Othello

[ariosa]

Arabian musk with two roses and a bevy of Middle Eastern and Indian spices.

I try all scents, regardless of whether they're classified as guy or girl, because I tend to think things that are 'guy' smell kinda nice on me! This is another rose blend, and one I put on with great fear. Initially, I love it, because the musk and the spices tamper down the rose and make it play nice. But then the inevitable happens, and left to smoulder on my skin, the rose comes back and takes over E-VER-Y-THING. Which makes me sad, because it's the musk and the spices I really, really love. I don't hate Othello, but I think I'll be passing this imp along Edited October 16, 2007 by Shollin

[aleciarivas]

Hm... I've tried this twice now and I don't know STILL if I like it!!! I MIGHT MIGHT MIGHT try this on my DH while he is being so cooperative!

 

Very faded on me both times, which is I think part of the reason I can't decide if I like it or not....

 

ADDED Nov. 19:

 

Hm. Didn't care for this, and not sure I can imagine it on my DH either!!! Well, maybe we will try it on him during a cooperative moment. On myself I can smell the spices and roses, but pretty sure I don't care for the combo on me!

[Jocelyn]

This goes pretty manly on me. Not manly in the whack you over the head and take you back to my cave sort of way, but really not girly. This smells like one of my guy friends who always smells pleasantly clean, sort of like laundry detergent, but better.

[agnusdei]

I can understand how Othello is supposed to be a more masculine scent, even if it doesn't smell that way on me. The rose is soft, but not overly sweet or too heavily floral with a base of musk backing and deepening it. The spices are there as well but I feel like I have to search for them a bit, they're a little too well mannered (for my taste, at least). Once into the dry down it gets a distinctly 'clean' feeling, my boyfriend said it smelled a bit like shampoo and I am inclined to agree, I think I'm smelling what other people picked up as laundry detergent. Thankfully the powdery clean feeling fades after a while and I'm left again with a light musky rose barely dusted with spices. Othello is lovely, I just wish I could find a rose-and-spice blend with a little more presence to it.

[MaeKitty]

In the bottle: Musk, spices and a faint rose

On Me: Sweet musk, lovely soft roses, with the faintest whisper of spices. Normally this has alot of throw on me, but today my hormones must be keeping it in check. I love this scent, and its perfect for bellydancing. It makes me feel sexy. It's definitely got an exotic aura to it. I was worried at first that it might be too masculine on me, but instead, I feel even more feminine and lovely in it. A definite keeper.

[maribouquet]

Lovely, dry sexy musk at first, but dries down into something strangely fruity.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Sweet, deep musk and roses.

 

Wet: A bit powdery; I suspect some amber too because this has a very warm feel. Delicious, sexy musk. I can tell that one rose is more dusty, and another more fresh.

 

Dry: The same; perhaps a tad sweeter - almost too much so. I'm not getting any spices, though there is a rich, faintly incense-y hint.

 

Summary: Sweet, rich musk, warm, powdery golden amber, and rose, with the distant suggestion of incense. Strong throw and lasting power.

 

Too sweet and powdery for me, but well-blended.

[veronicafranco]

In imp – delicate rose. Sooo not manly.

On, wet – rose, with something almost rose-water-y, and a vague hint of spice.

On, dry(ing?) – kinda powdery, rose, barely spicy. The rose gets almost cloyingly vanilla-y. like pinkish vanilla? But not in a nice way. I think this must be the combo of these roses plus the Arabian musk on me. By the end of the evening I could still smell this – bordering on headache-inducing. I washed it off.

[ClareN]

This doesn't smell like the notes listed in the description to me. I'm a spice junkie, but the spices here aren't familiar ones like cinnamon or cardamom - it's just a general fresh-herbal-spiciness. I get very little rose, but mostly a clean-spicy, slightly musky, herbal scent. Very clean. It reminds me of some kind of expensive all-natural shampoo, maybe. Not bad, but not something I'd want to wear.

 

ETA: I must agree with a few other reviewers that this would make a very nice scent for laundry detergent.

Edited May 6, 2008 by ClareN

[savage_rose]

It smells like musk with a hint of...grape? I can't smell the rose at all in this. Which is strange, because my skin usually amps rose if at all possible. Hmmm. Pretty, clean smelling, but very light.

[hkhm]

imp: a spicy and lightly smoky musk scent.

 

wet: well, the rose is amping but it smells very similar to an incense that i burn frequently. it's not terribly soapy on me so maybe it will be okay once dry.

 

dry: of the rose scents that i've tried this one is quite tame. it still has a sweet, incensey aroma. nice.

[tziporra]

Thanks to the lab for the frimp!!!!

 

All rose on me, like most BPAL rose blends.

 

BUT it's a very very nice rose. Warm and incensey and musky. If I wanted a rose blend, this would be at the top of my list.

 

Best,

 

Tzi

[Valtristus]

In the imp, my nose was delightfully assaulted with spices. I could barely stand to drag the imp from my face! On me, it mellowed quickly and the rose gradually came forward and softened the musk and spices, balancing it beautifully, yet I could still smell it on me without having to plaster my nose to my wrist. It seems the more masculine scents work well with my chemistry. I must have a 5ml bottle. Absolutely must!

