Harvest Moon 2006

[gaai]

Harvest Moon 2006

Harvest Moon is celebrated in almost every culture, and the bounty of the season is marked in a myriad of ways. Harvest Moon touches the Equinox, the festival of Janus, the culmination of Homowo, the “crying of the neck” in Cornwall, and the Women's Festival of the Moon. This is a day that celebrates abundance and beauty, fertility and progress, and the light of this full moon blesses new undertakings and reunites lost loves. This Harvest Moon oil is a merging of autumnal scents from all over the globe: chrysanthemum, pomegranate, cane sugar and dusty wheat, sorghum, green tea leaf, rice flower and rice milk, Russian sage, bamboo shoot, elderberry, black cherry, wild plum, red haw, hazelnut, red apple and shagbark hickory.

 

I'm the first to review this?

 

It's very fruity in the bottle, sweet and berry-ish

Wet on my skin it's pretty much the same and something herbal comes through ( I guess the green tea leaf, sage, bamboo and shagbark hickory ).

This stage I like........but when it dries it's all herbal and some kind of spice and I don't like it all that much.

I read somewhere it was like a fruity Three Witches.....and I can see that......Three Witches didn't appeal to me though and this doesn't either......at least the dry stage doesn't.

I really wanted to like this moon, since it's the first moon I ordered straight from the lab, but I don''t

If only it stayed the way it smells in the bottle.........

 

The artwork looks as good on the bottle as it does on the Tee btw! (so I *will* keep the bottle)

 

eta: I'm beginning to see a pattern here.......there are like 2 days mid-you-know-what-cycle, where my skin does some weird things to some blends......today, when I tried HM again, my skin didn't amp up the herbally spicy scent in the end and it was actually quite nice......

Another lesson learned I guess.

Edited September 13, 2007 by Shollin

[herdivineshadow]

In the bottle this is entirely fat juicy red apples - the smell you get when you bite into a really juicy apple and the juice sort of sprays everywhere. On my skin though the apple fades and is replaced by a more autumny smell like warm autumn air when you're out walking in the fields which I guess must be down to the wheat notes. It's a nice warm, dry scent.

[furygrrl]

In the bottle: Apples! Gorgeous, golden apples!

 

On wet: Mmm...more apples!

 

Drydown: The apples are still there, providing this positively *gorgeous* yellow sweetness - a perfect counterpoint to the dry, slightly spicy undertone that's starting to emerge. It's almost a clean, woody/peppery scent that I'm starting to get now, if that makes any sense.

 

Overall: Pure Autumn-in-a-Bottle, y'all. I've got a touch of early October smeared on my wrists! This is like a daylight version of my beloved midnight-esque Samhain - THIS is what I'd hoped last year's HM would smell like on me, like I'm sitting in a hay field on the edge of a sun-warmed apple orchard, clear blue skies stretching out above my head, a clean, cool breeze stirring the rust-gold-scarlet leaves... Serious love and a hugely deserved 5/5. Well done, Beth!

[Medici]

In the bottle: apples

 

Wet: more apples

 

Drydown: apples again, a slightly floral undertone. Fifteen minutes in and I get a hint of that spicey smack furygrrl mentioned above, and something a little tart, like lemon oil dropped in the wash water. Overall, very clean, very fresh. I have to agree that this reminds me of a warm autumn day spent outside, either in or around a fruit orchard.

 

This scent didn't change very much on me, other than to get progressively juicier as it wore.

 

I'm hoping that because I'm right before the you-know-what, that a second demo after the you-know-what will bring out the other notes.

[theshapeshifter]

Wow, I've never been this early on a Lunacy review thread before!

 

Harvest Moon is very complex... I've been sniffing myself obsessively and trying to pick out notes. Wet, I got apple and pomegranate, the 'tangy' green note that's been in a lot of the Asian moons, plus a chrysanthemum/golden dry grain sort of note that's reminiscent of Samhain.

 

Now that it's drying down, the autumn flowers/dusty sun-warmed grain seems to be taking precedence, with an undertone of sweetness from the fruits. It's a bit... dare I say... reminiscent of Lughnasadh (except without the strong cherry note that Lughnasadh has on my skin). This is a fabulous scent, really embodying that slide from late summer into earliest fall.

 

Edited to add: I'm wearing it again today, and finding that in the extreme drydown (about 4 hours on skin) there's a creamy sweetness coming out, somewhat reminiscent of the white chocolate note in 13... must be the cane sugar and rice milk.

