Black Butterfly Moon

[Akurarei]

BLACK BUTTERFLY MOON

Sister of the first-born light,

Type of sorrowing gentleness!

Quivering mists in silv'ry dress
Float around thy features bright;
When thy gentle foot is heard,

From the day-closed caverns then

Wake the mournful ghosts of men,
I, too, wake, and each night-bird.

O'er a field of boundless span

Looks thy gaze both far and wide.

Raise me upwards to thy side!
Grant this to a raving man!
And to heights of rapture raised,

Let the knight so crafty peep

At his maiden while asleep,
Through her lattice-window glazed.

Soon the bliss of this sweet view,

Pangs by distance caused allays;

And I gather all thy rays,
And my look I sharpen too.
Round her unveil'd limbs I see

Brighter still become the glow,

And she draws me down below,
As Endymion once drew thee.

Soft, deep, and luminous: Lady of the Night orchid, benzoin, opopponax, currant, black chypre, white gardenia, ambergris, damp, wooded mosses, and black lily.

Initial thought:
Based on the notes I imagined this lunacy to be very faint and delicate, almost un-noticeable.

In the Bottle:
Quite strong and surprisingly dark and eerie!
I smell lots of resins, and they are *very* dark and menacing. I smell the mosses in the bottle as well. They are earthy and wet all at the same time. The mosses I find hard to describe, they seem to be there and yet disappear behind the resins. very odd.

On my Skin, Wet:
Potent and deliciously dark!
I am blown away by how strong this blend is! It it beginning to remind me of Venom's evil twin - very evil!
This butterfly is poisonous, bewitching and completely enveloping. She lures you in with her golden and dark resinous eyes, comforts you with her soft moss covered body and delights you with her dark lily wings.

On my Skin, Dry:
Yes! there is the black lily! and it's the most gorgeous lily I've ever encounted in BPAL
deep, luscious, intoxicating and even somewhat menacing.
She offers up a plate of almost black currants at this stage - and I gladly accept and delight in the sweetness of them! Yes, you can flutter about me all day and all night, you wonderfully dark shadow!

Verdict:
Fabulous!
This is the equivalent of a sultry lounge singer concealing a poisoned dagger.
tempts you, teases you, intoxicates you and pierces your heart - and you couldn't be happier about it!
I suspect that the orchid deepens all the other notes, and does so in supreme grace; as there is not a hint of dustiness with this orchid.
great job Beth!
10 of 10 Ranking!

[jizatt]

I'm not the best at reviews, but as theres not much up on this one yet, I figured I was bound by duty!

 

What I'm sniffing right now is dry, but still recently applied. What I wrote as my notes earlier was: dusky, mossy lily. I also smell the ambergris note, but mainly because I've sniffed it a lot here recently (huge fan!). This is floral but not bright and happy floral. Its almost like night time air. There's a freshness, greenness, darkness to it. The lily isnt the strongest thing I smell now, but I can't say that I can pick out *a* note anymore. Its very nicely blended together, and it feels a little like cool autumn nights to me =)

 

after some mroe drying time - the florals are all but gone - but I have the beautiful ambergris and mossy dark still =) I think I quite like this, and it will be the only moon besides Lune Noire that I've decided I want to keep =)

Edited August 20, 2009 by CaudaPavonis

[hkhm]

bottle: opopponax with a backdrop of something tangy.

 

wet: the notes belnd so well once this is applied i almost can't tell what i'm smelling. i was afraid this would be gardenia heavy (because i tend to amp it a bit) but it is not. it's dark without being heavy, like there's something fresh and liquid on the underneath. this is precisely what i had hoped this scent would be.

 

dry: there is something vibrant here, it's floral but not cloying. looking over the notes i can't select what it could be... it's just dark and vibrant. scintillating darkness.

 

(edited for spelling idiocy)

Edited August 20, 2009 by hkhm

[mineralgirl]

I don't hate this but it's very close to being something patchouli-like, which is a bad thing for me. I think I don't like moss, I think I've finally figured that out!

 

It's a deep, dark, dirty floral (but not a dirt note.. maybe dirty isn't a good word... just dark...)... my first instinct is that it isn't really me but I so want it to be because it's my 40th bday moon!! I think I may keep it just for that. Maybe this is my hint that I've grown up and I need to step into a more mature scent.... maybe not. I think I'm gonna sit on this one for awhile and see what it ages like.

