Banshee Beat

[suki]

BANSHEE BEAT
A tousled, sexy mix of patchouli, vanilla, and hemp.

I just got my bottles (yes, bottles. I'm convinced I will love this enough to hoard, even before smelling it!) about 5 minutes ago from the freezing hands of the freezing UPS driver. I know I should wait to test this oil, but I just can't. Let's hope for the best, shall we? *Crosses Fingers*

In the Bottle: a sweet, woodsy mix. the hemp is strong and reminds me of the sandalwood note in Tombstone, which i love. the sweet is all about the dark vanilla, but it's hanging back. the hemp is really the star at this stage.

Wet on Skin: it's still a mix of the hemp and the vanilla, with the patchouli not really present. i'm surprised because the patchouli in Mme Moriarty and Ravenous are *very* prominent on my skin. but the hemp/vanilla mix is lovely, and if it stays this way, i won't be disappointed.

Dry Down: *there's* the patchouli! it's NOT like the usual BPAL patchouli note, though. this is much, much closer to an actually patchouli root than the oil. it's lends a depth and a complexity to the hemp, supporting it, making it richer, more earthy. the dark vanilla is indeed dark, but also sweet in a rich resin way. these three notes work in perfect balance, with none overshadowing the others, all coming together in a really special way.

In All: the S15Twenty site describes this scent as being "hippyish" and while it's not inaccurate, it's also not what most people are going to expect when they think of "hippy+hemp+patchouli". Yes, this is a scent that i would wear to a Rainbow Gathering. but it's also a scent i will wear to the beach, to a cafe, with my favorite silk skirt, in my hair, to a sexy dinner out with my sweetie.
with a medium but not overpowering throw and all warm, sexy, earthy and cuddly, Banshee Beat is the kind of go-to scent BPALers of distinction come to cherish, whether or not it becomes the Next Covetable Thing.

stock up- this is only going to get better with age!


:wub:

[Invidiana]

This is just wow. Since I amp vanilla I knew I was safe from it turning too hippie-ish on me (no offense to people who dig that stuff, it's just not my personal style). I was a little wary smelling it in the bottle and wet, because at that stage it's mostly patchouli and hemp, but once it dries down the vanilla, which is definitely a dark, rich vanilla, comes out singing and tempers the equally dark patchouli perfectly, turning this scent into a sexy breed of amazing. There's a bit of hemp in the background, but it's barely noticeable on me because I amp the vanilla and there's probably more patchouli in the mix than hemp, or at least that's what happens with my chemistry. This stuff is teh shiznit and I'm so glad I took a chance on a bottle all the way from Dirty Jersey.

 

ETA: We need Sweet Life in its own topic! Review of that one in a nutshell: it's no pansy white floral, but actually really rich and heady and makes me think of that scene in Marie Antoinette where she's lying back fanning herself while a maid does her nails.

Edited January 27, 2010 by Invidiana

[CiCi]

Banshee Beat in the bottle is very heavy, thick patchouli but not the head shop kind. It is the smooth, rich, expensive patchouli that you always look for in a scent but can never seem to find. The hemp is there too, but down deep and shy, and needs to be coaxed out-probably with time. As for the vanilla-it is in the raw state with no sweetness at all. It works very well with the patchouli and hemp. I think this blend will get better with age.

[fairnymph]

Dirty hippy patchouli, lots and lots of patchouli, sweetened by a fair deal of vanilla. The hemp is there in force too, earthy and sort of musky in that way that um, marijuana can smell, green and weedy in general. Definitely smells like hippies.

 

Even MORE patchouli - this is very strong and earthy and hippie-ish as noted, but it is NOT gritty or rooty or actually soil-like, thank god. It's not black patchouli. The vanilla is also much stronger, heavy, rich and sweet, in fact cloying, although even in all its ubervanillaness it's not a strong as the PATCHOULI. The hemp is in third place but not by much - it's a little fresher and greener, with a sort of bitter herbal edge, and it also adds a sort of dryness, the way that sage does.

 

This is definitely a heavy, intense, bourbon-y vanilla and it's amping on me rapidly. This scent reminds me quite a bit of the Illustrated Woman, it's even going a little smoky - I'd bet on tobacco.This is also getting spicy - clove, is that you? And a tad plastic and sharp, which makes me definitely think clove, though sometimes vanilla does that on me, too. The hemp has gone even drier, not quite dusty, but almost. And there is a woody note here, very warm and dry, a well-behaved cedar. This is much more complex than the notes would suggest; there's definitely a lot more going on.

