Ching Shih

A clever, peppery aromatic I had to go full bottle for. Ching Shih reads more academic-stumbling-upon-adventure than swashbuckling wench. Less Pirates of the Caribbean, more The Mummy. (I think Zappas’s Flaming Creature is the quintessential pirate babe perfume instead). Echoing @antfarm’s excellent review, which called this a water-park scent, the opening minute catapulted me back to the Waterworld stunt show at Universal Studios, during many a grade school field trip. Oiled metal, crackling gunpowder, vapourised petrol. However, the mechanical, pyrotechnic opening is replaced not a minute later by a sepia-toned apothecary. The spices here are healing ones; Ching Shih’s overall texture is rooty, medicinal, and carefully brightened with a peachy flutter of osmanthus. The dry down is pure unsweetened iced tea. Sublime. I love the heel-face turn some of Zappas’s scents do (see Violette Hay), as I don’t necessarily want to smell like a steampunk stuntman for the whole day... but it’s the perfect little powder keg to start my day. Mental Snapshot: An apothecary nestled beneath the eaves of the Grand Bathhouse. Garlands of herbs laze from the rafters, melding with the sweet steam curling from the floorboards. Hidden clockwork churns underfoot while a copper kettle purrs atop a woodfire hearth. (Basically imagine Kamaji's boiler room in Spirited Away). tl;dr: Ghibli apothecary 🍵🏮

Gunpowder, the initial blast is fleeting if it worries you... a fruity osmanthus quickly takes over. I find this quite light on leatheriness. I could be wrong, I'm relatively new to this flower... But compared to other osmanthus perfumes I've smelled, this one is mostly a very soft apricot on spices and smoke.. I actually appreciate that here, because there’s a very d u s t y base that heavy leather could turn into just another blah, ambery smear... It lasts about 5-7 hours, only the gunpowder fades drastically. That + incense leaves a gorgeous, just blown-out candle smokiness, flecked with gold osmanthus and dusty spices. Everything floats in a hazy, dreamy orris from start to finish. It's ambery, but I don't find it thick or gluggy... It's very beautiful... I recently bought an antique cupboard and when I first opened it, the smell inside reminded me of ching shih. I've grown obsessed with osmanthus and these notes are so interesting, it's all so close to loveable.... I've got weird and unfounded hopes for an additional formulation of ching shih in the future... It's just missing something minor for me rn, and I've been testing it for a year. It feels like it could be perfect with time and a revisit... But I like it a lot, it has replaced la divina as my favourite MZ.

This is a Chinese herbal medicine store. Roots, fragrant spices, and a touch of sweetness. There’s no oranges but I am reminded of an orange peel with spices. I’m in love. I find it so comforting and alluring at the same time. The color of this scent is brown and orange. It's definitely a pirate. A pirate who uses traditional Chinese medicine and lights incense sticks to the gods and shoots enemies with her gun. There's also a camphor accord, reminding me a little of tiger balm? There's only a little though, not overpowering. It just adds to the impression of being from an herbal shop. It's just so interesting and comfortable. Not a safe blind buy, not something everyone will like. But gorgeous for people looking for a deep sensory experience.

There's something really juicy at the heart of this that's intriguing. Like a little mouthwatering. I feel like this smells exactly as it should for a character profile of such a legendary pirate and all around bada$$. Unisex is subjective but this definitely lends itself more easily to androgyny. It's on the quieter side in projection and sillage. Also kinda warm and cold at the same time, which I feel like is the case with something spice heavy? Easy for me to love and will definitely be wearing a lot :)

This is the perfect scent for the transition into colder seasons. If you are worried about the heaviness of the notes listed, fear not. There is something about the composition of Ching Shih that reminds me of licorice. The spices have a candied quality to them, but not in a sugary way. I am actually surprised to see this listed with a smoky accord because I get none of that at all. Rather, Ching Shih has a kind of brightness to it. It sits close to the skin with moderate lasting power.