Harvest Moon 2005

[wickedgoddess]

The Harvest Moon, by definition, is the Full Moon that falls closest to the Autumnal Equinox, and thus, it shares some of that Sabbat's characteristics. This Full Moon was thus named because it rises within half an hour of the sun's setting, in the Northern Hemisphere, and at this time farmers are able to work longer into the night by the light of this Moon. As the year draws to a close, the Full Moon rises an average of fifty minutes later each night, with the exception of a few nights surrounding the Harvest Moon, which only rises 10-30 minutes later. This moon is also, to the human eye, the fullest and largest of the year's Moons, hanging gloriously huge, yellow and low in the night sky, and many Moon Illusions trick our eyes at this time.

The Harvest ushers in many celebrations in magickal work, including the Equinox and the Festival of Janus, God of Doors. Janus is the Roman Lord of Gateways, beginnings and endings, and transitions. Thus, the Harvest Moon is a time for blessing new undertakings, the onset of new and progressive phases in one's life, and rites of passage into adulthood. This time of year also marks one of the Festivals of Dionysus, Lord of Ecstasy and the Vine.

The autumnal scents of gladiola, chrysanthemum, aster, dahlia, anemone, bergamot, marigold, sage and verbena dust a blend of wine-soaked apples, plums, and red pears, mulling spices and brown sugar, the ivy leaves of Dionysus and Janus' amaranth and lingum aloe.

Preconceived Notions - I like last year's Harvest Moon, but I've been on an apple kick lately and this sounded amazing. I knew it could go either way on me; either it would be too floral (and I have no idea what most of the florals in this actually smell like, although chrysanthemum, yay, my birth flower) or it would be a lovely spiced apple scent.

Wet - Oh. I bet I wasn't the only one who was a tiny bit disappointed by the Halloween update, solely because I was hoping for an apple cider scent. Well, I'm not disappointed anymore. This is it! Apples, pears, mulling spices and brown sugar are the prominent notes. Mabon is one of my favorite scents, because of the apple harvesty goodness, but this just blows it out of the water.

Dry - this stays pretty true when dry. Apples, pears and spices. I get a trace of plum, but I barely notice it. As for the florals, well I can tell they are here, because they prevent this from being too foody. But otherwise, they are unobtrusive. This is the scent of an apple cider stand, in the middle of an orchard, on an autumn day. There are flowers in the breeze, but all you can smell is rich apples and spices. This could have been made for me and for the very first time I find myself wondering if two bottles will be enough.

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5. Edited September 13, 2007 by Shollin

[merivelle]

This is one of the most beautiful scents from BPAL ever! It's floral, fruity, winey and warm all at once. It smells like Fall but not in the traditional "pumpkin-spice" way. The wine notes really stick out to me. It's AMAZING and everyone who ordered it will be really happy when it arrives.

[lavinia]

I wanted to share that Harvest Moon is fuggin' amazing

For those who like to think in terms of other bpal oils, it reminds me of Hamadryad with waaaaay toned down cinnamon and a splash of Perversion winey sweetness and a dash of Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo...heavenly

Everyone will love this one!

It is pure autumn- woodsy, fresh light herbs with wine that is sheer and aquatic...mmmm...

I didn't try the prior incarnation from last fall but from reading the reviews, I definitely think this one is different.

I don't get foody or buttery just woodsy, freshly aquatic, winey with light spice

My guy friend who rolled with me to grab it sniffed it from the bottle and said, " smells like fall!"

Thank you Beth!

[blood*rose*flowers]

In the Bottle: OMG!!! This is HEAVEN!! Wine, plum, sweet glorious goodness!!

 

On wet: First on the wine is deep in red but the fruits and florals are spinning deliriously together. The florals are getting stronger then suddenly sweet. The plums are definetly towards the front on this one.

 

Drydown: The wine is being pushed back to the sweet fruits but is still there. The sweetness is smooth and nice. With the spiced apple slowly coming up.The florals keep this in a lovely balance but in no way would I say that this is a floral scent more that it just gives it a twist that makes it also not a fruity scent either instead a glorious balanced deep adult scent. Oh and the amazing spice that comes at the end!!

