Black Moon

[fiddlefox]

The absence of light: motia attar, black orchid, mugwort, English pear, cucumber, blue lotus, jonquil, massoia, calamus and crystal musk.

i just tried it, on my knee cause i ran out of places to sniff on my arm lol.

In the bottle: dilly and odd but not bad.

On me: this is a very interesting scent, I an only really pick ot the pears but it blends nice with the florals. Still a slight dilly scent. My mom didnt know what it was when she sniffed it and said "pina colada?" Well then, maybe pina coladdas sipped on a hot muggy dark moonless night outside. Edited March 15, 2009 by ivy_fiddlefox

[LadyBug]

At first sniff I smell the cucumber. It's very interesting because it's a floral-y cucumber. When it's on my skin I can kind of smell the pear...if I look for it. I still need to wear this around more to make a final decision. I bought a bottle and will keep it...so that says something good!

[Rosaleen Dhu]

Wet this is very bright on me...and something almost creamy? I think it's the cucumber and pear. Definitely more fruity than floral. As it dries...PEAR. Sweet juicy pear, with a bit of floral for backround.

 

This fades fairly quickly on me. Not much throw either. A nice soft spring like feminine scent.

[metaldog32]

I wasn’t passing this up; the cucumber and blue lotus gave me hope that this could resemble in spots the beloved 2004 Blue Moon. The whole “absence of light” just made it too tempting.

 

Initial sniff from bottle:Hmmm..this does smell good; kind of reminds me of BM 2004..maybe it’s the mugwort and lotus??? I think I smell the orchid too and it’s fabulous. Night-time floral..without being super heady and/or lush..retains a coolness.

 

Hmmm..taking another whiff from the bottle I keep thinking that maybe I smell something akin to jasmine??? It’s not super aggressive though..but I swear I smell something that is reminiscent of it. Could that be motia attar??? Humph.

 

Applied wet on skin: Sweet pear along with the floral and lotus…yes this does remind me a bit of the BM…but not quite. It skirts along the same lines..but where BM hinted at melon notes and a coolness and wetness and sweetness..Black Moon deviates..still the coolness is there..but instead of melon it’s pear..and you have that wonderful duo of the orchid and mugwort along with the lotus and attar making this a very intriguing lunacy.

 

My sister wore this before I tried it and I have to say it smelled FABULOUS on her. I remembered asking her what was she wearing that smelled so good..when she told me Black Moon I was amazed; it really does smell like a variation of Blue Moon 2004. Sorry for sounding like a broken record player..mea culpa!!!

 

Couple of minutes on skin:Still the sweet pear..but it has softened a bit..melded with the florals..still feels cool to me..like a midnight garden in summer…all dark and sweet and silent.

 

Thirteen minutes later: Interesting..it’s softened considerably..the pear has kind of drifted away and what I am left with is more of a coolness..cucumber maybe along with the orchid and the jasmine type note..the crystalline muks provides a smooth rondness and I swear I kind of get a bit of dusty note at the end..something that reminds me of a soft sandalwood???

 

Half an hour later:Poof!!! Almost all gone..but what I am left with are traces of the jonquil/orchid and attar with a wisp of the dusty sandalwood.

 

Lasting power on me is 4+hours if I am lucky..with throw strongest when wet:overall it’s soft to moderate.

 

Bottom Line: Black Moon is a dark floral but without being super heady and overbearing as some nightblooming blends sometimes have a tendency to become. Although I do enjoy jasmine and gardenias and the lushness they create; in this blend the florals are at one instant indeed lush but then they do seamlessly move away in the silence and the dark..leaving me with wisps of sweetness and a dusty echo. Good option from early to late summer…I like it in the evening but I think some females can pull it off for during the day; my sister is one of them. Keeper.

[errosenzweig]

I LOVE this scent. To me it smells like really soft florals and makes me feel like being snuggled up in a warm blanket on a cold day. It also seems to stay around for a long time on me, which is good since it's hard to find other people to give me more.

