Baobhan Sith

[Astarte]

The ghostly White Women of the Scottish highlands. They seduce unwary travelers by night with their unearthly beauty and mesmerizing dancing. They engage their victims in a wild, hypnotic dance, and once they reach exhaustion, the demonesses exsanguinate their partners with their vampiric kiss. Talk about a quick courtship. Grapefruit, white tea, apple blossom and ginger.

Initially its nothing but grapefruit laced with a tea accent. As it dies down over 15 minutes the ginger comes out to play and lurks beneath the grapefruit tea miasma to give a wonderful citrus scent that packs a punch.

This would be especially useful for work if you had a meeting and wanted to feel a little more fiery. Very worth trying if you like citrus scents.

[octopusgrrl]

In the bottle: very light floral scent

 

Wet: citrus-y lemon (maybe the grapefruit) and gently floral

 

Dry: disappeared when it dried off

 

Verdict: a gentle pretty scent while it lasted, but doesn't really rock my world.

[Larila]

Going on, very stong grapefruit aroma, could't pick out any other notes, it was so strong I could taste it. Besides giving me the visual of eating a grapefruit.

 

 

That was the wet version, after drydown the grapefruit mellowed out a great deal, giving the other notes a chance to shine. The grapefruit had gotten lighter, the white tea was the second most noticeable note and next was the ginger and apple blossom was in the background but slowing coming foward.

 

After connecting together smoothly,there was a lemon and lime notes included in the mix.

And was blended beautifully, this is one of bpal lighter scent, meaning you may have to reapply, on me it lasted two hours, it's worth it! I enjoyed this oil a great deal , getting a bigger bottle.

 

[Jezebel873]

Delicious grapefruity goodness. Mmmmm. Baobhan Sith makes me feel happy and strong... it's great for when I know I'll be having a hard day. Unfortunately it doesn't last long on me.

[hadaverde]

Initial contact with skin produces a floral-aquatic blend, medium-bodied and quite pleasant. The aquatic notes fade to the background within moments, yet do not disappear entirely.

 

During drydown, I am definitely getting the tea and grapefruit notes, but they blend together in such a way that it still strikes me as something of an aquatic scent. It isn't a deep or fast-moving sort of wetness, though, more along the lines of thick mist, heavy dew, fog in an open meadow in early autumn.

 

The tea and citrus add a warm, almost comforting feeling to what would otherwise be a chilly scent.

[tempete]

Wet, the grapefruit note in Baobhan Sith dominates on me. This quickly dissipates (which is good, because I'm not overly fond of grapefruit) into a clean white floral with little staying power. The white tea and ginger notes are not major contributors to this scent, which makes me prefer Kumiho to Baobhan Sith.

[Azrhiaz]

It was a very, very good BPAL day for me. This discovery rounded out my new top three, along with Silentium Amoris and the Mad Hatter.

 

I adore grapefruit-- it reminds me of my beloved, much-missed grandfather, who had it for breakfast every morning (along with oatmeal). This is mainly grapefruit on me, and stays very true, although I get whiffs of ginger and the white tea, as well-- but that's just bizarrely perfect, as he also loved to eat candied ginger and drink tea.

 

Smelling this? Nearly made me cry.

 

*heart* Baobhan Sith.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Oranges. Sweet fresh oranges, plucked from the tree in December. Very crispy scent.

 

On me: Goes to grapefruit - very sharp grapefruit at that - as I dab it on. It's another clean white scent; after the grapefruit fades a bit the white tea and ginger come out into the air. It's very much like Bath & Body Work's White Tea & Ginger line with a bit of Mango Mandarin (another fragrance they carry) blended in.

[diabolique]

this is embalming fluid with balls, guys. end of story.

 

on my skin, it's pure, concentrated grapefruit peel. somewhat obnoxious at first, to be quite honest. if i search for it, i can spot the white tea. this never turns particularly light on me at any point, but the grapefruit slinks out of the spotlight and has a duet with the white tea. the ginger in the background provides a spicy rhythm, and-- okay, analogy overplayed. at this point, though, the scent stops morphing from the wet stage into the drydown and remains a spicy, fresh grapefruit and tea scent. if your skin chemistry is anything like mine and you enjoy smelling like tea and fruit, this is pour tu.

[stardreamer]

I had high hopes for this one, even though I'm not fond of grapefruit; I thought the other elements might balance it out. And at first I thought I was right. In the bottle, it's a light, crisp scent, citrusy but not overwhelmingly grapefruit. Unfortunately, on me it just... vanishes. Well, not completely -- but I put it on fairly heavily, and within minutes it had faded to a level it's taken the other scents hours to reach. I can still smell it faintly some 8 hours later, but the other thing is that it doesn't do much with my body chemistry. Not unpleasant, just blah. Between that and the fading business, I don't see much point in holding on to this one. Blast.

[TheDarkMother]

More ginger! :drooool:

 

In the Bottle: Baobhan Sith smells like grapefruit and ginger! Eeeeeeek! Yummy yummy yummy!

 

On Me: Oh how lovely! Grapefruit, ginger, and white tea! Oh this takes Kumiho and tangs it up even more! This is simply lovely. Bathing in this one!

