Jingu

[Delirium1009]

Known as Pimoko, the sun-daughter, Jingu was an Empress of Japan who served as regent and de facto ruler between the time of the death of her husband and the ascension of her son, Emperor Ojin. Sure that knowledge of her husband’s death would bring discord to her realm, she managed to keep his passing a secret, and successfully put down numerous insurrections in his name. Although she was pregnant with the future emperor of Japan, she donned armor and rode into battle, leading the conquest of Silla.

Sakura, white orchid, mandarin, bamboo, red sandalwood, plum blossom, and lilac.

In bottle/imp: Very floral. Mostly, I smell the sakura and orchid, but there’s also a bit of cool lilac underneath.

Immediately on skin: Ah, lovely cherry blossoms are what I get at first sniff. Then I notice the orange mixed with the cooler floral tone of the lilac, as well as some almost-powdery orchid. This is slightly fruity as well, but it’s probably actually the plum blossom note (which to me smells almost like plum, but not quite). This has an overall cool, dry, sweetly pink floral feel to it. This scent is very tricky though as I keep getting peeks of just about all the notes; I’ll get a little watery, fresh bamboo with one sniff, then the next I get the warmth of sandalwood under all the flowers. This is very pretty.

After a little while: This gets even sweeter and a bit fruitier on me as I wear it. The bulk of this scent seems to be the floral notes; mainly, the sakura, plum blossom, and orchid with a finish of cool lilac. It’s sweet and pretty, but slightly perfumey. Wafting above the floweriness is a tangy fruitiness with the freshness of bamboo mixed in, and then the sandalwood just adds a very smooth dry feel to the overall scent.

Overall Impressions: This reminds me so much of Hanami, only better. Whereas Hanami is pretty, sweet, almost fruity flowers, Jingu also has this complexity with bits of citrus and bright fruitiness, the cool green scent of bamboo, and smooth, sexy sandalwood. This is a great feminine scent, but not quite as girly as Hanami.

[angelicruin]

In the bottle, it's pale, soft floral.

 

Wet on my skin, the most lovely mandarin orange scent mingled with sandalwood and lilac.

 

It dries down on my skin to oranges, sandalwood, and a delicate floral in the background.

 

Definitely a keeper.

[moonstonemama]

in the bottle: orange citrus almost floral

 

wet: very very mandarin

 

 

dry, layered with Jingu Bath Oil: mmm, this really is yummy. the mandarin is still there, but it has calmed down some. There's a little spicyness that is probably the white orchid? The cherry blossoms are there too. The red sandalwood is doing an amazing job with keeping them all from running rampant on my skin. I'm not getting any lilac at all, but that's okay with me.

 

 

overall: I think the perfume would be okay on it's own, but I'll probably just always layer it with the bath oil. It's a fantastically pretty and delicious combination.

[tajana]

Freshly applied to the back of my wrist, this is all bright, juicy mandarin orange! Unfortunately it almost immediately warps on my skin... lately I really have not been wearing orange notes well, and since the wet-stage is all mandarin it just doesn't smell very good at all. But as it dries down the mandarin orange settles down and blends with all the other notes and the effect is truly lovely.

 

The sweetness and tanginess of the mandarin wind through a bouquet of lovely soft flowers (I mostly get the lilac and cherry blossom, mmm cherry blossoms, my favorite floral!) with a fresh, wet quality from the bamboo. The plum blossom is more evident after a little while longer, and as the orange fades, the plum blossom kicks up and fills the gap with its almost-fruity quality (but not as fruity as the plum blossoms as Lovers in a Ricefield). I'm often averse to straight-floral blends, as they often give me headaches or just smell kind of blah on me, but the florals here are soft, cool, and gentle, and they're strewn across a strong base of smooth but dry sandalwood.

 

It's really nice, one of my favorite floral perfumes so far. But besides the brief wet phase of orange (it just goes sour and... off on me) Jingu has almost no throw on me, so I'm not keeping it for myself.

[Stareena]

It is a juciy floral both in the bottle and on my skin. I love it. The Madarin is soft and the Cherry Blossom is also soft and faint. My only complaint is that is has NO lasting power. 10 mins and it is gone. I find myself reaplying like a mad woman, which is bad, as I have gone through a lot of my first bottle. I turned it into a spray that gives it an extra five mins on me, but is doesn't want to last.

 

It's almost like a pleasant dream on a summer afternoon, and then just fades into the ether.

 

It's gorgeous and a floral for those I think are nervous about florals.

[Lamia]

A very clear high scent. The sandalwood tames the lilac, the cherry and orchid keep it floral.

 

Quick fade.

 

Interestingly, my right wrist smells very floral, while my left wrist smells of sandalwood and bamboo.

[svelterose]

Ooo, this is much more warrior like than the bath oil. Don't get me wrong, I loved the bath oil but the sandalwood in this makes it that much stronger but doesn't completely disregard that this is a Queen and dammit, you best respect! It smells like something I'd wear on a cool winter night to a dinner with expensive champagne. Like an indulgent modern day Warrior Queen where we take it to the executive level.

