Othello

[jj_j]

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

I always shunned rose scents before BPAL came into my life, but Beth does such an exquisite job using them that I find myself owning tons of oils with rose in them. Othello is no exception, but I love it because of the way it doesn't really smell like roses.

Beth's going to kill me for this, but ... Othello is the ultimate version of my laundry fabric softener and dryer sheet. Mind you, I looked for years to find just the right one; after all, it's what you smell when you go to sleep on clean sheets and what you smell when you put your clothes on in the morning, so I was remarkably picky.

Othello's crisp with such soft, clean lines - yes, there's roses, and yes, there's spice - but they combine into something that stays light and fresh without ever being "foofy" or soapy or overwhelmingly floral. It's not a superficial scent, either - it has a strength and depth of character, as well.

I know this was designed as a "guy" scent, but I'll be wearing it all the time.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: This is the most masculine rose I've ever smelled. A little spicy, but musky rose is what I smell when it is wet.

 

Wearing: This is way too masculine on me when wet - like a posh cologne. However, after a couple of hours the drydown is very nice and significantly sweeter - like a posh girl's cologne!

 

Final Impressions: This is nice, but I'm not sure it's me. I'll have to give it another try.

[Shollin]

First sniff: I somehow can’t picture Othello as a man’s scent. (And I wrote that before reading paperdoll's review!) It’s soft, spiced roses – not hot-spicy, just flavor-spicy. There’s something warm too that makes it more than just rose. It’s beautifully clean and very reserved – doesn’t shout ROSE! like so many other rose perfumes do.

 

Wearing: Someone mentioned clean bedsheets? Heck yeah. There’s a gentle dusting of powdery softness over pale yellow roses, which I can barely smell on my skin. This is just intriguing as heck. I’d probably be very confused by a guy in this scent… and at the same time very drawn to him, because this definitely isn’t a typical guy scent, but there’s something very comforting about it… in a clean-bedsheets sort of way, not the warm sort of comforting I usually think of with blankets by the fire. It’s being nine years old and waking up on a weekend in spring when you know you don’t have to go to school and fluffing your pale-blue bedsheet way up so it softly drifts back down over you. It’s very light – I dabbed a bit more on just a few minutes in so I could get a better feel for it.

[roisnoir]

In the bottle: Spicy rose. Yum! Heady, but not too feminine.

 

On: More perfumy. I'm liking this very much. Rich.

 

Drying: The rose is the prominent note now, with the spice hiding behind and peeking out. I'm not getting a masculine vibe from this scent, but it isn't particularly girly. Not unisex, though.

 

Dry: Very faint. The spice is easier to smell now. I'm keeping this one - the scent doesn't last long on me, but I like it all the way through.

[Koumori]

Working my way through the Illyria scents... I'm another one who's not a huge fan of rose scents, but the spice and musk in this one really makes it different. Intriguing, multilayered. It would take a pretty confident man to wear this, but it's much more gender-neutral and toned down than, say, Blood Rose. It dries down fairly subtle. I'm torn as to whether or not this will be a future purchase; it's still very rose, but I don't want to rule it out yet.

 

I *wish* my sheets smelled like this.

 

Edit: This has been upgraded to a definite "big bottle" for the future. My SO loves it.

Edited March 10, 2004 by Koumori

[Ms. MSGirl]

I just put this on and it is so beautifully powdery over the roses, just so soft. As it dries it is getting less sweet and rosy and more woody/powdery, I don't smell the spices yet -- but they may be giving it the powderiness (it's NOT a baby-powdery smell, it's more like a fancy old-school spicy body talc powder). This doesn't smell _like_ roses so much as it smells like just something nice and rich and expensive and spicy. I like it a whole lot more than I expected to. Very soft, but not strong or girly.

 

e.t.a: there's an "aura" of this after it's been on a while that is amazing! I lose it if I smell my wrist directly, I just get the rich body powder smell again, but surrounding my nose from where I have it on my wrists and cleavage is this amazing light sweet rosy smell! Yes, like the best dryer sheet ever! It's amazing how I can only get it if I don't try to smell it directly. If this is what people are going to smell on me when I pass by today, I am going to get millions of compliments.

