Hunter Moon 2007

[Jilara]

... Dry leaves, autumn bonfires, blood red wine, feral, animalistic notes and the chill of approaching winter.

Hunter's Moon is a lot lighter than I would have expected for something autumn-y.

Wet, it's creamy musk with a mossy undernote.
As it dries down, there is a background of fallen leaves that comes out, very subtle. Don't get any wine. Maybe I drink so much red wine I can't smell it -- just part of my normal skin chemistry now! No bonfire notes, either. Usually the fleeting stuff comes out during drydown, before departing, but I haven't gotten either wine or smoke.

Dry, it's mostly creamy musk. Reminds me in some ways of Minotaur, with a little bit of Coyote, but I can tell it's a lunar blend. Under the musk, it's still a little bit woodsy, but very, very subtle.

I like it, but I think I prefer Coyote, for similar sorts of scents. Pretty, but this is almost too subtle. It also stays really close to my skin, while Coyote has reasonable throw. Still, I think I'll keep it for those quiet moods. Edited June 19, 2008 by Shollin

[euterpe414]

Hunter Moon, on my skin, is a sweet, creamy musk. There are definitely wine notes in this, but they are very soft and not extremely fruity- just a touch sweet. I can't really detect the dry leaves and bonfires- there isn't any smokiness to my nose in any of its stages. The musk in this is very soft and 'fuzy'- similar to Coyote, Buck Moon and A Bachelor's Dog. The lovely musk isn't always apparent- sometimes it gets lost in the sweetness of the wine but then I can catch a trace of it moments later. This scent stays very close to my skin after the drydown, but wears on for quite a while. I really enjoy this one and it is surely tied with Singing Moon as my favorite lunacy blend so far this year.

[DenMother]

WOW, I was really wary of ordering this at first but thanks to Funky and the enthusiasm of others I decided to give it a try, I was worried about all the notes and quite frankly couldn't even begin to imagine what it would really smell like. I then ordered a second bottle on a whim because I got the whole "OMG what if I love it and can't get more syndrome" Oh boy! Am I glad I did!! This is divine, I would never have thought it but it is.

 

I love the bottle, the art is gorgeous

 

Wet: Quite sharp and the wine is very apparent, like sniffing a dessert wine, acidic but sweet.

 

First applied to skin, The wood and the musk come out to play, wow these notes are strong.

 

During the first 10 minutes: I am a little afraid because it changes rapidly on my skin and I am not sure what to expect, it morphs from threatening to be musk of doom to flickering through a powder flash all in a few moments and then settles into a OMG take me now scent.

 

Dry: Oh come to mama, this still has that sharp musky edge, the wine has receded almost completely, this is dry but oh so smooth, it is sexy, it is smoky, it is a little bit of Snake Oil, Priala, Coyote and Mr Brown Jenkins all come to tea on a crisp autumn day.

 

Pass the cookies please

 

ETA: This little beauty is going to age magnificently!

Edited September 22, 2007 by DenMother

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Smokey

 

On me:

I'm lucky enough to own a bottle of the original Hunter Moon (it was one of the first BPAL blends I ever fell in love with) and I can say that the two versions are similar in a way, and yet totally different. Both of them have a smokey outdoors vibe, but Hunter Moon original is MORE outdoorsy to me than this version, which is much more sweet and spicy.

 

It does have a smokey quality to it, but where the original is leafy and floral with incense and smoke, this one is smokey in a spiced, sweet incense way. In fact, it makes me think a little of Three Witches (another favorite) because the spices are so dominant on my skin. It's backed by a sweetness that makes me think of the "cakes" note in All Souls.

 

Final note:

Definitely a new one to add to faves, I adore this. I love it in a different way than I love the original, the two are pretty different in the long run. If you like All Souls, Three Witches, or Monster Bait: Underpants - give this one a try (I find it to be similar to all three of those in it's own way).

[minilux]

Uh oh, this doesn't remind me at all of the original version and it seems to contain the dreaded baby powder musk, so this is a no go for me. With its sweet, soft, smokeyness, I can see it being incredibly popular and fully expect to see a zillion ISO Hunter Moon! posts in the swaps.

[Beazlebabe]

I'm SO disappointed in this.

 

I was expecting something that smelt like boars in heat running through decayed leaves but what did I get?! A sensuous, pale, slightly powdery musk accented gently by wine, autumnal breezes and old-growth forests (I swear). WHAT.

