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ink21region – :
To me this is the most wearable patchouli fragrance I’ve ever tried. The overwhelming majority of fragrances containing this note turn dirty, heavy, and shrill on me. But not Midnight Bakula. It wears the way patchouli should wear: sultry, exotic, a bit sweet but never cloying. I didn’t even know it had patchouli until I saw this page; I would have never bought it if I knew it did, my aversion to patchouli is that strong. I’d love to see more patchouli fragrances like this one.
ldu039Unlogrere – :
This fragrance improves my batch of screechy [EXCESSIVELY turpenic, pissy, hesperidic], weak, hollow-hearted [missing floral heart] sham of “Shalimar Edt” a million times over when layered together. “Bakula” restored a semblance of that bottle of Shalimar to its gloriously full-bodied Edp version, just without the leather. I had regretted my decision not to buy the Edp instead of the EdT for the longest time!
Finally, I can now enjoy my bottle of Shalimar. It’s like a miracle. Otherwise, they both would have remained unused, banished to the back of my cabinet for all eternity…
MB though in all its syrupy sweetness seems to be related to Mugler “Alien” and the floral “J’adore”by Dior
overtip – :
Fragrance Review For Midnight Bakula
By The Body Shop
Notes
Apricot Rose Patchouli
This exotic floral fragrance is meant to recreate the hard-to-describe scent of bakula an Asiatic flower from India. This flower smells like a shrub flower, green, herbal and very similar to patchouli. This is why there is patchouli as a note in this scent. The patchouli dominates the scent. However it is not a typical patchouli in it’s aromatic or smoky incense vein. It’s herbal and flowery. There’s also a sweet nectarine or peach scent that gives it a touch of powder. And there’s a lovely rose. This smells nocturnal, mysterious, elegant and feminine. I love to wear it on dates. Very elegant.
Shhetinin – :
I have to put this on lightly or it can be smelled across the room. It remains on my clothes until I wash them. That said, I like it. It’s a perfect “fire and forget” perfume for a day at the office. Heavy on the patchouli/honey, the other notes are nearly lost until later in the day, then it becomes nearly a vanilla on me.
anna(sany) – :
Soft, feminine, peachy patchouli. Sort of in the vein of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, but softer. I really like this one, pity it has been discontinued and one has to hunt for it. Possible rebuy for a very pleasant people pleasing soft floral. I also have the body mist, great for summer evenings.
Strelok1988 – :
to agentj
its not discounted ,i was today in the body shop store ,its there. In Switzerland at least.
deyanet1979 – :
I bought two bottles of the edt and a body mist on ebay, after discovering last year how much I like patchouli. Before joining fragrantica last year, I didn’t know what a chypre was, and now it’s one of my favorite types of perfume. This one is strong (in a good way) and fairly long lasting for an EDT, and the first spray is a bit on the mature side. Once it calms down, it’s a very smooth and I don’t detect the separate ingredients. To me, it’s a bit similar to VC&A Oriens, and maybe a bit like Miss Dior…but the Miss Dior family can give me a headache. MB is fabulous on me during the winter months, but warm weather brings out that mature quality that I don’t care for in this one. This is the only Body Shop scent I’ve really loved, so I bought the extra bottle just to make sure I can enjoy it a little longer… Ahh, discontinued scents, the bane of our existance, no? ;-/
sibir_9089 – :
This is quite delicious…it’s still being sold in the Middle East and I got to test it for the first time today. I have to say I like it alot! It’s very different from anything else The Body Shop has released. Without looking at the notes, I get a syrupy-sweet heavy aroma, abit dark, exotic and sexy…something I imagine would go with a Bohemian-chic sort of get-up…I get a mixture of rose, jammy fruits, and honey, intensified with incense and/or patchouli (I even thought I sensed a tinge of oud in it). Very beautiful for its price with a friendly sillage (moderate). I would love this in fall/winter. My sister dislikes it though, she finds it ‘medicinal’, but that’s her impression after immediately spraying it on…it gets better over time, and amazingly lasts through a long day without having to touch up. A non-typical Body Shop release that I am impressed with. I will get a bottle for fall/winter wear.
