Smokestack

[Diva Urd]

Creosote, coal, and industrial waste.

In the vial: The vetiver in this is surprisingly tame... and is that cardamom I smell? Yup, it seems industrial waste smells like cardamom.

On: A hint of vetiver, cardamom and a vague metallic edge. And really, the vetiver is on its best behavior - it deepens the spiciness, but it does not overpower anything. This is like a less-smoky cousin of Rumpelstilzchen.

Later: Doesn't change, doesn't appreciably weaken within an hour. A hint of smoky vetiver, cardamom and a tiny bit of metal. I do like this, but I think I prefer Rumpelstilzchen, because as weird as it sounds, this is not smoky enough for me.

[Ghost of a Rose]

This was a lab frimp of something I never would have chosen myself, and what a great surprise! (Thank you, lab!)

 

In the imp: Oil is a clear light brown, almost like dark amber. The first whiff brought me the strong and unmistakable odor of smoke - ugh, just like the description. But then . . . when I keep sniffing, I smell wood as well. It's actually rather gorgeous: like a campfire, or a fireplace that's burning the kinds of woods that are treasured for the beautiful scents they generate when burned.

 

On me, wet: Pretty much the same, although on me the wood is stronger than the smoke. But I can still smell both clearly. And could that subtle spiciness be a touch of black pepper?

 

On me, drydown: The fragrance remains quite consistent. It does develop just a touch of of sweetness eventually, but it's only a slight change.

 

After 2 hours: Holding up nicely, with no change in the scent - it's just a little softer.

 

After 18 hours, I can still smell it faintly on my skin.

 

Verdict: Very unusual, intriguing, and quite pleasant as well. A lot of people would probably say this is a masculine scent, but I like it too much to give it over to the guys. I love campfires and the real wood-burning fireplace in my home just as much as any man does! And there's none of that prickly sharpness that men's colognes have. This is amazing - and soft and warm and cozy. It would be especially nice for winter. I'm keeping it, and I'm wearing it!

 

My rating: 4 stars

 

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Take 2

 

A different lab frimp from a different year, aged about 6 years

 

In the imp: Oil is dark brown, slightly opaque, thicker and more viscous than most BPAL oils. Sniffing the wand, my first thought is, "vetiver and patchouli." It smells quite lovely to me. I'm one of those people who likes both of those notes very much. But when I think of industrial smokestacks, I smell it differently. It nails the concept perfectly. (A lot of that has to do with the smokiness of the vetiver.) I can easily switch back and forth between a beautiful perfume and industrial waste. How incredible and interesting is that?!

 

. . . And it gets even more interesting. I was reading the reviews to get some ideas of what notes to "look" for when someone mentioned rolling the vial to mix in a bit of sediment that had settled out. I usually do that before testing or wearing, but had forgotten to, and it had been sitting for a few days.

 

So I rolled the imp, and sniffed the wand again. What a surprise! It was a completely different perfume! This time, almost a single note cedar. No smokiness or patchouli. And also lovely.

 

So before I've even applied this, I already have three different perfumes in one, all gorgeous. I've loving this even more than before!

 

On me, wet: 10:55 am Mostly the cedar, right at first, but very quickly the smokiness kicks in.

 

At 5 minutes: Cedar and smoke. There's just a wisp of something else, something gentle, warm, and a little sweet. Vanilla?

 

At 10 minutes: Same as above.

 

At 20 minutes: A little sweeter. The sweet note is the brown sugar, molasses, caramel, or dark vanilla that reviewers mention. It could be any, or several, of those, maybe with some cardomom. If I sniff it long enough and hard enough, I get a bit of spicy tingle in my nose. I called it black pepper before, but ginger seems more like it.

Later ETA: On subsequent wearings, I definitely get a gingerbread cookies vibe. Probably with some cardomom as well.

 

At 30 minutes: The wood and smoke have lightened up, and the sweet note is more of a presence. This is a little like spice cookies baking, but the woodsmoke keeps it from being too foody. And there's that barely-there touch of patchouli again. Something about this is deeply satisfying in a way I can't describe or explain. It makes me happy. More than that, even - it is blissing me out.

 

At 45 minutes: This is one of my top favorite perfumes ever. And to think that I saved it for last, out of all the imps in the box, because I thought I wouldn't like it! (I had forgotten about trying it before.)

 

At 1 hour: I've changed my mind about this being masculine. The sweetness and gentleness of the foody note balance out the more masculine wood and smoke notes. Even unisex doesn't quite describe it. "Universal" might be a better word. Because I can't imagine ANYONE not loving it.

