Chrysanthemum Moon

[cuervosueno]

Her scent is bewitching, almost intoxicating: a sensual incense of crushed mums, red ginger, and pulsing musk … and the air is thick with leaden brown opium smoke that hangs thickly over a seductive mixture of red musk, body-warmed perfume, and hypnotic Eastern flowers.

Ah, chrysanthmum Moon--

First, there is the spelling issue...I simply can't seem to spell the name! (I had to look up at the topic title this time to get it right!).

I expected to love this, to be crazy for it. And I do like it, but....I'm not crazy about it.

In the bottle, I get a dark, incensey floral. Its attractive, and sort of dark brown with golden highlights in my mind.

On, I do smell the odd smell of crushed chrysanthmums--slightly musky, slightly bitter, slightly green. The sweetness comes out as well, but it is opium sweetness, and I'm enjoying it. There is also a creamy note as others have pointed out. I don't get much ginger, though there is a bit of spice, but it is not the pungent fresh ginger root of Shub, but rather a softer baking ginger note. Underneath this all, there is something slightly perfumy about it.

It lasts quite a long time on me but has little throw.

all this is fine, but the fact is, I was really bothered because it reminded me of a scent I couldn't remember the name of. I shuffled through my BPAL, then finally lit upon Carceri from the Salon. I put it on the other wrist.

yep, they smell very similiar one me. Odd too, because they don't share the same notes, but on me, the similiaritie is striking, though I prefer Carceri with its redwood note.

I can't see wearing both of them, so I guess Mum Moon will go.

I did smell it on a friend though, and on her it smelled quite different--more like incense, more spicy, more creamy....More like the reviews from those who really adore this scent. So I guess it's just one of those body chemistry things--while it didn't go awry on me, it also didn't wow me. It's pretty, but I don't need to keep it.

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: Chrysanthemum Moon smells dreamy and heady, thick with spice and poppy. There is some floral to it, but the floral comes across as a relative of resins. It is also husky, like the sexy purr of a contralto talking dirty to you.

 

Wet: This is an interwoven dream of a scent. The flowers sing out a bit when wet, just enough to tickle my nose but not enough to turn me off. I catch a whiff of something herbal, but then it settles into tune with the rest of the notes.

 

Drying down: This one is much sharper with my nose glued to my wrist than it is when I am sitting up normally.

 

Dry: It’s a spiced and druggy, heady floral, wedded to the earth with just enough resin to make my smile spread. I feel like a jazz diva wearing this. It makes me want to sing sultry sex. To me, this is a feminine blend for a strong, confident woman who knows what she wants and how to get it groveling at her feet.

 

Later: The scent sweetens and settles out a bit over time. It also takes on a musky, smoky character. I am glad to have a bottle of this.

[batsy]

In the bottle: opium-laced chrysanthemums. Really strong!

 

On the skin: this is pretty exotic. Where as I love Red Lantern, and that's pretty Asian, this is... really strong. Much more spicy too. A bit dab of ginger and some spices. I honestly love the smell of chrysanthemums, but I'm not sure I'd wear this that often. Lovely, though.

[storme]

In the imp: warm spices over a slightly sour floral.

 

On me, wet: musky sour-and-sweet florals and warm gingery incense, much less strident than I was expecting somehow. This is an elusively faint blend.

 

On me, dry: sweet smoky spicy slightly powdery florals. Mrrrrf. This isn't in any way offensive to me, but it's not making me fall in love either. It's too faint and too chrysanthemum-ish, I think.

 

Verdict: Honestly, I think I'd rather wear Laudanum for sweet smoky spicy opiumness, since that doesn't go powdery and isn't so faint and floral. Ah well.

[jenleigh]

In the imp, I get this pretty, spicy, warm scent; the opium and incense are out.

 

This has two stages on me. The first is "OMG MUMS." Very strong mum scent, almost enough to make me sneeze!

 

Once I get through that, there's that spicy warmth again, with the opium and incense playing with the mums.

 

I won't be seeking out a bottle, but I'm keeping the imp for the final drydown stage, which is really pretty.

[CelestialNM]

This was my first Lunacy, and I am so glad I got this one!! Chrysanthemum Moon has become one of my favorite blends of all time.

 

In the bottle: At first sniff, I get a whiff of a note that instantly reminds me of Snake Charmer, but that quickly seems to fade.

 

Wet: Warm, sweet, but not in a sugary way... Just warm and sweet.

 

Dry: Mmm... A bit of spice. I can't pick out individual notes here, but it definitely has a floral side to it; but that's held at bay by the ginger and the musk I think. This is a very warm, languid, hazy scent. Eveloping and evocative. Precisely what I would think an opium den would smell like, what I would imagine, at any rate... Never actually been in one. There's almost a creamy uncurrent to it as well.

[thecaitycat]

In the bottle: Hmmm... It's complex. I cant pick out any particular notes except to say that this is mostly floral with some spice to it. I like it.

 

Wet on skin: GINGER! Now we're talking. I love ginger and it plays up the florals beautifully in this blend.

