Kyoto

[elphaba]

A gentle, soothing blend of cherry blossom, white sandalwood and star anise.

I wanted to love Kyoto, given my fascination with geishas and classical Japanese culture.

It went on smelling strongly of cherries, REALLY strongly, which surprised me. I was expecting a more sweet, flowery scent from the cherry blossoms. I could detect some wood in the background, but no anise so far as I could tell. The combination of the sweet cherry and the wood note reminded me a lot of The Red Queen, which didn't work on me at all. In fact, I suspect I might have liked it better if it hadn't brought up that connection and the memory of Red Queen's powerful laquer scent.

The sweetness all but disappeared in the final drydown and I was left with a light, slightly spiced sandalwood. The spice didn't smell like star anise to me (and I did stick my nose in the spice jar to check) but that must be what it was.

I can see, given the elements, why this is a good scent for Kyoto, but that cherry note wreaked havoc with my chemistry. It's not a keeper for me.

[QueenFae]

My immediate reaction: wet, juicy chocolate covered cherries. Yum. Definitely a blossomy, floral undertone, but still on the sweeter side of floral. Love it. Conjures images of cherry blossom trees and faeries flittering through the flowers. I just wish it lasted a little longer, alas it faded fast on me. Great scent, Bravo.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Spicey and sweet, with a slightly medicinal tang to it

 

On me:

Oooooh this is so nice!! That spicey sweet kick is the star anise which I quite like. I wouldn't picture myself wearing anise, but for some reason, it just goes really well with the white sandalwood and cherry blossom. I don't find the cherry blossom to be particularly sweet, it offers a nice balance to the star anise, and the white sandalwood rounds out and warms this up nicely.

 

Final note:

I would buy a bottle of this, it's such an interesting scent! I can definitely picture Kyoto when wearing this, it's wonderful! I actually LOVE the star anise, and usually I wouldn't wear something with anise in it.

[olympia301]

 

This one starts off with a thick beatiful cloud of almond/cherry. Then it settles down to a n appealing perfumy surround notes of which I cannot identify but it is lovely. Kyoto is a smashing scent, befitting of the classical city for which it was named. The middle phase is giving me candy-like moments but tinged with the bitter of the almond to keep it from being cloying. Finally the dry phase is womanly and keeps shifting from candy to the almond and back again, almost oscillating. I really think Kyoto is a big accomplishment and mentally put it down as one of Beth's Classics.

 

The icon is a famous cherry tree in Kyoto in full bloom. Crowds of people come to see it at night during the blooming time when it is fully lit at night.

[wickedgoddess]

Origins - gift imp from the lab

 

Preconceived Notions - Sandalwood, anise and cherry blossom? This gift imp from the lab just jumped to the top of my review pile.

 

Wet - a soft waft of cherry blossom.

 

Dry - The cherry blossom fades quickly, while the sandalwood and anise bloom. I am one of those weird people who just adores anise, and I think this is fabulous. The anise isn't too strong, it's well-balanced by the sandalwood. It's a very light scent; there doesn't seem to be much throw at all. If this had a bit more throw it would be a definite big bottle purchase. As it is, I still would consider it down the road.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4.

[OdetteOdile]

Kyoto

This smells a little like plum incense to me. It's light, without much throw. A clean fragrance with a warm, wood-spice note, and a sort of dry fruitiness - like very dry red wine.

I'd use this when I wanted the fragrance I was wearing to remain in the background.

After a few minutes, I got a strong, vivid image from this one:

A very exclusive incense shop that's very bare-looking, with all the incense stored in wood boxes on simple, light-stained wood shelves - small boxes, and not too many of them - as though each stick is precious. The lighting is soft, and the walls are covered in sand-colored, finely-woven grass mats.

Buying incense there is a bit of a production - you make an appointment and meet with the store owner, describe what you're looking for, and get to smell several samples before making your selection (or possibly your selection is made for you.)

Once you're ready to buy, your incense is wrapped carefully in hand-made paper with a subtle woodblock design in shadowy earth colors. The paper is tied with grass fibers in a complicated, elaborate knot.

The "Kyoto" incense is a modern take on a classic - it has that combination of a fresh new scent on a base of old traditional spicy wood notes.

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

Oh goodness, cherry blossom and a tittch of anise. Fabulous

 

On

oh man this is good. it not only smells like cherry blossom, it smells like cherries. It's medium light in strength and it just gives me this vision of pink fluffy flowers.

The anise is ever so light, not ike in Kabuki or anything. The sandalwood is also barely nocieable on me. They just lend some body and backbone to the little eairy pinkness. That said, this is a very airy blend. I don't find an "airy" blend too often, alot of fiery, earthy and watery...but this is great.

 

30 minutes

The anise has gotten stronger at about 10 minutes on actually. But it's still wonderful, it's not as fluffy, light and pink now, it's more of a dark pink with the anise, almost like a sexy berry cocktail.

