Voyeurs Among the Cherry Blossoms

[hkhm]

Soft moss, vanilla musk, and cherry blossom.

bottle: i'm getting mostly cherry blossom on first sniff. the moss is more of an afterthought here.

wet: very nice. the moss is much stronger once applied, mixing beautifully with the cherry blossom. i'm not getting anything in the way of vanilla musk though.

dry: this dries to a soft moss and very light floral scent. it is less cherry blossom-ish than, say, hanami but still very nice.

[aviva]

i'm smelling ALL cherry blossoms. in the bottle, on and after dry down. even hours later. i tried it alone, and then layered with japanese cherry blossom lotion from bath and body works.

 

 

 

LOVE IT.

[capnlizaveta]

To me, this is basically the exact opposite of Giant Vulva. Whereas that one sent my imagination into all sorts of feverish overdrive and felt kind of mysterious, like it was always changing ever-so-slightly, this is simple and sweet. I love it, but it feels totally different from the other shungas I've tried so far.

 

It feels very pink and gentle and soft. When I was on my honeymoon in Japan, we spent a few nights at the house of some friends of ours. They gave me a futon to sleep in that was basically the pinkest, fuzziest, most amazing thing you could imagine. It had big, fat, watercolory cherry blossoms all over it. I came home every night we stayed there totally exhausted and happily overwhelmed (I'm from the South. We don't really walk there so much as we don't. Ever. So my energy expenditure was roughly 1000x normal). And I slept like a ROCK. So feelings of happy, fuzzy warmth while wrapped up in fluffy pinkness are forever associated with cherry blossoms to me - but big fake fluffy ones, not real ones. At the time, I wrote that it was "like it was made of unicorn dreams."

 

So this oil smells less like real cherry blossoms to me than the "unicorn dream" equivalent of cherry blossoms. Like a dream field of fluffy pink. Like if there existed a snuggi made of that futon material (god I would DIE. Right after I bedazzled unicorns all over it). This is a good thing. I've smelled other cherry blossom smells and I like them alright but they feel more fresh than this does. I'm not always looking for a fresh, plant-y, flower-y smell. Sometimes I'd much prefer a really langorous, sweet, dreamy smell. This is that. So if you like that (and if you like pink and unicorns and the like), you'll probably really dig this.

[crebbsgirl]

I concur that in the bottle, the predominant smell is cherry blossoms. Once it's applied, the moss really blooms here. As it dries, the moss and the cherry blossoms blend so seamlessly together, it's unbelievable. Its a soft scent, snuggly and warm. The vanilla comes out much later in the drydown. It is present in the wet stages but so faintly you really have to look for it. During the drydown it gets stronger, never overtaking the blend, but more so coming out from the background to become more of an equal player. I find this blend to me more comforting of the Shungas so far. I really like it!

[naeelah]

Unfortunately, the moss and cherry blossom seem to have a very soapy effect on my skin. In the bottle, it smells like cherry blossom and lightly musky vanilla. The mosses don't stand out a lot, and in the bottle they do smell soft and fuzzy. In the bottle, the scent quite nice.

 

On my skin, it turns into cherry blossom soap. I think there is some oakmoss present, because once on my skin, a pronounced cool moss takes over. Once totally dry, I can smell the vanilla again, and the musk becomes much stronger. The vanilla musk here is similar to the one in Black Lace.

 

On my skin, this is a surprisingly masculine scent. I get a lot of moss and musk, with some soapy florals and a hint of vanilla. It will be nice on the right person, but it's not a keeper for me.

[pinkstardust420]

In the bottle: Beautiful cherry blossom & vanilla musk

 

Applied: Bye vanilla musk, hello moss....make yourself comfortable, cherry blossom!

 

Half hour: Sweet moss is the more prominent note, a bit of cherry blossom in the backround. Not bad. Not sure if this is a keeper though.

[greenranger]

On me, wet, it is mostly moss and soft musk.

 

Now I am trying it in a different spot on me, as the cherry blossoms seem reluctant to show up.