 

Dry on skin: The ginger is a bit more subtle after drydown, but it's still prominent. It's very "autumnal", for lack of a better word.

 

Verdict: This was my first lunacy and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm glad I didn't splurge and buy two or more bottles, but the one bottle I have is a welcome addition to my collection.

[shellyshells]

Chrysanthemum Moon:

 

I couldn't resist this description so I'm really happy I ordered multiple bottles of this.

 

In the bottle, its frikken glorious. Mums, ginger, and opium smoke are my first impressions.

 

On my skin, the floral seems to dissipate and I mostly get some ginger, LOTS of opium smoke, and some red musk. It's right up my alley.

 

After an hour or so, the opium smoke and musk are still present (the ginger fades a bit, although I wish it didn't) and it smells warm, soft, and creamy. My roommate says it reminds him of his grandma though... boooo. But I get over it when I smell my wrists.

[joseybird]

I wanted to love this so dang much...I LOVE Beth's ginger note! And it does indeed have a lovely candied ginger note, as well as the opium note from Darkness and Langour. However, beyond those notes are what can only be described as "murkey florals." If there's musk in there, I can't tell =(

[gingersnapp]

Smoky, spiced florals. I was nervous because opium doesn't usually work on me, but this is gorgeous. Very incensual and mysterious. I wasn't really sure what chrysanthemum would smell like on me, but it's light and beautiful, not heavy or cloying.

 

That red ginger note is to die for.

[ubersmurfy]

I did not expect to like this because of the ginger. Ginger scents HATE me. I actually signed up for a decant circle not realizing that it had ginger in it, so the imp I have is a happy accident.

 

Let me just say, this is one of my favorite BPAL scents EVER. It's sweet and spicy and oh so beautiful. Even my BF loves it - it's his favorite scent so far. He immediately offered to buy me a bottle if I could find one here or on LJ (which I did - hooray!).

 

Maybe red ginger works on me? Maybe it's just the regular ginger I should stay away from? Hmmm...

 

Must. resist. urge. to. hoard.

[dawna]

In the vial: Woah, spicy! Herby and definitely Chrysanthemum here..

 

Wet on the skin: Very very spicy, the ginger amps out bigtime with the surprisingly pretty mum scent. Its developing a creamy scent that is almost soapy but not in a bad way. I actually like this, it really is nice.

 

On drydown: Wow this has gotten quite, different.. It is still VERY gingery spicy and the mum is still there but it has blended into this absolutely gorgeous scent. I seriously have not much love for florals but this one I could see myself wanting a bottle of.

Edited October 3, 2006 by dawna

[luna65]

Thanks to GypsyRoseRed for being the lovely Will Call fairy and hooking me up with a bottle.

 

Bottle: Earthy mums and piquant ginger. Gorgeous label!

 

Skin: This strikes me initially as a very classic and essential floriental: the flowers and the musk are heady and sensuous. I can truly sense the perfume as well, the quality of how it changes when exposed to body heat, takes on a different character than when you smell it in its' pristine state.

 

Drydown: Over time the opium and the musk sweeten and then develop a powdery quality. I get that same mood of an opium den but with a different characteristic than that of Red Lantern: a cacophony of notes, but a more languid and sinister interpretation.

Edited October 3, 2006 by luna65

[sofiaviolet]

Mmmm, spicy and sexy! I get just a hint of red musk, and plenty of gingery zing! I don't smell mums very much, but they soften the scent, making it more sensual than it would be otherwise.

[Loligo]

Oh hell, I wish I had a bottle of this. It works so differently on me than most other BPAL oils: the notes are so perfectly blended into a coherent whole that I can hardly pick any of them out, and the scent seems to live a few inches above my skin -- not an effusive throw, but not stuck to me either, just gently enfolding me. It's very soft, but somehow powerful. Subtle and sophisticated and just beautiful.

[theseagrows]

at first the mums in this are STRONG, and sweeter than i think mums actually are. once it fades a bit i get a nice incense-musk-smoky-mum scent that is very nice! opium doesn't usually work for me, but in this one it is ok. has pretty good throw on my skin. i might decide to get a bottle of this.

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: This smells fantastic--clean ginger and mums

 

Wet: Ginger, mums, red musk and smoke, all blend beautifully. A good friend--who rarely comments on my perfumes either way--commented on how nice this smelled on me.

 

Drydown and wear: This has great throw...I can smell it quite clearly hours later. The ginger and musk are the notes that last longest, but the mums are not exactly faint-hearted. This is a lovely and mysterious floral...my favorite in that vein since I tried my beloved Gypsy Queen. Fortunately I have been able to scrounge up another bottle.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

I LOVE this! Sexy, spicy, and perfect for autumn. Opium and red musk are a great combination, but add the ginger-spice topnotes (I think I smell cinnamon, too), plus a touch of floral, and it's really divine. I'd wear this for day or evening. I'm so glad I have some! Scents in this family (I think of it as the Snake Oil family; musk + sweet) are hit or miss with me. Mum Moon is a big hit! I'd recommend it for someone who wears YSL Opium and wants to try BPAL. It has that rich, warm quality of the "oriental" family of perfumes, but in a fresh unexpected way. Divine!

