Baneberry

[Iceblink]

A poisonous fruit-bearing member of the buttercup family. The scent, like the plant, is dark green, herbal, and plump with bulging black fruit.

Jester minus the sweetness or Akuma minus the leafy note. And all three are very short-lasting on me, sadly, because I love berry scents. It's so pleasant while it lasts though!

[Luhtarian]

Not for me. The herbs are very sharp and green, overpowering the berry note. I was hoping for something juicy and sweet, instead it's choked and sharp on me. Oh well.

[sofiaviolet]

I have no idea what's in this, but it smells like a great evil Christmas perfume. I know that's vague, but it makes sense in my head. Unfortunately, there's a faint tinge of plastic once it touches my skin, so no evil Christmas for me.

[phedre]

This on me is fresh, ripe berries with an undernote of something woodsy. It's not sweet at all, which is strange for something that reminds me so much of berries. This is more of a very tart, bitter berry with such a fresh feel to it. The sharp notes are perfectly in balance with the berry notes. I like it!

[spelmermaid]

in the imp: green, sharp, herbal.

 

on me, wet: fresh, green, berries

 

on me, dry: soft light berry scent- sweetness tempered by hints of green. very lovely and comforting smell, i love it.

Edited December 9, 2006 by spelmermaid

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Green, bitter and a little dry

 

Wet on me - Dark, but at the same time glowing, berries, with tart green herbs

 

Dry on me - Warm, herbal fruits, slightly soapy

 

Overall - Faded quickly, but nice whilst it lasted

[forspecial_plate]

Pleasant, spicy berry scent in the throw...but up close, I'm getting something plasticy and unappealing. Not terrible, really, just not liking it enough to keep, I don't think. Nice throw, medium wear length.

[Violaine]

This is the third BPAL oil I've tried, and since the first two hated me, I was really hoping that Baneberry would be wonderful. And it was! ...But only for a little while. I'm starting to think I have problem-skin.

 

The scent in the bottle was heady and crisp, and I could definitely smell the berry and greenery, like everyone else has said. It was right up my alley. I put it on, and alternately I could smell that fresh, intoxicating berry, then the green underneath. I was really soooooo excited. But then about ten minutes into it, it all started to go terribly soapy. Within the hour, that's all it was. And awful, terrible soap.

 

Bleh.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Ozone and fruit toilet deodorizer.

 

Wet: Yup, still toilet deodorizer, now with dirty socks and something like cough-syrup cherry in the background.

 

Drydown: Astringent metallic lemon, with this typical feel from ozone as if a storm is brewing and it's all misty. I think that there's a hint of something minty or like eucaplyptus in here, rather strong herbal. Aha, I can smell woods and roots in the background, but I really need to sniff them out. They smell like the woods in Penny Dreadful, musty and sweet. There's also something smoky and bitter, possibly tobacco.

 

Overall: It's an interesting, mysterious and outdoorsy scent, a bit of a "calm before the storm" scent, with hints of wood and very faint traces of fruit in it. It's thick and lazy, somehow, and bitter too. I wasn't really expecting that, and though it's quite interesting, the beginning stages are just not pleasant for me.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Not green at all...this is soft and berry-like. I just finished trying The Oblation, so I recognize the basic blackberry/currant note right away.

 

Wet: This is not much of a morpher on me. It is a very bright and sharp berry, unfettered and quite natural. I imagine a wet berry, still waiting to be plucked.

 

Drydown and wear: The remains "berries in the rain" on me. I've been looking desperately for a berry scent, and I'll probably hold the imp, but like other berry-based perfumes, this one is particularly light on me.

[outofrhyme]

In the bottle:

Very mild. A little woodsy, a little floral, a little fruit.

 

Wet:

Sweet, but understated and NOT in a sugary way. It's not the fructose of fruit, but it's also not really a floral sweetness. There's wood and green there, too, but it's all incredibly subtle, like a warm fog. If I can classify a note in here as "fruit," it's a figgy kind of fruit.

 

Dry down:

Clings very, very close to the skin. It's a warm, greenish purple fog. I think I do get the impression of berry, but it's definitely a figgy plummy berry, not a strawberry or blueberry. Gets a little sweeter as time goes on, which makes it smell juicy. Reminds me a little of the plum note in Frumious Bandersnatch.

 

Final thoughts:

I think I like it, but I can only smell it with my nose pressed up against my wrist. It's yummy, but I'm not sure yet whether it's a keeper.

[heartbreakangel]

In the imp: Apples? Huh? Wasn't expecting that.

 

Wet on skin: Still smells like apples, though more of a sour variety. Possibly granny smith, though not quite as sharp. There's a hint of an aquatic something drifting around. Maybe dew? It's soft enough.

 

Dry on skin: The dew is still there. The sour apple is still there. However, now there's something that smells like sharp raspberries. Not quite ripe ones. It's a rather interesting mix.

 

This may be a potential bottle purchase. I'll have to wear it again to be sure.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

White grape??

 

On me:

When it goes on, it does smell more like white grape to me than any other fruit. But darker. So I'm not sure what black fruit this is, but it's really not as berryish as I would have thought.

 

There is a crisp green quality to this as well, but it's really rather mild and the fruit note seems to be the real star here.

This is a little sharp too, it's not a smooth, sweet fruity to me - it's sharper, greener smelling.

 

Final note:

Hard to describe this one, but it's definitely dark, sharp, and yet fruity with a slight green-ness.

[poisons_sanity]

I had bought a roller oil once at my local pagan store (by local I mean forty minutes away, because there is no pagan stores close to me), called blackberry sage. Baneberry smells EXACTLY like it.

