Warrior Couple Preparing for Battle

[Seajewel]

Lacquered iron, leather, braided silk, and honeyed skin musk. 

[starbrow]

If you've peeped the notes and they pique your interest, this is a scent to absolutely try.

 

Another Shunga morpher, this Warrior Couple. Oh, there's that lacquer note again! I recognize it from Martial Arts (another 2021 Shunga). This time, it's wrapped around a cold iron note that's very distinctive. Some saltiness here as well, but it's more tamed in this blend and leans in a mineralic, metallic direction rather than woods or aquatics. I don't get a ton of leather, perhaps a glint of sleek black leather; I wouldn't say it's the worn in cozy brown leather beloved in some blends.

 

It stays cold iron, like Elle Est Heureuse, for a good couple of hours, and then the silk starts to slip through. It is a cool, slinky note that does indeed remind me of Black Silk. Such a distinctive BPAL accord and it's used beautifully here. The final note, buried deep into the dry down, is the honeyed skin musk, which lies so close to the skin as to be almost invisible. The honey is certain not an issue here, it is so gentle and subtle. Like the Very Gods but far less throw and impact, just a kiss of nakedness.

 

Feedback on this scent upon sniffing was that it was above average, 6/10. I would rank it quite a bit higher, about 7.5/10 currently, and could possibly go higher depending how it settles with aging. Enjoying my bottle so far.

[LavenderCoffee]

I can't hang with the lacquer note in this one, maybe because of the pairing with iron or leather (I suspect the leather). After resting a week, a fresh application of Warrior Couple is like going into the shed and huffing fumes. It does calm down eventually, but it's still too sharp for me. Don't send me to the front lines! 

Lacquered bamboo in Martial Arts was not a problem (MA is my favorite of the Shungas I've smelled this year), so YMMV, as ever. 

[Casablanca]

Initially: Leathery, metallicky honey musk!

 

And a fabric note is here, too --- quite unlike the wools or cashmeres or linen notes of the world --- but almost fully blending into the heavy metal and leather notes.

 

But within a moment, chemical lacquer takes over much of this blend on my skin. The honey musk flits off, leaving behind a highly garage-smell chemical lacquer, metals and leather.

[supreme_c0rt]

Big metallic bite up front with that lacquer note, like hot tinfoil and yuzu. Backed by a flood of warm, flushed sensual skin musk and leather, giving Like the Very Gods vibes but stronger and more forward. It smells like sweating through yuzu body butter on a hot summer day. Humid, intimate, skin-but-better. I like it much better once that lacquer note wears off. 

[MoonRayne]

Sexy layers of salty leather and sweet skin musk. Close to the skin this smells like a luscious sweet skin musk. The throw is a salty leather with a twinge of metal. To get to the skin scent you have to move through the leathery scent. The effect of moving through the layers is incredibly sexy. NSFW sexy.

[zankoku_zen]

Leather and honey musk. But yeah, leathery musk. For all the heated leather loves out there. Great throw, medium wear length.