Aizen-Myoo

[Countrymouse]

A bright, bittersweet scent honoring the Japanese Deity of Love and Passion. Aizen-Myoo is one of the vidyarajas, the Shingon's Radiant Kings of Wisdom. Though Aizen-Myoo possesses the lust, grace and passion of both genders, he most often appears to his followers as male. His face is screwed into a fearsome demonic mask, but this is only the wrathful, fierce countenance he places over himself to guide and empower his children. Aizen-Myoo is the patron of prostitutes, of joyous, unbridled sexuality and of all forms of erotic love and is worshipped by all those in the sex industry, musicians, and - oddly - landlords. Yuzu, kaki, and mikan with cherry blossom and black tea.

Well, first off I had an oopppps while putting this on. In my half-awake clumsiness yesterday morning I managed to spill almost half the imp on my hands while attempting to apply it, so it was very strong. My initial impression was it reminded me of the smell of a household cleaner or a citrus air freshner spray.

After about an hour I’m catching what smells like fresh citrus fruits that have just been sliced open. It has a very fresh, crisp tartness to it. A nice summer scent.

6 hours: It’s changed once again. The cherry blossom has finally peeked through over the citrus and now it’s a floral scent with a hint of the black tea underneath. Definitely a scent for summer.

[Witch's Dagger]

Aizen-Myoo

 

This was a freebie from the lab.

 

Preconceived notions: Strange Asian fruit-blend? Hmm... The Asian part’s okay, but I’m not too interested in fruity scents, particularly the sharp grapefruit mentioned in reviews.

 

In the vial: Ack! Yep, that’s really sharp grapefruit.

 

On me: This is so bright - it’s like looking directly at the sun. Smelling my wrists makes me cough from the extreme sourness. So far, this is definitely not me.

 

Later: Still grapefruit. Not as sharp - I’m smelling something mango-like in the mix, which softens out the grapefruit some, but I’m not too fond of smelling like mango, either. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good citrus fruit blend.

 

Complete drydown: The mango-like scent has taken over. There’s still some of the sharp grapefruit in the back, but this is a very mellow, creamy mango-like fruit. Much more sensual.

 

Overall: The drydown is really nice, but even so, it’s still too orange, if that makes any sense. It’s just not me. Off to swap!

 

Note: I never did get any tea or cherry blossom.

[sarada]

This is an incredible scent -- I feel like I've walked into a fruit market, with golden and orange globes piled high and wafts of tangy sweetness drifting off of them in the early morning light. Er, not that I've ever been up that early. But that's what I imagine. I can actually TASTE fruit when I inhale deeply.

 

The western fruits that this most resembles, to me, are grapefruit and citrus peel and pineapple, with the cherry blossom scent coming out a bit later. It's a scintillating fragrance, but I think that the black tea keeps it from being too fruity or from turning into bubblegum on me. While I can't specifically smell the tea note, I think that its presence is asserted by the way it blends these fruits together into something more aromatic than sugary, and adds a deeper base note. It smells more like an herbal fruit tea than a black tea, but it still smells like something I'd want to drink. This will definitely be a summer scent for me. I don't know if I'll be able to find these actual fruits anywhere to try them and see how close they match the notes in this scent but I wish I could!

[darkling]

Aizen-Myoo is an exquisite and compelling scent.

 

I agree with others that the scent is that of grapefruit rind. It has a combination of sweet and bitter but is dry like a rind rather than the pulp. There are a few others citrus notes in the background but they are not distinguishable.

 

There is a faint undercurrent of tea and a hint of soemthing flowery that is likely the cherry blossom.

 

This scent is a beautiful mix of floral and fruity as well as sweet and bitter.

[Caitfish]

Since no one else has done so yet, I'll do a bit of explaining about the Japanese elements of this scent:

 

A yuzu (Citrus aurantium, formerly C. junos; Japanese) is a citrus fruit that grows in Japan. It looks a bit like a small grapefruit, and can be either yellow or green.

