Daiyu

[Sarah]

Moroccan jasmine, chrysanthemum, tea leaf, white musk, and acai berry.

(9:54:31 PM) Karyn: Go review yer parfum
(9:54:44 PM) Sarah: It's hard!
(9:54:57 PM) Karyn: Dammit woman just get napa* to write it
(9:55:00 PM) Karyn: "I love sarah"
(9:55:04 PM) Karyn: "<3 <3 <3 <3 <3"
*the boyfriend, who approves of Daiyu

The inspiration behind Jenn's painting of Daiyu was Madam Ching Shih, a woman who began her life as a prostitute in one of the brothels in Guangzhou in the late Ching Dynasty, only to become one of the most powerful women pirates in history, commanding a fleet of over 18,000 boats at the height of her power. She and her crew received full amnesty from the Chinese government, and at 35, retired from piracy. She owned and operated a gambling house until her death at age 69.

Contrary to the inspiration behind the painting, Daiyu is a very bright and happy scent. Some of my favorite perfumes include Dorian, Kitsune-Tsuki, Antique Lace, and Persephone. Anything with plum or pomegrante usually works well with my skin chemistry. Being a tea lover, I also mentioned to Beth that I loved the scent of jasmine tea as well as chrysanthemum (often sweetened with rock sugar or goji berries), and that it would be cool to be the "AzN" version of Dorian.

That being said, Daiyu does not disappoint. It's like Kitsune-Tsuki seduced Dorian and this is their beautiful, illegitimate offspring. In the bottle, the acai is the dominant scent that I smell, but the musk and tea leaf are balanced well enough that the berry note isn't too sweet/cloying. Applied wet, you get the floral notes--kind of light and airy and not in a dirty diaper way (LOL), and I can smell more of the tea leaf. A few hours after application, it gets sweet and musky, like the drydown you'd get with Dorian but more tart. The staying power is about 4-5 hours on me, and the throw is not very strong, but it won't offend if you slather, which is usually my experience with Asian florals. Note: if your skin chemistry amps up berry notes, apply sparingly.

It's one of those blends that makes me think of "it's gonna be a bright sunshine-y day". Strange enough, it fits my personality well, as I tend to be one of those happy-go-lucky types*. This is a beautiful, refreshing scent that is great for warmer months.

Thank you, Lab, for the opportunity to become a whore

*with a potty mouth

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Sweet berries tempered with tea leaf.

 

After Wearing It:

This scent is dominated by the acai note, though it's not quite as powerful on my skin as it is in the bottle. In the bottle, it was berry with a hint of tea leaf, but on it smells like someone steeped the berries in tea. The tea leaf and the chrysanthemum note give the acai an earthiness that I couldn't smell in the bottle, so rather than being bright and candylike, it's more grounded and sultry. I can smell the jasmine, but thankfully it's more of a subtle nuance than a major player. Jasmine can often go loud and shrill on me, but that wasn't the case here. Even after 8 hours, the jasmine never became unpleasant. I couldn't really smell the white musk at all, but I could smell something sugary lurking in the scent that I couldn't identify. Daiyu is a warm, cheerful scent. It's somewhat exotic, yet still is sort of comforting and familiar. It's fruity without being too fruity, and never gets cloying. It has a zen like balance that's very appealing.

 

Final Thoughts:

Very nice, though not necessarily me. I loved the acai berry in this fragrance, but I'm not big on tea (except for chai, that's different ). Either to drink or to wear, and while it can be nice when it's a small part of a complex blend, the tea note was rather prominent here. Which I'm sure pleased Sarah, but it's not my style.

[Lanet]

For a long time this smelled like a mild cup of tea. Finally I started getting a little jasmine and maybe even some weak berry, but honestly - the smell I was getting the most was chocolate?

 

It's almost like I ate a candy bar and while I still had chocolate breath I drank a cup of tea while sitting on a bench 2 blocks from a flower garden. Oh wait, just as I'm finishing the tea the wind picked up and blew all of the jasmine out of the garden and up my nose. Then the wind died down and I'm left with pale flowers 2 blocks away, an empty tea cup and my chocolate breath is gone.

 

This is interesting and I'll need to try it out several more times before I form an opinion.

[grrrlennyl]

At first: Very sweet and fruity, with a dark undertone.

On: Pretty true to the scent in the bottle. Very pretty.