 

I was hoping for a more sweeter and fruitier scent, but this is very green with a sharp fruity smell. Not exactly what I wanted, but I still enjoy it.

[taramarie]

I don't get anything from Baneberry that smells dark green or herbal. What I do get is berries. My brain has settled on raspberry and blueberry. It's not too sweet or too strong. I like it, but I don't think I'll buy a bottle anytime soon.

[violet_twilight]

This scent definitely evokes images of poisoned berries. When I put it on before retiring for the night, it actually caused me to have more vivid dreams! It did something to my mind, lol. But I love it... a very enigmatic, threatening berry scent to me !

[luna65]

Thanks to the Lab for the frimp.

 

Imp: Berry resting on a bed of green, a fresh type of scent but not overwhelmingly so.

 

Skin: I get more of the herbal nuances when applied.

 

Drydown: The berry comes out again after a time, but there's no real sense of sweetness with this, rather it's more of the tart quality which the fruit can possess. A very interesting take on berries, to be sure.

[filigree_shadow]

Soft, a little bit green, and not really a juicy berry type of scent. This reminds me a little bit of... oh, what's that one with berries and heather. Glasgow! That's it. Sort of grassy-ish but with a berry scent as well, as if maybe I'm standing next to a meadow under a mulberry tree. (I realize that's not the type of berry in Baneberry, but my personal experience with berry trees is limited, LOL.)

 

This isn't too green and isn't too berry-ish. It's a good blending of the two.

[crimescenecleanup]

MULBERRY! I couldn't think of it until someone mentioned it in an earlier review, but if this reminds me of any plant at all, it's mulberry. Berries, tree bark, and leaves. The whole kit and caboodle. Just a hint of a mulberry tree in the sun.

 

However, the overwhelming base of this scent is astringent and almost...like that blue liquid they use in airplane sinks and toilets and as disinfectant in hospital wards.

I mean, much more pleasant, clean, herbal version...but I still can't kick the association with some kind of deep blue cleaner. It's a lovely scent...clean, herbal, and somewhat biting and poisonous. But it makes me feel like I should go around wearing a sign on my wrist saying that I've been sanitized for your convenience.

 

It's just so...clean.

 

I couldn't wear it very often, but maybe it would work as a room scent?

Edited June 23, 2007 by crimescenecleanup

[bulletslc]

Frimp from Lab--

 

In the imp- this is green with a promise of sweet berry.

 

On wet- Much more green and herbal. The berry is VERY tart and bitter!

 

On dry- The berry fades out and the herbal greenness remains.

 

Final analysis--While I find this an interesting scent, it is not one I'd wear. Its going to go to my friend who collects the Rappacini's Garden scents! I think she'll LOVE it!

 

[Miseraya]

In the imp: Berries, but not just berry. Something dark green and herbal. Poisonous.

 

On the wrist: Hmm, this does not smell like the traditional berry scent on me at all, it's much more of a full scent, not the usual thin strident note I get with berry. More plant like. I like this.

 

Drydown: Alas, while it may not be the same berry it is still apparently berry enough to get very sharp and give me a crashing headache. If berry notes worked on my skin this would have been awesome. Damn. Off to the swaps.

[LadyCrow]

In the imp: Sweet berries.

 

Wet: A strong burst of sweet, tangy berry.

 

Drydown: After the initial dark purple berry goes away, a green herbal layer shows up, followed by the return of the berry -- except much sweeter and more light red.

 

I don't hate this -- there's nothing wrong with it, except that it smells, as many reviewers before me have pointed out, like a high-end herbal soap. If I wanted a high-end herbal soap, I'd go buy one. I kept looking for the evil or darkness in something named "Baneberry," and on me it just wasn't there. It's a perfectly nice blend, but I still prefer Jester.

[monsteralice]

Wet: Herbal, with no one scent predominating.

 

Dry: Berries develop on top of the herbs.

 

Duration: Moderate - wafts for a few hours, is gone by the 9 hour mark.

 

Pleasant enough, but not for me.

[naeelah]

This seems familiar somehow, but it's unique among the BPAL berry scents.

 

It's not a traditional sweet, red, fruity berry scent. The predominant quality is a light, fresh, and green. It's a leaf, almost herbal green, not like grass. There's something almost aquatic. Underneath it all is a slightly bitter and tart note, like an under-ripe berry or grape on the vine. Once dry, a sweeter berry note begins to emerge, like the one ripe berry in a cluster of green ones. It never overwhelms the greenness, but it does provide balance.

 

After another 15 minutes or so, the whole thing becomes darker. And as the berry note continues to ripen, a very bitter herbal note emerges out of the greenery. I love the balance in this! It's definitely a morpher, and the final scent has way more berry than the fresh, wet scent does, but it never gets out of balance.

 

I'd definitely recommend it if you like fresh, cool, leafy/herbal green scents, or want a berry scent that's a break from the usual.

 

Throw is very light, but seems to become stronger. Not sure yet about wear life.

Edited August 15, 2007 by naeelah

[DifferentDances]

Imp: Succulent berry, reminds me a little of Bewitched.

Wet: Succelent berry with very damp greens. It's skirting the edge of soapiness, though.

Drydown: Very soft berries.

Dry: Soft berries in lush green.

 

My rating: 3/5. It's a very clear, simple berry smell --others have mentioned it's like soap or shampoo, and I agree. That doesn't make it bad by nature, though, it's just a matter of connotations. Not sure whether I want to smell like shampoo, but then again...Hm...I need to think about this further.