Kumiho

[bpalscentsual]

Nine-tailed fox demon of Korean lore who transforms into the visage of an irresistible beauty in order to seduce men and lead them to their doom. A sharp, biting blend of crisp white tea and ginger.

 

To me, this smells exactly like Embalming Fluid, down to the tea-and-citrus aspect of it. However, there is no mellowness from white musk to round this out, and no softness from the aloe.

I like this quite a lot. It makes me feel clean. Excellent.

[KissleMeNow]

Kumiho is quite simple compared to many other BPAL blends, but it's a wonderful scent. It's the first scent I've tried where the ginger has a fresh-cut zing (as opposed to being darker/spicier), but the dominant scents are the white tea and citrus, which smells slightly grapefruity to my nose. If I got a cup of tea smelling like Kumiho, I'd drink it immediately. I haven't had the opportunity to sample the Lab's green tea blends much, but as a big tea drinker, this definitely smells like white tea. What people say about it fading quickly is true – by forty minutes after application it was mostly gone, but I still got the occasional whiff throughout the day, which is something I sometimes like in a scent.

 

Also, if anybody is into using BPAL as aromatherapy, I would definitely recommend this. I took the imp with me, un-tested, on a trip, because I had sniffed it the night before and couldn't stop thinking about it. I was on a train for seven hours, feeling hot, exhausted, and cranky, and needed something to perk me up... I dabbed on Kumiho, and immediately felt way more awake/able. Since it fades quickly I wonder if it might be a good candidate for a scent locket? I haven't used those before, but I would totally consider a wake-me-up Kumiho one.

[captnklaus]

I have come to the conclusion that I just really love citrusy scents and anything with ginger in it. Which is awesome, because they love me too. I am definitely enjoying this relationship.

 

After spending most of the day feeling pretty dragged down and wearing a heavy scent to match my mood, I decided to at least give my night a fresh start and put on Kumiho. Now I regret not putting this one on to begin with. Its fresh, clean and energizing. Its a nice wake me up without the sharpness of the Lightning I was wearing yesterday (which I also found to be clean and energizing, but definitely more charged). I feel more awake, but calm, especially so since I'm enjoying it with a cup of tea. Keep catching myself giving my wrists a good sniff, haha

The citrus and white tea are most prominent, but the ginger is there in the background for a bit of that energizing kick I like.

 

It's unfortunate that Kumiho, like other lighter scents I have tried, is such a fast fader. It pretty much combines some of my favourite things into one beautiful blend. Definitely will be holding on to this one though.

[Saffrin]

Imp: Very much ginger with a floral backing. Little too bit foody for my liking.

 

Wet: Still ginger, and beginning to smell a sharp, citrus smell over it. A little but headachy at this stage.

Hoping white tea isn't adding itself to the super death note list with black.

Enormousss throw. Only put on a small test amount, but it's almost overwhelming.

 

Dry: Crisp, clean, just a little soft citrus. It smells midway between lemon and lime, with the ginger softening it in the background.

Amazingly, this smells more like lemon on me than actual lemon notes do, which just turn to detergent.

Still a few signs of headache, but will definitely try this again to see if that's the actual source. Considering it's a tea, it sadly likely.

 

It's been on for almost 4 hours now, and I can still smell and feel it in myhead with ease.

 

Definitely a scent for hot, summer days. While it's not overly cool or anything, it's incredibly clean and crisp and would cut through icky summer smells easily.

 

 

 

Note: Preused, aged (cobalt bottle).

 

 

Edit: Nope. Can't wear white tea. Defintiely the same headache type as black gives me.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Saffrin

[elinox]

First Sniff: Some biting citrus; lemony-lime.

 

Wet: I think the lemony-lime smell is actually fresh ginger.

 

Dry: After I read the description, I definitely get white tea and ginger.

 

My Reaction: As it dried, I’m still getting lemony-lime something-or-other. Once it dried completely though it reminded me of cleaning fluid and I did not particularly care for it, even though it became softer than the initial first sniff. It’s different than I’m used to or prefer from the lab, but I just don’t care for the citrusy smell.

 

Rating 1-5: 2

[Wren12]

I received this as a lovely frimp from Usagi.

 

In the imp it is bright and slightly astringent, not a bad thing.

 

On wet...ooh, this may very well be my favorite ginger note yet.

 

On dry...the ginger picks up it's lemony vibe, and is mellowed by the tea note. It's amazing. And it lasts forever, this one is great!

[MaidrinRua]

In the imp: Ginger and light citrus, something that's not quite lemon or lime or bergamot and something a little sharp at the bottom

Wet: On my skin the ginger sweetens up a little? Not like candied ginger, it seems fresh but isn't the sort of spicy, more pungent scent I was first expecting

Dry down: Much more faint, but fresh! After it dries the citrusy smell turns a bit more lemony but it doesn't turn into pledge or dish soap. I'm having a hard time describing this one after the dry down in more detail, but I really love how fresh and simple Kumiho is. I think this will probably be my main scent for the warmer months and once my imp is empty I might pop it in my dresser to scent my drawers or my stationary.

