Thanatos

[kuanyin]

... Dry white sandalwood and soft Siamese benzoin over a lugubrious blend of myrrh, Moroccan rose, mastic, tomb moss and a thin whiff of Greek incense.

First off, I have gotten so many imps that I hardly can test the ones that I specifically bought. Terrible problem to have, I know! Thanatos was not a requested one and when I sniffed the imp, I put it in "to test later" pile, which actually translates to the "to be forgotten" pile. Then I read the official description for it, it sounded just like my thang and I thought "Hmmm, did I get an imp of that?" The answer was yes and I was running to find it.

Makes me think of Khajuraho, though I didn't compare the two, it brought it to mind. Sweet and spicy, warm, resiny incense with just an impression of rose and maybe moss. The throw isn't too far, but I hugged a friend and got a raving compliment and asked what I was wearing. After a few hours, I smell primarily sandalwood. Thanks to whoever sent it to me, and I hope to have a bottle in my future.

[portalkat]

This is rose at the top and beneath the flower is the musty moss. I can smell the sandalwood, but it is the type of sandalwood that's in Dragon's bone and not the deeper sweet wood. This sandalwood is the one that always reminds me a bit of gasoline. The myrrh sits beneath the sweet rose. This blends moves and shifts around a lot - notes flashing in and out and wisps of resin blowing through. Thanatos is a very interesting blend and I'm glad that I have a bottle.

[jasmine]

Goodness, that’s pretty! I really hadn’t expected to like it anywhere near as much as I did at first sniff. I suspect it’s the rose -- it bloomed instantly on my skin. I certainly detect other notes, though... there’s something high and thin that reminds me of part of a lemon scent without being a whole rounded lemon, and there’s a low, broad undercurrent that I can’t properly place, yet which gives the scent good body.

 

This is a marvelously multilayered scent. Something sweet and fruit-like is developing in that middle layer. There’s still a faint edge like lemon across the top, and the rose has faded away into the fruity middle scent. I can’t tell the middle from the bottom any more. It’s neither a warm scent nor a cold one, but it’s closer to warm than cold.

 

As time passes, it grows more subtle, and the faint, clean edge across the top of the scent grows more prominent. There’s a trace of soapiness, but the warm, broad scent underneath is too confident for the soap to go anywhere significant.

 

On a side note, more than any other scent I’ve tried so far, this one seems misnamed. I’m at a complete loss as to why it was named Thanatos. I can only conclude it smells differently on other people, and that my skin is doing something special and weird to it. I’ll fail to complain about this, considering how much I like the scent (though the soapiness coming in did sadden me.)

[nancybridget]

What a beautiful, green, lush and resinous rose! I'm usually not one for rosey scents, but the moss and incense loosen the rose up a bit and add a charming touch.

 

This scent is definately a unisex one, and I feel that it would be ever so sexy on a man. Yum!

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Dark green moss and cooking spices

 

Wet on me - Sweet and earthy, I can't quite put my finger on it

 

Dry on me - Slight green herbs

 

Overall - This didn't make much of an impact with me as it faded away very quickly.

[monsteralice]

Wet: Strong sandalwood with a touch of rose and incense.

 

Dry: Rose got stronger as it dried. Resins came up once it dried. There was something a little bitter just at the edge - maybe that was the moss?

 

Finish: Nicely blended scent. Smells the way I imagine the sweet paste used to anoint mummies must have smelled.

 

Duration/Throw: Medium throw. Spicy scent was still present after 8 hours.

[Voleuse]

On first sniff, this is a little generic to my nose, rose and resin. As it dries, the resins strengthen, and combined with the sandalwood, they create a dry and dessicated smell. The rose sticks around, but in the way of dried petals. This is a tomb scent, solemn and sealed, with an echo of mourning still preserved.

 

For the record, this blend has excellent staying power. I tested it during my lunch break, and eight hours later, the throw was only a little diminished.

[little_galaxie]

Ooohhh, this is like watered down Doc Buzzards on me! I swear to god, it must be the cedar, only the tobacco's been replaced with the rose. The Doc was sexy, willful and a little bit malevolent. Thanatos gives off a very hippy-like vibe.

 

I love it. Perfect for the days when DB is too much.

[thespring]

From the vial I smell a lightly sweet, quite sharp and dry herbal blend. There is zesty note like lime which is the most prominant and this continues when wet on my skin.

 

I smell moss mostly, then myrrh and then a soft floral insence. Only during the wet phase do I get the slightest bit of mastic.

 

As it dries I smell a very musty woody floral-herbal scent. It's really dry and smells like mens cologne/soap in the traditional old fashioned sense.

 

Yet there is an edge to it. The myrrh and rose add an interesting twist. I don't think it ever becomes girly, but it smells unisex to me.

 

It eventually dies as a very soft woody floral.

 

I think it's one of those scents which are really unique but I can't put my finger on the exact reason why. It's confident, sexy and beautiful in a no nonsense, no frilly bits sort of way.