 

Overall: That OMG at opening the bottle has gone to OMFG this is such a perfect scent for fall. This is the memory of the sun as it sets earlier and earlier. Walking down sidewalks as you crush dry leaves under your feet. This is a glorious scent of the coming fall. I think this is going to be one of my top fall scents!!

[AlaskaSnows]

In the Bottle: Initial whiff is bubblegum and not much else. After a bit of time a hint of spice comes through, and as Miles says, a soupcon of apple.

 

Drydown: Apple and spices coming through strongly now, bubblegum is all but gone. Maybe the bubblegum is the plum? The hint of wine (not like putting your nose to a bottle of wine, that sharp alcohol and tannin, more the perfume idea of wine) comes out eventually.

 

Dry: Kind of smells like the filling of an apple pie waiting to go into the crust, or a pumpkin pie filling without the pumpkin, with cider mulling on the stove, and a glass of good wine nearby. Yes, it's foody, for me. But you might get only the spice, if your chemistry works that way. the predominant note is by far the spice, and I agree it's a terrific Fall scent.

 

I REALLY like it.

Edited September 22, 2005 by AlaskaSnows

[donsixgun]

At first, I get the nice, wine soaked apple smell. But then...it turns to nothing but clove and cinnamon on me. And I don’t like smelling like an old lady’s potpourri. =/

[clover]

Harvest Moon 2005

 

Sniffing from the bottle: Syrupy fall fruits! Can definitely detect the mulling spices & brown sugar.

 

Upon application: I'm thrilled to report that the cloying syrupy sweetness disappears immediately upon application. On my skin I can smell the wonderful apples & pears with just the slightest hint of mulling spices. Very light spices - doesn't smell in the least bit crafty.

 

After a few minutes: There are so many ingredients in this blend that I can't really pick out any in particular - but there's definitely a tempering of the fruits with dry florals. But they are not really floral florals - just something not so sweet that's balancing the fruit. More like grains. Really wonderful - like a more golden Mabon.

 

And it's funny - I totally would not have expected this from Harvest Moon - but there's something very lightly musky & dusky in this blend that makes it kinda sexy. Like a roll in the hay on a crisp autumn afternoon. What a surprise!

 

It's lovely, lovely, lovely!!

[Thorne]

Oh man, Harvest Moon...it's just....it's so goooooooood! And so well blended that I can barely pick out notes.

 

It's sweet - apples and berries sweet, with cinnamon and nutmeg spicey hints. There's a wine note, but it's not sour or overly grapey, it's a perfectly mulled red wine. And then there's just a hint of dry leaves.

 

It's perfectly, gorgeously fall, without being at all typically "fall" scented. So many people are going to go insane for this.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Apples and sweet red wine.

 

Second Impression: Wow! I'm amazed at how different from 2004 this Harvest Moon is. So much so that I can't even draw a comparison. 2005 is crisp, juicy apples poached in a richly spiced red wine. It smells really good. It stays quite true to the bottle for a goodly while and then the florals start to peek out.

 

Final Analysis: I'm thrilled that my two Harvest Moons are completely different from each other, each wonderful in its own way. Both will be accompanying me on my late October trip to New England as they are just begging to be worn in the crisp, fall air.

[UltraViolet]

Here is a picture of the bottle http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL202/154131...4/113478311.jpg

 

 

In the bottle

No butter topper like Harvest moon 2004. Harvest Moon 2004 started out yummy buttery and then floral came and turned on my skin and choked me so this is more fruity definitely, which is good for me.

 

On

OMG. This reminds me of Swank, Lughnadaas, and Mabon all rolled into one. I smell very little floral and alot of the dark rich fruits of Autumn....and folks...it's passed the 5 second mark meaning it's not going to do that "change-a-roo" that the old blend did. Yay!!!!

 

30 minutes

Ooh it dries down nicely; the floral is more to the fore and it is absolutely fresh and lovely. It's a fresh floral with crisp but cidered apple along with a nice "Swank" meets "Malkuth" vibe.