Edited August 9, 2006 by theshapeshifter

[PurringPulsar]

Harvest Moon 06

 

In the imp: apples! A light, sweet apple tea…in fact, it smells like Turkish apple tea. Mmmm…

Wet on skin: as soon as it hits skin, the pomegranate and wheat come out, and I think can smell tart berries and herbs.

Dry on skin: mmm, this is such an intriguing scent. I get crisp apple cider at first, very tangy, very much a cider scent. It's sharpened up even more by tea, pomegranate and elderberry, maybe haw as well since haw is a sort of berry, I think. There's a lovely grainy scent in the background, as in all the Harvest Moon scents, and I get herbal touches of sage, as well as hints of gentle florals-I think I smell chrysanthemum here. None of the sweet notes are here yet, and I can't smell plum or cherry yet. But I love the autumnal complexity it has…

After a while: it's not long before the scent gains a 'dusty', almost woody-grainy feel to it with something nutty to it. I think the wheat and hazelnut are coming into their own, maybe also the hickory. It's smoky as well (that's probably why hickory comes to mind) and such an autumnal scent without the usual spicy scents that are usually in autumn scents. I totally agree on this being the scent of autumn air, it is of golden wheat and a good harvest of fruits and nuts in a wooden basket, resting on a bed of greenery in the countryside. Such a natural scent. Sometimes the apple cider pops up but then it retreats again, leaving the smoky nutty grainy scent. I can't smell the sugar cane but I do get hints of the Asian notes of tangy tea and bamboo. It's such a nice fresh scent but I wish it was a little bit sweeter.

Eventually the very tart apple-cider-tea-pom scent does tone down and something gorgeous appears…a creamy scent. I think this is the rice milk. It adds a lovely creamy scent but not a dairy creaminess-the only way I can describe it is almost like soy milk. It's slightly greenish, definitely a plant milk. It mixes nicely with the hazelnut and the lovely wheat note and the bamboo to form a mellow, comforting, calming creamy scent, with a dry scent to it which smells like autumn leaves. I'm reminded very slightly of HGM but without the citrus and vanilla-there's a slight sweetness from sugar cane here but its not as pronounced, and in here it's a lot more grainy and earthy. This is my favourite stage of the scent.

Verdict: this is a moon that has really grown on me. It's so different from the previous Harvest Moons, this one has none of the spices that characterised the 05 version though it does have the typical fruits of the season and the complexity that HM usually has. It starts of a very tart apple cider, effervescent and tangy, with pomegranate and tea. Then it moves towards an unusual but very evocative autumnal scent which is nutty, smoky and grainy, a combination of wheat and hazelnuts and other notes giving the impression of the scent of a country harvest wafting in the warm September air. Then the scent transforms again and becomes a lovely and mellow mix of rice milk, wheat, nuts and dry autumn leaves. This is subtle yet beautiful, a gentle autumn scent that smells very calming, with that zen feel characteristic of the Asian moons. Not as lovely as 05's HM but definitely a keeper, especially for the drydown, this scent is beautifully autumnal without being clichéd.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Harvest Moon 05, Hesperides

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[Andromedii]

Ahhhh, a Harvest Moon I can truly sink my teeth into!

 

Wet: Delicious golden apples!

 

On skin (5 min): Apples roasted over a hickory-wood flame, accented by the wheat and cane sugar. No fruit as of yet, as fruit tends to amplify on my skin. Smells like a bonfire picnic.

 

On skin (10 min on): The cane sugar seems to be amplifying even more, turning it into a hickory-smoked, sugar-coated apple scent, which, in and of itself, should be really odd, but is actually quite unequivocably fun. The calmer, more creamy aspects, wheat, rice flower, and rice milk are making themselves quite known, surrounding the apple and burying it in their midst.

 

Verdict: This is the Harvest Moon I've been waiting for. Woodsy, sweet, yet creamy and undeniably delicious.

[sarada]

I've spent the past month wondering what on earth this would smell like, since there's so much going on in it. Although autumn is my favorite time of year I don't much go for autumn scents -- I am not fond of apple, cider, spice or pumpkin scents...in fact I can't stand most of them, but there's enough in this that I do like that it's worth a try.

 

Light, crisp apple is at the forefront here, inspiring my officemate to remark that it smelled a bit like apple fritters. Not what I was hoping for, but still, it's more like a fresh apple than a baked apple to me and that's OK.

