Arashi No Umi

Fragrance Overview & First Impressions

Released in 2023, Arashi No Umi by Maison Matine is an eau de parfum that brings green apple and peach together with jasmine and rose, followed by woods and musk. The freshness of green apple and the softer sweetness of peach give a clear starting point for imagining it. Flowers become an important part of the experience too, with a woody drydown extending the composition beyond its opening fruit.

The fragrance links an imagined journey to Japan with the legendary island of Atlantis and the fabled land of gold known as Zipangu. Thinking of fruit growing and flowers blooming on an unfamiliar island provides a connection between its name and its scent. It is an inviting fragrance to consider for a daytime outing, especially for someone who wants fresh fruit and floral sweetness together.

Maison Matine presents it as a unisex fruity, floral and woody fragrance. The familiar fruit notes make it approachable, while the flowers and woods offer more to follow as it develops. Noticing which part appeals most can be a useful way to relate it to fragrances already enjoyed.

Perfumer, Brand & Creative Background

Perfumer Bérénice Watteau was born in northern France and grew up in Paris. Raised in an artistic family, she recalls wanting to become a perfumer at the age of seven. After studying chemistry, she trained in perfumery, graduating in 2014. She later worked at Puig, a company active in fragrance, before joining the fragrance house Firmenich.

Maison Matine describes Watteau as inspired by surrealism and interested in creating forms and light through scent. That interest in dreamlike combinations sits alongside her scientific training in materials. Arashi No Umi can be enjoyed with that creative outlook in mind: familiar fruits and flowers provide the materials for imagining a place that does not need to exist.

Founded in 2019, Maison Matine brings perfumers, graphic designers and its community into the creation of its fragrances. For Arashi No Umi, the bottle illustration is by Kyoko Nakamura, an illustrator from Kyoto who also lives there. Game machines and fishing equipment are among the motifs recalling childhood. The colorful drawing has a feeling that is both futuristic and nostalgic.

The fragrance belongs to a collection about travel and imagination. Its story relates Japan to the legendary island of Atlantis and to Zipangu, the name associated with a fabled land of gold. A distant island imagined from France meets the familiar memories of play evoked by a Japanese illustrator. This meeting offers a reason to enjoy the fragrance and the bottle together.

Detailed Scent Analysis

The top notes are green apple, freesia and peach. They suggest tart fruit alongside the softer sweetness of peach. Freesia appears from the start, so the opening already brings flowers together with the fruit. It is an appealing place to begin for someone who enjoys both freshness and sweetness.

The heart contains jasmine, Damask rose and ylang-ylang. The floral character of jasmine and rose meets the sweetness of ylang-ylang, moving from the initial fruit towards a fuller impression of flowers. Anyone drawn mainly by the apple and peach may want to pay attention to this floral stage as well when deciding whether the fragrance suits their taste.

The base is Virginia cedar, Firsantol and musk. Cedar supplies a woody character, while Firsantol is a material used to create a sandalwood-like scent. Its name may be unfamiliar, but the idea of softly sweet wood gives a practical way to imagine its role. Woods and musk continue after the brighter fruit and flowers.

The later flowers and woods can matter as much as the first impression. Someone seeking fresh fruit may focus on the opening; someone who loves floral perfumes may be more interested in the heart. Following the softer woody finish gives another way to discover what is most enjoyable about the composition.

Comparisons & Positioning

Maison Matine's Poom Poom shares the combination of fruit, flowers, musk and woods. Poom Poom places rose in both its top and heart notes, with kiwi among the fruits. Arashi No Umi instead opens with green apple and peach before jasmine, rose and ylang-ylang. The fruit itself and the emphasis among the flowers make useful points of comparison. Anyone interested in Poom Poom may enjoy exploring another of the brand's approaches to fruit and flowers.

Tu Te Calmes by Maison Matine is another fragrance by Bérénice Watteau. Neroli, lemon and cardamom lead to fig leaf and petitgrain, followed by cedar, vetiver and musk. Alongside the fruit and flowers of Arashi No Umi, it offers a direction for someone more interested in citrus, leaves and spice. Different materials suggest different imagined surroundings, even within the same perfumer's work.

Bouquet de Hongrie by BDK Parfums also combines fruit with rose, jasmine, musk and cedar. Its fruits are pear, blackcurrant and strawberry. Where Arashi No Umi uses green apple and peach, Bouquet de Hongrie pairs flowers with pear and berries. For someone choosing a floral fragrance, the accompanying fruit can offer a helpful distinction between them.

Buying Guide, Price & Suitability

Arashi No Umi is available as an eau de parfum in 50 mL and 15 mL sizes. The Japanese price for 50 mL is ¥16,500. The larger bottle is worth considering for regular use, while 15 mL may suit someone beginning with a smaller amount or wanting a bottle to carry. Check the retailer for current prices and availability before buying.

It is particularly interesting for someone who wants fruit freshness with floral sweetness, or who enjoys the artwork on a perfume bottle. The little objects in Kyoko Nakamura's drawing may recall childhood games and equipment. The bottle offers something to look at between uses as well as a fragrance to consider for an outing.

In its launch year, 2023, it received the top award in the newcomer category of a Japanese authorized retailer's customer vote. This was recognition among newly introduced fragrances. For a personal choice, it is still useful to follow the fruity opening through to the flowers and woods and decide which part is most appealing.

Wearing Experience, Occasions & Impressions

Spring and summer daytime outings offer inviting occasions to try it. A walk on a leafy path or a relaxed trip into town can suit the bright fruit and flowers. A light shirt or cotton clothes provide an easy outfit to imagine alongside it.

Wearers have praised its combination of sweetness and freshness. Others describe shorter wear on skin and restrained projection, while some find the later woods or sweetness more pronounced. These different experiences make the later floral and woody stages worth trying, as well as the opening apple.

Anyone wanting a strong scent throughout the day should assess its staying power before choosing it for that purpose. For a walk or a shorter outing, a small bottle offers a way to try the fruit and flowers in everyday life. Arashi No Umi combines green apple, peach, flowers, woods and musk with a story of Japan and a nostalgic illustration. Both the scent's development and that visual story can help someone decide whether it belongs in their own routine.