Lunar Eclipse

[UploadedLobster]

Red musk, black currant, violet leaf, wild frankincense, lavender, black orchid, Darjeeling tea, vetiver, red moss, myrrh, Moroccan spices, blackened fruit gums, and tobacco.

This goes from being a floral black-musk bomb on me to a fabulous dusty, lightly sugared violet in about five minutes. I keep getting whiffs of it and feeling very elegant--it's got sort of a Victorian mourning aesthetic about it. Nice stuff.


Lobster Rating
better than: crumpets

[alicia_stardust]

OoooOooooo! This is amazing! It has a dark, dry, almost dusty quality to it: deep red musk, dark resins, tobacco, and swarthy vetiver. Beyond that, the black currant, violet leaf, and lavender peek out from behind the stronger and more prominent aspects of this. This has a very dark and complex musky quality to it and it's such a perfect expression of a lunar eclipse.

 

My skin doesn't like the vetiver note, but since it doesn't dominate too much of the blend, it's still wearable and it's absolutely PERFECT in a scent locket and an oil burner.

[porcelina]

the vetiver totally destroys lunar eclipse for me. when i first got my bottle it had a pleasantly sweet, smoky kinda thing going on but now it just makes me gag. definitely one for the swap pile.

[lilirose]

Wow...this one is completely amazing. I can't believe I waited so long (and decanted a couple of frimps from my unsniffed bottle) before I tried it.

 

It's soft and almost...dim, with little to no throw. I slathered, and still have to put my nose right next to my skin to smell it. With the particular notes listed, I expected it to be right in my face, but it's not.

 

I honestly can't pick out the individual notes, with the exception of the vetiver and the tobacco, which simply add a grassy, dewy scent without screaming "VETIVER!!!" or "TOBACCO!!!" It has a gentle, incensey sweetness- not full-on fruit, or full-on frankincense or myrrh, either- I want to call it "biting" but it's so soft it's barely a nibble. There is also something I detect that seems both deep and watery, though it’s probably a result of the combination rather than a character of a single note.

 

Each lunar eclipse has great significance for me. It is sacred to me, a night that I take time to honour and reflect upon my spiritual evolution. This scent captures my reverence perfectly, and the rest of my bottle will be among my most treasured possessions.

[goth_huntress]

Hate it. Yuck

[steelxrose]

Oh the bitterness in Lunar Eclipse! I was hoping for more musky-curranty-lavendar. I think I might age this one, just to see if it changes any.

[gchris]

In Vial: Incense perfume

 

Wet:Lighter but with some kind bitter bark scent. Spicey and bitter

 

Drydown: The bitterness has gone and the has become a very light incense.

[Epiphany]

In the bottle...this smells like an ashtray, mixed with musk, lavender, and spices. Uh...not good...

 

Wet on...it is much the same ashtray smell, though less concentrated. As it dries, other notes come through--the frankincense and musk. It it a very dry scent, with hints of the lavender, tea, and violet. However, the scent of stale ash is still the strongest thing on my skin. It is not something that I like...so, not for me.

[SarahScent44]

In the bottle, it's very dark, indeed - definitely get frankincense, moss, myrrh, and tobacco.

 

On my skin, there's a definitely smokiness to it, and a blackness - tobacco, myrrh, and vetiver.

 

When it dries, it's lighter now (but lighter in weight, not lighter in color, if that makes sense) - the currant's come up, the tobacco is still richly present, there's a hint of the lavender, and in the far background, there's the musk, myrrh, and vetiver. Interesting, but not really for me.

[cinderfallen]

I'm stuffed up, so I'll probably edit to give clearer impressions, but Lunar Eclipse goes on as a really manly cologne. It settles down and it's not nearly as claustrophobically musky and muddled with spices. I definitely get the blackcurrant, which lends it the same sneakingly sweet and fruity note as Mme. Moriarty, as well as the more subdued smoothness of violet leaf. The tea and tobacco give the scent a textured feel, and there is an almost minty/citrus-y topnote which I'm almost certain is acacia--the blackened fruit gum.

