Schwarzer Mond

[shelldoo]

Schwarzer Mond: Brian's Creation
The keeper of secrets: opoponax, Tunisian black amber, night musk, antique patchouli, zdravetz, terebinth, myrrh, and Pimenta racemosa.

in the bottle: aptchouli and bay rum

wet: all patchouli

as it dries it softens, i detect some amber, but it doesn't go all powdery as ambers sometimes do. it is rather a sweet, somewhat woody, bayrum scent w/ a patchouli and musk kicker. the musk is a sexy, almost predator type musk. very sexy. while black moon is soft, fragile, feminine, schwarzer mond is it's opposite. verile, predatory in attitude, sexy, and alluring. this is a stand out, and watch out i am entering the arena. w/ patchouli so strong in this blend i am betting it ages in an amazing way. very well done brian!

after a while the spicy myrhh starts to shine thround, it becomes a myrhh, patchouli, resinous musky, sex in a bottle. i am in love...

[ivyandpeony]

In the bottle and wet, this one is very earthy - as earthy as a scent can be without distinctly smelling like soil, or mushrooms, or patchouli, or any note you'd specifically identify in the earthy family. It seems to be very dry, as opposed to sweet (not as opposed to wet).

 

Once it dries down a bit, Schwarzer Mond becomes gorgeous and resinous, a wicked and spicy amber with a hint of the sweetness that was missing at first.

 

This is beautiful and wearable now - and I am really looking forward to seeing how it ages!

[Jettcat]

Ok, I have a confession...I hate Patchouli, I always have

Someone please tell me why I love this?

 

In the bottle: what the hell? It's herbal and kinda stinky?! But here goes.

 

Wet: A touch of smoke and something sweet, is that myrrh?

 

Drydown: This is teh SEX! Something in there shares a note with Spanked. It's soft resins and sweetness and a touch of booze in there, I swear. Yes, it's official, I have fallen in love with something that's got a lovely patchouli note.

I can't believe I just wrote that sentence. Beth, how do you do this? I probably shouldn't ask, it's a matter of NATIONAL SEKURITEE! Maybe if the GOP smelled better, they wouldn't be such wankers.

 

I'm now alternating sniffing wrists like a weirdo...

 

that was a short trip

[slave1]

In Bottle: Dark sweet resin

 

On Skin: I exclaimed “Oh yum!” when I opened this bottle. I didn’t expect this at all!!! It is a super dark and sweet resinous blend. I get the opoponax right away, the sweet resin commands this scent. The terebinth and myrrh add to the resinous feel making this have a sticky feel. This scent is black for sure, with a slightly golden brown tone. The night musk gives it a very sexy edge… a black fur blanket. The patchouli is actually quite pretty, earthy but not dirty. YAY! Patchouli is my least favorite note but it’s my friend here. The amber gives a soft spicy feel as well and is slightly powdery but not enough to make my nose twitch. I am not familiar with Zdravetz but it’s supposed to be a geranium-like note. That might also add to the earthy feel I get. All in all, this is a resin blend without a doubt. Deep, dark, swet and sticky. More masculine I feel, but I will be wearing this too because I LOVE it. Not a typical scent for me, and not one for the lab either. I can’t say it reminds me of any of their other blends. Huge kudos to Brian!!!!! I love that these two scents are the polar opposites of each other. Two completely different feelings and I love them both. Strong throw and long wearlength.

[the_cat_goddess]

I received my Schwarzer Moon today. I thought it was Kindly Moon when I ripped into it, and was confused. Now I understand the patchouliness!

 

It smells similar on me to a lot of the darker amber blends. I smell similarities to Snake Charmer and Snake Oil, espcially. Too dark and perfumy for me, but I know this will be a popular blend! Now, Black Moon.... Oh, yum!

[nineveh]

In the bottle: Total opoponax.

 

On me, wet: Opoponax and a wonderful patchouli with a subtle spiciness and touch of booze.

 

As it dries, the spice, which is clove-like, comes out more.

 

When it's finally dry, I can pick out a dark, smooth musk.

 

I'm having problems describing this (I can't think of any other scent to compare it to--maybe a shallow similarity to Montale Patchouli Leaves), so I'll just say that it's a warm, resinous, sweet, nuanced patchouli blend. It strikes me as mysterious and sexy.

 

I can't wait to wear this in the winter. Excellent job, Brian!

