Brimstone

[Theravada]

In Hermetic alchemy, brimstone is one of the Three Heavenly Substances, one of the primary alchemical Priciples. 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.

*sniff sniff* Woah, hello vetiver!

It literally took a few minutes for me to screw up my courage and apply this one. I dabbed just a teeny tiny amount of this on my arm, hoping the vetiver would calm down. Well, it doesn't. It's just screaming, raging vetiver mixed in with something grey and smokey....like ash. Reminds me of Highwayman....very intense. "Evil" pops into mind.

I can't see myself wearing this one. Maybe on a man it would work out.

[anmorata]

Brimstone:

 

Wow, I wasn't sure I'd make it through to write a full description. The moment Brimstone hits my skin, it becomes very chemically acrid and leaves me recoiling in horror at the smell.

 

After about 10 minutes or so, it lessens into the smell of a bonfire that's smoldering in the ashes. The chemical undertone is defintely there, though.

 

I'm baffled with this scent.. I can't fathom wanting to smell like this. Perhaps Brimstone is best layered with another scent?

[tinyvulture]

what an odd scent but i think i like it! in the bottle it is so strong and reminds me of a campfire. there's a sweet, wood smell mixed in with the smokiness. on my skin it smells more like the campfire's aftermath or the ashes left in a fireplace.

 

i think there's also a hint of medicinal smell, kind of like the way band-aids smell?

 

my husband chimes in that it's what a haunted house would smell like. it's like something eerie dangerous has been in the room and left its scent but is now gone.

[Northernminx]

One of the few oils I’ve ever had to wash off, this was all that weird herb in Highwayman that kills me. Something in my chemistry makes this turn into a sort of sour icky diaper smell so while that nice smokiness in the bottle is lovely, on me, not so much.

[thespring]

I suppose it reminds me of the smell of smoke but I rather think it's earthy, medicinal, masculine, bitter.

 

Definitely vetiver and sage, I think.

 

Layers with florals to perfection. I think it smells like moist bitter herbs thrown onto an outdoor fire.

[Thorne]

I looooooove this scent. Love love love. Yes, it's strong, and sharp, and almost chemical-esque. You can taste this scent in the back of your throat, if you use too much, or snort it up too quickly.

 

It's a fire scent, a burning scent, hot ash and billows of smoke from damp logs thrown on an outdoor fire. I definitely get a whiff of vetiver, sage, and maybe cedar - all of which I love. This is not a timid scent, or a sweet scent. It's stong and bright and warm, and it makes me feel strong and bright and warm wearing it.

[Rheliwen]

On first application, this one reminded me of moist soot. Like the way a burnt down house would smell after the fire dept finished dousing the flames.

 

As it dried, a sharp, sharp, sharp note appeared, almost out of nowhere. I thought it smelled like eucalyptus, but reading the other reviews, it could have been vetiver. And this note just got stronger and stronger as it dried.

 

It turned into too much of a medcinal smell to me. But I have to say the imagery of it is amazing. The stuff Beth can put in a bottle...

[Shollin]

First sniff: Brimstone smells like… burning herbs. “Peppermint smoke” was my first thought – that’s not quite right, but it does smell like the smoke from burning dried herbs.

 

Wearing: It’s just an odd scent – lighter than Djinn, but along the same lines.

[Spanglemaker]

Brimstone:

 

Wet: This is a very strong acrid scent. Very sharp. Strangely enough, it's not unpleasant at all. Sulfurous but without the rotten egg smell.

 

Dry: The acridness dies down but it's still very present. I don't get any smoke from this. Ash and burnt earth. As it dries, there is a sweetness that comes through.

 

This is one of the BPAL's that evokes a very clear image for me. Volcanoes...molten lava that hardens as it cools and charred earth.

 

I really like this.

[sarada]

Oh, lord, I LOVE this!

 

Thanks to queenb for an imp!

