The Robotic Scarab

[Lethran]

Pinpoints of red light beaming from its eyes scan the room, and in a flutter of leather wings, it scuttles across the wooden floorboards.

Polished metallic notes, glossy leather, frankincense, star anise, and thin lubricating oils.

In bottle: Mmmm… this has the metallics that mechanical phoenix has with a sweet insensey edge. It is masculine, but sweet. Wet: I love this. It’s got a pleasant aftershave thing going on with an anise/incense effect elevating it. It’s sweet, spicy and sexy all at once, and somehow, very steampunk. Dry: I’m in love, I really am. This is reminding me of red Moon and Pirate Moon. It is sweet and light and spicey, but has more through than either of those lunacies. It is pleasantly complex without being busy. Seriously, this is a winner.

[Brianne]

I was super curious about this one because I love leather and I ADORE anise. I was a little worried about the metallic notes though, because those are often ozoney and too masculine on me.

 

Unfortunately, it does the same thing here lol. It's really nice in that it's a very warm, lightly spiced scent with a faint leather background. But it IS distinctly masculine in my opinion. I don't get the anise unfortunately, but I do see where you could certainly close yours eyes and imagine the "lubricating oils" It has almost a sweet, incensey quality to it. It's nice, just not for me!

[hipslike___cinderella]

Robotic Scarab is one of those scents that surprises me each time I look at the notes. Altogether, this is something traditional and cozy. I feel like I've smelled this before. The "lubricating oils" remind me of the lab's "traditional lunar oils", in Moon of Ice, for example. I feel similarities to Mechanical Phoenix, but it's more feminine- this isn't a "cologne" type scent. I credit the frankincense the most here; it's the strongest note, and I think it's what makes this cozy to me. I get zero star anise, and I don't think I detect leather either (there- I was like, "huh?" when I reread that there was leather in this blend). Nice, and I think I'm keeping my imp, but no bottle.

[iiinterstate]

Wow, this is not what I expected (but in a good way).

 

I don't generally like anise, but I took a risk here and I'm glad for it. First thing I notice is the leather note, which blends with the anise VERY well (I never would have put those two together in my mind) I also get the metallic notes that smell familiar from Phoenix Steamworks, only a bit heavier. I like it! I never thought oiled metal would smell so nice.

 

 

ETA: Honestly, I might be trading in my PSteamworks for a bottle of this.

Edited May 8, 2008 by iiinterstate

[slave1]

THE ROBOTIC SCARAB

 

In Bottle: Metallic leather

 

On Skin: Oh yeah, my husband will be wearing this. I absolutely love leather notes on him, and mixed with the cool ozone like scent of the metal, we have a winner. He loves clean scents and this one has a gorgeous crystaline feel to it. A bit soapy, but with a refined cologne edge. The frankincense gives a nice dark contrast. The anise gives a unique sweet and spicy side and the oils add a smooth transition between all the notes. It is pretty sharp which I hope doesn’t scare my husband. I think if applied lightly it is a very elegant scent. A masculine scent for sure. It has a very strong throw and average to long wearlength.

[lysithea]

Overall scent impression: Leather drenched in ozoney, aquatic notes.

 

It does come off in a refined cologne way - not too masculine, but it does still have an edge.

Unfortunately, I didn't even get a wiff of anise. I would have loved that that note to be pulled to the top.

I agree with slave1 about the sharpness. Typically, this type of scent just screams on my skin. Luckily, that has been a bit toned down. Frankincense always does this on my skin. Sometimes I even get pickles! Blech!

 

Throw is strong. Use sparingly. Wearlength has been average. Lingers on clothes quite pervasively. Fades to a sweet soap scent direct on skin. The frankincense can still be detected after 10 hours.

 

Disclaimer: my skin chemistry has been a bit off all week. I have no idea what's going on, but it seems that everything has either been flat or disappeared very quickly. I may edit this review when I try it again at a later date.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Light, sweet leather and spices.

 

Immediately on skin: This is much sweeter than I was expecting. This feels very metallic and shiny, and has a bit of sweet spices and a definite oily smell to it, though it doesn’t smell cloying. It has a hint of ozone in the far background.

