Kimi Ga Dai Wa

[zankoku_zen]

Toasted Mysore sandalwood, saffron, and sweet amber.

[HerbGirl]

I mean, kitties! 😆

 

When I smelled this in the bottle, Obsession crossed my mind and then I promptly forgot about it.

I decided this would be my perfume to test for the day so I dabbed a bit on from the cap. I didn't really smell much, maybe some light amber? I went about my day. About an hour later I kept thinking I was smelling CK Obsession! I raised my hand to my nose. Nope, it couldn't be that. And then I realized how strong this oil is and, several hours later, how long it lasts. The amber is the most dominant note on me and it is dark. If I try really hard I can tell there's sandalwood there. I love saffron in perfumes but I'm not smelling it on its own here. This just arrived in the mail, to Anchorage, today. I am looking forward to seeing how this changes, settles and ages. It was my first Luper choice and I am so glad. 🙂

 

tl;dr The waft reminds me of Obsession or Anne Pliska, takes a while to bloom, lasts forever, very nice non powdery amber. 😻

 

Eta 02 Jan '23 this has calmed way down and now only reminds me of Anne Pliska. There's an almost salty component that I don't remember. Interesting. I still love it.

Edited January 2, 2023 by HerbGirl

[storme]

An understated warmed amber, that saffron giving it a slight nudge of sensuality. Quite skin-close, for me, but long-lasting.

[boomtownrat]

In the bottle and on the skin, Kimi Ga Dai Wa puts me in mind of a more subtle Obsession, which is wonderful, as that's exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to find when I started collecting BPAL. A Bright Flame Between Two Jacinths is similar, but more complex and stronger than I usually like to wear. This has a good amount of throw, just enough to get noticed if you apply it in one or two spots.

 

The first time I tested Kimi Ga Dai Wa, I applied a tiny dab on the back of one hand and pressed the backs of both hands together. Even that little amount lasted all day through more than a dozen hand-washings. When I wore it again, I applied it to my usual spots at my collarbone and the sides of my neck, as well as the backs of my hands again. It lasted all day and never gave me the woozy feeling that I get from Obsession now. 

 

These three listed notes are perfectly balanced. I love a good amber, and this is one of the best I've tried.

[esqueish]

Amber and sandalwood are my favorite core notes so this was a no-brainer blind bottle buy. No regrets! The saffron adds an almost-savory powdery-fresh quality that I can't really detect on its own, but adds a soothing and sophisticated quality to the blend. Love the art, and the name, which translates to "I'm fine" in English.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

Do you like your sandalwood all snuggly and dusky like your favourite blankie?

Does saffron make you swoon with its gentle spicy warmth?

Are you a fan of amber when it has a gentle sweetness that reminds you of pure sunshine?

 

Yes? YES??

 

Well stop fucking around, and go buy this. That is all. 

[starbrow]

For the life of me, I was having trouble picturing what this one would smell like from the notes. Such a sheer collection of three delicate beauties. In action, it reminds me of a gentler, warmer The Crown HG from the Hellboy collection. Toasted sandalwood is both smooth and dry, a warm desert breeze that carries with it the whiff of spices. Those spices are, of course, the nascent saffron, which I already know needs time to age, but already it has a soft golden metallic-clove halo that shimmers, mirage-like, over the core of this scent.

 

At that core, the beautiful amber from Amber Incense and Honey Cakes. If you loved that 2019 Yule, then Kimi may be for you. Here, it is less gourmand but still warmly comforting. The way it holds hands with the sandalwood and saffron smells expensive in an ancient perfumery kind of way. I could picture Cleopatra smelling like this. Also, I want this bottle aged like 10 years but I want it NOW!

 

This is artistry and I want to hang this art all over my body. If you were worried about the sandalwood going funky (as some of the 2020 Shungas did for me), fear not; this is a queenly, sophisticated sandalwood and she smells fancy. I am bottling ASAP so that this baby can age!

