Japanese Waiter II

A budget interpretation of the cult Comme des Garcons 2, Japanese Waiter II opens with a fizzy aldehyde-and-mandarin top, mate and angelica lending the dry, slightly herbal buzz that hints at the original's famous ink accord. The heart turns spicy and powdery - nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander and caraway over a whisper of magnolia - before settling into a smoky base of incense, patchouli, cedar and vetiver with amber and labdanum warmth. Against the real CdG 2 it loses some of that uncanny metallic, sumi-ink sharpness; the aldehydes feel softer and the whole thing skews more straightforwardly woody-spicy than avant-garde. Projection is moderate and turns intimate after a couple of hours, with middling longevity. Even so, for the price it captures a genuinely distinctive mood - dry, incense-laced and quietly unusual - that suits cooler-weather evenings, the office and daily wear for someone after something more interesting than the usual fresh or sweet crowd.