Hay Moon

[tartchef]

Hay absolute, tall grasses, dry honey, mallow, cardamom, amber, and wheat.

It's the old-skool OFF! with the orange top.

Exactly!

Luckily for me, once Hay Moon hits my skin, the aerosol chemical-scent shifts towards a spiced, lemony amber. Still a bit sharp, but it's warming up fast.. a slightly greener, lighter Bezoar/No 93 Engine. The cardamon is what's giving things that almost-soapy edge - it's very much like the flavour you get if you use too much of it in a recipe, and without any other warmer spices to help ground it, it gets a bit overwhelming in the crooks of my elbows. On my wrists, though, I'm getting a better balance, with the hay, grass & wheat the prominent players & just a trace of honey & spice.

I'm very happy I didn't get the Amber Powder of DOOM from this, and I feel like there's so much potentially gorgeous about Hay Moon... it's just not there yet. I'll let my bottle rest for a few days & try it again before I make a final decision.

ETA: Nope. My nose keeps wanting this to be Bezoar, & gets all disappointed. Edited July 3, 2008 by tartchef

[Neely]

Hay Moon smells of grasses and sweet amber and golden honey. I don't get any lemon thank goodness, as I tend to amp anything with lemon into OH HAI CAN I BZ LEMON PLEDGE PLZ?

 

At first this is sweet, then it warms up and becomes more dry grass and wheat with a hint of lovely honey. This smells like the end of Summer to me, when days are still hot, but cooler nights are hinting at Autumns entrance. I love this Beth, thanks so much!

 

And, I think the baby made Beth make two oils that would go great together. I think her sprout is a perfume oil genius in the making. Hay Moon and Mead Moon are like that new lubricant for him and her. You know those comercials... "when they get together <insert operatic score here>? That is what Hay and Mead Moon do for my nose. Apart they are wonderful, together they create a nosegasm!

[galleywest]

*cough* Ugh--I was getting hay up my nose again.

 

You know, when he said to meet him in the hay loft for a tumble I thought it would be really romantic. I had visions of myself as a frisky farm lass with little tell-tale naughty bits of hay wisps sticking out of my braids. He would be the strapping young farmboy in the untucked flannel shirt and ancient yet form-fitting dungarees. The sleek, fat cats living in the hayloft would watch our amorous attentions bemusedly.

 

Romantic, right?

 

Too bad my hair is not made to be braided (or my hands are not made to braid, I don't know which) and my "dewy" makeup turned to "gooey" and then "running down my face" when I climbed into the hayloft, which is at least 20 degrees hotter than it is outside. Talk about stuffy. The sleek, fat cats living in the hayloft watched bemusedly as I tried to open the loft doors, nearly stumbling through them to my death 20 feet below. I regained my balance but lost what was left of my braids. And did I mention how those cats got to be sleek and fat? Yup, mice. Creepy, crawling, bubonic-plague-carrying little furballs squeaking in laughter as my allergies finally kicked in.

 

So here I am, dander up my nose, makeup somewhere south of my chin, and hair sticking up wildly out of my quaint farmgirl hairstyle. And I think I just got hay down my bra.

 

And the smell! Well, okay. The smell isn't so bad. Very hay-like. Not surprising, right? It's got a kind of astringent, woody smell, and, even though I'm sweating like a beast in this sweltering sweatbox...dry. As I relax (or am I just losing consciousness from the heat?) it mellows out a little, this dry, grassy smell. It's kind of relaxing. But considering the current "hay-in-my-bra" situation, I think I'll forego it and make reservations at a nice restaurant instead. One with air-conditioning.

[twilighteyes]

In the bottle I can smell a little bit of lemon.

 

Dry down is all golden amber, honey, and dried grass. It's what I wished The Lion would smell like on me. A keeper!!

Edited July 3, 2008 by TwilightEyes

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle is sweet hay and lemon...

 

once applied this is just beautiful...l-o-v-e

it truly is gorgeous and our resident, beth, truly outdid herself with hay moon...

