Description
Hellstone, a monolithic rock formation in rural England, inspires this fragrance of freshly-turned earth and the tangled tree roots exposed by the digging. Intense hot scents of vetiver, ambrette seed and cumin are tempered by beeswax and the jojoba oil used as the base for this perfume, both of which bring the temperature back to the warm and sensual range.
Hellstone perfume oil is adorned by a label in red and gray, illustrating the mythology behind the stone supposedly flung by the Devil himself. The perfume oil is available in a range of sizes from 0.8 oz. to 3.1 oz. Hellstone was launched in 2013. Hellstone was created by Mark Constantine and Simon Constantine.
alex7219200 – :
Ironically, I get ancient church pews and beeswax candles all burnt out or burning fiercely, smoke choking the atmosphere. So Hellstone to me is old church and smoke, wood and wax. Very atmospheric. I love this.
menacewj – :
To me this an absolutely beautiful transformator tool!
As a base layer worn with something on top.
Like Lush’s Tramp or Gres’ Cabochard. Whilest it enhances those two mentioned it turns Kiehl’s Musk perfume into a beast.
Multifascetted, deep, dark gloomy animalic beast. A smoke and honey bomb.
It’s pure magic!
Worn on it’s own on the other hand it is quite a strange one but it’s by far not the awful concoction as rated here.
But I agree, it has “some” dated notes and is absolutely not what too many perfumes are these days.
alex09i43 – :
What?
The?
Hell?
There’s not much more I can detect than graphite pencils. Go for it if that’s your thing.
indiana111 – :
I can say for sure that I have NEVER come across a perfume like this before! I thought it sounded very intriguing given all the varying reviews here and on the Lush website, and as I wasn’t able to try this in store I ordered a bottle.
Now knowing how a lot of Lush fragrances go I was expecting something a little different perhaps, however this was terrible on me. I felt nauseous straight away. I left it on for a good hour hoping to find something in it I would like but this is a fragrance i really cannot do. I cant fault the staying power though, I scrubbed my arm twice and still all I could smell was cumin – I like this spice and cook with it all the time but cannot wear it it seems!
A returns label is on its way to me as I write…
obsem – :
I was kindly gifted some samples, hence why I tried this, but the devil and I were never going to get along due to strongly disliking cumin, ambrette and most perfumers heavy hand with vetiver.
This is heavy on the vetiver and my eloquent first reaction was ‘blech’
Aerohopleneriaol – :
The name comes from a rock formation, located in England (more precisely in Dorset) and called Hell Stone. According to the story, the site served as a tomb for about 4000 years ago. Around 1866 it was restored. And from the excavated area has emerged a strong scent of Earth and tree roots, which served as the inspiration for this fragrance.
This is another perfume that hit the market at the beginning of 2013, as part of the line of fragrances called “Volume 2” (released in 2012).
In the composition, notes of organic jojoba oil, oil of vetiver from Madagascar, opoponax oil (sweet myrrh), ambrette seeds, absolute of beeswax and cumin, as well as chemical compounds like Geraniol and Farnesol, which enhance the floral aspect, Limonene, etc.
On the skin, Hellstone is the most “old school” among all fragrances from Gorilla Perfume brand I met so far. Basically, it has three distinct facets: a green and spicy, thanks to its nuances of vetiver and cumin; a floral-musky, resulting from the use of the ambrette seeds with the synthetic compounds and, finally, a sweet and slightly resinous, with a touch of amber, due to the use of the opoponax and the beeswax absolute. A lot of people confuse the smell of the wax with the aroma of honey, but they are mildly different. The wax smells more like a maple syrup with nuances of tobacco, while the honey is sweet by nature. Both vary a little, depending on the flowers from which was collected the nectar.
And because of this “old school” aspect, many women do not appreciate the Hellstone fragrance, although it is marketed as unisex. On the other hand, men who like scents like Gentleman, Giorgio for Men, etc. tend to fall in love almost automatically. However, Hellstone reminds me of a time when perfumes still were very strong and natural, true classics.
Again, the rule applies: as in other creations of the House, there’s a lot of projection and durability inside a linear scent, which not surprises during evolution. The jojoba oil does not confer smell, but it works as a natural moisturiser that leaves the scent more viscous, i.e. with greater lasting power on the skin.
Unfortunately, I got to finish this review with some sad news: this scent no longer exists in the Brazilian store’s catalog and, apparently, will not come back.
alevtines – :
A bit too aggressive, but with a name like Hellstone I guess that’s to be expected. It’s a shame cause I really think I could get into this if they just turned the cumin down a notch. Not really a body odor vibe but kind of an edible/bbq sauce feel which is equally off-putting. This smells like someone was eating pork ribs in Satan’s library.
pavka024 – :
I blind bought a 90 ml pure perfume bottle of Hellstone. For me it´s a high quality sweet cumin fragrance, which brings fragrances like Dior Homme Intense to my mind. Only in high concentration.
Together with A Voice Of Reason, the best Lush so far.
fenix-inter – :
I love the way Lush market their scents! Little bottles a la ye olde timey droppers reminiscent of traveling salesmen peddling mysterious substances in the 1800’s.
