Perfume Review: Annayake Miyako

In creating Miyako, a limited edition Eau de Parfum, Annayake was inspired by kodo, the Japanese incense ceremony, a classic art alongside sado (tea ceremony) and kado (flower arrangement or ikebana). Kodo literally means “way of fragrance”, and may seem to be all about the sense of smell, but apparently the heart of kodo lies in "listening", that is why it is also referred to as “listening to incense”. The participants don't "smell" the incense or fragrant wood, they "listen" to it, opening up not so much their nasal passages as their heart and spirit, allowing the incense to transport them to a different spiritual plane. When practicing kodo, a mica plate is placed on top of smoldering coals and the incense or fragrant wood (agarwood) is placed on the plate. This way, instead of being burned, the wood releases its smell in a subtle way. (From japan-zone.com)

Miyako, while not actually transporting me to a higher plane of existence, is extremely comforting. It is a sweet, soft, slightly spicy incense that envelopes me in a soothing cocoon like a favorite old blankie. The cardamom note is very apparent in the top notes, and, paired with cinnamon, adds delicious piquancy to the composition. The frankincense and wood (hinoki cypress, cedar and sandalwood) accord is beautiful here, ornamented with the spices, softened by a delicate floral note, enriched by patchouli. The drydown is pillow-soft, with lots of sweet myrrh and a fluffy, cozy sort of musk. This is a comfort scent extraordinaire in that it combines the calming, melancholy kind of comfort of the best incense scents with an almost-gourmand warmth and sweetness. I am not sure if it has ever been available in the States, but right now it seems almost impossible to find. I would recommend relentlessly stalking eBay, since sometimes the bottles do appear there and cost somewhere in the region of € 40.00-50.00.