 

the notes are nothing short of spectacular and i am in hay moon heaven...thank you for this beauty of a scent!!

[MeiLin]

In the bottle: Cardamom, an almost chemical scent. I totally understand the "old-skool OFF!" comment.

 

Fortunately, wet: Amber waves of grain, I kid you not. The amber is at the forefront, then comes the cardamom. As it dries, the grasses and wheat come out, and beneath it all is the dry honey. It's just guh.

 

Both Hay Moon and Mead Moon are perfect late summer scents; you can almost smell the heat coming off the fields in both of them. I wrote a story about two lovers in a hay field (big difference from a hay loft), and Hay Moon is what it smells like. It even has the faint scent of clean sweat! love love love both moons this time.

Edited July 3, 2008 by MeiLin

[Rheliwen]

Initially on this is sweet citrus resins and straw. It's a little astringent.

 

Dry, the amber really comes out to tone down the tartness but it's still lemony and sticky from the honey. It reminds me of a simpler Litha. It sticks close to the skin and makes me feel humid for some reason.

[iiinterstate]

Lemon, astringent, bug spray... all that when first applied.

 

I'm glad I read the reviews first, cause I think I need to let this sit awhile.

 

After a minute or three the lemony smell is starting to fade into the hay note I had hoped Bezoar would be for me. I still smell a little citrus but its much nicer now.

 

15 minutes into the game... sweeter and drier. I get the honey now and it is acting as it should. Amber is playing nice too. I do like this quite a lot.

 

Half an hour: Now this is JUUUUUST right and exactly what I had hoped for. I remember in one of the Will Call threads someone said this smelled like sugared hay. I agree and I adore it. SO glad I sprung for two bottles. A very wearable summer blend that will age perfectly, I'm sure.

[Rovylern]

In the bottle: This screams 'perfume'. I almost didn't want to try it.

 

On my skin: My grandfather. I can't even sniff for notes because this smells EXACTLY like my grandfather, the unique combination of his aftershave, soap, hair stuff, cologne, and tanned skin. When I smell this I see his face, it is *dead on*. My partner thinks this smells amazingly yummy and would love me to wear it all the time. It's lovely, but I don't think it's something I can wear because it makes me all teary.

[Victory]

I got Hay Moon because a Will Call review mentioned a similarity to Coyote, which is a love of mine and happily, I think that, too. Hay Moon isn't quite all the dry grasses of Coyote, all the time, though. There's something that darkens the scent sometimes, so the resemblance is only occasional. I don't smell the other notes that people have mentioned and very happily, no OFF! for me. This doesn't smell like actual hay to me, maybe happily, nor timothy grass- this is tall, dry, pale brown grass that's a fire hazard. I like this very much.

[jaeyne]

I smell so fresh! Grazin' in the grass, it's a gas, baby, can you dig it? It's like alfalfa hay without that annoying alfalfa smell. Like feeding the horse in the summer and Bubba's just been washed and has ribbons in his mane and tail.

I really like it!

[Ginspu]

In the bottle and on my skin, this smells exactly like clean, sun-warmed hay. Very very nice. And then it goes away. It only lasted about an hour, if that. I really like it though, so maybe I'll try it as a room scent.

[whisperingmachines]

Oh, no.

 

Lemon.

 

*cries* NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Okay I'm going to compare this scent in terms of Lost. Let's pretend that everything but the lemon is the people who have crashed on the island, having moved to the little commune where the Others used to be. Happy happy. BUT THEN, Keamy, portraying the evil lemon, comes crashing in with his group of mercenaries (more lemon!!) and completely annihilates the happy little commune.

 

All that remains when Sawyer wanders across the lawn littered with hay absolute, cardamom, amber and wheat is the sharp, bitter scent of lemon pervading the air, the slightest hints of wheat and hay and amber faltering under the looming lemon.

 

And then the smoke monster (also known as "whatever soap I can find in the bathroom and scalding water") comes along and wipes away all evidence.

 

Back to normal terms...

