Chant du Coeur by Shiseido

I am obsessed with Shiseido fragrances. Not with those readily available in the States, mind you, like new Zen, Vocalize, or Energizing and Relaxing. Oh no, I am longing for the ones only sold in Japan. It is sickness really, this hunt for perfumes I theoretically cannot have. Thanks to the kindness of other perfume addicts and to the wonders of eBay, I have been able to try and obtain several. Some of them were definitely worth the obsession and the effort to get them; Chant du Coeur is one of those lucky finds. Created for Shiseido by Edouard Flechier, the nose behind Christian Dior Poison, Frederic Malle Lys Méditerranée and Une Rose, Chant du Coeur is described as “a song born from the Earth’s heart”. The Ginko Leaf design of the bottle, conceived by Angela Cummings, represents “closeness to nature”. Chant du Coeur is one of those smooth blends where not a single note stands out and where all notes appear at once and stay together till the end, without making the fragrance either linear or busy. Chant du Coeur is like a precious stone with its many facets; the light falling on the gem illuminates one side, then another, then perhaps several at ones. Chant du Coeur has the same multifaceted appearance; one moment spring-like mimosa is highlighted, another moment rose suddenly comes alive with its sweet, summery aroma, at times, the green hyacinth is quite apparent…all notes are blended seamlessly into a fresh, sunny harmony. Chant du Coeur is not a scent of a well-tended, lush garden with pampered, heady blossoms. These are wild flowers, born without any human interference, indeed “from the Earth’s heart”. I imagine them growing on a hilltop somewhere, overlooking the wide expanse of the sea and the sky. As far as I know (and I may be mistaken, because what scarce information is available about Shiseido’s non-export scents, is mostly in Japanese, the language I do not know), Chant du Coeur is not simply a Japan-only scent, it has also been discontinued. It does sometime appear on eBay and goes for $25.00 - $40.00, depending on your luck and/or cunning bidding strategy. *The painting is Expectations by Christophe Vacher.