Titus Andronicus

[kamikat]

Dark musk and black amber with frankincense, red sandalwood, neroli and bergamot.

This was a free one and the last of my recent imp order to try. I had smelled it in the bottle and didn't really care for it. It smelled too sweet and fruity to me. I always try each scent at least once before passing them on. Wow, am I glad I tried this one. Wet, it was too fruity and floral. Once dried, it became nice and spicey. This is now my second favorite, behind Morocco and pushed Snake Oil to number 3. Yum, yum, yum. I need me a big bottle of this!

[plunderparlour]

This is wonderful bergamot spice frankincense. on wet it was rather strong and sweet. dry the notes blend so warmly together. this is nice for falltime.

[milo]

Right away, I smell the citrus, and the spice. It really is quite nice on me for a couple of minutes, then it goes masculine. I'd probably really like this on a guy, but for me, there is too much of a sharpness to it to wear too often. This is a very warm and comforting scent, however, and I'll keep the imp.

[anardana]

Add me to the list of people who say this goes to powder on them.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Bergamot, frankincense, neroli.

 

Wet: Citrusy with a warmth beneath, maybe frankincense and sandalwood combined. There's a hint of something else -- vanilla? -- too.

 

Twenty minutes: The citrusy fragrance has died back. Now this is musk, amber, wood, resin with a bare hint of minty bite. It's heavy, a little somber, but not unpleasant.

 

One hour: Nice. I notice the amber more than the other ingredients, but not by much. A very pleasant, serious blend.

 

Two hours: Musk, frankincense, and something tannin-y, with a bite of amber beneath. I don't dislike this, but I keep waiting for it to turn into something more spectacular.

 

Three hours: Sandalwood's gone a bit sour now, and the subtle balance of it is slipping. It's sweeter now, maybe that's even the neroli peeking out a bit. Definitely past its prime now; still pleasant, but aging.

 

Four hours: Light resin. It's done.

 

Done in by my skin's hatred for red sandalwood, again. *sigh*

[rayvn1]

I was rubbing my hands in gleefull anticipation for this imp filled with every one of my favorite notes pretty much Then I put it on, and had a resounding....meh?....Just not much oomph with this one, though I may have to try it again at a different time of the skin chemistry month. Smells fan-freaking-tastic on my husband though

 

edit for typos

Edited January 18, 2009 by rayvn1

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Wow, I didn't even know this blend existed until someone frimped me with it. How I manage to miss lovely lab offerings in the listings sometimes for months and years on end is beyond me, but there you go. I'm sorry I did overlook this blend for so long, because it is really nice!

 

Starts out a bit masculine and astringent in the wet phase, but that quickly softens into something more well-rounded...I get a lot of red sandalwood tempered with the neroli in the distant background. The bergamot plays a leading role in this blend, I'd say, with the other notes as supporting cast. Leading lady black amber brings a real soft sexiness that pushes this into perfume territory and makes me think it's something better suited for a woman, and then black musk sexes it all up without being too over the top. Well done!

[angelicruin]

Sniffing the imp, this is musk and amber.

 

On my skin, this is a lovely spicy amber scent with just a touch of smoke. A very sexy blend on my skin.

[stellans]

This blend is lighter on me than I was expecting, given the darkness of the notes identified by the Lab. Amber, at least most ambers, does not work well on me, but this seems to be an exception. It is a sweet scent, wafting to my nose from my scent locket, and there’s not much ‘dark’ to this blend. Surprising, considering its namesake is one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest and gloomiest of works.

 

I was also expecting to smell more incense to this, given two of the notes are incense in nature (sandalwood, frankincense), and also some citrus (the neroli). They are there only in the lightest sense, but are there. I like this sent, though I’m not sure I need more than my imp of it.

Edited May 10, 2011 by stellans

[ephemera]

Wow. Just... wow.

 

I have long looked at this scent and though, I need to try that. It's going to be awesome and then got imps of it and somehow never tried it. I pulled it out of my imp box this morning on a whim and finally tried it.

 

Fresh the bergamot and neroli are very up-front, but not overpowering. The musk is subtle, the sandalwood is barely there. The amber is warming the bergamot up, keeping it from being a harsh, green scent.

 

After a while the amber and musk and sandalwood rise to the top and the neroli and bergamot fades underneath, but they're still there. This is a lovely, warm scent that's fresh without being green. It's definitely a unisex scent, but I am wearing this one and feeling good. I feel confident and powerful but not masculine.

 

I'm definitely a fan. I might need a bottle of this!!

