Gore-Shock

[Elilara]

With its roots in the Grand Guignol, Gore-Shock is a transgressive art form: using visual depictions of graphic, horrendous violence to push the limits of social tolerance. In the words of Michael Arnzen, "Splatter films differ from typical horror films because they revel in the special effects of gore as an artform. They are part of postmodern art and depict postmodern condition as a vehicle for cultural transformation." Then again, these might be extreme gross out flicks and nothing deeper. Examples: Blood Feast, Two Thousand Maniacs, I Spit on Your Grave. Pulpy, scorched, pork-like flesh, glistening entrails, and doughy skin with the coppery tang of blood, salty, sweaty musk, filth, and a huff of rusted machinery.

I had to try this. With my deep love for the video game series Silent Hill, I couldn't help but hope this was it, my Silent Hill smell. I'm pleased to say that yes, it is, and in so many more ways than I expected! Forgive me if this description gets a little odd.

Okay, quick and dirty description of how the world of Silent Hill works, for those who don't know. For those who do, I'm sorry if my paraphrasing is a little off as it's been a while since I've been as deeply into the lore as I once was.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Hill

Lets break it up into three basic layers:
1) The normal world: Silent Hill is a perfectly normal tourist trap town, with a history involving a Civil War prison, and some cultish religious practices.
2) The same town, but abandoned, with a thick, mysterious fog, roads that end in bottomless pits, the occasional monster.
3) The Otherworld. Dark, decayed, blood soaked, rusted metal, walls replaced with metal grating and machinery, unearthly hellish glow and heat coming from nowhere...

This perfume has all of those layers, but kind of in reverse.

When I first opened it, I was hit with a wave of the salt, rust, blood, machine oil, and something else like pickled flesh. Mmm, that's a good start. Utterly terrifying, yet somehow intriguing and pulling me in. Okay, I'll try it on. It started out even more pickle-y, but that went away after a minute or so. I have a lot of trouble describing this stage... it wasn't the smell itself, but what lingered in my sinuses after I pulled away from it. It's dark, it's musty, it's lonely, and slightly decayed. A very grey and white smell. Very much like the second layer of Silent Hill. There's still a sense of the blood, the rust, everything else terrible lying underneath.

After another few minutes, it dried down a bit. What have we here? A facade of a oddly pleasant, ancient smelling, semi-floral perfume. It's resting there, precariously, a thin veneer of normalcy over dust, decay, and a faint hint of the hellish underworld of rust and, dare I say it, a hint of brimstone?

I love this. How on earth was this made? When I said I wanted a Silent Hill scent, I expected it to only smell of the "Otherworld" layer. This is so much better. I must say, it's come off as fairly repulsive to most of my friends who've smelled it, and it thoroughly disturbs my boyfriend as he's a fellow Silent Hill obsessive... So, I'm never going to need more than this one bottle. However, I'm never going to part with it! *Golum-cling*

Edit: My boyfriend got more of the burned flesh note from it on the drydown- "like making out in a burn unit" he said. Frighteningly appropriate if we consider the story of Alessa Gillespie from Silent Hill... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessa_Gillespie (short version, she was burned terribly by her mother as a kind of sacrifice, and her own pain and anger that spawned from this had a large hand in creating the Silent Hill we know, and I love more than is healthy.) Edited July 21, 2009 by Elilara

[alyssinwonderland]

Alas, I wish I could have all these complicated layers like Elilara had. I, too, adore Silent Hill but that is not what this invoked for me. I got pure honey-baked ham out of the bottle, and on skin it morphed into a warm ham and miracle whip sandwich- emphasis on the "warm".

