The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Thé Vert Shiso was created by Jeremiah J. Taylor and released in 2019 as a unisex fragrance for Laughing Saint, an independent house based in Florence. Its name points directly to the composition's central idea: green tea and shiso brought together with bright citrus. The reference profile describes it as an East Asian influenced study of sencha tea, shiso, and yuzu, with delicate florals, subtle woods, and invigorating aquatic elements. That framing gives the fragrance a clear atmosphere, somewhere between a quiet tea ritual and the clean air around a Mediterranean garden.
The unusual part is the conversation between materials that usually live in different rooms. Shiso brings a leafy, mint-like greenness, while green tea adds a cultivated, slightly tannic calm. Yuzu and bergamot introduce familiar citrus brightness, but green mandarin keeps the opening from becoming conventionally sweet. Petitgrain, blackcurrant, wild rose, and violet leaf add texture beneath that brightness, letting the composition feel layered rather than simply fresh. The base gives it gravity, with musk, oakmoss, ambergris, and vetiver turning toward skin, woods, and mineral softness.
The evolution
At first, the fragrance presents its greenest side. Shiso, green tea, bergamot, yuzu, and green mandarin move quickly across the skin, creating a cool, lively impression with citrus that feels more aromatic than sugary. The opening gradually hands over to petitgrain, blackcurrant, wild rose, and violet leaf. Here, the fruit becomes darker and the floral notes give the composition a soft, leafy edge, as if the tea has been placed beside a garden rather than a breakfast table. During the drydown, musk and ambergris smooth the sharper citrus away. Oakmoss and vetiver remain underneath, bringing a dry, earthy finish with subtle woods. After roughly 4-6 hours, the scent leaves behind a restrained impression of clean greenery, musk, and moss rather than a loud citrus trail.
Cultural impact
Laughing Saint sits within a contemporary indie register built around narrative, place, and historical reference. Thé Vert Shiso fits that positioning by pairing a Japanese-influenced tea-and-citrus profile with the house's Florentine sense of composition and place. The result reflects cross-cultural fragrance language rather than presenting shiso and green tea as a literal Japanese stereotype, while the citrus, floral, moss, and woody notes connect the composition to European perfumery conventions and the house's Italian identity.
The House
Laughing SaintLaughing Saint is an independent fragrance house based in Florence, the cradle of European perfumery. The brand draws its identity from a storied Dominican friar who reportedly crafted the first alcohol-based perfume in recorded history, a formula later refined for Catherine de Medici. Known for evocative compositions such as Per Cent'anni (2019), La Figue et L'Olive, Tubereuse Tabac, and Thé Vert Shiso, Laughing Saint blends Tuscan heritage with a contemporary indie sensibility, creating scents that feel rooted in story and place.
The Creator
Jeremiah J. TaylorTaylor's compositions favor balance over spectacle. Laughing Saint, his breakout release, reads as a study in measured contrast: something bright playing against something grounding, with a drydown that lingers rather than announces.
