Brisingamen

[KakashiMorph]

The amber necklace of Freyja, Norse Goddess of Love, Sex, Attraction and Fruitfulness. Her magnificent necklace was bought from four Dwarves [Alfrik, Berling, Dvalin and Grer] at the price of four nights of her passion. When Brisingamen graces your throat, no man can resist your charms. A glittering mantle of rich golden notes: five ambers, soft myrtle and apple blossom, myrtle, and carnation.

In the bottle: Amber and I think a whiff of the apple blossom.
On my skin: A soft, flowery, powdery smell. I think again I can spot the apple blossom, but I am not sure what myrtle smells like, with an amber note being faint in the background. The amber starts becoming more prominent after the first couple of minutes, although I have yet to spot the carnation at all.
Drydown: Faint resinous amber with a hint of apple blossom.

[zeldaZ4]

Got my Frimp fresh from the Lab, so this one doesn't have much age on it yet. It started out as a blast of amber, which quieted down as the old-fashioned florals emerged. I got the overwhelming impression of my Grandmother's dark brown bottle of Youth Dew. Which I actually loved on her, because it smelled elegant and expensive.

 

Hours later, it had faded to the soft creaminess of Bastet. Since Bastet is so much better from the start, and I already have a bottle, I don't need this. But I will put the imp aside to age. We'll see what happens!

[ianastar]

At first this was very strong, but on the dry down the amber came out a bit more and was warm and pleasant. The floral notes add something very nice to the ambers.

[kolibri]

Background: Brisingamen was purchased in Sept 2010. I'm certain I bought it because of its name. I don't remember why, but I set it aside and never touched it again - until today.

 

First impressions: I can easily imagine that I was probably turned off, when I received my order 2.25 years ago, by its chemical-ness while sniffing it from the imp. Someone else mentioned, in her review, the smell of perm solution; I was reminded of the fake quality of big-box perfumes and harsh chemical cleaning solutions. Almost didn't put it on.

 

Wet: A cutting chemical blast (and the thought, 'Am I going to have to shower this off?'), then a burst of flowers and sunshine. I've been stuffed into a wicker basket with a thousand carnations.

 

Dry: Finally, some depth - a sweet chime of apple, and a resin-y underpinning that must be the ambers. Still getting a whole lotta carnation, but the whole thing is rounder, now, and less HI I'LL BE YOUR PERFUME FOR TODAY.

 

Later: Hate to say it, but - I smell like a cross between an anciently musty, hand-tatted doily and the sweet cleaning agent they use to (try to) get rid of cigarette smoke smell in rental vehicles (but never really succeed in doing).

 

Conclusion: While wearing Brisingamen, at first I got a heavy thrill of feeling sexy, yet completely unattainable. Unfortunately, on me, the scent didn't stay there, and now I smell like vomit, so I'm going to go take that second shower.

 

 

Funny side note: This is my first review, and my first rejection of a BPAL scent. Now I feel like I need to go do a review on something I really like to make up for it.

 

 

ETA... Experimentation with single body areas reveals what others have observed: totally different aspects of this one come to the limelight. On my wrist, it was all carnation, but at my hairline (sort of behind the ear close to the hairline) the ambers come into focus. I think maybe the first wearing, I got overwhelmed - slowing it down and trying it on single spots made a big difference in the experience. Going to try this in a scent locket and see how it behaves, also.

Edited February 18, 2013 by kolibri

[JazzieCazzie]

Purchased as part of an impapalooza batch from the Lab in February:

 

IN IMP: Hard to really put my finger on any one of the scents but definitely strongly amber (though I guess because of the combinations of amber it's not my usual "comfort scent" amber) with a spicy floral

 

It's a cold, gray rainy day and this smells so springy that I dabbed on both wrists, crooks of arms and cleavage.

 

WET: The floral amps up so that the "white floral" (the apple blossom, I think) joins the amber to fight for my attention. It's a very full-bodied scent and a great mix of the amber, the floral and the spiciness, though I don't get straight-out carnation (which I am guessing is what's providing that subtle spice).

 

DRY: When it dries, it gets a little perfumey on my wrists which isn't my favorite scent. HOWEVER, when dabbed in my cleavage, it stays moist enough that it maintains the wet smell which I love.

