Kuang Shi

[BrightRedScream]

Bust out the dzang dzi! This scent honors the zombies of Chinese lore. Mandarin orange, white musk, mango, and white sandalwood.

When I first smelled the imp I got white musk and mango - that's it.
Very light and pretty though!

On my skin, the sandalwood came out REALLY strong while wet, and I was beginning to think that this one wasn't going to work for me..but as it dried down the sandalwood took a backseat to the mandarin.

I love how all of these blend together to create a very pretty harmony of smells...

I want this in a 5ml

[loverstreet]

Incredibly gorgeous!

 

In the vial - Sharp orange and sandalwood.

 

Wet - Sweet, rich orange and juicy mango.

 

Dry - The white musk comes shining through, and blends so beautifully with the fruits. This reminds me of my very first perfume - a citrusy-musk that made me feel so grownup.

 

BPAL's white musk can do no wrong on me - and Kuang Shi is on my big bottle list!

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Sandalwood and... florals?

 

On me: This is actually a really lovely, light scent. Now that I'm wearing it, I do smell each individual note that's listed - mandarin orange, mango, musk, and sandalwood. The sandalwood and mandarin orange are the predominant scents in this blend, to me. It's a very light scent, but I like it.

 

Verdict: I'm growing to like this a lot. This is something that I can wear to work without offending anyone, I think. I wish I had a bottle so I could slather it on hot summer days. Keeper!

 

Rating: 5/5

[trins-ravengirl]

Kuang Shi.

 

Upon application this is almost all mango on me. A definite fruity scent which reminds me of bags of dried tropical fruit that my dad eats.

 

After drying down for a while, the sandalwood makes its appearance toning down the fruit to a more subtle scent.

[cabinwench]

Kuang Shi was also in my first box o' 5 ml. bottles, ordered because the imp was so appreciated.

 

In the bottle AND wet: I got the fruity mango/orange, but over it was almost a resinous scent, which was confusing. It reminded me of the juniper tang you get when eating a fresh mango. Maybe the sandalwood? It was assertive, and that note lasted 30 minutes or more.

 

This was not unpleasant at all: this was working wonderfully as a "get up and get going and today has happiness potential". Partially laid-back (the fruit notes) and partially ready to take care of business. Let's charge into a bright new day, even if it is a Monday.

 

An hour later, it's mango with backbone. No juniper scent at all(still don't know where that came from).

 

Even several hours later, with the mango giving way to the orange, I 'm not geting enough sandalwood to think "hmmm...there's a sandalwood note". Maybe just enough to give it structure, or the musk is softening it? It's still something more than fruity, which I like.

 

I noticed more throw with this, but that could be because I used a little more than normal. This I would like to refresh mid-day.

 

Oh...there's the sandalwood! That's not one of my fav notes, but now it's like a stick of sandalwood was placed in a jar of orange-mango nectar and soaked the juice into the wood. The juicy notes are cancelling out whatever aspect of sandalwood I don't care for.

 

This will be a great work scent for me, especially in the summer.

[lookingglass]

I got this one for my little boy who loves anything Chinese or related to zombies. Perfect!

 

I was a little afraid of the orange. It was very heavy wet, bitter and strong like oranges and their blossoms. Dried out though....oh! It rivals Fae for my fruity musky love. The mango is musky in itself, and then with the WHITE MUSK (mmmmmm....). I don't do woods well, but thankfully, they don't overpower here. It really makes it just a little masculine.

 

If you are a musk and/or fruit lover you must try it.

[theseagrows]

i normally don't like sweet-fruity scents with things like mango. i do like citrus though, and i kind of like this one, against my better judgment. it's crisp and sharp and i mostly smell the orange, mango and white musk. once it's dry it's just a soft white musk with a hint of orange. pretty, but kind of strange for some reason.

[hologhost]

I love white musk! And with it, we have orange and a hint of licorice. (I call them as I smell them. )

 

This may be a new favorite.

[spark]

The good news: Kuang Shi does NOT go bitterly smoky on my skin, which is what usually happens with white sandalwood.

 

The bad news: Kuang Shi has a weird neroli scent to my nose. I can't stand neroli. Interestingly, Kuang Shi actually smells exactly like Katharina -- perhaps the "neroli" I am smelling in both of them is actually the combination of white musk and fruit. (Katharina is "white musk with a trickle of bright, sharp apricot and orange blossom.")

