Smokestack

[clockworkcrypt]

Creosote, coal, and industrial waste.

 

Ugh.

 

I wanted to love this I really did.

Much like the middle aged food blogger I aspire to be this review has a story. I grew up in Seattle, sometime between the gentrification and the tech companies moving in. A few blocks from my house was a park called Gasworks park, a sprawling green park on the edge of the Puget sound, with large brown tanks and pipes bursting from the grounds of the old gasworks. It was basically a tar pit covered up and turned into a park. The tanks themselves as well as areas where the tar bubbled up were gated off, but I can still remember the heavy tar and gasoline and industrial smell even though it's been easily a decade since I was last there. I was hoping for that smell in a bottle. Instead the imp I got smells of foul burning pine. Which would be fine if it didn't absolutely choke the air around me, and stay there for hours. On me it smells like one of those open 365 day christmas stores, but after it has burned to the ground. The pine completely blocks my sinuses, and something underneath is sickly and cloying upon drydown. Maybe it works for some, but my body chemistry turns this into absolute rubbish. If you are in any way sensitive to pine or fir trees avoid this like the plague.

[monocainsheresy]

Goes on gritty and smokey. Charred woods and spices, probably vetiver. But then it morphs wildly into an almost foody scorched nutty caramel scent. 

I like this a lot for the "interesting" factor, but it's a bit much to really love.

[torischroeder9]

In the imp: Creosote, coal, and a harsh chemical smell that I presume to be the industrial waste note. 

 

On my skin:

 

Wet, the industrial waste note rides to the top of the scent; however, it's the creosote that's giving it the boost. As it dries, I get the coal note. I also notice that the industrial waste note has a quality that's reminiscent of pipe tobacco smoke, lending it an almost caramelized sweetness. Over time, the tobacco element becomes stronger until it overtakes both the coal and the creosote. 

 

This settles down to be mainly caramelized tobacco smoke on me, with an undercurrent of coal and creosote. It's sweeter than I would have expected from the description -- and also decidedly more wearable. It's probably too traditionally masculine for my tastes, but I can definitely see how it would work for other people. 

 

Strong throw and longer than average wear length. 

 

ETA: So after declaring it probably wasn't for me, I kept avoiding washing it off, even to test the next imp. It's also now in the "imps to keep" box rather than the "imps to swap" box. Apparently, I'm sufficiently intrigued to keep it around for a while. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by torischroeder9

[theredkilt]

This is an usual blend that makes BPAL stand out in the sea of perfume houses.

It's hard for me to pin point specifically what i'm smelling, but i can say for a fact that i get vetiver, wood, some sort of musk, maybe opium and something that conjures or mimics engine oil or oily residues. This is a dark woody oily blend. 

[myrrhmyrrh]

In the vial: smoke and piney cleaning fluid (or is that the vetiver that others are describing) cutting through it

 

On me, wet: the cleaning fluid first, then the smoke I am reminded vaguely of what Thornton’s home near the factory must have smelled of in North and South, the belching smoke of his source of wealth seeping in through the windows no matter how the help tried to keep it at bay

 

On me, just dried: it is oddly not entirely unpleasant, but for this floral soul, I’m having a hard time. My nose is not sophisticated enough to try to sort through what notes are really creating this strange oil. But the description is very, very apt.

 

After 15 minutes: Someone above said a cheap gin and tonic and that strikes me as about right, with an old ashtray nearby that hasn’t been cleaned out in a long time, stale cigarette smoke

 

After 30 minutes: something dirty and not in a good way,

 

After 1 hour: a dirty vetiver, but a dirt of ash, not of healthy ground and earth

 

After 3 hours: all of the above, still.

 

Verdict- I can’t see my way to wanting a scent that recalls industrial anything much less waste, the “dark satanic mills,” no matter how the pine/vetiver tries to cut through. It’s a very interesting challenge to have created one and their must be an audience for it, but I am not one.

[fairybites]

Smokestack started out like heavy incense and some woody notes? Not sure of the age of my imp, but that definitely doesn't match the scent's description. Also a burning note in the background and a touch of vinegar. After a few hours, it now smells like a smoky resin maple syrup? 

 

Interesting, but definitely not something I'd gravitate towards. Glad I got to try this weird scent, though!

[Honey]

Wow, not what I expected!

A waft of eucaylptus hits me right in the nose, covered in soot and woodsy notes.

It's salty as well, savory to the point of smelling like dried vegetable broth (especially with earthy carrot and celery).

There is brown or black musk in there as well that makes it smell rather soapy, but vetiver also has a very strong impact on this blend.

It's slightly sweet but more vegetal than I would have expected.

During drydown, the spicy woodsiness becomes stronger. It comes wrapped up in this icy eucalyptus blanket too.

It's overall dry, spicy, sweet and musky. Very masculine and smokey. Interesting but not my kind of scent.