[bulletslc]

This one...... the amber scent I joined bpal Fandom back in 2007 to find. The smell of my kitten's fur when I'm sad and bury my nose against her. The warm comforting smell of home. This is bliss. This is now my very favorite bpal ever. And I only ordered it because it had two cats f#$$*&& on the label. Had to get a second bottle.  This scent is home.❤🐱🥰

[Mountaingrrl00]

Total comfort scent. Nuzzly, savory, toasty, warm without being overwhelmingly rich. It reminds me a little of BPAL's Morocco scent with its dry warmth, but this is more refined. For a scent with three listed ingredients, it has a lot of depth. It stays close to the skin, and lasts a long time.

[Casablanca]

Warm, toasted sandalwood laced with saffron. This is serene and cozy.

 

In drydown, amber also warms up and comes out. I think I also get a little fuzzy brown musk. No such note is listed, though it would fit with the art.

 

This sandalwood and saffron are beautiful together. I'm not as much into the fuzzy brown musk impression I'm getting, but I love the rest.

[frizzlechicken]

Oh gosh, I wanted to love this and almost blind-bottled it because the bottle art is so amazing. Alas...it's lovely, but just a bit too heavy for me. It's got a cologne-y undertone and smells exactly like some powdered makeup the matriarchs in my life wore when I was growing up. There's a little bit of a graphite undertone, too. It's definitely not what I expected based on the notes. I can see how it would be described as snuggly. ETA: someone else mentioned the staying power of this and they're right, it's legit. I woke up this morning and could still smell the spot where I'd applied it. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by frizzlechicken

[zankoku_zen]

Snuggly spicy sandalwood. Fuzzy brown musk. Medium throw and wear length.

[Jenjin]

I almost blind bottled this since the sandalwood and amber fit right, but I am quite content with a decant. 

It is all snuggly and warm as others have mentioned, but something about it makes me very nostalgic, sitting at my Nanny's makeup table sticking my face into things. It might need more sweetness for my liking but I can definitely see people enjoying this. 
Yesterday, when my decants came, I had spotted my arms with this and a bunch of other Lupers. At the end of the day, this one was still winning. I could still catch plenty of whiffs of it even after many hours while all the others had taken a backseat. 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Jenjin

[VetchVesper]

Without looking at the notes - Musty, dusty sandalwood with a faint undercurrent of something herbal, almost minty. When I was little, I lived in a neighborhood built in the early 50's. All the homes had wood flooring and a certain smell of age. This reminds of that smell. It's nostalgic and vaguely comforting. Looking at the notes, I would have expected something more sexy, so the dusty nostalgia smell is a little disappointing. That said, this isn't a bad smell, and my sniffiest cat did seem to like it, so maybe it's a sexy cat smell. 😻

 

Anywho, more dusty than powdery amber and soft sandalwood with, I guess, a hint of the saffron creating that bit of quirkiness in the background.  Despite the "sweet" amber, this reads as genderless to me, making me think of place or object rather than a person.  This is the smell of old houses and old trunks full of memories.

[Lin Swanson]

This is like Obsession's older sister - more quiet, more mature, she doesn't need to precede you into the room announcing how good you smell - but she shares the same kind of warm spicy sexiness.  Not a ton of staying power on me, but that might increase with aging, and I do think this is one that will only get more delicious with age. I got this for the saffron, and although that's not what stands out for me, I do not regret getting a bottle. This is going to be a personal comfort scent, for when nobody needs to smell me but me, and what I need is to feel like I'm wrapped in an incense-scented, decadently plush blankie.

 

And if I choose to invite someone to join me under the blankie? Well, they'll get to enjoy it too 😉

[LizziesLuck]

I love this. LOVE IT. It's one of those scents that is way more than the sum of it's parts. Like if I didn't know better I would say there's some vanilla in there. It's  subtly smoky on me. Musky. Warm and fuzzy. I love it and I want to roll around in it.