 

OVERALL: I think this is a great spring/summer kind of scent that evokes garden parties and warmth and all the things I would desperately love to be surrounded by. With that in mind, my future plans would probably be to only put this in my cleavage

 

On a scale of 1-5 a very high 3 but not quite a 4. But a keeper high-3.

[claudia6913]

In the bottle: I get lots of myrtle and apple blossom.

 

Wet on skin: It's floral, no amber, and only a hint of carnation. As this dries, the amber starts to come out and the carnation starts to spice it up a little.

 

Dry: This is a very soft, floral scent. It's a little powdery, but very nice.

[ih8perfume]

I ordered an imp of this on a whim, since I like amber and amber tends to like me, too.

 

This is actually NOTHING like I imagined. I was thinking of amber, warm florals, and maybe a touch of apple.

 

What I got is more of a cool, high pitched floral. It has a bit of an effervescent quality, like the tickle in your nose from Ginger Ale or Orange Soda. Bubbly, a little sharp, refreshing, and just a bit tart. But it doesn't actually smell like it has ginger or citrus in it, just the hint of burn.

 

The amber is not at all prominent on me, which is surprising. It generally dominates most any blend I wear, which is fine with me. Here, it kind of holds the bottom of the scent together, adds a gentle roundness and a hint of spice, and adds some weight to keep the whole blend from floating off into the ether.

 

It seems to me that the apple blossom shows up at the tail end of the scent. It seems to add to the cool refreshing quality with a touch of juiciness.

 

This is NOT the type of scent that I normally wear, but that's why I bought it. I used just a dab and I think it would be too much for slathering. But OMG I could see making a really light body splash or watery mist with this to use in the dog days of summer when I'm feeling all sweaty and gritty. It would make me feel all fresh and sparkly like a pretty pretty princess.

[FriedaLove]

This is all amber on me. It starts off as a dark, smoky kind of powder (if that makes any sense). Once dry, this is soft amber. Pretty, but I probably won't reach for it often.

[Alainn]

In the Imp: Amber-y floral, with a nice green sappy note behind it. This smells really good! I love amber, but most florals do weird things on my skin, so...here's hoping.

 

Wet, on Skin: Pretty much the same; the floral takes over, but it's not a screeching floral so much as a soft, classic floral, to my nose. I can pick out the apple blossom clearly, and a hint of spice from the carnation if I really look for it. I don't specifically know what myrtle smells like, but I assume it's adding to the overall "flowery" feel of the blend.

 

Dry: The ambers begin to warm up, and this reminds me of a very classic perfume, something that ladies of a certain age might enjoy. But, very quickly and not unexpectedly, the florals become VERY powdery, and the whole thing dies a sickly powdered death on my skin within an hour. Another attempt at, and failure of, a promising floral blend. Le sigh...

[brilliantcat]

Frimp from my recent lab order

 

Imp: Spicy carnation, a bit resiny.

 

Wet: Warm and rich. Golden from the amber. I don't really get much of the other notes, they add to the richness of the ambers.

 

Dry: Kind of a powdery amber, nearing baby powder territory. Not for me

[ringmaster-red]

In the bottle: apple and myrtle? Fresh and crisp

 

Wet: Very green with a powdery kick. I can smell the apple blossom hiding under everything. The amber is very soft. I suspect the green eucalyptus-like note might be myrtle? It’s a sweet, warm, powdery green-floral, bordering on soapy. There’s something almost stale and salty, here, too.

 

Dry: Green, slightly sweet, and warm. It’s fresh and cool, but quite soapy. I can’t find the apple blossom anymore, and I can never pin down the carnation. It seems powdery but wet, somehow? Oh, wait, there’s that spicy carnation; it shows up about 30 minutes in. Still a bit powdery, but it's warming up much more.

 

Final verdict: It’s not bad, but it’s probably not for me.

[GoddesShel]

This was a frimp from a lovely forumite. I had been wanting to try it FOREVER, so I was very glad to get it. Out of the imp, it's nearly cologne-y, and I was afraid it was going to stay that way, but nope...

 

As it dries on my skin, the ambers take center stage. I get a visual of a river of warm golden syrup, shining in the sun. (It doesn't actually smell like syrup, but that's the visual I get, sniffing it.) I can barely get a hint of carnation and myrtle in the background. I'd love a bottle of this for winter wear.