Really stoked I found a bottle of this in the forum sales.

[hexnut]

A blind test.

In Vitro Floral. Rose?

Wet In the first minute this went from lemony rose to lemon to lemon with a hint of rose. After four minute it smelled like lime.

Drying Mild lime and floral. I thought it might be Ehecatl. An hour and a half on there was a faint and somewhat masculine soap smell.


Definitely a "well, crap" reaction when I read the imp label. Once again, ginger smelled like citrus and tea smelled like flowers. I like citrus and flowers, but I wanted ginger and I wanted tea! With regret I am giving up on two more BPAL notes.

[enfleurage]

Upon applying Kumiho I was struck with the most formidable scent, like fresh ginger root with spritzes of citrus and silver needle tea. I could practically feel the silvery downy fuzz covering the buds and leaves! This stage didn't last as long as I hoped it would. The astringent bite of fresh ginger was promptly eaten up and replaced with something that reminds me a bit of Ting Ting Jahe, the preserved ginger candy that Julius Deane offers to Case in William Gibson's Neuromancer. It has the same honeyed sweetness that one usually finds in ginger chews, except it's mixed with the barest wisp of floral tea. I think I like it. Might buy a full bottle once I'm done with my imp.

Edited May 24, 2013 by enfleurage

[bellumed]

Glorious and lovely. It is very light, have to slather slather slather this one. Despite that though, the ginger has a noticeable sharp edge to it.

 

Try this if you like Embalming Fluid, Baobhan Sith, or Sound of Insects. Like all of the above, it’s a great warm-weather scent.

[lucycat]

I smell the ginger in Kumiho only in the imp and when it's wet. Dry, I get the same tea note as the one in Embalming Fluid.

 

This is clean, crisp, fresh, and slightly sweet. It's light and perfect for sticky summer days.

[Sakura Tsukikage]

I have to say, I love Kumiho--after trying it, it instantly became my favorite scent, as a matter of fact (which beforehand had been the TerraNova White Ginger fragrance, funnily enough, even though that white ginger is a flower and I assume this ginger is, well, ginger). It's gorgeously fresh and light, but it still has presence enough to make itself known. It became one of my first 5 ml purchases from BPAL immediately. It's somehow cool and clear, yet still bright and refreshing, and not at all sweet on me.

 

In fact, refreshing is the main word that comes to mind when describing this scent, which is probably why I like it so much, since I tend toward light and fresh scents in general. I vacillate on whether to describe this scent as white or light green, but either way, I definitely get the sense of drinking white tea with some of the bite and aroma of ginger added in (which, as others have said, is a very clean fresh sort of spice rather than a deeper or darker spice like cloves, or a warm red spice like cinnamon or paprika--not that I see a lot of paprika in perfume, probably since the aroma isn't that present, but you get my point, I hope). For me, ginger is a sharp white sort of spice, and that's the kind I get the sense of here, sort of calmed and smoothed by the tea surrounding it.

 

For me, when wearing Kumiho I feel invigoratingly light and airy, but also sharp and aware. It actually really, really lasts on me. I was wearing it yesterday, and I could still smell it hovering in my hair and on my skin that night, after putting it on in the morning--even though I hadn't put any in my hair, just behind my ears. Then again, perfume tends to last on me. It also doesn't change much between the bottle and my skin; in fact, it pretty much smells exactly the same the whole time, just slightly softer as time goes on, but without losing that clean freshness from before. It actually strikes me as a very professional scent, and one I feel when I want to feel like I know what I'm doing.

 

Anyway, I love it, and I'm so glad I found it, because I adore the way it smells and makes me feel!

[Kanashisa]

Light, sweet, and clean. Gently citrusy with a hint of tea. Yes, very similar to Embalming Fluid, but brighter, leaves a little more impact, so I like it more. Not in the least bit harsh or cloying. 10/10

 

I absolutely need a bottle!

Edited September 21, 2014 by Kanashisa

[RedRoseMaze]

In the bottle: I can smell the white tea, slightly lemony/herbal.

Wet: It reminds me of Unicorn, very floral, white and sharp.

Dry: Now, I get more of the ginger, spicy and warm, but not overwhelming.

Verdict: It's subtle, delicate, and pretty. I wouldn't have expected that for a "foxy demon", but it's nice.

[Veronica]

Very pretty and light! This smells super similar to this year's Peach, Ginger, and Cubeb HG (Lupercalia 2015). Would love this as a linen scent, just OK as a perfume. Clean and fresh and almost citrus-y. Lovely!

[DiesMali]

In the imp: GINGER.

 

Wet on my skin: This smells exactly my memory of an organic ginger and green tea shampoo I used a few years ago.

 

Dry: Does not change at all as it dries. It's all sharp, slightly citrusy ginger with strong tea. It's not unpleasant, but I think it might smell a bit too much like that shampoo for me to associate it with perfume. I don't know, I'll have to wear it another time or two and see how I feel about it.

