Couple Consulting an Enpon

[WidgetAlley]

Orange blossom, blackberry, amber mint, and red sandalwood.

Oh, my. Am I really the first to review this? Oh, the pressure. Here goes. I should add that it is That Time of the Month for me, so this may go completely insane on my skin right now and then be great later on.

In the bottle: Oh, wow. This is a lot darker and smokier than I thought it would be-- the scent description makes it sound playful, light, and fruity, but it's much stronger and more sensual than I anticipated. Sandalwood and amber are predominant, with a rich deep blackberry note and somewhere a tingly, beautiful mint. No orange blossom as of yet. Oh God this is good. Smells like a really good fruit incense with a charge of mint.

Wet: The oil is reddish-orange, and the smell is almost all sexy red sandalwood at first. Slowly, oh-so-slowly, the other things start to emerge: amber, and blackberry, and something that smells a lot like tea, and maybe just a tiny little bit of orange blossom. The throw is lighter and fruitier than right up close, clean and fresh but still intriguing. This is absolutely gorgeous. The combination of fruit far away and then incredibly sensual smoke up close...

Dry: I'm really not giving this much time to dry because I have to rush off somewhere and I want to post a review before I do, but holy God. If you are looking for a sexy "red" incense scent with fresh, fruity component rather than, say, the usual plum, this is it right here. I would highly recommend this if you're a Red Phoenix, Snake Charmer type fan, and are looking for something in that vein but at the same time... oh so deliciously different.

[edit] Now that it is dry, I can figure out what it reminds me of-- The Haunted Palace! Same beautiful light notes over a red-gold base. Replace the orange, vanilla and flowers with sophisticated fruit, tea and a fresh splash of mint, and you've got Couple Consulting an Enpon.

[hkhm]

bottle: blackberry and sandalwood. i think i can detect a light hint of the orange blossom as well.

 

wet: the blackberry turns to a more dark berry scent that plays wonderfully well with the orange blossom and sandalwood. i'm not really getting anything like an amber mint.

 

dry: dries to a soft, sexy sandalwood. i'm sure it's the blackberry that's giving it that sexy feel. so pretty, i can't stop sniffing my arm.

[FandF]

This is my favorite of the shungas (so far) and i've worn it 3 times, despite needing to test the other shungas. It is surprisingly lovely on my skin.

 

It starts out tea and fruits...something deeper than Shango (which does not work for me) but not fruity like Earth Rat (which i like but it's omgfruits). It's subtle but deep and sexy. There is something keeping it light but you will sniff your arm and wonder "where is that lovely scent coming from?" It's one that i tried twice initially because i thought it was the wrong oil that wafting off my arm that was so good.

 

I can't describe it more than fruits, incense, a dash of mint that is not discernible other than keeping the whole blend from being too serious...but the dry down is amazing. Complex, wearable, sexy, spicey and perfect!!!

[empi girl]

Blackberry and sandalwood. The blackberry is juicy and beautiful but not overly sweet and the sandalwood lends it depth, softness and warmth. I never discern the mint or the orange blossom, but it's still quite lovely. This stays true on my skin for hours; I put it on at six in the morning and could still smell it, though much lighter, at eight that evening! A keeper.

[FallDaze]

Imp-> Sandalwood and a hint of what smells like amber. Not what I was hoping for at all.

 

Wet-> The orange blossom and blackberry are starting to emerge. Still mostly sandalwood though. It does seem like the orange blossom and blackberry are starting to temper and soften the sandalwood. A rick and complex smelling scent.

 

After a while-> I think this is the first scent with sandalwood in it where the sandwalwood hasn't blatantly beat down all of the other notes. I get a hint of blackberries and a smige of the blossoms all mixed together so nicely. It's a bit resiny, a bit floraly sweet. Very nice.

[greenranger]

Mostly blackberries, with the sandalwood, orangeflower and amber in the distant background. The mint shows up as it warms on my skin. Sweet.

 

Drying, things start blending and rearranging. This is nice, and very different.

[naeelah]

Like many other people, I thought this would be a light, minty fruit -- maybe like a more substantial version of The East -- so I'm surprised by how strong and almost smoky it is. Wet, it reminds me a lot of Lampades -- green herbs and tart, juicy berry -- but dry, it's surprisingly similar to Dr. John Seward or Blood Countess. They don't actually have much in common, but on my skin, the effect from a distance is similar. Something in the combination of notes here is similar to the lab's champaca note.