[quickdrawkiddo]

I've been putting off reviewing this one because it's so subtle and well-blended that I'm having a hard time describing it. Amber is always great on me so it's no surprise this one works, but it's a light, pretty amber, as opposed to some of the more intense amber scents like The Lion. I'm getting a hint of something tart, fresh, and floral in the background that must be the apple blossom. As a blend it has an old-school perfumey feel, in the best way possible -- something about it reminds me of flappers with long cigarette holders dancing all night in lavish Art Deco clubs.

 

Just me?

 

The spiciness of the carnation does come out a bit on the drydown but it's still predominantly amber. I like my amber a little more dirty and a little less pretty, but this is still lovely.

[Alyssa79]

Its very simple on me - amber and honey: i dont even get vanilla out of it. It is pretty, comforting, etc but i want more!! Since an orgasm is so intense i was hoping this would knock my socks off lol. Im going to try it when its cooler out to see how it does

[lucycat]

In the imp: Amber, amber, and more amber.

 

Wet: Amber and apple blossom.

 

Dry: What I'm guessing is the myrtle emerges: a green note almost like a softer eucalyptus. I don't get any carnation.

 

Brisingamen is primarily amber on me. I agree with quickdrawkiddo above: this has the feel of a classic vintage perfume.

[BetteNoire]

I ordered a bottle of Brisingamen unsniffed based on a the suggestion by a forumite that it was similar to Hymn to Proserpine, which I loved and hadn't realized was discontinued *sob*. This has started my complete and obsessive love affair with Beth's amber. Amber and me are now the bestest of friends.

 

When it arrived I was convinced I'd made a huge mistake in not trying an imp first, because it smelled like mossy baby powder and I was depressed. So I shoved the bottle in my perfume box and left it for 6 weeks, since I've heard some oils need a little time to age. This was clearly the correct thing to do.

 

When I tried again, Brisingamen had become the most beautiful thing ever. It stays the same from application to dry for me. Creamy skinlike amber with an almost sticky apple blossom. Carnation gives a spicy bite that keeps the apple and amber from going cloyingly sweet, and myrtle adds a nice green mossy depth.

 

I've now used half a bottle in 6 months. This is definitely "womanly" (as opposed to girly), but I don't get old lady out of that at all. This is glamorous and comforting and powerful and sexy and....well, I could go on.

 

One word of advice: amber seems to turn creamy rather than powdery, at least on my skin, if applied to warmer, oiler, thicker skin. For example, Brisingamen still smells like nasty powder if I apply it on my wrists. Crooks of elbows, cleavage, inner thighs....that's where it seems to really bloom.

[mymymai]

ITI: A really collection of heady ambers paired with the sweet, fruity floral of apple blossom and light green of myrtle. It's a pleasant scent so far.

 

Wet: It's very heady, which I like. I'm still getting the same three notes, but there's almost a woody resinous quality to it. The apple blossom note is simply lovely here under the ambers.

 

Dry: The apple blossom and myrtle are most dominant while it is drying and once dried, although the amber provides a lovely, sweet base for it. The carnation adds a hint of floral spice, which as a whole makes the scent both interesting and pleasing.

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: I'm mostly getting amber and carnation from this.

Wet: Amber and carnation. It's burning a little. I hope that the burning is only temporary and that I don't get any welts from this.

Well, the burning sensation has stopped, although the spot where I applied it is a bit warm now. There is a spice to this, but I don't know if it is in one of the ambers, or if it is a spicy carnation?

The carnation is coming out more now, as it usually does (my skin tends to like to amp this note).

Dry: The spicy carnation has stomped all over everything else.

*several hours later* The spicy carnation is still quite prominent, but the amber is present again.

Verdict: I'm sad that I didn't get any of the apple blossom in this at all, and that the carnation won out over the ambers. I won't be getting a bottle of this.

[alyelle]

Aged for 4-5 years, in my (very cool, very dark) imp storage box.

 

Imp: (sniffed blind) amber, florals, and something vaguely alcoholic.

 

Wet: amber and florals, and now that I've checked the notes, I understand the alcohol traces; at least three of the blends I've recently tried with carnation smell alcoholic in the imp. Weird. Strangely I get no apple - that usually amps on me - and as I've never tried anything with myrtle before, I can't really pick that note out. Though I think it might be what's stopping the carnation turning into its usual soapy note.

 

Dry: As this dries down, the carnation does turn ever so slightly soapy (alas, poor myrtle), but after two hours, this is pure amber. On me, it smells identical to Mouse's Long and Sad Tale - which I always keep a bottle of, so I doubt Brisingamen will make it into my permanent collection any time soon.