The scent seems to have stabilized at around 30 minutes, and has not changed since. The brown-sugar-and-spice note blends so beautifully with the woodsmoke. This is unbelievably gorgeous. Peace and serenity in a bottle.

 

At 2 hours: Same as above.

 

At 3 hours: The same scent, but lighter.

 

At 4 hours: Same as above.

 

At 5 hours: There is less smokiness now, and some amber is starting to show up, adding its sweetness to the brown sugar and molasses.

 

At 7 hours: A beautiful sweet and powdery amber, with the faintest hint of cedar.

 

At 9 hours: All amber.

 

At 14 hours: Wow, my wrist is still fragrant. The fragrance is soft, but clearly there and recognizable as this perfume. The amber is gone, and it has returned to the characteristic scent it had earlier. Now so blended that it doesn't have individual notes, but still with the same character. I'm so impressed.

 

Comparing the two batches, it is striking how the sweet brown-sugar-and-spice aspect was virtually absent from the first imp. It adds a whole new, richer and deeper, layer to the blend, lifting it out of mere prettiness all the way to sublime. Is the difference due to variation between the batches, or to the aging of the second imp, or just that I didn't notice that note the first time? And isn't it interesting that such a small thing makes such a huge difference?

 

Predominant Notes: Cedar, vetiver, brown sugar

 

Character: Woody and Smoky, a hint of foodiness, warm and cozy, unisex

 

My rating: 6 out of 6 stars

Edited October 14, 2018 by Ghost of a Rose

[Circaea]

This went on smokey, a little acrid like creosote does. It veered toward cedar, or what I think of as cedar, a sharp strong wood smell, then settled to smoke. Campfire smoke mainly. For those worried about the masculine/feminine spectrum, I would say Smokestack is neither. It just makes me smell like I"ve been sitting in front of a fire. It's a nice, simple non-perfumelike scent for times when perfumes would be unwelcome or not permitted. But I can also see myself layering it with something pretty, to give it mystery and danger.

[theseagrows]

got this as a frimp from the lab, and it smells like caramel and rubber to me. in the imp, it has an ozone-y quality too, but on my skin that is almost non-existent, but does add a sort of golden clearness in the background. interesting scent! i like it more than i thought i would. it's like an earthy-foody-slightly ozone scent!

 

[Spork]

this stuff is goooood! the perfect campfire smoke! if there is vetiver in it, it is playing very nice for once. i get a sort of after scent of root beer, not a&w, a sharper, deeper root beer note, it makes the scent slightly sweeter and i like it!

[Eleven11]

I love this scent, it makes me feel like a threat.

 

In the bottle: It smells like Osha Root cough syrup but a little better.

 

Wet: It smells like spicy cedar and high end cologne, really nice very enjoyable.

 

Dry: That metallic sent gets in the back of your nose when you smell it but it's also more metallic over all. There is also a hint of musk and soap and it burns a bit when I huff both wrists.

 

I need more scents that make me feel this powerful, Djinn maybe?

Edited February 19, 2012 by Eleven11

[Teaotter]

Wet: Vetiver, and something sweet that I can't place.

 

Drydown: The sweetness comes out more. It's almost caramel-like mixed with the vetiver and some other woody note.

 

Dry: There's ginger in this, I'd swear! And some kind of honey or brown sugar sweetness splashed over the vetiver. This smells industrial in the same way No. 93 Engine does -- like sweet machine oil and smoke. Lovely! It burns down to a sweet myrrh after several hours.

 

ETA: My imp has some dark brown sludge in the bottom. It came from the Lab, so I assume something in here settles out. I made sure to mix it back in well before wearing it.

Edited December 4, 2011 by TeaOtter

[WidgetAlley]

I'm scared of this one.

 

Imp: Thick vetiver, spice and something that smells sweet, almost like... molasses? Sugar cane? Cardamom and maybe saffron as well. This isn't as scary as I thought it would be!

 

Wet: Very charred wood, woodsmoke, incense, hot spice (like when you toast cardamom and star anise in a pan?) and a sweet lovely brown sugar note. It's like the most hardcore gingersnaps ever! They've been hanging out at a bonfire burning things they shouldn't, too. There's a lot of strongly artificial gross things in here too, including something that must be in the leather accord because I swear I smell that weird round-plastic smell that the Lab's leather notes morph into on me.

 

Dry: The throw is smoked gingersnaps, while up close it has more of a scorched, oily incense smoke aspect. I'm not at all sure what to make of this one! I might try it on my boy, but otherwise it will probably find a new home.

[calivianya]

I think the best word for this blend is "interesting."

