Fuwu Bansaku in Ruined Temple With Black Monster on Umbrella

[windbourne]

FUWU BANSAKU IN RUINED TEMPLE WITH BLACK MONSTER ON UMBRELLA
Black coconut, red sandalwood, black currant, tonka bean, vetiver, and Malasian oude.

...You know, this was the one I was most expecting to love? But something about the combination of notes just reminds me of a slightly fruitier Priala, or Ifrit's weird sister, the one who met this dude named Rumpelstilzchen and hides in underground caves instead of burning on the desert sand.

In the bottle I can smell the coconut, the sandalwood, and the vetiver adding a lovely smoky backdrop. On my skin, it murks up and gets even smokier, with a slight sweet undertone. As I'm not a huge fan of really deep smoky vetiver most of the time, and the sandalwood seems to be cowering somewhere in the background...well. I didn't have to wash it off, but I'm not really enjoying it as much as I could.

This is a must-try for vetiver-lovers who also like tonka and coconut. For me, it is a "hey, I'm glad I got to try this!"

Seems to be lasting for quite a while without fading (3 hours+) and throws moderately. I can smell it a few inches from my face, but not if my arm is outstretched.

[yewberry]

Folks we have a winner! The scrummy coconut of Brown Jenkin, with fruity currant close behind. The vetiver adds an edge Brown Jenkin lacked without overpowering the blend. It's wonderful in this supporting role. Excellent staying power (on me) and nice medium throw.

 

ETA: Does anyone know the correct spelling of the name? My bottle reads "Fuwa", not "Fuwu"...

Edited April 5, 2010 by yewberry

[femmefatale]

Hot damn this is even better than I expected!

 

At first, yes this is a blast of vetiver, but that seems to calm down quite a bit quickly and out comes the black coconut (no sunscreen or foody coconut here!) and tonka, with a bit of the red sandalwood (which seems to work on me, unlike the white). The black currant is pretty much silent, which I am quite happy with.

 

Granted if you really really hate vetiver, this probably isn't for you, but still give it a shot if you get the chance. This is an incredibly sexy, smoky, somewhat evil smelling coconut blend. I have Tiki King and while I can see how they might be in the same family, this is quite different and I think I actually like this more. In fact, I *love* this.

[ellebelle]

This is pretty - a sexy, slinky blend in the same family (at least to me). I find that the vetiver behaves just fine in this and the sandalwood isn't overpowering. I also do not get the black current, and I would have liked more tonka in this. I think in the winter, this will be fabulous but it's a little dark for the spring for me.

 

As it dries down there is an odd powdery note that I'm not super fond of.

 

Right now, the jury is out. I may keep, or I might try and swap for a different Sakuracon scent.

Edited April 7, 2010 by Ellebelle

[surlygurl]

Hmmm. In the bottle, this is Big Vetiver, but sweetened slightly. On my skin it's The Vetiver Coconut Show. The 2 notes eventually harmonize, then something darkens it a bit. Oude maybe? The 'dark element' gets swallowed up & incorporated and it lightens up again. This stage reminds me of aged Death Adder minus the Snake Oil. As it dries, a fruityness comes out (currant?) followed closely by what *must* be red sandalwood - there's an sweet incense vibe to this. In the late drydown stage, this becomes a beautiful complex blend. I really like this. I need to wear this on one arm & Death Adder on the other for comparison, but I think this is prettier

 

eta: Now that it has aged a bit, the Death Adder stage is waaaay shorter and the red fruit is stronger. It's still a beautiful complex blend - just a little sweeter & fruitier than when fresh. Who knows how this one will age......

Edited May 3, 2010 by surlygurl

[Thursdae]

Smoky, smoky, smoky...as though vetiver had been wrapped in a moist plantain leaf and suspended in sweet smoke to dry.

[fairnymph]

Well, I hate or just don't care for most of the notes in this blend, just a disclaimer - the exceptions being that sometimes I enjoy certain vetiver, oude, and black currant notes - but the first and last are more often bad than good. In the bottle, this smells dark, dark, and DARK with lots of gritty, sooty, filthy grimy vetiver a la Brimstone and Djinn. Egads. I get some dry slightly sharp and warm woods below it, that I'd not be able to pick out blind, a sour, cat-uriney sort of currant note, some very dark and earthy but slightly foody-sweet black coconut, some sweet fake butter (hello tonka)...wow, this is even WORSE than I expected!