kimjgcqiwzs – :
I recently came across a bottle, not in the body shop but some other shop…
my god it was LOVE at first smell
Yes it gives me a headache the first hour but then it calms down. My bf loves it, the 1st time he noticed a scent on me without me having to tell him im wearing something new, lol.
it smells exotic, peppery, dark, saucy, seductive, mysterious….just lovely!I wear it to work everyday. Perfect for both day and night and winters and summers
so sad it has been discontinued
omarova.cat – :
Very strong and sweet scents of honey and patchouli.. long lasting and strong.. give me headache on the first 2 hours. But after that, its calmer.
I rate it as long-lasting and heavy.
It’s a nice buy, such a pity its being discontinued.
74YAS – :
In a region of India, namely West Bengal, where I come from, delicate, tiny white, fragrant Bakul flowers grow in profusion.
The flowers have a special place in our hearts and minds. Their hypnotic fragrance have captured the imagination of our poets, songwriters and indeed lovers, through the ages.
So much so that our beloved poet and Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore mentions this flower often through his melodious poetry… in one verse where he describes a woman walking through a midnight garden, here, I can give you the translated version… “Full blown bakul flowers floated down in ones and twos and shadowy moonlight shone through the gaps in the branches on her face.”
The beauty of their scent is so captivating that even the ancient Indian sages regarded these trees as gifts from God and Bakul trees are more often than not found growing at temple entrances.
That said, I was delighted to see that The Body Shop has decided to share the beauty of their fragrance with the western world. For me, this fragrance is like a home-coming and a warm welcome to secret places of the heart where poetry resides.
ilya2211 – :
Smells very exotic. The patchouli, rose and nectarine blend together nicely, perfect on a summers night!
гимлишахтер – :
This goes on as berries and deep, bitter tobacco (patchouli?). The rose peeks out a bit in the dry-down, where the tobacco smell settles into a nice, rich, sweet patchouli (I assume the sweetness to be the nectarine note I see listed here). This is deep, mysterious, and quite simply amazing. It’s a shame this is discontinued, but I found 3 bottles at the Body Shop on clearance for $5 each and will be enjoying this lovely little gem for a while. Very well done indeed.
Overgame – :
Yes, it’s plain, yes it’s linear but it’s perfect for those simple days at work. When you don’t want anything too complex,no-suprises-today-pls-kinda-mood, with better longevity and value for than other more expensive counterparts.
Perfect size bottle to carry around in the bag. It reminds me a bit of niche costume national 21. Only on a lighter note after the dry down. CN 21 is more spicier and muskier. This is lighter and less spicier. Lovers of Amarige/Gucci Rush and costume national 21 should try it. It’s limited edition apparently, wish it wasn’t so, but very affordable. So for that reason I have stocked up!
divrocis – :
This is my favourite everyday wear so far. You can wear it to bed, you can wear it to work, whichever suits you. The lasting power is amazing. It does not smell like TBS other perfumes at all! I love it 😀
почтовик – :
Last year on Earth Day or something like that, TBS held a one day special sale. I was luck to be there on that one day where they were giving out mystery coupons for big savings. I must have been really lucky, because I received a 50% off coupon off my TOTAL PURCHASE!!
I didn’t know what to get that day but I knew I had to pick out something in order to take advantage of the coupon. I spent a lot of time looking into the perfumes. None really impressed, they all seemed pale and sheer. LOVE is obviously a crowd favourite and it’s beautiful but I don’t want to follow the crowd so I picked up this perfume instead. Obviously it has more sillage and lasting power than the others and it’s not something I would usually pick out so this buy was a challenge to myself.
The opening is very pleasant. Feminine, sweet rosey floral and maybe some kind of vanilla in a rush of citrus. I don’t mind the patchouli, but it gets louder and louder and becomes rather sickeningly sweet. I got sick when I was testing it actually. A full on migraine. I generally dislike overly sweet scents. I’m not a teenager and I don’t know how they get this sweet smell from, it’s surely synthetic. As for the creaminess, yes it’s there just a touch, probably from an anemic white flower generic. Probably jasmine.