Edited May 27, 2008 by Val

[mazaru]

On me, this was just too much rose and not enough spice, and it faded out to baby powder within minutes. On the gentleman friend it fares much better, going richer and darker rather than the baby-soft floral it ended up as on me. Not a keeper for either of us, but an interesting smell all the same.

[ouch!]

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

 

And such an unexpected love too.

 

Got an imp for free, and it was instant love! This is now the second of the Shakespeare oils that I've loved and it's only the second I've tried hehe.

 

This is supposed to be masculine but to me, not one tiny bit. And rose??? no way...this smells to me like clean laundry with some flowers resting on top. NICE flowers though. Not florally old lady flowers if that makes sense! Clean crisp flowers!

It could be described as slightly soapy I suppose, but in a goooood way. Expensive posh soap. Not horrible cheap soap.

 

I've got a 5ml already and am so glad this is a GC oil. It's defintaley now in my top 10 GC oils so far!!

 

ETA: Oh wow, I'm reviewing this again 2 years down the line, only because this oil has aged so beautifully that I can't resist.

This oil has changed composition completley!! Imagine...Spellbound Lite, this has turned into a gorgoeous...incensey rose dusted with musk. It's absolutely stunning to me now and better than before. Spellbound shot through with air....spellbound in the wind...you get the idea.

 

I'm going to have to get a fresh bottle to smell the way it smelled before as I love both. This is such a good example of how amazing these oils are!

Edited May 24, 2010 by ouch!

[idoru]

Mm.. I don't read this as masculine at all, but I once met a lady who said that her husband used her sandalwood-rose lotion more than she did.

 

I get a light, clean-but-present rose which is immediately rendered.. suede-y.. by musks.

Overall, it wears as the softest of musks with a hint of spiced rose. And I do mean 'soft' -- all vestiges were GONE within 4-5 hours, but it's just so darned pretty.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Really gentle rose. His might be a rose that works on me!

 

On Application

Dusty, candyish rose. Lovely!

 

Dry Down

The musk is beautiful and blends nicely with the rose and the spices, taking the edge off the floral note. This is definitely a masculine rose scent. I am totally in love with this one. Who would have thought that a rose scent would make it into my top 10?

 

Rating (0-5)

5

[zankoku_zen]

Oh man, this didn't work on either me or the hubby. In fact, the hubby said "Wow, this makes me think of a urinal cake".

 

Whatever description I might have had at that point, was lost, because that's ALL I could think about.

 

On me however, it was more floral and slightly muskier. On him, it was definitely fumey like flowers.

[Coldfire]

SW Award Frimp

 

 

 

Imp: I get musk. A soft exotic musk

Wet on Me: Sweet but not sugary sweet.

Still getting a soft exotic musk with light spice undercurrents.

Drying Down: heavenly. exotic, almost

opulent. Not getting any rose on this.

Dry: Divinely yummy on me. Should be even

more so on the man.

[mgrazulis]

In the vial: nothing really stands out, except for a hint of rose hips, cool and clean

Wet: Rose emerges with a musky undertone, dreamy powder and cardamon

Dry: A spicy rose scent.... soft, regal and exotic. Very well blended. Nothing overtly masculine or feminine. The spices are a nice touch--the cardamon reminds me of my favorite Turkish coffee cookies.

After a few hours: This is so subtle that a man could wear it as easily as a woman. Simple, yet exotic.

 

 

 

 

[isisonearth]

Imp: Spice and roses.

 

Wet: Very soft. The rose is one of the most delicate I've tried. I'm actually more put in mind of basins of rose water. The spices are lovely too, varied and not at all sharp.

 

Dry: My skin just ate this one. Serioulsy...10 minutes later and it is gone...nothing but skin.

 

I'll have to try it in my locket and see if it stays.

[suki]

in the imp: rose, of the darker variety.

 

wet on skin: oh yes- THERE'S the musk

 

dry down: strong musk, but the rose still hovers in the back there. sadly, no spices on me to speak of

 

in all: sadder still, it's the "turns to baby powder" variety of musk. oh well- it sounded so good, but is clearly for someone who is not me.

[mylogicsaysburnsendmeaway]

On me, "I am super rose. I shall kill all those musks and spices that dare oppose me" or something. This seems to be a single rose accord, that turns a smidge soapy. This one will be saved for layering, if I decide some blend could use some rose.

Edited September 3, 2008 by mylogicsaysburn

[marared]

Frimp from the lab. The musk and the spices are very good, but as usual, I amp the rose to immense proportions and that's ALL I can smell - even two hours later, there's a persistent cloud of rose stamping down everything else that might lurk in the blend.

[goblinshark]

Man, I sniffed this one without reading the description and I NEVER would've guessed there to be roses or anything spicy in it! In the imp it kindof smelled like a convenience store, but on me it just smells very...fluffy, and clean. it reminds me of this makeup-remover I used to use by Lancome.

 

Really pretty (and feminine), but fades so, so so fast. I would def. buy a bottle if it had staying power and I am pretty picky about girly scents.