Brisingamen

[maewitch]

The amber necklace of Freyja, Norse Goddess of Love, Sex, Attraction and Fruitfulness. Her magnificent necklace was bough 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.

Oh, this is one I really wish I could have liked more.

There's something a little too sharp in the opening stage, which I suspect is the carnation. Dry, this is too heavy and goes slightly to powder on me, with a strange sort of acrid sweetness.

I hate using this expression, but it does make me think of old-lady perfume. It's not entirely unpleasant, but the powdery-sweetness combined with the heavy quality does have that old-fashioned vibe I associate with Well Kept older women. You know, the sort who were a little rambunctious in their youth, but who married "up" and are always well-turned out. It definately has that sexual quality to it, but it's one I associate with a completely different generation. It just doesn't quite work for me.

[eisoj5]

Brisingamen is amber and apples, but so faint on me that it might not be worth keeping around It's mostly sweet, with the ambers warming it up (now I think I know what amber smells like ) but I can barely pick it up with my nose practically up against my wrist. Oh well...

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 0/5

Summarised in a word or two: Floral!

 

In the imp: Floral apple, heavy on the carnation.

 

On skin, wet: Eeep, dusty amber.

 

On skin, dry: Ooh, I really don't like myrtle, it seems. I... really, really don't.

 

Conclusion: I have now discovered another note I hate: myrtle. 'Nuff said.

Edited June 21, 2006 by Aredhel

[Ishtar]

Brinsingamen is simply lovely

 

I am a big fan of amber, so I was very much looking forward to trying this. It lived up to my expectations and then some.

 

Thankfully the carnation is not too vocal in this blend, as it is not a note I care for. It just lends the slightest hint of spice to a scent that is otherwise soft and wonderfully feminine.

 

A very apt scent for Brinsingamen, it is indeed irresistible (at least to me) and will make you feel gorgeous!

[urraca]

Oh happy, happy, joy, joy.

 

I discovered I loved amber just as I discovered I loved BPAL so Brisingamen was a must-order for me. When I tried it on for the first time during TOM I was just crushed because it barely smelled like anything and what it did smell like was not nice --- inferior bathroom cleanser. But I tried it on again today and it is pure ambery buttery sugary yumminess. The myrtle, apple blossom, and carnation ride on the top and prevents it from becoming too sweet but they don't stand out as distinctive notes.

[mmcfa2]

OKay, this one is a morpher. it begins as apples and amber, very soft. In comes the myrtle and makes it almost medicinal for a few minutes and then slides in the carnation to bring it round to a spicy amber. The medicinal aspect rears up occasionally over the wearing time but it is brief and then returns to amber and spices with a brief flash of apple blossom. Very true to it's description, very soft and sexy, warm without being too sweet. As it dries down it reminds me a bit of snake oit as the amber carnation blend becomes akin to sugared vanilla and spices. This is a good thing for me because I LOVE the drydown of snake oil but the vanilla stage of it goes playdoh on me

[sophia_helix]

In the bottle:

 

Strong, rich floral, with a hint of amber.

 

Wet:

 

The scents reverse -- now I've got pure amber with that rich floral beneath, which smells like rose or gardenia, but not actually those scents. Probably the myrtle, which I can't recognize by its scent.

 

Drydown:

 

Whee, this one was fun. I love it when drydowns keep changing. The amber was strong for a while, and then the rich sweetness took over. About twenty minutes later I got something spicy (I'm guessing carnation), and then a switch to fruity (apple blossom?), followed by a funny hint of honey sneaking in. It was all quite lovely.

 

This scent does remind me a lot of O, probably because my skin just looooves on amber (so do I!), so I think I should give them a side-by-side try. This definitely had more floral/fruitiness to it than O did, but since the scents are fairly similar I'd rather pick a favorite before getting a big bottle.

 

Very nice, though, if you want more fruits and flowers in your O!

