Hua Mulan

[ivyandpeony]

Click, click, for ever click, click;
Mulan sits at the door and weaves.
Listen, and you will not hear the shuttle’s sound,
But only a girl’s sobs and sighs.
‘Oh, tell me, lady, are you thinking of your love,
Oh, tell me, lady, are you longing for your dear?’
‘Oh no, oh no, I am not longing for my dear.
But last night I read the battle-roll;
The Khan has ordered a great levy of men.
The battle-roll was written in twelve books,
And in each book stood my father’s name.
My father’s sons are not grown men,
And of all of my brothers, none is older than me.
Oh let me to the market to buy saddle and horse,
And ride with the soldiers to take my father’s place.’
In the eastern market she’s bought a gallant hors.
In the western market she’s bought saddle and cloth.
In the southern market she’s bought snaffle and reins.
In the northern market she’s bought a tall whip.
In the morning she stole from her father’s and mother’s house.
At night she was camping by the Yellow River’s side.
She could not hear her father and mother calling to her by name,
But only the voice of the Yellow River as its waters swirled through the night.
At dawn they left the River and went on their way;
At dusk they came to the Black Water’s side.
She could not hear her father and mother calling to her by her name,
She could only hear the muffled voices of foreign horsemen riding on the hills of Yen.
A thousand leagues she tramped on the errands of war.

Frontiers and hills she crossed like a bird in flight.
Through the northern air echoed the watchman’s tap;
The wintry light gleamed on coats of mail.
The captain had fought a hundred fights, and died;
The warriors in ten years had won their rest.
The went home, they saw the Emperor’s face;
The Son of Heaven was seated in the Hall of Light.
The deeds of the brave were recorded in twelve books;
In prizes he gave a hundred thousand cash.
Thus spoke the Khan and asked her what she would take.
‘Oh, Mulan asks not to be made
A counsellor at the Khan’s court;
I only beg for a camel that can march
A thousand leagues a day,
To take me back to my home.’

When her father and mother heard that she had come,
They went out to the wall and led her back to the house.
When her little sister heard that she had come,
She went to the door and rouged herself afresh.
When her little brother heard that his sister had come,
He sharpened his knife and darted like a flash
Towards the pigs and sheep.
She opened the gate that leads to the eastern tower,
She sat on her bed that stood in the western tower.
She cast aside her heavy soldier’s cloak,
And wore again her old-time dress.
She stood at the window and bound her cloudy hair;
She went to the mirror and fastened her yellow combs.
She left the house and met her messmates in the road;
Her messmates were startled out of their wits.
The had marched with her for twelve years of war
And never know that Mulan was girl.
For the male hare sits with its legs tucked in,
And the female hare is known for her bleary eye;
But set them both scampering side by side,
And who so wise could tell you ‘This is he’?

Pink musk, white ginger, tea leaf, night blooming jasmine, bergamot, and leather.

Hopefully you will all forgive this first reviewer for not being the finest of review writers, but I know that lots of people are anxious to hear something about Hua Mulan since this prototype wasn't available for testing at last month's Will Call.

My biggest fear was that the leather would dominate, my second that it would be prominent, and luckily for me (because leather rarely works on my skin) neither is the case! Hua Mulan overall is a soft, warm floral scent. Way prettier than it is tough. The white ginger and the mellow night-blooming jasmine work together to give it a little bit of a white floral feel and there's some spicy, light musk anchoring the blend. I almost get the barest hint of pink pepper - is it my imagination, or is it a component that Beth might have used to "pink" up the musk? I think that I'd classify this particular musk as a relative of white musk and skin musk. It definitely is light in feel and has some warmth as well. I don't detect a lot of tea or bergamot in Hua Mulan, although both may have contributed to making this less sweet and less heady overall than a straight white floral blend would be. I think that's the role the leather's playing for me, too, and it's adding a little woodiness and spiciness that wouldn't be there without it.

(I've been wearing it about an hour now and haven't experienced any drastic morphing - a caveat is that I did rip into the package and apply right away, I couldn't wait so if I find that it wears any differently after the bottle has settled a bit from its travels, I certainly will make a note of it. And as Shollin is headed out for a long weekend vacation, I am not sure how she will want the final description to read and I need to check the final date for the close of the inquisition before I can add that to the subtitle - so bear with us on that unfinished business )

[astrid]

I got my Hua Mulan yesterday and while I have yet to try the bath oil, the perfume is very, very pretty! I was a wee bit concerned about the leather note, but I can't smell it at all. In fact, this is really well blended. I can't pull out any note specifically, which is a tiny bit disappointing for me since I love tea and ginger and was hoping they would be more prominent. Wet and freshly applied it reminded me of a bath gel I used to use in France and the scent coming out of the tub or shower while you're still warm and fragrant. The dry down is neat, too. A little sweeter with a faint berry touch. This may be the pink musk?

