The Hell-Gate Of Ireland

[surf-tormented]

Smoldering brimstone, bitter labdanum, clove, black musk, and copper-colored feathers.

In the vial: Real smoky. Reminds me of Brimstone and Djinn. Nice!

On skin: A dirty mix of vetiver, deep musk and something oily and metal. But it isn't that strong on me.

Drying: A weird plum note emerges. I have no idea where that is coming from. It's become a nice smoky plum, with a tiny bit of Brimstone and clove in the back. I mean Brimstone like the BPAL perfume, not just the note. It reminds me of a tea I had once, without the tea note in there. At the end of its brief run, it has a leathery quality to it, smoky leather. Wait, now it is more like clove incense. It does morph and is enjoyable, keeps you on your toes.

Overall: I like the scent in the vial. It is all smokey and metal, but when it hits my skin, something amps up fruit. It is smokey fruit, wonderfully deep, but not bottleworthy for me, which is good because I only have a few drops in a vial.

Recommended if you like: Steampunk type scents or Brimstone/Djinn but find those too strong. Fans of VM's Smoking Plum might find an odd similarity in these two perfumes.

[porcelina]

wow. in the bottle i get SUPER spicy clove, with a hint of smoke. it's a very autumnal scent.

 

on the skin, the clove comes to the forefront. it's lovely and sweet-spicy; it's easily the best clove i've come across in a perfume. the black musk here is soft and subtle and very wearable, and the light smokiness is like a fire burning far away. over time, the clove and musk blend together beautifully.

 

i remember when i first tried hell-gate, it seemed quite powdery to me. it could be that the musk has improved with age, or that whatever else lent that note to the blend (the feathers?) has faded. either way, this is really gorgeous and i think it'll get a lot of wear from me this fall.

[Lorna Brigid]

I could have sworn I reviewed this! Maybe I am just thinking of my own notes on my spreadsheet when I think I've reviewed something....

 

This is one of those blends that makes you go "How the hell does Beth DO that?!?" This blend seriously does make you think blood, brimstone and copper feathers! It's crazy how she does it, but she does!!

It's definitely an interesting and good for role playing kind of scent. Also unisex, it's neither masculine or feminine to me. But smells exactly as the notes are! Nice job!

[Zii]

Musk and smoke is pretty much all I'm getting from this and it is going straight to my head in a bad way. It is just WAY too strong.

[vthesiren]

In the imp: Musk and smoke. When I first smelled it, I said, "Yes," out loud.

 

On my skin: blooms into smoke, clove, and black musk. Faintly metallic. I definitely get the "copper feathers" part of the description. Strongly reminiscent of Count Dracula, but without CD's coffin wood and cinnamon.

 

I'm very pleased with this.

[SadariEvenstar]

Clove and black musk with a swirl of dark smoke. I love it. Love it.

[Erinofhere]

Smoldering brimstone, bitter labdanum, clove, black musk, and copper-colored feathers.

Clove and smoke. Wonderful dark smoke.

Wet it is mainly clove and musky smokiness that I love

Dry: there is a metallic note here........and a rusty metallic note as well.

This is a strange little scent, but I love it.

I won’t be in the mood for it as often as I am my other scents but I am considering a big bottle.

[Pynki]

In the bottle this smelled... medicinal is the only way I could describe it.

 

Wet it was... WOAH! Cloves and... stuff.

 

Dry, it smells a little like... incense and candles/wax, with a wafting floral from the distance from my head to my keyboard, and occassionally? Medicinal again. I would almost describe it as... holy? which is funny because- HELL GATE!

Up close though? More clove and a light sweetness, but not like... sugary. I rather like it.

 

I might have to sneak try this on my husband.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: This is sharp and rather unsettling. The brimstone, copper, and labdanum combine to create a dangerous impression, with the musk adding sensuality and the clove a hint of spice. Wet: Labdanum dominant, with strong musk support. The copper, brimstone and clove modify the dominant scents. I’d call the clove as second tier strength with the musk. This is clinical, unnerving, and dangerous all at once, fascinating, but hard to wear. Dry: Mmmm.. lovely. Clove and labdanum, smooth and spicy. I’d be iun love if it were always like this.