 

So if you like Katharina -- or come really close to liking it but something goes wrong -- try Kuang Shi.

[edenssixthday]

Kuang Shi is not the type of scent I’d wear often, but I like it. It’s crisp and clean, full of citrus and fruit. The mango is the dominant note on my skin and I love it because it’s so different from any other BPAL scent I’ve tried. The mandarin gives it a little zip, and the musk rounds out the scent. I don’t smell the sandalwood in the scent at all. This is another fragrance that is strongly reminiscent of my trips to Hawaii. It’s got great throw – you can smell it from a foot or two away, but it’s subtle enough to not be overpowering in the least. Perfect for summer time wear.

[juniperus]

Bottle: sharp - the musk and sandalwood together have an edge to them here

Wet: I can identify the orange at this point, but it's not sweet nor overly fruity at all

Dry: now the mango comes out and this is definitely fruity. it's grounded by the sandalwood and musk, however, both of which have softened.

Later: the mango is growing a little sour on me, which is really pretty unpleasant with that still-sweet orange - alas. fruit does not seem to care for my skin.

[yellowrose]

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap.

 

I have been eager to try this. It's been on my wishlist for some time now. Yay!

 

Wet: musk and sandalwood with a touch of lemon. Why? Mmmm.

 

Drying: not much else in the mix. Not so much as a hint of mango. The mandarin must be responsible for what I get as lemon. It's mostly musk and sandalwood, which I like, I just wish the other notes would come out and play.

 

Vanishes in less than 30 minutes to a sour hint of scent. Drats!

 

Glad I was able to try this.

 

Safe travels little imp!

[silver_dollar]

In the imp, it's just like fresh green mango. On, it's like a mango and madarin duet, at least at first, still with that fresh green note, like the whole fruits are in here, rind and all. It's very tart, sharp, juicy, and wonderful. As it dries, it slowly fades to white musk.

 

Rating: 4.5

[Miseraya]

In the imp: Musk and oranges.

 

On the wrist, wet: Getting the sandalwood & the musk, primarily, but the orange is definitely there. Not getting any of the mango yet. After a few minutes it softens and I start to get the mango note as well as more orange.

 

On the wrist, dry: Juicy and fruity. The sandalwood and musk have mellowed out enough to allow the fruit notes to shine through. At this point it is primarily a juicy orange with mango sweetening it ever so slightly. After about 20 minutes however, the musk is making this heavier than I would like and the sandalwood is turning everything powdery.

 

Final Analysis: This is nice, but not me. I just cannot do musk and sandalwood, I'm not sure why I keep trying. Off to the swaps.

[Trish]

In the imp: Bright sweet juicy citrus

 

Wet: Definite fruit, and sweet and tart at the same time.

 

Drydown: It's got a slightly woody feel to it now, a little smokey, a little spicey. But still very fruity, mainly the mandarine. I'm not getting a whole lot of mango in this, just enough to add a little sweetness. There's a slight "fizziness" to it too.

 

Dry: Hmmm.. this has turned a little sour on me. I'm not sure if it's the mango or mandarine though as both are new notes to me. Bergamot does tend to do it too on a much bigger scale. It still has that fizziness, and the throw reminds me of a candy I used to eat as a kid.

 

I like this, but it's not me and the sourness is a bit offputting. This will be swapped. I can't help but think this would make an excellent bath bomb though!

Edited September 23, 2006 by Trishek

[UberAlice]

Just got this in a swap today. I think it is my destiny to love the scents that don't work so well on others.

 

In the imp: HELLO pine! I get a sharp sandalwood smell in my nose a few seconds later but this smells straight-up like a pine tree to me at first whiff.

 

Wet: Still some pine, a little more sandalwood and within about a minute I get a little bit of mandarin, bright and high. Then a slightly incense-y smell, but as someone mentioned, it's like dusty incense. This smells like a freshly cleaned antique store to me.

 

Dry (3 hours): there's the good stuff. A deep, rich, almost fruity scent with a sharp edge, probably the sandalwood. On me it first smells like a sweeter incense and then the mandarin tone comes back around with a wallop. One of my best friends smelled it after it had been on me a half an hour and said "You know what that smell says to me? It says 'I'm so pretty...don't touch me or I'll f*ck you up.'"

