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Showing results for tags 'Shungas 2010'.
Found 15 results
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Honey, quince, vanilla, white cognac, Spanish mandarin, and golden tobacco. This started out reminding me of Peach Moon, a soft ripe fruit, but as it dried down, the fruit became less promient, but the softness continued. It's like......... as i'm smelling it, all my worries go away. It's like i'm being wrapped in a lovely blanket. And it's long lasting.....been going for 6 hours strong!
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Rice powder, osmanthus, rose geranium, magnolia, khus, and chestnut. bottle: a light, sweet soft nut scent. wet: i get no rose geranium or magnolia strangely. what i do get is a warm, sweet nut scent with a teesny touch of osmanthus. dry: this fades to something soft and sweet, almost powdery sweet, and dry. not exactly nutty any longer, it is still warm and rich.
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Vanilla, star anise, cherry blossom, peony, violet leaf, and neroli. Interesting! The first wave is vanilla-licorice (the star anise is almost exactly like black licorice), followed closely by fluffly pink florals, the cherry blossom and peony, really tactile. Then it finishes sharply with the neroli, and a bit of an herbal edge which I'd guess is the violet leaf. It has a pink floral-licorice candy feel. My skin absorbs this instantly despite repeated re-slathering, so there's no wet stage. The star anise is still front and centre, but it's more complex, a little more spicy-woody instead of straight black licorice, though it's still much more like regular anise - I wouldn't peg this as star anise blind. The vanilla's creamy and sweet but not too heavy or cloying, but it's overwhelmed by the anise, as are the flowers. Cherry blossom manages to sort-of assert itself, but the peony is struggling. I also get a distinct black tea note, even though none is listed. Definitely an asiatic feel. And sadly, the neroli is still sharp, and on my skin, as usual, a little plastic. ANISE ANISE ANISE! I do not believe this is star anise. I am getting pure ANISE/LICORICE, which is not a note I find wearable in perfume. Especially not when it beats all the other beautiful notes in the blend into a bloody pulp. I can't find a trace of the peony, and the cherry blossom is faint. The vanilla still sweetens the blend, but doesn't really stand out individually. But tea, I get intensely brewed black tea strongly, and the almost leathery sharpness of the neroli, though it's lighter than it was earlier. Maybe I'm confusing violet leaf with tea...otherwise, I'm not getting violet leaf, either. This reminds me a lot of Humbug, somewhat of l'Heure Verte, and a little of Manhattan. But it does still have a pink feel unlike any of those. Unfortunately it's developing the 'rotting floral' note that I associate with a particular iris, though it could be jasmine. The floral vibe is not dissimilar from Jingu, and this also reminds me of Hua Mulan - oh damn, I don't know which, but it reminds me of one of those. With huge walloping dose of LICORICE. Mostly sweet, anise-y LICORICE over rotting pink-white florals with a little sharp neroli and strong black tea. The anise was too strong even in the bottle, but this scent just gets worse and worse over time on my skin. I really think it has the same jasmine note as Jingu which took a similarly distressing turn on my skin. This is not at all what I expected, and I've never had star anise behave this way on my skin, so I maintain some other true anise is in here amping to high heaven. Where are my lovely pink blossoms? Good throw and longevity.
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Skin musk, white amber, ambergris, orange blossom, ylang ylang, and coconut milk. As incredibly pumped as I am for this year's Shungas (my absolute favorite favorite favorite thing and I am SO happy they came back for another year), my ability to go nutz and write for pages on end likening scents to boy band boys and unicorns is at an all-time low. So this review may actually have to be somewhat substantive. I tried for a while to think of what this smelled like to me. What I want to say is powdered skin, but that sounds much more boring than this actually is. It's extremely expansive powdered skin - the beanfolk are not so much in the vaginal vicinity as they are elsewhere, preparing. The scent is very evocative of clean upper thigh skin. I can't say I've ever noticed the smell of upper thigh skin and thought "I want to smell like this," to be honest, but like many BPALs this is how it OUGHT to smell, even if it doesn't in practice generally smell this nice. I really like that this is suggestive without being SUGGESTIVE. I loved Giant Vulva last year, and this is about as opposite of that as you can get in mood, though it actually smells a little bit similar to it. This is softer and gentler. It's really beautiful and I actually will probably end up wearing it a lot more often than Giant Vulva, considering that it is more, shall we say, subtle, and there are many times when you really don't want to smell like a giant vulva. Edited to add: two seconds after hitting post, I just realized what this reminds me of, that I couldn't quite put my finger on - snow white. It's a springier, slightly skankier snow white. Snow white's upper thigh, perhaps? I also realized that, despite my best intentions, this still wasn't all that substantive. But hey, comparisons to snow white and giant vulva - it's exciting at least, if not specific!