 

Nice, but, on me almost vanishingly faint; A clean scent, rather than a floral.

 

~edit~

Second wearing, the cherry blossoms show up. This is very nice, but, soft and unobtrusive. It almost seems sweet and sugary on me, but, that may be the musk reacting as it occasionally does on my skin. It isn't strong, but, the soft scent has lasted all day long.

Edited March 10, 2009 by Aerinha

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Cherry blossoms with this creamy, slightly spicy soft green overtone.

 

Immediately on skin: This smells so unique and just darn pretty. It’s a mix of the three notes, but they blend together very smoothly. This blend smells of cherry blossoms overlaid by this soft green creaminess that has almost a touch of spice.

 

After a little while: The cherry blossom note fades a bit, but the moss and vanilla musk combo are still going strong. Maybe strong is the wrong word, as this is such a delicate, poofy fragrance. It’s mostly green, creamy, and musky with a hint of sweet florals.

 

Overall Impressions: This is so simple yet beautifully blended. The moss, vanilla musk and cherry blossoms mix together to form this feminine, delicate creamy pink cloud that isn’t overly floral or sweet.

 

[Ravenclaw79]

Soapy-sweet, turning into a cologne I can't quite place ... I almost want to say it's Cashmere Mist, though I haven't worn that in so long I can't be positive. Intriguing.

 

Edit: It is Cashmere Mist! I had no clue that there was cherry blossom in that, which I used to wear all the time until I got into BPAL, and I can't even pick it out as a note now, smelling the oil, but I literally opened the imp and sniffed, then got out my old bottle of Cashmere Mist and squirted it and sniffed, and they'd identical to my nose (aside from the alcohol, of course). Weirdness.

Edited February 13, 2009 by Ravenclaw79

[tajana]

Wet, it's a ton of cherry blossom! Cherry blossoms have always struck me as very "clean" and since they are so very prominent here, this scent verges on soapy (not in a bad way). Anyway, after it dries down, it's still a ton of cherry blossoms, but with a faint touch of green moss. The vanilla musk adds just a delicate sweet base that underscores the pinkness of this blend. On my skin this actually turns out to be a less fruity, generally simpler version of my old Bath and Body Works pink Cherry Blossom lotion.

[Ahania]

Wet: Soap, soap, soap!

 

Dry: Soap+Moss=Irish Spring!

 

This is one not just to swap, but to wash off as fast as possible.

[tinyvulture]

a delicate and romantic scent. the vanilla musk is soft and lovely, a nice complement to the light floral cherry blossoms. i was worried about the moss because it often smells like men’s cologne on me, but it’s not noticeable in this blend. and, happily, i’m not getting the soapiness that other reviewers mentioned. i wish it had more throw, but its lightness is part of its charm i suppose. i won’t need a bottle, but the decant is a keeper.

[Iceblink]

Hmm--I've liked the lab's cherry blossom note so much in the past but something about it here is smelling distinctly of hair spray. The vanilla musk is pretty but the cherry blossom's really taking over and making this not so great on me. Slightly soapy. Rats.

[zankoku_zen]

This one is definitely a musky cherry blossom with just an edge of bitterness. It's softly sexy and very delicate. I really like it.

[jehrichardson]

Hmm.. I'm not sure about this one. I love the concept - a light springy floral, a green earthy moss, and the warm sultryness of musk. Yum!

 

However, in the bottle it smells a bit plasticky and soapy, and is very unpleasant for the first couple of seconds on the skin.

 

Then, it does get all lovely - warm, mossy, musky. Mmm! Not much cherry blossom, but that's okay.

 

After a while, it gets a bit plasticky again - plasticky and soapy musk.

 

It's lovely when fairly freshly applied, so we'll see. I'll try again at another time during my cycle.

[GreenSpine]

This is a very soft, light scent with good staying power. I get mostly cherry blossom and vanilla musk. The moss doesn't really come out on its own for me, but the blend's nowhere near as sweet as it would be if it were just cherry blossom and vanilla.

