Harvest Moon 2006

[Shollin]

... 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.

First sniff: There’s so much going on in this scent, but the only thing I can really pin down is clean crisp apples, with a fruity richness underneath.

Wearing: It’s just gorgeous and rich and fruity and so, so deep. Velvety rich fruit. I love this.

[Meg]

In the bottle: This smells divine! Tart fruits, sweetness, all kinds of things mingling. Fresh and yum.

 

Wet: Tart red apple and chrysanthemum, perfect together.

 

Drydown: Still the red apple and chrysanthemum, over something a little bit grainy, and I can definitely smell tea in there. I also get herbs, I can smell sage but also others working their way out of the blend. Honestly, there are so many delicious things in this blend that I can't really pick one out. After a while, a cardboardish note (possibly one of the cereal scents or the hickory) adds something pretty rough and dark to the blend...

 

Overall: At first, this smells like a divine drink of fertility, with apple, grain and fruit, and all kinds of beautiful other things. It actually reminds me a bit of Dia De Los Muertos ('05), but a more summery version of it. It also shares a dark component with Dia, in the drydown, which gives it more body and personality and actually makes it wearable for both sexes.

[kat15lee]

A very complicated blend, I hope that I can do it justice.

In the bottle: lovely lovely smell, akin to a gourmet fruit punch.

Wet: the apple become more noticeable. meh. I don't care for apples, unless combined with something tart and sweet. There's a plethora of fruits in the background. Nice.

Drydown: oh, there's that wonderful note poking through! I don't know what it is, its a "red" scent, and I"ve smelled it in Horror Sympathic and Ryleh. I love the drydown. Lovely. And long-lasting throw.

 

Verdict: 3.5/5

[dyanemcs]

In the Bottle: pomegranate, apple, grain, maybe the sage, but definately a loamy/leafy/fall smell, it reminds me of being outside at night, right as the weather starts to change from summer to fall. There is an air of tea, but not green tea to me, more of an apple herb tea.

 

Wet: I'm getting the chrysanthemum now, and berries, but also a powdery type of smell I'm not sure I'm crazy about. Of course, I can't stop sniffing it anyway. I'm starting to get a hint of the green tea, too. Its also starting to tickle my nose a little, so we'll see. I still get just a hint of apples, but it was never that strong for me. This does have a nice throw for me & I'm hoping my skin won't eat it after 30 minutes or so.

 

Dry: After 15 minutes, I'm getting a wonderful, floral, spicy scent with fruit in the background. On my cleavage it smells entirely different than anywhere else, much more apple-y than I smelled so far. For awhile while it was drying I got a good, strong smell of the Russian sage, but its back in hiding now.

 

After 30 Minutes: Ah, there's the sage again! Its mixing beautifully with the chrysanthemum & making spicy magic on my pulse points! Still very apple-y on the cleavage. Most importantly, its still going strong, which is very unusual for me, so I'm thrilled! The pomegranate is making a comeback now, too. The throw is awesome, as my husband & daughter can smell it when they come into the room.

 

After 3 Hours: After drydown I'm still smelling the sage, mums & now the cane sugar and sorghum are coming out. I do have a headache, but started the day with bad allergies, so I'll try it again when they've mellowed out to see if its them or this blend. Its starting to fade, but has lasted much longer for me than most fragrances do, so I'm pleased

with it.

[Jilara]

I got a bottle of this off ebay, and wow! Another new fave...

 

In the bottle, I pick up apples and chrysanthemum...

 

Wet, I get a load of apples and smoke-something that has a sulfur quality that reminds me of gunpowder smoke. There is a slightly bitter backnote that could be the chrysanthemum.

 

Drydown, I am struck by similarities to Dragon Moon coming out. It's Dragon Moon with apples and smoke added in. Close to dry, a note like autumn leaves comes in.

 

Dry, it's apple scented Dragon Moon, with a lurking dry grass and leaves lending a backnote. The smoke seems to have dropped out. After a couple hours, the grass and leaves have faded, to be replaced by a sweet undertone of nuts and berries, but still reminiscent of apple-y Dragon Moon.

[Analise]

Okay, so after seeing a friend of mine talk about this particular scent, I found myself intrigued. It led me to look for it on Ebay and I found it, for a reasonable price and it got here a few weeks ago and though I'd sniffed it in the bottle when I got it (and it smells lovely, in the bottle. It's like a crisp autumn day with slightly damp leaves underfoot. It's, in fact, one of the few BPAL scents I've smelled and instantly felt transported, as it were), I only just actually wore it today. So here's a review.

 

I love it. Any occasion. It's not too heavy, but it's got an amazing scent. Like I said, it's like a crisp autumn day with damp leaves underfoot. A good earthy smell but a bit fruity a bit floral (but not too floral which I'm glad of). I put it on at 7-something this morning and I can still smell it on my wrists now at 3-something in the afternoon though it's much more woody now. Love it love it love it. Will probably have to procure another bottle of it, just in case.

[Laz]

In the bottle:

Cherry Tunes! I don't know if they're a UK only thing, but just in case, they're a delicious type of sweets you eat when you have a cold. Which has just reminded me I haven't seen them in forever... Hmm. Anyway!