 

It's a robust and gorgeous perfume, just not quite what I wanted it to be.

[cuervosueno]

... but I do think that there's a touch of leather in this scent, giving it a musky-leathery quality, along with a low-lying natural, outdoorsy sweetness that's vague and indefinable (at least to my nose). Maybe the leather is all in my head, but I don't think so. I get soft buckskin, sweet grass, indian summer hazy sunshine and late season fruity sweetness.

 

Valentina pretty much wrote my review. I expected this to be more musky and animalistic (maybe not quite boars in heat....but.....), and this is soft instead. don't get me wrong--I love it--it just isn't what I expected.

 

It smells a little like sweet wine in the bottle--just a touch of it--but on me it is a soft powdery musk with just a hint of spice. The spice surprised me--the note is not quite cinnamon, but almost, and it reminds me, oddly enough, of Bankenko though this is softer and more complex. I can totally see the soft buckskin, and it reminds me slightly of Coyote as well.

 

Whatever the musk is, I don't think it is red musk, because in the end, I can't really wear red musk--it's too heavy. This is much softer and more powdery and I love it. There is something that smells almost like coconut too....It's an odd scent, because what I get from it is nothing like the described notes.

 

But I am SO glad I bought it!

 

I forgot to say, on me this is really really sweet, so while it reminds me slightly of Coyote, it is sweet not dry on me.

Edited September 22, 2007 by cuervosueno

[clover]

This was nothing at all like I was expecting, and for the first time in quite a while I had my heart broken by a scent.

 

Sniffing from the bottle: really light spice.

 

Upon application: It goes through a lightly spicy stage, but turns pretty quickly to a light coconut scent. And coconut, on me, smells exactly like plastic. There's not a hint of musk, or anything feral or animalistic. Weird. I'm even wondering if there's something strange with my bottle.

 

Conclusion: I was really looking forward to this, even though lunar scents don't generally call my name, but I would never wear it.

[savage_rose]

This smells like mint musk on me. Mint musk, almost like mint chocolate chip. It's kind of nice, in a weird way.

[Rhowan]

** HUNTER MOON **

 

In the bottle: Creamy warm musk with a hint of powder

 

Wet on my skin: Warm creamy musk with a hint of powder. No smoke from bonfires, no red wine or winter cold. Just a very warm, comforting scent - It reminds me of curling up in my flannel pajamas and reading a book by the fire.

 

Complete Dry Down: Still warm, creamy powdery musk! It hasn't changed much except to get warmer and snugglier.

 

Conclusion? This is not even close to what I was expecting!! It's a good thing though since wine notes are very iffy on me. They either go warm and sweet (Blood Kiss) or really sickly medicinal (the Medoc in Montressor -ICK!) Hunter Moon is a creamy, warm musk that turns a bit powdery. It actually reminds me of Smut but where Smut is a dark pinkish red, HM is a warm golden brown. Great Throw and very, very sexy!!!

[hipslike___cinderella]

I have a history of feeling lukewarm about Moon blends, and have nearly stopped ordering them, but one thing called out to me in the description: "feral, animal notes". Yum. I am of the small camp of Black Annis lovers, and I ignored my dislike for wine blends in hopes to find another lovely civet-like oil... there just aren't enough out there.

 

Upon sniffing for the first time, I almost wanted to giggle. Hunter Moon caught me off guard... it is so sweet! Sweet and musky, the true-classic description sort of musk. The kind I wanted. It also reminds me of the "doeskin musk" in Coyote. I also smell that foreboding booze, berryish wine in the background, but I hold my breath and apply, hoping that it will keep in its place.

 

Oh, goodness, this is still very sweet. But-oh! I smell it. Those animal notes. This isn't a dirty or scary animal musk, but a sweet (I know, I can't stress that word enough), and almost... charactered musk. It's jaunty, it's nearly cute. This isn't a photo realistic buck; this is Bambi. For whatever reason, on me this stage is solid, and it never went anywhere from there. Not even slightly. No change. The throw was light to medium, and the wear was rather short in duration.

 

I waited for the bonfire, the leaves, and it never happened. Even the wine didn't show, except for just a NUANCE of berry. Overall, I'm not disappointed, because I like this anyways, but it's not what I expected. It could stand to be less sweet , but I asked for musky-musk-musk, and I got it!

