Banshee Beat

[SmileCat]

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

Holy crap, I like this. I hate patchouli, but BB dries down into this wonderful, warm, sweet, woodsy scent. The hemp gives it a sweetish dry grass note and the vanilla and patchouli play along beautifully. All day I kept getting wafts of this fantastic scent and going "what is that smell?" before realizing once again that it was BB on my wrist. I have to get a bottle of this.

[sirensea]

Sugary vanilla and lots of patchouli. Very much like Snake Oil, to me, with a slightly less spicy edge.

[TulaMontage]

Pppppatchooouli! With a slight grounding of hemp. Thats all I can smell in the imp. And this is the first time I have ever smelt patchouli properly!

 

On my skin this is a sexy and sensual blend with the added creamy sweetness of vanilla. I can't wait to let the man thing sniff me when he finishes work!

 

Drying down this is a slight nose stinger. It's just bursting with patchouli. That really is the dominant note. I hope the creamy vanilla comes back!

 

And it does! Man, this is a morpher! One minute it's as sharp as a knife, the next it's so creamy and soft.

 

I think I adore this scent, but I really don't want to because I only have a half decant. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

I could use it sparingly as my festival scent.... now thats an idea Wickerman 2010 is coming up, and I may just have to take this with me.

Edited May 11, 2010 by TulaMontage

[kikithepirate]

Unf. Was lucky enough to get a sniffy of this, and just... man. It is so spectacular, and will I ever find a bottle of my own? It actually reminds me a bit of Snake Oil, but in my mind, this is what Snake Oil should smell like -- in other words, I actually like it! And not just that, I LOVE it. It has that same medicinal quality that I get from snake oil, but instead of being overpowering, it is backed up by this amazing creamy quality. I want to smell like this forever.

[yeahbutnobut]

Banshee Beat

 

In the imp: patchouli and vanilla!

Wet on skin: oh, this is good-antique patchouli with sweet, deep vanilla.

Dry on skin: mmm, sexy and dirty patchouli and vanilla with a hint of greenish and pulpy hemp to it. The patchouli has a dark, sweet, and very aged quality to it. It reminds me of an antique patchouli scent from another company (now discontinued, I think). It also reminds me of the patchouli in Goblin, I think. It’s a strong patch note that has a hint of ‘old books’ about it, which I really like! The vanilla is really lovely here, it’s a very deep, incredibly sweet vanilla, not foody but sensual, this is like vanilla extract or vanilla beans. It’s a bit like Tombstone or Snake Oil. The hemp adds a hint of something dry and papery and also a bit of mushy green and smoke, but it is subtle.

After a while: this doesn’t change too much, but the patch gets stronger, as does the vanilla. Stronger, richer, more intense, and dirtier. I like it but the vanilla edges too close to cloying and overwhelming for my tastes? It feels a little sickly, despite the lack of gourmand-ness this vanilla note has.

The drydown at the end is all strong vanilla, but it’s just too much. It reminds me of the Vanilla SN, which I wasn’t so keen on (even though, for the most part, I love BPAL vanilla scents).

Verdict: this is a classic patchouli-vanilla, and it’s an effective, simple combination. I’ve smelt other patchouli-vanillas, and the BPAL take on it has a wonderful depth and intensity to it, the patchouli is dark and aged in scent, ditto the vanilla. I liked the beginning stage, where the patch and vanilla were equal, and there was a hint of Snake Oil with extra patchouli to it. But then the vanilla turned to one of the few varieties I don’t like, though not buttery or plastic, I just found it too cloying and oversweet.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? sadly not.

[milo]

*shifty eyes*...This smells pretty much like aged Tombstone to me, which I love. Banshee Beat lacks the sarsparilla note, but this really is quite similar. The wood is strong at first, then the sweet vanilla/patch combo comes to the forefront. I find it smoother and 'mellower', than Tombstone, though the wood (or patch) isn't as strong. I certainly wouldn't turn down any of this lovely blend, but I'm not going to sell my kidney for it either.

 

eta: He he, reading back, I'm not the only one that sees the comparison to Tombstone. I find Tombstone isn't wearable for me unless it's a couple of years old (and this was an imp!) I'll probably search for a kind fairy to pick me up some if it becomes available again, as this is definitely wearable sooner than that!

Edited August 14, 2010 by milo

[noumenon]

I am way too sexy for the office right now. I slathered some one this morning, figuring I couldn't possibly hate it, and wow am I impressed. It's extremely sexy, and after dry down the vanilla is the strongest, richest note I can smell. It's super powerful, like all patch scents the Lab makes - I'm a gigantic cloud of vanilla and hemp right now. The patch was much more present when it was wet.