 

As it dries it does remind me a bit of last year's Harvest Moon with its faint, light apple aroma and a dusting of tawny flowers. A sweet, dusty spice -- a natural scent, like an outdoor market in autumn with piles of apples and bushels of mums, and the distant smoky scent of pie crusts cooling. But it is not sickly-foody. The tart fruits and musky mum scent keep that apple/sugar sweetness at bay.

 

I catch a single glimpse of the bamboo shoot and tea leaf at one point, as if amidst all this autumnal wonder someone in a kimono drifts by holding a potted bamboo plant and a cup of green tea. That succulent glowing green contrasts nicely with the sunset oranges and golds that this evokes.

 

Happily, I don't smell hazelnut, which is a bad scent for me when it is strong. Maybe it's contributing a bit of that spicy quality to the blend. I am enjoying how dusty and smoky this gets on me as it dries. This is truly the traditional autumn scent that I can wear. When the air gets crisp and pumpkins start to line roadside stands, the inside of craft stores turns orange and black and I start to get cravings to buy notebooks, pens and giant stacks of books on literature and philosophy -- this will be the blend I reach for!

[luxuria]

In the bottle, this is all apples, apples, apples. And a little bit of spice. It's like spiced cider. On my skin, a bark-like note immediately comes out--like drinking cider near freshly-cut logs, except with much more complexity than that description gives it credit. Oh, holy wow, this is gorgeous.

 

I think I liked last year's HM better, but this is a wonderful crisp autumnal scent that mixes the spiciness with fresh air. It completely dodges the tendency to smell like potpourri like some similar scents can. It's definitely not a sweet scent, either, despite the fact that it's fruity which can sometimes get candy-like. My nose is glued to my wrist.

Edited August 10, 2006 by luxuria

[Brienze]

In the bottle: I smell the fruits and cane sugar, mostly. It's not the "cherry Coke" smell, but something akin to that. Weird that I'm able to smell "sugar" rather than just "sweet".

 

On, wet: Still fruity, with a bit of the grains and nuts coming out... it's a bit earthier (but not in a "dirt" way) and on my skin it immediately backs off from being a fruit scent like Bewitched or Tweedledum.

 

On, drying: It seems to morph a lot, or maybe it's that each time I sniff, my nose picks out a different dominant note. It definitely smells like autumn... a bit of apple, a bit of cinnamon (go figure... maybe that's the spiciness of chrysanthemum actually). To me, it also has the smoky note that I love from Xiuhtecuhtli's drydown.

 

On, dry 3 hrs: No more apples. It's smoky, with a floral-musky residue, and some creaminess. I hate milk notes and creaminess generally, but this is completely different... whoever above posted that it's plant-milkiness had it right on the nose.

 

Duration: final drydown at 3 hrs, seems like it'll linger, just a bit, the rest of the night

 

Throw: Not much.

 

Summary: I can't pick out my beloved bamboo and tea notes specifically in this, but I think they're what keeps Harvest Moon 06 from being too heavy and/or cloying. (Last year's was too cinnamony on me, and the Halloween scents too heavy/dark.) I like the fact that I can smell different notes each time I sniff, and I really like the effect of a fall day with a fire in the hearth and fruit pies cooling on the open window. It was 100F today in Austin, though, so I'm going to have to wait till November to really be able to appreciate this scent. Glad I got two bottles though!

 

Rating: 4.5/5

[shelldoo]

in the bottle:apples. spices. yummy. reminds me of mabon.

 

wet: a hint of green comes out i think it is the bamboo... this still reminds me a bit of mabon w/ a hint of greenery.

 

as it dries is this a golden/green scent, there is a common something to mabon, but this dries much more herbal, and tea then mabon does. i put mabon on one hand and h.m. on the other. the mabon has that deep reddish feel spicy. h.m. is much greener in comparison. on me this is more bamboo and tea then apple spices. i do occassionally get a whiff of a grainy note, but it is fleeting. this is very much an asian moon on me.

 

once this has had plenty of time to dry it is indeed very similar to mabon with a bit of bamboo and tea thrown in for good measure. mabon lovers will love this.

Edited August 11, 2006 by shelldoo

[LiberAmoris]

I had the same response as Shelldoo, as soon as I opened up Harvest Moon and took in a deep sniff, I thought: Mabon? And there definitely is a resemblance here, even on the drydown.

 

At first it's very appley, but after just a few minutes on the skin I could smell the chrysanthemum and bamboo and green tea. It's like dusk in autumn, with warm sun falling on flowers, and a tray full of seasonal fruits on a wood table---only smoother than that would suggest. It smells like the colors of turning leaves. There's something slightly tart in it as well, like a leaf when you press your fingernail into it in order to smell that good leaf smell.