[parrot_suspect]

This isn't bad -- it's nicely crafted, but it's a little too floral/fruity for my tastes. I was hoping it would be heavier on the amber. Florals just aren't "me."

[kalliope]

In the vial: Rather sharper/heavier floral than I usually like. Eh.

 

Wet on skin: There's the amber! Hurrah amber! Still a little sharp, but I put this on before breakfast this morning, and I really should know better than to try on smelly things on an empty stomach (oog).

 

Drydown: OMFG. This is gorgeous. It's like walking about the house and work surrounded by a warm golden cloud. I put on a little right above my breastbone, and I am constantly getting whiffs of pure, sweet, rich, golden, humid, slightly appley amber. It's one of those scents that immediately lifts my mood whenever I smell it. I wore it to work, and nothing bothered me all day. It went strong for at least 6 hours, and even after more than 10, my wrists still smelled warm and slightly spicy.

 

Verdict: Definitely getting a 10ml of this one. Or two.

[hangingfire]

Thanks to gingersnapp!

 

In the bottle: The florals come on strong at first, and the amber sneaks gently in afterwards.

 

On, wet: Still floral, but the amber gains strength on contact with my skin. My skin has always adored amber; Brisingamen is no exception, it seems.

 

Drydown: The floral mostly dissipates, but I don't mind -- the amber is lovely and rich. It's like an amber perfume I used to get at Whole Foods, only richer and more complex, and with more staying power.

 

This one's a keeper. Definitely ordering a big bottle as soon as I get a chance.

Edited September 7, 2005 by hangingfire

[lixolux]

well, im one of those people upon whom amber goes funky.

[aedes]

Oh, this is one I really wish I could have liked more.

 

There's something a little too sharp in the opening stage, which I suspect is the carnation. Dry, this is too heavy and goes slightly to powder on me, with a strange sort of acrid sweetness.

 

I hate using this expression, but it does make me think of old-lady perfume...It definately has that sexual quality to it, but it's one I associate with a completely different generation. It just doesn't quite work for me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This was exactly my experience, too. I thought that *this* would be the one. The description sounded like everything I ever wanted. But I'm starting to realize that if I pick a scent for myself, it's doomed.

 

It started off with a high-pitched shriek of a scent, I agree that I think it was carnation. As it dried, the scent got headier and headier, a little soapy, then bang, powder. It's funny, my body turns myrrh into golden, sweet amber, and it turns amber into powder!

 

This imp deserves a loving home and someone whose skin will make it rise to its full potential. Swap pile!

[Nachtwulf]

Bottle: A spicy aquatic? The myrtle and apple blossoms make this surprisingly 'wet' and floral, though the ambers are definitely present to give it a bit of zap.

 

Wet: I want to say this is a warmer version of Bayou. Except it isn't as sweet or clear, and it doesn't seem to last as long? I wonder if it's already fading...

 

Dry: Going, going...er. Gone? o.o

 

Final Opinion: Ninja VANEESH! Someone stole the gold! .... I'll give this one another try tomorrow, but as far as I can tell, it sinks in and goes away in a matter of moments. I can't smell it at all anymore!

[Firewaver]

In the bottle it's a deceptively masculine perfume. If I hadn't read the description, I would think this is a masculine oriented scent.

 

On my skin it's spicy amber... maybe a bit of apple and a sharp spike of carnation. I don't like carnation, and I wish it would just sod off and let me enjoy the amber. There's something I'm not familiar with in this.. I'm going to assume it's the myrtle.

 

After a bit of drying time, I still smell spicy florals and amber, though the amber isn't as rich as I hoped it would be.

 

I'm not sure, I think i'll have to wear this one all day to see if it's really me. This isn't immediately good enough to keep, but good enough to warrant another test drive.

[quimerula]

This one is a nice floral perfume over an amber bottom line.

 

I can smell the spicy note of carnation, but the other notes are so well blended that I can't smell them individually.

 

If you like amber with a soft floral touch, go for this one.