 

This is so relaxing - it's my favorite of the Lupercalia decants I've tested. Definitely a bottle for me, maybe two.

[Brianne]

This goes on VERY cherry blossoms - but with a touch of soapiness. It's really spring like and clean/floral. I don't dislike cherry blossoms at all, I think they smell quite pretty but they aren't really *me*, so I really got this scent for the other notes. Luckily, the musk and moss creeps in and makes this cherry blossom slightly more palatable for me. I never get much "vanilla" from this - it's pretty much moss and musk and cherry blossom. Very soft and delicate, and yet surprisingly unisex in my opinion.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

 

Nothing much new to add here.. the cherry blossom is really nice when it first goes on (and not at all like that sometimes cough-syrup thing I get with regular cherry), and sticks around for about 10 minutes on my skin. After that, everything turns into a white musk haze that borders on smelling like hair spray. After an hour or so, I'm left with very faint remnants of a white floral scent on my skin. It's a very light and delicate fragrance, probably apt for voyeurs who don't want to be caught out hiding in the cherry blossoms.

 

Lesson learnt - vanilla musk is NOT vanilla.

 

I think the success of this one is going to very much depend on your skin/body chemistry. Alas, mine does not agree with it.

[IronMollyBlack]

This one doesn't seem to agree with my body chemistry at all. At first, I get all cherry blossom, which makes me sneeze, then it dries down and smells like soap. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

[savage_rose]

In the imp and on, this smells like over-perfumed dryer sheets. And then after time, I can smell a bit of cherry blossom, but mostly an herbal dryness (moss/greenery with something dirty, like body odor--ew!). This smells a lot more like a men's cologne than I was expecting...aside from the occasional whiffs the B.O. smell, it's very nice and unisex-verging-on-masculine.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Very pale yellow oil. Soft, sweet, and floral. The vanilla, musk, and cherry blossom come through clearly. Definitely feminine.

 

Wet: Fresher/earthier, with the moss showing through - it reminds me a bit of the mosses in The Apothecary. Less sweet and less floral, more unisex, almost cologney.

 

Dry: The musk has come back, and though it's light in feel, it's strong. This is still cleanly mossy but balanced with the cherry blossom. It's smooth and sort of hazy.

 

Summary: Unisex, clean, oddly neutral scent. It's a balanced blend of musk, freshly herbal moss, and soft cherry blossom. It makes me think of the air in Spring just after it rains. Good throw, decent lasting power.

 

I like it quite a bit, but I'm not blown away and it's not quite feminine enough for me.

[Dracoo9]

Form: decant.

 

In and on I get strong cherry bloosom but...its not fading like cherry blossom usually does. Huzzah! Scents like Komachi cherry tree dont last long but this one does. If I reallyyy look for it I can smell the vanilla. This is a really lovely happy scent, perfect for summer or when you need a bright scent in your day.

[angelicruin]

Sniffing the imp, it's all soft cherry blossom

 

Wet on skin, it's a soft musk and cherry blossom.

 

On drydown, definitely does remind me of men's cologne at this stage. I love the smell of it, but it's not quite feminine enough for me. Hmmm, maybe my husband will like this.

 

 

[sookster]

 

 

straight sniff from imp is soft, yet sharp, vanilla musk...

 

once applied the musk takes command and the cherry blossom becomes apparent but exits quickly...

 

too soapy for my taste

[puck_nc]

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle

 

Initial Thoughts: I've had some very positive experiences with cherry blossom in Hanami. Vanilla musk ought to behave and not amp on me. I'm not sure about the moss, but it's worth trying the decant.

 

In the Vial: All cherry blossom and green moss. I can barely pick up any musk in the bottle. It's a very springtime scent.

 

Wet: Now I get more vanilla musk, but the cherry blossom is still predominant. The moss is now a gentle green background.

 

Drydown: Something about this combination is going slightly after-shave on me. It may be the musk amping. I have a hard time picking out the other notes now, although they're definitely still there.

 

Verdict: I'm not sure about this one. I'll have to play with the decant some more.