[khiseer]

I can't seem to get any of the pear in this at all... Its a dark soft floral that i'm sure alot of people love but sadly i don't have a love for florals.. I can smell the cucumber in this and it's an interesting note that in my experience doesn't pop up much in bpal. It dries very nicely and is a fantastic skin scent.

 

 

really awesome label!

[AEris]

Wet, this blend somehow tumbles together to smell like mostly gardenia or tuberose on me. I am not familiar with all of the notes listed in the scent description, but none of them are really coming out that much....

 

I suppose it is slightly fruity, and I can attribute that to the pear note - I have been learning that pear loves me.

 

The florals are humid and lush, but not super-heady or too intense, so I am assuming that they are nicely balanced by the cool notes of lotus and cucumber.

 

I'm really glad that I own this 5mL. It has stumped me a little, and I like that. It's artfully blended and just lovely!

 

ETA: I get a really weird note in the background with this one - buttered popcorn. (Ew!)

Does this happen to anyone else?

The first time I wore it, I assumed it couldn't be the 'fume, but the next time I wore it the popcorn came back. What in the world could be causing it?

Don't care that much though - it's still an awesome scent. I blame my chemistry.

Edited December 6, 2007 by AEris

[Shollin]

First sniff: Pale fruits and flowers and soft musk. The pear is at the forefront with its delightfully odd texture.

 

Wearing: Oh, wow. Pear and orchid, immediately and very definitely – this isn’t a pale, reserved scent. It’s unabashedly gorgeous, incredibly deep and subtly sweet.

[CrazyPretzel]

This scent is so hard to describe - I can't imagine anyone not liking it though. It's just so damn *pretty*. Wet, the pear is definitely noticeable, but as it dries it becomes a light, smooth musky blend. Not too sweet, and it conveys an air of mystery.

[agnusdei]

Black Moon starts out predominantly a delicious crisp pear with something muskier and a little floral beneath it. The motia attar is the most noticeable aside from the pear, though thankfully it completely lacks that sharpness that tends to accompany jasmine in other blends. It's very much soft and delicate here and embodies the very best aspects of a jasmine note while being a beautiful companion to the pear. I can catch hints of the cucumber and a touch of lotus sweetness as well, intermingled with the stronger scents. At this stage Black Moon is very cool and fresh with an almost watery, crystalline quality to it.

 

Only after some wear do the deeper components of Black Moon get their chance to shine. It becomes muskier, more enigmatic, and gets an all around boost in complexity. The pear and moita attar are still present, but they’ve been dragged deeper into the scent to become less light and juicy and more rounded within the other notes. I’m not usually big on picking up color associations with scents, but Black Moon positively screams a bright and peacock-like blend of blues and greens to me at first, gradually becoming less saturated and more immersed in a darkness befitting to it’s name.

 

I’ve taken to wearing Black Moon before bed, as I find it’s clear and glittering wet stage very relaxing and then I can drift off to sleep in a glow of musk-soaked fruits.

[cranberry]

At first this is all orchid, pear and jasmine. As is wears the pear recedes and orchid and jasmine becomes a bit stronger. I can smell something that adds depth to the blend, taking it beyond a simple fruity-floral blend.

 

The orchid is gorgeous in this oil and I’m now an avowed orchid lover. The lotus blends beautifully with the orchid, as does the musk, both adding a smoothness to this oil. When first applied there was a green note blending with the pear that disappears as it dries and wears.

 

In sum, this is gorgeous. It’s just as beautiful as its companion, and they smell heavenly when worn together.

[MaidMirawyn]

I've come to really like Black Moon, since buying a bottle off Stella.

 

In the imp and wet, it smells pretty much the same: very, very jasmine. I mean REALLY jasmine.

 

But as it dries, a wonderful thing happens: the jasmine recedes. The other notes begin to develop and blend, until you have a fruit-floral-musk blend that's absolutely wonderful.

 

It's definitely a perfume scent, and I think it's a nice "night" scent. I wear it during the day myself, but I do think it smells like the scent of flowers on a breeze, with a touch of the night-blooming flowers. It's relaxing, and subtly sexy without being sleazy.