[artisjok]

Kimi Da is a Mysore sandalwood feature. The saffron and amber make it more upscale than just the creamy wood of the sandalwood, yet remain supporting characters for the entire wear. It is cozy, sexy, and yet could pull of glamorous with ease, if it wanted. 
 

[rivetted]

doesn't list a "fur" note, but it really does smell like cats to me. it's nice, but i can't stop smelling cats now? strange, better with other people's skin i think!

 

(maybe the label art is trying to tell me something!!) 😺 👀

[Llanval]

the reviewers at the top of this thread were right: this is CK Obsession BPAL style.  This was so immediately CK Obsession I assumed it would play out that way too.  Not quite.  I did enjoy the drydown on the amber, it didn't immediately morph into dreaded "grand dame oriental" notes but it was too close for comfort.  I was hoping I would get the dry hot stone note, or some smokiness as reported above, but no such luck.  This rounds out into a soft, cuddly amber with a comforting furry halo.  But the close impression of CK Obsession just can't be overcome for me.

 

It is a very comfortable, comforting and cozy blend, close to the skin and refined but my 90s childhood lives in this bottle and I do not, not any more!

[murqmaid]

this started off with a lovely spicy sandalwood, but went powdery on me. it actually reminds me of chanel powder foundation that my mom used to use. i can see how others consider this cozy, but i can't escape the image it evokes. 

 

i had a similar experience to vetchvesper- this scent reminds me of older homes with the creaky, unpolished, hardwood floors, old cabinetry, and antique hanging chandeliers. dusty and musky.

 

this is like walking behind a powdered, perfumed, poised lady in one of those houses. 

Edited August 16, 2021 by murqmaid

[groovyrooby]

I think I like all the elements here, though I'm not sure how saffron is supposed to come across. This was a spicy, scratchy sandalwood on me. Furry, prickly brown & spicy. Had a sweetness to it like cola, but more from the woody elements, like a root beer without sugar. Similar in smell to Brown Jenkin or Small Brown Cat but subtly different vibe - not particularly cozy, but more woody, shaggy, and rooty spice. Really close, bittersweet, and dry.

[Seajewel]

This one didn’t work for me either, though in theory I love all the notes, sandalwood, amber, and saffron. It was sharp and dry on me in a way that I find somewhat unpleasant, sadly. But I’m happy it’s such a big love for so many others. 

[hhelix]

I was excited to try this one based on reviews. To me it's not so much CK Obsession (which I love) as vintage Halston from the 1970s (also a huge love of mine). I really love the amber in this -- it's smooth and rich, spiced and dirtied up by the earthy saffron, balanced by the golden sandalwood. For me it has phenomenal throw and hella long wear -- lasted all night, woke up smelling it this morning, and can even smell it now in the crook of my arm after washing it off. It's definitely warm and snuggly, and I swear there's musk in this, or maybe that's the effect of the sweaty saffron, or the suggestion from the label art. It's a winner and I may need to search out a back-up bottle.

[theseagrows]

how odd, it doesn't smell like i expected it would. i get the woodiness of the sandalwood, something mildly animalic and a hint of something sweet and kind of fruity? almost like orange candy. is this my skin chemistry being wacky, or what? it gets a bit less sweet, but that note is there. i guess it's maybe 'sweet amber' but doesn't smell like amber at all to me. after maybe 30 minutes+ i get a sense of something ambery and a hint of soft leather. the sweeter note stays the strongest as it dries down. this is a really pretty and interesting perfume.

[doomsday_disco]

Kimi Ga Dai Wa is strongest on the sweet amber note on me, which is a dry, perfume-y amber to my nose. I get some saffron behind it. The sandalwood is quiet at first, but comes out more with wear and adds to the dryness of this scent. The combination of the dry sandalwood with the amber read as somewhat papery to me. Curiously enough, I get some unlisted moss after it has been on the skin for a while? But none of the other reviewers seem to have gotten moss from this.  But I do think the moss is lending a cologne-like vibe to the scent.

 

I'm glad I got a chance to try this, but there are other amber and sandalwood scents that I enjoy more.