 

After a little while: This smells very polished, and shiny, but warm with hints of the leather and very sweet, miscellaneous spices (almost cinnamony, actually). It’s hard to describe because this is one of those blends that is so nicely blended that it just creates a perfect blending, and the individual notes almost get lost.

 

Overall Impressions: This scent is much sweeter than I was expecting. It’s an interesting scent, and like most of the other Steamworks blends, is unisex. This smells shiny and warm, with hints of the leather and spices… maybe some soft resins too. This smells coppery-red in color and has an odd dry but glossy feel to it (I’m talking about the scent, not the actual feel of the oil). This is a must-try for anyone that likes spicier scents.

[savage_rose]

This is very icy and metallic scent, but with there's a warmth to it. There's soapiness starting out, but that soon disappates.

[scarletgenesis]

Guh.

 

In the bottle I'm getting cinnamon and cloves, neither of which is listed in the notes for this blend (but I don't care, because I love them).

 

Once on, this is like thinned out motor oil and leather that's been drenched in spices. I still get cinnamon and cloves, but the anise and frankincense might be in there a bit as well....

 

This actually reminds me of a lighter version of Mort de Cesar.....

 

 

Friggen gorgeous on me. Not exactly what I expected, but O.M.G...so beautiful and sexy.

 

It would be fantastic on a man as well, but since my husband doesn't do scented stuff, this bottle is allllll minnnnneeeeee. Makes me want to prowl around, pose for sexy photos, and stalk around the house in jeans and 3 inch heels. Yummy.

 

I'm pretty sure this just jumped into my top 5. Definitely top 10.

[Lunaliquid]

Oh wow! The Robotic Scarab was a "fill up the imp pack pick" based on the notes listed, and I fully anticipated it heading to the swaps pile as soon as I got it. I couldn't have been more wrong!

 

I love the smell of leather, but I like my leather to be on a sweaty horse and not on my skin, thankyouverymuch. However, this time the leather behaves beautifully on me. It stays close to my skin and is enveloped in a warm glow of frankincense and star anise. The top note smells like a very expensive perfume - if that's the polished metallic notes, I want more. I've been avoiding anything with metallic notes just from the description, but I think I need to rethink that phobia.

All in all an excellent blend, absolutely bottle worthy, and a total surprise!

I can't wait to dab this one on right before I go to the gym today. I have an uncontrollable urge to smell like a sweaty horse..... (just hope the other patrons won't mind too much)

[akuaa]

this is quite lovely. still floral. not rose. a brighter floral. it has a similar old musty book undercurrent, but not as obvious as in the obsidian widow (i tested these at around the same time). it has more of a tang of greased metal. so fascinating! as this fades, it gets even more lovely. i do like this.

[alicia_stardust]

The Robotic Scarab is warm and seems to have a bit of a spice to the leather, even while being surrounded by slick oils and a touch of sharp metallic ozone. The leather really warms up and moves to the forefront after a short while, but the other aspects remain ever present. I do think it's unisex for most. If you at all like leather it's a must try!! It's so interesting the way this scent is simultaneously warm and cold. I can practically hear the parts of the scarab whirring and clicking.

[tartchef]

Wow. Amazing. I tend to shy away from leather notes, but the promise of anise & frankincense was enough for me to give Robotic Scarab a whirl... It opens with the same sharp masculine note from Mechanical Phoenix, but instead of exploding into man-fume, it's burnished by sweet anise & a glorious incense into a stunning shining copper scent - I can nearly feel it in my mouth, like biting down gently on a thin plate of metal. There's a faintly fruity edge, akin to cider, and the leather is old & worn thin, not the fresh leather jacket of, say, Whip. It fades quickly, though...

 

Masculine, but not exclusively so - this is the scent of intellect & industry, of shining cogs & pinscrews scattered across a sheet of blotter paper covered in scribbled notes, figures, diagrams...

 

ETA: Again with the wow... the extended dry-down is throwing all kinds of stuff out there - I'm getting wafts of cherry, smoke, BIG anise, pipe tobacco... wow.

