Schwarzer Mond

[stellamaris]

The keeper of secrets: opoponax, Tunisian black amber, night musk, antique patchouli, zdravetz, terebinth, myrrh, and Pimenta racemosa.

Well this is a little bit of heaven isn't it? Wish I had gotten, oh I don't know 10 bottles maybe? This to me is strong and complex, and lovely. I do not find the patchouli to be super overpowering, nor is anything else over whelming. heaven I say.

[calivianya]

It hasn't even been out of the mailbox four hours and already this is a rich sweet resin blend, perfectly balanced and dark. I don't know why I didn't just go ahead and order two bottles, at least, instead of one. It is fabulous.

Edited July 21, 2011 by calivianya

[Dark Alice]

I have the pleasure of owning Schwarzermond 2006. This is just fabulous. Wet: It's dark mysterious and spicy. Dry: Slightly sweet resins with gorgeous patchouli. I might have to track down a partial of the 2011 and just age it.

[SophieCedar]

Wet: a Dr. Pepper poof comes out for a millisecond. Now I really want a soda. Too early for that. A pine resin waft accompanied the soda smell. Dr. Pepper in the woods. Now I want to go camping. Anyways, both burn off quickly. It turns dark resinous and slightly powdery, but more myrrh frankincense powder, NOT baby powdery. Lovely smooth woody spices that manage to stay out of pepper or old spice territory. I attribute this to the tunisian part of the amber. me and Tunisian anything have a great history.

 

drydown: oppoponax, sweet and dark. The amber powder part passes. The bay tree comes out a little more ensuring the spiciness doesn't fade away. I'm here with a wonderful intoxicating tunisian bay resin smell. I could laze around in this all day. Thanks, Brian.

[Monday]

I got a decant of the 2006 version (frimped by the amazing Chaoskitty!) and the 2011 one (bottle). The 2006 is -obviously- more aged and smells of fresh pine resin when I put it on, it then deepens into a cola-like dark resin and incense scent and has tons of throw. Strangely enough I like to put it on before I go to bed. I've been treasuring this little decant.

The 2011 version is reminiscent of the 2006 one, although it's more raw and has a prominent peppery note. I'm so glad I got this one, although it's amazing already it will be even more so aged!

[Akurarei]

Schwarzer Mond 2011

 

In the Bottle:

Musty Patchouli

 

On my Skin, Wet:

Musty Patchouli with some dark resins and a hint of what smells like smoke.

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Still musty, but the patchouli has subsided.

the smokey dark resins are taking the forefront - nice but a little heavy on the smoke factor on me.

 

Verdict:

undecided - it's an interesting blend, but it's so outside my usual fare that I don't really know if I find it pleasing or if I'm just tolerating it for novelty's sake.

 

ETA:

OK, it took 3.5 hours, but this is now truly a deep dark gorgeous resin scent.

I really do like it in this stage, but the smokey, musty pacthouli phase is a little off-putting.

Edited July 27, 2011 by Akurarei

[Dark Alice]

Evil Dr. Pepper with resins. This is so light on me...which is a shocker. Since the 2006 bottle is so much stronger. This would be sooooo much better aged. I have a feeling that if I track down a bottle and age it it will become as glorious as Schwarzermond 2006.

[countessmouse]

Musty resins with no real pop, and no staying power. Meh. Probably need to let this imp age a bit before trying again.

Edited July 28, 2011 by countessmouse

[mistressfizz]

This is for the 2011 version.

 

Sniff: Warm and resiny, a bit spicy

 

Wet: A flowery smell emerges that's sour and dolorous. Kind of like a funeral bouquet, but this one is laid upon overturned earth and sickly sweet woods. This is rich and dark, quite heady with strong throw. I don't get patchouli outright; I think right now the resin and whatever plants are in here are drowning it out.

 

Dry: A musky, deep resin. Still expecting the patchouli to appear, but it seems to have melted into dust. Maybe the fact that it's already aged is the reason why? I wonder how many years "antique" refers to.

 

The wet phase is a little off on me, but the drydown is pleasant enough. I'm not totally in love but I think I'd wear this more in the winter, since it's so dark.

[milo]

In the imp, dark cola and resiny musks. On, more dark musk and less cola. (Yes, it is kind of more like Dr. Pepper!) I found the previous incantation more cola heavy, this is definitely more on the musky side. Both are incredibly 'dark' blends, though leaning towards the masculine side. I like both, but swapped my 08 version away as I just didn't wear it enough to justify keeping it. Still, this is a sweet, dark slightly cola vibe, and I may track down a bit more at some point.

