(The photo in the leaflet shows offthe angular shape of the bottle.)
(SUQQU Sanzekan Eau de Toilette 50ml)
This fragrance is based on the scent of Sanzekan (the eastern orchid), which is used in all SUQQU’s skincare products. Personally I dislike any prominent scent in skincare products. (It is simply unnecessary and may cause irritation.) But, purely as a scent, I really like it. Unique, sophisticated, and instantly memorable.
(Sanzekan, the eastern orchid)
The first time SUQQU released this scent as a fragrance was when they launched the holiday collection in November 2005 (seen below on the left).
(SUQQU holiday 2005 collection)(image from www.suqqu.com)
It is a 18ml travel-size bottle. The collection (sold as a set) also included a lipstick and a nail color based on the rich red hue of Sanzekan.
The full-size fragrance was released in Japan a year later in November 2006 but also as a limited edition. This was around the time SUQQU was launched in the UK. The actual fragrance was not available in the UK, but I fell in love with the scent of Sanzekan in the skincare products.
Around that time, there was a Gift with Purchase offer which included the 18ml fragrance (seen in the 2005 holiday set above). But the qualifying amount for the GWP was too high so I decided not to get it.
At the time, the sales assistants didn’t know whether the fragrance would ever be available in the UK. So I simply gave up the idea of ever owning the fragrance. But I liked the scent so much that I would constantly sniff the toner sample I got.
So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw this bottle in its full glory at the SUQQU counter last week. (I thought I’d never see it.) Without no hesitation, I decided to get it.
As mentioned, the prominent note is the eastern orchid Sanzekan. Feminine and lilting, it is a beautifully delicate and elegant scent.
Top note: eastern orchid (Sanzekan)
Middle notes: rose and jasmine
Base notes: vanilla and sandalwood
Like AYURA‘s Spirit of AYURA, this has a unique oriental flavor to it that I really enjoy. Not a generic scent, to say the very least. I am so glad I finally have it now…
Related Posts:
Sheer Stella 2007
(featuring all the previous editions)
Bond No. 9 Coney Island
(summer bottled up)
My Favorite Fragrances
(What about yours?)
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
does this come in an edp version too? how much was the edt? (ps, thanks to your post about suqqu clear veil i discovered this line :D )
Ooh, it looks lovely! I have been wanting one of Suqqu’s eye shadow palettes from Ichibankao.com, but they are outrageous! Are they normally that expensive or is it a mark-up?
If you don’t mind me asking, where are you able to purchase your Japanese makeup? Any good sites you can rec?
Hello Yin,
Thank you very much for stopping by and leaving your comment!
At the moment, there is only the EDT version. In the UK, it is priced at 40 pounds (about 82 USD). As you know, this is pricier than many other 50ml EDTs.
But the retail price for it in Japan (at the time it was available) was around 66 USD, which was much more reasonable. (SUQQU products can be up to 25% more expensive here in the UK than in Japan.)
You are very welcome about the post on SUQQU Clear Veil Powder. It is a very unique product and I did enjoy writing about it very much.
Thank you very much again for commenting! :)
Hello Taryn,
Thank you very much for leaving a comment again!
SUQQU is indeed quite an expensive brand. For example, a SUQQU lipstick costs about 47 USD (the retail price in Japan), which is rather pricey.
(Unfortunately, they are even more expensive here in the UK, as they are between 5% and 25% more expensive than the prices in Japan.)
If you are interested in the retail prices of SUQQU products in Japan, their Japanese website lists the prices of all the items. You can go to this page, which is the main product category page.
There is indeed an increase in prices on Ichibankao, but I suppose the increase is for postage and packaging (and the time for the seller to source the products). The amount of increase varies from item to item, but overall I’d think the increase is still relatively within reason.
At the moment, most of the Japanese cosmetics items I have are bought in Asia by myself. Also, some of my friends in Asia help me buy them and send them to me.
You might know the site Adam Beauty. This is the website I tend to buy from and I have been very happy with the prices and the service.
There are other sites that carry Japanese cosmetics, which you also might know (like Gooddealer, Sasa, Joseibi, and YesStyle). (If you put the names in Google Search, they should come out on the very top.) So far I have not shopped from them so I am not able to speak about them from a personal (or a customer’s) point of view. But do have a browse and see what you think.
Thank you again for your comment! :)