Old Moon

[maribouquet]

The cold earth slept below;
Above the cold sky shone;
And all around,
With a chilling sound,
From caves of ice and fields of snow
The breath of night like death did flow
Beneath the sinking moon.

The wintry hedge was black;
The green grass was not seen;
The birds did rest
On the bare thorn's breast,
Whose roots, beside the pathway track,
Had bound their folds o'er many a crack
Which the frost had made between.

Thine eyes glow'd in the glare
Of the moon's dying light;
As a fen-fire's beam
On a sluggish stream
Gleams dimly-so the moon shone there,
And it yellow'd the strings of thy tangled hair,
That shook in the wind of night.

The moon made thy lips pale, belov'd;
The wind made thy bosom chill;
The night did shed
On thy dear head
Its frozen dew, and thou didst lie
Where the bitter breath of the naked sky
Might visit thee at will.

A dark, still winter's night. The cold, white moon shines on frozen ground dusted with silent snow: evergreen, juniper, winterberry holly, bayberry, Viking black chokeberry, hemlock, and yew, ice-rimed, gilded by traditional lunar herbs and flowers.

Old Moon is almost sweetly snowy on me. (It reminds me a bit of Cloister Graveyard in the Snow, which I love.) The evergreen and other dark green notes are present but very much quieted and lying still together.

This is lovely - such a surprise as it's very different from what I'd expected. Very glad I took a chance on Old Moon. Snow lovers will be in ecstasy - I predict this will be a widely held favorite.

[dronzeka]

Interestingly, I get way more evergreen than snow from this, though the snow note is definitely there. Initially it's a blast of wintry pine/fir/spruce (sorry, I can't really tell my evergreens apart!). As it dries down, the berries make an appearance - they're subtle, but present; they add a nice sweetness to this. And there is a sort of hint of the lunar herbs and flowers underneath, like a very distant bass note (terrible metaphor!). I like this VERY much. It reminds me of Skadi, though I should add I only have a little half-imp of Skadi that I hoard like mad, so I'm not doing a direct comparison and may not remember it very well at this point. I think it's also a LOT like The Snow Storm, although I find it a bit more feminine with the sweetness of the berries. ETA: Yes, I did a side-by-side comparison of the Snow Storm and Old Moon, and they're very similar, but the Snow Storm has a woodier undertone, while Old Moon is sweeter from the berries/lunar herbs/flowers. Both are pretty gender neutral, though, and while Old Moon is sweeter, I think guys would have no problem wearing it (off to attack the husband... ).

Edited January 5, 2008 by Anna D.

[Eros]

In the bottle I get a blast of cold and forest tree(yes, all of them), resins. On skin, even better. Snow, slush, cold, trees...with the moon reflecting its light off the frost of frozen, lightly sweet berries. A lovely, barely sweet, barely there mint hovers beautifully in the background.

This is easily one of the most perfect snow/winter blends ever. Truly a work of art. Quite simply, stunning.

[TheIceMaiden]

When I initially applied Old Moon, I did a double take (or double sniff if you will)...it really reminded me of Skadi! Old Moon had that similar snowy, everygreen, and berry scent. But as it dries, it becomes a bit greener - I could pick out lots of bayberry and green notes. The cool, snowy scent is still present as well, but very subtle under all that greenery. Old Moon is, to my nose, a cousin of Skadi and some of the other past Yule blends, but unique in its own way. I'm really enjoying it so far!

[alicia_stardust]

Old Moon is GORGEOUS. It has the perfect mix of snow and evergreen, the soft coolness of juniper, and an under layer of lunar florals and herbs. My favorite part, however, is the way the berries cut through the snow and evergreen to give this a cool, sweet bite. Even though this isn't the same as Skadi when compared side by side, it's the closest any scent has come to it since. Old Moon is just so evocative and wintry; not too snowy, not too piney, not too much of anything. It's just perfect and beautiful.

[sookster]

first off let me say the label artwork is just gorgeous

 

straight sniff from bottle is sweetly snowy with delicate balances of evergreen and juniper...

 

once applied this gets so gorgeous...something minty and berry...this is a complex

and beautifully cold perfume...beth delivers this full-force to the masses; her interpretation is

nothing short of astonishing...i am thrilled to have a bottle

[cabinwench]

Oh, this is better than imagined. The snow and various evergreens of The Snow Storm, and a cold purpley-red juiciness of berries (a bit similar to the grape/berry note in Shivering Boy), with an overlay of cold sweetness from the florals, but this doesn't jump out as "A Floral Note", per se.

 

On the skin as it dries, the pine green notes lighten up, and more berry sweetness comes to the fore. The resins never disappear, but they take a more supporting role. There is a slight note of earth after drydown (it almost smells like...toast?) This scent seems very dependent on where it is on my skin--sweeter on the fleshy area between forefinger and thumb, a more astringent true "lab snow" note over my wristbone.