[Ishtar]

Even though their notes are fairly different, on me Baobhan Sith smells almost exactly like Old Shangai. I actually wore one on each wrist a few days ago to compare them and I could hardly tell them apart.

 

You will have guessed that it is the tea note that predominates on my skin, so heavily that the grapefruit and ginger are missing in action during the first 45 minutes. This is not a bad thing for me since I love tea scents.

This is crisp without being biting, cooling without being chilly. Very, very nice.

 

It is only after drydown that the grapefruit and ginger start coming through, imparting a slightly bitter note to the blend. If I inhale very deeply, I can almost feel an astringent sensation at the back of my throat, as if smelling grapefruit peel.

 

I really like Baobhan Sith a lot, but overall it is too similar to Old Shangai to justify having both. If you like crisp fruity tea scents, though, make sure to give it a try.

[Fishwomon]

I expected to like Baobhan Sith; I like saying the name, once I learned to pronounce it, and I generally like white tea and ginger notes, as well as grapefruit. Out of the imp, this has a sharp, clear note of grapefruit. It reminds me of the scent "Amazing Grace" by Philosophy. As the scent mellows a bit, I'm brought to mind of a summer garden party with women in floral dresses and fancy hats, eating from a buffet laid with silver. This is a very feminine and lady-ish scent.

 

Sadly, this scent, on my skin, smells too much like a department store fragrance for my tastes. However, I think my mom will really like it, and I have a friend who'll get some for her birthday.

[hypothermya]

Baobhan Sith

 

Initial Impression

 

Aside from wanting to have a perfume whose name I couldn't pronounce, I really was attracted to the notes in this. Grapefruit, white tea, apple blossom, and ginger. Sounds lovely. And it turns out that it smells just as lovely in the bottle. It's very fresh, like smelling the citrus of a grapefruit and the juice of a freshly cut apple, mingling together. The ginger is barely noticeable, just adding a very upbeat kick to the scent.

 

Wearing It

 

When I put this on my skin, it looses most of the fruitiness to this very calm, relaxing white tea scent. However, just behind the tea scent are the grapefruit, apple blossom, and ginger -- all in equal parts. What you get is a scent that's very fresh, sweet, and charged. It's the perfect lift me up smell. It always makes me think of opening my eyes. A pleasant feminine yet shocking perfume.

 

There are two other scents in the BPAL catalogue that this reminds me of. The first is Kumiho. I really did like Kumiho, but I think the ginger was a bit too much for me. This is a great deal like Kumiho, but with more sweetness. While Kumiho was pure maliciousness, Baobhan Sith is a seductive scent with a bite. The other scent this reminds me of is the Embalming Fluid/Shanghai type. Except that instead of the clean lemon scent, this is a much more daring grapefruit scent. This is much lighter than Embalming Fluid or Shanghai, probably because of the white tea instead of the green tea, and has a much prettier/girlish feel to it, probably because of the apple blossom.

 

I really do like this imp. I'm surprised, actually, that I don't wear it more often. The lasting power isn't fantastic, but it is just lovely.

[Ina Garten Davita]

I was gifted this imp and I am eternally grapefruit.

 

Sweet candy goodness. I need a large bottle.

 

That is all.

[Macha]

In the bottle: I smell grapefruit and ginger. Yum! Ginger is one of my very favorite flavor/scents. I can't really detect the white tea, but it's probably responsible for a little of the sweetness I'm smelling.

Wet, on skin: Very astringent, initially. Heavy grapefruit smell.

1.5 Hours on skin: The grapefruit has faded into the background, and the white tea and apple blossoms, particular the floral of the blossoms, has come to the forefront. Except...it keeps changing. I’ll catch a wiff that’s pure grapefruit, then ginger, then floral....rather chimerical and absolutely enchanting.

Drydown: This fades fairly quickly on me, so the second day I really slathered it on and got some fairly decent staying power the second time.

Conclusion: What a lovely, fresh scent: emphemeral and quicksilver. A wonderful wide-awake fragrance because of the ginger and grapefruit as well, a perfect pick-me up for those days when I wake up tired and need to feel refreshed and energized.

 

Addendum: My boyfriend, who has been unabashedly trying on "my" scents, wore this the other day. On HIM, it's not grapefruit at all, but the fresh bitter scent of orange when you've just broken through the rind with your thumb. Gorgeous!

Edited December 28, 2004 by Macha

[malanna]

Whoa, Embalming Fluid? I haven’t worn this in a while, and was expecting something more along the lines of Queen Mab (i.e. orchid). After an hour or two, the grapefruit (my nose thought it was lemon, but then, I just got a general citrus scent) of the grapefruit and white tea fades, and this is a soft, sweet, green scent. It’s hard to describe this, because it’s not very distinct. It’s more like the swirling tea, with a bit of sugar and a light breeze over the rolling hills. After three hours, the faintest shadow of the first stage is there, but it’s very, very, very light. In the first hour, I was going to say that this was stronger and longer lasting than Embalming Fluid, but I guess not.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: While he was up during Christmas, the boy remarked that he really liked this scent. I'm hoping I like it, too, and that it doesn't do horrible things to my sinuses so I can wear it for him. Oh, grapefruit how I covet you. This is another one of those scents that just makes me think, "Clean and crisp." It's sweet, but there's a little edge in there. The tartness of the ginger and the fruits with the tea in the background to mellow it out. If this stays as lovely on as it is in the bottle then I'm hurrying over to the lab and buying a bottle today. (Along with Wilde, Whitechapel and Thalia. I've really only been looking for an excuse.)