 

I'm a foodie girl for the most part and florals give me headaches.. this one didn't give me a headache but it still isn't something I love right now.

[puck_nc]

Origin: Straight from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: I love gardenia and it doesn't seem to get used enough. Sometimes lily is divine on me. I'm not sure about the mosses, but I hoped for a scent that evoked a soft summery night like a butterfly's gossamer wings.

 

In the Bottle: Very woodsy and mossy orchid, chypre and lily. I get a faint touch of the gardenia. It's cool and evokes the night, but is much chillier than I was thinking. The chypre is strong enough to make it unisex or on the masculine side.

 

Wet: Wow, very much a woodsy, patchouli scent. The florals are just the tiniest sliver of cool and white and airy. This is definitely not what I was thinking when I read the notes. There's a sweet edge to it, maybe from the benzoin or currant.

 

Drydown: The currant gets stronger on me and the chypre is poking its nose in again. I can detect more of the florals now, but this is still a much earthier scent than I was imagining with the mosses being so strong on me. It still has that unisex feel to it all the way through. The scent does evoke "black" and "moon" for me, but I'm not getting the "butterfly" part at this point.

 

Verdict: I think I'm going to have to let this one sit a day or two, get my preconceptions out of my head, and try it again so I can judge it on its own merits and not over how it didn't smell at all like I was hoping.

[claudia6913]

I just received this from the lab today, and I have to say, I couldn't be more pleased. I was honestly skeptical about the scent after reading all the notes, but I shouldn't have worried.

 

This scent is everything it promises to be and more. Dark, sultry, a little naughty, and just a wonderful blend overall.

 

At first, it's dark with a bit of a sharp scent to it, like it has teeth and nails ready to dig into you. Eventually the sharpness settles down and you're left with the dark an slinky/sexy/sultry scent that creeps along your skin teasing you with shadows and whispered promises.

 

Edit: About 45 minutes in and it's nearly gone. Not a lot of lasting power, unless I've hit the point I can't smell it because I'm used to it. I'm a slather-er though, so perhaps I need to do that with this as well instead of the small wrist test.

Edited August 21, 2009 by claudia6913

[evanescence]

I agree, not a lot of lasting power on me either.... but what a pleasure it is to just press my wrist right up to my nose after a few hours. It's still there, just clinging to my skin and just so beautifully soft.

 

I'm seeing others refer to a deep dirty floral and I agree with that as well. It reminds me just a bit of the feel I get from SJP's Lovely.

 

Not being a huge fan of either gardenia or lily, I was dubious about BBM - but it's absolutely lovely.

[topazphoenix]

This is really pretty and dark. I'm getting mostly night blooming flowers with some woodmoss. It reminds me a lot of Lune Noire.

[Monster]

In the bottle: Dark florals and sharp moss

 

Wet: Very sharp moss and BIG floral notes, on the verge of giving me a headache... Nooooo! This has a commercial perfume quality to it.

 

Dry: As this dries it mellows out quite a bit (but is still REALLY strong, probably one of the strongest blends I've tried). I really can't pick out individual notes. This smells of dark floral notes, woods and moss. The more it settles into my skin, the more tolerable this gets....I can also smell the orchid and lily notes more, which I like. The color purple comes to mind. As it dries it fades from black to a rich plum to a royal purple to violet purple and softens up from there.

 

Overall: Hmmm not for me. I took a risk with this one (considering all of the floral notes). This is a very dark, femenine blend. Black Butterfly Moon isn't something I see someone wearing every day to work, it's a perfume you put on when you're going out at night or for dress-up occasions. I also think it smells expensive and extremely classy. While I can appreciate the beauty of this perfume, it's just something I will wear (even though I really DO love the final drydown stage). If you like BIG floral blends, this one is for you!

[Inventrix]

I'm still mulling over my opinions of this, but I shall post this now and update it later as needed! And just as a note, I have to say that I was extremely excited about this blend solely for the concept.

 

My first impression on sniffing the bottle was that it was a lot richer and warmer than I had expected, conceptually. A lot warmer. It's a warm sweet scent with what I think is florals but doesn't have that typical floral feel.

 

When I put it on my skin, a very sweet floral immediately popped out at me and the whole blend took on a cooler, lighter feel, more like what I had been originally thinking.