 

The only thing I could think of was that Taco Bell commercial where the woman kept attracting men to her like flies because she had a bacon chalupa in her purse. Perhaps if I wanted to attract men to me like a ham sandwich I would wear this

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is truly shocking!! a friggin baconater from burglar king....ugh...

or smoky ham...c-r-a-z-y!!

this is NOT for the faint of heart when it comes to meat d00ds...srsly....

this is bloody, greasy, meat....

truth be told, i just had to dab...a smidge on my wrist...

on the bod, the heavenly bpal brimstone note...the meaty note dissipates fast

and furious....(amen!) and i am left with sweet, pure campfire smoke...plain and simple....

but wait...now some rubber as well....ok...smoke and rubber....hey, who but beth could

come up with such a concept...you gotta try it to believe it

[angelicruin]

I owned a bottle of this briefly. In sniffing it and applying a scant amount to my skin, it was mangled meat scent. It smells like a slaughterhouse. It's definitely a novel scent and shows Beth's amazing genius in blending something so realistic, but I can't imagine actually wearing it...except maybe for Halloween or as a gag.

Edited August 2, 2009 by angelicruin

[bubblefish]

As soon as I opened the imp I was blasted with something familiar. I put some on my wrist and took a sniff and couldn't believe it. It's a freaking PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICH. I could smell the peanut butter, I could smell the jam (strawberry?), and I could even smell the wheat bread.

 

Then it just morphed into something ucky like a PBJ gone bad. Real bad.

[madmmx]

I bought a decant of Gore Shock for my hubby, who loves the really bizarre and caustic scents (Scarecrow, Heretic's Fork, Goblin Rider), but decided I wanted to give it a whirl.

 

Sniff in imp: Spicy musk, with a faint whiff of ham sandwich

Wet on skin: That lovely spicy musk (civet maybe? I get the same note from Satyr on my skin). But wait, here comes ham/spam on wet toast RAAARRR!! I had some bad experiences with ham sandwiches getting hot and soggy in my lunchbag in high school, hence I haven't had a ham sandwich in 13 years. This is making me gag.

Drydown: My 25 min commute was horrifying as I was trapped in the hot car with a hot soggy ham sandwich.

 

I was hoping to wait this out for a couple of hours, to see if I got any of the rusted machinery, or the smokey note that other posters have smelled. But by the time Gore Shock had been on my skin for 35 min, I was gagging everytime I caught a whiff of it (and this one is strong...I only put a drop on each elbow). It took three vigorous scrubs to get most of this oil off. I called hubby, and told him to try Gore Shock, I can't wait to see what his experience is. But unfortunately, this one is NOT for me

 

[kohaisama]

... yeah. well. it's what BBQ would be if it was a perfume. it's a smoked pulled pork sandwich. I gagged the whole time while it was wet (could be my food intolerance to pork) and now that it's fully dried, it's smoke and vetiver to my nose.

[Blood onmy hands]

In the bottle, Gore-Shock smells like someone crammed Thanksgiving ham in here, and added in some extra smoke. Salty, glazed ham and smoke. I like the smell of smoky ham, but do I want to smell like smoky ham? Not so much. It does make me want a sandwich, though :/

 

On my skin, much to my surprise, I really like this. It has a sort of resinous, spiced woods smell on me. Certain types of vetiver smell like smoky mesquite BBQ planks on me, and I get that at first, but the drydown of this is pretty good. Like spicy, resinous smelling wood and a bit of smokiness. It still smells just slightly of ham as well, though.

 

I kind of like this, and then I catch a sudden whiff of ham and just feel weird about the whole thing, lol. Gore-Shock reminds me of Mutant Hot-Rodders a bit (and I love MHR), but minus the leather & clean cologne and with the addition of ham...

 

This is weird, but it's not awful on me. I can't decide whether or not I like it. I might have my hubby wear it, lol.

[cinnamonster]

Well this is Ho's Bakery Char Siu pasty. It made me kind of want bacon.

 

Not something I will ever wear again - I only tried a dot like a pinhead too. Very well done, but it's not what I have in mind of how I would like to smell when I put on perfume.

 

I just don't see anyone going..."hey you know that girl, the one that smells like grilled barbecue pork, hmmm she's so hot"

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Light golden oil. Foul burnt things and rust. Omg. Utterly nauseating. I cannot bear to skin test this.

 

 

[PurgatoriX]

3rd review, I'm on a roll ^__^

 

This was a hard one for me to in down, but I'll do my best.