Edited September 22, 2006 by nineveh

[filigree_shadow]

Oooo, yeah, I can definitely smell a similarity to Snake Charmer at first, but this is darker and smokier. The patchouli is great in this. OMG, the opoponax and myrrh... OK, Schwarzer Mond just shot up to one of my top 5 LEs. My hubby is going to love this too. I think the amber is making it just a little bit perfumey/powdery/sweet on me, but definitely not overly so, and I even like that quality in this one.

 

For a dark-and-smoky-loving gal like me, this is heaven.

 

Dammit! Only got 2 bottles. Crap.

[Inanna9]

Okay...I keep saying I don't need a man in my life right now, but it's settled: I need a man in my life right now, if only so I can slather him down in Schwarzer Mond.

 

This is some strong, resinous stuff. I get primarily amber (gorgeous amber note!) and patchouli, and it's a smokin' alpha-male patchouli too. I'm guessing the light powder and oriental sweeteness is from the opoponax, and spice from the myrrh, and I'm not picking out the musk per se, but that's because I think it informs the entire blend, hence the alpha-male vibe. This smells like incredibly expensive, regal men's cologne. I can only imagine how it will age. Wow.

 

Well done, Brian!

 

...and I just had to edit in order to report that on complete drydown this gets even more gorgeous and mellows into a rich, resinous wood. guh. guhguhguh.

Edited September 22, 2006 by Inanna9

[savage_rose]

In the bottle: A distant relative of Doc Buzzard. Spicy, with a note that smells like cola or root beer (effervescent earthiness).

 

Wet: Dark and brooding, and a little smoldering. This is a hot, wet blend...it smells earthy and damp, but spicy.

 

Dry: More incense-y...myrrh and musk, with the vaguest hint of patchouli. Really great patchouli, light and very understated. This blend is fabulous! Spicy, warm, and mysterious...it smells like a voodoo blend of some sort, like magic is being worked, and mysteries are being created. "Delicious" and "exciting" don't go far enough to describe this..."portentous", that's the word to describe this blend.

 

Complex and fabulous...bravo, Brian!

[portalkat]

Dark, a bit spicy and resiny. There is a sort of herbal note which reminds me a bit of horehound, although I think that it's the zdrevetz combining with the resins and the bay rum. I can smell the amber after a bit and it adds some creaminess to the spice and bite of the myrrh. The antique patchouli is beautiful and it is the strongest note that I smell after 6 hours. I knew that this would be beautiful and I'm so glad that I bought 2 bottles. This will age beautifully. Good job, Brian

 

ETA - 11.19.06 I wanted to add on to this review since the oil has had a couple of months to age. This has become so smooth and mellow. The sharpness that was present in the beginning is gone and it has gotten a lot sweeter. This just gets better and better

Edited November 21, 2006 by portalkat

[forspecial_plate]

First sniff from the bottle make me groan out loud and my eyes rolled back in my head...right away I knew that Schwarzer Mond was dark and sexy, something special. It had a very boozy feel to me out of the bottle.....complex. When I put it on the first thing I thought of was thick, black molasses with licorice or herbal notes slowly turning in the murk. I think it was just the scent as a whole making itself known assertively, I couldn't really pick out any individual notes. Then as it started to dry, the throw increased, and at this point I started to think maybe I didn't like this after all. It was SO dark and thick, and rich, that it was intimidating me and actually upset my stomach a little, although I was really hungry. The patchouli did come out for a while, and I also sensed that black licorice feel again. I would say this stage lasted about an hour, maybe less. Then the dark musk started broadcasting from me, reminding me a bit of Iago. This is where it more or less settled, with the sweet resins making themselves known but not overpowering the musk. It faded into a sweet, spicy resinous blend that my skin did suck up significantly....although as usual I might just have really dry skin today. After it faded in intensity I was reminded a few times of Voodoo.

 

I wouldn't call this love at first sniff. 'Portentious' and 'regal', taken from previous reviews, really are good words for this. I know I want to wear it again, but it might be a blend for special occasions. Or special moods. A very challenging scent!

 

edit: Second try, today, it's not overwhelming like it nearly was yesterday. Maybe yesterday I was over-sensitive because of empty stomach, or maybe I put too much on. Still liking it!

 

final edit (sorry): I eventually decided that the final dry stage was too heavy with a bay rum type scent. My skin took it into cloying, cheap smelling men's cologne or after-shave territory. This may have improved with aging...but I decided to swap it away and give someone else a chance at it.

Edited October 17, 2006 by Forspecial Plate

[Astburygrrl]

In the Bottle: Bright patchouli intertwined w/ geranium & bay rum..mmm!!

