The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Prin Lomros built Strangers Parfumerie on the idea that a fragrance should read like a memory. Muscat Jasmine Tea is his take on a specific kind of afternoon, the sticky heat of a Thai summer, a glass of cold tea sweating on the table, the grape hanging heavy on the vine outside. Lomros has sixty-seven fragrances in this house catalog, and this one leans lighter than most. The muscat grape isn't a metaphor here. It's the point. Jasmine tea isn't the supporting cast. It's the structure. Together they create something that smells like a specific moment, not a general mood. The name says exactly what it is.
What makes this composition interesting is the tension between the grape's almost confection-like sweetness and the jasmine tea's bitter, slightly astringent backbone. Muscat grapes are the same variety used in wine, those small, seedless green orbs with that distinct floral hit. Pairing them with jasmine tea isn't an obvious move. The tea could overwhelm the fruit, or the fruit could make the tea taste cheap. Instead, the sorbet and mint create a cold, almost effervescent quality that keeps everything suspended. The result smells like a high-end boba shop in Bangkok, refined fruit, not a candy counter.
The evolution
The opening is fast. Mandarin and lemon zest hit first, sharp and immediate, followed by a cool mint note that reads almost medicinal for ten seconds. Then the muscat grape arrives, all at once, flooding the composition with its sticky, sun-drenched sweetness. Some reviewers mention an animalic undertone here. It vanishes before you've finished spraying. Once that initial sweetness settles, the jasmine tea emerges. It doesn't replace the grape, it layers over it, adding a bitter, floral counterweight that prevents the fruit from becoming candy. The black tea deepens. The sorbet accord creates a smooth, cold texture in the heart, as if someone dropped ice cubes into the glass. The mint retreats. The Nashi pear adds crunch. For the next four hours, you're wearing a cool, fruity, slightly green tea, sweet without being cloying, complex without trying hard. The drydown is jasmine and the ghost of grape, lingering close to the skin. Six to eight hours, intimate sillage. Still there at the end of the day, but quieter.
Cultural impact
Jasmine tea carries centuries of cultural weight across East and Southeast Asia, where it has long symbolized hospitality, refinement, and moments of pause. In Thailand, jasmine holds sacred significance in Buddhist traditions and daily rituals alike. Strangers Parfumerie draws on these layered associations, translating cultural memory into wearable form through bright citrus, muscat grape, and jasmine tea notes. The Bangkok-based house founded by Prin Lomros has become known for narrative-driven scents that reflect personal memory and Thai sensibilities. This 2024 release joins a broader trend of fragrance houses exploring tea-forward compositions, appealing to consumers drawn to fresh, sophisticated scents with international resonance.
