Anubis

[gingersnapp]

He Who Counts the Hearts, Jackal Ruler of the Bows, He Who Is In the Place of Embalming. Jackal-headed guardian, protector and psychopomp of Egypt’s dead, he guides souls to the underworld and holds steady the scales upon which the deceased’s heart is weighed against Ma’at’s Feather of Truth. He is the creator and master of funereal rites, He Who Opens the Mouth of the Dead, and is the sentinel that watches over the sanctity of tombs and the virtue and privacy of his charges. His scent is a blend of holy myrrh, storax, balsam, and embalming herbs.

This is a soft, warm, golden scent.

It was a lagniappe imp from the Lab in my last order, and I didn't really think that I would like it from smelling it in the vial, but it warmed up and softened very nicely on my skin.

It is woodsy and gently herbal, not astringent or sharp. It has a slight creaminess to it.

Very lovely, and one I never would have tried on my own.

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - decanted by the lovely Ayrdaomei

 

Sniffing the bottle to see if I want to try this today - oooh that smells good!

 

Preconceived Notions - I love all things Egyptian, but I must admit that the ingredients of this are a bit off-putting. Myrrh is one of my favorite scents, but embalming herbs? I expected this to be dark and sharp and masculine.

 

Wet - this smells golden and beautiful. I have no idea what I am smelling here, but I like it. There are certainly some ingredients in common with Cairo, because that golden honey/apple scent is here, but there is so much more going on.

 

Dry - as it dries the myrrh comes to the forefront. Do I smell just a hint of rose? This is everything I like about Cairo, but amped up. Golden and sweet and spicy and incensy and absolutely incredible! I am going to order a big bottle of this right now, because this just shot to the number one position of catalog scents!

 

On the wickedgoddes scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, this rates a 5.

[VelvetSky]

Anubis:

 

Mmmm nice. This is a sticky, deep, resiny blend that perfectly personifies the name. There is a lot going on here in this fragrance. Most herbal scents are cool, but this is a warm, dense herbal. The myrrh is particularly effective in this blend, as it doesn't overpower the other notes.

 

I received Anubis in a swap, and I'm so glad to have the chance to try it.

[aidenraine]

When I sniffed this in vial I smelled every magic shop I'd ever been in. Something about the mingling of that many different herbs in one place makes magic shops all smell similar.

 

I was surprised how sweet this became when I put it on my wrist- it was as if there was a touch of rose in the blend. The magic shop began to mingle with Hallmark store, but in a comforting way. I also smelled what seemed like a really "behind the scenes" whiff of mint and something vaguely floral apart from the rose.

 

This gets less sweet and more incensey as it settles down. It's strong on me though- the scent fills the room just from daubing it on my wrist. After a time the rose reemerges and I get the scent of a baby-powder rose and honey mixture. Something young, geared toward application on wee ones.

 

I've never had a scent change and develop as much as this one did on me. I've gone through several different responses to it as well.

[Orodemniades]

Will write a longer review at some point, but for right now, wow!

 

I wasn't too sure of this when I first sniffed it in the imp, and even when I initially put it on I was all, eh, whatever.

 

But good gods. This is sweet and incensey without being spicy, resiny without being floral. In fact, I think it's frankincense that's not my friend, when all along I thought it was myrrh! The storax, the balsam - whatever the heck else is in this - it's GORGEOUS!

 

Must order big bottle...

 

Oro

[violetblue]

It smells sweeter in the bottle, but once on, I couldn't quite figure out where I had smelled this before. Rich without being heavy, spicy with a bit of sweetness to it..and then I figured it out. Anubis smells JUST LIKE a church I went to as a kid. It's really freaking me out. Great scent, perfect for the rainy day it is today. I think it would be lovely as a room scent too.

[Eros]

Well this is one I just HAD to try(see avatar, lol!).

 

Opening the imp, I get a light, rich golden, spicy vanilla. Somewhat Snake Oil'ish w/ a touch of herbs/green florals, if that makes any sense...

Myrrh, honey...with a touch of smoky incense, like a subtle, Nag Champa sweetness almost. A bit light at first but scent "blossoms" as it dries.

After 30 minutes or so it seemed to fade to almost nothing then again, after another few minutes, strengthens. Finally settles into a beautiful light & creamy lemony(very light on this!), spicy vanilla.

 

Will definitely be getting a bottle in the very near future.

My Pharaoh Hounds also give this a paws up and say its most assuredly worthy of their name

 

eta: apparently in a COMA, when I posted my review, I totally forgot to include...HONEY! There's an underlying, golden, lightly sweet, wild honey overall. Which of course, just adds to the general loveliness of this blend.

Edited June 21, 2005 by Eros

[nineveh]

At first, Anubis reacted to my skin like it contained honey; it went sour and artificial-smelling. Thankfully, once it dried, it became sweet, herbal, and uplifting. I didn't expect this from a blend named Anubis--to me, it's cheerful and not mysterious--but I like it.