Edited February 14, 2008 by MaidMirawyn

[hkhm]

bottle: pear with florals... and then some more pear.

 

wet: the jasmine flares up but the pear is keeping it well under control.

 

dry: this is pear and jasmine once dry as well, but for once (just once, mind you) i am totally loving the scent of jasmine. this smells just like jasmine flowers on the plant, that sort of sweet freshness you can bury your face in. and, well, i just love pear regardless.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Light, aquatic, but musky. It smells very familiar...ahh it reminds me of Gibbous Moon.

 

Wet: Floral, in a soothing, feminine way. It has depth and warmth - I think because of the orchid. The musk is really, really delicious and grounding. I'm getting hints of pear, but this is not a sweet oil. This smells LUXURIOUS - refined and well balanced.

 

Dry: Wow, my skin has really amped that orchid. This primarily orchid-musk with layers of other yummy things. It's quite heady. I only dabbled the tiniest bit - very strong throw with this oil. It's morphing more! Cucumber, and other fresher notes, are emerging. This is a truly amazing blend.

 

Summary: Herby-cool-cucumber-orchid-musk. It's a cross between Buck Moon, Blue Moon, & Gibbous Moon. It went from smelling like GM, to BuM, back to GM, and then to BlM.The lunar oils really emerge after about an hour. I just can't believe how this one keeps morphing.

 

I love the later stages but the strong orchid for the first hour is unfortunate - orchid doesn't seem to work on me.

[heathercaley]

Wow... all I can say is Wow! I LOVE this. Watery pear and orchid... I'm totally digging on this.. It's lovely and sweet without being crazily sweet or crazily watery... just a perfectly juicy blend. The musk makes a bit of an appearance behind the main notes that I pick up (pear and orchid) so it gives it that bit of a perfume feel...but it doesn't overwhelm at all.. so it's not a traditional perfume, but you get that perfume feel...

 

 

5 minutes later jasmine is poking her head through to say hello to orchid and pear. Morphin away!!!

 

Another winner!!!!

[Dark Alice]

I smelled this at my greylen's house when I first started this obsession 2 years ago. I loved it then and snagged a bottle. I love it even more now that its aged! It's hard to believe it has taken me this long to review this bottle!

 

In the bottle: this perfume evokes an image of a hot summer night from home. Damp with humidity, mixed with the smells of fresh cut grass, warm bodies, firework smoke or bbq smoke and the sweetness of foods long past consumed.

 

It's literally a summer night in a bottle from home and two years later, it is still a warm summer night with in a bottle. Black Moon will always be one of my favorites!

[mgrazulis]

I was not the least familiar with some of these so I had to do a little background check! Motia is more usually called palmarosa, and is a species of lemongrass. Massoia is derived from the bark of an Indoneisan laurel, and is described as having a creamy or buttery coconut smell with undertones of fruit. Calamus, also called sweet flag, is a kind of fleshy rush whose leaves and rootstock yield a sweet-smelling, possibly lemon-scented oil.

 

When I smell Black Moon, it does not smell dark to me at all. It's subtle and quiet, but not dark. The notes are quite difficult to distinguish especially with a head full of allergies. I definitely smell the pear and cucumber. The florals are cool and pale and fleshy. I also detect a creamy, thick note with a hint of nuttiness, which must be the massoia; loving that!.

 

This is cool and white, delicate. Out front is the orchid with the jonquil, very light and pure. It has a distinctly herbal undertone, though not particularly lemony. The cucumber and pear keep this from being dry. The musk, too, is very light and delicate.

Visions of a moonless night, lit and brilliant with stars! This has a secretive, luminous quality; very subtle and witchy!!!

[nellieburger]

In the imp: A brilliant blend of pears and cucumber - it's sweet and delicious!

 

Wet: The initial notes of pears and cucumber fades drastically, and becomes non-existant. Florals come out to play.

 

Dry: Black orchid dominates, and is followed by a pleasant crystal musk.

 

Black Moon is amazing!!! It's powerful, yet it's not overwhelming. It's very feminine in a womanly way - it's not girlie at all. It's very sensual. I like it - a LOT!!!