 

In the bottle: Sour, bitter rusted metal & salt mixed with old motor oil, for lack of a better word. I was amazed & yet really hesitant to put this on

 

Wet on my skin: The rusty metal amped hard & I got a strange whiff of what I can only describe as dry peanut shells? There's a burnt, smoky smell underneath, but I don't really get the "pork" so much as just "burnt".

 

Drydown: It's become a warm, smoky & almost spicy musk, not bitter at all! I actually really like this stage.

 

Verdict: Well, an amazing metamorphosis, to say the least! I may want more of this in the future, but for now I'll let it sit & try it again whaen it's not so hot outside, see how that changes things...

[ljaylh]

This is nasty. N.A.S.T.Y. I didn't sniff this from the imp, I just put a dab straight on my skin. Then I leaned in for a sniff. Then I nearly vomited. Seriously. Then I went and scrubbed it off. And scrubbed it again, until it was all gone. I know I should have waited to see how it dried down, but I just couldn't stomach it.

 

I've never really encountered a smell this bad, so I'm not sure how to describe it. And it only stayed on my skin for about 8 seconds. But the brief whiff I caught was something like what I imagine might be the result of blending raw meat with and motor oil then leaving it in the sun outside for six weeks.

 

I honestly NEVER want to smell this again. I will be keeping it to share with friends though, because of the childish enjoyment I'll get from seeing their faces when they smell it. In the same way that I enjoy spritzing that nasty old-style perm solution around the office and waiting for people to start saying "eewww what smells like rotten eggs", Gore Shock might just be my most heinous office prank ever

[voodoocatwoman]

I can't even begin to describe how the name fits the fragrance. It is utterly disgusting. If I walked into a slaughterhouse, THIS is how I would expect it to smell. I made the mistake of dabbing a tiny bit of this on my wrist. I can tell you this: Folks, if you want to smell like rotten meat, THIS is the scent for you. Step right up... plenty to go around.

 

Can you say ICK? I knew that you could.

 

 

[zankoku_zen]

Again, this one smelled of ham, something sweet, and rusty metal. Actually, as it dried, I got a creamy condensed milk thing going on top of the ham. The metal is still there, in the background. Rusted.

 

My husband thinks it smells like garbage.

 

Part of me really wants to wash it off. Part of me wonders where the 'condensed' milk vive is coming from.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: I get metal, salt, musk, and a touch of weiners.

 

Wet: Definitely the coppery note, the same one I got in Hell-Gate of Ireland. There's also some really black vetiver in here, and some musk. Fortunately, the weiner note seems to have been overcome by the others.

 

Half an hour: Vetiver and weiner. Still get the musk and metal, though.

 

Hour and a half: Now it's more metal and vetiver, with a salty musk note beneath.

 

Two and a half hours: Salty leather and vetiver. I think it's on its way down; it's losing complexity now.

 

Four hours: This turned into a very pleasant, light, musky, spicy blend, not at all like the earlier scent.

 

Seven hours: After holding stable for a couple hours, this one slowly began to sour; maybe there is a leather note in there after all, since that's what many of the leather notes do on me.

Edited October 8, 2009 by hlinspjalda

[strahlend]

When I saw an imp of Gore Shock come up and I read the reviews I was completely fascinated. I couldn't imagine anything so unappealing coming out of a BPAL bottle, but I had to see for myself.

 

Let me preface this by saying that I am an unusual smell enthusiast. Weird doesn't bother me. I love unusual blends. I am not prone to headaches, nor do I feel so fragile that I must scrub a scent off of my skin.

 

That being said...

Gore Shock is the most unpleasant smell I think I have ever smelled out of a bottle of any kind, ever.

 

 

In the imp - I smell burnt plastic or rubber. I can smell something sweet and maybe spicy vanilla in the background. I know I must put this on. Even though it smells gross I have to find out what happens.

 

On the skin - more of the same, burnt plastic or rubber. The sweet soft note in the background is trying to hold it's own, but failing.

