Shamisen

[GoldenRubee]

Rosewood, silk, kōki wood, smoked bamboo, and bone.

Shamisen is a beautiful, light scent that can be worn anytime. I was surprised by the shear lightness of the scent. This is a little sweet with just a little bit of spice in it. It took a good half hour to warm up on my skin but when it did, it was really fantastic! I could also detect a very faint touch of smoked woodiness coming through, not overpowering at all just blending in and adding to the overall appeal. Towards the end of the drying down period, the dryness of the bone came out. It rounded out the scent quite nicely. Overall, an exceptional scent that should appeal to everyone.

To those who are not aware of it, rosewood is not a rose scent.

[Aviatrix]

This was a lot lighter than I had expected with all the wood notes listed.

It opens with a citrusy touch, and I don't really know what is causing that. It's very nice. Maybe it's what's listed as the silk note, hm....?

After a while it turns more smoky and woodsy, although the citrus is still there. It is actually quite sweet, and definitely has a cheerful lightness about it.

 

It is a very pretty scent, and I am contemplating getting a bottle!

[MCS4096]

There is a big, heady, white flower hiding in this blend somewhere. I havent been able to decide what flower it is yet, but I'm fairly sure it's whatever was acting as "bone"

 

Sniffed from the decant this is wet and green, not at all what I was expecting. There is a little edge of wood, and what I get overall is the impression of a young green tree branch, snapped. There is a tiny note of fishiness that I often associate with green tea (even the real stuff, I think, tastes slightly fishy) but may be present in the Lab's bamboo note too.

 

So then I put it on my skin and it begins to explode-- there is the spicy wood, and a little bit of "cashmere"-note type sweetness (silk?), and a whiteness that, to me, is distinctly floral, but must be code for "bone." And right now its gorgeous. Lush and green and spicy. Very spa-like.

 

But wait... those flowers are BLOWING UP. And this just amps to high heavens. Big white flowers and green leaves. Huge throw, heady, pretty overwhelming actually. I'm not really sure what to think of that. I was really looking forward to this one and it's nothing like I thought it'd be (dry, smokey, woody and a hint of green?), and frankly it's a little scary

 

Edited to add: now that I've also tried Diversions in the Chashitsu, which also has a bamboo note, I'm thinking that might what I'm amping.. I get a similar "big white flower" smell from that one.

Edited March 17, 2014 by MCS4096

[Alphakitty]

What even is happening with this blend? I put it on the other day without remembering the notes, only that it was a "woody mix." The dominant note in the vial is... lemon? Yes, lemon. Bright, bubbly, citrus. And sandalwood. So, kind of reminiscent of Pledge, but in a very fancy and comforting way.

 

It stays that way wet, with the lemon amping even more. It's such a happy smell! More woods come into play, I know there is no actual sandalwood in this but I would swear there was. Then again, there's no lemon either but it is screaming its presence.

 

On the drydown... little white flowers. Just a hint, but enough for me to be very sure about their presence. If I had to guess the notes for this I would have gone with lemon, sandalwood, baby's breath, maybe a hint of ash. It's a nice blend, but... it is nothing at all like the description, which I expected to be an earthy, almost desolate and masculine wood blend.

[toku]

So I didn't like this one the first time I tested it, but after several hours at work today, I really started appreciating it more. To try and recall my first impressions, I've just put on some more. Straight out of the decant and immediately on my skin it's just wetly green with what I'd describe as a 'cool spiciness', which is a little sharp for my tastes. After a few minutes, it still retains that sharp/spicy of the green wood while losing a touch of the coolness, but there's a light floral hint to it as well - it's verging on soapy at this point. None of this is what I'd call typical notes for me; it takes a while for the parts I really like to become apparent. As I remember it from earlier today, over several hours it seems to get warmer, drier, and definitely less sharp. There's that hint of coolness, which I think contrasts nicely and sets it apart from my usual warm, woodsy/spicy/incensy blends. While it took a long time to really get to a point that I was sure that I liked, it lasted quite long yet never seemed overpowering. This won't be a bottle for me, but I'll likely enjoy the decant!

[zankoku_zen]

Rosewood, bamboo and a touch of smoky wood.

 

This is lovely. Delicate, serene woods with a hint of rose.

 

Pretty, stays close to the skin, and its a luxury in the same way that silk stockings are.

[tinyvulture]

Bamboo and cedary/rosy/soapy rosewood (I know rosewood isn't roses, but I swear every rosewood blend I've tried smells at least a little rosy on me...power of suggestion much?) are what I notice. I'm also smelling some intriguing things that I don't have a name for. Silk? Bone? Is the bamboo smoky? Hard to say, it's a jumble of new scents for my nose to puzzle over. Bamboo seems to be the dominant note -- green, reedy, clean, fresh.

[blu°]

I don't know what compelled me to get a decant of this as I have never liked bamboo before. Maybe I thought this would be different, since the bamboo is specified as 'smoked'. It is not (so different). The bamboo is very strong, bitingly green and fresh and cologne-like and totally dominates this here perfume.

 

I have no idea what silk or bone are supposed to smell like, but if I want to think that the bamboo has a silky touch, I get that in here. Slippery and shiny, but still only a facet to the nostril burning detergent smell of the bamboo. I think I must amp that note in a bad way for I cannot imagine how it could be pleasant to the nose of anyone, really.