Definitely an Autumn scent. Way to go Beth.

 

Throw:

a wee bit more than average.

 

Scent category:

Fruity/Floral

 

Summary

This is foody and fruity on my skin with the wine-soaked apples being so yummy. It smells like pomegranates to me as well so that's the relation to BPAL's "Swank" that I have in my head.

I smell the plums, pears, brown sugar and mullig spices most.

I don't smell the gladiola, chrysanthemum, aster, dahlia, anemone, bergamot, marigold, sage, verbena, ivy leaves.

I do smell only a wee bit the amaranth and lingum aloe.

 

Purchase again?

Yes! Why didn't I get more than one bottle???!!!!

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4.5

[baygirl]

This is definitely a WOW scent! When I opened the bottle to sniff it, all I could think was OMFG, this is fantastic! It's an amazing mix of fruits, fall florals & spices.

 

When I first put it on, the spices jump out & for a few minutes all I can smell is cinnamon. But that changes to this gorgeously complex fall scent where I can pick out the apples, pears & wine. It's made more fallish by the mulling spices and balanced with the florals. Holy cow. I usually try to wear different perfumes each day, but I may be wearing this beauty daily until Thanksgiving!

[Cleolinda]

Oh, wow. I was a little disappointed with last year's Samhain just because it was so dark and bitter-strong on me (I'm mostly a fruit-foody person). I think this is exactly what I wanted Samhain to be. I can smell a dark, spicy apple note that almost smells like fallen leaves, but it's floating just under a layer of something moist and light--I think that's the aloe/floral. Wow, this is wonderful.

[coulrophobe]

Like everyone else says, this is sweet, spicy fruit. On me the spice is more dominant than the fruit, though - the fruity portion of the scent is very well-blended and it's hard for me to distinguish individual notes - kind of berryish, a tiny bit pearish, a wee bit of apple cider... maybe plum is the fruit I'm smelling most - this is definitely a dark purpley-red smell to me.

 

It's extremely different from the 2004 blend, which was a pleasant autumnal floral - I'm glad they're so different. And to think, I almost didn't order Harvest Moon '05 because I figured it would be pretty much the same as '04... glad I came to my senses!

[sideviewhotel]

Boo. Harvest Moon 2005 is mostly floral on me, buttttttttt... Thankfully, not omgmyhead! type floral, so it's still enjoyable. I'm just not sure I'm getting the fruity notes everyone else seems to catch.

 

I am getting a wine note, though. I think. Yeah, I'm guessing. It smells very very warm though, which I like.

 

As of right now, I can't seem to go either way with this one. I'm feeling sort of neutral. I'll have to give it another go when I'm not so tired & cold then update my review.

 

Edit on Oct 07: Yum. I am lovely smelling. I don't know what I smell like exactly, but I smell good. This is totally a keeper. Yaye!

Edited October 7, 2005 by sideviewhotel

[~AmusedMuse~]

My Impression: Apples, Pears, and florals. (In comparisson to last years version)

To me this one is much better. This is the lovely crips autum scent that I would probably wear all year long. Congratulations lab this one is a winner. My scale of 1-5....5+

[Gin]

Harvest Moon 2005

 

Woo hoo! It's delightful! It's Harvest (2004) and Hunter Moons and Samhain (and dare I say Mabon?!) all wrapped up in one little bottle. Fruit and wine and grains and autumn sunshine and leaves and flowers all mashed together in a glorious expression of fall.

Edited October 2, 2005 by Gin

[k00kaburra]

I wasn't too keen on Harvest Moon last year - and I mean I really didn't like it, I thought it smelled of wet bandaids - but the formulation sounds just different enough this year that I will chance it again.

In bottle: It smells very heavily spiced, and of apples. Pumpkins pies oozing juice because they're so freshly baked, and applesauce served instead of ice cream. Red wine and dark plants.

On me: Perfect autumn potpourri - but not the nasty drugstore-aisle kind. I mean that it's an excellent blend of the dry leaves, mulled apples, pecan pie, all the good things in Autumn gathered together and evoked by a single oil. I'm so glad I took the risk and tried Harvest Moon again!