 

Wow, that vanilla is amazingly strong. And btw, this oil dries very slowly and has incredible throw. The vanilla is by leaps and bounds the strongest note now, and is just almost too much for me - it's very sweet and very rich, one of the most vanilla-y scents I've tested. The cedar has amped up a bit, while the patchouli & clove hold, and the hemp has faded a little bit. Vanilla >>>>>> cedar >> patchouli & clove > hemp. Less smoky. More sweet.

 

Super sweet, foody, rich, syrupy VANILLA with earthy-hippy patchouli, warm, dry cedar and dry herbal hemp, with a hint of sharp clove (this fades down after its initial emergence). It definitely comes together and I can see how many would find this to be a sexy blend - it's definitely hippiesh, and WAY too sweet for me. Very strong throw and longevity.

Edited February 13, 2010 by fairnymph

[ljaylh]

I love it when things are bang-on with their description, and Banshee Beat really is. It's absolutely a tousled, sexy mix of hemp, vanilla and patchouli. I would add warm, organic, and cuddly to that.. but otherwise, bang-on.

 

In the bottle, it's YIKES hemp - very strong and woodsy-green smelling, as hemp oil tends to be when wet. The first few minutes on my skin is the same - the hemp is strong and very raw at first, and I can imagine some people would be put off by this but on me it only lasted maybe five minutes. And then... THEN... the vanilla comes in and everything starts to get all warm and cozy and snuggly. I agree with VioletChaos in the comparison to Tombstone - but only aged Tombstone when it's gone all smoky rich - not when it's fresh. The vanilla (to me) seems very similar in both but it's the hemp that's giving BB such a lovely base and a slightly fresh green/organic feel where Tombstone has that balsam and cedar base so the tones are different but the overall feel is similar.

 

Half an hour in and the patchouli stays nicely in the background, and the hemp really does settle in nicely - the raw feel has smoothed out now that the vanilla's warmed up. The vanilla is smoky and rich, not sweet - I agree with fairnymph that it's a bourbon-y vanilla. This is just such a lovely blend - it feels very organic and earthy without smelling like dirt or greenery. I can't do many of BPAL's patchouli blends - some of them smell like dirt in a bad way, but it's so nicely balanced in this that it's really not intrusive or overpowering at all.

 

I do understand the whole "hippie" thing that's been mentioned, but I really think this transcends that aspect of its smell - BB does not smell like a bong shop or the inside of a VW Combi after a 4-day music festival in the middle of summer (why yes, I do know what that smells like ) - it's far more sophisticated and sexy smart than that. This is how I'd like to imagine Robert Plant smells when he wakes up in the morning.

 

I am seriously tempted to hoard this, it's *that* good. And I do think it's going to age beautifully, so all the more reason to hoard it. Yes, good plan. *starts hoarding*

 

 

Edited to add - big thank you to my lovely forum friend who was kind enough to get this bottle for me with her order

Edited February 16, 2010 by sunshinedaisybliss

[angelicruin]

This one did not play well on my skin. Which was not surprising after I began reading prior reviews. On my skin, I get very heavy patchouli and hemp that nearly eclipse the vanilla note. Definitely sports a dirty hippie vibe on my skin.

[janelle_hell]

This was...worth the wait.

 

The vanilla turns the patchouli & hemp into "bad teenager".

 

Good smelling bad teenager.

 

If you were a good smelling bad teenager, you will LOVE Banshee Beat.

[saralaughs]

This starts out as really medicinal on me from the hemp. It almost smells like cough syrup for 10-15 minutes. And it's strong. The patchouli is in there as well. It's a raw, herby kinda patch as well. The vanilla hides for a bit. After about half an hour though, it starts to warm and the vanilla comes through. It's a syrupy, raw vanilla too. Not too sweet but sweet enough to take the sting out of other components. The medicinal quality from the hemp is still there, although it is moving into the background while the patchouli is taking over with the vanilla.

 

After about an hour, this is warm, warm raw patchouli and deep yummy vanilla. The hemp is still there but it adds just a tang and keeps it from being too sweet. It's lovely. And lasts. And lasts. It's strong.

[musichappens]

Unfortunately, this scent is very faint on me. From what I can smell, it is creamy woodsy blend. I don't get any patchouli at all, which is odd because I usually have a tendency to amp it. If this wasn't so faint on me, I could see myself hunting for a bottle of this.

[beachbabealways]

Oooh I love this!! It's like Goblin with vanilla and sugar. Got to get a bottle for sure!

Thanks Cheshirecat for the frimp. <img src="http://www.bpal.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_biggrin.gif" />

 

ETA: This also reminds me of Arcana's Morphine but Banshee is a bit sweeter.

