The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Ishiki was composed by Suzy Larsen Perfumes as a unisex fragrance, placing vivid citrus and spice at the center of a structure that moves toward flowers, resinous woods, and earth. The opening is built around bitter orange, red mandarin orange, black pepper, and ginger. Their contrast gives the fragrance its first clear impression: bright citrus peel sits beside pepper's dry heat and ginger's clean warmth. As the composition develops, cloves deepen the spicy character while jasmine and French ylang-ylang introduce a fuller floral layer. The drydown turns darker and more tactile, with costus providing an earthy pull, frankincense adding cool resin and smoke, and sandalwood smoothing the composition into warm wood.
The composition is interesting because its bright materials never behave like a simple citrus scent. Bitter orange and red mandarin orange introduce tartness, but black pepper and ginger push the opening into heat and aromatic tension. Clove, jasmine, and French ylang-ylang then add sweetness and floral depth without making the fragrance feel conventionally pretty. The unusual foundation completes the effect. Costus brings a rooted, earthy quality, while frankincense and sandalwood add resin and smooth wood. The result is a fragrance that keeps changing its temperature without losing its sense of direction.
The evolution
At first, Ishiki arrives with a clean edge. Bitter orange and red mandarin orange gleam against black pepper and ginger, creating the feeling of citrus peel split open beside a bowl of warm spices. That brightness doesn't vanish so much as pull back. The middle settles into cloves, jasmine, and French ylang-ylang, where the ginger's clean heat meets a fuller white-floral sweetness. Ylang-ylang adds a creamy, slightly sultry depth, while jasmine keeps the floral side polished and alive. The spices continue to register through the composition, giving the flowers a warm, textured surround rather than allowing them to feel purely sweet. As the hours pass, the scent turns darker and more tactile. Costus gives the drydown an earthy, almost forest-floor pull; frankincense brings cool resin and smoke, and sandalwood smooths everything into warm wood.
Cultural impact
Ishiki expresses the house's independent, botanical-minded identity through a unisex composition that moves between vivid citrus, spice, flowers, resin, earth, and wood. Its opening is bright and direct, with bitter orange and red mandarin orange cut by black pepper and ginger. The floral heart brings cloves, jasmine, and creamy ylang-ylang into focus before the drydown settles into earthy costus, cool resinous frankincense, and warm sandalwood. Community comments describe impressions of forest floor and dark soil, capturing the darker atmosphere that emerges as the fragrance develops.
The House
Suzy Larsen PerfumesSuzy Larsen Perfumes is an independent fragrance house based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The label began in 2007 under the name Naked Leaf Perfumes and adopted its current name in 2013. Suzy Larsen, a certified nutritional consultant, creates small‑batch scents that draw on botanical ingredients and aim to stir an emotional response. The portfolio includes niche releases such as Love Bird (2012) and a cluster of 2010 fragrances—Raincoast, Basque, Parisian Pink, Tickled Pink, Ishiki and Carnival. The brand positions itself as a natural‑focused alternative to mass‑market offerings, emphasizing hand‑blended formulas and sustainable packaging.
The Creator
Suzy LarsenIn the studio Suzy favors a minimalist palette that lets key ingredients shine. She often starts with a single essential oil—lavender, rose, or cedar—and builds around it with supporting aromachemicals that enhance texture without masking the core.