 

On the Skin: Now there's the opoponax..sweet resinous & slightly bitter florals

 

Afterhours: Mellowed down to a very sexy black amber/night musk(?) haze..it feels great wearing this blend..I knew I was a fool not to order more than one bottle!

 

Oh, and Brian..here ya go Well done!

[goth_hobbit]

In the bottle: Musk and patchouli, with a slightly bitter myrrh note.

 

Wet: The amber comes out almost immediately, and something in this is reacting to my chemistry like a leather note. It’s heady, warm and spicy; I get a color association of rich sable and midnight blue.

 

Dry-down: There’s bit of a powdery note taking the edge off of the spice, but this is by no means a bad thing. Wet, Schwarzer Mond is unbelievably rich, going to my head almost like brandy on an empty stomach. A bit of moderation helps me to appreciate the notes. This is where the musk truly blooms and the zdravetz starts to emerge. The opoponax adds a rich, earthy note ...and I think that I either want this fragrance to artfully ravish me, or I want a specific someone to put it on and do so.

 

Mature: The scents have blended to the point where it’s almost impossible for me to pick one out from another. The musk is still there, with a little bit of patchouli spice; everything else is a glorious chorus of notes. This is a warm scent; one that I can describe only as large and enveloping. It’s not necessarily a man’s perfume, but there is something unabashedly masculine about the fragrance. It carries the impression of a male of strength and confidence without braggadocio. Throw is on the light side of moderate, and it has fantastic staying power.

 

The Bottom Line: The sub-description is “the keeper of secrets”, and it truly fits -- because I smell libraries in this scent. Schwarzer Mond captures the scent of book and wood and hard-won knowledge gathered night after night. I will be hoarding this one.

[perclexed]

In the bottle, this smelled quite a bit like "Gnome" to me. I wasn't sure I'd really like it, but oh boy am I glad I tried it. Very earthy, but with a sweetness that tempers that rich, soilish feeling. I get a hint of black licorice, but that's quickly tempered by the amber and patchouli. This really blends amazing well on drydown, and is an utterly gorgeous scent. I'm so glad I got this!

[moonarcana]

A deep peppery resinous incense swirls up into my mind and hypnotizes my senses. Schwarzer Mond as a woman's fragrance exudes confident control - unafraid of the dark as it taps into the ancient secrets and wisdom of the Crone.

 

And any man who wore this scent would command my complete and undivided attention. Rrrrrawrrll!

[LiberAmoris]

Schwarzer Mond is so wonderful. First off, antique patchouli. Yum. Then opoponax. Double yum. But with all the other exotics in it, it's just one surprise after another. It's resiny, ambery, and rooty. It's dark but not without a shot of brightness in there somewhere, and a little bit of earthy sweetness.

 

But what really wins me over is that there's something in here that smells to me like books. Like stacks of books in the basement of my college library, like their bindings and that wonderful smell that the pages get after a few decades. It's one of my favorite smells in the world. I'm so happy to have it bottled up in Schwarzer Mond!

[AliBabble]

ahhh, this is delectable, and definitely my favorite of the two black moons. in the bottle, i think i am first smelling deep, rich opponax - it is reminding me of cola syrup (when i was a kid, doctors would sometimes prescribe "cola syrup" for nausea - a dark rich concentrate, i haven't smelled it in years!) - and a touch of something root-y and black licorice-like. patchouli is often a problem for me, but not so in schwartzer mond - this patchouli is so smooth, and manages to be so dark and rich, without turning sweet or powdery. spicy cola amber patchouli incense is what i'm getting, but so smooth. will we perhaps be seeing more blends from brian??

[Gale]

Oh wow.

 

Wet: Strong--earthy in a take-no-prisoners kind of way.

 

Dry: Gorgeous, beautiful! Warm, dry, resiny, earthy, woody, and spicy. Did I say gorgeous and beautiful? It is. Not overpowering, all of the components blend seamlessly. I too, will wear this alot in the coming cooler weather.

 

Yet another bravo for Brian!!! Encore!!!

[Orodemniades]

Mm, Yum-ee.

 

Wet: I can smell patchouli and what I initially took to be Dragon's Blood, but now see is Amber, and it's a lovely amber, too, for the Lab's ambers don't usually smell this good on me.

 

Drydown 20 min: Mm, much sweeter now, but still not a lot of throw. I swear I smell black pepper, and mebbe something lile honey?

