another custom for the lunar new year is the giving of hongbao, or red envelopes containing a token sum of money, from parents to children and from married couples to those of the generation below them.
even as the lunar new year celebrations begin to draw to a close, i still wanted to find something thematically appropriate to wear, and so the scent of the day that i picked out for myself was Red Maiden by Luminous Star Perfumes (which has since closed).
Red Maiden has a really evocative description that's spot-on to the actual scent experience: the beautiful and mysterious shrine maiden at the top of the hill. classically beautiful and refined - but with a temper. fresh sandalwood, orris, and plum blossom sweetened with tuberose, incense, and greenery.
in the bottle, this is a very natural and calming blend that vividly brings to mind the tranquility of a quiet Japanese shrine in the middle of the forest. the tuberose is especially prominent with the orris and plum blossom, which stand out against the backdrop of natural sandalwood and lush carpet of ferns. the incense brings a touch of serene calm to the blend, and the lingering smokiness elevates the fresh florals to another level.
on my skin, this is beautifully wearable and continues to evoke the same description, with the greenery fading and sandalwood coming out more after about half an hour of wear. i do amplify sandalwood (and thankfully like the note in many forms) so this was a nice change, almost like completing the scent journey from the picturesque exterior of a forest shrine with the initial sniffs, and stepping into its wooden smokey interior with the drydown for the next three hours or so.
Luminous Star Perfumes does well with their sandalwood and orris, those being two common notes shared with my holy grail perfume War from the same house. unlike War though, the sandalwood here in Red Maiden is more natural and nowhere near as creamy.
8/10 glad that i have quite a few backups of this as it's something i can see myself reaching for often, a relatively-personal scent that makes me feel enigmatic yet confident, powerfully in touch with nature and myself.
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this review is of a perfume that i had purchased with my own money. i wasn’t asked to review this scent as a condition of receipt and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with Luminous Star Perfumes and as always, all opinions remain my own.
all information correct at time of publishing.
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