Spices. What spices? Yes there are spices in the mix but it’s so modest in the middle accord it might as well not as exist because the sweet syrup DROWNS out everything. Sigh.
I learned to to tone down the cloying sweet by layering it over my new go to frag, Chanel Allure Sensuelle edt in it’s drydown. I do this not because I love MB, it’s just for budget purposes to make my precious bottle of Sensuelle last a bit longer 😉
Honestly, this purchase is a bit of a disappointment to me. It doesn’t have that oomph or originality factor. I would have welcomed a patchouli incense stick over this ‘dewy’ Fruit-chouli. An intense smokey incense perfume is exactly what TBS needs, period. I mean really, when it comes to new age shops they should be open to a joss stick or two. Do you hear me Body Shop???? Yes I know, I’m a Pisces but you gotta turn up the heat!
I appreciate the sillage and how long wearing it is though. Sadly I don’t enjoy the dry down either. It’s like a damp incense smell. strange.
I shouldn’t complain as this is a limited edition scent and this was a cheap fragrance thrill at half it’s original price of $25…. Honestly this frag is probably one of their better scents. Since it’s not heavy feeling at all, as an ozonic scent I guess it’s good for warm spring days and summer evenings.
Edit: most bizarre no more migraines! DESPITE my previous misgivings, this is a thick, heady, exotic, syrupy fragrance. Exactly what ive been craving for in order to survive these longer colder nights. Do not ever wear in hot temps. I really mean it. I classify this as a floral oriental. I detect a lot of powdery vanillic tones now
iro074InsuffBooni – :
I acquired this perfume from onanona, as a generous giveaway. I went about testing it very methodically.
Since I was already wearing perfume when I received the mail, I sprayed it on paper first. It opened with a fresh and sharp blast of a citrusy smell tempered with something quite spicy. It quickly turned to what immediately came to my mind as a men’s fragrance, and then it bloomed into a sweet, heady, intoxicating floral-fruit-chouli.
On skin (I sprayed it on me and my husband)it seems completely unisex. I actually really liked it on my husband immediately. It took a little longer to develop on my skin, and took me a little longer to figure out whether or not I liked it. And I do. On him, it turned to a very soft and sweet gourmand, with almost no floral at all. It was yummy smelling.
On me, it goes through more phases. It starts out very sharp and masculine with spiciness that lasts less than 10 minutes. Then I smell the rose coming in with the pathchouli. It seems well balanced, neither note coming out too strongly. Then comes in the nectarine, which to me, still smells slightly citrusy. Along with all of these, I smell something very creamy. I can’t quite place my finger on it. Maybe there are notes that aren’t listed, but it’s got a milky, sweet, creamy feel to it. It is sweet and delectable, especially the drydown.
This EDT has some serious staying power on me. It has pretty good projection as well. It was actually difficult to wash off this morning….I wanted to wear something else today. After washing my arms a few times, I could still smell it faintly.
I think this is a good fall and winter fragrance. And I think it can be used day or night. It is not formal, but more laid back and fun. I really, really like it! So, thanks again, onaona!
fencyfellow – :
Despite the description, there was none of the fresh, bitter-green, oily nature of a “chypre” in this fragrance. Neither was there ANY Bakula flower despite the name. All I got after the initial nice sweet-fresh blast was a very-sweet, very-heady accord of rose dipped in sweet nectarine sauce. (Like it needed more sweetness!)
To my dismay, this accord got stronger, and STRONGER over the next hour, without anything to temper it. The patchouli was obliterated by syrupy sweetness and added a touch of fizz, but did nothing to temper the sweetness. Maybe this would do better in cooler weather. You might like this if you enjoy that sweet headspace-flower accord in Gucci Rush, which Bakula Midnight does bear a passing resemblence to. If Rush is too sweet for you or gives you a headache, stay a million miles away from this one.
To its credit, this scent scores marks technically. One spray diffuses all around you in a long-lasting cloud and the sillage is considerable on a cool Summer evening. But you and everyone around you better like it because it is not going away for awhile.
