Tanuki No Kanban

[yakiguri]

Tanuki shopkeepers putting out their signboards.

Golden musk, ginkgo nut, persimmon rind, and bitter almond.

Yum! Despite having bitter almond in its notes, Tanuki no Kanban on my skin is a sweet, slightly maple-syrupy almond with a slight bit of smokiness. I'm surprised at how sweet this came out, especially due to not-so-fond memories of being around gingko trees as a child--anyone who's lived in Asia can attest to gingko trees not having the most pleasant of odors. Supposedly though cooked gingko nuts are sweet, so that might be the reason for the sweetness behind this blend. The musk and persimmon rind keep everything from going too headache-inducing. Will definitely have to grab a bottle!

[OctoberGwen]

I like this Tanuki very much; on my skin I'm getting golden musk and a sweet (but not overly so), very nutty scent. I happen to prefer bitter almond to the usual cherry variety, and it's really lovely with this sort of musk. It smells quite yummy and edible to me but not in the usual overwhelmingly foodie way. I have no idea what persimmon rind and ginko nut smell like but there is no "greenness" to the scent that I can detect - it's all sweet brown nutmeat and golden muskiness.

 

No Kanban has little throw but is rather a subtle, "snuggle closer to me" skin scent. I think it would work well for environments where you don't wish to broadcast your perfume.

 

I will definitely keep and use my imp.

Edited April 27, 2012 by OctoberGwen

[orata]

Mmm. This smells like almond ice cream when wet! I've never really found a BPAL almond scent that works--have tried Dana O'Shee, Eclipse, Queen of Sheba, Love Lies Bleeding, etc., and I think this is the first that wasn't horrible. The slight bitterness in the almond keeps it from smelling too plasticky or sweet. A slight spicy note seemed to come out on my skin as it dried, making it smell faintly like cinnamon almonds. Very nice.

[Caper]

There is a warm woodsiness to this oil, I have a hard time picking out the almond after a few minutes, though I can identify it fresh.

 

It really reminds me of The Changeling (which I love) and The Antikythera Mechanism. It is similar enough that I don't need a bottle of it, but if I'd tried it first I would definitely get one.

[Dark Alice]

Warm, fruity, sweet and nutty. I want to eat this instead of wear it. I will keep the decant but I won't need more.

Edited May 5, 2012 by Dark Alice

[angelamaria]

I did skin-test this one, but the review is incomplete since I had washed it off a shade before drying. I figured it might be helpful anyway to folks who like the notes I'm staying away from (or, well, to those who also don't like them?).

 

It's a very almond blend, with a hint of persimmon, and that continues on my skin. The almond is quite foody, although the musk tempers it a tiny bit--but not wholly. I had to wash it off a shade before completely dry--the almond and persimmon is topmost and they're a rather, well, odd combination. It's sweet almond and almost-sweaty persimmon, and it's just not sitting well with my nose.

[Invidiana]

I had no idea what gingko nut smelled like, but apparently it complements the almond in this really well, because at least on me this one smells like cherry-flavored marzipan. I would think I get the cherry-ish tinge from the persimmon. The musk warms it up and gives it another dimension, but it's still foody deliciousness on me and I need a bottle.

[megank4]

Mmm, this is very much of a honey nut pastry scent. A bit overpowering and I'm afraid can turn into sickly-sweet on some people.

[brilliantcat]

Sweet almond with a musky smokiness that does not veer into cherry as many almond notes do. I am quite in love at this point It's dried down slightly sweet, creamy, and a touch musky. It stays quite close to the skin.

[zankoku_zen]

Sweet almond musk with a hint of cinnamon. This is a soft, comforting, skin scent. If nuts did comforting.

 

Don't read too much into the last sentence. Just accept the comfort.

[ReallyZeb]

In the bottle the almond is so strong I almost didn't try it, and this continues when wet. On drydown though it's surprisingly lovely, the musk kicks in making it a warm nutty, slightly spicy scent - yet not actually sweet - more like the remnant of a savoury spiced nut mix. Very gentle and I have to agree, comforting.

[jkfagtongpun]

ITI it is all almond. The bitter almond, to me, is preferable to sweet almond. It's like evil marzipan!

