Brimstone

[arcticwolf]

In Hermetic alchemy, brimstone is one of the Three Heavenly Substances, one of the primary alchemical Principles. It represents the strength of will and the vigor of passion, and it is a symbol of the process of fermentation. A smoky, gritty blend, husky and gray.

I opened this frimp, and almost dropped it, it was so strong and acrid smelling. It did smell like smoke, but not a good, warm, campfire smoke to me. It smelt...evil. Hellish maybe.

I wore it only briefly, and yes, it did smell smoky, and started to settle into a campfire smell, but unfortunately, that's an "experience smell", not a perfume, and I wear most of my BPAL to work. I washed it off, and decided this is a better room scent.

I promptly used it in an oil burner the very next week, during my D&D campaign. It set the mood perfectly, since we were campaigning on a Hell Plane at the time. Everyone loved the atmosphere it created: hot, gritty and slightly menacing.

[neuilly]

Smells like charred wood. I'm amazed at how Beth could come up with let alone actually create this scent! However, I don't particularly want to smell like burned out wood.

[CrystieSC]

I'm still trying all the imps I don't care for in the container, just to give them a fair chance.

 

In the imp, this smells so strong it almost burns my nose.

 

Wet, it smells of rotting flowers. Evil rotting flowers. I don't get any smoke scents or wood scents. But then - I didn't get a "wood" scent in Arkham, and it was icky while wet on me, so maybe wood scents just don't "work" with me.

 

Dry, it still smells like something rotten and foul, but it calms down and isn't evil anymore. I don't feel like I have to cut my wrists off anymore - I can just wash them.

 

It doesnt give me a headache, and ten minutes after its dry (I'm giving it a very fair chance, cause of the beautiful morphing some scents do), I don't hate it. It isn't working well with my skin, but on someone else it wouldn't bother me.

[jmchau]

This one goes in the OH H*LL NO group.

 

In the bottle: the scent reminds me of taking my trash out to the dumpster. But I know how these change on the skin, so I give it a try. One small swipe of the wand later: still putrid. Applied at 2pm.

 

Dry: after an hour I get a spicy resinous smell, but the putrid edge is still there. After 2 hours the putrid is gone, and but it's a heavy scent. Very incensy. I don't care for most incense, so this is not a Good Thing. It's a very aggressive scent.

 

It's now 9:00am the next morning and I can still get a faint whiff on my wrists. It's actually quite pleasant now that it's toned way down, but I'm not going to put up with all the intervening hours to get to this point.

 

So it's NO. Just ... no.

[Extispex]

This one was frimped to me by an evil enabler (thanks!), and I'm shocked - shocked I say - at how much I love it. I was a bit wary of the more fiery smells. A little smoke lingering in the background of a scent is one thing, but I wasn't sure I'd like something called 'brimstone'.

 

In the imp, very smoky and a bit herby. Its gritty, and maybe there's a hint of vetiver in there somewhere.

 

Wet, on my skin, its much the same. I get a lot of smoke initially. A big bonfire kind of smoke, acrid and breathless. Then it calms down. As it dries, it becomes much sweeter. The raging fire has calmed to smoldering coals. There's a hint of sweetness here, something resinous or maybe even floral that dances among the flames, rises on the smoke.

 

"Beautiful" isn't the word for this blend. But its so unique and evocative. Too me, it's the aroma of a saint who has just passed through fire.

 

I want a bottle. I so want a bottle.

[aquazoo]

Smoky smoky! It’s a bit medicinal, camphor with a slight butterscotch. This is one of the scents that is exactly what I like about BPAL. The smoke fades and I’m left with the medicinal, but it’s become spicy and remains on the pleasant side.

[ClareN]

This scent is mostly vetiver. Mmm, delicious vetiver. I'm not always sure I like vetiver, but right now I'm leaning towards I love it. Brimstone is what I wanted Djinn to be, but Djinn smelled like fresh, clean, lemony soap. This, on the other hand, is gloriously dark. I don't really get smoke and fire - this reminds me more of walking through a forest in medieval Europe, but it is still dark and lovely. It's olive green, not gray.

 

It's a little sharp when first applied, but on my skin it mellows out with a touch of that lemony vetiver scent and it gets better and better. It lasts a VERY long time. I think this would be a good layering note; although I love it, I'm not sure I'd wear it on its own.

