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Aizen-Myoo

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... Yuzu, kaki, and mikan with cherry blossom and black tea.

 

Imp: aquatic white flowers
Wet on me: heady aquatic white flowers
Drying Down: still heady flowers, less aquatic. Seems like the tea cut that out.
Dry: this is pretty but too heady for me.

Off to the Trade pile

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Starts of with lots of tangy citrus. There is a hefty amount of sweet cherry blossom when wet too. Dry the blossoms fade and and mix with soft, but zingy citrus. I get mostly yuzu which smells to me a lot like grapefruit. I never detect the black tea.

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Oh yikes, I think I found another flower my skin likes to amp big time. I don't think I put too much on, but I can smell my arm from three feet away! It's also making me sneeze. While I love cherry blossom on others, on me it's turning into a cheap air freshener with a weird sharp citrus sprayed over the top. There's no tea here that I can smell. In the imp it's nice, at least, but it's destined for the swap pile.

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Apple was my first thought right when I applied this, but now looking at the description, I suspect the apple comes from the combination of cherry blossom with the other fruits as it smells like a floraly apple, a little powdery even.

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I really wanted to try this one, especially when I was a little disappointed with another "Japanese" GC scent, Kyoto, so I added an imp of it onto another order I did from a forum member.

First Sniff Impression: Fresh, fruity, and a bit floral

Wet in Vial: I can definitely smell the fruits, though never having smelled any of them separately, I can't pick any single one out. I can also get the cherry blossom.

Drying Down on Skin: The three fruits blend together nicely for a bright, juicy citrus. The cherry blossom softens it a little, and I'm not able to get any black tea yet. The cherry blossom almost gives it a bit of a body wash smell, but I'm going to blame Bath and Body Works for that since that's one of my only experiences with a cherry blossom fragrance (ugh, please don't hold it against me. I was like ten years younger then!)

Dry on Skin: This had a nice, even fruity-floral smell while it lasted. Didn't have much lasting strength, though. Was pretty much all gone in about five hours.

Conclusion: This was a very pleasant scent. A little more approachable than some BPAL combinations. I definitely preferred this as a "Japanese" scent to Kyoto. I'll be keeping this imp around for a while!

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I love Aizen-Myoo in the imp, and I remember being very pleased with it when I first tried it, but lately my skin chemistry is doing something very strange to it, changing the citrus tones into an unpleasant industrial cleanser smell. I noticed something similar though not so strong with the grapefruit in Cheshire Cat recently. Eventually it mellows down and the cherry blossom makes its presence felt, though I never got much tea, but the first half hour or so is not worth it on me.

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Yuzu as HECK!!! Initial application is a burst of high-pitched, bright, tart citrus. I recognize the yuzu for sure but the closest other citrus I'd compare it to is grapefruit.

I'm getting just the softest background whiff of white floral as it dries down, and not a trace of black tea. This is a sharp, cheerful, yellow citrus scent with just a breath of flowers from the nearby trees. It's very much the smell of the skin of the citrus, like if the peel of a yellow grapefruit, white pith and all. I wouldn't call it juicy.

This is just such a light, clean, happy scent with an energetic zing! I really like it and will hang on to my imp.

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I was expecting more fruit, but the cherry blossom overwhelms all at the beginning. The fruity scents come out as it dries down. Very pretty.

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This vaguely reminds me of the B&BW japanese cherry blossom i used to wear but without the creaminess that one had. I'm not a fan of citrus notes, so the yuzu is strong for me. it is as the description reads, a bright bitter-sweet scent.

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Yuzu over the top! Cherry blossoms for... days?!

:nervous:

I am no match for the bold Aizen-Myoo.

:run:

I leave her to be revered by those who are delightfully thralled by her charms.

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I will admit that a large part of why I wanted to try this is due to Lush discontinuing their Yuzu & Cocoa products. They introduced me to yuzu and got me addicted. (Not that it was hard to do or anything, I tend to love every citrus I come across.)

 

In the imp: Yuzu and mikan. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Wet: Wow, this is strong! Glad I didn't slather. Zesty, bright yuzu and mikan, and I'm not familiar with kaki but it's probably in there too. There's a soapy edge that I attribute to the black tea; it's not a BAD soapiness, per se, but it does make this remind me of a shampoo or body wash. It doesn't smell like tea unless I shove my nose against my skin and really huff.