Ира14 – :
Patchouli, patchouli, and more patchouli!! The patchouli starts choking the rose upon first application and slowly strangles her to death. The peach, the poor thing, ran for cover after a few minutes of watching that kinda violence. So I’m left with heavy, pungent, nose burning patchouli with a little bit of honeyed sweetness (so as to hide all that evil) but that’s about it. Sigh.
UPDATE: It has outstanding sillage and staying power… 12+ hours after application, showered, lotioned, and it’s STILL significantly on my skin!
pletcherrbe – :
You have to give this one patience, about 15-20 minutes for it to fully develop on your skin.
For the kind of feeling this evokes read Michellerene below, she hit it spot on.
It is very reminiscent to a cologne my dad used to wear, mixed with the smell of a Mosque, and something a bit “feminine”. This one is really heavy on the patchouli and incense.
Initial spray: a very spicy mens cologne
Immediatley after: the spicyness gets toned down and now comes in the heavy patchouli and an incense that is common in Mosques
Dry down: The above, but now throw in lots of peach and a touch of rose water to round it out and tone it down. And yes there are definetely some other balmy/creamy notes thrown in there.
I would recommend it to be people who enjoy incense smells, and who love patchouli, but also people who love a “cologne” smelling frag.
Best for a Summer, Spring or Fall night. Yes, if you want to smell like a pretty hippie, wear this!
Unisex.
update: Something about this frag makes me feel like POCAHONTAS! 🙂 I am really digging it. This smells like an intense version of Gucci Rush.
serebro1 – :
Rich, earthy peaches n’ cream scent. Lasts all day, very smooth and spicy.
arizona – :
This smell is definitely not for me.
I find it too heavily perfumed, like a stinky old Indian restaurant or barber shop. I cannot feel any trace of the patchouli which I so much love either.
Sometimes I give it a whiff to see if I can get to like it, but it just does not work for me.
I don’t think there’s a single Body Shop fragrance that I truly like (excepting maybe the “Sensual” massage oil).
I find their scents either too floral or too musky.
I do wish though that they would make a perfume of the “Hemp” product line that they have. Their Hemp creams and body soaps truly smell heavenly to me…
prodionov – :
At first spray it’s patchouli followed by nectarine. The patchouli is ‘richer’ than I expected. I thought it would be more earthy. It’s a seductive richness. At first I wasn’t sure about the nectarine. Then it calmed down to a creamy almost melon scent. Nectarine is cool, as patchouli is warm. Neatly done. As the dry down happened the rose layered over top nicely. At least that’s how I’m interpreting it. From time to time I think the nectarine has disappeared then I’ll get a whiff of it. Definitely a nice scent. A casual hippie chick scent almost. The rose adds a touch of elegance to it. I don’t love it, but I do like it.
qnm776Unlogrere – :
I love this fragrance, it reminds me of the smells on a warm winter night in Buffalo NY. That’s around the time the roses are starting to wilt and their petals fall on moist wood chippy earth that the patchouli is reminiscent of that aspect.The nectarine is soft and sweet and just the touch needed to not smell like one of those new Age incense shops. I love it for going out at night and is at first very strong but the linger is like a pleasant body odor. Very Tom–Boy Never-land Lost Boys-ish in my opinion. The idea of riding wild winds, fresh air and a comfortable but exciting new adventure.
Trodoquox – :
I rather like The Body Shop MIDNIGHT BAKULA right out of the bottle. It is vaguely redolent of Calvin Klein EUPHORIA, except much less masculine. In fact, let me be a bit more precise by doing a quick side-by-side…
Okay, I’m back. Yes, EUPHORIA is much more masculine than MIDNIGHT BAKULA, but it is above all more woody. Think EUPHORIA minus the wood plus a big pile of patchouli, and you’ll have a fair idea of how MIDNIGHT BAKULA smells.
This is a not-too-sweet and slightly spicy fruity-floral patchouli perfume. I do think that there must be quite a bit more going on here than just nectarine, rose, and patchouli, but given the poor longevity there may in fact be an absence of significant basenotes, which generally serve to anchor the more volatile notes of perfume compositions.