[edenssixthday]

Schwarzer Mond: Brian's Creation (2011) - My tastes have changed a lot over the years. This is my review of the original 2006 version. Apparently I indicated I was going to get rid of my bottle. I didn't, and a year or two later, I tested it out and fell so head-over-heels in love, that I tracked down a backup bottle. It doesn't look like I reviewed 2008, but I remember smelling it and not being impressed. But I still loved my 2006. It just got better with age. This year's Schwarzer Mond didn't impress me either at first. But it's now been a couple of months since I received it, and I have to say, I'm liking it more! I think what this pattern shows is I like aged SM! The aged SM 2011 smells warm and woody, husky and kind of spicy, and musky and patchouli-ish, and just really sexy. I still have my bottle of 2006 and while I don't wear it often, when I'm in the mood for this scent, I'm sooo glad I have one that's so well-aged!

[Icekitten]

2011 version:

 

From the bottle it smells a bit fruity and dark.

 

Wet: Smells like cookies, foody, musky but also fresh, weird to discribe.

Dry: weird, scent is very faint, light muskyness and detect a bit sweetness and foody, could be that it needs more age for my skin, need to press my nose to my wrist to smell it.

[asciident]

2011 version:

 

Wet: Myrrh, patchouli, and a strong amber. Sweet.

 

First on: Once on my skin, the patchouli is much stronger. A little overwhelming.

 

Dry: As it’s dried, it’s mellowed out. Still gently sweet. Mostly myrrh and patchouli, but smells a bit like a headshop.

 

 

[JazzieCazzie]

My 2006 original bottle, and testing a full decant from my own bottle, now aged, oh, shall we say 7 years? Working my way through my entire collection, putting aside scents that don't work and will become part of the upcoming swapapalooza and what will be added to wishlists.

 

But for now ...

 

IN THE IMP: Spicy delicious cola thank you, I believe, to the opoponax, while the resins make it more syrups.

 

Slather pretty lavishly on wrist and in crook of arm.

 

WET: Spicy coca cola, right down to nose tingle, but also has throw of what strikes me as fresh turned dark wet dirt in a vegetable field. They all combine so perfectly, this is about as good a wet scent as there is.

 

DRYDOWN: Still spicy, rich, resiny, woody and cola-like, deep and delicious, hours later. Nothing wrong here.

 

OVERALL: Just a damned perfect blend. On a scale of 1-5, a 5+

 

EDITING TO ADD a little note on the 2013 version (I have an imp of the 2008 which I did not review, and never tried the 2011 so not sure if the difference here is a matter of aging or a possible tiny change in the formula) ...

 

Still amazing, fabulous, gorgeous and brilliant and I still bow at Brian's feet for this scent. But what I noticed right away was a hit of spicy sweetness that wasn't as prevalent in my 2006 blend ... It reminds me a lot of Shub. Is it possible there is some ginger in this? Whatever it is, it is absolutely still fantastic and still rates a rare 5+ on my meter.

Edited February 15, 2014 by JazzieCazzie

[Magycmyste]

Honestly, I don't know what any of the scent notes smell like, so my impressions probably won't use those notes. This is a 2006 bottle, so it's definitely aged.

 

In the bottle: I can tell where one of the above reviewers said it smelled like Coco-cola. It does smell like that to me, but a bit sharper, like alchohol. So... more like a rum and coke, or a vodka and coke, to me. IT's got a subtle sweetness to it.

 

Wet on skin: There's a soft, nutty scent coming out now. This is beautiful. The Coke-ness is fading to the background a bit.

 

Dried down: Oh, this is soooo pretty! The nuttiness is still prominent, but mixed with some soft spices (almost ginger-y, but not quite), and a floral. I'm not getting the Cocoa-cola scent at all now, but I'm not complaining. I think I'd rather have this one. There's something remniscent of sandalwood or incense, the nutty scent makes me think of almonds or pecans, and I honestly have no idea what the floral is tying it together, but it's a beautiful blend! I'm pretty sure one of the notes I'm smelling is the Tunisian black amber, but I have no idea which one.

 

Throw: I get almost no throw from this at first, but after it's been dried onto my skin for a few minutes, I'm surrounded by this beautiful scent.

 

Verdict: ***** This was just so pretty, from start to finish! I think the aging helped. This is definitely a keeper for me.

[bellumed]

Original 2006 version:

 

Basically, if you like resin, you'll like this. Myrrh and patchouli and just a touch of amber, mmph. Yes. I can understand comparisons to cola or nuts, but it certainly doesn't bother me. This is... just good.