[Savannah]

I just got this last night and I had a "road to Damascus" experience with it. This is The One. This is the BPAL I have been searching for. Not that all the other BPALs I've tried aren't wonderful, not that I'm not very glad I have them, and not that I won't keep happily spending time on this site until I have to declare bankruptcy, but I don't think anything's ever going to top Brisingamen for me.

 

First on, it's quite floral-sweet, and I can definitely smell the apple blossom. It's fresh, but the amber softens and rounds it and keeps it from going too sharp. As it dries down, the amber takes over. Amber loves me, and I love amber, and thanks to BPAL I am actually now able to pick out a couple of the five different ambers in here. At times I get a cinnamony whiff, which tells me there's Egyptian amber, and I get the darkly sweet brown-sugar scent of Tunisian amber as well. The amber is rich and full, and the florals keep it sweet and fresh without ever becoming cloying. It's perfectly blended, and on me, it has staying power like WHOA. More than fourteen hours after applying it, I got a whiff of sweet, soft ambery cinnamon and looked around, saying, "What smells so good?" My mom replied, "I think it's you!"

 

Big bottle. Multiple big bottles. VATS of this fragrance please!

[Miss Lynx]

I really like amber, so I was hoping the fact there are supposed to be five kinds of it in here might outweigh the floral notes, but no such luck. As soon as it hit my skin, it went fiercely floral and overpoweringly sweet. Far too girly a scent for me.

 

After drying down for a while, though, the amber came out a bit more. But at the same time, it starting fading away, at least on my wrists, so as the scent got more ambery, it also got weaker all around. In the crooks of my arms it's stayed a bit stronger, but also still heavily floral, with only the faintest undertone of amber.

 

No apples either. Orange blossom may smell like oranges on me, but apparently apple blossom does not smell like apples. It's a just a generic, near-sickeningly sweet floral. Oh well.

 

I guess for amber scents I'll have to stick with Haunted, the Lion and Titus A.

 

Grade: D+/C-

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Amber.

 

On, wet: Hoo. Insta perfume/soap. Not as bad as the black amber in Verdandi, but definitely Not Good.

 

Later: Perfume/soap and something faintly rotten. Erk. Very nasty combination.

[Freyja Lux]

I eagerly awaited Brisingamen arriving at my door because 1) I needed more perfume and 2) I adore mythology and, obviously, the Goddess Freyja, so having a perfume named after her most prized possession really appealed to me.

 

First sniff was OK, kind of mall perfume-y. But on... hmmm. Much more complex and delightful than the bland array at Macy's! Its amber, and... some other notes I have yet to identify. The carnation, maybe? Its floral and earthy. Nothing I'm insane for, like Bastet or Scherezade, but still a sexy and subtle blend.

[Lori]

Sniffing the imp: Oh…pure, gorgeous amber…mmm…I love that scent!

 

Wet on wrist: Still amber, but gorgeous and light and golden, not dark. And now, there is a floral scent coming through…I think it is the myrtle! Smells soft and sweet and not as sweet as apple blossom which I know is in here, and love, as well.

 

Drier: The amber, and myrtle have mixed with something a bit spicier, probably the carnation. The apple blossom is here now, too, but not overpowering as it often does. It must be all those 5 ambers reigning it in!

 

Dry: God, forget about men not being able to resist my charms! I don’t want to resist them! I LOVE the way I smell!!

 

I have the most beautiful golden amber necklace (I have pendants of amber in all colours, too but this is the one that will be forever after known as Freya’s necklace!) and when I wear it, I will wear Brisingamen! And since it is a favourite necklace, I will need a big bottle of this, so I can slather the scent on my neck, and then place the necklace around my throat and let it absorb the oil into its own golden light. And I will feel like the Goddess of Love that I have been called and have been known as.

