Kabuki

[potion]

Compelling, complex, and utterly enigmatic: a luxuriant, exotic blend of cherry, red musk, and star anise.

wet: a full, round, sweet cherry smell, like a big red lollipop. brings to mind a shiny bright red cherry sitting on top of a swirl of whipped cream - sweet, but very sexy.

drying: still smells of cherries, but the deep, warm spicy/sweet scent of star anise begins to develop. smells like spicy black licorice whips and red cherries.

dry: the licorice and cherry notes begin to mellow out and relax into the skin. still a very sexy, full scent.

mmmmmm - this is my favorite scent so far. i'd wear this when going out for cocktails. delicious - it's a sweet, foody scent with a very sexy twist.

[Koumori]

It's a very sweet scent, but it does what it's supposed to do for me. I don't care for fruity scents that are *really* ripe/winey, but the anise and musk really work to round out the scent - I sometimes catch myself thinking I smell almond in it too. It's a juicy, sexy, haunting smell, and on me it lasts all day.

[jj_j]

I was surprised to try and like Kabuki, as I'm not a fan of anise or red musk. This was soft and compelling, though, and never ended up smelling like licorice on me.

 

Opens up with sweet, tangy cherry, and softens to a rich, almost-anise note similar to the one in Snake Oil. Lush, sexy, and soft, without being cloying or overly floral-feminine.

 

Definite purchase.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Cherry lollipops. Very bright, very sweet, very fun. Kabuki is decidedly less sophisticated and rich than Old Kyoto – these are just cherries for cherries’ sake.

 

Wearing: It tones down quickly on my skin, yay. There’s an odd dryness to it immediately – it switches from Extreme Juicy to desert air very quickly. I didn’t notice it very much at work, but before it faded off it developed an odd licorice-y aftertaste that I couldn’t really get into.

[Mitzy]

I love cherries, and I love licorice... so this was a natural pick for me. Unfortunately it was terrible. In the imp it was very sweet and sticky-cherries, but when I put it on the cherries disappeared immediately and all I got was thick, strong musk. I dont mind musk, but this was really unbearable. I got ONE whiff of licorice all day. the rest was just musk. I even tried to wash it off, with no luck. This has Serious Staying Power.

[Splendid Molerat]

Kabuki did a fast transformation on my skin, starting out with the shocking juicy cherry note, and then bringing forward the distinct scent of wet calligraphy ink (the kind you prepare with an inkstone for sumi-e painting).

 

Sort of like lying on a bed, a sun-warmed breeze blowing through the ripe cherry tree, and your lover painting letters down your back in cold black ink.

[alayni]

Kabuki started out very strong and sweet. It almost reminded me of cherry Robitussin or cough syrup. Now a few hours later, I stll catch glints of the bright cherry, but it has warmed into the star anise and licorice scent that I just love.

[clover]

I thought I had tried all of the anise-y blends, but I guess I saved the best for last...

 

On first application: Cherry, cherry, cherry.

 

After a few minutes: Oh, yay! The cherry is still there but the anise is starting to take over. How I love the smell of anise. I can definitely detect the musk, too - it's keeping me from smelling like a big old Twizzler.

 

A few minutes after that: I can still sense the anise floating around me, but up close it's almost all musk. It's a lovely combo.

 

Conclusion: I'm in love. Again.

[malanna]

In the bottles: Cherries! Yum!

 

After application: Cherries are fading, with the anise quickly taking over. Oh no. Licorice. I don't think I knew that anise smelled like licorice when I ordered this. The cherries are gone, leaving licorice in their wake. And it stays that way. However, the scent has no staying power--it's faded to a wisp after an hour. After the fading, the licorice is lighter, which makes it more bearable. And, it's gone in two hours.

[madame royale]

Kabuki captures the visuals of kabuki theatre in scent form. Bright red cherries covered with fuzzy vanilla and musk mimic the striking makeup—white and deep reds—usually seen in kabuki. Smells like the way Cherry Nibs taste. It starts with quite a bang (take a deep whiff of ammonia and you’ll get the same effect, though not smell, mind you), but finishes with a whimper. I’ll admit the anise is nice, but there’s an imbalance with too much an emphasis on musk IMO. I’ve also decided I don’t like cherries in my scents. No repeat performance for me.

[Ina Garten Davita]

A freebie from the lab that I would never have tried. Thanks

 

First Impression: Blow your head off cherries, that cherry note from Seraglio and Black Phoenix it seems to my nose.

 

Second Impression: For as loud as the cherries leap out of the imp, they don't stay long. As soon as the oil is dry, they're gone. Yay! A gorgeous, lush red musk/star anise blend remains. Sexy and creamy.

 

Final Analysis: So glad I got to try this, another keeper. Just beautiful.

[Reinaluna]

Kabuki Is kind of too sweet. First application is just cherries and musk the it dies down to the star anise and little musk in the background. Not bottle level for me but I will keep the Imp.

Edited September 29, 2004 by Reinaluna

[isyche]

Kabuki was a gift from the lab. It's an interesting scent, but I'm not a licorice/anise fan (although the anise smell in this is nicer than most licorice)...in fact, licorice and cherry are my two least favorite candy flavors, so the combination doesn't really work for me. I shall swap it to someone who can appreciate it.

[VelvetSky]

Kabuki was a gift from the Lab Fae, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to try it, because I adore it.

 

Freshly applied, this is maraschino cherries...rich, crimson, slightly boozy. Mmmm I can't stop smelling my wrist, it's that intoxicating. I rarely envision colors when smelling Beth's blends, but my mind is full of blazing red lacquer with Kabuki.