 

Very quickly, however, the scents started shifting around like crazy. I got something warm and creamy, then the chypre started coming out more. The whole scent felt... white but dark. It took me a long time to place the feeling - it's like the color of someone's white dress as they run off into the dark moonless shadows of the night.

 

Later on it settled down into a very well-blended scent that I had trouble pulling specific notes out of, with a deep purple-black color with white mists and dark shadows. It took me a while to pick out the adjective that I wanted for it which I felt made it a bit "off" as the scent for a black butterfly, but finally I settled on solid. It is a warm, rich, solid scent. It has strong sweet florals, but the warmer woods and resins and whatnot give the base feeling for the scent.

 

It doesn't feel quite light and airy enough for a butterfly to me, but I may try layering it with things. It's really nice but a bit too, well, solid for me normally. Especially in the summer!

[Siberia]

This is a really nice floral - it's not a headache-inducing floral, but a sweet, fruity floral. It smells to me like an expensive "oriental" perfume - it actually reminds me of Borghese's Il Bacio, but I haven't smelled that for a long time. There is a cool freshness that seems to float on top of the sultry floral base.

 

This is definitely a night scent - it's deep and dark and sweet, like a sultry night in the deep south. It's sort of the garden at night scent that I was expecting with Bat-Woman. It has good throw and staying power on me.

 

Glad I got a bottle!

[slave1]

BLACK BUTTERFLY MOON

 

In Bottle: Dark florals

 

On Skin: This is quite pretty.... it does have a butterfly feel to it. I grew up in the mountains and one of my favorite memories was running through the flowers watching the butterflies. Because of my love of butterflies, my husband and I went on our first dates at the Butterfly Pavillion here in Colorado, and even ended up getting married there. So butterflies have a huge importance to me. This scent has the innocence and beauty of a butterfly. The darkness comes from the night blooms and cooler tones in the scent. It seems in the same family as Black Moon and Bat Woman. The florals are very well blended but I can pick out the orchid and lily which are 2 of my favorite flowers. After a few minutes I can also smell the sweet creaminess of the gardenia. The resins help the "dark" feel, and the moss gives a slightly aquatic tone. This scent is so very feminine and pretty, I would wear this scent when I wanted to feel more dressy or girly... not really a scent I'd wear at the clubs. Overall, gorgeous and fits the description perfectly. Light to moderate throw and short to average wearlength.

Edited August 30, 2009 by Shollin

[greenranger]

Nice...just a dark, fluttery, well blended scent. I can't really pick anything out. With benzoin, oppoponax and gardenia, I had to try it.

 

However, the ambergris is a very worrysome note for me, as it usually kidnaps the scent entirely...and, there it goes. Right on schedule.

 

I'll try this again in a few months and see if the ambergris has relented enough to let me have the scent back.

 

~edit~spelling.

Edited August 25, 2009 by Aerinha

[Ravenclaw79]

In the bottle: Uck, harsh. Vetiver wasn't in the ingredient list, right? *checks description* Hm, nope. But harsh anyway, harsh and cologne-y.

 

Wet: Dark, dirty flowers.

 

Drying: A dark floral with hints of dirt. I so wanted to love this one, but eh. The bottle's beautiful, though.

[Cheri]

Black Butterfly Moon is way more perfumey than I imagined it would be. It smells like how I would think a black butterfly would smell if they had a smell. When I see one land on my flowers I always think they look more exotic than other butterflies, and that's how this scent smells to me. It smells expensive, and for some reason, cold. I kind of like it, but don't love it.

[Rheliwen]

Initially on, it was dry, dry, light vetiver. I was screaming in sadness inside. Part of me really wants to like vetiver. Fortunately for me, I was sort of attracted to this one. The vetiver note was sweet, not dirty, and the more this was worn the warmer and rounder it got. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists as I was painting all day.

 

I just put some on this morning and it's significantly more perfumey than it was yesterday...a little disappointing. It's really heavy on the ambergris and gardenia at the moment. I think I just need to be really light-handed in my application. I miss the depth from yesterday.

 

I would definitely classify this with Black Moon, Pirate Moon, and Black Pearl.