Edited April 10, 2004 by Ms. MSGirl

[littleblu]

I had to wait a bit to review this one, cause it really confused me to start with...And now I have no idea why!!

 

I LOVE this!! This is a big bottle for sure. (Why am I liking the masculine ones the best?) Anyway, this is in no way maculine on me - I can't pick out individual notes, but it's flowery - but not frilly, spicy and warm and fresh all at the same time, and it stays on for the whole day. I put some in my hair this morning and I swear I felt invincible!

 

[Thanatopsis Azraelis]

Nnnope. I thought I would really like this one, but I don't really go for spicy scents -- Voodoo being the exception. Those spices mix with the rose in a way that makes it exceedingly...obnoxious, at least on me. It might just be my chemistry, because this smelled pretty good in the bottle, it's just not anything I'd wear.

[Ishtar]

In the vial, Othello smelled like a powdery rose, with a somewhat darker/heavier base note.

 

When I put it on, it immediately reminded me of Paris by Yves Saint Laurent, which used to be my signature scent. Othello is softer, more grounded than Paris though. Less floral notes and more spice.

 

As it settles down, the musk and the rose become the main notes. The spices stay in the background and contribute to a very well-rounded scent. It is powdery indeed, yet it definitely has some strength and a lot of personality. If there is such a thing as a soft bold scent (or the other way around), this is it!

 

I don't know if I will be buying a bottle, as I would like to try more BPAL scents instead of settling on a new and improved version of something I used to wear daily for years, but I am sure keeping my imp. It is a lovely rose scent, my second favourite after Persephone.

[Vaniclion]

I had high hopes. Sadly, like others, I can't describe this as a particularly masculine scent. It's very nice! Don't get me wrong.

 

I used to play on an online game where one of the characters I played with often was a were-cat from India. Very exotic, sensually erotic woman. This is how I imagine her smelling.

 

The rose and spices combine to form a heady, wafting scent. Very much like a market under the Middle-Eastern sun or something. The musk is clear, as are the rose scents... but I'd suggest trying even if you don't ordinarily like rose. I may be imagining it but I also catch some jasmine.

 

It would make a great candle, even better incense... but not really a cologne for me.

[TygherRayn]

I've been afraid to try the 'masculine' scents here, as they all seem .. well .. too masculine for me. But Beth sent this one on and so .. I -had- to try it!

 

 

In the bottle: Definitely masculine to me... rather, this is how I would like a man to smell. I can't say for sure if it'd be -good- for a man .. but if it stays like this one smells in the bottle, it'd be a snuggleable scent. It's kind-of soapy .. but not in the 'ugh, what is that soapy smell' kind of way, but rather a 'ohh, what soap do you use it's divine' kind of way.

 

Wet: Still that good soapy clean kinda smell .. not like Morella did on me, turning to Ivory clean. Just a 'clean, manly body' kind of smell. Nice, warm and cozy.

 

Wearing: It's a softer scent. This remains slightly soapy on me, but again, it's not in a bad way on my skin. It really does still smell like an incredibly cuddlable man .. I suddenly get a 'teddybear' image from it, now that I think of it. it smell like Hunter, the teddybear I sleep with when salice's not around. That makes this a keeper.

 

ADDED Aug. 11:

 

In the process of going through the latest hoarde of scents, I realized I'd not reviewed many, this one included.

 

In the bottle: Clean. It's a rather white scent on first sniff. Somewhat rosey .. and I'd forgotten there was rose in this one. It reminds me of the white stones in the game 'Go'.

 

Wet: As I should have expected, my skin amplifies the rose in this one, making it a rather feminine smell on me .. and sadly, not one I think I can wear.

 

Wearing: This remains rosey, and a little too floral for me. This saddens me .. as always, I hate when one of Beth's creations doesn't work well with my chemistry. And I can't imagine this being masculine .. though it probably is on some people. Just not me. Swap Pile, sadly.