 

The throw is not very strong and this scent faded on me within about 4 hours and needed some touch-up.

 

I do believe I like smelling like a Chinese zombie!

Edited September 28, 2006 by UberAlice

[sofiaviolet]

I smell something vaguely minty in here. I don't get any musk or sandalwood, just citrus (more like lime than orange) and mango.

[steffanina]

Kuang Shi-

 

In Bottle: Hard aggressive orange citrus like the kind in Goo Gone (a strong orange cleaner, for those of you who've never smelled it)

 

Wet: Ooh, strong...dusty scent on top of the orange.

 

Dry: The dusty strong scent recedes, but the orange scent does too. In fact there's very little of it left soon after. This just doesn't work for me.

 

Overall: Not for me.

[julesofdenial]

At first, I couldn't figure out what this scent reminded me of- something summer-related, but what? not food, not sunscreen... and then I realized: aloe vera. No, really. This has that same sort of clean, green smell, and when wet it's almost mossy. The mandarin and mango lend a wonderful sweet lushness to it, but overall... yep, aloe. Which I LOVE. This is definitely one of my absolute favourite blends that I've tried thus far!

[klavierbarrette]

imp: musk and sandalwood

 

skin: musk, sandalwood, with a bit of orange popping up. the orange gets stronger as it dries. morphs into a spicy orange as the musk and sandalwood settle down.

 

it's a very pretty scent, but i'm not too much of an orange fan. i was hoping to get some mango! :/

 

editing cause i'm amazed that this stuff is still really strong on me an hour or so later. and it's turned to a sweet mango, hurrah!!!!1

Edited October 14, 2006 by klavierbarrette

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: musk and oranges.

 

Wet: the musk is surprisingly strong.

 

Dry: the musk and sandalwood have combined to make this scent very masculine on me, not what I was expecting at all!

 

I tried this scent twice b/c I thought that I might have grabbed the wrong imp the first time around. Same results both times. Off to swaps!

[PilotKitten]

Gak... *really* heavy on the white musk and sandalwood. This is amped up beyond belief on me. I don't get any lovely orange or mango, just this horrific musky wood. Slightly sour overtones as well. Swap pile for sure.

[nannan45]

Kuang Shi

 

Mmm...lemons...But wait! No lemons in the description?

 

If Kuang Shi were a color - it'd be bright yellow.

 

First on it's very citrusy, mainly lemons. Very sharp and tangy. Will wake you up in the morning.

 

As it dries, it becomes sweeter, and a little softer. Gets a little musky and now I can smell some oranges and mangos. I never get any sandalwood, but that's alright with me. Very nice!

[lanablade]

My fiance likes citrusy/aquatic/clean/light scents..... everything not me. So I went through and was trying to find some good scents for us both. I put this on my list, and lo and behold, the wonderful elves at the Lab frimped me before I could order it.

 

In the imp: Light. Very, very faint mango... some musk... I can't really catch any orange, but there is a slightly sharp scent in there.

 

Wet: Holy orange rind. Smells like orange rind tastes, bitter white bits and all. Thankfully it backs off within minutes to a very nice and BEAUTIFULLY blended soft citrus musk.

 

Dry: Delicate and gorgeous. The orange fades pretty fast into the background. I can definately pick up the sandalwood. Maybe some musk, and a big of mango. The scents work so beautifully together that it's just an all around pleasant, soft scent. ETA: This seems weirdly familiar to me... I can't place it, though.

 

I didn't think I'd like this one, but I really really do. We'll see what the boy says.

Edited November 10, 2006 by Lana Blade

[forspecial_plate]

I like a lot of dark, smokey scents, so usually if something is 'bright' I'm not really into it. Kuang Shi is an exception (so is F5). It doesn't give me the impression of any of the notes that are actually in it....it's not fruity, really...doesn't smell like a typical sandalwood blend to me....and the white musk is either hidden or just supporting the scent as a whole. But what I do get is a bright, fresh, clean scent that I really enjoy. Before I read the notes I thought for sure it had some kind of mint or herb in it. Never would have guessed sandalwood. Actually, yes, the citrus/orange is discernable...but I wouldn't have picked out mango. And somehow it stops short of being *too* sweet for me. I really like it! This could be a great change of pace scent for me, along with F5.