 

This will be wonderful in the fall. It's too hot here still for me to wear it now, so I'll secret it away until the leaves start to turn.

[blueroses]

In the bottle: Apple and sweetness. I am not an expert at apples, but this is very much a red fall apple. Just my impression.

 

On: This turns into a perfect fall scent. The apple is not as prominent on my skin, the wheat is amped, and there's definitely an herbal element to this. I don't know if my skin is just eating the bamboo or if it's mixing with the other green components, but I'm not getting any. The plum makes Harvest Moon smell wine-y one me.

 

Like other people have mentioned, this evokes autumn leaves and reminds me of picking chestnuts in the fields in the fall.

 

I like this more than last year's HM, and even more than Samhain, I think.

[coulrophobe]

In the bottle: Light, herby - green tea and bamboo.

 

On: A hint of fruit behind all the green tea and bamboo at first - then *poof* - I'm obviously in the distinct minority here, but I'm getting no apple or spice.

 

Drydown: There's the sweetness of sugar cane in the background, and a grainy feeling from the wheat - and the green notes have mellowed down a bit. I'm left with a light, sweet scent, with that "lunar herbal" smell the lunacies share.

 

Mabon is one of my favorites, so I got excited when I saw those comparisons - but no, not on me. Doing a direct wrist-to-wrist comparison, Mabon is a much deeper, darker scent on my skin - deep leafy notes, hops, and a hint of spicy-sweet apples and blackberries, and with my chemistry, there's absolutely no similarity.

 

I love fruit, and I'm bummed that none shows up on my skin - but it's a pretty blend all the same.

[Rhowan]

I have to agree with alot of people here - Harvest Moon smells exactly like Mabon!

Just on my skin, it was still Mabon but a kinder , lighter scent. After about 2 minutes I could start to smell grains mixed in the fruits - I think what makes me think of Mabon the most is the elderberry, plum and cherry - I gives that light booziness that Mabon has.

 

After about 10 minutes of wearing this, it disapeared. No where to be smelled!! Argg! and we were getting a long so well,

 

I love Harvest Moon but since it won't stay on my skin, I will use it in a scent locket!

[Belladonnastrap]

Wow

 

 

First Sniff:

Apple fields & smoke. The first apple harvest with the grain in the air and the smokiness of a newly lit bonfire. This is the scent of cooler nights, freshly baked bread and apple pie.

 

 

Wet:

Apples & smoke. The apples are fairly strong but the smoke prevents it from being too cloying. It could be the lovechild of Wildfire & Mabon, it has the rich smokiness of the former but the lovely apples and spice of the latter.

 

 

 

Drydown:

On drydown I get that same faint smell that I associate with all of the lunacies but more spicy. I can't really quite put my finger on it but it's GOOD. Definitely more apple now though.

 

 

Aftermath:

SOLD. Compared to last years Harvest Moon (which was more earthy) this years is an apple fest in a bottle! I lurve it. Fantastic staying power too.

[midnight_aeval]

This is my "birth" moon and I got it in time to wear it for my birthday today!! This is a scent for someone who loves apple scents. It's a juicy, ripe scent that is fit to be called "Harvest" Moon. It has some floral notes in it, but they aren't overdominating, and coming from a person who hates florals that is GOOD. I definitely get the sweetness from the cane sugar as well. Since I wear my oils in a scent locket, I don't have a chance to fully experience the dry-down, but the bit I put on my skin this morning morphed into a sweet apple with spice and wheat.

 

Interesting and very good! I have a feeling I'll be hunting down a 2nd bottle.

[PilotKitten]

Mmmm... yummy. On first whiff I can definitely pick out the pomegranate mixed in with a faint autumnal spicy/herbal mix of everything else. I think HM 2005 will still be my favorite of the 2 but this is a *very* close 2nd. After the initial drydown I get more berries and fruits. Some hints of planty-goodness (I'm assuming the bamboo shoots/wheat). Ooh and now I'm really getting some of that plum/apple/cherry combo! Wow... just scrumptious. Damn, I might have to change my previous assumption that HM 2005 was my favored of the two... this fruity drydown may just bump it right out of it's first place.

[Ah Xia]

According to DH, "Whoa! That smells just like Powers Farm Stand!" which is one of our favorite autumnal places.

 

On my skin it's almost a fruity smoky scent. I can see where people are getting the ripening wheat, apples and pomegranates, backed with Lunar goodness. Oh why oh why didn't I get 2 bottles of this? Beautiful!