[cabinwench]

This was amazing on me--spicy/floral and ginger/red musk smelled good right out of the bottle. But after application, oh, my! It just kept morphing for hours! The whole of it kept a creamy base note throughout, and the ginger lingered...but after several hours I started picking up an evergreen scent: I was back in my childhood with a Frazier Fir Christmas tree in the living room, spices coming out of the kitchen, and whiffs of the grown-up ladies' perfumes mingling with everything else.

 

Not to say that this was "Christmasy" in any usual sense, just evocative of that time when all those fragrances were in the air at once. And the evergreen note emerged every so often, so the actual scents in Mum Moon may have just been bumping up against that memory cell. It added such a nice touch to a hectic errand-running Saturday.

 

This also has great throw, but is subtle enough so others aren't overwhelmed. It lasts forever--I applied yesterday at 1:00 pm, and at 10:00 am the next day, I can still get whiffs. Might have been because I rubbed a drop between my hands and then through my hair, though.

 

I started hoarding bottles right after I smelled it in Sept., and I'm glad I did. This is a major keeper!

[Bagfish]

Wow, I am impressed, this seriously is the first lunacy to work on me, AND its a floral!

 

On first application there is a very floral waft, and it really reminds me of grown-up expensive perfume from a department store, but it morphs and morphs down into a creamy, spicy beautiful smell.

 

It definitely has a similarity in feel and tone (but not smell if that makes sense) to Mme Moriarty, it dries to a similar creamy, musky warmth. I don't smell any ginger, neither fresh nor dried nor crystallised. On me, 'Mum Moon is a beautifully smooth rounded creamy gorgeousness which wafts in an incredible way, more creamy from my wrists, more floral from my cleavage!

 

Bravo Beth, this is genius!

[bloody sore]

This has become my new favorite oil from the lab. It's more than I could have ever hoped.

Wet: Some kind of sweet flower with incense underneath.

Dry: EXACTLY like my favorite opium incense. Really, it's exactly like it. It smells like I somehow condensed the smoke into an oil and smeared it all overmyself. And, this has more staying power than any other perfume I have ever experienced. I work in a place where I get really dirty, wet, and sweaty, and wash my arms a good dozen times a night, and I still can smell it on my wrists when I get home. Wow, I really love this stuff!

[Melantha]

This is a gorgeous, complex scent. Most of the time, I smell the ginger, which I love, but I occasionally get flashes of the mums, and under it all is a smooth, musky base. I took a chance and ordered two, and yay! I'm glad.

[moonarcana]

When I first read the description for Chrysanthemum Moon, I was smitten by the promise of a scent I was sure to adore. When I received my order, I have to admit that my heart sank just a bit when I immediately got a waft of faint powder. You see, me and powdery fragrances don't usually see eye to eye with one another...

 

...but to spite myself, I found myself falling madly in love with this lunacy!

 

I wanted to wear this one around for awhile before attempting to review it. And after a couple months time, I find myself reaching for the Mum on a regular basis and I get compliments often. A woman in my department at work loved it so much that I offered to locate a bottle for her to purchase and she's since told me that her husband really 'perks up' whenever she wears it!

 

It is a very sexy scent, while not aggressively so. It is soft and relaxed, even comforting in a sense and lurking around in the background there's some naughty opportunities just waiting to happen. While many BPAL scents go through a morphing cycle, Chrysanthemum Moon surrounds me with layers of fragrant atmosphere, each one is always present but there's an ability to reach through the strata and experience whichever scent-ation you choose to focus upon. Whether a soft wisp of powder hovering closely above the full and delightfully pungent floral essence or the narcotic spicy resins that gather among the earthy roots.

 

Mezmerizing and absolutely lovely!

 

Rating: 5/5

[LadyMedb]

I got this as a decant in an imp lot along with the masterful Schwarzer Mond and the intriguing Snow Bunny. I didn't think I would like it because the green soapiness of the mums shot up my nose, and it seemed destined for the swap pile. However, I was determined to try it on my skin at least once before swapping, and after five minutes, Oh my god! It settled down into a gorgeous, warm, enveloping and comforting incense scent, sweet and orange-gold and maternal. The final drydown recalls the sharp mum note, but that's all part of this baby's mystery, and I still LOVE.

Edited October 28, 2006 by LadyMedb

[arabella]

First Impression: Fall flowers and wine.

 

Dries down to: It mellows a bit and becomes enveloped in wisps of musk.

 

Additional Comments: Although wine isn't listed among the notes, it feels as though it's in here. Mums are definitely not one of my favorite floral scents, but this blend is a surprisingly perfect fall scent. Again, I'm reminded that I can't judge Beth's blends by the descriptions; they have to be tested. This is another happy find.

 

Lasted: A few hours.

 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5