Hellstone has an acrid, harsh, sharp opening and settles down into something a little more palatable. Actually, when it settles it is warm, spicy and comforting. Definitely deserving of its name (‘what the hell is this stuff!!??”, you could almost think it was a little ‘blugh’ upon first sniff. Stay with it – the end result is not disappointing! This is definitely something for autumn and winter. In fact, it does remind me of smoky, glowing embers!
I recommend this because its a Lush fragrance and I love the fact that you can buy something niche for a fantastic price! If you want something different, trying and get your cloven feet/heels/hands on this.
csg382Negeltzex – :
Ah I love it very much! It’s really weird but also I found very attractive. I couldn’t understand what it smell at all but I can get something smoky and sweet. This collection really unique and creative than I expected. İf you are perfume addictive and also niche perfume lover I think that you have try them.
Psychosis – :
Please, don’t listen to all those who say it’s b.o. etc.! As every perfume, one needs to try it first person! I don’t own it (YET), but I tried it twice recently and fell in love!! It’s spicy and heavy, but i’m a oud addict anyway so this is mild compared to some arabian oils I own! Think about some Ajmal, Al Rehab oil perfumes, Hellstone is in the same family! And by the way, I don’t like people saying that a fragrance is ‘revolting’: I do not like some perfumes myself (I loathe ‘The One’ by D&G) but I couldn’t say revolting, I mean this perfume is definitely not a bad odour!! revolting is some scatological smell! Be moderated guys!
Patomusho – :
It is strange but when it’s just applied I smell almost som kind of mustard-scent. It takes almost an hour before you can smell anything else. The opoponax, which is not mentioned as a note, but it is one of them, begins to play as also the vetiver and ambrette which makes it a little sweet on my skin. Is it worth waiting so long, I’m not sure
priymachok – :
I did not like this on my skin. Way too much spice for me! On me it smelt like stale sweat/Body odour, and spice.
Do NOT blind buy.
accickGeark – :
This definitely packs a punch, and is a fragrance I only reach for very occasionally. To me, it is a scent for a winter’s day or evening. In fact, it reminds me of new years eve in Scotland – I smell whiskey, peat, pencil sharpenings, and a little warmth from the beeswax, but cant smell the cumin whatsoever. I love the scent, but I’m not so sure how many of my pals around me have liked it, so its definitely a perfume to wear with confidence, and for yourself!
sdrnkq – :
I don’t really agree with reviews that describe this as revolting, but I do agree that it’s not going to be wearable on many people, and I’d be lying if I said I liked it (though I didn’t test it in store, and managed to confuse it with Devil’s Night Cap, so I’m now the proud owner of a tiny bottle).
This goes on extremely harsh, it’s woody, very acrid and just burningly harsh. Think tree sap, or slightly burnt, bitter woods. I tried Lalique’s Encre Noire the other day and that has a burnt woody opening, but by comparison to this, Encre is sweetly smooth. I don’t get BO from this, or anything nauseating, and I don’t recognise the cumin if it’s here (and I cook with cumin almost every day). After searing your nose with it’s hot bitterness for a while this morphs into a too sweet musky scent. It just never, on my skin, finds a balance. First it’s nose wrinklingly bitter and harsh and then it’s an almost syrupy musk that just ends up being a bit fuggy. It’s certainly a ‘hot’ scent which is interesting given the vetiver in it.
I tried laying this over the Vanillary solid perfume I have, hoping that would balance this out a bit, no luck, the opening obliterates Vanillary and then teams up with the dry down to produce something even more sweet.
I lasts well, at least 8 hours and projects moderately, but it’s bot really something I’d see myself using much.
xnada – :
This fragrance did not work on me. On me it smells like B.O. On another woman it smelled sweet and musky, almost pretty. I think cumin is a hard scent to pull off and would recommend trying before buying.
ParkerMego – :
Ok, so after some time, I absolutely adore this scent. If you like Bvlgari Black you may care for this. Imagine BB without the vanilla but a fruity metallic edge. Incredibly weird, unlike anything I would usually wear, I love it. This one is not for the meek.
diman250689 – :
Purchased this blindly….The discription was so intruiging. I wanted to love this so badly. Cannot love this….
SKIFchik – :
Today I dropped by Lush, and figured I would get familiar with all of their new scents. This one is definitely the worst of the lot. Most of the perfumes were unique, but not neccessarily in a bad way. This one is.
Words cannot describe how much I despised this as I sniffed it. I even had to sniff it twice, because I couldn’t imagine how anything could smell like this. I imagine this is what a burnt corpse smells like. The scent was so strong, and so corpse-bonfire-y. I don’t have words.. I don’t have words.
Unless the bottle at my local Lush store was bad, this is the worst perfume I have ever smelled. Satan in a bottle. Which the packaging seems to reflect just fine.
drot.andrey – :
Not keen – reminds me a little of Lush’s delightful Tuca Tuca perfume (violet) but with an unpleasant base reminiscent of cumin.
w4ukin – :
Very interesting….need more time but think it may be my new love.
lonworlpostspoz – :
Wonderful! Reminds me of the artificial fire scents at museums. Very unusual! Try mixing with Furze (lush) to give it a little sweetness.
Maximillion – :
A friend of mine got a bottle and hated it, gave it to me and this perfume is so disgusting I can’t even describe it. Our friendship survived but only just. How can anyone like this and pay for it? Beyond me.