Friday the 13th - 11: Am I Pretty?

AM I PRETTY? is the eleventh in a collection of exclusive fragrances blended in commemoration of Friday the 13th. Released for a single day, fragrances in the Friday the 13th collection pay tribute to superstitions, omens, phobias, customs and lore surrounding this, the unluckiest of holidays. 

The story of Kuchisake-onna (the Slit-Mouthed Woman) originates in the Heian period of Japan (AD 794 - 1185, so about 1,000 years ago, give or take; she’s been making the rounds). While her tale has been modernized and many variations have surfaced over the centuries, this ghost story remains one of Japan’s most infamous and recognizable urban legends. 

As the tale goes, Kuchisake-onna is a Yūrei or Onryō – a malevolent (usually female) Japanese ghost intent on exacting vengeance. She is usually described as being in her 20s or 30s with pale skin and long black hair, her lower face covered with a surgical mask (sometimes a fan, scarf, or handkerchief). Not content with simply scaring the crap out of unsuspecting passers-by with the whole Yūrei ancient ghost thing, she has an entire performance complete with costume changes, dialogue, superhuman speed - it’s A Whole Thing. It usually goes something like this: 

She approaches an unsuspecting victim on a sidewalk or alley — usually a man or school-aged child walking alone — and asks them, “Watashi kirei?” (“Am I pretty?”). If the victim answers Yes, she removes her mask to reveal a hideous, gaping, bloody gash from ear to ear where her mouth used to be. She asks, “Kore demo?” (“What about now?”). Yikes. An answer of “No” to either query results in the victim meeting a swift demise, usually via scissors or some variety of large knife. In many versions of the story she also slices up the victim’s mouth to match her own (often doing this regardless of the answer she got because… well, she’s an evil spirit doing evil spirit things). If a victim decides “Nope, not today Ghost Lady, I’ve seen The Grudge I know how this ends” and decides to just not engage with her at all, she will keep appearing in the victim’s path until she gets an answer. Persistence is key. According to the most recent incarnations of the legend, the only ways to get out alive are to either (and I’m not kidding here) offer her candy (what), or, uhhh… Tell her you have an important appointment to tend to and don’t have time to chat with her, at which point she will (and again, totally serious) apologize for bothering you and totally not kill you.  So I guess the moral of the story here is that you can escape any bad situation with candy and/or punctuality. Wait, no, that can’t be right. 

Originally released May 13, 2022

Available Sizes & Formats:

Perfume Oil Extrait - 6ml roll-on
Parfum Extrait - (alcohol-based) 3ml sample spray; 10ml travel spray; 30ml glass atomizer

☾ Notes: ☽ Ashen skin musks, spicy metallic blood accord, sharp blades, dry sakura branch, tart buntan, warm saffron and dusky vetiver, slyly laced with candy sweetness, fragile rice paper, and elegant black violet

☾ Fragrance Family: ☽ An avant-garde woody-floral with a metallic, slightly smoky finish and little surprise hints of sweetness woven throughout. Like walking alone on a busy city street on a warm late spring night. All the sights, sounds, and smells of a bustling downtown block with glints of danger in the shadowy alcoves of unknown alleyways. 

Similar In Mood To: Keres, it hurts to look at you, a warmer weather counterpart to Onryō (that wasn’t intentional but a neat coincidence ;))