Strawberry Moon 2024

[doomsday_disco]

A dark and dreary fragrance, honeyed yet ominous, hovering in sweet shadows: overripe strawberries and bloody smears of red currant hovering in a gloom of indigo musk, black tea, plum incense tears, champaca, cacao, and hazy laudanum accord.

[marared]

In the bottle, this smells like delicious strawberry chocolate tea - and strangely enough, I clearly smell those three scents in that order almost every time I sniff the bottle.

 

On the skin, the gloom description really comes into play. The chocolate and tea recede, and the laudanum accord, champaca, incense, and musk step up. They're almost two completely different scents within minutes. It's in the same general scent family as B&BW's Dark Kiss, but more complex and adult. The laudanum is the lynchpin to the overall feel of the blend. It's the smell of a low-lit room where you've indulged in some mind-altering substances. It's not really what I'd call ominous - it's dark, it's relaxed, it's a weighted blanket muffling the world around you for a little while. This will probably be pretty potent with body heat, but right now it's low to medium throw. And other than the immediate difference between skin and bottle, this hasn't morphed much. I may reach more for it in the fall, but this is definitely a winner of a scent!

[VioletChaos]

This is a perfect counter-weight to the Strawberry Moons of the past. What I mean by that is that the previous SM's that I've personally adored have been bright, tart affairs, they dazzled because they were that magic thing of smelling unbelievably Real. I still hoard my beloved SM '09, with its juicy berry and tart, green sap notes. It's beautiful as a mild, very sunny summer day.

This Strawberry Moon? Is most decidedly NOT any of that. I was excited to try this new iteration because of the pairing of potentially lighter elements (berry, tea) with emphatically darker ones (notably my always-favorite indigo musk plus plum incense and laudanum). 

And it's a HUGE win.

This, to me, is primarily an incense-heavy scent. And one might see "strawberry+incense must therefore = headshop", but fear not, gentle folk, it's not that! The incense quality gives it that 'dark' quality from the Lab description of the scent, though I concur with the above poster that this doesn't come across as ominous. It's definitely a summer scent, but again, the opposite of the "bright/sunny/mild" aspects- this is both for those oppressively hot days when the air is so thick it feels like we should swim through it rather than walk. And it's definitely for gloomy, rainy, overcast days as well. The strawberry isn't quite real, or if it is, it's less to me reading as over-ripe and more like dried berries, in the same way that fresh roses, when dried, go from being envisioned in a vase or on the stem to being in a crypt or a Victorian parlor. And in spite of all elements, the scent has surprisingly low throw, so start gently, but don't be surprised if you feel the need to slather, at least a little. 

In All, likely going to pick up a second bottle, after it's confirmed that this ages as well as I suspect it will!

(PS, I *did* layer with one of its intended Duets, Silvered Musk and Red Currant, and yes, it is a worthwhile activity as it shifts the scent quite a bit!)

 

[tinyvulture]

 

This blend doesn’t immediately scream “strawberry.” There is the overripe, macerated strawberry note, but the incense, black tea, and cacao notes are equally strong. After it dries, the cacao and incense remain the strongest notes, with just slight hints of strawberry and tea.  It reminds me of these cocoa bath bombs I used to get, kind of a warm, cozy, powdery cocoa incense. Nice but you probably want to look at Strawberry Moon if you want BIG STRAWBERRY.

[Little Bird]

This is very different from the juicy, sweet, cheerful strawberry and green grass type scents that we usually get for Strawberry Moon.  2024 has none of the usual freshness or greenery (not that it said it would; I am just delighted with this incensey, dark, moody strawberry in juxtaposition to the others).  There is still a pop of sweet, tart strawberry at first (strawberry flavored gum with a little powder), but there's a bitter cocoa powder and lots of ambered incense to this that makes it very dry, shadowy, and almost somber in feel. 
In the drydown, the red currant and strawberry are this hint of alluring, lively, fresh sweetness that draws you into a dark, incense filled room, sort of like a mimic luring you in.  I also really enjoy the cacao note and (I think) the black tea, though they are subtle, because they add a roundness and toothsome quality to the incense.

Lasts all day on me, but does have rather weak throw on my skin, sitting close to where I'm the only one who can usually smell it.  I don't hate that, though.  I like to have scents with less throw for my days when my health issues are making me super sensitive to fragrances and I'm more prone to headaches.