 

On skin wet:

Not another fruit scent that wants to turn to soap...! I need to work out what that is doing that, damn it! This time it did it instantly as well. I didn't even get a single hint of anything else before it turned.

 

Dried down:

Soap. Again. Argh...

[copyshopclerk]

In the bottle: Oh yum, apples!

 

On: Where'd my apples go?! They fade in a hurry and what's left behind kind of smells like potpourri. When it dries, it's just a floral potpourri. Too bad my skin at the apples, as it was lovely in the bottle, not so much on me!

[blu°]

I think I haven't reviewed this one yet...

 

I had tried Harvest Moon 04 and hadn't liked it much, but this one is a completely different story.

 

At first it's a really crisp apple, but then soon softens, becomes more complex, florally-fruity-herbal with a very smooth, a little bit Asian feel to it. And I don't usually like the Asian blends so much, but here it is gorgeous. It kind of keeps the scent from smelling too much like apple scented dish washing liquid, which is what I often get from apple blends. It's not sharp at all, and I'm indeed reminded of Mabon a little bit, too. That fresh air scent to it was also in Mabon.

 

Lovely blend and I'm glad to have hunted down a bottle some time ago.

[bryghtrose]

There was too much going on in this scent. It smelled of OMGFood right away, and never stopped smelling like food. Which is the point, but disappointing because food scents and I do not get a long. After a while I could pick out the smell of the grains and it smelled a bit like bread, and the cherry scent was too strong, as is usual for my skin. I'm glad I tried it but I just can't wear it.

[DifferentDances]

Bottle: Caramel cough syrup.

Wet: Thin reeds with a shot of berries and sweet fruits. A tiny layer of that bamboo note I like in Holiday Moon.

Drydown: Something sour lurking at the edges --might be the apple. Or maybe the rice milk. Something vaguely alcoholic about this. Cane sugar makes an appearance. Bamboo's all gone. Berries fade, then make a sweet reappearance that quickly twists into fermented juice.

Dry: Light scent of sugared fruits on a mulch-strewn sunny playground with just the slightest hint of fermentation.

 

My rating: 2/5. It's a fun experience, but I'm not sure I'd ever wear it. I was kind of hoping I'd love it. *sigh*

[ouch!]

Hmm.....as a few people have said, there is SO much going on with this scent but to me is really really berryish and sweet. Must be the sugar cane, it's really really nice and even though there's no vanilla in here (I don't think) it smells like sweet vanillary berries. I really wish I could detect some of the more interesting notes like the Hickory or the sage but I can't.

 

It's quite powerful and does calm down after a while but it's still just lots and lots of sweet fruit!

 

LOVERLY!!!!

[darkblade]

Harvest Moon 2006 (A Little Lunacy)

 

Bottle: Wow, I kinda suck at this in the bottle one still. A lot.

 

Wet: .. Still puzzled. Lots of things that are all mingled together. A bit of wheat and sugarcane.. a touch of sage, i think, and a little bit of not quite flowery.. no, it's a very very mild fruit. Maybe it's the plum? Ah, and probably the chrysanthemum. It's a little dusty, but not much.

 

Dry: Apple. *thirty seconds later* Wha? Now it's different. It kept doing that wet, too. I'm starting to think this oil might just run AROUND the world and hit all that before it settles.

 

40 minutes later: Rice, flowers, I'm not sure what else..

 

Verdict: Not sure. It isn't quite how I take my autumn. Then again, I'm also hitting that time of the month. I should probably try again next week.

[elphaba]

This is quite appley on me at first. I think there's some pomegranate in there too. Just very fruity and bright. As it dries, some florals come out and the blend gets more complex, but that apple scent stays in the forefront. I was surprised and a bit disappointed that the more warm and dry elements of this scent don't seem to come out on me because those were the things that attracted me to it initially. I think I'll keep my bottle, but I wouldn't have been disappointed if all I had was an imp.

[hkhm]

bottle: apples! apples with cherries and plums and other ripe, rich fruit.

 

wet: there's a sweet, sharp, spicy green-ness with the apple scent. not as sharp as poisoned apple but very crisp, this really puts me in mind of picking apples on perfect autumn days. it's like a happy memory in a bottle!

 

dry: the apple stays but there is this creamy, spicy note as well. what a wonderful blend.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle holy swoon! boozy, effervescent apple, like apple jack or hard cider. i need... at least a gallon of this.

wet on skin a thick, yet tart apple, maybe a cooking type apple that's gone a bit overripe. in a totally good way! i get a grain-y undertone that's a bit like oats. even with the apple 'n' oats, this isn't foody, but quite perfumey.

dry on skin oh. chrysanthemum. and... plum. and that's all.

i really like the mum and plum, but i was crazy for that soft, punky, luminous apple from the bottle. curse my great love of top notes.

 

a gorgeous and autumnal scent, definitely a keeper and a slatherer, but not a hoarder for me.

[MaeKitty]

In the bottle: Apples, rice milk, sugar, pomegranate, and plums.