 

I am sorry to say this, but this is fantastic. I hope Urban Outfitters gets more in stock!

[marared]

I love this. In the bottle, it is a seriously dirty, planty patchouli and hemp - archetypical head shop stuff. The same is true on a skin test, for about fifteen seconds. The vanilla swoops in almost immediately and mellows everything into a creamy yet dirty sweetness. And throughout the day, depending on body heat, it changes in whether the vanilla or the hemp is more prominent. Usually the vanilla, but every so often the green/brown planty scent would be considerably more noticeable. It lasts for quite a while, and it starts out strong, but within an hour or so it's close to a skin.

 

This is very young and fresh patchouli, which I like, but I can only imagine how awesome this will be in a year or two, and I hope I can keep my hands off it long enough to let it age that long.

[lioness]

Oh noes!!! I was hoping, and also not hoping (so maybe I'm happy about this?) that this scent would work on me, but it's just... Not.

 

In the imp it's very patchouli, with something else that I'm assuming is Hemp, but I can't say cause I've never smelled it before.

 

Once on my skin it's getting slightly cedar-y, which is not good (cedar is a headache inducing note) and it's reminding me of a friends cabin.

 

Once dry I'm getting faint whifs of the vanilla and the patchouli, but once the hemp realizes that they're attempting to be seen he engulfs them once again, and it's just fainly sweet cedar.

 

I don't have a headache from it, (yet) but I don't think this is something I could wear. Now to decide if I'm happy about this or not...

[mxtine]

Mmmmmm! Smells like patchouli and dark madagascar vanilla syrup. I would almost expect to see vanilla bean specks in the oil. On the dry down I smelled a little earthy-mustiness which is obviously hemp, but it faded away pretty quickly. Right now my wrist smells like pure vanilla and I'm in love. THEY NEED TO GET MORE OF THIS STUFF IN STOCK!!

 

ETA. After some time aging, this perfume loses the hemp note (imo). The result is a smooth blend of patchouli and vanilla that almost smells chocolatey. I've bought a couple of fresh bottles and they still have the musty hemp note...nothing that a few months in a dark box won't fix.

Edited April 14, 2011 by mxtine

[cuervosueno]

Well, I had a feeling I'd like this--patchouli and vanilla? How could I not? I tried to order a bottle when it came back for sale, but it sold out too quick. I was given an imp of this by a wonderfully generous forumite, and honestly was hoping I wouldn't like it that much, because I won't ever be able to get it anyway....

 

But of course I do like it. Quite a bit. It's not like a holy grail scent, thankfully, and it has a little bit of girliness, of a kind of perfume I would expect to appeal to people who shop at Urban Outfitters (no offense meant there, but there is a certain type). But perhaps that is just "sour grapes" since I can't get more of this anyway. On me, it is hippie patchouli, but without the kind of "mold" note that some patchouli has (esp. fresh patchouli, either as an oil or growing fresh). So maybe I should say sort of cleaned up hippie patchouli, like patchouli incense that has been sweetened with a dose of vanilla candy. Not straight up vanilla, not rich vanilla or bourbon vanilla, or the actual vanilla orchid, but sweet vanilla candy. It's toned down because of the strength of the patchouli, and it blends together really well. I'm sure the hemp is in there too, but I don't get much of a sense of it.

 

Yeah, this is really nice, and I can see why people want it. It's like a young and girly version of a hippie patchouli perfume and in spite of that, it is quite wearable and appealing. I'm going to wear it a bit more and see if I'm really crazy about it or not, though I'm not sure why, since I don't see how I'll get more....

 

[ancilla_morte]

So, I was generously gifted a testable sniffie of this by a forumite and when I smelled it in the vial, I said to myself: "Phew! it's really strong patchouli, I don't have to worry about falling in love."

 

But then I put it on.

 

Firstly, I don't hate patchouli, I like it actually, just not when it is very strong and usually not as a single note. This was semi-strong patchouli on my skin, but it did something really remarkable as it dried, and I kept sniffing my wrist because it was so cool. As I sniffed, I would instantly smell patchouli, but then as I took my nose away and inhaled normally (breathing), I kept smelling this orange creamsicle sort of scent! As if the patchouli notes left my nose and left behind that orange vanilla in my nose! It was so cool.