[Jangzonrice]

got the 2013 version. I love it since I love resins especially in cold weather. wet: goes on strong with a deep resiny sweetness. DRY:still has the resiny sweetness, but the patchouli and other ingredients add a woody, cologny feel to it. the bf says it's manly and yes, it would be fantastic on a man, but I think it is definitely sexy for a woman as well. happy I got a bottle!

[schneagl]

2013 Version

In the bottle: Sharp herbals, resins, a little woody, but also a bit sweet. It reminds me a little of the coke syrup we had when I was a kid that was used when we had upset stomachs.

 

Wet on my skin: Herbal with resin in the background with strong spice/incense notes.

 

Drydown: Warm spices, woody herbs and resins…the pattern's pretty clear, eh?

 

Later on: The throw is light to moderate on me and lasts a few hours. It's lighter on all fronts than most other herbal or resin scents I've tried. If you're into herbals, this is an awesome blend!

[zankoku_zen]

Schwarzer Mond was super resinous, powder, and almond.

 

Yeah, that's all I got.

Edited July 30, 2014 by zankoku_zen

[Sarah Morehouse]

Schwarzer Mond is putting me in an altered state. It smells like the kind of Jamaican ginger beer that has actual chunks of ginger in it, and undisclosed spices. It smells like Snake Oil's motorcycle badboy boyfriend. It smells like sneaking out after midnight to bury an effigy during moondark. It smells like gazing into the scrying glass until your eyes feel about to pop, and the swishing shadows that move beneath the glass that keep you looking. It smells like bare feet in chilly dirt, nightblooming flowers on a damp breeze, an owl putting serious thought into whether you might be food, and inexcusably expensive resins smoking on a brazier.

 

On me, I can't tell if I love it or hate it, but I'm fascinated by it and will definitely keep it and keep testing it.

[LizziesLuck]

This is 2011

 

Wet: OMG, that musk...It has aged so well. Thick, sweet, dark musk. The amber is also amazing. This is such a rich, dark, heady scent. The Myrrh is very present, and lovely. The patchouli is muted, which I am happy about, I love a bit of patch, but already have a ton of patch-centric perfumes. I wanted musk and Myrrh, and I got it!

 

 

Dry: This is dark and beautiful. Mostly Myrrh, on me, with lots of musk and hints of patchouli, and some other indescribable nuances. So glad to have it.

[violetvorpal]

2006 version. I tried the 2008 version in the past and I was not a fan. The 2008 one was strong opoponax on me and I did not like it. I decided to give it another shot and try 2006! And I am so happy I gave it another shot!

 

In the bottle, it reminds me a lot of Siberian Musk. Slightly cola-like. Kind of yucky.

 

Wet: The cola smell is completely gone (thank God because I do not like how it smells in the bottle!). Gorgeous patchouli and amber. Very sophisticated.

 

Dry: How did this get even more amazing? It is feminine yet dark. Very romantic to me. I would definitely wear this on a date night. This is one of the best patchouli and myrrh notes I have smelled from bpal. It is soft, sweet, yet dark. What a beautiful combination of resins. Thankfully no opoponax this time! 2006 you are a winner!

[Lucchesa]

I was generously frimped an imp of 2006 Schwarzer Mond, and it is gorgeous. Rich, syrupy, dark. The only note I could make out on blind testing was opoponax, but I peeked while it was still wet and couldn't identify half those notes away. Yep, opoponax, with myrrh, black musk, and chewy patchouli. I'm wearing this on a sunny spring morning and it's more of a January or sexy evening scent, but the throw is so low on me I could wear it anytime I wanted to channel this rich powerful dark energy.

[Something_Diabolical]

I have a decant from Schwarzer Mond 2011.

 

It is a rich and quite sweet scent but not powdery. I can not smell any individual notes. And yes it reminds me of cola like some other reviewers. But it's still very wearable and complex. 

 

I'd buy a bottle if I find one for sale. 

[lilyluxe]

This is a really deep and spicy resinous scent! It actually reminds me a lot of Minotaur (one of my faves) but a less smoky, juicier version!

As very rich, non-powdery resin, with a bit of fruity sweetness. Upon initial application, I was getting a sweet almond smell that dissipated pretty quickly and ended up leaving behind a fruity sweetness. 

 

I would describe this smell as what it might be like burying your face in the velvety fabric of a sorceress's cloak. Rich incense, spices, earth, and magic.