 

Yeah, the temple is definitely ruined. It's been totally burnt to a smoky, burnt woody crisp and then wild cats have urinated all over it, while some poisonous vines are sinuously infiltrating. I get a harsh barky-woody note that reminds me of palm, and that with the ashy - god, so ashy, like licking a 10-year-old ashtray - gritty and malevolent vetiver reminds of Moai a little. The extremely buttery tonka is amped a little, cloying and fake and foul and totally at odds with this blend in every regard. I get more red sandalwood, distinct now, and warm, exotic, a little musky - and the oude, thought still a bit sharp, is smoother and adds a bit of much-needed bright green. The coconut has amped greatly, and as in Tiki King, it's not really foody - it's creamy, it's rich and dark and heavy and tropical - but it's not really foody, and the sweetness I thought I got earlier was definitely the tonka. It's hard for me to imagine anyone willfully wearing this blend, but especially a woman - if this blend has a sex, it's totally masculine.

 

This stuff has REALLY STRONG THROW. My skin also appears to be amping it. I was scared to skin test this, and rightly so. This is a fearsome blend! Unfortunately, the overwhelming and foul vetiver along with the light (every other note in this blend is 'light' relative to the vetiver) fake buttery-sweet tonka and weird palm note and harsh black coconut - I really dislike coconut in perfume, of any type, but especially this masculine note - well, I can't do this. It's been 15 minutes or so, this blend is still not dry and still amping, and I'm washing it off. A masculine blend for evil, evil men.

 

:ack:

 

[edenssixthday]

Fuwu Bansaku in Ruined Temple With Black Monster on Umbrella - This is gorgeous. Just stunningly beautiful. It's a dark and smoky wood scent that's kept soft and slightly creamy by the coconut. The coconut is heavy and meaty, and doesn't remotely make me think of Hawaiian Tropics. Black currant always turns to revolting cat pee on my skin...but not in this blend! It's really beautiful, has a gorgeous presence on my skin that feels very earthy and natural. I really love it.

[lavender84]

Initially I was a little intimidated from what I can smell in the bottle, very strong vetiver... heavy dark scent...

 

But.

 

 

I'm a little in love now.

A little Fuwa on my skin equals a little love; to me it smells like a well-blended scent and morphs very little, only turning slightly sweeter as the hours passed. The "darkness" I got from the bottle did not appear and instead it is a warm and almost comfy scent. The tonka plays very well with the rest, tingeing it. With the name of the blend in mind, the picture of an abandoned wooden temple with burnt temple incence diffusing through the air comes to mind and the comfy aspect is making me think of an adorable looking black monster with umbrella (I don't know, maybe those with big teary eyes) and this tickles my tummy.

 

I'd think this is a scent where a little goes a long way, slather and it may become overwhelming. Lasted at least 4-5 hours with what little I had on today.

 

Thank you kind fairy who made this keeper fly my way.

 

[sunshinedaisybliss]

 

Holy moly - the black monster isn't on the umbrella - it's in this bottle, and his name is vetiver. Actually, that's Mr. Vetiver to you. Mr. Stinky Dark Black Evil Vetiver, to be precise.

 

At first I was worried I might have popped a sniffer vessel from the shock of VETIVER blasting off my skin. For about 10 minutes, that's all I could smell.. but it did get less and less overwhelming as each minute went by. Finally, at around 15 minutes, I can start to smell some other things in there. Hey, hello coconut! Blackcurrant, nice of you to show up. Tonka bean, my dear friend, come out.. it's safe. Alright - now we're getting somewhere.. this is turning into something interesting.

 

Fiiiiiinally.. it's safe to sniff my arm again. Err.. WOW.. this is gorgeous. It's gone all creamy soft and sexy, the mix of tonka bean and coconut is sublime - sweet without being sickly, tropical without being tanning lotion. The vetiver's still there, lurking around, but it's not offensive now - it's all smoky and subdued, which may be due to the sandalwood in the mix. Can't say I'm really noticing the blackcurrant.. actually, there's something almost lime-like coming through - lime? Yeah, lime. And the exotic velvety oud has stepped out from behind the curtain - this is such a gorgeous note, I'd love to see it in more BPALs.

 

I'm very glad I only put a teensy dab on for testing, cos this stuff is potent, loads of throw and once that first drydown stage is complete, it doesn't fade much.

 

 

PS yewberry - mine says "FUWA" too

 

 

[zankoku_zen]

Dark sooty vetiver, creamy black coconut... I swear, doesn't Troll smell like this? Yeah, that's what it smells like

[tartchef]

Vetiver & I have a rocky relationship, tonka can be a total bully, & until recently, I wasn't a huge fan of coconut. So why am I trying this?

 

I was bracing for a smoky but Fuwu nearly disappears on my skin - it's very strange, almost a negative-space scent, a bit bitter & ashen, with a hint of husky coconut & a rasp of dry sandalwood. It's vaguely earthy, I'm reminded of Badger, but Fuwu is far more gentle.