[aRaven]

Wow - interesting stuff here in Brimstone. The write up is an accurate description - gritty. This is a very dark and heavy scent upon first application and in the bottle. It really does remind me of smoldering ash. Someone likened it (in a previous review) of that odd smell when burning treated lumber. I smell that as well, but not in an unfavorable way. I love the smell of smoke.

 

After a few minutes I begin to pick up a spicy, peppery smell. Almost like fresh ground black pepper. Adds interest as the fire and smoke fade ever so slightly.

 

I am left with a rather bold and masculine scent, which is good for me. Very unusual. I keep coming back to the word dark. Dark isn't a smell but it evokes that feeling (and yes I know dark isn't a feeling either). I am so bad at this, please bear with me.

 

Long lasting me. Dries down into a less combative scent. This is not light or ladylike. Deep, rich, a scent not to be messed with. I'll keep it.

[khiseer]

whoa vetiver! that is what i get from this as soon as i open the imp! After i get over that it starts to smell more like rotting burned wet wood, but a fragrant wood not just an everyday timber. There is almost a dry leaves burning smell to it as well. Very strong and hard to wash off It does have the lingering scent of smoke but it's definatley not the kind of smoke i'm after.. Too much vetiver for me

[radishbaby]

In the Imp : This smells like smoke, crumbling dry dead dirt and perfume. Very unique and hard to describe.

 

 

Wet : This smells exactly like someone's been crushing rocks together in the sun. It's not so much smokey now as it is dry and incredibly dusty. If I had to assign a color to this it would be *gray*. And gray ,and gray, and gray, and gray, and gray . . . .

 

Dry : This hasn't morphed at all but it's lost some of it's bite. This is just plain dry rock now and it smells exactly how I'd expect underground passages in Hell to smell like. Uncanny

 

Over all Rating : Very good. Fits the description down to the T.

 

 

Big Bottle Worthy : No. I'll thoroughly enjoy the imp but I don't see myself buying this and making it a part of my regulars.

[LunaClaire]

Name: Brimstone

 

Bottle: Spicey pepper - red!

 

Wet: Red Ginger

 

Dry: The ginger deepens and sweetens - not quite candy, but sweet. It's actually a lovely scent. A sort of burnt orange-red feeling accompanies the smell.

 

Furthermore: Not at all what I was expecting - although still pleased I purchased a bottle. I was hoping for dark, intense, gritty smoke - the kind of scent that people back off when you walk by. Instead, I imagine people will crowd around me wondering what smells so yummy.

[Lethran]

Wow! They aren't kidding about the grittiness, the smoke, or the husks. It also smell aquatic and faintly ozoney. It is a cousin to JEZIRAT AL TENNYN, only vastly more pleasing. This is what I wanted JEZIRAT AL TENNYN to smell like, but it didn't. It smells like a storm coming over brushfire country, the dry heat of flame about to be quenched by the laden air. Not an easy scent or one for every day, but exciting. It wears long too, lingering on, mellowed and smelling a little like aftermath. I love that about it. This would have been a winner if at around the four hour point it didn't degenerate into almost all patchouli until I was forced to wash it off. My disappointment is huge as I loved this stuff. Also, allergic to it. Ugh.

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Angry red fire!

 

Wet: Fire, smoke, almost liquid smoke. It's extremely masculine! I couldn't wear it, but it smells nice on my husband!

 

Drydown: Still so masculine! It's incendiary and angry, and so smoky! My husband absolutely loves it!

3.0 outta 5 for me

4.0 outta 5 for my husband!

[NatCatz]

All I can smell is vetiver and smoke..

 

I wanted to like the smokey edge but the vertiver just kills it for me. We just don't seem to get along.

 

Back in the swaps..

[goth_huntress]

After living through two big wild fires in Southern California, just the hint of Brimstone in my nostrils freaks me out. I actually threw the Imp out.

[savage_rose]

Fermentation is right! You know what fermentation is...rotting. Yuck.

 

Me: :nose wrinking: What does this smell like to you?

Hapless nearby husband: :nose wrinkling: Grass?

Me: Maybe if a dog peed on it, and then they decided to burn it. Ugh...

[megank4]

I got not one, but two of these as frimps from the Lab. Hate to say it, but this is one of those scents I think "How could ANYONE like this?"

