Baobhan Sith

[Skellington]

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.

 

I'm new to perfumes in general and have very little idea what works for me, but i have a grapefruit-and-ginger body wash, so Baobhan Sith seemed like a safe bet.

(Disclaimer: I'm utterly pants at picking out notes in general, aside from a few that are whack-you-on-the-head obvious. Thankfully ginger is one such).

bottle: light and sweet with a hint of citrus; no ginger here.
wet: grapefruit and maybe a touch of ginger. The sweetness is probably the apple blossom, but it's not clear.
drying: smells a bit like a nice soap -- a soap I like, but still a soap. Not surprising, since my body wash includes grapefruit and ginger, but it's a bit more soapy -- maybe the added floral? Perfectly pleasant, but not amazing.
dry: warm, sweet, and clean, with a little tingle. I think the grapefruit fades and the tea remains. Ginger is definitely there, but it's not a strong "HEY, GINGER!" scent, like ginger essential oil or huffing fresh ginger while you're prepping stir fry. I probably wouldn't have recognized it as ginger if I hadn't read the notes, but it's definitely there in the tingle. Maybe the grapefruit is still there -- it's certainly a wetter, juicier smell than I'd imagine tea+ginger would be.

I can't detect 'apple blossom' on it's own at any stage, but I think it may be what's pushing it over into 'perfumey soap' territory. I might like it better without the floral, but it's nice. Again, not amazing, but nice. I'll certainly try it again.


This stays very close to my skin, which I appreciate -- I like subtle, and to be sensitive to other peoples' sensitive noses. I'm not blown away, but I'll certainly play with it more.

EDIT to add: Just went out to the kitchen and dug through the spice drawer on a hunch. Sure enough, the ginger is totally dried ground ginger. Hence the lack of that sharp fresh bite. I'm inclined to agree with those who said the grapefruit is the lighter scent of the rind rather than the juicy juicy flesh, but I'm not willing to cut open tomorrow's breakfast early just to find out. (My kitchen is rather better stocked than my mental smell library, clearly).

EDIT again: A few hours later it's all baby powder. So far EVERYTHING wants to become baby powder after it touches me, arggggh!

[Deliciousness]

In the imp: Fresh grapefruit, tangy and acidic, with a lovely backdrop of tea and spices (probably the ginger)

Wet on skin: Smells like freshly sliced grapefruit, but slightly sweet, not too bitter. There is also a little tea, but that is very faint, and the spicy note is now gone.
Dry: Slight grapefruit scent, mostly the zest now, along side a weak tea scent. Not very strong now.

I absolutely adore this scent! Unfortunately, it lasts for about half an hour. After that, it just melds into my skin.
I'd give this a 5 out of 5, but the staying power is non existent so it gets a 4. I would totally buy a gallon of this to bathe in (as that's what I'd have to do to get the scent to stick to me), but it would be worth it!

[kajacana]

This blend is definitely grapefruit (one of my favorite scents of all time, perfume or no!), but somehow softer than I expected. It's more grapefruit peel than grapefruit flesh, as others have mentioned, but I don't get any bitterness at all, which is nice. It turns a little soapy on my skin, but remains very pleasant. Mostly the tang of the grapefruit fades a bit and the warmth of the - ginger? tea? apple blossom? - pushes through and slowly takes over until, alas, the entire scent evaporates into nothingness much too soon. I had to put quite a bit on to get any throw at all, and even then it was minimal and within an hour and a half I couldn't smell a thing even when my nose was against my arm. Really unfortunate. But if you like the smell of grapefruit, this one is definitely worth a try - maybe you'll have better luck with the staying power.

[GreatWhiteFork]

IN THE BOTTLE: Very grapefruit! The white tea is present, and I get the ginger as well.

 

WET: Oh there's the tea. The white tea is very prominent, with notes of grapefruit and something grassy (I'm guessing that's the apple reacting with my skin). On the whole, it evokes freshly trampled heather and windswept moors.

 

DRY: It dries to an almost green tea smell. It's very light and crisp, but authoritative. On me, it almost hits that laundry detergent or dish soap consistency, but it mellows out to a crisp grassy scent.

- - - - -

 

I think I prefer the scent in the bottle rather than on me. This might just be a scent locket imp.

[mistri]

Just got an imp of this and I like it! It's green, fresh, citrussy, with a hint of ginger. My only concern (for me), is that I get the impression it's going to be one of those light disappearing scents, or that it's 'nice' but that if I got a bottle I wouldn't return to it much. Hmm, this is one to keep as an imp for a while and see how I get on with it, I think.

[GuardianOfTheMoon]

Initial impression: Got an imp of this because I am looking for a “sexy” scent that fits me. My skin responds rather well to grapefruit so I thought it would be a good try. Also, the other notes seemed ok. Nothing I disliked.

Imp: Pure sweet grapefruit.

 

Wet: Still grapefruit, but not a sweet as in the bottle.

 

Dry (10 minutes): Smells like a pleasant white tea with grapefruit.

