An Oiran of the Yoshiwara and Her Customer

[annemathematics]

Kadu leaf, white lavender, plum and ume blossom, a drop of pale cedar and crystal musk.

first applied there is a strong note of chemical but this burns off quickly, leaving a bright and elegant, classic-in-feel perfume that then holds true for the rest of the drydown. plum/ume fruit focused, with the lavender and kadu keeping it close in kin to fancy dept store perfume. although there is a touch of sweetness, this is a far cry from fruit syrup. I amp cedar always and forever, but not in this blend. the cedar grounds the scent without standing out. strong throw and lasts overnight and into the next day.

I picked this scent as a random extra decant to try. I was curious about the kadu, wary of the cedar and a fan of the other notes. there was speculation in the luper thread about what the heck kadu would smell like. folks/google suggested a range of things from almond to bitter herb to squash blossom. I don't get almond, nor do I get anything forwardly foodie as pumpkin/squash. there is a hint of leafy bitterness that anchors the fruit that is completely removed from the dead leaves notes and the herbal notes (mugwort, sage, thyme, etc). this is a sophisticated beauty and one of my 2018 luper favorites. Edited March 19, 2018 by annemathematics

[LizziesLuck]

I don't know why I thought I needed a decant of this - these note are not likely to smell like what I am hoping (which is for plum and musk)

 

Wet: Lavender comes through strongest (I should have known it would!) with hints of bright plum and some greenish floral notes. It's actually super pretty. The lavender is calming down and blending in more with each sniff I take, but it's still pretty overpowering. I only wear lavender to bed (because it triggers me to "bedtime mode" and I want to keep it that way) so this is disappointing to me, as I have been wanting a spring plum scent. It's hard for me to find ones I like.

 

 

Dry: This is really nice when it dries! The plum does come out more, the lavender fades, and this turns into a lovely light, fruity floral. More fruit than floral. The musk is a lovely white musk, to my nose, and is quite noticeable. So I guess I did get my plum and musk scent! It's really light though, so I need to actually wear it for a full day to see if it's strong enough to warrant getting a bottle. I have a feeling it sadly won't be, as it's very light even with my nose pressed right to it.

[zankoku_zen]

Lavender, plum blossom, and crystal musk. This is a perfumey-lavender blend. Delicate, calming, feminine. Medium throw and wear length.

[mishi-bear]

Based on sniffing the decant of this I was worried it wouldn't work out on me, it smelled very bitter and a touch herbal. This does sweeten and lighten up considerably on skin though, which was a relief. The kadu leaf was a new note for me. In this it's sort of a green leafy smell which is a touch bitter. It's not very strong at all though, serving as a lovely base. The white lavender works alongside it, providing a light sweet herbal note. Different than your typical lavender perfume note, this one definitely reads as 'pale'. It's a touch less sweet, a lot more herbal. It also isn't super strong and is part of the base alongside the kadu. Most of the actual throw is a mix of the plum and ume blossoms with a perfumey crystal musk. The plum blossom and ume blossom are actually somewhat distinct from each other. One is a lot more fruity than the other, very purple and tart, while the other is a lot more of a light sweet fruit with a stronger flower component. The crystal musk is quite perfumey, it gives this whole blend a lot more of a commercial feel and is a great fixative. I get no cedar whatsoever. Medium throw and wear length.