The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
State of Mind was founded in 2015 by Catherine Laskine-Balandina in Versailles, where she studied both French perfumery and the Japanese tea ceremony. The house treats fragrance as a tool for emotional navigation, each scent designed around a specific mental intention, paired with a tea that amplifies the effect. Modern Nomad arrived in 2017, composed by Karine Dubreuil-Sereni. The name says everything: the modern traveler who carries ritual with them, who doesn't leave home without a grounding practice. Hōjicha, the roasted Japanese tea, became the heart of the concept, smoke without aggression, warmth without sweetness. It's the scent of departure and arrival in the same breath.
The choice of Hōjicha as a lead note is unusual. Most tea fragrances lean on green or white tea for freshness, the roasted, smoky character of Hōjicha is darker, more contemplative. Karine Dubreuil-Sereni built Modern Nomad around that contrast: taking something typically quiet (tea) and making it the defining statement. The rose that sits alongside the smoky tea isn't decorative, it's the counterweight, keeping the composition from becoming too austere. The plum and amber in the heart create a warm middle passage that makes the smoky opening feel intentional rather than jarring. And the base, leather, oud, vanilla, is where the fragrance earns its name.
The evolution
Modern Nomad opens with Hōjicha's roasted, smoky character, that distinctive Japanese tea aroma with its nutty, slightly bitter quality. The combination of Chinese black tea and Pu-erh adds depth, creating a smoky foundation that feels both refined and grounded. Rose arrives early, adding a floral counterweight that keeps the opening from becoming too austere. The heart settles into plum and amber, warm, slightly sweet, like late afternoon light through a window. Patchouli anchors the transition, adding the earthy, slightly bitter quality that prevents the heart from becoming purely feminine. The drydown is where the leather and oud take over. Vanilla softens the edge just enough, creating warmth that stays close to the skin for six to eight hours on most skin types. The sillage remains moderate throughout, this isn't a fragrance that announces itself. It's the one that people notice when you're already gone.
Cultural impact
Modern Nomad occupies a specific space in the niche fragrance world: tea-forward compositions with smoky, roasted character. While not the only fragrance to feature Hōjicha, it remains one of the more committed to the tea-as-ritual concept. State of Mind's tea-pairing philosophy gives it an audience that's more intentional than impulse-driven, people who seek out the brand specifically for that experience. The fragrance's moderate sillage and six-to-eight hour longevity make it a quiet presence rather than a statement piece, which suits the brand's overall positioning around presence over performance. The 2017 launch predates the current wave of tea-focused niche releases, giving it a certain longevity in a category that has since grown more crowded.