 

ETA2: I received a bottle of this and I'm so happy. This stuff is FANTASTIC!!

Edited September 22, 2010 by beachbabealways

[MCS4096]

Super strong hemp when it first goes on.. it reminds me of when I used to make hemp cord bracelets and necklaces in middle school It's really dry-- almost smells like hot dry wood. Maybe thats the patchouli? The vanilla is sooo good and becomes stronger with time. YUM! its too bad it was such a hassle to get a bottle!

[MamaMoth]

This was totally worth the wait and the hassle to get my grubby little hands on it.

 

The vanilla is syrupy, heavy, and sweet. There is none of the plasticky whang that fresh vanilla sometimes has, this is rich, golden, and deep like aged vanilla. The patchouli is black and rooty and earthy. The hemp is kind of dry and herby.

 

It goes on super sweet and syrupy, and just a touch medicinal. The comparison to Goblin was apt, as it does remind me of that a lot when it's wet. It dries less sweet (but still pretty sweet) and warm and earthy and just... YUM. So good.

[crebbsgirl]

Oh good GODS I love the scent!!! I love it with the fiery passion of a 1000 suns. The vanilla and patchouli mix is dirty hippie heaven. As it continues to wear, I am reminded a little of a very aged imp of Hunger that I have, and Sin. I might try layering them later to see if I get anywhere close to this awesomeness.

[hlemonds]

*inhales*

 

This is good.

 

*inhales again*

 

Yeah, really good. The longer it's on, the better it gets. Warm, woodsy patchouli, perhaps a hint of that medicinal vibe i get from fresh Snake Oil (that may be the hemp, or the patchouli, or both). And delicious, rich vanilla. So warm and comforting! Definitely worth tracking down a bottle if you love vanilla and patchouli. I would personally LOVE to get my hands on MOAR. One bottle, maybe not enough

[Wwindy]

Awwww, man. "Medicinal" does not begin to describe what I get out of this blend wet; I would say "turpentine" is really the only way to describe the first few whiffs.

 

Patchouli *loves* me, but vetiver is my mortal enemy... and the hemp note here must be closely related, because it turns into a very similar sort of blackish stink on my skin. I think the patchouli and vanilla might be nice, but honestly I can't tell for sure because something in this blend is just overwhelmingly awful on me.

 

So disappointing!

[zankoku_zen]

Dusty patchouli incense, medicinal edge of green and a sweet, syrupy vanilla.

[caffinatedangel]

I wanted to buy bottles and bottles of this when I simply read the description. Patchouli? I'll swim in it if you let me. Vanilla? Gods yes. Hemp? Never smelled it in an oil but I certainly don't mind my necklaces?

 

But I restrained myself, just got one bottle. Now I regret that restraint.

 

This scent is perfection. This is the scent I could wear every day for the rest of my life. I didn't really notice stages with this scent- it doesn't really morph or change or do anything odd on me except when I work out. The patchouli is dramatically understated on me- Depraved has been my favorite patchouli scent up until now, and that one has a BITE of patchouli I just love. This patchouli is soft and less dramatic on me. The vanilla sweetens the whole thing up, but it is most certainly a black, dark, vanilla. It doesn't get sugary sweet, it just stays this sort of lingering softness, playing perfectly with the patchouli. Now with Hemp, I've no idea what it would smell like as an oil. But I know vanilla and patchouli! So, what's left in the perfume I'm attributing to Hemp. And I think it's working flawlessly between the patchouli and vanilla to combine and unite them into one glorious scent that does not need to be dissected and analyzed. It's a combined, seamless scent that can be called only Banshee Beat. It's like a hippy that got distracted while making cookies, and ended up having sex in the kitchen, remnants of the first stages of cookie batter around.

 

I wore this scent for about two weeks straight, every day. It got a nice build up on my coat, and now my coat may just forever smell amazing. This scent lingers a long time on me, and the throw is moderate- not overwhelming, but when people come stand by me at work they ask "Why do you smell amazing?" and so I found my perfect perfume. But of course it has to be limited.

 

When I work out/get overstrung or hyped out, the scent takes a unique turn. It starts to smell slightly like thin mints (or close to "how doth the little crocodile") and I can not figure out why. I have noticed in the past that many perfumes can take a sort of spicey-tinge to them when I wear them (I swear bengal can claw your eyes out if I wear it in the summer when sweaty o_O) so I'm going to blame that. But even then, it just smells like a mintier version of the beauty before.