MIDNIGHT BAKULA goes on rather strong but then rapidly dissipates into the cosmos. Usually when a perfume makes such a grand entrance it sticks around for quite a while, but MIDNIGHT BAKULA hits the road. Still, not bad for The Body Shop.
VikaFerova – :
This is “BEAUTIFUL” I did not expect this from TBS at all!!!
I think out of all TBS perfumes, this has fast become my firm favourite, which has surprised me, as I am a keen devotee of the wonderful White Musk (original) Well this just blows it out of the water!!!!
It opens with plenty of fruit and patchouli on my skin, this stays on my skin for at least 2 hours, then comes the magic!!
The dry down is very creamy, warm and very comforting to my nose. It feels grown up, but also reminds me of something I can’t quite put my finger on……?
The perfume has amazing sillage, which stays on my sin from am to pm ( at least 7/8 hours) YES!! that’s true!!
A must have if your’e into deep scents that last and stay close to the skin.
flunniscels – :
I liked this perfume when I tried it, but it doesn’t last more than 30 minutes. I’m not sure if there is an EDP, but I tested the EDT. I guess I was hoping for a scent that was heavier on rose and a bit deeper and more mysterious and/or luscious. This seemed rather light and watery, just not my kind of scent I guess. I also love orchard fruit, but I didn’t get the nectarine very strongly.
sem132 – :
This is one of the better scents I’ve come across from The Body Shop. The beginning is sweet nectarine, with the rich, spicy rose and patchouli becoming more present as the fragrance wears. Quite warm on my skin, and it actually feels a bit tropical and creamy too. Exotic and lovely, especially for this price range. And great lasting power!
cannoncristaj – :
After a couple of seconds, I got a blast of nilang lalique minus the sticky aquatic note. Its also so much like miracle forever and similar to many fruity-floral patchouli’s out in the market.
The volume goes down fast though, but it goes down very nicely. I actually prefer the scent after an hour. With that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised when it remained on my skin after I showered. It remained long after that too, strong and sweet but very close to my skin.
Overall Midnight Bakula is quite nice. It fit well for me in the summer heat. I think with the body lotion/butter it would work better, and its worth the price for casual or everyday wear.
Raverance737 – :
For me, this fragrance is perfect. I had been looking for a spicy floral, preferably one that fit my budget since I usually wear sweeter or fresher scents. And voila, this little gem was so cheap and so wonderful.
It reminds me of India… it’s spicy and powdery, a little heady but still soft. The nectarine lightens things up. And the dry down smells smoky, like incense. It makes me feel exotic. This is truly beautiful and different. Gotta give kudos to the Body Shop!
8seon – :
I love this one, i think its because it reminds me of something my mother wore, i felt so cozy when i smelled it, i think i will go back and buy it just because it makes me feel so good. I dont think it smells old either, it smells sophisticated, and kind of like Givenchy Amarige.
tairlo – :
I tried this today in the shop, wondering who this scent could please. This is described as a chypre, so maybe it would be more fair to let the chypre fans test this and comment. For me, I don’t like chypres to start with, and this-one is a oh no: definitely bad smelling (bad in the sense of organic rot) to my nose.
ivashkamg – :
Disgusting!!! This has too much of an incense like smell, I’m guessing it’s the patchouli. In my opinion, this is also very old smelling. This might just be the worst scent The Body Shop has to offer.
er1o312smnx – :
I read that the Body Shop’s Midnight Bakula is an interpretation of the bakula flower, indigenous to India. I can detect patchouli but am happy to say that it does not smell like patchouli incense. Rather than a smokey tone, the patchouli adds depth and warmth to the sensuous florals. The rose and nectarine are definitely apparent, though to my nose, the nectarine dominates the rose. If you don’t like rose perfumes, don’t be scared away by the listing of notes above. When I wear it, I feel bohemian chic. Does Midnight Bakula remind anyone of Narciso Rodriguez for Her EDP? When I smell it on my sweater the day after spritzing, there seems to be a boozey quality to it that somehow reminds me of NR for Her.