Half an hour later: Wow. This is just amazing. The berry is dark and I can smell the tea. The jasmine gives this a thick feel that brings everything together and keeps it from screaming "FRUITY".

3 hours later: This is a smooth, red, musky, fruit scent. Amazing.

4 hours later: This is making me want to swoon. It smells amazing. It's a heady, dark scent with a hint or red sweetness. There's something almost chocolate-like to it now.

Overall: So, yeah...I love this one. I thought it would be a lighter scent, but it isn't at all. It's dark and mysterious. Very sophisticated. I think I'll be wearing this a lot.

[alicia_stardust]

This definitely starts out with acai berry at the top of everything; it's dark and juicy and has just a tiny hint of astringent bite. The moroccan jasmine sits just under that and it seems to hold just the right amount of sweetness and headiness as it mingles with the chrysanthemum and tea leaf. Something about the other notes in this, whether it's the acai or the tea leaf or white musk, really seems to alter the jasmine's behavior in a very good way. This is the part where I say that if jasmine is an iffy note for you, try this one anyway!

 

Overall this has a sort of mysterious and layered Asian tea/floral vibe to it. The acai and tea leaf go so well with the florals. This doesn't really come across as too fruity or too floral and I think the tea and white musk really pull their weight in preventing that. Gorgeous and sexy and it sticks around for a long time with very little morphing!

[savage_rose]

The acai and tea turn to a berry-wine scent...a very intense, bright red. The tartness of the berry is set off nicely by the florals...the jasmine is barely detectable but lovely. This is such a nice, fun scent!

[phantasmmysteria]

This is definitely my favorite from the decants I've received today, but it's not perfect.

 

In the imp: the florals are the most prominent to start with. This has me a little worried.

 

Wet: Definitely a morpher -- as it hits my skin, the same wet, green smell that's very prominent in Slippery Poppy Tincture is present for a split second before fading. The berry blooms on my skin, backed by the tea and chrysanthemum. The jasmine is not in a starring role here -- I can't pick it out at all.

 

Dry: Wow, this disappears after only a few minutes. There's the memory of tea and fruit left on my hand, and not much else.

 

This is pretty, but it fades SO FAST. Sadly, I don't think I'll be splurging on a whole bottle unless something happens to change that.

Edited June 18, 2008 by PhantasmMysteria

[Brianne]

I live in fear of jasmine. When I see it in a scent description, I almost immediately want nothing to do with it. There are a couple notes though that can make me try something anyways, and tea is definitely one of those.

 

So I go to open the vial and I'm practically cowering, expecting jasmine to pop out and slap me around --

but... IT DOESN'T. In fact... I don't get jasmine at all, which is so terribly... unusual for me. It's such a dominant note on my skin (and a stinky one on me too unfortunately) that not smelling it here is just a true little scent miracle lol.

 

It goes on as very strong acai berry - I always think acai smells slightly watery and floral almost rather than a sugary, froo froo kind of fruit. The tea is light and very Asian in vibe with that acai. The chrysanthemum is very pleasant and also quite light here, so these make such a subtle, unassuming scent. It's very nice, very wearable - but unfortunately my skin eats this in less than 15 minutes.

[Lycanthrope]

*quizzical*

 

I got a decant of this. In the vial, it smells like Gummy Savers, as acai tends to do. I put it on, and it's very nice, light, fruity, a touch of floral but no overpowering jasmine. About twenty minutes later, it smells like Dorian on me. Like, exactly the same drydown. I think it's the musk and tea. Maybe a nip of acai still very, very faint in the background but hullo, sugared musky tea.

 

Frrrrah?

[neuilly]

Mmmm! This reminds me of something I've smelt before...but for the life of me I can't think what. The acai berry stays throughout but it's much stronger in the bottle than it is on my skin but the jasmine and musk make it glow. There's something light and yet warm about this scent.

[Nia]

The first review nails it: this is a feminine and Asian Dorian. The acai berry makes it smell very fruity. The overall impression suggests lotus.

[SilverSerenity]

Fruity tea, with a hint of flowers and jasmine.

 

I absolutely love this scent. I want to bathe in it. It's a gorgeous sweet scent, but not too sweet. It's got a sort of innocent flirty feel to it.