[jade_starlight]

Oh, this is nice. Hunter Moon is a warm, sweet, smoky musk on me, without even a hint of wine (which is probably a good thing.) I think there's a hint of fur somewhere off in the background, which makes Hunter Moon perfect for a passionate encounter with your favorite lycanthrope.

[pariahsdream]

Reading over the notes I do have to say I am disappointed by Hunter's Moon. I'm not one to get gaga over fruits or foody scents (as they seem to be quite popular) I'm a patchouli lover and like my spicy/musky/leathery scents.

 

This was none of these.

 

I was not thrilled when I took a whiff from the bottle but I decided to forge on and try it on the skin- since I have had scents morph on me. Unfortunately, giving too much credit here.

 

Hunter turned COMPLETELY baby powder on me. Not even a nice scent to blend with it- just baby powder. It actually reminds me of my first bottle of perfume I had as a kid. I have no idea what it was called- it was a small, twisted bottle with a lilac-colored cap. I am disappointed in general with the Halloweenie scents (and I'm realizing that woods means stay the HELL away) but ah well, someone will like these, no?

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle hm, sort of a dry, rich, fruity smell with an undertone of dark green and musk. it's slightly cologne-y, in a heavy, heady way which i normally don't care for, but which is really appealing here. there's just a trace of muskiness which rounds out the blend.

wet on skin it's still slightly cologne-y, but not overwhelmingly so. as i said, it's very appealing. the wine and what i'm assuming are musks are very nice and the whole thing is so incredibly dry.

dry on skin this is a weird phenomenon. what i'm getting from hunter moon is bottom notes only. i keep snuffing at it, thinking i'm going to get a glittering top note, but there isn't one. it's very dark and thick, but not heavy at all.

two hours later there's a not-quite-fruity, not sweet wine, sort of a dry red with no tang. i really like this. and i'd like to experiment with layering, because i think this would make an excellent candidate with its strong, strong bottom notes.

Edited September 25, 2007 by ravenfeathers

[darkblade]

Bottle: I have no idea.

 

Wet: Does have a bit of a feral smell to it.. and I think I'm getting the wine.

 

Dry: Oh lookit, wine. I'm getting bits of musk, there's some feral bits..

 

Verdict: I think this one just might not quite be ready yet. I'm going to hang onto it, and try it again in a month or so.

[alicia_stardust]

HUNTER MOON - I have found a new favorite autumn lunacy!

 

Wet: This is gorgeous! I smell a high-pitched autumn scent, wine, and a touch of musk.

 

Dry on Skin: I'll say it again: this is gorgeous!! There's a very strong dry red wine in there, and I smell dry autumn leaves and musks. The musks do well to express the tension of the last harvest and the hunt, and yet the musk is not so animalistic and feral that it scares me off. The musks come off as creamy and dry, almost comforting. There's a coolness to this scent that calls to mind the chill of autumn air at night. There's also a sense of being surrounded by forest. There's a nice little finishing touch of dry fire and spice, which goes so well with the musks, leaves, and wine.

Edited September 26, 2007 by alicia_stardust

[Eemia]

I just about didn't order this because from the listed notes I was picturing something a lot more masculine and aggressive. But this is surprisingly soft and almost has a vanilla base...or at least a warm, slightly sweet note. This is what I imagine when I think of an Autumn fragrance.

 

A beautiful musk note was dominant at first application. Reminiscent of a wood forest, heavy with dead, dry leaves. But oddly enough completely without the actual wood. Something is very open about this, and warm. Nothing feels chilly or crisp to me. A deep spice lurks about...it's like breathing in swirling ash. Personally, that's my favorite part about this.

 

It stays very true during the drydown. Other musks appear and that same strange vanilla rides it out. There is a suggestion of bitterness as well that deepens the overall fragrance. This turned out to be something I will wear all the time.

[Little Bird]

Hunter Moon 2007 worried me at first. I have a hard time wearing wine notes, and there was a definite snap of wine at first, sort of metallic and sharp and reminiscent of rotting berries. There is also a light hint of something spiced. Spiced wine, only the wine isn't working well for me. After a few minutes, though, the wine completely vanishes and, as other reviewers have said, this goes very musky with a touch of smoke. The light, sweet, creamy musk was unexpected, but I actually rather liked it. Hunter Moon continues to morph steadily into Total Baby Powder stage on me though, which is when I start hating it. Powdery scents and dry scents really don't work for me. The musk was lovely if this didn't turn to fullout baby powder...