 

I did not get the fast morph into the musk and anise as others have. The cherries hang in there for a good long time on my skin.

 

The final drydown is lovely musk and a hint of the anise and cherries.

 

I am not a 'fruity scent' kind of person, but I really love Kabuki because it's just so damn interesting. Many thanks to the Lab for throwing this in for me.

[Witch's Dagger]

Kabuki

 

(disclaimer - I do my reviews based on what it smells like to me, not what the actual notes are. In fact, I try to avoid the reviews for scents I have until AFTER I've reviewed it, so that they don't influence my thoughts - this time, I smelled a lot of things that aren't actually in it.)

 

Preconceived notions: I liked the idea that it might smell like black ink, thanks to Splendid Molerat's review, but otherwise, it sounded like a wonderful sensual scent.

 

Trying it:

In the vial: Anise and ginger, I think, very sweet, yet dark and spicy. It reminds me vaguely of Absinthe

 

On me:

At first the same as in the vial, somewhat greenish, but in a few minutes, that greenish-ness is gone. In ten minutes, it's sweeter and softer, but still basically the same. Much, much later, I get something warm and sweet - vanilla?

 

Final impressions: It reminds me a lot of Absinthe. I like Absinthe more. I may keep the imp of this, but I probably won't wear it much.

[Lorencita]

I guess I really dont like licorice! That's all it smells like to me, I actually had to go wash it off... never had to do that before! Oh well, I'll find someone that will love it!

[ChupaChup]

Kabuki taught me that I absolutley adore cherry and anise.....as far apart from each other as possible. Seriously, this smelled divine in the vial, it brought up images of serene Japanese gardens filled with cherry trees in bloom, beautiful geisha girls, yadayada, but as soon as I put it on, Hiroshima

[Ishtar]

On me, Kabuki is a very nice red, round, bright scent. The cherries almost overwhelm the other notes at first, but the red musk puts on a brave fight and manages to come through during drydown. I usually have to wait a few hours before I get my first hint of anise and it is always a wonderful surprise, because for some reason, it is just not a note that I expect to be present in this blend

[pekeana]

In the vial, Kabuki is just one great big Cherry-flavored Jolly Rancher. It's definitely the same cherry note as the one in Blood -- thick and juicy, bright red, and just waiting to drop from the tree. I do get a tiny bit of the anise and the musk after a few sniffs, but it's overwhelmingly cherry.

 

On me, it stays very cherry for about half an hour, then mellows out into a gentle musk + anise licoricey smell with just the barest hint of cherry to add interest to it. It's also, again like Blood, a very faint, gentle scent on me, close to the skin and very tantalizing.

[Northernminx]

Kabuki:

In the bottle, sweetly cherry.

On me: this remained a very sweet, sticky, cherryish smell, almost little-girlish. The anise provides a subtle kick underneath though, making this a little more mischeivous and nose-catching. It stayed fairly true on me, not morphing much from that sweet cherry, almost medicinal, smell. Loooots of staying power here but not me either so off to swaps.

[Miggins]

Oh, Kabuki. How I adore thee! Nobody comments on the colour usually, but Kabuki is beautiful yellowy-green colour, and awesomely thick. When I first smelt the vial, I seriously thought I had Dana O’Shee by mistake because it smelt so similar. However, on my skin, it’s a different story. The star anise comes out very strongly initially which kind of threw me and I wasn’t sure I liked it. However, I’ve worn it again today and I love it. It settles to become the yummiest red fruit, but not sharp - just a very rounded cherry with a beautiful edge. Kabuki is a vibrant scent, but not overpowering, and it’s very long-lasting (still going strong 6 hours after I put it on).

[Jezebel873]

A freebie in my last order.

In the bottle: Mmm, cherries. I love the fruity ones.

On me: Gah!! Licorice! Oh, no, I hate licorice with a burning passion. Yep, that's getting scrubbed off.

Sounds like it works for a lot of people, but not for me.

[Lexy]

This is so beautiful! I grew up around lots of chinese women, and I always wondered what they smelled like. I remember walking into my friends homes and assuming that the beautiful rosewood chests were giving off that scent. NOW I know that it is red musk.

 

Kabuki starts out like extremely offensive cough syrup. Really really loud and raucous. BUT in a few minutes the cherries mellow out and the red musk starts to assert itself. I particularly love the time in between the two phases. Smells to me like cherry vanilla ice cream.

 

This almost reminds me of velvet, in that the foody portion of the scents only lasts a few minutes, and then the lovely background scent (in the case of Kabuki, the musk) goes on and on.

 

Made me want to buy some beautifully embroidered chinese dresses with frog clasps. Just gorgeous.

 

ETA: I just thought... Kabuki is Japanese theater. Funny that I have such a strong association with Chinese culture... Has to be the red musk, I didn't even think about the name until just a second ago.

Edited October 13, 2004 by Lexy

[Nepthys]

Another surprise. I never would have thought I could wear this but it's delicious - a very ripe cherry-red scent that gives me the same blooming cherry trees in spring image others have gotten. Luckily no one note dominates on me and it stays as that initial fresh sweetness until it fades after a few hours. This is an odd mix of sultry womanhood and innocent girliness but it really works.

[tempete]

This was a freebie from the Lab. I was excited to try it because it contains one of my favourite notes, red musk. Unfortunately, it never really comes out on me in this scent and instead, I alternate between the cherry cough syrup phase and the licorice-y anise phase. Oh well, maybe someone will want to take this off my hands...