[LadyLuckDoubt]

In the Imp

It smells foody and warm-- not at ALL what I expected, so I wondered if my nose was playing up thanks to too much booze and too many cigarettes over the years. Nope, my partner agrees with me. He sniffs and goes, "Mmmm-- that smells very foody, doesn't it?" Reminds me of a slightly more fruity version of Drink Me.

 

On Me

Okay, BPAL often tends to morph like no one's business on me, and goes to strange extremes-- but this is one of the most extreme and weird ones I've witnessed. Within minutes, I'm wondering why I thought it was foody at all-- it's a light, breezy, and very pretty floral. Soft lotus and a pale, crystalline jasmine (not that "Oi! Get in my way and I will FUCK YOU UP!" jasmine from Twilight, gawd love it) with a sweetness that I'm suspecting is the acai berry. And something reminiscent of bluebells.

 

This is extremely feminine and very very pretty. Of course I want to find out what it smells like on boys now.

 

And yes, I plan on finding out, because I'm planning on snagging a bottle.

Edited June 24, 2008 by LadyLuckDoubt

[circe_blue]

Bottle: Grape cough syrup. Erg. Almost sickly sweet, very "purple". I love purple, but I'm scared off by the syrupy nature of this scent.

 

On skin: Berries, berries, berries although it's not as overwhelming as in the bottle. Oh, white musk and tea leaf where are you guys??

 

Dry: Something floral (the jasmine?). I'm surprised because jasmine goes from zero to OMGI'MAFLORALLOOKITMEEE!!!! on my skin in a nanosecond. This is quite pretty and keeps the berry note from going to straight cough syrup. It's still sweet though. There's a really pretty, warm "sugar" note I'm getting from this. The musk and tea leaf are still MIA

 

A very feminine and pretty scent, but I think I'll wear it in autumn. It's much too heavy for summer. It kind of reminds me of Hungry Ghost Moon's much much more feminine cousin.

Edited June 25, 2008 by circe_blue

[slave1]

DAIYU

 

In Bottle: Berry floral

 

On Skin: This is a pretty fruity floral scent. It’s light and subtle, nothing too over the top. It has a light pink feel. The jasmine is sweet, the chrysanthemum is a little earthy and bitter, the tea leaf is clean and herbal, the white musk is also clean and very soft in feel. The acai berry starts a bit tart, but then sweetens up and gives the scent it’s color. A nice across the board scent, wearable for almost everyone. Light throw and short wearlength on me.

[LunaLovegood]

Daiyu is floral, its a nice scent with a nice throw and a bit stronger than others, but it doesnt last very long. Not a keeper for me

[filigree_shadow]

I smell a sweet berry scent straight off, and then it turns into something that reminds me a whole lot of Dorian. I guess it's the tea and white musk. The florals that are in this are staying in the background quite nicely and really just adding a feminine touch to the scent.

 

I find this scent highly appealing. I'm not convinced I need to rush straight out and order a bottle because I'm a little worried that because I wear Dorian so much, if I started wearing this one it just wouldn't smell quite right to me. I'm going to try wearing it a couple of times and see how it goes!

[NatCatz]

smells exactly like fruit tea.. I think its smells wonderful, but for some reason is giving me a headache..

[tartchef]

Mm. Wet, Daiyu reminds me very much of Lady Una - that same sweet berry/fresh musky tea feel. As she dries, though, Daiyu reveals a sharp, tart edge - the contrast is beautiful! I can definitely see the Dorian comparisons - in my mind, Daiyu's what I'd hoped Zephyr would be. Later on, the spicy chrysanthemum peeks out, one of the few florals I can happily wear. If there's jasmine in here, it's very well-disguised - at most, I get a faintly perfumed element to the tea note.

 

I'll have to test Lady Una & Daiyu side by side to determine if I need both in my collection - both are glorious, but tread very similar paths... If the blackberry in Lady Una was a deal-breaker, or if you found it too sweet, definitely try Daiyu...

 

ETA that yes, I decided that I DO need both Daiyu & Lady Una. Repeated wearings have revealed Daiyu's deeper tea notes, and I think a bit of aging has helped them blend more with the acai & white musk. I've reached for this over & over this summer, and it is perfect for September - the days are still very hot, but the nights have a nice chill snap to them. And the chrysanthemums are blooming

Edited September 8, 2008 by tartchef

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Nearly colourless extremely pale yellow. Floral, fresh, fruit, a bit herbal. Light and feminine and spring-y. Strong bright tea note, juicy acai, white florals.

