The Shimmering Mirror

[Jenjin]

Pine pitch brocade, amber incense smoke, Mysore sandalwood, myrrh,
red benzoin, inky patchouli, and an oakmoss fougere.

[ghoulnextdoor]

The red benzoin and amber incense smoke combine to make a strangely sultry balsamic, floral scent that brings to mind some sort of supplication to a saint of dangerous sensuality, a prayer along the lines of, “Poppy crowned queen of night, patroness of thieves and robbers, friend, and light to all that burns." I wish I could remember where I read that! Which has nothing to do with this next reference, but you know all those romantasy books that are all the rage right now? Like "A Court of this thing and those things?" This is a perfume that smells like the heady promises of those lavishly fantastical, come-hither book covers.

[Llanval]

Perfect fantasy pine forest. I agree with the scent description: this is pine brocade shining, and threaded with gold. I don't get florals, just a wonderful, rough, hard to pin down fantasy pine scent. Since I really enjoy these types of pine heavy scents this is likely going to be my only Shunga full size so far.

 

Strong-ish, long lasting, and good projection too.

[DiZZysTARdust]

On 3/22/2024 at 10:49 AM, ghoulnextdoor said:

 “Poppy crowned queen of night, patroness of thieves and robbers, friend, and light to all that burns."

@ghoulnextdoor this may be it! https://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/doc/Brudermord_M/index.html

 

This is as others have stated very hard to pin down but gorgeous and very very well blended. In the bottle and freshly applied this comes across to me as like a department store scent. To me it comes across as more cologne/gender neutral at first mostly because i’m reminded of a specific scent that I can’t remember. Even though I get this vibe I still agree that sensuous or silky is a good description for the feel of this blend. 

 

As this is drying the pine definitely comes out more, agreed “brocade” is a good way to put it because it’s not an evergreen or even green blend. It’s more red to me. Like the scent of pine needles after walking through a forest or a comforting blanket that smells like pine sap and other beautiful things. great throw and seems to have good lasting power.

[Ennikar]

Big ideas: pine pitch and incense. As it dries down, the pine-y parts calm down until they're just a hint; this is more the fantasy of a pine tree than a real tree outside the brief appearance of smashed needles early on. It's kinda "smooth" and "silky", and if you told me there was ambergris in here I'd believe you. That's probably the influence of the type of patchouli they used? I associate oakmoss fougere with a fresh herbal thing that's definitely not the main event here, but I think I can smell a shadow of it and it works.

Up to a few hours in, I keep getting dark incense-y wafts that remind me of a smooth black musk. Decent throw, very blended, I like it.

Edited May 14 by Ennikar

[Little Bird]

Love.  The only thing in The Shimmering Mirror that I'm not wild about is the pine pitch, which comes in strong like I've set a pine tree on fire and the black smoke and ash are swirling all around.  Thankfully, that disappears entirely within the first five minutes.  Then, for the first hour or so, it's beautiful resins with that cola and Dr. Pepper undertone that myrrh sometimes has, on a bed of dry, vintage perfume smelling oakmoss, with  the beautiful amber incense coming in as a warm glow that brings up images of chunks of soft amber resin and incense cones.  Further in, it goes through a stage of strong, pretty Mysore sandalwood, and it's the type of sandalwood that feels creamy, softly woody, and lightly sweet rather than powdery.  Then, just when I think I have the whole thing figured out, the sweet, vanilla-y benzoin floats in over everything.  It settles into a really wonderful, sweet, rich vanilla-amber with sweet myrrh and hints of sandalwood, patchouli, and oakmoss.  Warm, cozy, sweet, creamy, comforting.  Definitely try if you like incense/resins (though it seems I'm getting way less pine than other reviewers).