 

I'm not sure what the heck I'm smelling, but it really is evocative of industrial waste and coal. It just smells dirty. Not a dirt kind of dirty, but an air pollution kind of dirty. This is definitely not something I will EVER wear again, but it was a neat experience.

[Psypomp]

I bought this because I wanted to try one of BPAL's more "interesting" scents. Well, it is certainly interesting. Like some of the other reviewers, I was a bit perplexed by this.

Wet: Imagine tossing a plastic bottle into a campfire. There's a smoldering wood scent, but also a chemical dirtiness.

Dry: The metallic notes are starting to appear underneath the burnt wood. Yes, this scent is true to its name, but it is not wearable on me. I had to wash it off after a few hours.

[alston78]

I really like this blend. The bottle and first application on skin were both very similar to me - there was an almost minty, cool, metallic note in the background that I really enjoyed. At first application, I would have said it was a unisex scent. As it dried down, it became distinctly masculine. Slightly spicy and definitely smoky/dirty on me, but I liked it. Not much throw for me, though I apply everything very lightly. However, it has lasted a while now - about 10 hours!

 

Given the masculine drydown, I don't know that I would wear this myself - but I think I will try to talk my husband into trying it!

[{Aurelius}]

Let me begin by saying that Smokestack is an amazing scent, and a very close friend of mine renowns it as their signature scent.

 

It is definitely a cologne. Vetiver is it's most prominent note, but it is very imaginative and complex. Yes, it smells ashy and there is often a note of cola (like pepsi) at the end of the whiff, on occasion. However, somehow beyond logic, smokestack remains a very fine-smelling cologne. It smells like a very ritzy industrial waste plant indeed

[joyfulgirl]

holy MOLY, this smells EXACTLY like the incense used at catholic church when i was young, as it was being burned...charcoal, harsh smoke and all. wow, very evocative. i am going to see if it smells good on my sweetie...definitely not a scent for me, but it might smell amazing on him. if i can get past the weird catholic association...

[rawgirl75]

"Creosote, coal, and industrial waste."

 

From it's description, Smokestack sure didn't sound that wearable. But OH what a great surprise! This is fantastic stuff. My first Steamworks category success (of the 6 I've tried). Definitely gender neutral. Some sweetness in the sort of caramel-y way that Antikythera Mechanism was on me, but not cloying. Reviews gave me the idea it would be a bit warmer than it actually is. This is an overcast sky, plumes of coal smoke, and concrete jungle. The coal dust really reminded me of Le Pere Fouettard as well. I was worried about the metal note some reviewers mentioned, but thankfully it's subdued here.

 

Verdict: Love it!

Edited November 7, 2012 by rawgirl75

[Aromantism]

I've always been fond of smoky flavours, let it be strong black coffee, fire places, cigarette smoke (I know), or the scent of coal mines (I will stop now). With that in mind, I'm surprised over how clean this one is. It's smoky in a calculated way, like finely roasted spice.

 

My main complain is that it doesn't last at all.

[carbonatedmariticide]

tried this one on this morning and it's probably one of the strongest scents i've had on me. very smokey and coaly, but i smell something dreadfully inorganic in it, which is delightful for me. something about the scent reminds me of lapsang souchong tea.

[elinox]

First Sniff: Some sort of biting industrial scent. It’s not metallic, but it could be the creosote. This is going to be a different one!

 

Initial Wet Application: There’s smoke and something dark and ‘sticky’ smelling in this. It’s definitely reminding me of factories so far! It’s making the back of my throat burn though.

 

Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As it began to dry, it lightened to a softer smoke scent. At one point, this seemed to be smoke mixed with luscious, dark molasses.

 

My Reaction: This is definitely different than most imps I’ve tried! It’s thick smelling and definitely makes me think of factories, although not in an unpleasant way as I had anticipated based on the description. The molasses is yummy and mixes with the smoke nicely. Although this is probably better suited for a male as it’s masculine. The throw on this, which is something I almost never experience from the lab, is a good change too. What’s really odd is that I just noticed that my left wrist smells differently than my right wrist does. On my left this smells like smoky molasses, while on my right, this is a faint metallic note, reminiscent of brass. Very interesting and unique!

 

Rating: 3.5 (for shear uniqueness!)

[hexnut]

SMOKESTACK

 

Dark brown in the vial. I had one other Steamworks imp at the time but I was almost certain that this was Smokestack and not the unknown frimp.

 

 

In Vitro Smoky and sweet.

 

Wet Deep, sweet, smoky, and molasses-like; perhaps grassy? Unfortunately after two minutes a less pleasant boozy note emerged.