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: definitely smell the wine and plums MMMMMMMMM

 

wet: fruity wine, w/ a hint of sweet spiciness. not getting "florals" atm

 

as it dries: oh it is still all of the above, but a strong green note is present, i am thinking maybe it is the ivy. i get a slight hint of something floral, but it is mostly a fruity wine, spice scent w/ a tad of green to give it some backbone, which is definitely up my alley. i didn't get the apple cider scent some people get. but i love this more then i would an apple cider scent.

 

well done beth!

 

those wondering about how it compares t last year. this is more wet, juicy fruit. not as sharp. it is a very "round" scent to me. very sweet, heavy. love it

[lorajc]

Wow, this IS really different from last year's version. I've worn this twice and both times, it smelled different. When first applied it is fruity (apple/plumy) and as it dries down the brown sugar comes thru with the spice and it's gorgeous. The florals round it out but they never scream. This is really a lovely autumn scent, but it is a bit lighter wearing on me. I really slathered it on. I love this.

Edited October 3, 2005 by lorajc

[Firewaver]

This is really quite special.

It smells just like fall should smell.. fragrantly dripping with warm apple cider and mulled wine, with a whiff of crisp leaves and a bracing chill autumnal breeze. All of the wonderful things about fall, bottled.

 

It smells fantastic in the bottle, and even better on my skin. I love this one and can't imagine who wouldn't! It's not foody or sweet or cloying... just wonderful.

 

ETA.. though this is great in the bottle and wet... when it dries down, it kind of disappears and becomes a kind of vague spicy smell that even smells a little sour.

Edited October 9, 2005 by Firewaver

[jewelbug]

In the bottle: Smells like a delicious store full of halloween/thanksgiving candles and decorations.

 

On: I smell tons of mulling spices and some dry leaves. This is just gorgeous on me. The spices are incredible. Its slightly sweet, but not an overly sweet like I had feared from reading the sugar and fruit notes. Its wonderous.

 

Later, I can smell more of the flowers and the lunar herbs, with the spices more faint, but still there. This is even better, as it smells less like the decorations in a store, and more like REAL autumn.

 

I LOVE this. LOVE!!!! Its just so rich and warm and slightly sweet. It is exactly what I had hoped!

Edited January 1, 2006 by jewelbug

[spanishviolet]

I was a bit worried by the wine part of the description, since wine generally smells sour on me, but I needn't have been. This is, as everyone else has said, perfect fall beauty. Apple cider with a bit of florals, a bit of foody spices ... yum. The wine is an undernote that just adds richness to everything else.

 

Haven't smelled last year's so I can't compare, but this is my favorite Lunacy so far. Perfect for fall (i.e. temperatures in the upper 80's - gotta love Texas). Hopefully I'll still have some left when it gets cold enough to wear scarves, because I want to smell this lingering on my warm & furry clothes!

[bodegaselkie]

I need to learn that any perfumes with wine in them really don't work on me -- they are too perfumey. Harvest Moon smells entirely like florals and wine on me, whereas in the bottle I smell the apples much more. But once I apply the fruits are barely there and all merged together. No spices, no brown sugar, no verbena, nothing crisp, this is just warm and muddled and giving me a headache. :~(

[luxuria]

In the bottle: Very sweet, which must be the wine. I smell very autumnal fruits and spices.

 

On my skin: Take out the ultra-sweet wine. It's just the apple and spices now. It smells kind of like potpourri, but it's lovely all the same. I smell just a wee breath of something earthier, that must be the leaves? This is very festive and light, not too sweet but not too bitter.

 

I expected to like this, but I LOVE it! It's absolutely gorgeous. I'm so glad I have something that smells this much like autumn to wear during October before my Halloween order comes

[Gwen]

Guuhh, this is really really yummy. I kind of want to eat my hand.

 

This smells on me much like it did in the bottle-- it reminds me of spiced apples baking in the oven...complete with a leave-strewn yard outside the window. It's so perfect for the fall season .