 

The snow note I love in Snow Flakes is in here somewhere.

 

I re-sniffed the bottle after wearing this for 15 minutes. Holy Moley, it almost blasted me out of my chair.

This is not one I would sniff from the bottle and think "Oh, yes, I want to smell like this". There is a huge amount of morphing going on here.

 

The initial sharpness and the loveliness of the drydown makes me wonder what aging will do to Old Moon.

 

I really regret only getting one bottle. This is hoardable.

[puck_nc]

Origin: Straight from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: I cling to my partial imp of Skadi and am always ready to try another snowy evergreen scent in hopes of finding one that is comparable.

 

In the Bottle: Very cold and green and fresh. I'm getting mostly the snow scent and the evergreens with maybe just a tinge of the berries.

 

Wet: A strong blast of cedar and chill, along with the juniper and some of the berries. Just like being in a winter forest on the coldest night of the year.

 

Drydown: The sharpness in the scent mellows down very nicely, leaving a soft evergreen in its wake, sweetened slightly by the berries.

 

Verdict: I like this very much, although I'll probably do a side-by-side comparison with Skadi, Mistletoe, and The Snow Storm in case I don't need them all.

[scarletgenesis]

Though Old Moon has alot going on in terms of "ingredients", it seems to be a rather clean, simple scent underneath it all. I like that, and think that it will be a good one to energize me when I need a pick me up.

 

In bottle- citrus! Woah!

 

wet/on application:still citrus with a spicy undertone (juniper/evergreen)

 

drydown: citrus...winter berries

 

dry: evergreen. Very crisp with a bit of resin. Still some citrus and berry which sweetens (but not cloyingly so) and lightens it up some. Quite lovely.

 

Later...this is gorgeous, and I keep catching whiffs of it when I turn my head. I think this is a good gender-neutral scent as well. I may eventually need to get another bottle.

 

ETA: Is it me, or do Old Moon and the Jersey Devil smell alot alike? I'm okay with it, since I think they are both amazing. But I wanted to know if anyone else got this?

Edited January 11, 2008 by scarletgenesis

[cranberry]

Ohhh, this is gorgeous! When first applied this smells cold, sweet and of evergreens. As it dries mint starts peeking through. It’s like the watery mint in Snowflakes or Tulzcha, plus maybe a bit of cucumber too.

 

There’s berries too, melding beautifully with the snow, mint and slush notes. This is absolutely gorgeous, as is the bottle artwork.

 

This is similar to Skadi, but I think this one is slushier, mintier, and with a touch of cucumber. And without the spices/cider that Skadi has. They’re not identical but near cousins for sure.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle very soft evergreen with something pale, cool, and luminous in the background. very nice! it's like cold, cold winter in the forest at night. with snow in.

wet on skin spruce, spearmint, and some dark, astringent, yet sweet berry, not unlike juniper, but fruitier.

dry on skin i love this. it has a vaguely candle-like smell; i think it's the berry that gives it a sweet waxiness. the evergreens are dry, cold, and heady and stay true throughout the drydown. my only complaint is that it gets eaten up pretty quickly, but the sweetness carries on much longer. a superb blend and i'm pleased i took a chance on it. i never would've thought i liked it except that jabberwocky introduced me to the possibility of really enjoying evergreen scents.

[suileach]

Old Moon is a masterpiece. It works beautifully both as a personal and an evocative scent.

 

In the bottle, there's a fierce burst of tart berries - the kind that only birds can eat - and winter wind.

 

On my skin, it's a swirl of crisp snow, blood-red berries, and a hint of evergreen - mostly a subdued juniper and yew. All of the elements are balanced and are gorgeous together.

 

It's a dark, deeply cold scent, but not a threatening one. Death has passed by and the predators are sated. The small creatures of the night rustle in the bushes; tiny birds rip fruit from the chokecherry trees. Above all, the moon - cold, bright, and ancient - watches.

[lamenteuse]

in the bottle: green, tart, and...oranges?

 

wet: mostly a greeny, piney mix.

 

dry: um, much more green than I wanted. I was really hoping for those berries to pop out more.

 

verdict: 2.5 out of 5 kind of meh for me. not bad though, but you have to be in the mood for it.

[Sushi-n-Sake]

Old Moon is beautiful. This is the crystalline quiet of a cold winter's night in the forest. I wish I had more than 1 bottle!

 

Bottle: Snow and Christmas trees!

Wet: Bayberry jumps out at me, along with the juniper and an icy, minty veil covering all. Additionally, the lunar oils really stand out in this one.

Dry: The berries come out, and they seem more tart than sweet. The evergreens linger in the background. The fragrance is fleeting and doesn't last more than a couple of hours on my skin.

 

On me, this is very different from The Snow Storm - while that was primarily balsam, this is mostly bayberry. I absolutely love this!