 

UGH! I envy you lads and ladies that this works wonderfully and non-lemony on. It sounds perfect

Edited July 6, 2008 by whisperingmachines

[IronMollyBlack]

When I first got the bottle, off the Post Office truck, and hot from the truck, of course I had to try it on without letting it settle. It was HORRIBLE. Lemon! Bugspray!

 

I waited a few days, and tried again. Once it calmed down, it's much better. It still starts out a bit lemony (I amp anything lemon like crazy), but not so extreme. It drys down to a warm, sunny, grassy-sweet amber. I don't get actual "hay" from it at all. A very nice summery scent. Not my usual. But I have gotten compliments on it. Very good for a day-time summer scent. And I'm betting it's going to get even better with age. I'm very glad I got a bottle!

[birdiefu]

Wow, I thought I was going crazy not smelling any hay or grass, but it looks like I'm not the only one. Yes, AMBER is the dominating note here. This is truly the most amber I have smelled in a BPAL scent yet, the amber is yelling at me in a perfumey, high-pitched manner. Oh wait, maybe a hint of lemon...hmm that might have been my imagination.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am a lover of resins, amber included, but I was expecting to experience more notes here. So I will let this amber age a bit as it is still sharp in it's newness. Maybe the other notes will emerge later.

[phantasmmysteria]

In the bottle: It's a little sour, with a background of something... odd. I'm not familiar with the old OFF!, but this is strange just the same.

 

Wet: Hmmm, I get the lemony note people mention, but I don't really think it's lemon -- more of a phantom note than anything (I wonder if it's the honey doing that?). There's a brief second when I catch the hint of Anactoria another reviewer mentioned -- something interacting with Hay Moon's amber the way kush does with Anactoria's. There's still something slightly sour when I sniff my arm, but the throw is this lovely ambery-grassy-mallow thing... yum.

 

Dry: This is very soft on drydown, and is indeed mostly amber. The hay ab. and the other grassy notes add some dryness (and a touch of powderiness) to the amber. Sadly, I'm not getting any mallow now.

 

Verdict: I've tried this scent 3 or 4 times since I received it, and every time has been different. This particular time is kind of iffy, but overall this does invoke the memories of hot Tennessee summers, lugging bales of hay onto a truck and then into my grandfather's barn. And that's what I was hoping for!

[eatingthesea]

i must admit...at first, i did find hay moon a little bug spray-esque, a little poisonous-smelling. then i start to get some lemony whiffs! but it's not a frightening lemon, the oogy-boogy type that shatters BPAL oils for me, it's a gentle, twilit lemon that reminds me of this lemon and graham cracker ("lemon fluff") dessert my mom used to make. but after it's stuck around for a bit of time, it really does turn into this dry-ish, sweet coyote-like scent, but with more of that glorious hay i was salivating over in the description. it doesn't have much throw but i'm not all too concerned about that, since i'm not too sure i'll be wearing this as a "perfume scent," but more as an "experience scent." just for certain moods. maybe i'll change my mind once it ages a bit -- because i do feel that with that amber and cardamom, it is a good candidate for a nice evolution into something very special -- but for now, i can't see myself wearing it daily. and, for me, i'm not certain it's a "snuggle scent," either. it has potential as a pick-me-up. i'm definitely looking forward to days when i'll need one very pretty and almost nostalgic in its calling to mind nature and purity...though, of course, that purity is begging to be a bit naughty. honey and amber will bring that out!

Edited July 7, 2008 by eatingthesea

[abejita]

This one lived up to my expectations in every way. It's dry, warm, and clean. There's something comforting and lazy about it. It makes me think of fat bumblebees and buzzing cicadas. I'm not getting the insect repellant thing other people are mentioning at all. This isn't a huge smash hit, but it's different enough from my usual scent stash that I will hold onto it and wear it. I'd really love to smell it on the boy, though.