 

After about an hour or more - This is really disgusting. I'm not saying that emotionally, frankly it still fascinates me. I just can't believe something can smell this bad. I'm impressed. The burnt plastic or rubber keeps wafting up toward my face from my arm and at this point it's kind of making my nostrils feel burnt, like I've been huffing toxic fumes. I'm actually starting to feel a little sick to my stomach. I sware that I'm not a delicate flower, it is a testiment to the power of this scent. It is awe inspiring in it's disgustingness.

 

Allrighty then... I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience this scent. I think it provides yet another interesting facet to the BPAL experience. And I can honestly say I will never, ever wear this again.

[voorishsign]

Oh dear. Oh dear, why did I do this? Why did I buy a decant? I'm a bit worried to tell the truth, but I wanted to desperately know just how bad it is. It's sitting there on my desk, the last of today's imps to test, mocking me. But I will not have spent this money in vain and part of me wants to know. So, off with the cap (but carefully, that's one BPAL I don't want to spill).

 

In the bottle: Well, that's not . . . too bad actually? I was expecting the scent from hell but actually all this smells like to me is very lovely vetiver - maybe a slight hint of oil or grease but not unpleasantly so. It reminds me of Hessian of the Hollow, one of my favourites.

 

Here goes nothing.

 

Wet on skin: Yep, still a stronger version of Hessian. I don't mind this at all. At least - not so far.

 

Drydown: I can't believe I'm saying this but I bloody love Gore-Shock. I'm not getting any of the rotting garbage smell or anything, just metal and blood as in Hessian but much stronger, plus musk and salt. Mmm. Lovelovelove. I may well hunt for a bottle.

 

Forumites like me, who like seriously darker scents: Do not be scared away! If your skin chemistry plays along this one is marvelous! Try a decant or a half-decant if you can try one, you owe it to yourself. (Naturally, if you hate dark scents, smoke, blood, metal, etc., you will despise this, which is perfectly understandable.)

 

I find it ironic that some of the most disliked scents wind up perfect on me and some of the fan-favourites like Snake Oil and the Snake Pit don't work on me at all. My skin chemistry is bizarre.

[starfish327]

once the creosote blast that i get initially dies down...it's really NOT bad. it actually reminds me of a lot less maply px717 or a less rosy st. john's eve. i'm going to try layering it at some point. i'd wear it straight (really really sparingly) except that it gives me a mental image of dried blood. interpreting everything as an image has its downsides.

[InvidiaBlue]

My first posted "review". lol And I use quotation marks because I fayl at picking out notes and such. ;p I wanted to try this for a long time after seeing Beth talk about it on youtube with.. some perfume reviewer lady, I cant remember. She mentioned the notes, how they were a bit too true to form with it and that they had only sold 20 bottles. lawl Just had to try it out of curiosity.

 

I absolutely did not expect to like this on a 'wearing' level, and lo and behold, I do NOT. The description is perfect. To me it smells like rusted metal, flesh and burnt things and that is about all I can pick out if I really try. Gross, but fascinating! Amazing how she blended such a realistic and horrifying scent! I am at work and bravely just put a dab on my wrist. Almost right after that someone started sniffling. O.O' It could be coincidence but to be safe rubbed it on my jeans and pulled down my sleeve. I do smell something familiar in it. I want to agree with the vetiver note mentioned above, but... not quite. Maybe a combo of vetiver and something else that Ive sniffed from BPAL before and not a single note.

 

All in all, nasty, but too intriguing not to try!

 

 

 

Edit: Gah! So strong, it is making my headache worse! Probably not a good decision to use this while suffering a migraine. Slathered it in Pride to try and drown it out. Please work!

Edited March 10, 2011 by InvidiaBlue

[revinn]

Bought this to have the complete set of horror scents! I'm a total horror junkie.

 

Yep, this smells like burning, twisted flesh. And also..like really salty ham to my nose. I don't dare put it on my skin!

[imaginepageant]

In the Vial: I have to admit that after reading the reviews, I was a little scared to try this blend, but as a huge horror freak, I can't not try it! The most prominent scent in Gore-Shock is salt. This is extremely salty, so much so that it leaves a salty aftertaste in the back of my throat. I definitely get something meaty and pork-like from this, along with a whiff of fire and smoke that I always associate with brimstone. And the rusted machinery is there, too. The entire effect makes me think of the pig-grinding room in Saw III.