 

ETA: This oil is incredible in a scent locket! The frosty mint sticks around and I keep getting wafts of it throughout the day.

Edited January 10, 2008 by Sushi-n-Sake

[Seelix]

I originally wasn't going to get Old Moon, as The Snow Storm turned bad on me, and all of the reviews were comparing the two. Thank goodness I did! This is a greener, fruitier version of Nuclear Winter. It has the lovely arctic chill that I adore in things like Nuclear Winter, Hunger Moon and Cloister Graveyard in the Snow. If that wasn't enough, it then adds a lovely green undertone and frosted red berries sitting on top of the snow.

 

This is such a delicate and lovely scent!

[Akurarei]

Old Moon

 

In the Bottle:

Smells familiar - but I've been playing with lots of Yule blends so maybe my sniffer is numb.

 

On my Skin, Wet:

Herbs, Snow & Daffodils!

Mostly snow & Daffodils - I can smell herbs but I can't identify them (mostly I'm not familiar with my herbs - I only cook with Rosemary)

I *think* I can smell the lunar oils, but with a numb sniffer, who knows?

 

On my Skin, Dry:

::POOF!:: almost not there!

Daffodil & Snow, very little Herbs... no detectable lunar oils.

This one smells very much like Snow Maiden on me....I don't know why (Snow Maiden was NOT one of the Yule's I was playing with before applying Old Moon)

 

Verdict:

Not a favorite, but hanging on to it because I've decided to buy every single 2008 Lunacy this year since I've been sporadic about the Lunacies.

5 of 10 Ranking (Since it seems to be a Snow Maiden duplicate, anyway)

[Czarina]

In the bottle: juniper and hemlock.

Wet: sweet, sweet evergreens.

Drydown: lovely sweet evergreens with a hint of sugar and snow.

 

This one got compliments from people I walked by.

 

Average throw and wearlength.

[euterpe414]

I really love this blend! I have tried (and love) a lot of juniper/evergreen type blends, and I must admit sometimes they begin to all smell a bit similar, but the lunar oils and faint hint of flowers in this blend really set it apart from the others. All the notes blend very well together, and really give me a clear picture of a snowy forest at night time. I find it's very relaxing to wear this, since the mental image it gives me is one that puts me in a nice, calm place

 

My only complaint about this blend is that I wish it lasted longer on my skin, but I will try wearing it in a scent locket in the future to see if that helps extend its wear and throw.

 

Overall, this is a beautiful winter blend that I will enjoy very much.

[QueenFae]

A frozen, chilly, pine forest winter scent. My first thought is Skadi, without quite so much of a bite. This is a familiar scent for me, as I find pine very comforting. My husband's favorite scent is Skadi, so I'm sure he'll love this. It's quite masculine, not my kind of thing to wear, but quite lovely to sniff. A beautiful scent, but I have quite a few like this already. (Skadi, Ice Queen, Snow Bunny, Snow Moon etc.)

[steelxrose]

Old Moon has the snow that I wish came out in the Yule oils I've tried. And I adore Beth's snow blends. It's minty, it's green, and it's cold. Perfect! Now, to hoard it.

[hkhm]

bottle: icy, green night. this really smells like a startlingly cold night in the woods. not quite as piney as the snow storm, more snowy.

 

wet: more piney once applied. this is a very deep green, chilly scent.

 

dry: this dries very similar to the snow storm but where the snow storm is more sharp, this is more smooth... like untouched snow between ancient pines with air so cold it hurts to even breathe. this is still and quiet as opposed to the flurries evoked by the snow storm.

[alhbooks]

Juniper and pine, definitely, and certainly chilly. Not as sweet as Snow Maiden or as icy as Snow Storm, but a good middle ground. I don't get any citrus or mint, but every now and then a hint of cucumber...the florals and herbs show up a little later, but it doesn't last as long on me as the other two.

[mamoyer]

Hkhm's review says it better than I could have myself; that's exactly what I think of Old Moon. It is a gorgeous scent, very evocative, but unfortunately I don't think it will be used by me much--I don't often like to smell cold and pine-y, but when I do, The Shivering Boy is my scent of choice for that!

 

I would LOVE to have a candle that smells like this, though! Maybe I'll keep it for room scenting....

[taramarie]

On me, Old Moon is a lot of pine over something sweet. It's gorgeous and I'm glad I have a bottle.

[Little Bird]

I love Old Moon as a room scent, and my boy acted like it was the best room fragrance evah, lol. It's cold and foresty. I smell the juniper and evergreen most strongly, and I don't think I could ever pull off juniper as a personal scent. It has an almost spearminty crispness to its greenery. To my nose, Old Moon is a bit snowy and minty, but mostly a strong juniper and evergreen. I like a softer pine note for perfume, but this is a great home scent. Very crisp and pretty.