Furo

[suki]

Black tea, bergamot, red patchouli, peru balsam, and bourbon vanilla.

In The Bottle: I get a sharp sliver of bergamot with a hint of the peru balsam- though the peru is also more sharp than I would normally expect.

Wet On Skin: The tea note blooms spectacularly on my skin pretty much on contact. It's a really lovely, unmistakable lemon-y black tea.

Dry Down: All black tea (with a hint of the bergamot citrus) all the time.

In All: A light, close-to-the skin sort of scent. Although I'm slightly disappointed (and frankly confused) that the patchouli, balsam and vanilla have all chosen to simply not show up on my skin, I am really excited about having a straight-up tea scent. This is definitely the same tea note from Time's Infliction and my sadness with that scent was that I just wanted the tea. Now that Furo is in my life, I can have my tea and my Infliction too

[LiberAmoris]

Furo really is a showcase for that lovely black tea note. On me, it's lighter and airier than I would have thought—almost evanescent. The bergamot is bright at first, but burns off quickly, leaving the tea and vanilla, with just a touch of patchouli and peru balsam. Those bottom notes are handled with a light touch—just enough to give a bit of weight and structure. For those wary of patchouli, I wouldn't necessarily know it was in here if it wasn't listed. It fits so neatly behind the other notes that it falls more like a light shadow than an outline of its own.

 

A couple of hours later, it's soft, slightly peppery and close to the skin—I smell tea and vanilla and the warm underpinnings, but the overall effect is almost like a tea-inspired skin musk. I don't normally seek out tea as a note, but it's gorgeous here, and utterly wearable. I think Furo would also pair really well with Silkybat hair gloss. In fact, I might try that today.

[DovaKitten]

I'm getting peru basalm, patchouli, and tea. The tea and the wood notes are very, very strong, and the patchouli gives them an even more earthy depth. There's something almost peppery here, too.

 

I'm not getting much in the way of citrus notes or vanilla. The citrus is there, but it's very closely entwined with the black tea. The vanilla might be adding a bit of creaminess in the background. Or maybe I'm imagining it?

 

I'd recommend this blend for anyone who likes woodsy and earthy scents. It reminds me too strongly of my godmom's massage room, making me feel kind of weird about wearing it. That's okay. I'll pass it along.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Furo is very much like White Rabbit, but without the linen note--instead, there's a hint of vanilla. It's the same beautiful Earl Grey tea scent overall, though; black tea + bergamot. I love it. I don't need a big bottle because I already have a bottle of White Rabbit, but this is a lovely variation on a favorite scent theme.

[Katlyntje]

Sniffing the bottle I'm getting mostly bergamot and vanilla but wet on my skin the tea note emerges . . . briefly . . . before the bergamot takes off like a rocket. What can I say, citrus just loves my skin chemistry Unfortunately that makes most tea notes turn to pure lemon on me since the lab seems to think lemon must be a part of EVERY tea note. Gaaaaaah! I never put lemon in my tea unless it is iced. WHYYYYYYYY LEMON

 

No patchouli. No balsam. Just lemon and bergamot totally stomping all over my lovely tea. *sigh*

 

 

Edit: About half an hour later the citruses have decamped and the patchouli and balsam are lounging in the sunset glow sharing a pot of tea. With NO lemon. Patchouli and balsam know how to drink tea the proper way.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Katlyntje

[Aviatrix]

I amp patchouli, so I was a little wary of this one before putting it on, since the patchouli was strong in the vial.

But as soon as it hits my skin, the patch mellows out a lot and gives way to a very pretty tea-and-bergamot scent that was exactly what I had been hoping it would be!

I am not actually getting the balsam or the vanilla; on me, this is nice earl grey with a hint of earthiness from the patchouli. I quite like it, although probably not enough to get a whole bottle.

 

But if like me you are a bit iffy with patchouli, try and give it a shot anyway, it might surprise you!

[MiasmaResonance]

Initially, it's very heavy balsam and black tea.

 

It's very unisex, and sweetens up after a bit, but not something I would wear. Would smell verrrry nice on my bf though.

