To SummerPearl Box

Pearl Box smells like opening an old wooden jewellery box inherited from your grandmother. The lid lifts, you notice the warm, slightly sweet wood, and inside pearls glow on a silk cushion. Its Chinese name 珍珠与老木匣 means exactly that: "Pearls and an old wooden box". An Extrait de Parfum created by perfumer Frank Voelkl for the Chinese niche house To Summer.

It opens with pink pepper, saffron and ho wood for a warm, softly spicy glow. In the heart, orris and rose unfold like powder and silk, while labdanum and the rare Chinese nanmu wood add depth. The base of cashmere wood, cedar, ambroxan and musk is soft, clean and expensive. A unisex scent for people who love quiet, refined luxury.

This is an original decant of the perfume in a practical travel bottle. Perfect for testing and for carrying everywhere.

Phoebe zhennan: the wood of emperors

At the heart of Pearl Box is a note almost never found in perfumery: Phoebe zhennan, known in China as nanmu (楠木). It is a large evergreen tree that grows only in China, in the provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou and Hubei. In the past its wood was so precious that only imperial families could use it, and whole nanmu logs were used as pillars in the Forbidden City in Beijing.

The most valuable nanmu is called "golden silk" (金丝楠木), because the wood shimmers with golden threads when light falls on it, and it has a soft, pleasant scent. Today the tree is a threatened species, protected by law in China, and very hard to find. That makes Pearl Box a rare chance to experience a scent connected to the history of imperial China.

The story behind the scent

To Summer (观夏) was founded in 2018 in Beijing and is known for its Eastern artistic perfumery. The brand draws on Chinese culture and uses rare ingredients from the East. Pearl Box is its take on quiet luxury: pearls stand for an elegance that never needs to show off, and the old nanmu box keeps memories passed down from generation to generation. To Summer perfumes are sold almost only in China and Hong Kong and are a real rarity in Europe.

Scent profile

Top notes:
Pink pepper
Saffron
Ho wood

Heart notes:
Chinese nanmu wood (Phoebe zhennan)
Orris
Rose
Labdanum

Base notes:
Cashmere wood
Cedar
Ambroxan
Musk

How it wears

Pearl Box opens warm and spicy with saffron and pink pepper. Gradually orris and rose make it powdery and velvety, while the woods keep it warm and cosy. It is not a loud scent, but one that people notice when they are close to you and ask what you are wearing. As an Extrait it lasts very well.

Why choose a decant?

A full bottle of Pearl Box costs around 170 dollars for 30 ml and is almost impossible to find outside China. With an original decant you get a rare niche scent with imperial nanmu wood for a fraction of the price, and you can try it at your own pace before hunting down the full bottle.