 

Life is excellent, around 12 hours; throw is initially strong but wears down to medium once the florals burn off.

 

Stars: ★★★½

[Morsigne925]

What I get most out of this soon after putting it on is actually mostly the apple, and what must be the myrtle. Definitely amber, but really mostly as a base - it's more fruity and almost spicy smelling smelling on me than most other ambers I've tried. Please please please don't turn into powder...! I love this scent right now - 4 stars unless it morphs into powder later on.

[inhumation]

in the imp, I smell only amber. on wet, it's amber and something green, perhaps the myrtle. during the drydown, it's a soft floral that smells exactly like soap. white commercial soap. dry, it smells like vaguely fruit-scented japanese erasers. I actually like the smell of japanese erasers but I'm not sure about wearing a perfume that smells like that.

Edited September 17, 2014 by inhumation

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: A more cool-toned amber than I'm used to. Usually I gravitate towards the warm, slightly spicy ambers, but this is something fruity and/or floral resting on a large amber base. Interestingly, something in here reminds me of the string of babysitters I had while growing up, all of whom were some flavor of hippie.

 

Wet: Still sweetly cool-toned, but not actively cold. There's a whiff of traditional perfumey florals with the carnation providing a lovely spicy bridge between said florals and the amber. Interestingly, when I asked my mother for her opinion, she said "baby powder, in the best way possible." And she really likes the scent of baby powder, so...thanks, I guess? It seems that my luck is not with me for this one - sometimes ambers turn powdery on me and sometimes they don't; it looks like this is one of the times they do.

 

Dry: Sweet amber. At first I thought I was picking up on a vanilla note, but soon realized I was getting a false foody positive from the apples.

 

I'm going to age this one for a while, because I REALLY want to like it (amber is my favorite scent family, and apple blossoms are so completely emblematic of/tied up with memories of my childhood I can't *not* love them), but it just didn't light a fire under me like I thought it would.

[Jeni Mullen]

My scent palette: I'm a foodie that doesn't tend to like the lab's vanilla scent unless there's something sugary in it. Eat Me is one of my favorite scents along with Captain Lilith (more boozy but still sweet). I am slowly finding out that I don't like woods in my scents. I love FOREST smells (like pine needles, juniper, leaves, moss and grass) but sandlewoods, rosewoods, and things like cedar or oak just don't do nice things on me. I love Magnificent Autumn, Samhain and Druid! I like spices too as long as they aren't kitchen spices (like mint and sage). Frankincense smells a little like sage so I haven't been too happy with that in my blends either. Scherezade and Sapphics are my go to spice oils. My biggest no-no are florals. Lavender and Jasmine, ylang ylang and peony run rampant. That said, carnation and sometimes rose can be quite nice on me if they're toned down. I also am not sure about my take on citrus. Lime is overwhleming (but I liked it in Lily Witch despite the leather). Bergamot is nicer. Leather and hemp tend to give me headaches.

 

In the bottle: OOoh yes! Amber! I also smell the carnation and while I'm not a floral girl, carnation plays well.

On my wrist, wet: The florals are stronger. I don't know what myrtle smells like on it's own so I don't know if it's doing that or if it's the carnation.

Fifteen minutes later: So soft! The florals have moved down below the ambers. The apple is only there in spirit I fear.

Thirty minutes later: Wrong! Here;s the apple! Apple and ambers are playing well on my skin. I'm really pleased! I never would have ordered this for myself.

 

Verdict: This was a lab frimp. I'm not sure if it will be a bottle but Alice use to be my one "floral." Now? Now I think it's spot in the box is being taken over by Brisingamen!

[MistressOfHell]

I got this as a frimp with my last order. In the bottle I rather liked it but about 10-15 minutes after I put some on I got a cola-candy-ish smell. Really disappointed this one didn't work out.

[hammy]

In the imp - Well, I spilled this sucker on myself as I opened it, so I didn’t get a chance to sniff it in the imp.

 

Wet - This is very ambery, and there’s a greenish note that’s maybe the myrtle. Or apple blossom. I’m not sure.

 

Drydown - As it dries, there’s more carnation. The whole blend has a spicy powderiness.

 

Verdict - Oddly, this wears down to something reminiscent of Frumious Bandersnatch without the plum. Not a big fan.