[DJ Sin]

Ever had an perfume that feels hot on the skin? Like you're drinking some tea and holding the mug in your hand? That's what happened to me when I tried Furo!!

 

I mainly get the bergamot and black tea from this blend. Its lovely and now I want more blends with a black tea note. It sticks close to the skin and maybe this is one where I have to slather it on before going out on a hot day. However, it does last a few hours on me and I can see myself wearing it during the summer.

 

3.5/5 bottle-worthy

 

Edited to add:

I get licorice when I first apply Furo, even through anise is not listed as a note. Maybe its my nose!

My skin chemistry eats up this scent no matter how much I put on. ;(

Edited March 17, 2014 by DJ Sin

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Hmmm.......... I'm getting patchouli and bergamot, right off the bat.

 

Wet on skin: Patchouli and bergamot, still..... and rubber?

 

Dried down: Yeah, this isn't changing, just getting more rubbery. I'm not getting tea at all.

 

Throw: Not getting much.

 

Verdict: ** Yeah, I don't think this is for me.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Magycmyste

[mymymai]

ITI: I get a really lovely, warm, creamy balsam with tea a little vanilla bourbon, and a faint dab of bergamot oil. I'm responding very favorably right now to this scent.

 

Wet: It still maintains that warm creaminess on my skin, but I get more of the balsam, patchouli, and bourbon vanilla rather than a subtle blend of the notes. I still really like it so far.

 

Dry: After 5 hours, it's light on my skin 0 tea, bergamot, vanilla, and balsam. It's a scent of which I'd consider getting a bottle.

[theseagrows]

not sure what i'm smelling here, i think it's black tea, bergamot and peru balsam with a hint of patchouli. no vanilla to be seen. this is a very dry tea scent, like dried tea leaves before you steep them. i am used to tea scents that are more like tea once you steep it, and i think i prefer those to this. this scent is very dry and leans more towards earthy and masculine on me. the vanilla seems to never want to come out!

[velvet]

i decided to take a chance with furo, though vanilla is sadly an enemy of my skin. upon application it is not immediately plasticy so that is a very good sign. it smells very familiar, as if part of a scent memory. I know what it is. There was a little shop in my home town called The Wishing Tree. It was a place full of magical items and resin incense. It is still in the top note stage and i am enjoying it... very good memories. I so hope this scent works. i will update soon.

 

edited: ok, just as I thought this was going to be at least a decant I would pick up occasionally, on the base note dry down patchouli immediately amped up into a nauseating cloud around me. Sad face I really like the firs two stages of this one.

Edited March 26, 2014 by velvet

[MCS4096]

I also get a bit of a licorice vibe when it's first applied. There is a lot of lemony bergamot and mild patch.. it's clean yet earthy, a tiny bit sweet. As time goes by the balsam comes out more and it gets a little dry and woody-- which makes me miss the way it smelled at first. If it stayed more like the initial scent and had a longer wear time I would for sure get a bottle, but it is a little fleeting for my taste.

[zankoku_zen]

Patchouli, balsam and a hint of bergamot and vanilla.

 

It's a powdery patchouli blend with a twist of citrus/vanilla.

 

PASS.

[bellumed]

Something about this, in the imp, is just sort of stinky and sour. In an almost B.O. way. Thankfully, it sweetens up immediately on my skin and becomes much more pleasant. A really nice earthy tea scent, with peru balsam as the dominant note.

[skyelyric]

Ah, skin chemistry fail. In this imp this was a very pretty complex, woody scent, but on me it starts out as a very licoricy scent with a bit of citrus...I finally get rid of the licorice and then the patch and tea meet and do something...garden soil-like. It's not an offensive smell, it's dirt with some patchouli mixed in, but not my first choice for a perfume.

[astarinel]

Dry woody anise tea.

 

I also get anise even though it's not a note, but there's definitely some way the bergamot and woods combine or something that is reminiscent of anise at first sniff. This is not at all a sweet scent, and I was hoping for a background of vanilla but I'm just not getting any.

 

I don't dislike it, it's just a completely different scent than I was expecting, and it's significantly more unisex/masculine leaning than I was hoping for. I'm going to pass it along to the boyfriend and see how he likes it, however.