 

Throw:

average

 

Scent category:

floral/foody/fruity

 

Summary

Kyoto is at it's best immediately on and/or after it has dried. The middle part has it morphing around a bit.

This less foody and just a touch more perfumey than Kabuki. I love this much more than Kabuki, it's lighter, and not quite as strong. That said, this blend does indeed get stronger as it dries. But when it dries completely, like after 30 minutes, it turns to a quite beautiful, deeper, sexy, cherry blossom.

For you Lush folks this blend would go well with "Skin Sin" lotion.

 

Purchase again?

Definitely. This is the best cherry or cherry blossom I've tried to date.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4.5

[komakino]

Initial Impression: A nice and light smell of anise, with a spicy undertone (possibly the sandalwood).

 

After Wearing It: The flower note slowly kicks in, and makes the scent more well-composed. The anise continues to be the strongest note for a long while, with sandalwood and flowers in the background. After a couple of hours, the anise has settled down and I get a very nice and warm smell of flowers and spices, albeit quite discreet.

 

Final Impression: It’s a really nice scent, except for the fact that I don’t really like anise. If I change my mind about that, I will definitely wear it.

[cupide430]

Kyoto

 

Warm sweet cherry. Maybe some almond as well. It's getting less foody sweet as it dries and picking up a more powdery tone. I think it is the sandalwood coming out. The cherry is completely gone, leaving sandalwood and the star anise is really coming out. The anise is getting stronger and stronger.

[Undine]

Putting this on I smell mostly cherries. However, I can smell the dryness of the sandalwood and the sharp note of the anise as well--usually I can't get such clarity. I find the cherries kind of sickly sweet, though from further away the sharper/richer notes come out more nicely. A hint of soap, sigh.

 

Overall, I liked it otherwise, but the cherries were way too sweet and artificial for me. On my scale, 1.5 out of 5.

[lokelani]

Another winner!

 

I was a little concerned about this scent -- sandalwood can be overpowering on me, and I wasn't sure how the star anise would work on my skin. But the white sandalwood seems to work well for me -- it's much lighter than the red sandalwood, I think. In this case, it sort of grounds the scent, and gives it more of a...grown-up feel, than the cherry blossom & star anise alone might have. Kyoto is sweet and fresh without being "little-girl" at all. And all the notes are so well blended that they feel like they've always belonged together.

 

This scent settles into almost a second-skin scent for me, and remains with me for a long time -- the other day I put it on before going to work and could still it on my wrists by the end of the day. It's just lovely. This scent has entered my top ten list and climbed to the top of my "must have big bottle!" list.

[Caltha]

Kyoto

 

Kyoto is a very interesting and original blend. It smells sort of oriental, but not as in generic "oriental" spice, rather as in an urban asian furniture market next to the food market or something like that. It's strong and acrid and musty at the same time without being unpleasant. I get wood polish until I realize that the "polish" is actually anise (and I guess the "wood" is the sandalwood) and then it smells quite distinctly of anise for a while until it morphs into something vaguer and impossible to make out. Really interesting, I have to try it again.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Caltha

[evil_laugher]

I don't know, man, there was something strange here that I didn't like. I'm thinking it's the cherry. I'm going to pass it on to a friend of mine.

 

Kyoto (京都) is a fine place, btw. An average city, with big skyscrapers and the occasional temple. There certainly weren't any cherry trees blooming the time of year I went, but oh, the DDR boys certainly were. OH WHAT MEMORIES.

Edited August 18, 2005 by evil_laugher

[Nachtwulf]

In the bottle - Very strong cherry scent, though I think it's more like the fruit than the flower. There's also a sharp undertone, that's probably the sandalwood. It's sweet, and modestly pleasant, though I don't care much for the undertones.

 

Wet - Again, mostly cherry. There's something 'else' in there (the other oils, I'd imagine) and it still feels 'off' to me, somehow, like they're clashing together. It also seems to be getting sharper, as the anise starts to override the fruitiness.

 

Dry - Mmm. It's mellowed back out again. The cherry is totally gone, leaving the anise/sandalwood scent behind. Although I like the lack of sharpness from before, I'm not sure what's left really suits me.

 

Final opinion - It's not bad, but I don't know that it's 'me'. It reminds me of old Victorian houses and drawing rooms, not Japan. I don't know that I /don't/ like it, but... hm. Jury's still out on this one.

[sarahj]

Kyoto

 

in vial: cherry blossom and anise

 

wet: mostly cherry blossom with a bit of anise, very light

 

dry: the anise gets much stronger...when I hold my wrist to my nose I can smell a nice blend, but the throw is almost completely anise, which I don't care for

 

verdict: too much anise...not for me...off to the swaps

[quimerula]

I get a strong start of star anise, with the rest of the notes standing behind. I don't like anise, but I tried it anyway because I was told that star anise is a smoother note than comon anise. But this one is not for me.

 

Cherry blossom and sandalwood are a fantastic combination, but that third note just ruins it.