[marared]

Fresh out of the imp, it's all musky neroli. mmm. After a few minutes, the neroli fades into the background and it's more of a musky amber with barely noticeable frankincense. Sandalwood? Nope. It has virtually no throw - it doesn't disappear, but it blends and hangs close to my skin. It's warm and sexy.

 

I'd put it in the same family as Hunger and Oblivion, in that it has a masculine quirk to it, but it's perfectly adequate for a woman. If it had more throw, I think I'd get a bottle, but I'd have to slather this to get any effect.

[superpopkid]

(Standard new person/grain of salt disclaimer goes here.)

 

A little spicy, a little warm, a little woodsy, a little sweet. Sadly, this all added up into...a little. It turned into a nondescript men's deodorant/cologne smell on my skin. A nice one, just not the kind of deep green scent I was hoping for. This wasn't especially potent or long lasting on me either. It sounds like this one can be wonderful on other people, just not for me.

[Redillon]

In the IMp it was spicy with a hint of lemon.

 

On: It was more spicy & resinous. Very nice. Masculine without being a mans scent. Understand?

 

Dry Down: A sweet/spicy and warm scent. I cna smell the frankinscence & it's beautiful. The lemon scent is gone. I love smelling my wrist. Very nice. I'm glad I picked up the IMP!!!

 

 

[hmelt004]

Musky amber all the way, with a hint of neroli in the background. Mine's aged quite a bit, but those notes still don't work on my skin.

[sarielswish]

In the vial, bergamot and frankincense are in the forefront, with a little of the sandalwood noticeable and some of the musk on the underside. Colorwise, it's a distinct gold.

 

Wet on my skin, frankincense and neroli... uhoh. I'll give it 10 minutes and then it's coming off.

 

10 minute drydown - It smells like rancid feet.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: frankincense with an undercurrent of neroli

 

Wet on Skin: sweet neroli lightly covering frankincense and sandalwood

 

While Drying: sweetness fades back and it gets a bit more spicy

 

After a Little While: warm, spicy wood

 

Later: After a few hours, I can only smell this right up close to my skin, but the lingering scent is beautiful, warm and spicy.

 

Titus Andrinicus earns a 3.5/5 (would be 4/5 with more throw or staying power)

[Edeniade]

I had this on my wishlist to try because I love the smell of bergamot and red sandalwood loves my skin. I was not disappointed!

 

In the bottle: Dark musk and something sour...the neroli? Kind of reminds me of a fruity Chanel no5 oddly enough, very perfumey in the bottle and makes me think it's a designer brand perfume from a department store.

 

First swipe: Really citrusy, bit of bergamot. Kind of like a mug of Earl Grey tea with lots of lemon juice squeezed in. It's comforting and relaxes me quite a bit. Happily the department store perfume smell is not apparent! The throw on this is very good; it's not constant but every few moments I catch a good whiff of it and I break into a smile.

 

Drydown: It turns into a deepened musk that smells like my tea on a rainy day. Slightly powdery too, but not so much for me to hate it. Keeper!

 

After 1 day wear: Lasted all day, wasn't over-powerful. Kept getting whiffs of it and it was nice and mellow, keeping me happy at work. Overall a good choice.

[Voleuse]

This is definitely supposed to make me think "classical masculine," what with the musk and the incense. It's not as heavy as it could be, though, and there's a hint of soapiness that surprised me. Over time, the soapiness (I think it's the amber reacting to my skin chemistry) gets stronger, until it overwhelms everything else. Darn! I liked the first sniff of this, but it's definitely not one I can wear personally.

[strahlend]

Loads of amber and black musk backing it up. It's reminding me a lot of Brisingamen. It's very musky and warm with a lighter sort of sparkle element and a slightly spiced feel to it as well. Mainly though, it's a whole lot of amber. Right now it's working on my skin and I'm loving it.

[SophieCedar]

This is great but it could be a touch more concentrated for impact. It reminds me of Haunted after the neroli burns off.

[impolight]

:::TITUS ANDRONICUS:::

 

Overjoyed to be the first reviewer of 11'sies!

 

Just from a brief perusal of the notes, Titus Andronicus insinuates a blood-curdling scream of "Dead Sexy!"

Only the most stoic fyzigunkus would remain unmoved by by the Lab's interpretation of of The Bard's flickering menace; of the word spread like airborne izles that got Titus Andronicus banned from theatres in Paris because of it's glistening and rubicund savagery!