 

I wish I could smell it better so I could decide whether I like it or not.

[Lycanthrope]

Lunar Eclipse, stalking the wild BPAL.

 

Brushing the fronds away from my face I'm intrigued by the slightly toasted fruit gums, sticky sweet but dark and delectable, emanating from the clearing ahead of me. I take in another sniff before meeting the beast itself, detecting the spikier, sharper scents on the wind of moss and vetiver adding a menacing chill to the stage. I push through some more brush to get closer to the wild bottle, which is pawing and stamping at the ground before us, its screwtop lid ajar and bouncing in fury. Time to wrassle! *WHAM* I hold the rare Eclipse beast to the ground and touch against its sleek cobalt blue skin, and a rush of notes flurries up about me, and I'm confused, and overwhelmed, and I have to try to sort out what I'm experiencing. There is a nose-cooling fluster of spice, sitting on a dry base of red moss, myrrh... the red musk can be seen as a menacing red glow in the beast's eyes, but the interesting thing is that the animal mostly smells like deep, squishy, evil currants, with enough spiky and ferocious orchid to add a keening wail and growl to the mix. The bottle is again looking menacing, and I think I've had enough of this adventure, running full clip back through the brush to escape the spiky, ferocious, smoky creature in hot pursuit.

Edited May 7, 2008 by Lycanthrope

[dorothy humbird]

I agree with cinderfallen -- in the first five minutes of application, Lunar Eclipse was quite manly. Perhaps not so intensely masculine as to take it out of the "gender neutral" realm, but if it had stayed there, it would have kept Lunar Eclipse out of the running for scents I'm likely to wear much.

 

As it is, after the first blast of MAN-SCENT (instinct tells me this was the vetiver playing with the musk, tobacco, and lavender), it calmed down into a well-blended melange: musky, slightly sweet, smooth, not-quite-floral-or-fruity. Other comments on its being difficult to smell after a while are true for me, too... I have to get right up to my wrist to pick up on it now, and it's only been an hour and a half or so.

 

There is a definite "dusty" quality here, but it's not something that throws itself out -- it sort of mutes the stridency of notes that might otherwise be dominant (musk, vetiver, etc.) A little while ago I was thinking, "oh, the blackened fruit gums are out now," but only 15 minutes later, they're not very noticeable. Just a sweetness (probably helped by the black currant) to add another dynamic to the fold.

 

I'm not sure how I feel about Lunar Eclipse. It's intriguing, and a stellar blend, but not really me. I doubt I'll be reaching for it often. I do suspect, however, that it'd be divine on a man, and if I had one to test this on I'd be wild to do so. In the meantime, I might just find a better home for my little decant.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Whoa heavy vetiver

 

Wet on me – The vetiver is still the dominant note, something sweet and berryish tries to come in from the background, but it’s quickly smothered

 

Dry on me – It disappears very quickly to faint musk

 

Overall – I’m afraid I got sucked in the hype, but this just didn’t work on my skin

[milo]

This is very strong on me. My skin is amping the red musk like there is no tomorrow. I really don't get the fruit or floral, the rm just takes over. A little too much for me.

[jentifer]

Immediately hit with frankincense, tobacco and red moss. Thank goodness the violet leave and Darjeeling tea aren't far behind, and they herb it up until the sweets come to play. But the sweets are subtle. This has an ancient feel to it; rich, dark, and historical.

[medvssa]

I like many of the notes here but... it turned to rusted metal and syrup on my skin. Veeery weird.

[zankoku_zen]

This one is dark and dusky fruits slightly dusty. This one is a very dark, very heavy scent on me. The musk is counterbalanced by the fruits, which are a little pulpy and jammish, but the heaviness of the musk is a good counterpoint. I don't think of this as 'masculine' per say. It's hard to categorize. Dark fruits and florals.