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Lilac, ho wood, smoky vanilla, galbanum, and tonka. This one is a morpher on me. First on I get sweet, almost caramel for some reason. Then HELLO lilac with something a bit sinister in the back (galbanum?). The dry down is much more ethereal and complex though, the lilac is barely there and the smoky vanilla and ho wood come out. On me it's definitely in the same family as Fairy Market. Really happy with this one finally!
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Blackberry, white gardenia, burnt mandarin rind, Indian musk, khus, and white musk. Dark, intense, a little smoky, masculine. Not what I was expecting! This is all about the musk and the khus (vetiver), though it's a nice light vetiver, not gritty or overwhelming. I definitely get the burnt mandarin rind, though it's light, and a bit of a 'cologne' feel which is probably due to the white musk. Some very light, fresh, and not at all sharp or sour gardenia. It makes me think on the whole of expensive financier's cologne, maybe one who does a lot of business in Japan. No blackberry. Wayyyyyy more mandarin, mandarin galore! As well as some definite lime. Lots of tart, juicy, delicious citrus. Only a lingering hint of smoke. The musk is immediately more apparent, and I also get some sort of a tea note - black or green, it's both herbal and a little citrusy. I get the very faintest hint of unripe blackberries, the kind that make your mouth pucker, that are still hard. And the gardenia remains light, and while bright is not at all piercing but well-behaved. It's sort of a masculine Tis the Voice of the Lobster, but with way more citrus and must less jammy-sweet fruit, and more...suave refinement. Hmmmm. I suspect a sake note in here as well as the tea, because this reminds me a fair bit of The Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, except much more delicious. And definitely black tea. I am getting both more of the vetiver and the white musk, so this is going quite manly, but everything's well balanced, no one note is dominating. Other than the fruit - the lime and mandarin and unripe tart blackberries continue to just blast on my skin - amazing! My skin NEVER holds citrus! Btw, if it's not obvious, this is not a blackberry note I've ever smelled before, and I don't know I'd even peg it as blackberry if I hadn't read the notes. The musk does remind me of Black Lace's, in that it's sexy, sophisticated, and incredibly smooth. It has depth but also subtlety. Some of the citrus/fruit - well, the tarter, juicier aspects - is burning off, but a lovely bittersweet mandarin peel note remains, and the sake has burned off, leaving the mandarin peel, some light cologne-y vetiver, very faint unripe blackberries, and amped black tea (same note from Lantern Ghost, Severin, Famine etc to my nose), over that subtle, masculine Indian musk. I'm surprised because I usually amp musk but this musk, while definitely present, stays close to my skin. The white musk is brighter and more like cologne, and blends with the vetiver note to my nose. Strongly brewed black tea, fainty smoky mandarin rind (and yes, eventually the peel turns to rind, a dried peel note), smooth Indian musk and clean, bright but light white musk-vetiver man-cologne with a whisper of tart, unripe blackberries. I'm not sure I can pull this off - and I like many a manly scent - but I put this in the James Bond category of uber sexy manfume. But more cerebral, much more sly. Another fabulous winner amongst this year's Shunga! Vetiver, blackberry, and white musk fearers - fear not. This blend WORKS and is, like all I've tested in the line so far except for Pink Mood, incredibly well-balanced, seamlessly blended, and complex. Brava, Beth!
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Pink rose, red musk, red sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, nectarine, black tea, ambrette, jasmine, and blackcurrant bud. First of all... i would like to say the wear length on this is phenomenal. This sort of reminds me of ponthia meter from last year, except on a tea and musk back ground. Not that they are super alike or anything, just the rose note used between the two of them that shows up at first is similar. At first its very sandalwood, rose and a touch of the yummy type of vetiver (okay... i am a freak and admit i have some EO of it I smell whenever i want to chillax). The combo almost makes me think of a warmer, slightly more sophisticated rakasha. Then as it dries down, the tea and musk become more prominate, mixing with the sandalwood and vetiver to make a very yummy subtle black tea scent. Its both sophisticated and natural at the same time. For those of you scared of red musk... even fresh it isnt very prominent or rough, its alot softer and less there than most of the red musk blends, but still works its magic. For those of you scared of vetiver... it might just be my skin, but you might wanna watch out a little more. Its not prominent, in fact its very well blended and a supporting note, but at least on my skin it sticks around the whole journey. The fruit shows up just a little, not to make it fruity, but to lend a slight sweetness. Like a fruit tea, being sipped in a pagan brothel as a lady unwinds from a night of passion. Its not overwhelmingly sexy that one could not wear it on a normal day, the earthiness and sexiness and sophistication are all very well blended, just like the notes, to make it pretty much appropriate for whenever. Today the rose is sticking around a little more and its more like smokey black rose tea. I am guessing as it sits a few days the musks and rose might get a lil more prominent over the woods.