Edited August 30, 2009 by Rheliwen

[veronicafranco]

hmmm. i loved the first whiff of this from the bottle - hey, a bpal that really smells like "perfume"! on, i'm a little taken aback by the saltiness of what i suppose is the ambergris. (or maybe it's a moss that doesn't agree with me.) when well dried down, i only notice this edge if i sniff close to my skin (not in the throw). everything else makes for a really beautifully blended, dark and velvety floral - i was a little worried about the gardenia but i think that's what gives it the velvet "texture."

 

when i've worn it for many hours, i'm pretty much left with black lily, which is fun for me, as she and i have a nice history.

[papermaker]

On first sniff this is a dark floral not as delicate as I was expecting.

On application it is patchouli and floral, and my thought is uh oh.

Wet It is floral and dark and really pretty now that the patchouli has been tamed.

Dry it is a dark floral with good throw. There is a salty (the ambergis I presume), and it has a velvetty feel ( I think this is the orris). It is a nice well rounded scent.

[theasylph]

In the bottle this smells like mosses and woods. It smells thick and lush.

 

On the skin: I smell mosses in the foreground of a green woodland with a field of lush blooming flowers in the background. The oakmoss really stands out. The flowers are not to sweet and this allows the woody resins to really bloom on your skin because they are not overpowered. The ambergris is gorgeous.

 

This is really beautiful and hard to describe. It's so well mixed that it becomes an animal (or a butterfly ) all it's own. I see how people are comparing it to more traditional perfumery, it has a lot going on and seems quite structured. To me this still smells untamed and mysterious. The name is very appropriate.

 

Update as of 12/1/09 :

 

My blend has morphed! Something has taken over in these past months. I smell more mossy, powdery woods and less lush blossoming woodlands. It's gotten dryer and has more of an 'old school perfume' vibe. It seems like the gardenia and orchid have been overshadowed by this blends other big contenders. Awww what a bummer.

Edited December 1, 2009 by theasylph

[crebbsgirl]

This is a deep dark floral with a very sinuous and sinister vibe. The reviewer that mentioned the lounge singer was totally spot on. Something here reminds me a little bit of Giallo, but I can't figure out what. It's an incredibly well blended scent and I have a little trouble picking out the notes. I love this though. It floats around you and has a very dark, ethereal vibe to it.

[CynicalPink]

I could use a "dark and mysterious" scent...

 

Bottle: Mmmmooooosssss. All moss all the time.

 

Wet: Thick, yellow oil going on. Worries of stained skin start up. Meanwhile, the moss is just a supporting player with a medley of white feeling ethereal powders. But not that "eww it went all powdery on me" kind of powder

 

Drydown: Round 1 - Well it took awhile, but I finally found some floral in this floral With the wispy powders, we get some dusky orchid and the sweetness of gardenia. I know this is Black Butterfly Moon, but everything about it feels like early twilight fading to a bright white moon

Round 2 - Okay, I think this is as much change as I'm going to get. It's a very close to the skin scent that gets some beautiful florals going once the powders have calmed down

 

Overall: I like it well enough to hang on to the bottle for now, but it remains to be seen how much use I get out of it. It's kind of a "date night" scent that I'm not sure will have every day appeal. Still, it's pretty enough that I'm hanging on to it

[AEris]

This starts out very mossy and very high-pitched floral (orchid and lily). It takes a few hours for the scent to sweeten, and at that point the candied gardenia and opopponax come out.

 

It's very perfumey, and heavy on the oakmoss. Not a love scent for me. Oakmoss lovers and orchid/lily fans need to try it though!

[msbcozad]

Black Butterfly Moon

 

This one has me utterly flummoxed. The scent keeps swinging from heavenly to horrific back to heavenly. I'm trying, desperately, to smell the gardenia and I'm getting a whole lot of lily. There's also something powdery that keeps rearing up. The jury is definitely still out on this one. I'm going to let it rest for a week or so and try again.

[LunaLovegood]

This stuff is strong! No joke. To me it smells like Men's cologne, really close to Lunar Eclipse.

Not for me.

[pinkstardust420]

When I first applied this, the first thing I smelled with earthy moss. Blech!! NO!!

 

But wait...what's this? Sweet flowers? Resins? Oh, I like this afterall! Very beautiful, soft and sexy. There's still a touch of "earth" in this, but not enough to distract me.

 

Not sure if I'll keep this forever, but we'll see how it ages.