 

Wet: Wow, for a second it almost smells good! Then the salt kicks back in. Oh, wait, it's waning again, and it's getting a little sweeter. This is a lot warmer on my skin, very spicy and musky. I'm getting more of the smoke, rust, and metal than I am of flesh and blood. It's honestly not that bad!

 

Dry: I'm kind of getting the ham scent that others have mentioned now. It's still salty and tangy on top, but if I breathe deeply I get that spicy, musky warmth that is quite pleasant. If I could just get rid of the saltiness, I think I'd really like this.

 

An Hour Later: Oh, damn. The salt has kicked that nice warm musk in the balls and taken over the show. It honestly smells more like murky saltwater than meat or blood to me.

 

Overall: I'm very disappointed that this ended up being so salty! I was shocked to find that I kind of liked it on the drydown, and if it weren't for that pesky salt note, I could see this being something I'd actually wear. I'm also surprised that I didn't find this as nearly disgusting as I'd been expecting - though that's my usual reaction to even the goriest horror films, so I suppose it fits!

 

ETA: Now that I know what vetiver smells like, I can say with great confidence: there is vetiver in this. A lot of it.

Edited June 13, 2011 by imaginepageant

[MCS4096]

I've waited a long time to finally try this blend.. preconceived notions are that it will be Bad

 

In the imp I'm actually surprised because I think it smells sorta good. It's a sweet and salty creosote smell.. more like the fire to me, than the meat cooking over it. There's also a powdery/perfumey element to it I was not expecting.. it's like a floral musk under there.

 

Ok as it's drying down I am truly truly shocked to say.. I really like this It's playing so well on my skin (as most smoky/incensey/dark blend do), and the throw I'm getting is sweet powdered musk with the slightly hint of salt, just enough to keep it from being old ladyish (can you believe I'm describing Gore-Shock as potentially old-ladyish? lol)

 

The smell is reminding me of something, and I'm trying desperately to recall it. I cant quite grasp it.. but it's definitely not a ham and mayo sammich

 

Wow.. I may have to find a bottle. Amazing!

[Dark Alice]

I can't believe I never reviewed this. I keep a tiny drop in an imp just for shits and giggles and fortunately I can test it while I have this sinus infection so the scent doesn't overwhelm me.

 

Wet: Burned ham and burned tires with smoke.

 

Dry: Burned ham and burned tires with smoke.

 

Okay...my original assessment was wrong. I could smell this through a damn sinus infection. This stuff is disgusting. I now must scrub this off and put coffee under my one working nostril.

[Wren12]

A very well aged imp, received in a lot, at least 2 years old...

 

In imp...rusted metal, very distinctly rusted metal, as though I'm rubbing a flaking bit of sheet metal and inhaling the fine red dust dust which shifts from its husk. No ham, thank goodness.

 

On wet...the rusted metal blooms somdwhat, changing from a piece of rusted scrap to a mouldering copper bell, abandoned at the bottom of a church steeple, wet, with that viscous copper tang of spilt blood.

 

Drydown...the copper tang sings a high note while a spicy, sweaty musk warms and wafts from my skin. The musk is.actually incredibly sexy from this scent and reminds me of the naughty parts in horror movies that inevitably dooms the participants to a blood soaked end.

 

All in all, either I got a different oil than everyone else or this oil has aged incredibly well. This is a deep, dark, sexy smell on me.I adore it, and must have a bottle to age for myself. I don't get the ham or meat smell that other reviewers have mentioned and the smell is anything but nauseating. This is very much a nasty scent, but in a good way.

 

Much better than Psychological Horror, that's for sure!

[OctoberGwen]

Holy shit, this smells exactly like I thought it would.

 

In a word: disgusting. Once again, my hat is off to the Scent Witch. I'm glad I got to try this, but....

 

Meaty, metallic, and nasty. Yep.

Edited January 15, 2013 by OctoberGwen