 

I can't shake this black-hole-on-my-wrist feel - Fuwu is hiding deep, deep down in a charcoal-black tunnel, & I can catch vague whiffs of coconut & wood incense & drifting up to the surface, but it's mixed with the char & stone of the hole.

 

Just bizarre Vaguely sinister, quietly unsettling, but I can't stop sniffing it...

 

ETA: A few hours later, Fuwu has gently shifted to a very dry, ashy incense with a trace of sweetness. I'm tempted to say that if Snake Charmer didn't work for you, try Fuwu - it's missing the Snake oil sweetness & stickiness that make SC almost unwearable for me...

Edited May 3, 2010 by tartchef

[surf-tormented]

In the vial and on skin: Very sandalwood.

 

As it dries: Smoky sandalwood with natural coconut.

 

It's a nice and deep scent that lies close to the skin as to not bother co-workers.

 

But I think I may swap or sell this to someone who will love it more than I do because it is so rare.

 

Ok, minutes later, it really smells like Death Adder with a more sandalwood base. Very Snake Oil-ish.

Edited May 14, 2010 by Madame Nyx

[spiresinthesnow]

Ok, this smells similar to Death Adder, for sure. Something in this brought to mind Death Cap as well. I think its the coconut tying them all together in the comparison. I do detect the vetiver in this, but its subtle and buried. I definitely get a "smoky" sensation must be from the combination of sandalwood, vetiver, and oude. The coconut and tonka really tone down the sharpness I was expecting from the vetiver and other notes. Its not a very "sweet" oil, and much stronger than Death Cap. Fuwa is billowing and ruddy and I likes it!

 

[Little Bird]

For about ten minutes on my skin at first, this is all dark, smoky, charred vetiver, and I thought I might have to scrub this one off. Thankfully, the smoky vetiver calms down in the drydown and makes room for the warm, rich, red sandalwood and sweet coconut. I was most excited about the black currant note, but I don't smell anything fruity here. The red sandalwood has an almost spicy, incensey smell on my skin, and it pairs well with the vetiver for me here. The coconut and tonka add just enough creamy sweetness to the blend for me. The husband told me that this smells dark and earthy on me (which is a switch for him, since he usually says that everything smells like flowers, lol).

 

It's mostly dark, ashy vetiver with incensey, warm sandalwood in the drydown, but the hints of tonka and coconut are lovely and keep the blend from being too dark or smoky for me.

 

I like this. I don't know if I need a full bottle, but I'll definitely be keeping my decant.

[crebbsgirl]

I agree with the fruitier Priala reference upthread. This is smoky and sweet, with the vetiver and coconut. It doesn't get into suntan lotion territory for me, thankfully. It's sweet and deep.

[PurringPulsar]

Fuwu Bansaku in Ruined Temple with Black Monster on Umbrella

 

In the imp: the vetiver monster is lurking in here, waiting to do damage. It’s a nutty, sweaty vetiver.

Wet on skin: coconut, sweet wood and vetiver. Reminds me of Death Adder, but with more vetiver.

Dry on skin: not too bad. The vetiver is a bit too strong and has that odd sweaty peanuts scent to it that I don’t like, but I like the coconut, sandalwood, oud and tonka in here. There’s a hint of very nice blackcurrant, a deep rich sweet fruit, and with the sandalwood, it reminds me of Man with a Phallus Head, without honey. The coconut is dry, toasted, husky and sweet, like the coconut note from Deathly Pride or Brown Jenkin, and it blends so nicely with a gorgeous warm sandalwood note.

After a while: this goes into a phase that makes me think ‘vetiver? What vetiver?’ as it’s all sweet coconut with a really beautiful sandalwood, and I love the combination of those notes. This is the black coconut of Snake Charmer and Red Lantern, not a foody or suncreamy coconut. I love it. but then the vetiver makes a comeback, and instead of having that weird peanut scent, it smells burnt and tarry and a bit like ashtrays. Not good at all. And as usual with vetiver, it sticks around for a very long time too.

Verdict: I wasn’t expecting to like this one much, and I don’t like it ultimately, thanks to the vetiver. Having said that, there are some very pleasant stages in this scent. I adore the coconut and sandalwood in here, and they work so well together. I like the fruity depth lent by the currant and the sweetness of the tonka. If this had no vetiver, or a milder kind of vetiver (like khus), I would probably have kept it. but ultimately this is too vetivery for me.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? nope.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Bottle: Smells yucky

 

Wet: I don't smell vetiver in this at all. As a matter of fact, this smells like Goblin's weaker younger brother. I smell black coconut and something like the patchouli in Goblin but it's nowhere near as delicious.

 

Dry: All that's left after 4 hrs is a sugary skin scent.