 

The berry and mint are strongest while wet, but once dry, the red sandalwood and amber are very prominent. (I amp sandalwood, FWIW.) The amber really rounds out the dry, prickliness of the sandalwood, and I like this combination a lot better than most red sandalwood blends. The orange blossom seems next strongest, and it lends a light, airily sweet quality. The mint only provides coolness without calling attention to itself. (The effect is similar to some sage notes.) The blackberry isn't gone, but I'd never know blackberry was in this if I hadn't smelled it when wet. It adds a sweet aspect without being immediately fruity.

 

In the end, this is a glowing, lightly herbal sandalwood blend with sweet florals and a hint of berries. Like many of the Shungas, it's well balanced and has more of a classic quality than one of a single scent family.

[Ravenclaw79]

Cherries? Cherries. I know there are no cherries listed, but that's what it smells like to me.

[zankoku_zen]

I really enjoyed the orange blossom/blackberry crossover during the wet stage. At that time I could also smell the sandalwood as a base.

 

As it dries however, the blackberry dominates this blend. It's a nice, fresh, fragrant blackberry. Pretty... but I miss the complexity of the wet stage.

 

Don't get me wrong, this is still pretty and lovely and if you're looking for a good berry blend, I'd definitely recommend it. It's fun and flirty, rather than sexy.

[Ahania]

I don't really get the orange blossom or the sandalwood, just blackberry and the amber mint. Having just had the misfortune to get to the store when they were out of my normal theraflu, I would up with the "Berry enhanced with menthol and green tea" flavor. Guess what this smells like? It didn't work for me in a cup, and it doesn't work on my wrist.

[Yoginispirit]

Lovely scent!

On me it's all alcoholic (not sure what that is) blackberry and mint. Really nice throw and lasting time. Very fresh and fun.

 

Might have to get a bottle.

[mejuxtaposed]

In the Vial: Mmmmm blackberry.

 

Wet: I smell cherries for some reason and a hit of mint. Interesting but where did my beloved blackberries go?

 

Drydown: WOW. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE! Its a sexy, delicious blackberry.

 

5 hours later: Still very faintly there.

 

This is going to be my first big bottle purchase from the lab... and I might need a few back ups as well.

Completely drool worthy. I rated it a 7 out of 5. (Yes I know that's ridiculous)

[savage_rose]

In the imp it smells like perfumed blackberries. On. at first it smells like a cheap candle from Michaels. But as it dries, it warms up a bit (amber!)...with just a cold, brisk touch of mint to liven it up. Now it smells like a blackberry cologne, warm and sweet. Ooh, I might really like this one!

[femmefatale]

It starts off a rather perfumey or candle smelling blackberry. Then the amber and sandalwood come out. And is that my much loved mint coming out? Ooooh, very nice.

Then it goes through a very very brief perfumey stage again before the blackberry explodes and I can't smell much else. It's nice and sweet and fruity, but it's lost all it's complexity.

 

Where oh where is my sexy blackberry scent? Where is my sandalwood? My mint? My orange blossom? Hopefully I'm just having an off day.

 

ETA: I think the sandalwood is trying to make an appearance to balance out the blackberry. I'm also getting something a bit creamy now. It's actually very nice.

Edited February 24, 2009 by Femme_Fatale

[angelicruin]

In the imp, it's strong...almost smoky

 

Wet on my skin I am having hard time picking any other notes out except the amber and mint.

 

As it dries down, I can faintly smell orange blossom and maybe the sandalwood. No blackberry though, which is disappointing. Even dry, my skin just amps the amber and mint. I like it but not enough for a bottle of it.

[AEris]

My decant of this is sickeningly-sweet, overpowering berry. I don't get any of the other notes - not a whiff of orange blossom or mint or anything interesting. Just a strong, unpleasant, overly fruity scent that reminds me of Bath and Body Works stuff.

 

If it weren't for the awesome bottle art, I'd recommend this scent for teenage girls.

 

Not working on me, though, I'm afraid. Good thing there's so many other Shungas to love!