 

Then after a while (maybe 1/2 an hour), on my skin, the patchouli started to meld with the orange creamsicle scent. Then after another 1/2 an hour, it was JUST the orange creamsicle scent. And it smelled so familiar to me, outside of the orange creamsicle reference, and finally I realized that it smelled exactly like Cocoa Pink's the Un-red fragrance, just richer and with patchouli.

 

So this is the first time I have tested a sought after rare and fell in love. And I just don't fall in love with anything. This is an automatic top ten LE.

I guess there is a first time for everything? I need a bottle now, but I'm not sure how exactly I will manage to get one!

Edited August 26, 2010 by ancilla

[bloody sore]

I was frimped this! :0

For the first few hours it's just patchouli, then it's vanilla patchouli, in a very soft, well blended way.

It's very nice, but not nice enough to warrant the pain in the ass to get it. But I would purchase it if the lab sold it.

[violetblue]

well, after all my whining, I got my Banshee Beat today! Wow, is it pretty....sweet vanilla and patchouli but the hemp is super strong on me and seems to take over a bit, not sure how I feel about that. I am also finding a bit of that cologney manliness like I got in Tombuer. That doesn't last too long though but it's making me a little iffy about this right now.

I see the snake oil comparisons, and also see how people say what a morpher this is.

I hate to say it, but right now I think I may like Goblin better than this one, but I am going to give it a little time to age....

[LunaLovegood]

Beautiful!

It was love at first sniff.

I hate patchouli with a passion, but this blend is so well done (thanks Lab!) that I can barely detect it.

 

I will say it can be a bit woodsy and pencil shavings-like at first, but I didnt notice that until the second sniff and trial. It disipates quickly though and all I have left for the rest of the day is a sweet smoky vanilla goodness

Has a very nice throw, lasts almost all day long, and I have gotten tons of compliments on this one. Definitely a keeper, most certainly a multiple bottles one for me.

[strahlend]

When I first sniffed this for a second I thought it had chocolate in it, but now I think that it's probably the effect of the really sweet vanilla. On my skin this smells like cedar on a warm vanilla patchouli base. The effect is impressive. I'm don't usually go after vanilla scents because no matter how lovely they are the usually end up seeming kind of generic to me - such is not the case here. This particular vanilla blended with these particular woods is a completely unique experience and it is heavenly.

[ModderRhu]

This is just plain awesome. I love the vanilla (I think I recognize it from the Antikythera Mechanism) mixed with the hemp and the patchouli. I LOVE this kind of patchouli. It smells dry and dirty and I adore it. It is very sweet, which is why I don't get the comparison to Snake Oil. I don't find S.O. sweet at all compared to this. It's a dark sweetness, though.

 

Definitely lives up to the hype. Go on and get it if you're on the fence and if the opportunity comes along...

[Siberia]

This is fantastic! I hope Banshee Beat becomes easier to obtain, because it is really lovely. Like the previous reviewer, this reminds me of Antikythera Mechanism - it has the same "fuzziness" that I get from Antikythera Mechanism, but is much, much sweeter, and the vanilla is simply out of this world fantastic. This is the strongest and most beautiful vanilla I've smelled from BPAL.

 

Freshly applied: Underneath the vanilla haze, I can smell the hemp and patchouli, which add earthiness, but take a back seat to the divine, lovely, wonderful vanilla.

 

Dry down: The hemp and patchouli come out more as it starts to dry down.

 

I am so glad I got a bottle, but wish I'd got two!

Edited October 1, 2010 by Siberia

[joyellen]

I was gifted a tester from a very awesome forumite.

 

In the imp: Vanilla with swirls of patchouli. It's not stinky hippie patchouli though. It just lends a woodsy quality.

 

Wet: The sweet vanilla pokes out more, with the patchouli and hemp keeping it grounded.

 

Drydown: Vanilla is the main player, but it's not a very foody vanilla if that makes sense. The patchouli and hemp are still there, but they've faded into the background.

 

This just had to smell heartbreakingly beautiful on my skin, didn't it? This is definitely love. I sure hope Banshee Beat becomes available again soon.

[dawndie]

In bottle: woody patchouli

 

On skin: lots of prickly earthy patchouli

 

Half-hour later: creamy vanilla has appeared with the brown/green of the patch

 

In conclusion: the vanilla in this blend is the strongest I've experienced in a long time, luscious and delicious. However, I'm not 100% on board with the patchouli, it's so earthy-smelling on me. A discordant blend, one I'm going to have to think about.

