slightly peppery with citrusy notes
Seeing as this is such a new brand, I managed to snag some samples. The Zentea Ya perfume was pretty popular as well, but I wasn’t keen despite the Bergamot top notes. I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I know at least that it meant the earl grey-like scent wasn’t going to last. And true to that, it didn’t.
Right off the bat, you can smell the spicy-like cardamom and the citrusy lemon top notes. As it fades, what you get is a tea-like green scent with a slight earthiness. Overall, not really my cup of tea (hehe).
Fragrance notes
Clean, blue-like fragrance with some earthiness
This was my second order of two perfumes. I remember the influencer singing praises about the Chasense Green Tea Perfume, constantly talking about its freshness. While I can’t disagree with the freshness, my only disappointment was how it felt more like a masculine scent. It’s something like the typical blue/bleu colognes, but much lighter. The green tea scent wasn’t that apparent to me, as compared to the Longjing from the Spring Tea perfume. But I could pick up some slight earthiness, which is likely from the Green Tea. Nevertheless, thankfully, I had the husband to hand this perfume off to.
Fragrance notes
| What I like about Chasense perfumes | What I wish could be better |
|
|
If you’re just like me, looking for new scents to explore, Chasense is definitely the way to go. Regardless of what I like most, you should give them a go if you’ve been looking for a good tea-like fragrance. It’s a fraction of the cost of similar Chinese perfume brands, and I’d say it performs just as well. While it may be hard to track Chasense down in Singapore for now, I heard that the seller might be bringing in more in the near future. So if you can’t wait, book a trip to China and snag them while you’re at it!
Be sure to use these China apps for your travels, and if you need help with travel plans, check out our Yunnan itinerary and these things to do in Shanghai! But if you’re looking for other fragrances, here are our recommendations on the best women’s perfumes and the best men’s colognes!
Have a taste of every Singaporean’s pastime!
Leave a Comment