 

This scent gets 5 stars from me. For being a perfect blend (I never notice one scent overpowering the others), for staying a long time (never need to reapply, and sometimes the next morning my wrists still smell hippily-sweet), and for having that perfect throw-range. I think I'll have to stalk the forums to find the bottles from those people this didn't go so hot with.

 

tl;dr - AMAZING SCENT, and the description fits it to a tee. Get, try, adore. Assuming you like these kind of scents.

[portalkat]

I love patchouli and when I started reading some of the early reviews, I knew that I had to order Banshee Beat. I love the way that Beth uses patchouli and I always look for it in the notes and immediately try that scent. Banshee Beat is a sweeter, rather than earthy or dry patchouli leaf and I don't think that it has only to do with the vanilla. It isn't as sweet and as mild as some of the sweet patchouli blends that are out there, but there is a bit of earthiness and I don't know if that is coming from the hemp note. The throw is great as is the longevity. I had applied just a bit to the inside of my wrist and it endured through all of the hand washings and dishes, lasting about 24 hours. This is definitely a go-to patchouli scent for me.

[doublehelix]

Omg. this is great. Very sweet vanilla and patchouli. The vanilla is almost foody sweet, but mixed with the patchouli and hemp it smells sooo yummy. like eating cake in the woods? This blend actually reminds me a little of voodoo, but more sweet. I *need* a bottle of this...

[Blood onmy hands]

I really don't get why Banshee Beat is so popular. I bought about a dozen bottles when this went majorly on sale, but it's not something that I've been wearing all that much (thankfully, it has been easy to re-sell my unloved bottles).

 

I've noticed some variations in my bottles where some of them have a weird menthol undertone that smells just like Vicks Vaporub and some of them have an almost chocolatey, smooth, dark patchouli (my favorite variation) and others have a dry, cheap patchouli that reminds me of #occupywallstreet.

 

I'm surprised at all of the people trying to track down more of this scent, because you can find affordable, sweetened patchoulis from so many companies. Banshee Beat isn't a standout in my opinion. Whenever I've worn Banshee Beat out in public, the main response I've gotten is that it smells medicinal (or, worse, the one guy who said it smelled 'sweaty' :/ ).

 

My bottles also seem to have gotten lighter with age and cling pretty close to my skin. Light, sweet-ish, medicinal patchouli.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Little Bird

[grashopper8]

I haven't tried a more glorious BPAL since Glowing Vulva.

 

This scent is the most perfectly smooth vanilla patchouli blend, with a unique woody undertone that I suppose is attributable to the hemp but reminds me more of cedar or rosewood.

 

I feel like an earth goddess with this scent. Deeply beautiful, I'm really quite impressed. Worth sitting on that waiting list, which ended up not being a hassle for me, more of an anticipation-stoking wait.

 

It may not work on everyone, but those that harmonize with this lovely fragrance are sure to cherish it.

[othelloperrello]

Yes, this is as it sounds: wonderfully strong hemp, patchouli, and vanilla.

On my skin, all elements were about equal. This is one of the most forthright oils I've run into. Definitely reminded me of tombstone for the patchouli, but whereas that had some strange subtlety I could not deduce this one comes out clear and strong.

Unfortunately for me it's a little much. So glad I got the opportunity to give this one a try, though, it's exceptional.

 

 

[cybra111]

Hmm, love all of these scents.

 

On me BB is HEMP, sweetened with vanilla and made earthy with patchouli.

 

Not the vanilla I am used to. It is more like the vanilla scent sniffed from a bottle of the cooking additive. Nice and not perfumy at all.

 

I usually amp patchouli, but this is very much underneath, just adding its touch gently.

 

I like, not love, this scent. I am going to hope that aging blends it to perfection.

[Cheri]

Thanks to Nightchylde I have a decant of Banshee Beat. It's one of those scents that I wasn't sure about and didn't order, but should have. I love the patchouli and vanilla notes in this. I'm not sure if it's the hemp or the patchouli, but it has a warm, earthiness that is different than any of the many BPAL scents that I own or have tried. It kind of reminds me of Morocco, but warmer and sweeter. It's a sexy, cozy scent that I wish Space 21 would keep in stock so more people could try it.

[gingiemay]

In the decant this is WHOA PATCHOULI with some vanilla. The hemp and the patchouli are really strong and fibrous almost--very strong not necessarily in a dirty hippie way, but super earthy. Once applied to my skin, the hemp/patchouli combo calms down a bit, and on the dry down it's now this beautiful earthy, sweet vanilla. It's pure love as far as I am concerned! I wish, wish, wish this were available through the lab or Space 15/20 would sell more!