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Cranberry, thyme, teakwood, mint, cedar, tobacco flower, and red currant. Fresh! Tart red fruits and bright green herbs, with some warm exotic depths. It's absolutely unlike anything else in BPAL and I want to keep sniffing it addictively. The red currant, thyme, mint and cranberry all pop out, roughly in that order but all strongly and yet in harmony. Then comes the tobacco flower, which adds a feminine floral richness - without overpowering, and the teak and lastly and mostly faintly cedar linger warmly below. A fascinating and delicious mishmash. This is sooooo delicious, so refreshing and bright. I'm getting some geranium here, and some sake, and the mint is most definitely spearmint. I get cranberry more strongly than I've ever gotten it in a bpal, in fact on my skin it's almost as strong as the juicy-tart red currant. The sake acts as salt does to food - it brightens and enhances these almost-sparkling notes. The tobacco flower, despite being a heady, rather intense floral in general, stays below these fresh red & green top notes, and the woods too remain distant, though they still add warmth, continuing that interesting juxtaposition of the fresh/bright and warm/dry. Cedar and teak are notes that scare me, but they are behaving beautifully as supporting cast here. There is a very faint cologney soapiness, possibly from the mint (I'm reminded vaguely of Usher), but it's not too soapy - just clean, and another aspect of this very complex and intriguing blend. I am so amazed by how well those bright top notes are holding - they are so persistent, and so utterly addictive - I haven't glued my nose to my wrist like this in ages. Invigorating. The woods have decided to emerge more while the tobacco flower amps a little, and the top notes are losing a bit of their dominance, though they are by no means faint. It's more that the scent is gaining depth and power; oomph. Recall again that I am not generally a fan of either teak or cedar, but they work SO well here - warm, exotic, almost spicy - they add tremendous sophistication to what would otherwise be delicious, but ephemeral and rather simplistic.The mint has faded more than the other top notes, and thyme has held on the best, while both tart red fruits have faded only slightly. Several hours later most of the fruits wear off leaving bright green herbs and rich feminine tobacco flower over warm exotic woods. This scent just blends into itself more and more seamlessly over time; it's totally unique, sort of paradoxical, and yet so incredibly well-blended and wonderfully complex. I love that it's both 'fresh' and sophisticated - scent categories that I find rarely overlap for me. A smashing success far beyond my expectations! Also, great throw and longevity.
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Ambergris accord, water lily, freesia, sea spray, molluscan seashell accord, and driftwood. Very light and fresh - almost foamy sea water, a fresh blue-green-white floral note that I assume is the water lily (it's almost aquatic, very clean and cool), and a little bit of fruity-fresh freesia. This has a much lighter and greener feel than I expected. It's cool, gentle, tranquil. I don't get wood, but this has a faint cologne aspect. Still extremely light on my skin - it's just a very demure sort of scent - and what must be water lily really shines. It's a bit brighter and headier, 'whiter' in feel, but still cool and aquatic with an almost cucumbery, grassy aspect. This scent on the whole reminds me a bit of Anais Anais (which I love), but more delicate and innocent. It's only very barely oceanic - it's definitely aquatic, but it's only lightly salty - this isn't ocean water, it's ocean MIST. A bit of ambergris comes out on my skin, adding some musky depth, and a little more freesia, which is very lightly soapy-clean (in a good way) - still no driftwood. Slow to dry, but becoming more floral and definitively feminine as it does so. I *know* this water lily note from somewhere...I think the Black Swan? The grassy note has amped; this is greener, stemmier, and almost a little spicy, while still being cucumbery-fresh. The freesia has gone a bit more soapy, but still within tolerable limits. While I'm not sure what seashell accord is meant to smell like, there IS a sort of chalky, crushed-stone note that reminds me of the note in Julia Stone, or in Sarah (both scents I love), a sort of smooth stony whiteness. And this still smells a little cologney. This remains subdued, and while for a brief period there's a bit of turbulence as notes emerge and submerge, everything settles down quickly into a beautiful harmonious blend. The almost-troublesome soapiness dissipates as does the nearly-sharp greenness of the water lily, while the smooth white stony note amps, and the ambergris softens into a gentle but rather sexy musk. This is not a scary BAM ambergris note - it's a backup player, not a diva as it was in say, Lilith vs the Giant Crab. If there's wood here, it never emerges on my skin distinctly. My only qualm with this scent - which is more beautiful than I'd hoped, so it's a very minor qualm - is that it's only so very faintly salty. I'd love a really BRISKLY salty scent without a lot of overpowering notes, and I've yet to find such a scent in BPAL. As I said earlier, this is sea mist, not ocean water. It's not a strongly aquatic scent by any means. I'd describe it more as clean, soft, green-white feminine floral and smooth polished stone with a bit of salty musk. Sutble and lovely, but with good throw and excellent longevity. Another winner!