 

Yuzu flavor closely resembles that of the grapefruit, with overtones of Mandarin orange but it is rarely eaten as a fruit. It is commonly used as a herb somewhat like the way a lemon is used in other cuisines. Its outer skin is also used to garnish a dish. Yuzu may also be used to make marmalade or a cake. Yuzukosho, lit. yuzu and pepper, is a hot and spicy sauce made with green yuzu skin and green pepper.

 

Bathing with yuzu on Toji (the winter solstice) is a popular custom. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

 

Kaki are also known as persimmons or sharon fruit.

 

Mikans are mandarin oranges.

 

This is a glorious, citrusy, slightly bitter (black tea?) blend that makes me feel so good! I must have a bottle. I'm so happy, as this is the first of the Japanese blends that has really driven me wild. It's just gorgeous! Thanks for the freebie imp of this amazing blend, labbies!

[anmorata]

Aizen-Myoo:

 

Like others, the first impression I got was *bitter*. Very bitter. After about 10 minutes it fades into a lovely floral with the undercurrent of tea. Very nice, and quite enjoyable.

[perfidia]

This is my first post and review, and I'm not too familiar with scents so this is just a list of words that I jotted down after applying this fragrance:

 

Heady, delirious, juicy, sweet, honeysuckle, bloom, spring, delectable, soft, supple, clean, white-yellow-green, fae, swooning, soporific, intoxicating, aphrodisiac

In the imp it smelled very fresh and juicy, but not as strikingly grapefruit as I'd expected. In fact, I noticed the mandarin slightly more, but thought the fragrance simply emphasized the juicy citrus type more than any single fruit. I agree with the stamen impression t3andcrumpets mentioned, which must be what makes it sexy instead of just pretty. I didn't notice it until it was on my skin for at least a few minutes-- and my eyelids were literally fluttering in ecstasy over it!

 

I only put it on my wrists in case I had a bad reaction, and I can still smell it 6 hours later. It's just turned down a few notches-- less drippingly juicy & luscious but still very tender, fragrant, and nectar-like. The tea component seems to temper the floral headiness, so it's intoxicating but not hangover-inducing. I've never tasted persimmon, but I've read that it's both sweet and tangy (due to tannins), so it seems like it would be a complement to the tea as well as the other fruits.

 

I plan to wear it out and gauge other people's reactions, but I already know I want more, I just can't decide if I should get the 5 or 10ml.

[magpiedee]

I would have sworn I had reviewed this one, but I can't find my review. Weird.

 

Aizen-myoo is my fighting scent. My sweating, fierce joy, bruising crunch of shins scent. I wear it to muay thai class, and it brings a certain animal light to my eyes. It adds bite to my hooks and flow to my 6-counts. It is the smell of hot, sizzling summer in the South, as a child forces a path through the blackberry briars. Torn green leaves, irridescent june bugs, bleeding milkweed, red scratches from wayward thorns. It is a smell that hacks through jungles, fearless of snakes. Sharp citrus, torn grass, summer sun. It nearly buzzes on its own.

[Splendid Molerat]

Aizen-Myoo is a juicy-astringent, mouth-watering citrus. Sunset red and sparkling (to the mind's eye).

 

A good fragrance when you need to be "on", and present in the moment.

[Dolly Dimple]

Oh dear, this provoked a reaction the likes of which I've only had with Debauchery before. Wet on, this is pure orange cleaning fluid. Or, as my bf described it, urinal cake. I'm not a fan of citrus generally, but this is the most artificial (to my nose) of all the ones I've tried - not something I would ever usually say of Beth's blends. And sweet lord, this is STRONG! I only put on a tiny amount and it overwhelmed everything else I was trying.

 

I woke up in the middle of night, about five hours after application, and it was still pungent - I gave it a good sniff, and ew! It had turned acrid - like I had sprayed Charles Worthington's Big Hair hairspray on that spot on my arm.

 

Not for me, I'm afraid.