[slave1]

HAY MOON

 

In Bottle: Clean grasses

 

On Skin: Very warm and pretty. This is nice fresh hay that has been in the sun. It isn’t dry but it isn’t wet… just fresh. The grasses are green in tone… slightly perfumey… with the hay and sweet honey being golden in tone. It is fresh and clean, very welcoming. The cardamom adds to the warmth and isn’t “spicy” at all. The amber is soft and powdery, adding a nice depth to the blend. The mallow is creamy and mixes with the honey’s sweetness perfectly without being overly sweet. A very nice scent that is unisex and could be worn by anyone. My only complaint would be that it is very light and doesn’t have much throw. I really have to breathe in deeply and closely to fully enjoy it. Very light throw and short wearlength on me.

[SarahScent44]

In the bottle, this is dry, grassy, warm - I'm getting the hay and the sweetness of the honey, and the warmth of the amber.

 

On my skin, it's sweeter, warmer - very sun-baked, summer afternoon-y. There's more honey, with a high-pitched familiar sweetness that I just can't place. (Reading some other reviews, it's - duh - lemon-y, something I wasn't even looking for since it wasn't listed.) It definitely gives me a feeling of a soft, creamy, yellow afternoon.

 

When it's dry, it's warm, round - a very comforting scent. All hay and grass, with a hint of cardamom and honey. I liked this one a lot more than I expected to.

[tativa]

Oh! This is exactly what I had hoped Bezoar would be (it went minty on me). It reminds me alot of the lion... and like the lion I believe that this will smooth out and sweeten with age.

 

Great summer scent... definitely feels like hay and lemony sunshine.

 

Its beautiful now... but I believe it may grow up to be an ambery knockout!

[leiadrioss]

I have been eagerly awaiting my first test of Hay Moon, the second that I saw it, so the second the bottle got into my grubby lil hands, I tried it!

 

Wet: Someone molested my wrist with a lemon. Seriously...

 

Dry: Spicy grassy...and then someone set FIRE to my hay field. The scent actually got SMOKEY on me! It reminds me of whenever we would burn the fields, and then a rain would come along right afterwords. You get the dry scent of what was before, and the smokey ash spice of what is after.

 

I'm thinking it might start hitting a powder note, but as long as it keeps that fiery grass note, I will be a happy kid.

 

LOVE this scent

[Ina Garten Davita]

I had no idea what this would smell like when I read the description, but I couldn't resist the pull.

 

Perfectly fresh and uplifting, Hay Moon is also comforting. The amber is subtle, the components blend to give the impression of lemon without smelling like citrus. The hay, grasses and wheat are like a warm hug and the honey, spices and amber like a lingering caress. This is a happy scent, a scent to ward off the blues.

[mhickle]

Dry and dusty, this reminds me a little of Coyote. The amber really comes out on my skin, as does a good bit of spiciness. The grasses ground everything, giving it a bit of a green scent, but not too green, if that makes any sense. I don't get much honey out of this, but I do get a bit of lemon. The lemon fades pretty fast, leaving behind the strong amber and dry grass. When I'm not actively sniffing, I keep getting peppery whiffs, which is interesting!

[Jilara]

Wet: hellooo Sen-sen! I had no idea you had a smell as well as a taste!

 

Drying down: Oh, I see you brought your friend Soap along! And who's that? Lemon Pledge? Oh this is going to be just too unique. (Lemon Pledge takes off her coat.) Oh, you're Lemon Balm trying to masquerade as Lemon Pledge? That's a little more tolerable. Hope you stick around. But you really need to stop hanging around with Soap and Sen-sen. They're doing strange things to you.

 

Dry: Soap decides to leave the party, having had Lemon Balm trade places with Pledge. Sen-sen is still hanging around, and now seems to be swapping drinks with Cardamom, leaving Lemon Balm in the background languishing. There is no sign of Hay, in any incarnation. Didn't get an invite, I guess. Honey might have breezed through, leaving only a vague memory along the way. The ultimate end result is spicy Sen-sen with a waft of lemon balm.

 

Verdict: this is one strange party, and not really one for me. Actually, I could see putting this on a drier sheet, but not on me.

Edited July 15, 2008 by Jilara