On Me: Reminds me of one of the Body Shop room oils. It's a beautifully fruity scent, reminding me of coming in after a cold afternoon of walking through the leaves. Some of the herbs and plants come out a bit more in dry down, giving a nice deep richness to the scent, balancing out the fresh fruit. Love it

[Seelix]

Everyone keeps comparing this oil to autumn, and wet I can see that. It's a very fresh apple and grains smell straight out of the bottle.

 

Once on it's not autumn at all to me. It's summer on a farm: hot, dry feed rooms, fields starting to be choked with dust, some watfting from the garden, and a bit of apple juice running down your chin.

 

I don't know that I'll wear this often, but I love the smell for the scent memories it brings back. This is a very evocative scent. It captures something in perfume that I never thought could be captured.

Edited February 22, 2008 by Luminara

[scarletgenesis]

I think I have Harvest Moon 06. Can't recall as I got it in a swap. I'm very glad I did.

 

In the bottle and wet on skin this is all juicy red fruits. I mostly get pomegranates and apples. Apple must love my skin b/c I always seem to amp it and it always smells nice. On drydown, this gets a smoky layer to it that must be the hickory. I also get the subtle dusty floral that rice flower gets on me.

 

This is quite nice. I wish it stuck around a bit longer, but overall very good.

 

If you like Samhain and BPAL's other autumn scents, try this one!

Edited February 29, 2008 by scarletgenesis

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, I get a very outdoorsy, fresh smell - apple-y and woodsy.

 

On my skin, the apple blends with the wheat, the leaves, and the woods - it's a perfect autumn scent.

 

When it dries, it's a really beautiful blend - it's hard to pick out individual notes.

[gchris]

In Vial: Sweet with an outdoor fall smell and a hint of pine

 

Wet: Still sweet, yummy with a hint of menthol. Not sure which note that would be. Also getting an apple cider scent and a hint of honey. This one has a lot of notes. There is no way I can pick them all out. To me this does not smell as complex as it looks. I really like this at the wet stage.

 

Later: This is nice but gets a little perfumey now. The honey note is stronger and in the end honey is all I get.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Dusty.

 

In the imp: Apples, plum, and pomegranate!

 

On skin, wet: Something very... sneezy. As in, something that's making me want to sneeze. It has a distinctly dusty, dry quality about it, like dried apples or old apple cider. Beyond that, it's just very perfumey.

 

On skin, dry: Very little chance from wet, save that it's much greener, and I can definitely pick out the sage. A green, dry apple cider.

 

Conclusion: Something about it disagrees with my nose in the worst way -- I've sneezed seven times (and counting!) since first applying it. Nice enough, but obviously not for me.

Edited May 29, 2008 by Aredhel

[brsis]

Initial thoughts: Oh my, what a concoction. The harvest moon and I had a certain whimsical relationship - an appreciation that no matter how much you take science to something, there's always going to be something special about it you can never really dissolve.

 

Notes wise, there's a lot going on there, which doesn't always spell good news for me. There's a lot of unknowns in there. On the other hand, there's lots of notes I know I like - pomegranate, sugar, green tea and apple are all good on me, I like crysanthemum, sage, bamboo shoot, elderberry, plum and hazelnut and see no good reason why they should go evil... I'm unsure if it was maybe the black cherry in Libra which made it so sticky-sweet in the bottle... but I figure this one is worth a go.

 

In the bottle: Mmm... the florals are floating as a topnote to a slightly sweet, mellow, green freshness, but while I'm not getting 'fruit' as such there's definately some body underneath which seems to be coming from the fruits in this. It reminds me a little of Eris, but not as bright, sharp or pungent.

 

On the wrist, wet: Mmm, apples. Apples and something plantier underneath, like chopped apple in a green garden. There's definately crysanthemum over the top too. This isn't quite as 'wet' as it was in the bottle, which is usual for this kind of a scent on me, but it's definately still fresh. The green tea and the bamboo shoot may be the main culprits by my aproximation.

 

Twenty minutes later: Apple is still the most prominent fruit, but the others have come forward a bit more and it's faded back until it's not the most prominent note. The crysanthemum and sage, and possibly one or two others, are the gentle top-notes in this scent, but there's also a watery green freshness which prevents it from being too sweet.

 

This is, in my opinion, an excellent embodiment of the Harvest Moon - summer is still lingering in the air, but it's cool and fresh in the evening and things are just coming to the end of their growing time. This would be perfect for a light evening scent, very peaceful and outdoorsy.

 

Verdict: It's a keeper, although I don't think I'll ever use the whole bottle.

 

Tl;Dr: A fresh, peaceful harvest evening at the end of summer - watery green fresh fruits with warm herbal flowers over the top.

[Andrea912]

Wet: too many notes; perfume smash

 

Dry: after lay down, the honey cream is prominent; maybe that's the rice; however, the floral is still so strong that the perfume is still there, even if subtle

[tuesdaynexxt]

I hate for there to be two "perfumey" reviews right in a row, but that was my initial impression on applying this. In the bottle, it's a lovely, rich apple. Once on, it's like that also, and for a moment it reminds me of Samhain (that sweet, pipe-tobacco-ey note). But really, all I keep thinking is "apple perfume".

 

It's a lovely apple perfume, though!