 

This pairs the thick smoke and flame of Djinn with the earthy vetiver of Death, Damnation, Capricorn, damn near every damn dark and earthy scent that I love! There's probably something else like cedar or patchouli in there but vetiver is always strongest on me...I'm going to venture a guess and say something cedary but I'm not sure. Whatever the wood is, it's scorched, blackened, on FIRE!

 

The only problem is that whenever I sniff it I get a little tickle in my nose and feel a little bit like I might sneeze. I CANNOT stop sniffing it though so I'm just going to have to alternate sniffs with blowing my nose. It's odd, because Djinn didn't make me sneezy but I would swear this is the exact same smoke note that is in that -- it's like you stuck your face too close to the campfire -- but in a good way!

 

I think if I can keep myself from sticking my face directly in it though it shouldn't be a problem. I MUST have a bottle of this as soon as possible. It's very close to Death but more intended for wearing, I think -- it has more throw and none of the metallic tinge of Death.

 

This is incredible and I wish I had tried it sooner! I just hope that this sneezy thing is temporary and more related to the dust that is circulating in the air right now, or spring, or something -- either way nothing will keep me from wearing it! This is so smoky it might very well set off the fire alarm if I walk by it!

[Loligo]

Grey? Gritty? Not unless barbecued chicken is grey and gritty.

 

That's what I smelled like at first -- a barbecued chicken. Spicy, sweet, smoky... and oddly juicy. Like, in a fleshy, meaty way. (And this is the second time in a week that I've used the word "meaty" on this forum, which I find kinda disturbing! ;-) )

 

I expected to hate this, but it's actually a very sexy, liveable smell on me. Like a party at a camp-out.

[Gin]

Fire. White-hot, scorching fire. ... And underneath the fire is the wet, black, charred remains of the fire's destruction. It smells the way I would imagine a pine forest fire, put out by the rain would smell--greay and geen and black, smoky and wet.

[Sara]

First off: Blllleeeeeecccccchhhhhh!!!

 

I swiped a teeny, tiny amount on my arm and it's choking me...almost literally. My impression is of sharp woods and smoke, but not in the romantic "campfire" sense I thought it would be. Instead it's nauseating and I need to go wash it off now.

 

Soooooooooo not for me.

Edited June 1, 2005 by Sara

[Yagathai]

In the bottle: I don't exactly have the scent vocabulary yet for what this oil smells like in the bottle. It's definitely smoky, with some sort of metallic tang. Interesting, complex, but I don't think I'd like to smell like this.

 

On my skin: As soon as it hits skin, I get the sharp, strong smell of... grapefruit? It's probably a set of other smells that are combining with my body chemistry, but there's definitely grapefruit there. Also, smoke, something woodsy and maybe a hint of vetiver in the background. I'm also picking up hints of an evergreen-type smell -- maybe pine or juniper? After a while, the grapefruit odour fades. It never quite disappears, but I think that it separates into its component scents. The smoky / woodsy / herbal character carries through for several hours.

 

Final verdict: Not bad. Definitely not an every day scent, but I could see wearing this on crisp fall mornings, or when the snow is piling up deep outside and I'm sitting, by the window, smoking, watching it come down. I don't know for sure if I'd go for a 5ml of this or not, but it's intriguing enough that I just might, a little later in the year.

[donsixgun]

Wow. This is a lot like Djinn, but far stronger. This doesnt have the herbal, peppery feel of Djinn, just pure fire and ash. And whooboy is it strong. I know I have to go easy when wearing it. It’s a strong, powerful smell, almost angry. But I like it. I think it’s a spceial occasion scent though, as opposed to everyday, which Djinn can be.

[arabella]

First Impression: Not quite as bad as I thought it would be - almost, but not quite. Just a quick peek into hell, rather than a prolonged stay.

 

Dries down to: Scorched rocks with a sour undernote of baboon armpit and private parts. I don't mind smoke but I really don't like whatever it is that smells "sour".

 

Additional Comments: This is the first BPAL oil I've washed off. I guess I could have coped with it, but saw no reason to; especially, once I started coughing.