 

The sandalwood is awesome in this. I don't know how to describe scents very well but I think it's the note that makes Jingu, Jingu.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Mandarin and florals. Pretty darn floral, but light and delicate. Orchid, cherry blossom, and lilac are what I can pick out. I also get the green-aquatic woodiness of the bamboo. Either the lilac or the orchid or something else smells a little 'rotten' the way iris sometimes does.

 

Wet: More mandarin (much more juicy) and maybe some tart yuzu too, and some plum blossom - I'm reminded of the Chinese new year scents a bit, that kind of vibe. I swear I almost get a melon note, or maybe I'm just so reminded of Earth Rat? I'm pretty sure it's the lilac that smells rotten, as well as a little heady and soapy. The cherry blossom is stronger, too - orchid and bamboo harder to pick out.

 

Dry: Even more sweet and fruity - plum blossom definitely amping and dominating, and though the citrus has faded a little, it's holding fairly well, better than it typically does. The lilac has faded a bit, and while it still contributes a soapy-rotten edge I dislike, I can sort of ignore it. The scent is much stronger on my skin now too, much more throw.

 

Later: The rottenness of the lilac seems to have dissipated, and there's only a touch of soap from it - which I can handle. It's still very fruity; plum blossom, mandarin & yuzu for sure. Along with the cherry blossom, it reminds me a fair deal of Aizen-Myoo overall. I get a curious sense of warmth from the sandalwood which contrasts with the coolness of the bamboo.

 

Summary: Drydown is very musky fruit with a sort of faint floral powderiness and I know what this reminds me of more than anything - Tanuki! The musk is really delicious and creamy, and I like how this evolves. But the early stages and the fact that I have other fruity musk blends I prefer make this unremarkable for me. Excellent throw & longevity.

 

[Little Bird]

In the bottle, this smells very soft, breezy, sweet, and fresh. It definitely has that asian floral feel of blossoms waving in a cool breeze. Intensely pretty.

 

Asian-inspired/themed blends rarely work on me. Bamboo tends to be too fresh and clean smelling, so I usually wind up smelling like dryer sheets when I wear bamboo blends. But Jingu is gorgeous.

 

On me, this reminds me of cherry blossom. I get an overall sweet, clean, delicate flower smell. The mandarin is sweet & not at all sharp, adding a bit of juicy freshness underneath the floral. And all of the notes just meld together on me to make a charming, sweet floral with a refreshing, breezy twist.

 

After about a half hour, Jingu is a little more artificially perfumey than I would have loved, but it's still very nice. It smells a little bit like powdery sweet tarts underneath the clean floral.

 

I'm very glad that this isn't soapy, sharp, or overwhelmingly floral. It's pretty, delicate, charming, and sweet. I don't normally go for floral & bamboo blends, but I can see myself wearing Jingu .

[Dark Alice]

This starts off as a goregous soft floral. And then it becomes a cross between generic handsoap and commercial perfume.

[zankoku_zen]

This kinda reminds me to Tanuki --- I get a lot of lilac from this. It's a nice, white soft Asian floral. It goes a bit soapy on me.

[Lyrical]

In vial: bee-yooo-ti-ful oriental flowers, bamboo and sandalwood!

 

Wet on skin: mostly lilac, but nicely blended with sakura (cherry blossom), orchid, a hint of plum ... smooth sandalwood ... very much a "proper" department store perfume, only better.

 

Dry on skin: very well blended, with lilac perhaps the most prominent note, but not sticking out too much. Warm and smooth floral blend. Very conventional and very pretty. The far drydown has a hint of sourness.

[Gin]

Pretty pretty! Jingu is fruit blossoms with mandarin and sandalwood. Not a lot of throw or staying power, but it's lovely while it lasts.

[SeaLady]

This is clean and soft and light on me. The fruit is present as a sweet warmth and a hint of orange, but not much else. Jingu is very nice, and I like it lots.

[papermaker]

Jingu is a nice soft floral that becomes more rounded by the citrus and wood notes to give it depth. It is extremely feminine, and meshes well with the bat oil. With the bath oil, I get more of the asian feel, probably because of the plum wine.

[hlinspjalda]

In the bottle: Floral, Asian. After a couple of sniffs I begin to get the lilac, after a few more I notice the mandarin. But mostly I get the fruit blossoms.

 

Wet: Soft and smooth, probably the orchid. Flowery, but not piercing nor overwhelming. I don't expect this to work on me (it's got red sandalwood, a death note), but it's lovely so far.

 

Half an hour: Gentle floral, but there is a note beneath it that is almost disturbing to me. It reads a bit like white musk, but I think it is probably the orchid. I expected this to sour, which it hasn't, but I'm still not convinced it's going to work on me.