Edited December 9, 2004 by Shollin

[Donnababe]

First Sniff

 

Mmmmmmm. Like springtime sunlight. It's very bright floral yet I can't pick out any specific notes, not even rose. I can smell spices though, and a creaminess maybe? Perhaps that's the spices working?

 

After Application

 

Very much like the initial impression. I'm a little worried by it's strength, I have a nasty feeling this one will disappear on me.

 

Drydown

 

Unusually for me this is one of the few BPAL blends that is staying constant on me. Thankfully I don't get the laundry detergent thing that others do. At the moment things don't seem to be fading.

 

After a While

 

I still smell lovely! Unfortunately I don't have much to add from the previous paragraph. Perhaps a hint of rose is peeking through but just barely. It's not like the rose in Spellbound or Black and Blood Rose but the rose smell I used to adore as a kid when I would pick up the pink orange petals in my school playground and 'make' perfume!

 

Final Verdict

 

Despite my worries Othello stayed with me for 5+ hours. It is a very light scent but it seemed to remain at the same intensity (and stayed true) almost the whole way through. I'm always very conservative/frugal when applying my scents but I needed to be a bit more generous with this one. (And this makes my sad as I don't want to use it up too quickly.)

 

This is not a man's scent. I feel extremely content when I wear it. Confident too. And sexy. No, that's not it. Sassy is what I mean. Can a man be sassy?

 

An almost definite Big Bottle for me.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Othello?!? I was expecting Laurence Fishburn, but I got Lawrence of Arabia. Sweet and pretty.

 

Second Impression: Very feminine rose scent with a decidedly feminine musky core. Just exquisite.

 

Final Anaylsis: I can't imagine this on a man, but I'd like to try it out just for experimental purposes to see what a man's chemistry would do to it. Oh it smells so lovely on me. This was an extra from a swap from dear friendthegirl. *happiness*

[twistygirl]

I LOVE this. I don't find it to be particularly masculine at all, which thrills me, because my body chemistry does not get along with anything that I perceive as a masculine scent.

 

This is another of Beth's drop-dead-gorgeous rose scents. Like Ishtar said, there is something about it that reminds me of YSL's Paris, but it has a spicyness and a subtle muskiness that marks it as less of a pure floral than Paris is. The rose is very predominant in the first few minutes of wear, but the other notes soon come out and don't overpower the rose, but blend with the rose in perfect balance. The spicyness is not in-your-face spicyness... nothing about this scent is in-your-face... it's just a lovely, lovely, wonderful blend of gentle spicyness and gentle muskiness and gentle rose. This could definitely be another rose scent for people who don't care for overtly florally scents. It's very subtly sexy and yet clean and sophisticated at the same time. VERY sophisticated.

[erica]

This is my first oil and I do not know if I will ever need another. It is gorgeous. I am wearing Harlot on the other arm and there is no comparison! I do not smell any musk in Othello, just a deep, rich, red rose. It has lasted about 8 hours so far. Amazing.

 

It is wonderful on my man, too!

Edited August 11, 2004 by erica

[Bard]

In the bottle: "What a remarkable rose!" As a general rule, I am not fond of floral scents except on the flowers themelves. Othello lured me in because I wanted to smell what a masculine rose fragrance was like. On first smell, the rose is very clear, but it isn't a sicky sweet rose. It's very mellow rose. In the bottle however, the musk is simply a whispered afterthought and the spices were just barely present.

 

On my skin: The rose is still the dominant scent in this mixture. It's a little bit more musky, but the spices never really emerged for me. I like it, but I can't imagine wearing it very often. I might save it for midwinter, when it would make a particularly pleasant and shocking hint of warmer months to come. It would, in particular, make a lovely scent to wear on Valentine's Day.

 

After a few hours: Othello disappears quickly for me. I just don't think it suits my body chemistry. I think another man might be able to pull it off brilliantly, but most of the guys I know would balk at wearing such a rosy scent. This would also be lovely on a woman however.

 

 

Othello Haiku:

Her last living breath:

Still she trembles at the scent

Of desert roses.