Dry (2 hours): The scent didn’t morph on me, nor did it hardly last beyond this time. Definitely no ginger scent on me. I can get a hint of the apple, but only because I'm looking for it.

 

Consensus: Lovely smell, but with such a weak throw, I won't be considering a full bottle. Oh well, guess I'm still on the search for a sexy scent.

Edited January 9, 2014 by GuardianOfTheMoon

[Zii]

Wet: The most scrumptious citrus white tea. This smells almost exactly like a grapefruit infused white tea right now. No sign of the ginger or apple, though they may be that nice complicated depth hanging around in this perfume.

 

Drying: It's gone all soapy... I think this is the first time this has ever happened to me properly. Soapy and prickly.

 

Dry: Yup, this is all pledge grapefruit air spray now. Drat. The wet stage was so lovely.

[Teaker]

A really lovely sweet grapefruit! Very fresh, and sweet rather than sour. It's nice and energizing. My only complaint is that it barely lasted an hour.

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: The grapefruit is the dominant note. It smells like an actual grapefruit (with the peel). I'm not really getting much else. Maybe a hint of the apple blossom?

Wet: The grapefruit takes the center stage. It maintains its position, and the apple blossom joins it after a while. The other notes don't seem to want to make an appearance.

Dry: The white tea does emerge after a while. It's a lovely citrus-y tea scent (with just a touch of ginger)!

Verdict: This is a lovely scent, and I think it would be great for the warmer weather. I am going to see how quickly I use up my imp before leaping for a bottle, though!

Edited August 14, 2014 by dementia_divine

[DiesMali]

I had no idea what this was when I opened it and put it on. Blind test!

 

In the imp: Strong, bitter grapefruit peel.

 

Wet on my skin: Same as in the imp. Rather unpleasant on my skin, and now it smells almost exactly like the orange cleaning wipes I get from Costco.

 

Dry: Yep. Smells exactly like Kirkland/Costco brand orange-scented cleaning wipes. I think I've narrowed down grapefruit as being a death note on my skin, because this is also the icky smell that The Deep Ones gave on me the other night. I'm actually kinda sad about this due to my heritage and connection with the lore behind this, but unfortunately it just does NOT work on my skn.

Edited March 16, 2015 by DiesMali

[TallGrrl78]

Despite being light in throw, it's a clean fruity scent. The grapefruit stands out initially but then it blends in with the ginger and the white tea as they come out more. The apple blossom stays firmly in the background. It's really nice and would totally work for spring/summer.

 

Only problem is that it fades super fast. Had to slather this one on. Imp cap wasn't cutting it. Only sticks around for a couple of hours before I would need to reapply.

[Soupy Twist]

This might be the grapefruit I've been searching for! In the bottle I get sweet grapefruit (finally, not the pith and peel!). It goes on as sweet grapefruit as well and then sharpens a bit with ginger. This becomes a greener, lemongrass kind of note (not listed), drying to a grapefruity white tea. Marvelous. I have to agree with almost everyone that it vanishes quickly. But so pretty!

[DoktorDandy]

Wet: Green is my first impression. Fruity, then swiftly lime, almost musky lime peel, but keeping light light light. Definitely rind rather than the fruit. Goes grapefruit pretty soon. Most definitely grapefruit, real grapefruit- and I can't decide if it's white grapefruit for the crispness or the red grapefruit, as that always had a lower, more musky, sweeter smell to me at least. Ghostly floral, little white blooms far away. Not bad. I like this, if it doesn't change too drastically. Yeah, I like this just fine.

 

Dry: Goes soapier. I seem to like clean soapy smells, so this doesn't upset me. Nice enough. Not complex.

 

After a jog: Candied grapefruit rind, but weirdly not too sweet, and with the freshness still mostly intact. Strong impression of that Suave hair detangling spray that I used as a kid- came in a green spritz bottle, smelled of strange apples and had an octopus on the label. Didn't smell jollyrancher apple- it had a thing of it's own, and it's here. My guess is that it's the soapyness and the sweetness combined with the floral that might be apple blossom?

I'll keep the imp, but I probably won't be getting a bottle unless it endears itself a little more to me as the summer goes on. Doesn't have much staying power at all.

[Veronica]

This starts off strangely cold, but soon comes out as predominantly a white floral of apple blossom with just a hint of tea and ginger. For some reason, this just isn't working for me. It smells slightly old lady and just is off on me. Very clean and soapy.

Edited May 25, 2015 by delighted

[Malaena]

In the imp: Citrus.

 

Dry: Very bright but dry grapefruit. White and clean. The tea comes out as the primary note with apple blossom being a strong runner up. It then becomes bitter...I can't tell if this is how the lab's ginger smells on me or if my skin is messing up the tea/apple blossom. Now it smells like soap.

 

Verdict: WHY DO I HAVE MY SKIN?!

[LizziesLuck]

This is primarily grapefruit on me, which goes really bitter and awful. Fail.

