Kedu starts with citruses and the powdery scent of vanilla, which, for me, gives an illusion of a chocolate smell
The citrus is juicy and bright. There’s a faint terpenic facet of bergamot that reminds me of tea, smelling fresh and peppery. A whiff of grapefruit and mandarin turns the citrus accord to become juicier, and at the same time, zesty. The bitter facet of grapefruit gives a nice hook in the citrus facet and make it more addictive.
The citrus notes lead us into a very bright floral background smelling neroli and orange blossom. The flowers are smooth and delicate, but with character–a little bit citrusy with a hint of sweet, fruity notes. They are not aggressive and stand alone. Instead, they blend effortlessly with the surrounding notes and gives more dynamics to the composition–crisp, fresh, and elegant.
Besides these bright, citrusy flowers, a fresh rosy note is peeking out, smelling floral and green, flourishing. The rose’s green facet is quite dominant, creating an illusion of pink peony flowers—I imagine peony’s soft petals being so fluffy and voluminous. By the time the peony scent fully develops, green and powdery violet shows up and remains. This combination results in a classic cosmetic scent, rich yet fleeting. When the violet is getting more and more visible, the ambiance of Kedu is becoming velvety, yet with a hint of neroli.
The fragrance progresses to become woody, balsamic, and musky. A sweet, nutty, and smoky woods reminiscent of guaiac wood smoothly appears and blends very well with vanilla’s balsamic facet, sweet and powdery. This sweetness is balanced with tobacco notes in the background, which might come from the mate absolute. Interestingly, this well-rounded accord reminds me of a cup of matcha latte. Delightful.
Moreover, a hint of violet flowers lingers and unites with the musky accord, creating smooth and misty clouds around these notes. The musky accord smells a little bit animalic, like skin-scent. There is an amusing greenness underneath the musks coming from the moss and mate absolute. These notes blend exceptionally well with the skin and produce an illusion of elegant soft leather. Very elegant.
Kedu takes inspiration from the garden of Java
I can imagine the misty forest at the Borobudur temple before sunrise when the sky is still dark blue. The fogs slowly come down, touching the tall trees. The wind blows, swaying the trees, carrying the fresh morning breeze. As the sun slowly rises, and the light touches the earth, everything becomes brighter, warmer… charming.
There’s something about Kedu that draws me to it. It smells inexplicably familiar. The whole experience reminds me of my past memories, but I cannot recall a specific moment. Have you ever experienced this? It makes me feel happy and calm, though.
Kedu is one of the perfumes in the discovery set I bought from a local distributor. Happy now we have Memo Paris in my hometown! Kedu is my favorite because it evokes some memories and really warms my heart. However, in my opinion, it is not the most outstanding fragrance nor the best performing. In fact, Kedu doesn’t stay very long on the skin. Although it smells amazing.
What’s your favorite from Memo Paris?
Cheers,
Gia.