[gingersnapp]

This is a very pinky-peach scent on me. It's like the perfect fusion of cherry blossoms, apples and honey. It's light and creamy and very refreshing. I'm so glad I bought a bottle of this unsniffed... the risk was definitely worth the rewards!

[surf-tormented]

Very fresh tea.

 

Citrus.

 

Black tea type Embalming Fluid?

 

Then peachy.

 

Definately interesting.

[oatmealneko]

Vial: Citrus & light floral, a little bit of black tea.

Wet: Yuzu & kaki, black tea, and...hello there's the cherry blossom.

Dry: Cherry blossom is going nuts on my skin, but it blends nicely with the yuzu. No tea, though.

 

It's a bit more floral than I would've wanted, but the yuzu scent hasn't faded away. I can't say that I don't like it, but it's not something I would get in a bottle. I'll hang onto to it, try it a few more times.

[tart]

Aizen-Myoo is a fresh floral scent tempered with tea. I've tried to wear it a couple of times, but I think the scent is a little too "piercing" for me. I think it would make a great room scent because it is fresh and bright.

[mmcfa2]

bitter sharp wet, like grapefruit and fresh granny smith apples.

 

Sadly the grapefruit never leaves It's an oriental grapefruit, and a strong bitter one. I can tell there are other soft green notes that want to come out to play, but...

 

Back to the swap pile with you!!

 

Edit to add, this would be a great uplifting room scent....

[strangeling]

One of my favourites!

 

Call me crazy, but it smells like VINES! If you are hacking away at kudzu or honeysuckle vines with a machete, trying to clear brush, etc. - it is that same greeny growing smell, I love it!

[helarctos]

I wanted to try Aizen-Myoo just for the name. I should have known better than to risk a citrus blend.

 

Aizen-Myoo, on me, is eau de grapefruit rind, with some pith thrown in for good measure. There's a sweetness and complexity under the citrus, that hints at what could be a subtly unfolding beauty on someone else. But on my skin, citrus yells too loud for anything else to come out and play.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Cherry blossom and I are enemines but it has tea so I had to try it. It smells like green herbs and too sweet rotting fruit. I have no idea what kaki or mikan smell like. I can detect the yuzu, however, but it seems to be too strong and sweet in the bottle.

 

Wet: This is a very green scent. It smells like different leaves and things that I used to pick when I was a kid. There is a slightly sweet note to it all, but it's oddly hidden by the overpoweringly green, which has a stink about it. These are not fresh green; they are overpowering green.

 

Dry down: There's an odd bitter note to it all that keeps this from being a very nice blend on me. I'm not sure what note has reacted badly with my skin this time as the cherry blossom has not made an appearance. The tea is staying away, too. The yuzu tries to win out against the strong, bitter green but only makes things worse. Something about the play between bitter and sweet on my skin makes this blend smell fairly rank and medicinal.

 

Dry: Bitter green herbs with a little yuzu in the background. Too bitter and strong on my skin without any indication of tea. The smell is interesting, but it's nothing that I would want to wear.

[cuervosueno]

Got this as freebie from the lab and decided to try it out while going through swaps.

Wow! Is it ever tart and sharp wet! Yes, like grapefruit, but it does have a crystaline sharpness that is quite lovely. I read in an aromatherapy book that citrus notes have a tendency to fade fast, and this one did, though some of that citrus lingered and mellowed, mixed with what I guess is the persimmon/cherry blossom sweetness--but which smells a bit like peach on me. And it is all grounded with black tea, though that is faint.

I don't know that I'll wear it--I don't really like fruity scents--but I love the scent of it so perhaps will use it as a room fragrance. And I also liked the idea of using it when I work out, or something like that.....

Glad I tried it--when I first opened the bottle it was so sharp I thought about just tossing it in the swap pile untested. by now I should know better than to do that, as the lab always surprises me.

[Chimera]

This is my second-ever review. For those who didn't read my review of The Lion I'd like to state that I have no real experience with scents, especially when it comes to identifying components, so this review is aimed at the scent-novices like myself who have to go on impressions alone.