[Soupy Twist]

Another gorgeous tea/citrus blend... which disappears on me. Ginger in the bottle with citrus when it goes on, which dries to a lovely tea. And the whole delicious thing is gone in less than half an hour. *sob* Why does my skin eat BPAL's tea and citrus notes? As noted above, this is similar to Embalming Fluid and Baobhan Sith, both of which I love and both of which vaporize on me.

[LizziesLuck]

Lovely light ginger, but unfortunately it fades away quickly on me. There are other ginger blends (Gnome, Sudha Segra) which suite me much better, so I won't be needing a bottle of this one. It is nice though! very clean.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: The white tea note is by far the strongest note, followed by a light ginger note. These are the same white tea and ginger notes found in Baobhan Sith.

 

Wet: The ginger note is stronger on my skin than it was in the imp, but the white tea is still really prominent. This is like Baobhan Sith without the awesome grapefruit and apple blossom notes.

 

Dry: This has calmed down significantly. The white tea is still at the front of the scent, but it's softer now, and so is the ginger. It smells like a warm, clean scent.

 

Verdict: I have used imps of this scent before to scent loads of laundry, and I enjoy using it that way. However, this is not a scent that I could see myself reaching for as a skin scent... not as long as Baobhan Sith is available, at least.

[Jenjin]

I have purchased many bottles of Kumiho over the years. After spending a lot of time obsessing over "O", "Snake Oil" and then on to "Alice", I discovered Kumiho. It was unlike anything I had smelled before, even though it has familiar notes. I wouldn't really say its a morpher, but it does tell a story while you wear it.

IN THE BOTTLE:

Juicy tartness that makes my mouth water and my head float. Ceremonial.

WET:

Crisp white tea folding into a lemon flower notes. I am in the midst of a magical, blooming lemon grove with silver, sparkling blossoms and a ginger kiss.

DRY:

Oh Spirit Fox! Kumiho takes me on a journey through the sun and deep into golden streams, lined with snapping ginger root and floating lemon blossoms. Gorgeous!

NOTES:

As others have noted, Kumiho has similar notes with Embalming Fluid, Sudha Segra and Baobhan Sith. Embalming Fluid is very nice and clean, but very single note compared to Kumiho. Sudha Segra has a powdery backdrop while Kumiho is bright, shiny and crystalline.

 

Kumiho has brightened many of my dark days and lightened my heart. It's beautiful. Thank you a million times Elizabeth for this one. It has changed my life.

RATING:

10+

Edited March 27, 2017 by Jenjin

[Casablanca]

Yep. White tea and ginger. Also pale yellow citrus notes. I get lemon and I think something else -- a drop of pink grapefruit?

Ginger blends can be hit or miss for me. I like this one and would suggest it for ginger lovers. Refreshing, impish and a bit zesty.

[roseus]

This is one of my favorite summer scents now. I got a little mystery sniffie of it from ralenth and I fell in love and bought a bottle. It reminds me of Shanghai but much sharper and to me, more refreshing. The white tea is very crisp. The ginger is very fresh and has a lot of snap, and I would agree there must be some kind of sharp citrus in here but I can't put my finger on it. This has great throw on me, but in a bright and unobtrusive way.

[kattalog]

Wet: Very crisp, fresh almost green scent! Ginger. Bordering on floral.

Dry: Crisp, almost cold floral like scent with ginger. It might be the white tea thats bordering on floral. A very fresh scent and the crispness reminds me of snow(!). Theres hint of something sweet, as if there was a tiny drop of honey or fruit.
Over an hours wear, the crispness and ginger in Kumiho softens and theres a floral sweetness. Its more like floral white tea now, with a slice of ginger in the cup.
To me, it feels like a scent that would work very well during spring with its blossoms.
White rabbit ends as a ginger white tea with bits of floral in it, which gives it a clean soapy mood.

Its a pretty and fresh scent, leaning towards clean. Its also a scent that keeps very near skin because of its soft notes. It feels like a cousin scent (rather than sister scent) to White rabbit, and with them both having tea and ginger it isnt that odd.

Dominant notes: Crisp scent, floral tea, ginger
Type: Fresh, clean
Lasting: 3 hours

[lizabelle]

I expected to love this, as I love numerous other BPAL blends with both those notes in them, but somehow the combination of the two together is not doing it for me. The throw on this is enormous and I find it overpowering (doubly surprising as neither of these notes usually amp on me). The ginger is sharp and very perfumey, and the tea fades into the background and adds even more to the perfumey aspect. It's sort of a honeyed spice scent, very light in tone but powerful.

 

I'm going to get my mom to try this one and will update this review when I do--these notes do well on her and I'm guessing it's more her kind of scent than mine.

[gloame]

Definitely sharp, at least wet. It feels very cool, but not minty. I would say this is an arctic fox. Wow, the 'bite' really sneaks up on you! As it dries down, it totally morphs -I still wouldn't immediately think 'white tea' or 'ginger' when I smelled this but I can almost see it; like they come together to create this more, lemon-like astringence. I keep sniffing this one; I'm confused, but I think it's good!

 

Where I'd wear it: For Miracle Mornings