 

Drydown 1hr: Oo, I like this! Still not a lot of throw, just deep spice with a hint of cream and honey. It's not like Bengal, though, this is...cold weather spice, not hot.

 

Drydown 3hrs: the finish is very reminiscent of how Snake Oil smells after about 8 hours - faint, a good 'up close and personal' scent. Hubba hubba.

 

Glad I got 2 bottles!

 

Oro

[SultryWolf]

In the Bottle: A spicy herbal, and black pepper.

On: A masculine patchouli with a light feel - not sure what note is adding that! - and a gentle waft of pepper. Yeah, there's no pepper listed in the notes, but something sure is reminiscent of it! This is masculine in the sense that a fella wearing it would smell quite manly; however, on a woman - such as myself - it is sultry, not "masculine". After several hours, it's settled into a sweet patchouli-myrrh. Fairly strong throw, and lasts well.

 

Layering with Black Moon adds a whole new level of scentual assault. Actually, rather than true layering, I have one on one side and one on the other, so that the layering effect takes place in the throw, and changes subtly in the air. That was, of course, a by-product of testing both at once but I adore the effect and will do this again intentionally. Many times.

[theblackcloud]

Schwarzer Mod reminds me of walking in the Valley of Fire. It reminds me of walking on the sand, how it was hard to move my feet and yet I kept going. It reminds me of the sun, the sand and the dirt we kicked up. I reminds me of the petroglyphs, seeing the past and wondering what else may be waiting to be found by modern man. I know some people may not like the desert, but I could spend days walking around in it and having my senses come alive.

 

Still battling a cold, but here goes...

 

Bottle: Amber, patchouli and something else

 

Wet: Amber, the patchouli fades and myrrh

 

Dry: Amber, myrrh, musk and other things my nose is not quite sure of... but I like it a lot

 

*edited for spelling

Edited September 26, 2006 by theblackcloud

[absinthetics]

In the bottle this is all amber, pathcouli and opoponax

 

Wet, the myrhh comes out...

 

There is something a little sweeter in here, ... I will definitely have to pick up another bottle of this, for the sheer mystery.

[minnalavender]

Schwarzer Mond is a keeper. Mmmm.

 

To my untrained nose, no one note stands out on my skin. I agree with the reviewers who have noted pepper in the blend - maybe it's the way the antique patchouli reacts with my skin on first contact? This patchouli is a revelation to me, so sweet and subtle, not the kind you smell on unwashed people at music festivals. I don't detect amber as a distinct note so much as knowing it's keeping the resinous scents nice and sweet without going all powdery.

 

This scent is very gender-neutral. It would smell equally as good on the right man as it would on the right woman. It's dark and sexy, spicy and mysterious, and very subtle. Not a huge throw, which is good - this is one you want someone to have to get close to you to detect. I think it will also age beautifully, as do all the Lab's oils.

 

Wish I'd bought more than one bottle, but I will treasure this one.

[UltraViolet]

In the Bottle

Sexy, incensey, dark, and twangy.

 

On

This reminds me of Noir, it has that slightly smokey oponomax, and slightly sweet incensel. A bit peppery because of the pimenta but it's lovely.

 

30 minutes

It turns even more smokey on me after 20 minutes or so.

 

Throw:

Yep, a bit.

 

Scent category:

Resinous/Incense/Woody

 

Summary

I love this, I think I used to much initially as this blend has quite a presence. I put just a dot on my other wrist when I wore it later later and it was just Heaven. Thank you Beth.

 

Purchase again?

Yes! I'm glad I purchased more than one bottle.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4.5

Edited September 25, 2006 by UltraViolet

[Teggy]

In the bottle, it actually smelled a little like CocaCola. Yeah, I know, I'm wierd.

 

On me it's definately resiny. Dark, resin, amber, herbal. This evokes thoughts of emptiness. Like I'm smelling a cup of smokey black tea, but the tea isn't actually there. Masculine, but in that sense, it reminds me of a Ken doll. This is how Ken would smell. Just a hint plasticy on me. I have no idea when or where I would wear this.

 

I'm not sure if this is a keeper for me, but I have a feeling it won't be. It's a nice scent, but just not for me. I'm really glad I tried it though. It ended up lasting for several hours with lots of throw, so wearing sparingly.

 

I actually feel a little bad writing this up cause I don't want to hurt Brian's feelings. for Brian.

 

(Note: It's already been swapped, so don't ask. )

Edited September 26, 2006 by Teggy