Edited May 13, 2008 by tartchef

[Reaver]

Clean, bright, spicy and well grounded. The leather is the base note in this for me, the other notes sparkling over it. There's something very bitter in there that I'm trying to place that will probably stop me from slathering this too much, but it's definitely a keeper as it's such a dark horse! I don't care if I can only wear a little and have to keep it wet. It's worth it. It just means I get the fantastic wet stage most of the time!

 

Dried down, the frankincense is DELICIOUS and makes the whole blend have a bittersweet quality. Heck, it was delicious wet too. I can't smell star anise (boo... I wanted liquorice!) but the metallic overtones make up for it ten-fold! It's really gentle, but demands attention.

 

So far, the Steamworks have been FANTASTIC or meh on me. This is a fantastic one. Bottle please.

 

Conclusion - OMG yush.

9/10

[penemuel]

In the imp this is almost startlingly sharp -- the oiled metal really jumps out at me. On my skin, wet, it's already starting to warm up and become burnished and spicy. I can smell the leather, and I do get a bit of the anise, which I'm very happy about. I love licorice and anise, and the fact that it doesn't vanish completely on me is good!

 

Drying down, now, it's all sweet spicy leather and warm burnished metal -- this is a lovely scent and I'm trying to talk myself out of a bottle. I think I'm failing.

 

Maybe I'll see what the OH says -- if she doesn't like it, then I'll be good and stick to imps...

[greenranger]

In the imp, lubricating oils...but, so much better smelling than the petrochemical derived sort.

 

On me, the leather is taking a while to settle down and play nice, but, I have high hopes. Nothing else is separating out from the overall blend yet. Wait, there's a little bit more spicyness.

 

Drying, the leather is beginning to lose that "perfume" scent it always seems to start with on me. It's blending in to the rest now. I can't pick out the rest of the notes, but, that's ok.

 

I have an image of a small, newly made, independently moving bit of brass and leather clockwork, whose inner and outer surfaces are polished and maintained by the alchemist's art.

 

This is cooler to me than the 93 Engine. Maybe that's because it is a smaller contraption, and running on something other than steam? On me it also has less throw.

Edited May 26, 2008 by Aerinha

[Sushi-n-Sake]

In imp: Ozone and metals. Smells a bit like Cool Water cologne.

Wet: Much the same, but with a hint of spiciness.

Dry: A mixture of metal, oils, leather, and spice. Stays close to the skin.

 

Verdict: Too much like generic men's cologne. I was hoping to get more leather and frankincense, but no such luck.

[starwild]

So, I got this from a forum order. Put it on and fell in love. I thought, "Wow, incensy floral metallic!"

 

Then I came here to review it, looked at the notes, and went O_O

 

This seems NOTHING like the notes make it sound! On me, it's a very sweet, incense-like scent with a definite but very light metallic undertone. It makes it smell just a bit cool and polished. I can pick out the leather once I look for it, but I don't get licorice/anise at ALL. Not a bit. It smells almost floral and metallic.

 

I just love this, I want a bottle.

[edenssixthday]

The Robotic Scarab I tend to like anise and frankincense, but not leather or oils, and metallic notes can go either way, so in my mind, this had about a 50/50 chance of working on me…and it does indeed work well on me. The leather in it is the same leather from Spanked and the metal and oil/grease notes back up the leather remarkably well. The anise is there, but it’s very subtle, and the frankincense provides a slight hint of resinous depth far, far in the background. It’s a very dark and masculine scent to me. As much as I like it, I would like to smell it on a handsome fella even more. (It's way too sad that my husband can't wear fragrances because this would be a total hubba hubba one on him!) The throw is “just right” and the staying power is quite good.

[tereshkova2001]

The metal and leather blend smoothly on my skin, not particularly masculine but nice. The oil does smell a bit like fresh vacuum pump oil; long-chain hydrocarbons are pretty distinctive. This is a subtle blend, nicely steampunky but unobtrusive.

[zankoku_zen]

I definitely get the shiny metallic notes, the leather and the cherry tobacco. For me this started almost as smoky metal leather, all melded together but as it has dried I can tell more of the notes apart. This is a very masculine scent to me, but somehow I don't think it's the hubby's cup of tea.

