Fireplace

I recently discovered Demeter Fragrance Library through Fragrantica. I thought several of the scents looked nice so I ordered a few of the half ounce purse sprays to try them out. Along with my order they included a 'freebie'. I thought it would be something like an emery board or something else kind of small and cheap with their brand on it. Boy was I wrong. They sent me a full one ounce bottle of Fireplace. I like smokey scents and I like fireplaces but I wasn't sure how this would actually smell because a number of Demeter scents are really, really literal and I wasn't sure if I wanted to literally smell like a fireplace. I waited until I had a free evening at home and used a fairly conservative small spritz. The first level of scent is VERY smoky. There's even a hint of smoked sausage to it. Its rather in-your-face with the smoky-alcohol blast. I wasn't sure if I would be a fan. However if Fragrantica has taught me anything about wearing fragrance it is to wait for the dry-down. so I waited. The smoky food element lasted about 10-15 minutes and then the scent began to show its true form. After about half an hour the woody elements start to really show and then the warm spices come out. Delicious! There's still smoke, no doubt about that, but it is beautifully balanced by the wood and spice. As I write I have been wearing this for an hour and a half and I can't stop sniffing my wrist. It is gorgeous. There's nothing sweet or floral in here so if you want a more traditional scent this is not for you. If you want a feminine scent, this is not for you. However if you want to wear something a bit unusual, warm and spicy you should give this a try. This might be too heavy for warm, humid weather but in the cool autumn weather we are currently having it is perfect. I expect it will do equally well in the winter. The only drawback I have found so far is that, like all Demeter scents apparently, the longevity isn't great. This does seem to have better longevity than others but based on previous experience with it, I will have to reapply it in 3-4 hours.

Wow, what an amazing tool to have in your arsenal! I bought Fireplace with pretty low expectations, looking for something to give an edge to some of my unsuccessful blind buys like Tom Ford Noir Extreme and I expected something pretty synthetic. Yes, it’s ashy but to my nose, an incredibly high quality ashy smoke note. It immediately reminded me of the smoke note in Tobacco Oud Intense. Warm, comforting and challengingly acrid, I definitely endorse its use as a layering tool but it definitely would be harder to wear on its own.

An incredibly dirty, soot caked, old brick fireplace. Dusted with gritty brick chips from char and long slow decay. The woods are so thick and heavy with a bite of spice to them. A good balance between aromatic smoke and raw, freshly sawn firewood. There is a bit of a savory note when it's dry. Luckily not too pronounced or out of place. Really beautiful fragrance. I've seen some layering combos in the reviews that I'm excited to try as well as wearing this by itself on cold winter nights.

Wow! Much stronger smelling than many Demeters. This is what I wanted Bonfire to be. Strip away the maple leaves and chestnut sweetness, and there is Fireplace. Scorched hard woods, the black char creeping up the inside of a brick flue, swirls of smoke rising from still glowing embers. I have the oil, which lasts longer and has a more intimate sillage than sprays. This is perfect for layering.

Sharp, ashy. Not mellow smokey like Feu De Bois (my original hope). I would never wear this alone, but it's an amazing tool for layering. It adds edge to things that are too clean, it butches up unisex scents that are a little sweet, and makes a lot of scents more night friendly. Use a light hand, it gets acrid and overpowering really fast.