Edited February 20, 2007 by thespring

[filigree_shadow]

I accidentally put more oil on for the test of this oil than I usually use, and now I'm regretting it. I really don't like this scent. It smells bitter and strange -- almost sticky -- and it's really strong. I guess I'm not sure how to describe the scent, I just know I don't like it.

[phedre]

In vial: myrrh and moss.

 

Wet: There's a sharpness to this, like olives crossed with incense. The greek incense maybe? It's not unpleasent, but it's leaning that way.

 

Drydown: Definitely olives and incense. Unusual. Eep, it's turning to pickles! Off to the swaps for this one.

[Lunaratu]

frimp from the lab!

 

I don't know if anyone else got this but Thanatos smells almost exactly like Danse Macabre to me--in fact it's so close I can't really tell the difference at all. There's a slight trace of the rose to perhaps differentiate this but that's about it. Perhaps woods just amp on me because Danse Macabre and Thanatos have not one ingredient in common! or maybe the benzoin in this mixed with the sandalwood smells like the frankincense mixed with black cypress in Danse Macabre. I'm just extremely puzzled by the very close similarity, though I do think I like this scent a bit better because it has that slight floral trace breaking up the *wood* scent.

 

still, a very nice scent with an incense and exotic woods quality (and some florals wafting in a bouquet somewhere in the distance), comforting and slightly religious smelling. So I'll definitely keep the frimp but I don't foresee a bottle in my future just yet.

 

Rating: 3/5

Edited October 9, 2007 by Lunaratu

[melange]

Beautiful! This is an independent, even polite scent, one that strikes me as being good to wear in air conditioning: dry, clear, anything but sticky, neither hot/spicy to fight with the air conditioning nor cold/fruity to freeze you further. The rose doesn't stand out on my skin, either. Thanatos feels like the lightest of sheets, just a careful fraction away from my skin rather than a true skin scent.

 

It seems office-compatible (especially because there's just about an inch and a half of throw) while remaining individual; I imagine a bookkeeper complete with a green shade, working in a pool of light with darkness all around, matter-of-factly tallying some very crucial ledgers. Thanatos would tempt me into a bottle if it lasted longer on my skin and had a little more throw.

[Nia]

In the imp is sweet like candy. This smell is too happy to be named after death.

 

On me, it is still sweet. The sandalwood is not overpowering, and after a while, the gentle mix of sandalwood and candy gives way to rose. It's very balanced and not at all "scary" as I thought it would be. Pleasant, and beautifully long-lasting.

[LadyCrow]

I only get the rose when this is in the imp. On my skin, it's the sandalwood that hits first, with the resins coming on as drydown begins.

 

This reminds me a lot of Tushnamatay, in the way that certain blends -- and I wouldn't have thought of this when I thought of "woodsy" -- have this lovely creamy quality that keeps my nose firmly attached to my arm. Both blends are also very much skin scents for me, so much so that I, with my peculiar tastes, would consider using this one especially as a room scent.

 

(Nia states in her review that Thanatos is "too happy to be named after death." I have to agree that the enchanting images it evokes for me are nothing like the doom-and-gloomy description. I'm sorry -- this is just not morbid! Romantic and swoony, okay, in the same way that Rose Cross is. But this is not the Djarum Black of perfumes, here.)

[Naamah_Darling]

If you're thinking this sounds like an amazingly complicated scent, you'd be right on. In the bottle it's benzoin and sandalwood with a sweet fruity overlay of sweet incense resins. The rose is not an obvious smell, but is more of a sweet influence.

 

There is an almost aquatic note to this, a cucumbery, melony scent that makes me suspect a bit of dragon's blood in the mix. Mostly it's sharp and rich resins, overlaid by a rich true perfume aroma.

 

This is complex, and very beautiful, but at the same time it's cold and unyielding. There is very little warmth to this scent despite what should be warm notes. This is cool and salty, and again, I want to say aquatic.

 

Possibly the most bizarre scent I've yet encountered. It does nothing the way I expect it to.

 

Oh, god, as it dries it becomes the sweetest smell, high-pitched and perfumey, perfectly caught between clean and floral. This is a lovely, lovely scent, and I can't really describe it because it doesn't really smell like anything else!

[Rouge]

In the vial - Mossy, yet somehow dry and powdery. It seems to share a couple of notes with Shroud.

 

Wet on the skin - There's something soft under the dry, brittle sandalwood. It's not exactly warm, but still strangely inviting.

 

Dry down - A dry, dusty note emerges which reminds me of flowers that have baked to delicate husks on a marble graveliner, surrounded by grit, earth and creeping lichen.

 

I'd class this an unobtrusive yet sophisticated rainy-day scent. I'd wear it with greys and light blues; dark pearls and brushed silver.

[Trish]

In the imp: Myrrh with woods and incense, and just the tiniest hint of rose. This is glorious in the imp!!!

 

Wet: *dies and goes to heaven* The myrrh in this reminds me very strongly of Priala (which I am besotted with), but it's softer and sweeter, with the other notes mingling.

 

Drydown: Oh man this is gorgeous! The myrrh and incense are the strongest notes on me, with just a little sandalwood and rose in the background - the only way I do rose! A light sweet incense that's softened by the rose.