 

Dry: The citrus is giving way to gentle sakura petals fluttering around. Cherry blossom is one of the few florals I can do in moderation (yeah, count me in as one of the B&BW Japanese Cherry Blossom fanatics back in the day, before I had migraine troubles) and it's at the perfect level for me here. Gentle and sunny and warm, like a perfect spring day. I can almost pretend I've gone cherry blossom viewing even though it's just barely above freezing here in NH today.

 

Good throw, good wear length. I think a bottle may be in my future.

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Wet: HOLY CRAP that is some THROW. Juicy, bright, and bitter. And throw. Lots, and lots of throw. Like, it's in my mouth and choking me.

 

Dry: Well, this is the first scent I didn't wait for the dry-down on and had to wash off almost immediately. I'm a bit disappointed, because I'm a big fan of cherry blossom scents(and tea!), and was excited to try this one.

 

If you're looking for a scent strong enough to knock you on your ass, give this one a go.

 

I need to go buy some coffee beans to sniff(or maybe snort) now or something, because I think this scent lodged into my sinus cavities.

Edited by donkehpoo

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It smells so sour when wet. Sour & sickly sweet. We're not talking sweet & sour chicken. I mean like biting Buddha's hand while smelling the sweet note in body odour. I thought maybe it had gone bad, but the sour turned into citrus/yuzu after drydown. And the sweet became light and not sickly.

I have fuyu persimmons growing in the backyard & the sweetness after drydown reminds me of them when they're just before ripe (before the honey note gets prominent). That would explain a vaguely astringent note that pops out as well. I don't get the mandarin or black tea notes at all. But, the incense/wood note may be the "tea."

 

You know, I smell the flowers, but they just aren't as strong as others above are saying. Does my skin eat sakura?!?!

 

Overall, this strongly reminds me of a lot of the plants growing in my neighborhood & backyard (this neighborhood is still pretty strongly japanese-american & the gardens reflect that). But, It feels like fall & spring were squished together. It makes it off balanced. Then again, maybe it's my skin chemistry. I kind of want to try layering this with oudh though. (IDK - I think it'd smell interesting)

Edited by Lemonlife

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Skin: bright and zippy. Bittersweet yuzu and a floral backing.

Dry: Floral, Clean, and a strange sort of citrus. Like a dry grapefruit. CLEAN is a key word here. A nice, happy clean? But very clean and a little peculiar. Fun scent, citrus-floral. But not sweet or juicy. The longer it sits, the more astringent it gets for me. 

 

Verdict: Clorox Disinfectant Wet Wipes, Orange Fusion (exactly that kind. Go buy a bottle to clean your house and do a scent comparison, lol)

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Opens up bright and tart and just a little juicy, a really nice straightforward yuzu. I wanted this specifically to use as inspiration for a character I’ve imagined smells like yuzu—there’s no other citrus that smells quite like it—and this opening doesn’t disappoint.

 

As it settles, something soft and slightly creamy starts blooming underneath the yuzu—I don’t think I’ve ever smelled a proper cherry blossom scent, and I think this might be it? The yuzu’s calmed down a little, but is definitely still very bright and tart, and the creamy undertone adds a nice contrast to it. The creamy note  gradually gets stronger, and takes on an almost almond-y vibe? The bit of reading I’ve done on cherry blossoms indicated that they’re generally scentless, but the few that aren’t usually have a soft almond scent to them, so I think this must be the cherry blossom. The citrus is still mostly yuzu, but the mikan/orange is starting to show itself as well.

 

At this point, Aizen-Myoo is a creamy, slightly nutty citrus scent which… if you’d said those exact words to me before I smelled it, I’d probably wrinkle my nose in disdain, but it’s absolutely enchanting. The orange tempers the yuzu into a less biting citrus without ever dulling it, while the cherry blossom creates a soft, fluffy background that highlights the vibrancy of the yuzu.

 

The citruses eventually back down as it dries down further, while the cherry blossom becomes more prominent and the persimmon finally makes an appearance with a mellow, sunny sweetness. The final drydown is soft and sweet and dreamy, but still has a touch of vibrancy from the citrus—it makes me imagine a cascade of pale petals fluttering through a brilliant ray of sunlight.

 

Aizen-Myoo turned into something I really wasn’t expecting, but it’s one of my favorite scents now. I’ve never smelled anything like it, and it does one of the things I really love the Lab for doing—it pulls together contrasting notes in a way that lets them play off of each other instead of clashing or overpowering each other. This scent jumped up to the top of my favorites the very first time I tried it, and it’s managed to stay up there while about a half a dozen other scents have rotated out. Would recommend to anyone looking for a friendly and unique citrus scent.