Edited August 22, 2008 by nellieburger

[isisonearth]

Imp: Fruity, almost melon type scent, mixed with jonquil and a surprisingly sultry orchid.

 

Wet: It darkens and has a more woody feel with a nice herbal mugwort.

 

Dry: It starts to revert back to the smell it had in the imp. Light and fruity but now it is joined but the lemony motia and still has a herbal note and a touch of musk.

 

The scent of a warm summer night, muggy and close, fruits are beginning to ripen, flowers are a bit overblown and some of the greenery is just starting to wilt.

[ouch!]

This is a thick perfume that's quite floral (The Orchid) and slightly fruity. It's the pear..I think. This is a darker version of Lune Noir, that has the same pear vibe but it's more pretty than Black Moon. But it still isn't THAT dark if I'm honest. It's quite perfumey and reminds me slightly of "Poison" eau de toilette sometimes when it waft, even my SO said..."I've swear I've smelled that before somewhere" This is all in the wet stages.

 

I thought it would smell completley different, cucumber?? no siree! Crystal musk I was extremely excited about but have no idea what I'm looking for so..couldn't say whether it's here on not, the blend does have a slightly musky edge though...now I'm really dying to smell crystal musk on it's own.

 

It calms down a bit as it dries and goes much sweeter and still holds onto the floal element. There is still no sign of cucumber. This is a very feminine blend, and would be nice as an evening scent.

 

It's a pretty blend but not what I had expected.

[gchris]

in vial: heavy, floral

 

wet: the orchid is most predominant at first, then the pear comes through and lightens the blend a bit giving it a freshness. There is something coming through that is not very sweet. Smells a little like tree bark but without the bitterness.

 

dry: my initial reaction is my conclusive opinion. heavy floral! need I say more?

[pinkstardust420]

Um.....coconut? Why am I getting coconut blended in here? This is a beautifully sweet, soft floral...just gorgeous! Beth is amazing. But I keep getting that soft coconut! (Which is just fine with me!)

[CreamyJade]

In the bottle: PEAR!!, flowers.

Wet on skin: Slightly fruity, orchids. I get a coolness from the blend.

Dry on skin: Sweetness, dark florals.

Final thoughts: I've previously enjoyed Black Moon's younger sister, Lune Noire from 2008, so I decided to try this one. This blend is so feminine & sensual. The pear is less apparent than in Lune Noire, so the blend is more mature. Again, beautiful!

[MisterShrapnel]

This is almost alarmingly different from what I normally prefer (wheeere are my tastes going these days?), but I still have the uncontrollable urge to wear it out at night in mild weather. In a dress? Everything about this is almost too beautiful.

Black Moon has that quiet, almost funereal mood--but more, er... goth-chic, really, as it's not so mournful; pretty, pale, and shadowed.

The first thing I notice is the PEAR, a note both juicy/fruity and delicate, blending seamlessly with pearly white flowers (or maybe it's the "black orchid"? A previous reviewer mentioned a "fleshiness," and I completely agree), the slightest fresh touch of cucumber, and that ethereal and luminous crystal musk. Very gently sweet overall, and calm. I'm not as familiar with the Lunacy blends, but this smells like the moon. Cool rather than cold; glassy like a smooth, organic-shaped sculpture rather than a mirrored sheet that's been broken into jagged and biting shards... and despite its perfect elegance, the scent melds well with the skin.

The pear keeps this blend from becoming too piercing, but at the same time my mind keeps bouncing back to those glass armonica things, or maybe a scene involving elves from the recent Lord of the Rings films (I am living with a permanent and terminal Lord of the Rings obsession, I apologize).

This is a beautiful fraternal twin to Schwarzer Mond. I should try layering the two...

 

[Ondine]

This is very pretty on me, and I can pinpoint exactly what it smells like on me: Sand & Sable. Which is fine, because I used to wear Sand & Sable quite a bit when I was really young, and I always liked it. Here, Black Moon smells sweet, with light gardenia, and not a hint of pear or cucumber. I am enjoying this blend on me!