 

Drying Thirteen minutes after application I wrote, "smells like less-sweet Centzon Totochtin". It remained much the same as it faded although it did mellow a bit and was very faintly detectable at the six hour mark.

 

 

I had high hopes for Smokestack because it sounded so weird, but like Centzon Totochtin it was more annoying than intriguing on me. I will keep the imp because if the "booze" ages out this will be spectacular.

 

 

75

[Aromantism]

[deleted due to duplicate review]

Edited August 15, 2013 by Aromantism

[ApothecaryScribe]

[comment post deleted; will be replaced with my review when Smokestack arrives!]

Edited August 19, 2013 by ApothecaryScribe

[Erinofhere]

Creosote, coal, and industrial waste.

Ohhhh..this is not bad

I purchased an imp for my husband. He is loving all the BPAL guy scents because he says they don't smell like regular cologne. Also if I throw in a few imps for him to try and get a big bottle of his favorite he turns a blind eye to how much I order

Wet: Strong! This throws your head back sort of. It gave me a bit of a wheezing sensation as well. Harsh would be the correct word. It stands up to your senses and smacks you around for a second. Then it calms down and behaves. Also the color in the imp is perfect. It looks like the color of industrial waste sludge. It’s very thick and dark brown. Love it.

Dry: Smoke (lots of smoke)Vetiver(?) and metal. Occasionally it smells a bit like hay (not grassy like vetiver) and sometimes pine. This is a hard one to pinpoint what exactly it is that I smell. I think we are picking out a bit of rum as well and something very sweet too maybe a very dark vanilla…like the darkest vanilla possible.

Basically to me this smells like a very well dressed man who is walking on a foggy day through an industrial park. CRAZY!

It doesn't last too long and it doesn't play well with everyone. My sister said it made her feel chocked.

We are for sure getting a big bottle and will just be careful when he wears it.

[vthesiren]

Take a guy wearing very nice, spicy cologne. Cover him in oil and grease and throw him in an auto or machine shop.

 

That's Smokestack.

 

It's nowhere near as scary as the description makes it seem, but it's also the first BPAL to make me think, "I wonder what this smells like on a dude." I like my "masculine" scents, but I don't feel rugged enough to wear this.

 

It's also STRONG AS HECK. A little goes a long way!

Edited January 11, 2014 by vthesiren

[boomtownrat]

Something containing creosote, coal, and industrial waste sounds terrifying as a fragrance, in all honesty. When the Lab sent me Smokestack as a frimp, I couldn't resist giving it a test once it had settled down from shipping, but I expected I'd be washing it off within five minutes. Maybe it could work as a way to enable my husband, I thought.

 

Then Smokestack surprised me. It doesn't take much at all -- the imp spit out a little drop onto my hand when I opened it, so I swiped that onto my other wrist. This stuff has a lot of throw, but after about a minute it mellows into a more pleasant version of Bonfire Night. Vetiver might be in there, but I couldn't say for sure. Once it's been on my skin for about half an hour, it makes me think of my dad's workshop in my childhood home, a place where I would often go to be alone. It's a nostalgic scent. "Manly, yes, but I like it too!" comes to mind.

 

My city is in the midst of an historic winter storm, the kind we get maybe once a decade, and it turns out Smokestack was the right scent to wear on a day when I'm bundled away, safe from the snow and ice. Assuming it doesn't change much with age, I could see myself wearing this if I were going to see an industrial band play a gig, or maybe for a costume. I think the trick will be to wear it only sparingly, and probably only on my wrists. The imp will probably be enough, but I think I'll continue to wear it when I'm in the mood.

Edited February 13, 2014 by boomtownrat

[zmulls]

My city is in the midst of an historic winter storm, the kind we get maybe once a decade, and it turns out Smokestack was the right scent to wear on a day when I'm bundled away, safe from the snow and ice.

 

All the "burning" smells do very well on a cold winter day. My go-to scent is Rumpelstilzchen, for the same reason, but Smokestack is a nice change of pace.

 

I don't do a lot of doubling up, but unlike Rumpelstilzchen (which has a very complex collection of scents), I think Smokestack would pair well with some other scents -- it would be a nice 'extra' note of smokiness. Salmon is nice, but smoked salmon is better. (I don't think Beth makes a salmon scent, though)

[Monday]

On my skin wet: Fresh ginger and cologne. It's very close to The Antikythera Mechanism.

On my skin dry: Sweet, gingery cologne.

 

I wish I got coal out of this, strange thing is that I had an old imp of this which was all acrid smoke.