[Alaeidrel]

Dear god. I had no idea I would love this so much. Generally anything with Brimstone is immediate 'hell no'. I sniffed it at will-call and got a little on my fingers and was huffing them all night. So when my weenie order went in... a bottle slipped into my cart and I might need a backup.

 

This is sexy, smoky, smouldery musk. A little cloying when wet on my skin, but it dries down into the perfect winter scent. Spicy and reminiscent of my favorite part of the winter season - camping out by fires and enjoying the smoke and the heat.

[elinox]

First Sniff: Clean copper and something bitter, probably the labdanum.

 

Initial Wet Application: Something like black pepper is the forerunner now and there’s something smokey in the background.

 

Dry Down (first 15 minutes): As this began the dry down, this was still smoky and had a tiny hint of copper underneath. I’m mostly getting black pepper (the black musk and clove?) and soft powder though.

 

My Reaction: While this isn’t something I’d normally want to try, it was interesting as a frimp, but not particularly pleasant to my nose. The description is cool, but I already have some smoky scents which work better than this one. Sadly, the bright copper was too fleeting.

 

Rating: 1

[Atrous]

Wet: Way too strong. Cloves come on like a Mack truck and run me over. I'm also getting a bit of the 'copper-colored feathers', in that I get faint whiffs of feathers and something metallic.

 

Dry: Still strong but the clove dies down enough to let the other notes play. Notes play really nicely together. Overall, I get dark, smokey incense and (this is the odd part) spice cakes . I really, really love this. A beautiful autumnal scent with plenty of throw.

[MCS4096]

The 2013 version is much much more masculine-cologney than the original, which is one of my favorite blends. The note list hasnt changed, but something in the blend has.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Charred stuff and soot warmed by enticing clove.

 

Drydown: Paler now, more like a spicy cologne. The black musk adds a pleasant glow and a whisper of sweetness. A bit of labdanum smolders in the background.

 

Dry: Why, there’s the copper. For a metallic it’s rather warm and a touch sweet. Whoever said rusty had it right. The clove sings in this blend, supported by a complex mix of smoky elements. Darkly spicy, distinctly sooty, and glowing with the sheen of copper. This is a very literal scent, but it's surprisingly wearable!

 

 

 

 

8 out of 10 bones

[LizziesLuck]

This is the 2009 version

 

Wet: Dark musk, slightly sour smoke. Smells very much like bonfire+musk and I like it! The clove comes through a bit. This is a really DARK scent. Bordering on masculine. It is softening up as it dries though.

 

 

Dry: Sweet musk and brimstone. It reminds me of a GC scent I have tried, but I can't remember which one - Djinn maybe? Or Brimstone? Possibly Hastur? One of those, plus smoky clove. It's sweet and much more wearable that you would expect. Quite pleasant. Glad I tried it, but I don't think I need to search out a bottle.

[Mister Azure]

*2013 Halloween bottle*

 

Hell’s gates are far too inviting for its own good. 

 

Wet: As I approach the gates, a wafting air of faint brimstone, leathery-tar, and tobacco spreads over me. A spicy scent comes out that speaks of both dangers and unknown temptations. 

 

The throw is medium but of note. 

 

Dry: There is an added spot to clove and musk that speaks of beings beyond the gate that have no mercy to spare now. The gates have now closed behind me as the scent softens. I am since in the snare. I can no longer go back. I am not beyond redemption. And I like it. 

 

The throw remains as medium and continues to warm the skin where it has touched me. 

 

Final thoughts: This is a beautifully crafted scent. I can’t help but want to continue to indulge what this fragrance gives. I even applied another application after 8 hours of wear because of how much I found myself enjoying it. 

 

This was a gamble for me to get. I was not sure about the bitter labdanum, however any concerns I had were unfounded. I wish I could get another bottle of this, but I’ll remain grateful for what I have now.

Edited January 27, 2019 by Mister Azure
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