 

Dry: The rose has come out more but it's still very soft and not overpowering the other notes thank heavens. There's also a slight greenery from the moss which I'm not altogether crazy about. Or maybe it's mastic, that's a new note for me so I'm not sure. The throw is quite different from the skin scent, it's far more myrrh and incense than the latter.

 

Later: *cries* The green is overpowering everything else! And I hate green notes. I can just detect some smoky rose underneath it, and the throw, while light, is still all myrrh and incense and much better than the skin scent.

 

A little later: That's better, the green is fading quickly now! But in it's place comes rose, luckily it's still a soft subtle rose and mixed with the incense it's quite pretty if not me.

 

 

I think I need to retest this, because I love the early stages and the throw, but the dry on skin scent just isn't me. I do have a feeling it will grow on me, although I can do without that green stage even if it only lasts 10-15 minutes. At the very least I will wear this in my scent locket however, and the imp is a keeper.

[Styx]

Thanatos

yellow oil

 

Imp: Mossy and woody, and a bit like mens cologne.

 

Skin: While the oil is still wet, its dry, sharp and unpleasant. But as soon as it dries it turns into a complex sandalwood incense that is softly sweet.

I'm not usually enthusiastic on incense, but I found this so interesting I keep on trying it now and then just to see if I love it or not. On me, the dryness isn't a powdery dryness but a solid one, like a big block of firewood, which is a plus point.

The sweetness is what makes this scent so complex; its subtle, and even herby by the way it lingers in the back of my nose when I suck it in deeply. I noticed later that it must come from the rose, but its blended in so well with everything else, I don't think I would have noticed without looking at the descriptions.

The scent did not change even after half a day, very stable.

 

A fragrant oriental wood scent that is gender neutral.

If you like incense, Thanatos shouldn't be missed.

[theseagrows]

i kind of like this when i first put it on. i get a warm myrrh-y scent with something i cant put my finger on. after it dries, however, something turns sour on my skin and i can smell the sandalwood and rose mostly. i am getting a pencil-shaving sort of scent from this, so perhaps it's the greek incense or the sandalwood. this just doesnt work with my skin chemistry, sadly.

Edited July 27, 2007 by theseagrows

[jaeyne]

I didn't read anything about this before I tried it, so I was surprised, nay, shocked to see it has rose in it. No rose for me wet , dry or in the vial. Wet and dry I kept trying to place the note. Something green, something like smoke or leather, wet. Dry and developed it smells like my SO's high end masculine perfume. I can't think of what exactly, maybeYSL. Green, incensy, spicy, yummy. Lasted a long time, decent throw. Mileage may vary.

Edited August 27, 2007 by jaybird

[bombus]

It is too masculine for me, though I think it will smell really good on the boy. I am getting much more than a whiff of the greek incense, and just a bit of rose. I think my skin must eat up sandalwood because I can hardly smell it at all once it dries. So the boyfriend gets this imp.

[storme]

In the imp: woods and sticky-sweet incense with lots of rose over the top.

 

On me, wet: lots of lovely sandalwood and a tiny bit of a rather unpleasantly heavy, over-sweet rose.

 

On me, dry: hmmm. mostly I can smell sticky incense and roses now, but there's something cooling and grounded under this. It's pretty faint, though.

 

Verdict: Nope, too much treacly, cloying rose and incense, not enough sandalwood for me.

[YoakeNoKami]

Imp from my first order.

 

In imp:

Sweet roses and moss, at first. It very much reminds me of my grandma's roses--heady (and head-sized) blossoms on thick, gnarled trunks. The blossoms that this brings to mind are brillant red with dark edges...

 

On/wet: Hmm. The roses have abandoned me for moss and myrrh. Uh? The scent is a bit flat on me now, but still pretty good. For lack of a better word, it's a bit "wet".

 

Drydown: Oh my god. Yum... as this dries, it's turned to warm resin and rolled itself up into the scent of good, dry firewood, with a faint but steady hint of dry, dark roses.

 

1 hour: still going strong. The scent has a faint, underlying spiceness (that "firewood" scent) and it's still edged in the roses.

 

3 hours: Warm and lovely...

 

Final impression: A lovely, tasty sort of scent. Though perhaps not the scent of something you would eat? Overall, it's a warm kind of scent, with the rose giving it an underlying sort of fragility, at least for me, and wrapping me up in the comforting memories of evenings around a woodstove. I think this could be a unisex scent, yes, but it's rather on the whim of your skin chemistry--especially if your skin amps rose notes.

 

The image it evokes as Thanatos for me is of Thanatos as a young man, a wanderer, following a trail of dead rose petals--knowing what is necessary...and moving forward regardless, simply being as he is meant to be. I also think that he'd be very much alone and though knowing why it is necessary, would still wonder what it meant to live, and to be one of the living. I don't really know how to describe it, except to say that I am now anxiously awaiting a 5ml...

[daiconharuko]

I really hated it in the bottle.

 

On me I'm liking it more, but the rose is a bit too strong on me. I think I'll hang on to it to see if it changes like Rakshasa did on me.