[PrinceofcatS]

I get grapefruit, white tea and ginger from this when it's first drying, and a faintly soapy floral note that is probably apple blossom. Not complex, or especially me, but clean and pretty. Then the scent vanished pretty much entirely from my skin. I still get a faint soapiness and grapefruit, but I am not impressed. I've wanted to try this a long time so I'm glad I got this as a free sample, though.

[Jenjin]

Blind purchased bottle several years ago based on the citrus and white tea notes.

IN THE BOTTLE:

I can definitely smell Grapefruit, but it doesn't bite, and is accompanied by a whiff of sweet Apple.

WET:

Strong, sweet pink Grapefruit smoothed down with Apple blossom. Not much different from the bottle-just stronger. The other notes aren't detectable yet. I love this in the bottle--It's so fresh!!!

DRY:

Ok-this is where Baobhan Sith relaxes and eases in for the Vampire Kiss! The Grapefruit fades dramatically and The Apple amps. I also get hit by the White Tea which I'm not so sure I like, but never the Ginger Note mentioned in the description. If anything, the Ginger is the flower blooming in the background, and not the root.

NOTES:

I still wear Baobhan occasionally in the hot summer, but the lack of the Grapefruit after the dry down isn't to my liking. It is much like slicing open a Pink Lady Apple and breathing in deep but Im not enjoying the accompanying White note. It looses some depth and energy when the Grapefruit fades and just goes "pretty" with a fruity APRICOT finish which is very odd.

RATING:

6.5

Edited May 2, 2016 by Jenjin

[RobberBaroness]

In the bottle: Divinely evil grapefruit, ghostly and appetizing.

 

Dry: Grapefruit, rain, wet grass and flowers. I love this scent more every time I wear it.

[Christine Daae]

In the imp: Sweet appley grapefruit!

Wet: Apple blossom + grapefruit! Sweet and sparkly!

Oh wow, this is beautiful! I had this in my cart because I’ve fallen in love with grapefruit scents lately, and most of the notes appealed to me, but I took it out at the last minute because I was afraid of the ginger. (And also to cull down my order, which had gotten expensive!) I shouldn’t have been - I get very little ginger here, it’s possible that it’s just contributing to the brightness of the scent. I don’t really get any heat from it, anyway. This is mostly the other three notes, heavy on the grapefruit and apple blossom. Wow wow wow, this is REALLY pretty!

The intense prettiness and effervescence of the apple blossom and grapefruit notes do fade a little bit within about a half an hour, but even after it’s faded, it’s still lovely, and this gentler, more floral-and-tea version of the blend lasts quite a while on me.

I am SO GLAD I got this as a frimp! I know I would have tried it eventually but I am so pleased to have this for the summertime! This is going straight into the rotation with Sea of Glass and Muse and my other light, sparkly florals!

Edited June 7, 2016 by Christine Daae

[Miss Landau]

Delicate and refreshing, this will definitely be joining my daywear rotation. But exactly what lightly gingered citrus has to do with Scottish folkloric vampires I could not tell you. Just over two hours later it's all but gone and I have to literally hold my wrist against my face to smell anything, but now I can smell the tea as well as gingered citrus.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Miss Landau

[Convallaria]

The "grapefruit" smells more like orange peel at the opening, to me. It does get a bit more bitter after the initial few minutes. The scent remains refreshingly citrusy all the way for a long time - a pleasant surprise, because I was looking for a lab "refreshing" scent for summer without sweet notes sneaking in later on. Tea, ginger and apple blossoms are just there to support it.

[WinterSong]

This was a generous frimp from the lab! I wasn't too sure what to expect from Baobhan Sith. Citrus notes rarely cooperate with me.

 

In the imp: Fresh grapefruit, with a tiny hint of tea and ginger. I'm not picking up on any apple blossom, here.

 

Wet: The tea and ginger notes become stronger. There is still a hint of grapefruit. As it dries, it becomes a sweet citrus tea. It's very pleasant, but there's minimal throw.

 

Dry: Grapefruit and ginger tea. It's lovely, but subtle, and very light. I'll definitely hold on to the imp, but I'm not sure I need a bottle.

[puddingirl]

Frimp. The grapefruit was what I smelled first in the imp. I've not yet tried a citrus blend, so am intrigued to see how it works with my skin. As it's drying down it is smelling like a shower gel my Mum uses, not bad at all! The ginger is coming out more as it dries and it is becoming a tad sharp. It's not got much throw, even for my sensitive nose. It would make a pleasant scent for hand soap or shower gel, but not one I want to wear as a perfume.

[Lucie-Ann Laberge]

Since I love the smell of a freshly peeled grapefruit, I was very intrigued by this perfume. In the imp, it smells lovely: fresh and sharp, mostly grapefruit, with a hint of spiciness and white tea. Sadly, the smell on my skin is not as interesting and makes me think of household cleaners. It does not seem to get better while drying. I will try other uses than perfume, or just swap.