 

In the bottle: Fruit! Sweet fruit! Exotic sweet fruit! I just realized I haven't had breakfast ...

 

On, wet: As above, but less sweet. Now that I'm past the initial "wow!" rush of scent from the bottle, I can say that the scent is hard to identify. It reminds me vaguely of pears and lime-soaked papayas, but it's neither of those things (here's where my ignorance becomes a real problem). The old part of my brain that knows hunger yells "fruit!" and insists I search for the tree to pluck it from, the new part that likes to label is at a loss.

 

On, dry: The sweetness has gone a little powdery. And now there's a warm, non-fruity undertone.

 

Later: The scent stays close. The sweet fruitiness is faint almost to the point of fading completely, replaced by somewhat sharp fruitiness, though that isn't my main impression. The strongest notes at this point are something floral -- but not bouquet-floral -- and the the warm, non-fruity undertone. Having just peeked back at the description of this oil, I'd have to guess the floral is cherry blossom.

 

Let me sum up: Overall, I like it, but it doesn't blow me away (in fairness, no perfume ever has). I think it would be a very nice, light perfume for warm and sunny days (and the nights that go with them). I like the fruitiness after the initial sweetness has faded, but in the end the sweet-ish (I assume cherry blossom) floral is too dominant for my tastes (almost one-note at the end of the day). In my continuing forays through the world of BPAL scents, I bet I'll find that sweet florals in general do not appeal to me. We'll see. I would wear this again, but I hope to eventually find something more ... me.

[Finny]

Mmm, fruity in the imp.

 

Pink grapefruit, something that smells like pineapple, and mandarin oranges. It is a fresh and light fruit blend, almost tropical.

 

Not bad, but fruit doesn't always love me, and this one goes too sugary sweet after awhile on me. Off to swaps.

[leahcat]

Aizen-Myoo

 

(no clue on what those first three things are! Cherry and tea I know at least)

 

in the bottle: Ooo. Something. Fruity something. Almost reminds me of a shampoo, but MUCH nicer.

wet: Sweetness, which is the cherry blossoms. I’m drinking tea as we sit here, so not sure if I can smell tea in this or if it’s my mug (opps). There’s definitely something more (likely those first three), but I wouldn’t label it spices nor incense – at least not the types I’m used it. It’s a subtle version of what I consider to be normal incenses/spices.

drying/8 minutes: About the same with a touch less sweet cherry and just cherry and these unknown spices. They blend well. Any tea gets mixed in with the spices – I cannot differentiate them. Cherry and the ‘other’ stuff to my nose.

dry/25 minutes: Mmmm. More cherry, still blending with the ‘other’. Quite nice!

 

EDIT: btw, the only reason I could ID the 'cherry' is that it's a lot like the newer cherry blossom lotions that Bath & Body Works released this year. It's not cough syrup cherry but rather a sweet almost maraschino cherry.

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle- Grapefruit? Starfruit maybe?

 

After 15 minutes- Mmmm this is so refreshing and citrusy! This smells just like a freshly peeled grapefruit. Just a little bitter and sour, but strong and sweet at the same time. I'm not getting anything floral or tea like from this, just a big juicy grapefruit.

 

Summery- I love how clean this one is. It's is a keeper.

Edited May 15, 2005 by requieminblack

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a word or two: Citrusy tea.

 

In the imp/bottle: Sharp, cold, bitter citrus.

 

On skin, wet: Very bitter citrus, with a hint of what I believe is black tea.

 

On skin, dry: This turns into a mellow citrus, lying over the black tea. It reminds me of very strong, bitter grapefruit.

 

Conclusion: Not bad! I'm not sure I'd ever find occasion to wear this, but it's quite interesting. I think this would be *fabulous*, were it just a tad sweeter (perhaps with vanilla).

Edited December 17, 2005 by Aredhel

[ashtonrose]

In the bottle this was very sweet and airy to me. As I put it on, the sweetness was still there, then the cherry blossoms began to come out. I didn't start to smell the tea until the oil began to fade away. The entire time the yuzu is lingering in the background.