 

It makes me think of the phrase 'woman of the night'. Literally.

[jewelbug]

In bottle: Dark, musky, masculine, lots of vetiver, I think.

Wet: Still strong on the vetiver, but gets sweeter almost instantly. Not supersweet, just sweeter than the super vetiver in the bottle. A hint of the cola scent that I associate with Voodoo. This smells red to me. Like red vetiver cola, actually.

Drying: Vetiver root beer, actually...there isn't sassafras listed, but i'm getting that root beer feel from this.

 

Early Dry: The vetiver seems to back off quite a bit, and I get a musky, dark scent, with a hint of dark fruits (currant?) and resins. There's also something slightly citrusy around the edges--tea maybe? Its sweet, but not overly so, and dark and pretty sexy, actually. I can also pick out a slight bit of lavendar, which brightens things a bit.

 

Late Dry: Everything backs off and I get winey dark fruits. It reminds me of montressor, actually. Faded montressor plummy wine with a bit of musk.

Overall: I like this, but it doesn't wow me, and isn't something I can see making its way into my regular rotation.

 

ADDED Jan. 31:

 

Bottle: Dark, kinda bitter jungle green and black. Vetiver? Dark resins?

 

Wet: Dark, wet, jungle greens, dank and deep and a little dirty, yes, bitter, but there is something a bit sweet that comes through, too. I have no idea what it would be. Its definitely hard to pick out notes in this, but overall it’s a dark jungle scent to me. Kinda masculine for my tastes.

 

Drying: This rounds out, is less jungle-y and bitter, though that dark greenery sensation is definitely still there. The sweetness has developed into a dark currant/plumy scent, kinda syrupy. There’s also a hint of more herbal-leaning greenery, verging almost to a mintiness. It’s a very nice balance.

 

Dry: The sweet dark fruits take over this blend, stay at the forefront, and are supported by deeper green herbal notes and a faraway musk/resin. Its very nice, much less harsh and gentler than how it started.

 

Overall: This is certainly an enjoyable blend. It reminds me of Penumbra, which is fitting. But I like this better than Penumbra, which was a little more “berryish” to me. This one is also a dark fruity scent, but these fruits are more up my alley. That said, I can’t see this working its way into my regular rotation, so I think I’ll find it a less neglectful home.

[Wwindy]

O "blackened fruit gums", whyfor dost thou mess with my poor hapless nose?

 

I like most of the components in this blend, but am woefully undecided about the overall effect. The musk, frankincense, and spices seem most prominent in the vial rather than during wearing (although today my boss said, "You smell like spices!" -- yay!). On initial application I can pick out the lavender, a nice trace of smoke, and a bit of fresh green leafiness. The current and fruit gums take over on drydown, however; there's an aura of jammy sticky cooked fruit here that I'm just not thrilled about.

 

We'll see what my guys think about this one -- left to my own devices I'm not sure I'd keep it, but if they love it I might reconsider...

[Lamia]

This baffles. In the bottle, it smelled like "Poison". Fresh, it smelled like something went bad, but not so vile that I had to wash it off (like some). It's taken a while, but it's stopped smelling like something is "off" and has instead become a soft insipid floral.

 

Too weird, I will put this aside and test it again some other time - there's nothing in here that should smell like this.

[butcherbaby]

this was an impulse purchase on ebay for me. i'm glad i took the chance because this is heavenly!

 

i don't usually do fruit scents at all, but this one is gorgeous. initially, quite WOW strong vetiver, but settles down into musky incense sweetness with smoky fruits behind- ah such mesmerizing smoke! the fruit notes are deep and dark and don't sour on me. this would a be a beautiful scent for soap or a candle too, i'd love for my house to smell like this! since my computer is down, i'm testing it in my roommates "vampire bordello" themed bedroom (leopard rugs, deep wine walls, plum curtains, dark wood furniture, witch dolls, dried roses etc) and it's a perfect accent to my surroundings.

keeper? YES- backup needed? probably....at least for room scenting!