 

Wet: That's lovely. Grapefruit with ginger in the background. Kind of tart with some sweet lurking in the background along with that lovely tea note that makes me want to just slather it all over myself. This has a good throw as I'm sniffing the wafts rather than my nose as I type this. The apple comes out in a very lovely way. This is one of my new favorites and has scored a spot on the big bottle list. As long as it retains its good scent on me that is.

 

Dry down: More grapefruit and tea. The apple sweet is dying down a little leaving me with a nice tart tea on my arm. OMG so yummy. I'm in love with all the tea scents. I'm gonna buy them and hoarde them and wear them and call them Geroge.

 

Dry: This dries pretty quick. I may have missed some of the dry down because I'm watching Jim dismantle our purchasing machine as it wouldn't turn on this morning. Tea with a little less tart and a little more apple. But it's still good. I love love love love love grapefruit now. The scent is just lucious and all of Beth's tea blends make me ecstatic. The ginger is being a little more apparaent, which provides a nice spicey contrast. It's a sweet, slightly tart tea. Loves it!

[Faerykin]

Baobhan Sith

 

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): Holy Grapefruit Batman! I can barely detect the green of the apple blossom – but it is there. The white tea and ginger are totally lost here.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): The grapefruit has calmed and the other notes are beginning to come forth. This is certainly a warm month scent – Spring or Summer. It is bright and warm and energetic. If I had to attribute it to a color, I’d say yellow to orange.

 

Throughout the Day (10am-on): The herbal notes are finally coming to the surface. This has morphed into a greener scent. Very lovely.

 

This slowly fades to a nice herbal citrus. It is even present as I leave for work. Defiantly keeping the imp for an outdoor spring or summer day.

 

EDIT: The hubby no likey. He says I smell like his grandma - off to the Swap Pile with ya!

Edited January 3, 2005 by Faerykin

[Northernminx]

Another chemistry strikes again issue, I got a lot of grapefruit on this, followed by a sharp almost astringent smell. What was delicate and fresh in the bottle was more like a cleaning solution on my skin. Silly chemistry Off to swaps and sadly as I so very much wanted to love this

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on my skin- grapefruit and a hint of musk. As it dries the apple blossom comes through. This is very much a white scent for me, and I'm imagining white grapefruit, not red or pink.

 

As I'm wearing, the musk dies down, and it becomes a lovely tea and grapefruit scent. I'm definitely getting the pulpy part of the grapefruit- the white stuff between the peel and the flesh.

 

This scent blends together just beautifully. It's delicate and fresh and perfect for spring. A definite keeper for me.

[Julilla Regina]

Mmmm, I love grapefruit! Especially cut in half and covered with a layer of salt. When I put this on, I craved salty grapefruit so much, I could hardly stand it. It started out sharp grapefruit for about fifteen minutes, then it sinks into a wispy mild floral with a bite of tanginess. This is so delicious, it would make a fantastic summer scent for a lazy day of Sunday shopping and enjoying the sun.

 

This is really awesome. If you're into citrus and mild florals, this is for you.

[enigmae]

Wow. I ordered an imp of this for my sister and I'll definitely be ordering a 5 ml for myself. The grapefruit pops out at first and is simply mouthwatering. Then the other notes come into play and kind of calm it down, but it's still beautiful. Probably in the top 10 of those I've tried so far. It's a happy, head-clearing scent and nicely complex.

[oatmealneko]

This imp came from my first order to BPAL. I bought it mostly after reading the reviews from here.

 

Ahhh, but that was before I discovered my odd skin chemistry.

 

In the vial, I could smell the grapefruit & the apple blossom. After the oil dried out, the grapefruit was gone & I couldn't smell the white tea or ginger. The apple blossom slowly died out over the next hour. After an hour & half, I could smell traces of Baobahn Sith on my skin, but almost of all it had disappeared. Two hours later, nothing.

 

This is a delicate scent, & not really made for my skin. It would probably suit someone else.

[surf-tormented]

Smells great, but reminds me a lot of Embalming Fluid. The notes act about the same way. High citrus herbal notes in the beginning, mellowing out to middle notes of tea and musk. Baobhan Sith goes from high grapefruit and apple in the beginning to middle notes of tea and ginger. I can't smell the ginger very well though.

 

I like Embalming Fluid better. Green tea makes for a better scent for me. I had high hopes for this one and if I hadn't tried Embalming Fluid first, I might have a bottle of Baobhan Sith. But they are too alike to have two bottles. I like variety. If the ginger was a bit stronger, I might have to eat those words, but it wasn't.