[Blood onmy hands]

I expected this to be a light floral blend. It's more of a heavy fruit blend, though. It smells like cherry candy more than cherry blossom. The anise adds a medicinal black licorice smell under the cherry. I don't smell any sandalwood, but the anise gets stronger in the drydown. Overall it reminds me of cherry cough drops. Not awful, but not something that I want to smell like either.

Edited September 27, 2016 by Little Bird

[carolinachiquita]

This is gorgeous. It was very delicate on me but it did have this kick to it. I thought it was quite fruity. Not how I expected it to be at all!

[herongale]

Old) Kyoto (Wanderlust line)

 

preconceived notion: There are two notes here that automatically alarm me: the cherry and the anise. Anise, which is a kind of licorice substitute, is one of those very pungent smells that you either love or hate... and for me, the needle has always tilted inexhortably to the "hate" side if my personal scent compass. However... and this is key... I love the idea of smelling like Kyoto. So I got myself an impie, despite my deep reservations.

 

in the bottle: Straw-colored oil. And... hey! The first thing this reminds me of is cherry brandy. It's that rich syrupy chocholatey cherry that Christmas Cherries smell (and taste) like. I really think it is the anise which is providing that darker chocolate kick, which makes me happy. Instead of smelling like a medicinal candy, which I feared, this smells like a holiday liqueur.

 

wet: Cherry candy! Shockingly pretty. There is no way that sitting under blooming cherry trees in spring smells like this, however. I will have to go to DC this spring to confirm (Kyoto is a bit too far away for a random jaunt), but I'm pretty sure that cherry trees in bloom would have a greener, more delicate scent to them. Still, the anise is behaving itself and acting appropriately, as if in a supporting role.

 

drydown: as time passes, the anise insidiously takes over. The scent goes from a rich glowing ruby-red candy cherry to a blackberry licorice. And, sadly, I HATE LICORICE.

 

verdict: not for me. Passing this one on to a more deserving Nipponophile.

 

post-conceived notion: mostly my reaction to the anise side of this scent was predictable. I'm actually surprised that I liked it for as long as I did. Although I intend to avoid anise in the future, I might have to rethink my position on cherry.

 

(Oh, and here's a fun licorice fact: it is illegal in the United States to sell any licorice-flavoured product with actual licorice in it. All US licorice is actually flavoured with anise. The reason for this is that overconsumption of licorice can fuck up one's potassium levels by effecting the way that the kidney manages potassium.)

[hangingfire]

In the imp: Cherry and anise. Yep. The anise gives the cherry a somewhat medicinal quality, which probably accounts for the "cherry cough drop" effect some people are noticing.

 

On, wet: Still primarily about the cherry and anise, although there's a nice musky sort of note around the edges. I guess that's the sandalwood.

 

Drydown: The cherry and anise have mellowed out considerably, leaving the sandalwood to take center stage. It's very sweet and pleasant, in fact. A little soapy to my nose, but clean. Kind of like a luxury bubble bath.

 

I like it. I'll definitely keep the imp around for a few more tries.

Edited September 30, 2005 by hangingfire

[sookster]

sweet cherry blossom and sandalwood are just indescribably delicious in this blend

i adore the woodsiness and incense notes i get as well...this one is pure heaven and a delight!

my chemistry adores kyoto and the scent lasts a good long time....this goes into my top 10 without any hesitation whatsoever

[Ankhet]

Kyoto:

In the bottle: The first sound out of my mouth when I smelled this "eaugh!" It's an...interesting blend of the cherry blossom and star anise. Hm. both flavors of licorice at once, huh?

Wet: Mleh, the smell of the star anise (black licorice) is WAY too strong for me who doesn't like black licorice.

Drydown: The star anise receded a little, but it's still definitely there

Conclusion: sell

[AlaskaSnows]

In the Bottle: Anise and a slight cherry blossom.

 

Dry: Anise. Anise, anise, anise. Um, I hate anise. So good for anise lovers, but not for me.

[lookingglass]

This is a less brazen version of Kabuki, in my opinion. The cherry and anise 'play nice', not competing for alpha female in this blend. The sandalwood dries her out a bit for me...I like my scents to be, generally, CREAMY .

Edited October 21, 2005 by lookingglass

[coulrophobe]

Preconceived notions: I'm not the biggest fan of anise, so this may be disasterous, but I'm willing to try anything once, at least when it comes to BPAL.

 

In the imp: I'm smelling strong, sweet anise and cherry... do cherry blossoms even smell like cherry? I have no idea. Maybe I'm projecting, the way people often smell "orange" from orange blossom.

 

On: Total change. I smell no anise now, and nothing even vaguely cherry - the sandalwood comes out strongest, with something clean, sharp and fresh on top of it (an interesting contrast to the warm smokey sandalwood). But just when I think I'm safe, the evil anise rears its head, slowly overpowering the sandalwood... and I wind up smelling like those "Good & Plenty" candies. I wind up with sweet, vaguely smokey-floral licorice. Well, I had to try.