 

Off to the swap piles!

[waternight]

In the imp: Vague metallic leather, kinda sweetish, hint of frankincense.

Wet: I get the thin lubricating oils, and maybe some faint anise... but this is barely there. Just nothing. I is confused.

Dry: Alright, dry, this does take on a bit more life. But I really can't pick ANY of the notes out. It's kinda musky. I'm underwhelmed.

[Mishinka]

I'd been holding off on this one, because I don't know exactly what to say about it. I had to try it twice, because it is <i>strong.</i> Yesterday about all I had to say for it was "Ack! Get it off get it off get it off!" because seriously, this is something you don't slather. Just a drop or so of it does fine.

 

I'd forgotten what this scent was by the time I got it, and the description surprised me. I can't smell a thing in the description except maybe the frankincense. In fact, I get a lot of sweet, green floral and herbal smell from this. Wet it's sort of spicy flowers, but it dries down to a very masculine-cologney smell that's still pretty sweet. After a little while I'm starting to smell the leather and something that reminds me of BPAL's water note. It's nice, but I don't know if it's really for me.

[yeahbutnobut]

The Robotic Scarab

 

In the bottle: a sweet smooth slightly metallic and spicy scent, very pleasant!

Wet on skin: oh, this is lovely! Spicy and sweet and smooth resin.

Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! Really gorgeous. I can’t say exactly what I’m smelling because it’s not obviously metallic. It’s not obviously leathery. It’s not obviously anise-y and not obviously frankincense-y either. It’s like a mix of all of those but also a scent that isn’t those at all. Not very helpful description huh? All I know is that it smells warm, sweet, smooth, fruity (where’s that coming from?), a bit creamy (ditto!), I do get hints of the perfumey notes I come to expect from metal scents but they are not as edgy here. It reminds me very slightly of Aelopile for a moment, even though the scents share no notes. The frankincense is a smooth golden resin, not a smoky incense. the leather is very discreet, almost nonexistent. And the anise doesn’t show up much either. But I love this.

After a while: the metal notes get a bit more obvious, but they are really nice. Not as electric and biting as in Phoenix Steamworks, but there’s a nice tangy cool scent here. The frankincense is really calming the metal notes down (maybe the leather is too?) and I still smell that lovely smooth sweet lovely scent that I can’t put my finger on, but I adore. Maybe it’s the lubricating oils? If so, they smell not like mechanical oils like I expected, but like smooth sweet resins, amber and herbal oils, they smell golden and soothing. At this point I get a hint of that lovely drydown from Aelopile, that golden resin scent.

Verdict: out of all the metallic scents I’ve tried so far, this is my absolute favourite! It’s not at all what I expected, but I adore it…it’s even better than what I expected. I bought a bottle unsniffed because I just couldn’t resist the combination of ancient Egypt with steampunk. And I’m so glad I did, despite this containing two questionable notes (anise and metal). This smells wonderful, full of frankincense and spice and warmth, an unexpected sweetness and a metal note that doesn’t set my teeth on edge, but smells realistic enough and very wearable. It’s actually quite hard to describe this scent except to say that it doesn’t smell blatantly like it’s notes, and I happen to adore it. A unisex scent perfect for any season, the perfect fusion of ancient and modern.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Of course.

If you like this, try: Phoenix Steamworks, Aelopile, Mechanical Phoenix, Khephra, No 93 Engine

[Blood onmy hands]

I so desperately wanted to love The Robotic Scarab. I love frankincense and have good luck with some of the metallic blends & blends with anise in them. My skin amps spice like crazy though, and all I get from this is some sort of cinnamon or cassia. It's a sharp, strong, cinnamon-esque spice that threatens to give me a headache if I sniff at it for too long. I wish that any of the other notes would come out to play, but after five hours of wear, it's still a strong, flat cinnamon fragrance on me

ETA:
Got a frimp of this in 2016 and it smells totally different. I only get a hint of cinnamon from the frimp, but I'm still not smelling anything even remotely like metal, leather, frankincense or anise. It smells like a really dry, powdery skin musk and baby oil with a hint of cinnamon...

Edited May 26, 2016 by Little Bird