 

After maybe 15-30 minutes the bamboo calms down a little, making room for the woods to peek through where they have only been noticeable as a vague undercurrent before. I get some rosé and reddish hues instead of just spring green now. It is still cologne-y and a bit harsh. A scratchiness similar to maybe The Cracked Bell. (The scents are not alike, just that scratchy aspect.) Something smells almost spicy now, but I think it is an illusion from the woods + the cologne-y bamboo.

 

It pretty much stays like that, loses a bit of strength and becomes more and more balanced between the woodsy warm part and the green fresh cologne part. After a couple of hours it is no longer so very harsh. I get woods that are warm and a bit sparkly transported by a not so strong but still quite noticeable current of cologne-ozone-bamboo.

 

Final verdict: If you enjoy bamboo on your skin, this could be a lovely multi-layer morphing blend for you. For me it is death by cologne, but I have learned my lesson and will avoid scents with bamboo in them now once and for all.

 

ETA: I correct myself: I think this does smell similar to Cracked Bell. Maybe the smoke note. Might also be the reason why this is so very cologney. The bamboo freshness usually is more like detergent, not cologne to my nose.

Edited April 18, 2014 by blu°

[cinnamonster]

I ordered this because i love rosewood, i expected sonetging that lay close to the skin, like smoke rolling along.

For some reason it makes me think of the film Gremlins. I thought I was getting something that represented the man who sells the mogwai, but it fast morphs into something more befitting a floral gremlin! It has enormous throw, way above my usual perfume choices.

The scent itself is tough to describe, it has a clean floral aspect with a slightly smoky undertone, with something green, if only the throw was lessened, i would like it more.

 

I ordered this because i love rosewood, i expected sonetging that lay close to the skin, like smoke rolling along.

For some reason it makes me think of the film Gremlins. I thought I was getting something that represented the man who sells the mogwai, but it fast morphs into something more befitting a floral gremlin! It has enormous throw, way above my usual perfume choices.

The scent itself is tough to describe, it has a clean floral aspect with a slightly smoky undertone, with something green, if only the throw was lessened, i would like it more.

[ModderRhu]

it smells very clean. it's almost like a woodier, deeper version of Truth by Calvin Klein. that one also has bamboo. it has really great staying power for such a clean scent. I could smell it days later on my seat belt. I did get compliments on this one.

[milo]

Hmm, this certainly smells citrusy, I wonder what is giving this blend that vibe? Kind of an orange citrus, with a bit of woods and musk. Really light and refreshing, the kind of blend you'd like to slather on yourself on a hot summer day, but you really look great and the heat is not bothering you at all. I really like this, and wouldn't turn down more if it came my way.

[filigree_shadow]

I thought this would be a sure-fire love for me -- rosewood is one of my favorite notes, and I tend to like woody blends. I don't know, though -- something in this smells powdery and floral. Sadly doesn't seem to agree with me. But it's okay, I still have a bottle of my beloved Seance.

[Casablanca]

My first thought on opening this bottle: Embalming Fluid? Yes, this makes me think of Embalming Fluid, with the mild green and lemon, but I only get a hint of lemon in Shamisen. It's instead like a nice, gentle lemongrass.

 

The colors of this are green, yellow and white: bamboo is dominant, and there's a fragrant white floral closer to gardenia than anything else I can think of -- maybe wisps of gardenia, jasmine, white rose? -- and the "silk," which smells so like a body wash from Caress I forget the name of. It reminds me of recreations of orchid scent that include rose and jasmine.

 

I'm not sure I get any wood besides giant green reeds of bamboo. It's a little smoky, but the smoke seems like part of the "silk" thing to me.

 

Anyways, I love it!

[DiZZysTARdust]

this is a very light, clean scent. i’m not sure what i was expecting. i picked up this scent because of the note list, which sounded very posh and perfumey.  going on wet this is not very reminscent of department store perfumes. it’s actually very soapy and green. like straight antibacterial hospital issued no nonsense stuff. at first it’s overpowering soap, and then i get a hint of lemon coming through like a beacon in the night. not straight citrus though, this is more herbally, like lemon verbena. it’s very strong for a second and then i get a little rose. not exactly a rose in bloom, this is definitely a thorny green rose. there’s a little melange of rose and lemon for a while into the dry down. it’s very pretty but subtle. this seems to have a pretty decent throw when freshly applied. my sister could tell i had something on from across the room. i applied one dollop between my wrists and neck and it was not overpowering to her at that level. as the rose burns off the lemon verbena remains as like an echo. it’s like a lemony skin musk now. i definitely get whatever gives it that silken note, very sleek and well blended. i can almost smell that fizzy cognacy trademark of the laces. that may be wishful thinking. the lovely floral herbal lasts a good two hours on me before settling into the musky phase which, while definitely morphed from its initial phase, is still strong in its own right

[Lucchesa]

Shamisen is not exactly what I was expecting.  Actually, I wasn't sure what to expect, but the notes looked intriguing: wood, and bone, and smoked bamboo...  Instead, Shamisen is a clean, bright kind of scent on me, with the rosy edge that, like tinyvulture, I always get from rosewood, and possibly another stealth floral as well.  I think the silk may be the clean note, like linen is in some blends.  Bamboo can also be bright and clean-smelling, and despite the "smoked" description, on me there's nothing smoky about this scent at all.  It's a little too perky for my tastes, though I would be delighted to wash my clothes in it.  The throw is low but it lasts really well.