 

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In the vial: Bright, strong citrus with a bit of tea.

Wet on skin: Strong, in your face citrus tea!! Not sour -- more bitter, astringent, but still present and unafraid to mention it. I'm only familiar with yuzu, but it gives off that vibe regardless of my unfamiliarity with kaki and mikan.

Drydown: Remains strong in citrus for a good 15 minutes to half hour, but it dies down to give room for the tea. Then the cherry blossom comes in. I'll admit that I haven't been into indies for long, and actually have a good bit of commercial scents, including B&BWs Japanese Cherry Blossom. This isn't as sweet, or as creamy, as that -- it's a bit more bitter, but still distinctly a distinctly cherry blossom forward scent with a bit of tea, from what I can tell.

Longevity: When I first got a sample of this, it only lasted about... 3 hours before fading into nothingness. That was back in March -- this has a much better longevity in warmer months, as I'm 12 hours in and still able to pick up on it.

Sillage: At its strongest, I can pick up on it while messing with my hair and the like. By way of actively sniffing, I can have my nose about an inch away and smell it just fine.

Verdict & Final Thoughts: While I was sad about the initial longevity earlier this year, this longer span has made me elated, and I happily say that I will FS in the future!! It seems perfect for a job setting, or just for when I need that boost -- gives a pep in my step while being inoffensive, pleasant, and (in my eyes) interesting.

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Bright yuzu and an effervescent white musk are the most prominent notes on me. I think the black tea might add a subtle spice in the background. There is a hint of floral cherry blossom in the mix, but mostly, this is a jubilant, feminine, citrus scent.  I'd recommend it for fans of Night Gaunt, Baobhan Sith, and citusy Shungas. 

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Sharp, sharp sharp yuzu at first, blending down into a really glorious musk-and-sweet-florals mix. I can just about detect--or maybe I'm just imagining--the citrus and tea in the background of it, but the transition from ALL CITRUS SPIKY to the musky florals is very dramatic on me! I love both ends of this.

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I have tried my imp out multiple times, and there's still something about this scent that I can't describe. It starts off quite soapy on me, but a nice citrus-y soap. I love yuzu and mikan as citrus scents. The kaki makes an appearance, sweet and fresh. Kaki is one of the best things about autumn in Japan, and you cannot change my mind about this. Suddenly, the soapy note becomes quite masculine. Perhaps the tea is making it behave that way. The cherry blossom gives it a strong floral edge. The combination of all of these things together confuses my nose, I think. It's fruity, soapy, masculine, and sweet. I don't dislike it, but it's something I'm glad I only have an imp of. 

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Aizen-Myoo may be my single favorite BPAL to date, and it was my very first full bottle (and I'm now on my second bottle of it). I adore everything about this scent.

 

From start to finish, there is a lovely complex and bright set of citrus notes in this on my skin. I do think that the yuzu with its sharp tanginess is the dominant citrus between it and the mikan, but the mikan brings some sweetness and rounds out the citrus profile.

 

The kaki and black tea both bring some very different earthy notes that help keep this scent from being overly punchy, but they are still gentle and harmonious. I love tea notes a lot, so I'm glad that the black tea is a recognizable element on my skin. The cherry blossoms bring a light waft of floral on my skin that also adds to the overall brightness of the scent.

 

The scent is well balanced on me. I'd class it as a predominantly citrus scent with other fruity, floral, and earthy notes. I've got it on before bed right now, and I can't help but keep sniffing my wrists.

 

This lasts well on me and has a good but not overwhelming amount of throw. I'm so glad this is a GC because it means that I'm always happy to reach for it when I want a nice smell but don't know what I want.

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Testing a 2023 frimp.

 

Crisp, green, sweetly floral.

 

I tested it before looking at the notes, and I smelled a very pretty green tea, something like sweet pea or freesia, something like luxury citrus hotel shampoo (that's not a knock). Crisp, buzzy edge I couldn't put my finger on (must be all that citrus).

 

For me, this is all adds up to a really beautiful tea scent, with a well-rounded balance of the astringent, floral, lightly fruity aspects that tea can have.

 

Came on very strong, faded to medium-light throw after an hour, disappeared by hour 5 if not earlier.

 

Very nice. I'm not sure I will wear this that much, but I will wear it again. 

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