[mazaru]

Wet: Something is burning. Is someone having a bonfire outside? What's burning? Oh, hang on. It's me.

 

Dry: An unpleasant mix of burned wood, melting carrier bags and, for some reason, patchouli. Gave my imp of this to a housemate, who absolutely loves it.

[quigza]

Both wet & dry all I smelled was firey smoke of various sorts. More house fire & sulphur in the bottle, forest fire & sulphur when wet, and chapparal fire upon dry down.

 

Seeing as how I come from a place where fires are considered a season of the year (I'm in socal too), I think my preference will be to avoid this fragrance (it unnerves me). I wonder if this was inspired by the yearly SoCal fires?

 

I can see this being layered with something sweet for those who like a smoky layer to their scents

Edited May 2, 2008 by Lemonlife

[fairnymph]

Sniffed in imp: Sharp soil, an astringent anise-like note and dirty vegetal roots. Powerful.

[Nimthiriel]

Initial impression:

Woah! It really smells like thick smoke...

First on:

Husky and gray is right – it really is brimstone in liquid form. Makes me think of volcanoes. Or fires. Or both.

Dry:

Holy crap, this is strong stuff! I only used a drop, and I had to open my window – it really does smell like heavy, almost choking, smoke.

 

After 10 mins, it's a bit more perfume-like, but still very much a thick and toxic smoke of sorts.

 

Finally:

Strong stuff, and interesting to try! Passing it on, though.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Ugh, vetiver, black musk and dirt

 

Wet on me – Sharp and animalistic, dark and grubby

 

Dry on me – Cedar followed by straight up vetiver

 

Overall – I think this must be the first blend that I have tried that I can see no positive in at all, but I guess someone must love it

[Reaver]

Acrid and smoky vetivery frankincense. Dark, slightly greenish grey curls of scent cover me because this scent has SUCH throw. I'd be worried about wearing this out because although I love it dearly, I don't know what other people would think of it. It's love or hate.

 

It's almost a late summer scent. Sometimes it's hot and desert-like, harsh conditions. Sometimes it's a downpour in the Catskills. Bizarreness, but awesome.

 

Similarities to Satyr, Smokestack.

 

Conclusion - Yum.

8/10

[gchris]

In Vial: Strong

 

Wet: This is another strong vetiver blend, earthy.

 

Dry: As this settle it smells more like old moss and dirt. The vetiver screams in this one. *For Vetiver Lovers Only*

[ForeverSweet]

Brimstone

 

This is just pure, heady strength. It blasts you as soon as you bring the imp towards you. Sadly, this is so strong that it took my courage building up to an insane level before I would put it on, afraid that it wouldn't end well at all!

 

In the Imp:

This is sour and strong and burning and dangerous! If I smelled this going somewhere, I would be terrified. This is the burning of horror. I personally can't stand the smell from the imp and this is why it took me so long to try it. It has a strong smell of burning, but that awful sour burning. Mixed with an undercurrent of sickening sweet.

 

On wet:

 

Still really wasn't fond of it. The sweet notes were coming out even more heady and I had to keep myself from feeling sick and dizzy from the bitter-sweet undertones of this perfume. It almost reminds me of the sweet hints in Virgo 2007 - just much much stronger without smelling earthy. Is someone burning velvet here?! I could barely even pick out any notes it was so strong and overpowering.

 

Drydown:

 

Shockingly, I am finally warming up to this. I was thinking I would never be able to walk near this imp again! However, on the dry down the bitter sweetness is starting to fade away to something more smoky, like I was hoping I would get. I can smell the pine and the cedar and it finally smells like a dark, dangerous burning pile in the forest on a scary night. And I think I could possibly come to love this scent. I was hoping I would get the scent of smoke from this and I can finally smell it.

 

 

Final thoughts: I am very torn on this, as I love the smoky scent - and it definitely invokes a certain image of the forest. I lived in the south most my young life and it smells like the scent of burning pine trees in the summer, a pine that may have been struck by lightning! However, there is still the slight undercurrent of bitter sweetness and the first part of this perfume being on me is so strong, that I think I may give this to a better home and find something else with the forest/smoke smell - that isn't so strong. :') I think this would be lovely on people that bring out the smoky smell, however.

Edited June 14, 2008 by ForeverSweet