[~AmusedMuse~]

My Impression:

Oh the greatest amber and floral scent I have tried to date. I really don't think it is possible to improve this one. The apple blossom and carnation is quite lovely, although I couldn't detect the myrtle. Could be my nose is having an off day. My scale of 1-5...5+

[Musamea]

In the bottle: very spicy, resin-y scent, with a slightly sticky, sweet undernote - apple?

 

Wet: very herbal, soap-y sort of smell

 

Dry-down: still a lot of amber and sticky resin

 

After 5 hours: Not for me. My skin pH seems to have zero effect on this one - it smells on my wrists exactly as it did in the bottle. This scent is a little too spicy for my tastes, and the main note my skin grabbed onto was the amber, which I'm finding that I'm not too crazy about. However, this one *does* have excellent staying power; those who like the scent will find that it lingers and drifts hours after a small application.

[karintheswede]

in the bottle - warm. Golden. Ciderish.

 

wet - I can really smell the apple, but it's grounded by something nearly earthy. Ooh, and there's the amber. This is gorgeous.

 

dry - apple-y amber. The apple shimmers through once in a while.

 

Ten hours after application - I'm in love. It's very sexy, but still clean, and I've been sniffing my wrist all day. The apple faded after a couple of hours, but the amber has amazing staying power on my skin. I've been walking around in gold all day, and it's just perfect. I need a big bottle of this.

[Colère]

Bottle: I keep smelling the damn imp and my mind keeps drawing a blank. If I wasn't so fucking stubborn I'd admit defeat and stamp Brisingamen 'indescribable' (at least in bottle form) and put myself out of misery. What I do get is 'heavenly', 'golden', and 'sweet' - but then the sweetness intensifies and I begin feeling nauseous. And then, dear God no, I detect a trace of Snake Oil....

 

Skin: There's something not quite right about it when it hits my skin. That golden warmth I mentioned earlier becomes cold and biting. Even though I can't place it there's a bodily scent; a muskiness that transforms into a sharp, ammonia-like smell. Rancid bitterness mixes with the ammonia and I end up smelling like an outhouse (that overpowering hit of fermented urine that just SLAMS you in the face when opening the door). Beneath the in-your-face slap of ammonia something organic lurks, but not necessarily 'fresh' or 'green'.

 

Skin, Later: From a distance it dries too sweet on me, way too powdery. But when I rub my nose in it ('You've been bad, Colere! Bad!') I get a breath of spice that's gorgeous, but it's choked back by a yellow-brown bitterness (burnt mushrooms?). It's frustrating because at first whiff Brisingamen is lovely, but when you catch the last of it the scent goes off (i.e., 'cough syrup', 'foamy plastic candy', 'dirt', & 'Lush's Karma' - which, for some reason, I really don't like).

 

Verdict: I somehow convinced myself that amber and I were best friends despite not having had any experience with it. As it turns out, we aren't. I'm hoping that I've incorrectly attributed the 'ammonia' and 'yellow-brown bitterness' to amber since it's one of those notes that I (conceptually) love. Something went off (myrtle?), but I'm not sure what. I'm really disappointed with the reaction because I was totally prepared to love this blend. DAMN YOU CHEMISTRY, DAMN YOU.

[melange]

Bottle: a lovely blend of apple, amber, and something unfamiliar that I can only guess is the myrtle; the carnation blends enough that I don't smell it as a separate note.

 

Drydown: blends further, and gets a 'flowers left too long in the vase' scent.

 

Worn: after a little while, the carnation comes out just enough to give it character and clean it up again. It is still missing a lower note to connect it to my skin, though, until at least an hour later, when the other scents fade in favor of the faint warm amber that clings closely to my skin. There is little throw at this point, but it does smell nice.

 

Conclusion: I had high hopes for this imp, because I adore amber and really like apple and carnation, and the reviews were almost all glowing. I do like Brisingamen's smell both at the very beginning and near the end, but it takes a while to smell good on my skin, and even then it's a little bland. The rest of the imp will probably wind up as an air spritz rather than worn, or possibly layered. My search for the perfect amber blend (or blends, if I'm lucky) continues!