 

It doesn't seem like a strong, in your face blend, but I didn't slather. To me, this is a dainty and delicate scent. Very Spring and Summer friendly!

Edited June 11, 2009 by astrid

[angelicruin]

Inside the bottle, light sweet tea scent.

 

On my skin, very pale, soft musk & tea. I can't smell the jasmine at all. Leather note is not very strong either.

 

It's delicate and fades quickly on my skin. Very little throw.

 

I like this, but wish it had more staying power.

[thekittenkat]

In the bottle: I'm getting all of the notes, I think, except the leather.

 

 

Wet: The spiciness of the ginger is really strong, but the sweetness of the jasmine and the pink musk is keeping it in check.

 

 

The dry-down: There may be a faint hint of the leather as a base note. I'm also finally getting a whiff of the bergamot and the tea leaf. The musk has really helped to combine all the other notes into one harmonious whole. I would call this a "pink" scent, but it is not at all a candy scent. It's a bit more grown-up than that! Mulan may be dressing in male attire, but there's an elegant lady hiding underneath who still has a sense of what it was like to be a girl before she went off to war.

 

I have now gone and dabbed a bit of her bath oil on top. The bath oil is missing the pink musk (and leather), but makes up for that with lotus root, rose, and neroli. The layering really sweetens up the perfume oil, and makes it a bit more like something a young girl/lady would wear.

 

This is a lovely oil, with or without the layering of the bath oil, but Mulan seems to be getting on her warhorse and riding off, leaving only a faint trace of her sweet and spicy scent behind.

[stellans]

This scent I wasn't really sure about, but was so very pleasantly surprised! This is a very light tea-scented floral blend, which for all its purported strength (Warrior Queen! Ooo-rah!) is very delicate when appplied. The throw is pretty decent, but the stay is only medium in length (maybe 2 hours, tops). I didn't get any jasmine nor leather as discernible notes, which is a testament to Beth's skill with blending just the right amount of a fragrance to help in the whole effect of the perfume blend rather than take over. I shall be interested in how this particular Queen ages. 2 of 5 stars.

Edited May 8, 2011 by stellans

[ealasaid86]

In the Bottle: Jasmine Tea, a little nose wrinkling for my taste but hopefully that will calm down on skin.

 

Wet: Bamboo, a bit of spicy ginger and jasmine. Maybe a hint of warm leather.

 

Dry: No!!!! Where did that lovely scent go! All I'm left with a jasmine soap, emphasis on the soap!

 

Verdict: I was hoping for a lovely asian scent with the bamboo, ginger, tea and leather dominate. Unfortunately all I'm getting is floral soap.

[tajana]

Jasmine usually turns to a horror show on me, but tea leaf, leather, ginger, and bergamot are usually winners on me, and pink musk sounds like it can't go wrong! So, I was really intrigued, and a little worried, by the prospect of Hua Mulan. Miraculously, the jasmine does not turn into a monstrosity. It's actually recognizable as a jasmine flower, quite soft and pretty, not headache-inducing at all. Wet on the skin it's quite gentle, a light bergamot tea with flowers, and a tiny bit of zing from the ginger. It's almost fruity, somehow, and I'm wondering if perhaps the pink musk is responsible for that. It's very clean smelling. This scent has just a snap of leather, not nearly as much as I would have hoped for! For a "warrior", this sure smells gentle. On the dry down it's a pale floral musk with a subtle fresh leather edge. Decent throw, but a relatively fast fader.

[moonstonemama]

 

 

in the bottle: it's spicy, slightly floral, and earthy at the same time

 

wet: pink musk, ginger, and leather. smells slightly soapy?

 

 

dry, layered with bath oil: it's nice mildly spicy musky blend. the tea note is fairly prominent, the others sort of blend into the background.

 

 

overall: I think I like the bath oil more, but this is nice.

[Lamia]

I would have never guessed that this contains leather or musk, and doubt I would have picked up on the tea leaf.

 

This is a gentle floral - and I don't mean anemic or weak, I mean gentle. It doesn't attack your sinuses or smile as it gives you a shake. It's a beautifully blended feminine scent. No one ingredient leaps out an shouts ATTENTION MEEEEE!

 

After about 2 hours it does get a little rougher, presumably that is the leather knocking politely at the door.

 

A beautiful scent, not me.

[ami226]

In the bottle: Wasn't one of my favorites since it smelled incredibly grapefruitish to me.

 

On the skin: It must be the musk, but this scent takes on an ethereal tartness. Quite pleasant. There is a hint of the fresh lovely jasmine flower smell that I have been desperately looking for. Must track down decants to fill my partial bottle!!

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Fresh, clean, a little cologney - quite unisex. The tea leaf definitely dominates, with a little bergamot and ginger below. I can pick out the leather and jasmine (which I most feared) but only if I strain, and they are definitely tertiary notes, well-behaved and pleasant.

 

Wet: More jasmine, bergamot, and ginger - stronger/more pungent overall, but still very fresh feeling with a gorgeous strong tea note. The jasmine is a touch soapy, but not acrid or urine-y the way that it can be. This is one of the strongest bergamot notes I've smelled in a BPAL scent, very green and verging on masculine. The ginger is fresh and almost juicy. Leather still faint, and totally not a problem note.

 

Dry: This reminds me a little of Daiyu, and I feel like there is definitely a white tea note, and I agree that it seems like white musk is present. I also find this a tad spicy in a way that i don't think is due to the ginger, and I think a little pink pepper is likely. The jasmine has unfortunately gone more soapy on me, and the bergamot has faded (sigh).

 

Later: The white musk, white ginger, and leather have totally amped, almost shockingly! This is much sharper overall, much more masculine.The leather is definitely the De Sade plasticky/slick/chemically type, and combined with the slickness of the white tea and soap of the jasmine, I'm not too pleased. the bergamot is still holding, though!

 

Summary: Drydown is powdery musk. Not bad at all, but there's a long stage of plastic powder that I quite dislike. I wish it had kept the early stages and developed musk - then it would have been gorgeous. Alas. Good throw & holding power.

[rayvn1]

Okay, this is really weird and I don't expect it to smell this way on any one else, but I get....light-pink Geek The younger sister who's still in highschool of my fave of all faves! Wow!! I think it must be the combination of musk and leather that's doing it. I've tried as many leather and musk blends as I can lay my hands on, but this is the closest to my Geek. It has that "just stepped out of the shower" fresh sexiness of it. Too bad the inquest is already over - I'll have to keep an eye out for a bottle in the future.

 

Crazy.

[obsidienne]

Hua Mulan starts off soooo beautiful. White tea and ginger, somewhat reminiscent of Kumiho or the Dormouse, overlay a soft jasmine/pink musk that is so gentle, elegant, and simply gorgeous. As it dries down, the jasmine strengthens and the bergamot and leather begin to enter into the story. It morphs very fast on me, we're talking minutes.

 

After those initial pale pink soft top notes burn off, Hua Mulan becomes much less feminine, now predominantly leather with everything else in the background; the notes are there, but so faint in comparison. It's almost a spicy leather! She goes from a young and rather innocent girl to an experienced warrior. Absolutely fitting... but disappointing from the perspective of the perfume. I think if the leather note was a bit softer I'd love this, but this is more just a "like" affair.

[zankoku_zen]

Hua Mulan smells like really good talcum powder. I definitely get the jasmine and the bergamot, but overall, it's a clean white flowery POWDER with just the hint of musk. The leather is almost entirely NOT present, and I do have to say that at least the jasmine smells like a flower instead of cat pee.

 

If you like clean, body scents, I'd definitely go with this blend. It's a little too powdery for me.

[stillalive]

This is lovely and floral without giving me a bad headache. Something in it reminds me of Lucy Westenra, but this works together a lot better on me than Miss Lucy. Perfect.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Tea, bergamot, and jasmine, a very fresh and appealing scent.

 

Wet: Bergamot and jasmine, with tea and something else I can't quite fathom. Very aromatic, faintly exotic. I like it, although it's heavier than I expected.

 

Twenty minutes: It's gone very floral now, with the ginger and jasmine combining for a slightly sharp Asian feel. The brightness of tea and bergamot is very diminished now. There's an edge of something that might be leather.

 

One hour: Light leather with even lighter jasmine. I don't think this one is going to do it for me, despite it containing many notes that work on me.