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Red bush tea, vanilla, white peach, golden amber, mandarin, lotus root, and myrrh. I can't believe I am the first to review this. This is just absolutely beautiful. All of the notes blend together to make a soft, slightly fruit scent. The white peach and golden amber blend gently with the red bush tea leaving you with a soft red fruity tea scent. The Lotus root gives this a slight perfumey quality that keeps wafting in and out with the peach and amber. The mandarin is barely there. The myrrh keeps everything in check and as I said before...keeps it soft. Not powdery....just soft at least on my skin. I now see why this is called unveiled. It invokes the image of a woman running a soft, silky scarf across her face. This scent is truly a winner and I am glad to have a bottle.
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Oolong tea, lilac, sheer musk, crushed ginger, wisteria, delphinium, and lavender. it smells like wet, spring flowers, the freesia and musk mixing together to make an almost light honey scent. I can't smell the ginger at all, nor much of the tea. Lilac, wisteria and light musk are def the stars here. Lilac normally hates my skin, but its quite lovely in this blend. Needlework isnt the lovely lavender i had hoped for, but I think it'll get alot of use for those spring days I am feeling girly and wearing a dress.
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Olive blossom, cardamom pod, amber, morning star lily, bergamot, and a well-aimed snowball. Wow, I can't believe I'm the first to review. in the bottle: A very light floral fragrance. I get the same gentle floral from Tabella (the olive blossom, I assume) a bit of bergamot, and a faint whiff of snow. wet: VERY much like the bottle scent. Light floral, bergamot and (because I know what I'm looking for) the snow note. The snow is really manifested as an extremely light mint-ish note at the end. It is but a far distant cousin of Snow, Glass, Apples or the various Yule snow scents. dry down: On the dry down, this becomes a more well rounded scent. There is a little powdery-ness, which I assume is the amber. The bergamot backs off a bit. Cardamom pod must be a different smell than cardamom, because I never get a particularly spicy scent from this. The lily is never particularly noticeable for me - I think it's blending in with the bergamot and snow rather than being a brighter stand out like it can be in some scents. verdict?: We shall see. For now, it's a keeper. It's definitely in the same scent family as Aizen-Myoo. If you like that, this scent is probably worth a try. eta: I am liking this more and more. It is different from the other scents in my collection in a good way. It doesn't feel like a duplicate of anything.
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Apple blossom, champaca, fir needle, cistus, myrrh, Peru balsam, and Tan Xiang. bottle: mostly champaca with a touch of myrrh and a bit of sweet apple blossom. wet: there is a rich, creamy woody/piney note with the champaca now, the apple blossom has vanished though. dry: the apple blossom has resurfaced! this has a rich woody feel with the sweet softness of light flowers. this is a beautiful early spring scent.
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White sandalwood, rice flower, honey, black pepper, and oakmoss. This was kind of like incense-flavored mochi ice cream on me - largely a sweet, honey-rice affair with just a hint of earthiness. It is quite light, which is fine, but I was hoping for the oakmoss to be a little more prominent, or for the sandalwood to do more than just contribute to the overall sweetness of the blend. In short, I was hoping for a little more body to this blend, so I'll pass it to someone who can better appreciate its lighthearted nature (appropriate to the artwork I suppose)!
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Frankincense, orris root, asuhi, leather, and ginger-infused cream accord. This actually makes me think of a masculine glowing vulva... the cream almost comes across as a very mild coconut, but is at the same time milky. Neither of leather or ginger is over powering... tho together with the cream make up the dominate notes of this scent. It doesn't strike me so much as a 'pretty' scent as a raw animalistic scent. Its soft enough to be worn by a woman, but rugged enough to be worn by a manly man. But like glowing vulva, the scent blends together to a warm coming off the skin glow. I am not sure how self conscious I would be wearing this to class ect... because I don't know how well it would be received as its more along the lines of an true earthy scent, but its perfect for cuddling up with a book.