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

This starts out just weird, really, strange and indescribable, but morphs into....Yes! A sexay simmering sandalwood and blackberry scent! I wish the sandalwood were easier to pick out. The mint in this blend is REAL mint, straight outta the garden, like the kind of monster mint leaves I used to use to decorate schmancy desserts when I was a chef all those years ago. Overall this is a winner...Warm and juicy and sexy. I don't think it's overly sweet at all, and I'm sensitive to such things. I'm very intrigued by the blend....worth hanging onto!

 

ETA: Had a little more time to bond with this one and I have to say that I just love it more and more. I'm so glad my man bought me an unsniffed bottle of this one!

Edited February 26, 2009 by TheOneTheyCallLuna

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Deep peachy-amber colour. Slightly soapy orange blossom, bubblegum fruit, woody spice, and a hint of mint.

 

Wet: Sweeter, less minty though still a touch cool/mentholic, though that meshes oddly with the warmth of the sandalwood. Spice is cinnamon, I think.

 

Dry: The fruit is clearly blackberry now, though it still has that fake tinge, maybe from the orange (which registers as fruit not blossom, now). More warmth from cinnamon and sandalwood.

 

Summary: Bubblegum-tinged blackberry, light cinnamon spice and soft warm sandalwood with hints of cool minty soap. Really...bizarre. Good throw & lasting power.

[tarotgirl99]

My surprise love affair of the Lupercalias. On me this is almost apricot and blackberry. Mostly I gravitate to honey and this is not a typical scent for me--yet it is love. I get no mint and some sandalwood. The combination is a dark fruit that makes me huff my wrist constantly.

 

Couple Consulting an Enpon has decent throw and lasts surprisingly long.

[surlygurl]

This was the first one I tried when I got my decants...

 

sniffs decant - "Hmmmm"

applied - "Oooh!!" *peels of laughter* "This is so F*cked!" (thinking of my poor wallet)

 

Ahem. Second try, to see if it's still as good.

 

Fresh on: juicy fruit, incense, and something.... interesting.

 

Drydown: the blackberry & orange blossom come forth as a lovely fruity floral, innocent like 2 children holding hands. The red sandelwood gives a sort of head shoppy vibe, but cleaner - like a headshop that plays christian rock (or something similar). But what my nose keeps hunting for is the amber mint. Amber mint? Yes. I don't catch MINT, but there is something elusive & gorgeous bridging the innocent fruit & the headshop.

 

As it dries, everything blends into what would be a generic fruity floral if it weren't for the amber mint. It's sharp & smooth at the same time. Haunting. I hope amber mint gets more use in the future, because it's unique.

 

Bottle. Oh yes.

[gchris]

in vial: yummy dark fruit

 

wet: dark berry, fizzy

 

dry: this still smells like berries to me and only berries. I can't smell anything else. This has grown faninter but still berries.

[Ceri]

In the vial: Blackberry and something else. I'm not very good at identifying individual notes.

 

Wet: Sweet blackberry.

 

Dry: Blackberry, mint and orange blossom.

 

Overall: This is quite nice. Will keep my decant.

Edited March 3, 2009 by Ceri

[tartchef]

Uhm. Almond. Cloying sticky marzipan almond, rolled into a thick slab & slapped over what is probably a very tasty blackberry jam.

 

Clearly, my nose is broken. Once it dries down a bit, I can tell it's the orange blossom & amber that I'm reading as almond. The mint lurks, powdery & pleh.

 

Really, really disappointing

[midnight_aeval]

After reading others' reviews I had to triple check the label on my decant because my skin is doing something FUNKY to this blend.

 

Seriously... on me... this smells like... a public bathroom I don't know what is in this that's doing it, but it's not a good scent for me.

 

I'll test it again in a few days to see if it was a one-day chemistry issue, but if it continues to smell like El Baño I cannot be wearing it!

[Little Bird]

In the vial, this smells like powdery incense and sweet, juicy, dark fruits.

 

On my skin at first, this is on the verge of being too powdery on me, but I like what's going on underneath the baby powder. It smells like baby powder, dry sandalwood and sticky, dark fruits with a hint of sensual orange blossom. Over time, it's more baby powder than anything else. I so love the fruit & orange blossom notes while they last, though.

 

I'm surprised at how light this is on me. It doesn't have much throw and fades within an hour on my skin. I probably won't keep my decant. As much as I love the fruit and floral in this, it's just too powdery overall for me.