[joseybird]

Fresh basil and sweet herbs pop out at me immediately, as does something sweet and a bit resiny (myrrh?) and creamy. The creamy myrrh comes out more during drydown, and the herbs dissapear. There's a an deep, ancient feeling to this blend; it's something I can see a priest of some ancient and powerful god wearing. It's not "me" at all, but it's incredibly evocative and I deeply appreciate it

[Seraph]

first waft : rotting sweet flowers

 

first on : very strong rotting sweet flowers

 

a little later : Little Miss says it smells like pine (I think she's picking up the balsam) but it still smells more floral to me, but a vagueish sort floral that I really can't really identify but is just entirely too... weird... to be more than vaguely pleasant.

 

still later : this scent is really starting to creep me out, but I can't say why. Maybe it's the myrrh? Myrrh has always done weird things to me. What I'm smelling is kind of incensy but in a floralish sort of way. Very unsettling emotionally and yet soothing... no, not soothing. Lulling. Like I'm being coaxed into something that I know is dangerous and yet I have no will to stop myself.

 

verdict : eh. It was ok, but... umm... no. It goes on my EWE list only because of the surrealism of sensations that it triggered.

 

=========

 

random notes : tried this on during a time when it was warmish but not overly hot, inside, raining outside, windows up and AC off. Doing paperwork so there wasn't much call for my body to be heating this one up. Kept getting... weird... feelings with this one. Everything kept slipping towards... hazy, distant, surreal. My focus became very, very fragmented and it took very nearly all my effort to keep from just hunkering down and letting my mind and soul drift where they would. Coupled with the patter of rain... wow... I'm not sure I didn't slip off to somewhere else for a bit even though I know that I was awake the entire time. This would be a great one to have around for those days when I want to forget the world and slip into a deep meditative state.

[~AmusedMuse~]

My Impression:

This is definitely a dark, woodsy, herbal kind of scent...unfortunately nothing suits me about it..I found it chaos in a bottle..and never calm...I have to pass on this one

[Siren29]

Smells good but doesn't last too long. I'm going to try again later. Lots of Mhrrh but sotmething in it feels off

 

Trying it again today a few years later and there is no scent. I'll have to order a new batch

Edited October 24, 2008 by Siren29

[Lycanthrope]

This starts out so weird on me, but turns into absolute wonder.

 

In the Bottle or Imp:

Bitter resins and dark green, mulched herbs, with a citrussy, sweet and yet dry punch. It at this point is not pleasant to me at all... I get a hit of benzoin and galbanum mixing together that just makes me cringe.

Wet, on Skin:

A very lightly honeyed, basil-like herbal with a bunch of sweet resins and incense notes roiling underneath.

Drying/Drydown:

I get cypress at this point, but the primary fragrance is still that of a deliciously honeyed resin, coupled with dry, crushed herbs and sweet incense smoke.

Over Time/Longterm:

Deliciously mysterious. Even weak, it's like nothing I've ever used before.

Final Verdict?

Oh yeah, this is a big bottle.

[magdalene]

in the bottle: smokey incense and something herby.

 

wet on skin: hmm. I really thought I was going to like this, as incense scents rank amongst my favourites. But, there's just something in this that's not agreeing with me. It's too...green for my taste. Maybe it's the balsam.

 

dry: That green note has really intensified. This is very sad. :/

[parrot_suspect]

Honey is not listed as one of the notes in Anubis. But that's what I mainly get from it...honey. Not light, clover honey but deep, dark, rich honey...like honey that's solidified. This is an interesting scent -- I detect a touch of floral, a bit of fruitiness -- but also something dark and a bit woodsy under the surface. I don't get a lot of incense with this. On me it's a sweet, dark, deep honey type of scent. It smells "golden." I like it.

[AngelFireHeart]

Anubis – Out of the bottle I find this to be quite a nutty scent, like you would have a bowl of mixed nuts on the table at Christmas. It’s a warm, dry scent too, with something just a tiny bit floral. I think this is a more masculine scent, fresh nuts not long off a tree sitting in a bowl on someone’s’ table. The freshness is portrayed with a slightly green scent. This could resemble something incense-y

[slugbait]

The first time I wore Anubis, this smelled like warm resins and a bit herbal, and dried into the most comforting fragrance. This smells similiar to Ahathoor to me. The second time I wore this it turned into bubblegum instantly and then turned powdery. I think I am having some wierd chemistry issues as of late, so I will be trying this out again.

[aedes]

I was looking to this as a prime myrrh scent. It's quite lovely and the myrrh's definitely there, though I think the general incense smells win out in the end. So, slightly off my mark, so to speak, but I think I'll definitely keep it around for days I don't mind smelling a little like a head shop

 

Edit: I tried it again after a few weeks, and I really think it's growing on me. It smells less like Nag Champa now and I can pick out those floral notes wickedgoddess talked about. Very interesting! My boyfriend says he thinks Anubis smells "sharp" to him and he doesn't prefer it, which concerns me a little. But I think this would make a great autumn/winter smell and I think I'm going to plunk an order in for a bottle of it along with the Yule scents. *sniff* mmm...

Edited October 18, 2005 by aedes

[Miss Lynx]

Oh, this is lovely -- rich, resinous, incensey, and with a strong overtone of honey. Did the Egyptians use honey in embalming? I think I read that somewhere...