From the Imp: Thank the powers that this review is not being composed from a standing position, for knees would unquestioningly buckle...Titus Andronicus IS drop-dead gorgeous!

This is amazingly well blended. The first impression to assail the frontal cortex is the many splendored unification of the Black Amber, the Neroli, and the Bergamot. Titus Andronicus is sweet, yet far from a way that could possibly be interpreted as effette.

This has the masculine sweetness that is agothocological: suggestive of near hypnotic intrigue and sublimated carnage alike.

Sexy, super-psycho! Grand!

The Red Sandalwood adds a nice depth to Titus Andronicus. It keeps it from being simple or nebulous.

The Dark Musks add a more sinister element still.

Titus Andronicus is fun!

On the Skin: Titus Andronicus darkens substantially.

Black Amber is the ideal descriptor.

The darkness in Titus Andronicus is almost intoxicatingly sweet... Crazily enough, this now seems as though it might have some Poppy and Rosewood in it... Very Much like 2009's On Darkness.

This is sanguinity barely covering smoldering, bittersweet cocoa and crushed poppies dripping a syrupy red.

If there were hints under the surface that had originally caused the ripples and eddies of nightmares, skinwise this is froth, foam and a maw like a pincushion!

Titus Andronicus is awesome!

On Her, Titus Andronicus is sick and wrong.

On Him Titus Andronicus is a diabolarchy in wolf's clothing.

Titus Andronicus gets a perfect 10!

[Suu4LC]

What an interesting combo of scents-I am honestly not sure what to expect!

 

In the imp, this is mostly sandalwood and frankincense to me-also very musky. I do get a touch of bergamot, which is nice. I fear this blend will go super powdery on me though-amber and sandalwood usually tend to turn to powder on my skin.

 

Huh-some note is going very weird on me-I think it's the dark musk or the black amber...it just smells sort of off on me-like...chloriney. It's very weird and the whole scent has a weird overtone of chlorine, which is too bad, because the rich frankincense would be lovely. I didn't get that weird note in the imp-just on my skin.

 

Harumph...yeah, this ended up going super powdery as I expected-ended up being a sort of frankincense/sandalwood powder-I really did like the smell of this in the imp, but my skin just turned it into a disaster!

[Ella LaRose]

very citrusy at first, but after 15 minyutes the citrus dies down and I can smell something darker and sweeter. I really like this one, I want to put it on my husband!!

[sparkleyturtle]

Lovely smell. A lighter masculine mix, but still masculine. I could nuzzle up to this, but don't see myself wearing it.

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the imp: Oil is a dark amber color, appropriately enough! The first note I get is sandalwood, but then the sharpness of the neroli and bergamot kicks in and becomes much stronger. Bergamot is the dominant note. I did pick up the neroli, but it is a minor player, hidden underneath the stronger scents.

 

On me, wet: The woody note of the sandalwood, along with the bergamot, are the most noticeable, but I can also detect the frankincense. As it begins to dry, the neroli and musk make their presence known but remain supporting players.

 

On me, just dried: Woodiness is the main impression. This doesn't totally blow me away (I'm more of a flower child), but I do quite like it.

 

After 1 hour: OMG, this is really beautiful now, with the musk and amber having taken over as the dominant notes, but with the sandalwood still going strong as well.

 

After 1 1/2 hours: The fragrance has completely transformed. Now there is no woodiness at all; and it is sweeter, lighter, cooler. It's still not what I would call a cool scent, but it is no longer a warm scent either. I guess I would say it's neutral in temperature-mood now. Mostly musk and amber, but the sandalwood and frankincense are hovering in the background. The sandalwood now smells like its typical incense scent rather than wood. Gorgeous!

 

After 2 hours: It's gone powdery, but in a good way and with the same notes as above. It seems that both musk and amber tend to do that on my skin but I'm not complaining. I love scented powders - even baby powder scent. This one is much more upscale, mature, and gender-neutral.

 

After 3 hours: It's mostly gone. Just a lingering memory of baby powder and sandalwood, with just the faintest hint of smokiness.

 

VERDICT: A lovely unisex blend. Upon reading the description, I expected an incense-type scent, but instead it is wood. It would be perfect for work, especially during the first hour on my skin, when it is dignified and the mood is professional, important, and powerful. It fits the name perfectly!

After the first hour, I like it even more, when it is sweeter, cooler, and gentler - less of a power-player.

 

My rating: 4 stars the first hour/5 stars after 1 hour

 

ETA: I forgot to say thanks to the labbies for the frimp!

Edited September 22, 2011 by Ghost of a Rose