Botanist by Bjork & Berries: Fragrance review

Today I want to share some thoughts and first impressions on the Botanist by Bjork & Berries. The notes are broken down as thus. 

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TOP: Green Apple, Cassis

HEART: Black Tea, Lush Green

BASE: Patchouli, Vetiver, Birch Tree 

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The scent of a Botanist is inspired by the deep Swedish forest and a rambling wild botanical garden. An invigorating scent of fresh green apples, blackcurrant leaves and smoky black tea combined with woody notes of birch and an undertone of vetiver and patchouli. 

Backstory

Bjork and Berries, (great name and I know what you're all thinking, anything to do with Bjork the singer? A. Nope. Bjork is the Swedish word for Birch, also known as the life-giving tree) began as a small local project in northern Sweden with the desire to preserve the magic of our nature, its beauty, scents and healing properties. The founder Isabelle Lewenhaupt took to the woods to handpick leaves and berries to capture the essence of the Swedish flora in their first natural perfume and with that, set the foundation for what Bjork and Berries is today. 

In developing their products they use the best that nature has to offer and through the latest technology, transform it into luxurious formulas where textured, scent and performance are all of equal importance. All our products are made in Sweden according to our Eco-luxury Criteria - kind to skin, people animals and nature. Bjork is their signature ingredient that symbolises the brand's unique nature

The Scent 

I should say as well as fragrances Bjork and Berries also do scented candles, soap, bath salts, body scrubs, serums and much more. The bottle is clear, cylindrical with a prominent red cap. The atomiser is good and I get a reassuring pump on the first attempt. (Ooh-er). 

It's a very earthy scent. Naturally the green-ness comes through. The freshness is captured and I can get the apple hit straight away. I've not experienced much cassis before so it has a very foreign flavour on the nose. It's pleasant, it's familiar and at the same time, a little bit crazy. 

Almost like a wild dilapidated swimming pool with various roots and greens shooting through its covers. It settles well, if not a little predictably from the opening flourish. The patchouli fuses well with the herbaceous undertones. 

Performance 

It's not an overly nuanced scent, but it does offer some interesting complexity and oozes all the provenance of those wooded mountain leaves that offer this fragrance it's USP. It sat close to the skin and projected well. It picked up more than one or two compliments at a recent press event. When I returned home after 6 hours it was still present and I can see myself not only wearing this regularly, but buying it for myself and friends in the future. A great gift for someone that embraces the great outdoors.