 

One hour: That off note is gone now, and it's working with my skin. It's mostly light plum blossom with a touch of fruitiness. I'm not getting the lilac at all, which surprises me, but neither am I getting soured red sandalwood. So much the better!

 

Two hours: This is working out much better on me than I ever expected. I'm getting a bit of the lilac now, too. No woodiness evident at all, very little fruity impression either; it's all gentle florals with the slightly plummy cast. I'd already thought about trading this away, but I think I'm going to reconsider!

 

Three hours: Starting to get a little woody now, the florals have gone kind of indistinct. Still not sour, though.

 

Four hours: Gentle plum blossom, very lightly there. I am really on the fence about this one; I think I'll give it to my daughter to test before making a decision. But I definitely didn't expect it to work on me as well as it did.

 

[milo]

Hmm, this is MUCH better than the bath oil. I get a nice, crisp citrus with a touch of fresh floral. Perfect for hottish weather. This doesn't go "cheap body spray", either, which most citruses tend to do on me. I will definitely use this imp up.

Edited September 16, 2009 by milo

[GardenCat]

Very light scent - not hard to smell, but delicate and soft. Very mandarin on the initial apply, but it settles into an herbal lilac. Very pretty!

[topazphoenix]

This reminds me of a sweeter, pinker The Unicorn, if The Unicorn had mandarin orange taking precedence while lilac floated dreamily in the background. It tends on the ethereal side but the earthy plum blossom seems to balance it. The label art is gorgeous.

[Venneh]

In the bottle, this is a really cool, fruity floral. On my skin, it's the same for about five seconds... And then it's seeming to be utterly gone on me, except for a faint tang of fruit and flowers. ...Really? And I applied fairly generously, too, that's the thing...

 

Wish I knew what it was that's killing the blend on me, here. Agh.

[sprocket21]

I normally don't do florals, but there's something about Asian floral blends that works out exceedingly well for me. Jingu is a very soft and fruity floral, sort of like a gentler cousin to Hanami. I can definitely smell the plum blossom, but I can't really pick out any other notes, just a general soft prettiness. A keeper!

 

Edit: I forgot to mention that this scent is really faint, and that it lasted for less than an hour on me . That tends to be par for the course with delicate Asian florals on me though, with the exception of Hanami.

Edited November 29, 2009 by sprocket21

[ami226]

On the skin: This one is very floral and mandarine. It is very pretty. I am afraid that I just had to get rid of my bottle though because I just never felt in the mood to use it. Very fruity floral.

[svelterose]

I don't know why but this perfume just meshes SO well with my skin chemistry. I don't get floral, airy-fairy, little girliness. I get a luscious, voluptuous woman wherein a man will see her, lay down belly up with the only words coming out of his mouth as: "take me. Just take me right now." She has crazy sex appeal.

 

In any case, of ALL the BPAL I've worn, this is the one that gets most people complimenting. I was out drinking with one of my closest friend's that night (he's like a brother to me) and as liquid truth keeps getting tossed down our throats, this is what he screams out across the bar:

 

"Yo, are you wearing perfume!??"

 

"YEAHHH. I did it up tonight. Bow-chicka-wow-wow-heyyyyyyy!"

 

"Cuz you smell freaking AMAZING!!"

 

"WHY THANK YOU."

 

/end obnoxious drunk screaming

 

I absolutely love it. I am saving up my money to attack the other plum scents Beth has created (most of which are found in the Salon) and I'm furiously hoping that she'll create more for future updates. We don't have enough I say!

Edited June 18, 2010 by SvelteRose

[Melenass]

Beautiful and delicate floral. At first go out to play together in Mandarin and lilacs, and Sakura, this is the stage that I like. Then goes out and gets fixed, the fresh and subtle the bamboo, along with the other two scents. Finally as a whole I can also glimpse the cherry blossoms. I love .

Edited April 6, 2011 by Melenass

[Diva Urd]

In the bottle: Cherry blossom, lilac and fruity mandarin. Reminds me a little bit of "The Holy Cross of Sanctus Germanus", only this is much less cleanerish.

 

On: Very faint when wet. I get primarily lilac, a hint of mandarin and that lovely cherry blossom. As it warms, the sandalwood gently makes itself known. So very understated and womanly, and yet so gorgeous... I wish it had a bit more throw (it stays rather close to the skin), but it is an absolutely lovely perfume. Upon total drydown, the mandarin takes a spot in the background and adds just a little bit of gorgeous fruity zip to the florals, making sure it doesn't become boring. I can't stop sniffing my wrist!

 

Later: This is definitely a second-skin scent, it's definitely there, but has very little throw. It's still beautiful, though. The mandarin sweetened more and is a *tiny* bit pezzy, but it doesn't detract at all from the beautiful florals it complements. The sandalwood is a bit more prominent now, but as faint as the other notes. I love this enough to keep my bottle - maybe it will retain a bit more throw when used in my hair, on my clothes, or after some moisturizing!