[theredkilt]

This stuff is strong. I'm not picking up any particular notes, as everything is blended seemelssly. I don't get black tea from this blend and it's no Earl Grey either (imho). It leans more towards insence (patchouli + tea combo) and there's no sweetness.

[lucycat]

In the imp this is black tea with a slightly astringent, almost tingly, edge, that I think must be the peru balsam.

 

On my skin, this is an almost pure black tea note. The balsam remains, slightly deepening the blend, but it’s not strong. I get just a hint of the bergamot, no more. It’s still black tea, not Earl Grey tea.

 

In fact, I could almost copy and paste VioletChaos’s review, since Furo is behaving on me almost exactly as she describes. I don’t smell patchouli in this at all. I love plain black tea, though, so Furo is pretty much perfect as it is. Most of the Lab’s tea blends I’ve tried have been green tea, which I like, though I wanted a good black tea blend because White Rabbit doesn’t last on me. I think Furo is it. I do love Dorian, but Furo is more straight-up black tea, not as sweet as Dorian.

 

The bourbon vanilla appears after a few hours, and the final drydown is pure bourbon vanilla.

[milo]

This is an odd one to be sure. Kind of unsettling and masculine. I'm getting the peru balsam and patchouli mostly, but from a distance, something smells rather lovely on me, I'm guessing the vanilla. So in the end this really isn't so bad, but ultimately, not my type of blend.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: Black tea with vanilla.

 

Wet: Now there's a hint of lemon from the bergamot.

 

The dry-down: Lemony (but only slightly) black tea with a drop or two of vanilla for a sweetener. The patch and balsam were not present, so color me a little disappointed. I have other tea scents that I like better.

[Zii]

ITI: My mouth literally watered. It's very much patchouli and peru balsam right now, but there is something exciting lurking around the edges of this just waiting to make itself known.

 

Wet: Earl Grey tea and patchouli. I think the patch is amping a bit of the lemony aspects of the bergamot, but the tea is really grounding and rich. There is just a hint of the creamy vanilla, but it's not doing the plastiky grossness vanilla sometimes does, nor is it sweet. It really is like high quality baking vanilla, sharp and dark.

 

Drying: This is starting to get a wee bit lemon verbena like. It's a very green bright lemony feel when combined with the patchouli. The tea note is now far in the back, just lending a tannic edge to the richness hanging out with the citrusy brightness.

 

Dry: The Earl Grey is back! It's still very brightly lemony, especially the throw, but that rich warm tea is really coming back again as this dries out on my skin. The only hint of the vanilla is that slight creamy note hovering around in the back, but it really smells more like tea with cream than any distinct vanilla. The balsam is adding a flash of greenness to the overall feeling, which is lovely.

 

I find that what I smell varies a bit from sniff to sniff. Sometimes it's very strongly tea, other times lemony patchouli. In all it's forms, utterly glorious, and I am thrilled to have another imp coming my way.

[tinyvulture]

Tea notes - strong black tea and lemony bergamot - combine intriguingly with woodsy peru balsam. No vanilla or patchouli for me. The lemon is so strong and it really starts to take over. I'll have to stick with a tea blend that's lighter on the citrus.

[aiobhan]

Bottle: HELLO PERU BASALM HOW ARE YOU TODAY

Wet, applied: Okay the peru basalm is quieting down and I can smell the patchouli and black tea coming through. Hopefully the bergamot and vanilla warm up soon!

After an hour: Oh this is warming up so beautifully. The super resiny notes are starting to quiet down and turn just a little smoky. I can smell the bergamot and dark vanilla coming through, too. It's starting to get just a touch sweeter, darker, and warmer.

Overall thoughts: I really like this! I wish it was a little warmer and sweeter, though - maybe I'll layer it with a scent that's got a heavy vanilla base and see what I can do. Either way, it's a very lovely dark, smoky, warm scent, like if tea leave were smoked and then brewed, before anything gets added to it.

[Monster]

Furo starts out as bergamot black tea with a squish of lemon and dries to red patch and black tea. The throw of this one is low and my skin eats it up after only 30 minutes of wear. If it stuck around a little longer this may have been a win for me. I still prefer White Rabbit as a tea scent though.