[ceej]

There’s a softness here underneath the leaves and wine—the “feral” notes are likely musks of some kind. Woodsy, dry, like warm furs laid out before the fire. Definitely a fall scent. Thumbs up, wish I'd gotten a second bottle.

[waternight]

In the bottle: Sweet resins. I'm thinking black musk and amber, which does not bode well.

Wet: BABY POWDER LIKE WOAH.

Dry: After a few hours, the crazy strong baby powder scent fades into a generic sweet musky scent. Hunter Moon, you are not for me.

[Em-]

Like others, I was very surprised by Hunter Moon...I adore the first one, which has aged into a gorgeous blend of dark, animalistic musk and spicy autumn wine. While I didn't expect this one to be the same, I wasn't expecting the sweetness at all.

 

In the bottle, this smells like a light wine, a soft wooded glade, and vanilla.

 

On my skin, the vanilla amps like woah, leaving a really nice scent (I happen to be a big fan of vanilla and am always happy to find it in a blend that isn't inherently foody) that is worlds different from what I expected - that vanilla, and a hint of a soft musk - whomever said buckskin is right on to my nose, as this is very similar to coyote, but with, well, vanilla bean. I get virtually nothing of wine or leaves or anything else really. So, not at all what I expected, but a happy surprise, nonetheless.

[jewelbug]

 

Bottle: Cologne like and musky. I can only assume this is one that blossoms on the skin...

 

Wet: As soon as this goes on, I'm hit with an intense sweetness--almost vanillic. It quickly takes on a musk-from-devil's-night note (or maybe its the bonfires) and a strong note very reminiscent of sweet, soft leather.

 

Dry: Its a lovely sweet musk scent...occasionally during the wear it reminded me of dorian, occasionally of devil's night (so maybe dorian's musk and devil night's fires?). Its a hint powdery, a hint vanilla, and overall a very sophistocated musk blend. This one strikes me as a pricey perfume.

Overall: Well, I never smelled wine or dry leaves, really, but what I did smell was fantastic. It lasts a very long time and has amazing throw. it was still wafting all about me after 12 hrs, and I hadn't even applied that much! I can see why this is so popular, and I can't wait to smell it once its got some age on it. Could easily go masculine or feminine, I think.

[Rackham's Vanity]

I have never had a scent morph so quickly on me before!

Here were the three distinct stages of Hunter Moon on my skin:

 

1) (When I stepped out of the house) Super dry musk, super super dry. Almost made me a little sneezy.

 

2) (After walking for about a half mile, getting the blood pumping) As my skin warmed, the red wine came out, making the musk richer and much less dry. Loved the wine note at this stage, which was not apparent upon application.

 

3) (After getting home and working at my desk for a while) Buck Moon. Buck Moon. Buck Moon. Teh yummeh!

 

Next time I wear Hunter Moon I'll pay closer attention to its subleties...I'm sure I missed a lot as I was running around town, preoccupied. But long story short: if you like Buck Moon, this blend is for you!

[edenssixthday]

Hunter Moon 2007 - This smells nothing like I expected. I thought I'd get the scent of leaves and smoke, but instead, it smells strongly of pear and powdery musk -- it's like what you'd get if you crossed Perilous Parlor with Enraged Bunny Musk. It is incredibly strong and sweet when I first apply it, but it fades significantly after 15-20 minutes, leaving little behind but a faint trace of fermented pears and a hint of sweet, powdery musk. I keep smelling the fermented apple scent wafting around me, but can't really pinpoint it on my skin, oddly enough. This scent is not something I expected to like nor is it something I would typically wear, but I like it.

[n3m3sis42]

In the bottle:

I totally got cough medicine from this in the bottle.

 

Wet:

Mostly the wine note is what I smell at first (which I guess was the cough medicine smell for me). After a few minutes, I get the musk as well. I can see why people are thinking of Snake Oil from smelling this, although I am not a fan of Snake Oil and so far, I am a fan of Hunter Moon.

 

Dry:

This took forever to dry down, but when it finally did, I got something that was sort of like a mix of Mme Moriarty and Snake Oil. This could be kind of awesome.