[lushiejane]

In bottle:Fresh apples and pomegranates, maybe a greenery hovering around the edges.

 

Wet on skin: Still lovely apples, lush juicy fruit along with more of an herb...

 

Drydown: More of the spiciness comes out- a fresh spice. Walking through an orchard- where the fruit and earth/wood/greenery is all mixed up.

 

Slightly similar to the 2005 Harvest Moon- this one is fresher in it's autumnal glory, though.

 

I give it a 4.5/5. Really good scent. Autumn, but it can be worn now if you can't wait for the season. And I can't wait- so I'm wearing it today!

LushieJane

[themerrybaker]

Atomic Apples burst from the bottle, but Harvest Moon 2006 dries down to mostly spicy (sage) wood with the fruit well in the background. The warm, dry wood perfectly captures the idea of autumn for me. Glad it's mine all mine.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Dark and crisp fruits

 

On Skin: This is my favorite Harvest Moon so far. It is so crisp and fresh and so very delicious! The apple seems to come out first, and is followed by the rice milk. I LOVE the smell of rice milk so this makes me very happy. There are so many notes in this blend and they all meld so well together. Every once in a while, one will shine through for a moment… the dusty wheat giving a sweet but slightly powdery feel, the hickory and hazlelnut giving nutty but slightly spicy earthy notes, the green tea leaf and sage giving a beautiful bright and herbal twinkle, and the chrysanthemum giving a light and sort of bitter floral edge. The berries and fruits mix into a dark red punch, refreshing but not heavy or sticky. This is a perfect scent for autumn, so very beautiful… It has a light throw and sadly fades quickly on my parched skin, but I do love it!!!

[space girl lost]

look mommy! i'm getting to review something when it comes out!

 

in the bottle: hmm... how can i be sure that beth didn't just sell me a bottle of the cider i've been guzzling all summer? fizzy alcoholic kinda cider with a slight berry splash. THIS promises to be interesting!

 

on my skin: yup. apples. the fizzy cider kinda of goes away and now it's fresh apples w/ a bit of something else. dusty. must be the wheat? i can't pick out much anything else specifically. those apples are stealing the show.

 

dry down: the apples back off a bit but are still there in the overall picture. the dry scents kinda step forward to balance it out. i'm still unable to pick anything out specifically (plum, pomegranate, hazelnut, sage, etc). so i'm thinking that on my skin they all sort of meld together. and THANKFULLY i can't detect even the SLIGHTEST touch of floral. the mention in all these reviews has had me scared silly and nearly ready to sell off the bottle before i got it! luckily i'm in absolute LURVE over this one. i think i need a backup!!!

[kwsix]

In the bottle: Apples! Fresh, sweet-tart apples, and a little spice.

 

Wet: More apples! Very nice, reminds me of a crisp fall evening outside on the grass, watching the moon peek out from the clouds. This is a very complex scent. I smell lots of things that I can't specifically identify - spices, herbs, fruits, and grains.

 

Drydown: It is sweet, without being too sweet. On me, it's definitely more outdoorsy and fresh than foody, although it does remind me of a spiced apple cake. I'm getting a balanced combination of apple, wheat, spice, and cane sugar. The herbal notes are still here, but they're very subtle.

 

Summary: lushiejane nailed it - it is like walking through an orchard, under the trees next to a wheat field, in damp sweet grass, on an autumn evening. I had to mow the lawn this evening, and I thought I was losing my mind because I kept smelling HM06 even though it had long left my skin. Then I realized I was mowing over some apples that had fallen from our trees. The grass smelled like wheat because we had gone too long without cutting it, and the air was sweet, damp, and cool from the rain getting ready to move in. This was the first Moon I bought directly from the lab, and I'm very happy with it. I don't know how often I'll wear it, but I'll definitely reach for it whenever I'm in the mood for a warm outdoorsy autumn scent.

[dawndie]

This is my favorite Moon label so far, it's so unusual and beautiful!

 

In bottle: perfumey apple

 

On skin: lots of dry herbs. I definitely get the sage (which I recognize from Corazon, it's very distinctive) and what must be the "dusty wheat." I do smell apple sweetness in the background.

 

Half-hour later: this hasn't morphed much, lots of dust and herbs and apples

 

In conclusion: this blend really blew me away with how evocative it was of "autumn." I'm glad it didn't morph on me because it's beautiful as it is! A definite keeper :heart: