Tanuki No Amiuchi

[yakiguri]

Catching birds.

Sandalwood incense, patchouli, matcha, cumin, white cedar, white gardenia, ti leaf, and vetiver.

Amiuchi on my skin is pretty much all sandalwood incense. I can make out vetiver and patchouli if I really grind my nose into it, but on the whole it's akin to a wood shop. I'll let the decant marinate for a few more months and see if it changes.

[AnyseLawsBray]

In bottle: Incensed sandalwood and patchouli. Earthy, but cleaner than I expected.

 

Wet: Upon application, the matcha adds a lemony greenness that is actually nice - usually any hint of citrus is really bad on me - but it works. I get a bit of spice from the cumin, gentle and warm.

 

Dry: The gardenia peeks through, brilliantly white and creamy. With the green tea and incense elements still strongest, I think I can smell a whiff of fuzzy ti leaf underneath. As it settles into drydown, velvety cedar forms a solid base for the other notes. I can't pick out any vetiver, but I am sure it's there, adding its dark depths somehow.

 

Verdict: Surprisingly, with the warmth this blend evokes, I would still classify it as a spring/summer blend. The matcha pushes it right over the edge into being refreshing, though the sweet, dusty earthiness of the woods would suit it well for autumn or winter wear as well. Imagery that comes to mind when I smell it is a supple rope net, handwoven and newly mended. Rough fibers and sturdy knots, piled on the weathered mat floor of a woodland temple. Cozy, but in a 'fresh breeze' way, vs. the more typical 'fuzzy blanket' way, if that makes any sense!

[stellamaris]

This is fantastic! All incense for me, no wood. Some lemony too. Rich and lush but not high pitched. I think I have to hoard a whole lot of this, I mean buy a bottle, yeah that's it...

[FoxipherJones]

For those of you who try BPAL, you know how with certain scents it can smell like it could really be either delicious or an utter disaster? This starts like that, with a nasal cacophony of scent. I really should know by now that cedar-containing scents rarely smell good on me, and this one is no exception. I think I'd like this better without the cedar. The sandalwood comes out on me later, but the florals vie with it, and it does not settle nicely on me. If it stayed more sandalwood and less gardenia, I'd be much happier with it. I finally did smell the cumin towards the end, but this scent is definitely not for me.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Light wood and patchouli with the brightness of tea and a touch of sweet floral.

 

Wet: Airy sandalwood note, just the tiniest touch crittery which I think might be the cumin. Bright, though, and just a bit sharpish.

 

One hour: Soft light cedar/sandalwood incense. It still has a bit of brightness about it but the cumin and floral are nowhere to be discovered. Never did get any vetiver.

 

Two hours: Very pleasant soft light incense. It's a little dry for my taste, but has a delicious overtone of some bright note. I suppose that is the tea. The floral is more noticeable now, too.

 

Four hours: Still holding on at the level it was at two hours ago. It seems a trace sweeter now, as if the patchouli is outlasting the wood finally.

 

Sandalwood is iffy on me, but this is one of the nicest sandalwoods I've tried.

[orata]

If you were looking for a scent to evoke giant, sweaty Tanuki balls, this is pretty much it. It has this strong, sweaty, savory cumin note that reminds me of a cross between B.O. and cooking Indian food, laid over a fairly pleasant airy sandalwood incense note. I just can't get over the cumin, though, yuck.

[Dark Alice]

Vetiver and white sandalwood just dominate this perfume. Not a fan...off to the swaps.

[angelamaria]

I didn't skin-test this one, but I figured it might be helpful anyway to folks who like the notes I'm staying away from (or, well, to those who also don't like them?). So it's not a full-blown review!

 

The first sniff I got from this was vetiver, which was an immediate no. It wasn't a rotten sort of vetiver, but still definitely vetiver. The patchouli and cumin probably didn't help my impression of this blend, too.

[Lethran]

In bottle: It’s a very ‘70’s retro patchouli dominant incense heavy blend. The vetiver plays well with the patchouli. The cumin adds an air of the middle Eastern cooking. The matcha and ti leaf lighten it a little. The gardenia is very understated and shouldn’t prevent you if you love incense but hate florals. This isn’t my sort of thing, but it’s well designed for what it is.

[Blood onmy hands]

Tanuki No Amiuchi turns weird, sour, and dirty smelling on my skin the matcha and tea notes give it a citrussy sharpness that doesn't go well with the patchouli for me (and it's reminding me of the dirty, sweaty smelling patchouli that was in occupywallstreet). It starts to turn slightly powdery and incensey as it dries down, but I scrubbed this one off after only a half hour. It just smells overall unpleasant on me.

[zankoku_zen]

This smells... dirty. It's patchouli, cumin, vetiver and a hint of sandalwood. With dirt, rubbed all over.

 

PASS.

[milo]

Dark, incensey, kind of a touch of sourness, like pickle juice, but it does fade away. A bit too masculine for me, with a bit of soapiness. It kind of reminds me of a more masculine Fledgling Raptor Moon.

Edited May 19, 2012 by milo

[Roogna]

I love this blend. Nice spices without being too incensy, and also has a sweet-sharpness

however it disappears completely from my skin within 30 minutes

[mymymai]

ITB: Oh, that reminds me exactly of some the incense I bought from one of the temples I visited while in Kyoto. It's woodsy, resinous, slightly smoky, and faintly sweet.

 

Wet: The gardenia, ti leaf, and sandalwood are gorgeous on my skin. There is a touch of matcha and cedar under, which ground the scent. It's lovely!

 

Dry: It gets sweeter due to the gardenia, but there is still a beautiful resinous and woody quality to this scent that is both soothing and evocative.

[anaengel]

This is from my decant from last year. I never did a review of it fresh, but I remember being impressed with it. But, my nose is a little less impressed now.

When wet, it is all wood with a background of VERY faint incense. I also get some of the gardenia. As it dries, there is a hint of cumin and, if I fight hard, a whisper of vetiver. Otherwise, it is the same as when wet. In a way, it feels like I'm eating gardenia flowers.

It lasts a while, but it is more of a office scent for me. Or an evening scent for a dinner date. I'm going to finish the decant someday and have no regrets.