 

On wet, it's still very almond-y but as it dries the delicate sweetness of persimmon appears and is rounded up by the warm, golden musk. I imagine the gingkos are there somewhere, perhaps mixing it up with the persimmon and musk, but I've never smelled them singularly before so wouldn't be able to tell.

 

It's nice and comforting but it's just a bit 'meh' for me. A decant is just enough.

[milo]

Ground up nuts, slightly toasted with brown sugar. This smells delicious and comforting somehow. There's a bit of wood here. This smells like fall to me, but not in the apple cider sense, rather baking cookies, and the wood smoke blowing in the window. Not a real foodie wearer as a rule, but this is nice to try. It reminds me a teeny bit of Dirty Vanilla, a tart that Alternative Breeding makes.

[Little Bird]

Tanuki No Kanban is a pretty, light, buttery, spicy-sweet sort of scent on me. It's a cozy fall scent to my nose. The almond isn't turning to overwhelming red cherry note on me, though there is a fruitiness here (not sure if it's the persimmon or almond that is giving me the fruity impression). Mostly this smells like brown sugar or maple syrup, cinnamon, and a woody, toasty warm nuttiness. It reminds me of a less complex, lighter version of Horse Chestnut Honey and Nut Crack Night. Dries down to a slightly powdery musk and sweet cinnamon that doesn't have much throw on me. I think I'll keep my decant for cooler weather, but I'm not sure if I'll ever reach for this over the Horse Chestnut Honey blend.

[Monday]

Blam, hit in the face with an almond cake! That's basically Tanuki No Kanban wet on my skin.

Definitely foody, definitely almond. Yummy!

There is something tart and perfumey coming out from underneath the almond cake when it dries down. Could it be the persimmon? I've no idea what persimmon smells like, I like it so far though.

Once it's all dried down Tanuki No Kanban sits comfortably between perfumey and foody. It reminds me a bit of Bread-and-Butter-Fly.

[lohengrin]

In the decant: Nutty and musky. The almond is strongest, but I can smell the gingko nut too.

 

On skin, wet: Nutty and musky still, but now with a hint of something sweeter.

 

On skin, dry: Now it's mostly musky and somehow spicy. It smells similar to the "gingerbread" type BPAL scents, somehow. Weird.

 

After an hour: The spice--however it got in there to begin with--is very much dominant, with a little muskiness in the background. It really does smell too much like other spicy BPAL blends I already have, alas.

[Winter_Wanderer]

-

Edited October 7, 2016 by Winter_Wanderer

[Xanon]

When I first got a bottle of this, I was so very sad - the almond did that thing where it went TOO bitter on my skin, almost ashy. However this morning, as I was searching my cabinet for something different to wear I grabbed and slathered this. THANK GODS for aging! This is magic on my skin!

 

In the bottle - I would have sworn that there was some sort of tonka. But it was also buttery and comforting.

 

Wet - I think it is the ginkgo nut that is giving off this buttery quality. The musk is on the golden lighter side, and the almond it just beginning to make an appearance.

 

Dry - oh wow! This is a soft fuzzy warm scent... I think that perhaps the persimmon rind is working in tandem with ginkgo nut to keep the almond note in check. There is a very faint smoky quality, but all I can think of are fuzzy nuts. [YES, I am aware of how that reads... not what I meant. No innuendos here.]

 

Overall, this is lovely. I am so glad that I kept my bottle!

[gingiemay]

I love this scent, it's a soft, sweet toasty almond scent that isn't too sickly, saccharine or sharp on my skin. Normally almond is a disaster but this is a huge win. Love love love!

[animalcule]

This is really fantastic.

 

In the bottle, it's too foody and savory - all sweetened toasted nuts. But once it gets on my skin it's a delicious warm musky, creamy almond grounded by tart fruit. Golden musk indeed, this is a golden scent. And it lasts for a good long time, no morphing.

Edited September 16, 2013 by animalcule

[mystery213]

When I first put this on, it is all over the place! Is it foody? Citrusy? Powdery? It keeps morphing into different smells! As it dries down, the foodiness starts to override the other notes and starts giving it a nutty/cakey smelling quality. This merges with the golden musk in a delightful manner, and the citrus note fades away almost instantly. It still has the slightest hint of powder, but nothing too extreme. This is decidedly yummy- sweet, and cozy smelling. I think this one is a keeper.....