[Sapphiremo0n]

Oh Wow, talk about Love at first bite!

In the bottle the vetiver bit me. I don't usually care for vetiver but with the frankincense, myrrh and tobacco it is not to hateful.

 

Freshly on my skin the vetiver dies out and the black current and red musk come out to dance with the black orchid.

 

As time is passing it is becoming more of a resiny fruity incense...ohhh so adding this to my list of favs.

 

Now I'm down to blackened fruit gums and Darjeeling tea and black currant. It is such a nice soft scent. I'm just slightly sad that my body is burning throught the different scents so quickly. All of this has been within two hours, usually it takes 6 to 8 for me to proscess a BPAL oil, but this one, i can tell is fading out fast...

[themerrybaker]

It's heere....

 

Lunar Eclipse has finally settled down from "Blackened Fruit Gums? Have you considered seeing a periodontist?" to a smoky, spicy, fruity wonderfulness of aged perfection.

 

So glad that the evil cosmic powers of chaos had distracted me from getting rid of the bottle early on, because Lunar Eclipse is now memorably good along the lines of Snake Charmer and Mme Moriarty.

[donnatron]

Bottle: Murky vetiver softened by a hint of fruit.

 

Wet: Lunar Eclipse goes VETIVER! SUPER VETIVER! It's dark and earthy and a bit powdery at this stage. The violet leaf is definitely present and I can smell a hint of the frankincense and tea. There's a fruitiness coming from the currant/fruit gum combo.

 

Dry: I've been having good luck with patience lately. A lot of scents I've given fifteen minutes before they get the heave ho. The semi dry stage of Lunar Eclipse is okay, but it's still predominantly vetiver. Fully dry it is exquisite. The red musk warms up lending a soft skin-like quality and the fruit gums and currants give it a bit of anise quality without overpowering like Kabuki can. The vetiver calms down to a subtle earthiness and the tea lends a balancing and refreshing quality. I get the faintest hint of tobacco but ultimately this is so complex and well blended that I'm not really pulling out a lot of individual notes. In the drydown the most dominant scent is the red musk softly sweetened by currant with a noticeable vetiver kick. It reminds me a bit of Midnight Kiss but lacks the lush sweetness of Midnight Kiss. It's a bit drier, more refined and lot more elegant.

 

Throw: Good. It's noticeable and interesting without knocking you over.

 

Overall: I've been sitting on my bottle of Lunar Eclipse for awhile. It's definitely going to age like a charm and is a very beautiful, unusual scent. It's a strong, confident, almost magical blend and I really feel like I walk a little taller and hold eye contact a little longer when I wear it. Definitely try it if a little floats your way because I get a sense that the older the bottles get, the more sought after Lunar Eclipse is going to get.

[greenranger]

This was a very dark oil on me. Wet, I smell the musk and the vetiver...but the vetiver isn't being overwhelming. It's actually a softer scent, starting off, than I expected. I do smell the frankincense and the lavender as well.

 

Drying, it has blended. It has also sweetened up quite a bit, and I wonder which of the notes is causing that, the fruit gums? Possibly the musk, on my skin.

 

The orchid is coming forward(I think? something floral), and the effect of Lunar Eclipse is actually aproaching more of a "perfumy" scent than most BPALs that I pick.

 

I bought this on the sales page partly because I saw it on someone's sales page, wanted to fill the order out slightly to make the shipping worth it, and then looked up the notes. It hails from just slightly before I found BPAL. When I was new I probably would have passed it over, as well. However, these days, that list of scents looks very likely indeed. Musk? Frankincense? Lavender? Myrrh? Spices? Tobacco? Tea? sign me up. =)

 

It's working better than Penumbra did on me. I'll have to give it a few hours to see how it changes.

 

The "perfumy" stage is gone. This is settling down quite nicely into an elegant and soft scent. I don't feel like I am whacking everyone in the room in the nose with it, but, it's strong enough for me to get whiffs of, which I like.