 

 

Your humble and obedient Renaissance Man,

 

Bard

[feline.by.design]

For a while I was getting Othello and Oberon confused, and I thought that it was Othello that elicited such a strong "Ew, get it off!" response.

 

But no, Othello was a nice, gentle rose. I'm not keen on rose, so I think I've done something to the imp I had of this, I don't know what. But it wasn't a keeper for me.

 

I felt the scent wasn't really "traditionally masculine" but hey, that's me.

 

For those of you who like the rose fragrances I seem to so detest, Othello is a wonderful pick.

 

-doreen

[Fyre_in_Winter]

I am sad to say Othello does not agree with my chemistry. So far I've discovered rose is amplified on my skin and "zings." That is, turns slightly lemony and shoots straight up into the nostrils and clings on for dear life.

 

The rose in Othello seems very pink to me. This is girly in the extreme, and my mental image is helped along by the fact it smells exactly like a perfume that came with a doll I had as a child. Well, except stronger. Pleasant association, but not my kind of perfume.

 

This oil is very strong on me, very in your face type thing. It was just barely below my headache threshold. I put up with it for about an hour, but then had to go wash it off. I never smelled anything remotely musky or spicy. Darned skin chemistry!

[Northernminx]

I didn't get much rose from this, rather a rich, warm golden dusky musk. This was exotic and faintly spicey with a hint of floral underneath. As others have noted it didn't strike me as particularly masculine scent. Exotic, gorgeous, warm, but not really masculine.

[The Ace of Spades]

Strong and spicy in the bottle; the rose is quite strong, a bit too much so for my taste, on first application. It mellows a bit on wearing, and fades quickly, but it's a little too musky/floral and not spicy enough for me. It's a lovely scent, but heavy floral scents tend to react badly with me.

[cookie]

Oooooh yeeaaaah! This is gorgeous. I agree that this is more gender-neutral - not so masculine. I'm not getting much rose. The musk is beautiful, a little sweet, a little spicy. There is something so familiar about this. Don't know what but I do love it.

[Splendid Molerat]

Othello is initially passionate red.

 

After several minutes the roses are much subdued, and the warm musk remains. What's left of the passionate red impression becomes a dark purple. I think I'd be afraid to meet the man who could carry off this scent.

[phaedrine]

Othello is not something that I ever would have bought on my own, as I try to stay far, far away from any rose scents. My skin tends to grab them and not let go, so I often don't get anything else.

 

I got this imp as a freebie in a swap, and sniffed it, expecting to just stopper it and toss it into the swap pile, but wet in the bottle, I could smell more than just roses going on. The spicy was there, and also something richer, so I went ahead and tried it.

 

I do notice the roses. As it dried, I got a soft, spicy rose scent wafting around me. It was unlike any rose blend I've tried before, as the roses weren't dominating, and unlike any perfume with a rose note that I'd tried before bpal.

 

Now, several hours, a clean bedroom and dishes done later, I can still smell it. It's very subtle, and the musk has really come out, now backed with only a bit of the spicy floral from before.

 

The lab never ceases to amaze me. I never thought I'd say this about a rose blend, but I think I need a bottle of this stuff. It's wonderful.

[Lady Ravenglass]

Mmm... Othello is my favourite scent on my foxboy. On him, the roses come out strongly, but he wears them well. I don't know how you can have a masculine rose, but Beth's done it. The spicey, woody, musk scent is quieter and hardly comes out at all.

 

When I wear it, I smell like the sandalwood incense I was once given as a gift - no roses on me, just a soft, dry, slightly spiced scent (I think that must be the musk, as I don't see sandalwood listed as an ingredient). I don't much like it on my skin (scent memories to an old lover) but on my other half it's amazing, and I have bought him a big bottle. Now to dip him in it once a day... I recommend dousing Him in Othello and Her in Morocco - we smelt like a souk! Lovely

[tempete]

Wet, Othello smells vaguely spicey sweet on me. I can't really pick out the musks, and the roses are quite faint. As it dries down, Othello goes very sweet in a cloying, artificial way and turns into... Liquid Tide. I kid you not. Hopefully whoever gets my imps of Othello will have better luck with them than I did.