Floraiku Levitating: Tea Time on The Clouds

Floraiku, like its sister company Memo Paris, quite enjoys making tea scents. Everything from the tangy fruit-laced freshness of rooibos in the hit Winter Palace and the dry herbal infused mate in Irish Leather from Memo, to the floral white tea in I am Coming Home to the Genmaicha (brown rice tea) in One Umbrella for Two from Floraiku. The brand has certainly not shied away from tea notes. In their newest release, Levitating. Floraiku adds another tea to its portfolio, Ceylon black tea with its fresh fruitiness and slight bitterness.

That is what is so special about these two brands, they don’t recycle the same tea note over and over. It’s a new version every single time and as a tea aficionado myself, I truly respect that. The fragrance is inspired by a euphoric tea experience that elevates the senses into the clouds. With its fresh Ceylon flavors, Levitating is uplifted by sunny mandarin and sparkling bergamot.  The heart reveals the Ceylon tea, accented by mate to give it depth. The perfume then transcends to a spicy woody backbone of guaiac wood and warm cedar with a bourbon vanilla absolute dancing upon the elixir.

Quote from the perfumer (unknown at the time that this article was composed): “Levitating is a spicy black tea, rejuvenating and warm, giving you the feeling of a weightless moment. A perfume as engaging as a refrain.”   

The new release seems to be aiming for something that is both refreshing and rich at the same time. A mélange of citrus fruits anchored like a bridge by the tea to the robust base notes of hardy woods and dense vanilla. It’s not an easy task to pull this sort of fragrance off because it can confuse people as to when to wear it. However, I think the notes used here might be a perfect set up to this sort of scent that summons the joy of early spring.    

Notes


Top – Mandarin, Bergamot, and Angelica

Heart – Ceylon Tea, Cloves, and Mate

Base – Guaiac Wood, Virginia Cedar, and Bourbon Vanilla

Floraiku always has nice packaging and Levitating is not any different. The bento box-inspired casing features tones of orange and white, with various images, such as a cat and a snow-capped mountain. A tree and what appears to be some sort of canine are also featured. The bottle itself is off-white with a long-painted cap, that almost looks like a kaleidoscope with a flower in the center. The perfume is available in a 50ml size, costing $350 at the Floraiku site. The 50ml bottles also come with a 10ml refillable travel spray, which I believe is empty, but I could be incorrect in assuming that.