 

 

I had high hopes for this with coconut + currant, but I was underwhelmed.

[grrrlennyl]

Fuwu Bansaku in Ruined Temple With Black Monster on Umbrella

 

Note: Red sandalwood is a note that goes really awful on me, as is vetiver. I'm kinda scared.

On: Wow. I'm getting an almost-burning wood scent, with something slightly sweet (probably the tonka) trying to poke through.

1 hour in: Much sweeter. It's hard to pick out th enotes, but I think I can catch the tonka. No black currant to my nose. However, I am getting a very strong woodsy scent underneath that sweetness that smells a bit "off" on me.

2 hours in: This has turned into a very beautiful sweet wood scent. I'm happily surprised.

3 hours in: This is still really pretty. A bit heavy on the wood note, but still sweet and lovely.

Overall: If someone else were wearing this, I'd think it was amazing (at least after the dry down), but it just isn't me.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

5mL bought on LiveJournal.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Looks like this isn't a very popular scent, probably because of the vetiver. I'll never understand why people are afraid of (or hate) vetiver. Seriously. It smells good! Unfortunately, I have to limit the times I wear vetiver-heavy scents since even my family doesn't care for it. But anyway, I'm thinking this one will be a winner for me since I'm one of the elite few who love the evilness that it vetiver.

 

I also love red sandalwood (one of my favorite notes) and I like coconut, tonka and black currant. Oude is a new one for me, I think. So we'll have to see about that.

 

First sniff:

 

Vetiver! Lots of it, too. I'm not surprised by that at all, since I already read the reviews and the description does mention it. This, like all vetiver-heavy blends, strikes me as a distant cousin of Tarot: Death. They share the same aggressively dark, ashy scent, but Fuwu (or Fuwa; that's what my bottle says, too) has some smooth, almost creamy coconut in the background as well as just a touch of tonka's sweetness.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Mainly vetiver, but with a bit of sweet coconut. I don't really get any red sandalwood (which makes me sad), but it could be that it's meshing with the vetiver. I don't get any black currant here and I'm not sure if I smell the oude or not since I don't remember ever coming across it before (so I have nothing to compare this to on that front).

 

Dry down:

 

As Fuwu/Fuwa dries, I get a lot more coconut. It reminds me a bit of Brown Jenkins in that regard, but with vetiver substituted for the incense. The vetiver is still making its presence known, but this is one of the tamer vetiver blends I've come across. The coconut and tonka make for a sweet, slightly creamy foreground with the ashy, gritty vetiver lurking behind it. It sounds like an odd combination but I like it! I think I could potentially wear this one around my family without them thinking I stink, although I doubt they'd actually like it much.

 

The bottom line:

 

If you hate vetiver, you'd probably be wise to avoid this one. But if you're on the fence, it might be worth a shot. And, of course, if you love it like I do, then definitely indulge. This one's unique. I don't think I've ever smelled another scent quite like it.

 

ETA: My typo. Let me fix it.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Penance

[Gin]

Damnit, vetiver! When will I learn? Fuwu/Fuwa Bansaku is vetiver and oud, and maybe some red sandalwood on my skin. Eventually, the coconut comes out, and I might actually be starting to like this. The vetiver remains, but it's softened by creamy coconut and tonka. It's now kind of fuzzy and comforting. This is a surprise hit. I'm glad I found a bottle of it.

[stellans]

Oh. My. This is an exquisitely blended vetiver-heavy blend that absolutely loves my skin! It is a tame vetiver, not a rampaging beast: a gentle, sweet, and lovely vetiver which supports the sandalwood, tonka bean, coconut and black currant (I know there's supposed to be oude in here, but I don't get any), marrying them all in the most amazing smoky, sexy, and seductive polygamous relationship. This is the kind of vetiver that will make converts of any fence-sitters, and might even mollify the haters, it's just that good. Four of 5 stars for this lovely, lovely blend. My only quibble? It was an Event Exclusive, so might be hard to find. I will cherish my 2 (yes, TWO!) bottles because I doubt its like will come again.

Edited June 30, 2011 by stellans

[mymymai]

ITI: It smells just a little artificial in the bottle, like coconut or tropical air freshener with plenty of vanilla-y tonka and some woodsiness.

 

Wet: Blackened coconut really is a good name for the initial note. Thankfully, the artificial note I got in the bottle translates into rich, authentic coconut on my skin. It reminds of roasted coconut with pepper, tempered with vanilla bean and tonka. There is also a slight astringent quality to the scent as an undertone, which I think is the vetiver and just a little woodiness from the oude.

 

Dry: While coconut is the the dominant quality, I get oude and tonka as the final supporting notes. It’s a nice, warm scent overall.