 

The colour it brings to mind is a deep gold, and it’s definitely got a bit of the same feel to it as Bastet -- very Middle-Eastern, and evocative of desert mysteries and magic -- but less feminine. Not overly masculine as such, but gender-neutral; I could see either a woman or man wearing this easily. And there's a darkness to it, as suits an oil named for a psychopomp and guide of the dead, but not in any sort of menacing way.

 

Surprisingly, while several other people seem to have gotten a floral impression from it, I got nothing floral at all -- and my skin usually amps florals incredibly. Glad it didn't this time, because this scent is pure incense/honey bliss.

 

On drydown, the honey element becomes most pronounced and it smells almost exactly like beeswax candles. I put it on before going out to a meeting tonight, and at various points during the meeting, any time my hand would come near my face, I would catch traces of this lovely beeswax scent -- very calming. It would probably be great for meditation. And it's got better than average staying power too -- I could still smell it when I got home, several hours later.

 

All in all, a definite winner, and prime candidate for the big bottle wish list.

 

Grade: A

[jewelbug]

This totally wasn't on my list until I read the reviews that included honey. Then I couldn't resist. Glad I didn't.

 

Bottle: Very sweet--far sweeter than I expected from the description. This really makes me think of honey, even though its not in the description. There is a very slight woodsy sharpness in the very very distant background. At the very end of a long sniff, I swear I smell some burnt dark sugar and something tart and almost citrusy. So maybe I'm crazy, but that's what I smell.

 

Him:

Wet: A warm and woodsy combination with tangy orange.

Drying: Spicy, woodsy, tart, not nearly as sweet as in the imp. He also gets a tinge of powder in the early drydown, and some definite myrrh. This develops over about 30 min into very warm, slightly spicy wonderful woodsy myrrh. Very well blended and hard to pick the notes apart. This is absolutely sublime on him. It kicks Dracul's butt, and makes me want sex, ASAP!

 

Me:

Wet: Sweeter citrus than on him, and less woodsy, but still warm. That honey/dark sugar smell is at the very end.

Drying: As it dries, a light floral is added to the above mix, as well as some warm sweet myrrh. This is very dry, and has that "make me thirsty" effect. The woodsy evolves into a warm sandalwood/myrrh smell, a little manly but my skin sweetens it so that I can actually pull it off very well. This is almost as much SEX on me as it was on him, and yet it's significantly different. It ends on a warm honey-sweet lightly resiny woodsy with a touch of floral. VERY VERY sexy. Warm and alluring. Come hither, baby!

 

Overall: Amazing--on him it was more manly woodsy/resin notes, slightly sweet but masculine. ON me it was a honey laden sweet floral with the warmth of spice and wood/resin. Best of all--this was pure SEX on both of us. Wow. Must try this again tonight. And the night after that, and the night after that.

I think this is a bottle!

 

Note: I also wanna compare the late dry down of this to the late drydown of O. Just for curiosity....

Edited September 15, 2005 by jewelbug

[Khaman]

I've tried enough oils now to at least be able to start describing things better... but I can't with this one.

 

I know that in the imp and on first dab, it's very rich and sweet, and I concur with the others that there has got to be some ghost of honey in here. It made me think of Athens for a split second, but then never again.

 

I know that as it warmed and dried it became richly clean and comforting, that the musks began to soothe me, and I just felt clearer and better for wearing it. It is wonderful, and Egyptian, and there may even be a hint of juiciness to the oil itself that just gives it that much more oomph.

 

I ordered a bottle within days of testing it. For ritual work and for wearing. I love this scent and I will cry if it goes away.

[QueenFae]

Wow, this is not at all what I expected this one to smell like! It's really lovely! A rich, golden, spicy smell with a beautiful creamy undertone. I'm not familiar with a couple of the ingredients, so I can't really tell you what notes are on top, but I can tell you this smells wonderful. I would almost categorize it as a foody scent, but's it's spicy and a bit incensey at the same time. This is a really great one, and I might even ponder a big bottle.

[Lori]

Anubis is a scent that is most definitely a gateway betwen the dark and the light. It is dark and smoky, and at the same time there is something light and sweet, there. The myrrh is dark resiny gorgeous and there seems to be a hint of bright, sun-filled orange that comes through. I love this one.

[kettu]

Though I feel very close to Anubis the deity, Anubis the scent is not working well for me.

 

It smells fine enough: warm, neither moist nor dry, and vaguely herby. But there is a spicy sweetness that just won't go away. It's probably cinnamon and honey, which I know were used in Egyptian embalming. Too bad I don't like those scents on my own skin. Phooey.

 

This is the second time I've tried it, and with it, a second disappointment. I want to like it SO BADLY, and it's just not working.

 

I was hoping for something a bit darker and drier. I think this suits Anubis' line of work more than how I perceive Him. Argh.

[urraca]

I like this. It is like myrrh and burnt sugar, kind of sweet and smokey and incensey. A little more foody than I was expecting, not quite as mysterious as I expected.