 

Lasted: Until I washed it off 1/2 an hour later.

 

Rating: 1 out of 5

[Cagedflame]

Wet and in the imp, it smells like pepper and wet, hot stones to me. During the drydown it smells like peppery supermarket soap, but after the drydown it's right back to peppery rocks. Extremely interesting.

[Spastik_Kitty]

Please note, I don't like fire scents so this opinion may be tainted. My husband on the other hand, he loves them (but getting him to do a review will never happen).

 

In the bottle: Like liquid smoke.

 

First on: Where on earth is that cedar note coming from? So far I'm getting burning flesh, liquid smoke and cedar.

 

After a bit: It takes on a weird medicinal tone on me, so now I'm getting liquid smoke, burning flesh, cedar and iodine.

 

A bit more: Iodine and a campfire that was lit and then rained on a few days ago and is now mostly dry.

 

Not my cuppa tea.

[nineveh]

This was a gift imp in my latest order. When I read the description for this, I thought that it would be better in concept than as a perfume. But it's actually good!

 

There must be vetiver in this. I'm getting that weird lawn fertilizer smell when it's wet. Once it dries, however, it really sweetens up and loses that chemical edge. Now it's spicy and smoky and woody. This is so comforting and warm.

 

Thank you, lab!

[slugbait]

When I opened the imp, I got blasted with vetivert. Eek!

 

While wet, this smells like vetivert, but smokier and sharp. As it dries, it still has a very sharp note to it that I can not for the life of me pin down. It is slighly green. Brimstone remains strong for several hours after application, but it is not overpowering or bad. This reminds me of the smell of burnt pine logs that got rained on.

 

I like Brimstone, it is very similar to Umbra and Malediction. Since I already have Umbra and lurve it, this is off to swaps.

[Little Bird]

I fully agree with those who have said that Brimstone smells like a forest fire that has just been rained on. It smells exactly like ash that has been cooled down, beaten, and subdued by a fresh rain. It's surprisingly cool and gloomy. I get a minty (spearmint?) note to it that might account for the cool/rain scent in this.

 

Very interesting. I like the images and memories that this brings back for me, in a sort of haunting and horrible way. I'm not sure that I'd ever wear this though. Maybe it would work better on a male.

[cupide430]

Brimstone

 

Strong strong smoke with a hint of something... I think it might be patchouli. As it dries an almost eucalyptus-y scent comes out. It smells like a deep smoky cough drop. I think it might be clearing my sinuses. There is a resiny touch to this too, it smells a bit like sap. I think there's a hint of a pine note here in the background. It seems as though cedar is coming out to hang out with the pine here. Smoky forest with a definite hint of eucalyptus.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: The Bloodhound Gang said it best: The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire. We don't need no water let the mother%$&*er burn! Burn, mother%$&*er, burn!!

*ahem*

 

Wearing: This is some potent stuff. It seriously smells like a building on fire. As it dries, it becomes a smell reminiscent of a dirty hippy on fire. The drydown is vetiver on fire.

 

Final Impressions: This scent is a bit overwhelming on me. It is a masterpiece, however.

[dcmo]

This is something I would have never picked out for myself, but it was included in my last order from the Lab. From the imp, this is very strong, acrid smokey, and yes grey and gritty. I'm always amazed how the lab's descriptions are so bang on.

 

On me, it does mellow down a bit to not be so take your breath away strong. This does soften, and sweeten a little. This is really nice. I will still stick to my sweet and spicey scents as my favorites, but this is something different that I never expected to like. It really brings back memories of sitting around the campfire. This is a scent of my childhood. I think this might be a nicer scent in the winter since it does have almost a warming quality to it, I guess with the association of fire, wood, smoke. I'm really glad I got the chance to try this.

[~AmusedMuse~]

My Impression: This is a bonfire of pine trees, a nice incensy kind of scent that would be masculine in my opinion. Almost reminds me of a pine forrest except for the burning part.