 

Wet: Still very bright and refreshing, in fact almost citrusy. I don't know if that is the chrysanthemum, which I've not smelled. The tea is SO strong, the strongest and cleanest tea note I've ever smelled. A bit of sharp white musk. Jasmine is light, acai is fruity and a little medicinal.

 

Dry: This must be the first floral that doesn't amp on me. It's all glorious slightly citrusy and piney tea leaf, and with what I presume are fresh herbal notes from the chrysanthemum. The white musk has amped on me and has a bit of an edge. Loving the acai and true jasmine in the backseat.

 

Later: This has sweetened a little, with the acai amping a bit. It is a bit like cough syrup, but I find it sort of intriguing, not unpleasant. I'm also getting a root beer note all of a sudden! Tea and crysanthemum are still strongest, white musk just behind. Jasmine is soft and romantic and is not going to soap.

 

Summary: Sweet, piney, citrusy fresh glorious tea that develops lovely mossy and resiny undertones on drydown, with light herbal chrysanthemum, slightly medicinal yet still fruity acai, a strong spike of bright white musk, and faint lush jasmine. Unisex to feminine, very refreshing but also soothing. Decent throw and good lasting power.

 

Oooh getting 2 bottles of this one. Love! It's the ultimate musky-resiny fresh-herbal tea scent IMO. I was so surprised too because jasmine rarely works on me and I don't always like acai. A very pleasant surprise and my favourite of the new CDs.

 

It's like Kitsune-Tsuki seduced Dorian and this is their beautiful, illegitimate offspring.

 

So true! And I love K-T. Fabulous description.

Edited July 9, 2008 by fairnymph

[Blood onmy hands]

I was super-excited to try Daiyu after the comparisons to Dorian (and I loved the berry smell in Australian Copperhead).

 

In the decant, this smelled kind of like generic fruity-floral perfume to me. That almost soapy, sickly sweet floral & nondescript fruit smell that reminds me of a lot of popular perfumes that I don't understand on the mainstream market right now. It's exactly the sort of thing that gives me a floral perfoom induced headache.

 

On me, I think the tea leaf and white musk give this a very clean feel that's not awful. However, as it dries down, it smells like jasmine tea with a side of cloying rotten fruit, in a room full of women wearing a disgusting, suffocating, cheap, fruity-floral perfume.

 

I, uh, don't really care for Daiyu, as an understatement. It has that awful sweetness that just smells rotten to me. The longer I wear this, the more it makes me think of rotten fruit with a vase full of rotten jasmine flowers on the side.

 

I couldn't stand the smell of this anymore after about an hour and a half, and the lovely tartness of the acai was just starting to make its presence known. But I had to take something for my headache and scrub this off, sorry acai berry. Ick.

 

This is nothing like Dorian on me, and it's definitely going to my swap pile.

[meeow712]

In the imp: Acai Berries!! Berries with a teeny bit of floral.

 

On me: Wet I got a whole lot of acai and not much else. On the drydown it gets musky and blends beautifully with the acai berry. I also get plum, but it's not listed as a note (it's probably the musk). I get a bit of teak leaf to ground the scent beautifully, but only a smidge of indestinct florals.

[nekogrrl]

In bottle: sharp-smelling wet dog.

 

On skin: wet dog is still there. Doesn't seem to want to dry off or go away, just sitting there on my wrist dripping, panting, and generally being a wet dog.

 

Dry: It's dried down to a rotting fruit smell. Oh the joys.

[tastycactuar]

Daiyu smells amazing in the imp, and just as good on me, which is fantastic because the other grindhouse gals seem to dislike me. The acai berry is definitely the strongest note (which I like 'cause I'm a fruit sort of person), but everything else rounds it out very nicely. I loves it.

[astarinel]

In the imp, it's straight up acai which worried me because acai was the note that ate Australian Copperhead for me.

 

On, however, the acai calms down a bit and I can definitely smell the tea, which is going a little astringent on me. It definitely smells like a light tea with hints of jasmine and a lot of fruity acai. It's nice, and I can definitely see where the "asian Dorian" comparisons come from, but it's ultimately a bit too light and fruity on me, and the tea continued to have a bit of a too-sharp edge.