 

Two hours: Very light leather with a touch of jasmine and bergamot. No, this was not meant to be.

 

Three and a half hours: Incredibly light leather, jasmine, and bergamot. It's a very pleasant blend, but not me.

 

[Gin]

Hua Mulan is mostly floral on me--musky and light floral. I don't think I smell the leather, which is a note I tend to be fearful of, but I really don't smell much of anything besides the florals because the throw is so weak. Not for me!

[Aldercy]

No strong leather (only the faintest tinge, and I picture it like more of a pale buckskin rather than oiled black leather). This is extremely feminine and wistful. The "pink musk" seems to be in the family of skin musk and/or Chinese musk, as far as I can tell, because it reminds me both of Giant Vulva and Wood Phoenix. The overall effect is actually a bit similar to Giant Vulva with the addition of a cool tea note.

 

It's a distant, translucent floral soaked in musk (that happens to resemble two of my most favorite varieties). The tea feels a little more green than black to me. It's very dreamy, and not particularly warlike. Mmm.

 

I'm so glad I like this. I love the story of Mulan.

 

[inkaddict]

Clean and spicy, for the first few minutes this was a wonderful scent.

I didn't get the bergamot or leather but the tea, jasmin and ginger played well toghether, making Mulan a very getle spicy floral.

 

Unfortunately it turned soapy on the drydown, a very good soap but soap nonetheless, and honestly this was a bit too clean and gentle to be a very "me" blend anyway.

 

Mulan was going to the swap pile but my mother snagged it before I could even add it to the swap page

It's the first bpal that she's loved enough to actually ask if she could have it, and on her it's much less soapy. She said it made her feel clean and fresh and pampered, like she'd just showered.

[sirensea]

At first sniff, I can smell jasmine and very little else. On the dry-down, it doesn't morph at all. Final verdict? Floral almost to a fault.

 

Hua Mulan is very pretty, soft and feminine, and that just ain't me. Excellent for those that like their perfume 'perfumey', though!

[Blood onmy hands]

In the bottle, I thought that this smelled like cherry blossom swimming around in a mishmash of other clean smelling florals. Perhaps the pink musk is making me think of sweet, pink cherry blossoms? Clean floral, citrussy bergamot, and a spark of pink sweetness.

 

On my skin, I can't really pick out any of the listed notes, but it smells like a clean, musky, white floral. It's slightly soapy on my skin at first. I normally hate jasmine notes, but I would never guess that there's jasmine in this at all. As it dries down, Hua Mulan is less soapy-clean and more powdery-clean. I smell like I dusted my skin with a clean floral dusting powder and spritzed a bit of sharp skin musk over it. I never smell any leather. The scent starts to sweeten up again on my skin after about a half hour, like a drop of sugar fell into the perfume, and it just smells so pretty.

 

This scent doesn't sound like anything that I'd enjoy, but I do kinda like it. I even kinda love it when it sweetens up in the dry down. It makes me feel pretty and clean. It's not something that I'll wear a lot, but I'm happy to have it.

[milo]

This is a fresh, citrussy floral. The jasmine is behaving, and not amping on my skin. The blend is reminding me a lot of Embalming Fluid, but a bit more florally and a touch powdery. Overall, a beautiful blend for the summer months, and will definitely be using up my imps then.

eta: I forgot to mention that I don't get any leather at all. I do love leather, but I'm not so sure it would even 'go' with this blend.

Edited October 21, 2009 by milo

[gingiemay]

A very feminine yet still tough perfume. The white ginger, pink musk and jasmine are a high floral (luckily the jasmine is not cat pee on me) but I get no leather. Fades quickly.

[edenssixthday]

Hua Mulan is such an incredibly light scent that it's hard for me to identify any individual notes. It's a light floral with the faintest whisper of musk. The leather is barely discernible, but is definitely there giving the scent just enough depth to keep it from wisping away completely. It's very pretty, but doesn't have any throw at all.

[heywilma]

Hua Mulan is one of a couple scents in my latest package that reminds me of a GC one. On one hand, I love the Mulan story, and would love to get my grabby paws on a bottle if I can, on the other, if that doesn't happen, then it's The Dormouse all the way. This is a delicate floral, and unlike a lot of other tea scents, I actually do get a little bit of the tea in this. The musk comes out on the drydown, although that, and the leather, are basically nonexistent.

 

It's lovely, soft and refreshing. This is the Mulan at her loom, not the one on the battlefield.

Edited May 18, 2010 by heywilma