Karikkotsu

[Velvet Lilly]

White oud and white sandalwood, iris pallida, blonde woods, and pink pepper.

Oh, Karikkotsu, you gorgeous elegant, bony nightmare you!

This is special. This is unlike any of the Shungas or lupers in the (huge) collection.

This is high end chic. This..... is elegant, dry wood with a whisper of what seems to be Bay Rum and a touch of pepper.

As if a perfectly dressed gent has arrived at the bar for drinks before dinner..... but it's so unique it's ungendered.

Everyone who smelled it, even bpal folks themselves seemed surprised at and enthralled with it.

Wearing this I feel.....grand....put together...impossibly chic yet laid back and comfortable.

I think the iris is the key that blends all these notes together in a magical way that creates a soft, amazing, sleek yet relaxed scent.

I. Love. This. ...Bottle bought.

[joopjoop]

I have to agree. This is a wonderful unisex scent. It smells effortless, chic and confident. Clean and sophisticated. Like the best version of yourself.

 

It has that gorgeous BPAL white sandalwood married with blond wood and a touch of pink pepper that ties it all together. The iris is the elegant lady that underlies it all. I can't wait to try this again after it has a chance to settle a little more, and I have a feeling it will age beautifully.

 

I ordered a decant on a whim, and I'm so glad I did!

Edited March 19, 2017 by joopjoop

[galahad]

In the Bottle:

Extremely dry woods and a kick of pepper

On the Skin:

Takes a little while to warm up so much the same as above for a few minutes. Then it's all dry wood slightly sweetened by the powdery iris. The pink pepper just adds a subtle warmth without being irritating.

On the Drydown:

As this matures on the skin it becomes less astringently dry and slightly more floral. Everything melds together to give a scent with a sophisticated feel without a drop of gourmand sweetness. This should age to a real beauty.

[lizabelle]

Nooo! I love this, but it has almost no throw on me. It's even softer than what I would consider a skin scent. The pink pepper keeps all the woods from getting too dry, although they're rather creamy on their own. The iris isn't overly powdery or overly aquatic, which is a rarity on my skin. Sadly I don't think i can justify a bottle due to how soft it is on me, but I may try keeping and aging the imp. It's the kind of scent I would definitely wear.

[zankoku_zen]

Oudh, iris, and light woods. This one has virtually no throw or wear length on me. It's a gorgeous wisp of a scent on wet, and then fades to nothing. SAD.

[strick9]

I got an imp of this as a frimp with a few bottles i picked up from a fellow forum member.

 

The scent is absolutely absolutely gorgeous- I've honestly been looking for a super dry unisex wood scent. Unfortunately, my skin eats this up. I put it on and it smells beautiful for all of 5 minutes and then poof, down to almost nothing. super super SAD.

[Lucchesa]

I've worn Karikkotsu a couple of times lately as it's the only imp in my car right now and I removed my purse imps for TSA recently and haven't put them back (going to do that as soon as I finish this review). Fortunately, Karikkotsu is beautiful and work-appropriate. She knows she's out of the league of everyone else in the room, but she's only a tiny bit condescending about it. I've been burned by black oudh lately, but white oudh is something I need to seek out: very polished, elegant, even snooty, but not indolic. I don't usually wear iris, but it works here, tying together these pale, dry components. And although my middle aged skin usually drinks things right up, I get better wear length than many earlier reviewers, so age may be helping with that.

[Cali]

Dissapears besides leaving a trace of pink pepper. 😞