[claudia6913]

In the bottle: Sweet woodsy smell, sort of greenish.

 

Wet on skin: I'm getting a woody vanilla scent, but it's so light that at first I wasn't sure I was smelling anything at all. This actually reminds me of a little fudge shop in the hippie town near me. Love the fudge, but it doesn't have a candy smell - it smells exactly like Banshee Beat.

 

Drydown: This doesn't morph much, but it is slowly getting stronger. This is not the usual patchouli scent. It is different. The hemp is very strong, and under it all is a hint of vanilla.

 

Dry: A very woody scent with a hint of vanilla under it all.

 

Overall: This doesn't morph at all on me. And honestly, I'm not enjoying this scent. It's okay, but not something I'd ever see myself reaching for.

[cranberry]

this reminds me of sugared aged patchouli. yum! maybe with a hint of tea.

[alioth]

Oh man, I love this stuff. On me the vanilla and patchouli combine into a sweet, thick, sinfully rich scent, almost like incredibly high-end fudge on a well-oiled wooden plate. Either this is a different patchouli than appears in other lab blends or the vanilla is doing something really special in Banshee Beat; it's got an almost syrupy quality to it instead of a woody feeling. As a fan of vanilla and patchouli, it was definitely worth the effort to get a bottle.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

5mL x 2 from Urban Outfitters.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This sounds perfect for me. I adore patchouli and I love vanilla and hemp when they're done well and BPAL does most everything well. I'm expecting this to be a real winner, which is why I got 2 bottles right off the bat.

 

First sniff:

 

Huh. That's not what I was expecting at all. Sweet, but not candy-like, and a little bit musky. I couldn't place it at first, but this smells a lot like (Thierry Mugler) Angel to me. I believe Angel has patchouli in it (in small amounts) and I know it has vanilla, but there really isn't any note similarity other than that, so it's a bit baffling.

 

I have to say that I'm disappointed at this point, since I was expecting something dirty but sweet. I'm getting something sweet (that tickles the back of my throat), but no earthiness/dirtiness at all. I'm hoping that this changes once I put it on. I've learned not to judge a BPAL scent before trying it, so there's still hope here.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Okay, now it really smells like Angel. Which would be wonderful if I actually liked Angel, because I'm sure the longevity is going to be better than Angel's. This is a hard scent to describe if you've never smelled Angel. It's sweet, but doesn't really smell like candy. It's got a muskiness to it, without being truly musky. It's feminine and floaty and, to me, a little bit cloying.

 

Dry down:

 

This just smells more and more like Angel the longer I wear it. I couldn't really say what this smells like aside from that comparison since I find it so difficult to describe Angel. This definitely isn't the sweet "dirty hippie" type scent I was hoping for. Not by a long shot. There are very few BPAL scents that differ so widely from what I expect from the description. Mystery and Banshee Beat are the only two I can come up with off the top of my head and both were big disappointments for me.

 

The bottom line:

 

Not at all what I was hoping for, but it could be a real winner for someone who's a fan of Angel-type scents. I'll be selling both my bottles, I think.

 

ETA: I've finally figured out the note that I don't like here, thanks to The Antikythera Mechanism. Black vanilla. Banshee Beat has to have black vanilla in it because the vanilla note is identical to the one in Antikythera. And, unfortunately, it's the one thing I don't like about Antikythera and the reason I got rid of my bottle of it, too. At least I managed to figure out what I'm not liking so I can avoid it in the future, so it's not a total loss.

Edited January 11, 2011 by Penance

[lilacea]

I can see why this became so sought after for a while there, it's good! As expected, it's easily identifiable patchouli and vanilla. First up the patchouli is potent, but it's a great patchouli, like one that is softened and smoothed by age. The vanilla helps to further smooth it out also. Drying down, the vanilla becomes richer and a little more noticeable as the patchouli settles somewhat. It's thick, creamy vanilla, which pleases me a lot. It's certainly a patchouli dominant blend though. As for the hemp note, it's not something I immediately read as hemp, it just adds a bit of a woodier element to the patchouli. It's more like a hemp seed than hemp leaves or the like.

 

Just a note though, it still comes across as quite a hippy fragrance, I mean it's hemp and patchouli, how could it not be? But it's still fun and a great patchouli centric fragrance for those who adore patchouli.

 

Damn it, the boy just came home while I was writing this, bent down to give me a kiss, then proclaimed "you smell like weed?" . Hhhm, so... ummm... maybe keep that in mind when you're wearing this.