Candles Moon

[gypsyjolie]

Moonlight shining on the Quickening Tree, the heat and wax of sacred candles, the milk of ewes, Brigid's blackberry, the sting of keening wind, and the last flutter of the Cailleach's winter snow.

in bottle: beeswax and a hint of cinnamon

wet on skin: This becomes a cooler scent, as I get an icy throw from the oil on my skin. Cool The blackberry peeks out from under the beeswax, the cinnamon disappears. Waxy cold blackberry under a layer of ice.

dry on skin: This does smell like a just snuffed out candle, plus that scent of cold air. The coolness topnote versus the warmer beeswax-y bottom note is really striking. Not much blackberry, just a tiny swirl of it that does seem to grow stronger and stronger until after 30 mins I can definitely smell it. After it's been on a while, it warms up into a beeswax candle and slightly creamy tart blackberry. There is the tiny hint of cinnamon.

Pretty, cool, waxy scent. Not a lot of throw.

[Michi]

I get mostly sweet milk on the first sniff from the bottle, which reminds me of Milk Moon 07 (one of my favorites!). Once on my skin, the milk quickly gives way to sour/tart blackberry. Something here reminds me of Berry Moon '09--but I'm not getting much of the candles, snow, or tree/wood. Just blackberry with a sweet musk and a hint of milk.

 

After about an hour, Candles Moon is almost gone, but if I press my nose to my arm I get a pretty, soft beeswax scent--like a sweeter Hanerot Halalu. I will have to give this another test and see if I can coax more wear out of it.

[ralenth]

Soft blackberry, dripping beeswax candles over a soft backdrop of snow. As it dries, it gains a bit of a sour sweet milky note on my skin. I had such high hopes for this.

[aquazoo]

Sweet, light berries and cream. I do get that animal / sheep sense in the milk. Even though there are some nice things going on, it's a little too cheesy for me.

[Greenwoodtree]

Okay - this is lovely, but strange!

 

On first applying it, the milky scent comes out, but a lot of sourness too that seems very lemony!

On dry-down, its a sour fruity scent, must be the berries, and a light greenish,cooling floral in the background.

 

What is strange is the scent I get whiffs of is completely different from the scent when I stick my nose to it!

[yamiko]

In the bottle, the scent is candle wax, blackberry, and a chilly wind.

 

On me, it starts off pretty milky, as it dries, the blackberry and wax come back. It kinda dances between smelling like milk and blackberry, and smelling like a blackberry candle. I think it's leaning more towards blackberry candle, though.

[cuervosueno]

Got a sample of this from the lovely Stellans, and it is gorgeous! On me it starts out as blackberry and milk, with a nice sharpness that is not ozone, but is very like BPAL's usual "snow" note which is chilly and evergreen (like Snow Moon or Skadi) So far, no wax or candles, but what I do get is surprisingly wonderful (surprisingly because I didn't get this because I thought I wouldn't like the blackberry note) It reminds me of blackberries with cream poured over them, without the sugar, and being eaten in a room where a scotch pine christmas tree is giving off its bright chilly scent.

It does remind me of the earliest milk moon scent, a bit, and is certainly in that family. I love the lab's milk scents!

It is really quite wonderful, though I suspect it may not last long. The candle/wax scent comes in after it has been on awhile...and the milk fades....I like the earlier part better.

 

This might be worth tracking down a bottle of!

 

Edited August 24, 2010 by cuervosueno

[sunlitgarden]

Candles Moon

 

This smells very cool and crisp in the decant, possibly with a hint of berries. I'm getting the "sharp" milk note in this from Milk Moon 2007, but it's working better here than in that blend (where it did a warm yogurt thing on my skin) possibly due to the wax. There's a junipery-minty type cool note that is very refreshing (presumably the wind/snow note.) There is a bit of fruitiness behind it all, presumably the blackberry, but it's pretty faint on me. It's mainly a mix between the cool note and the milk/wax. A decant will probably suffice of Candles Moon for me, but I enjoy it. It's refreshing and warm at the same time.

[thelaurenator]

This smells like a beautiful Christmas candle! I get just the tiniest hint of milk here, which for me is good. The lab's milk note tends to smell like baby spit up on me, but not in this blend! I get a lot of rich fruit and cinnamon, candle wax, and the smell of a cool winter wind.

[Ashenrook]

In the Bottle

I smell wax, goat milk, and...something I'm not sure of. I want to say the 'wind' note.

 

On Skin: Wet

Lots and lots of beeswax and milk. Though it's not bad at all, just... that's all I smell. The scent isn't very strong and I don't feel like I am amping anything. Good things since I've never tried anything from BPAL with a wax or milk note.

 

On Skin: Dry

I'm starting to smell a bit of this mint that people are talking about. And I will admit, it does give me the feeling of a cold gust of winter's wind in this scent. Oddly, no cinnamon. Though, this is good in this case since I amp cinnamon a ton. The blackberry...it teases me. I can detect a sharpness in the oil that clearly is nothing related to a wind or snow note. It's there... but I can't -smell- it.

 

Afternotes

Just lovely soft beeswax and milk. But...that's about it.

 

Verdict

 

On an American scholastic grading scale, I'd give this a C+.

 

I was debating on giving this a B since it was actually pleasant but... the blackberry. I found myself wanting to smell it so badly that I was really disappointed in not getting to enjoy it. It's like how Rose Cross was with me since I got all rose and no frankincense. So while the milk and wax is nice and all... it feels to be an almost "hollow" warm scent without the berry. If that makes sense...

 

Probably a more blunt way of putting it would be... Candles Moon had no soul on me.

[grrrlennyl]

Candles Moon

 

On: Milky and smoky with a bit of berries.

1 hour in: There's a bit of a pine-like tree note to this, along with beeswax (which my nose apparently reads as sweet and salty butter) and milk.

2 hours in: Sour berries and sweet milk.

3 hours in: The beeswax is stronger now. This is a milky, white, sweet scent with a pine-like note that is making the berries smell a bit sour on my skin.

Overall: This just isn't me.

[angburfield]

I happen to love the lab's milk note..for some reason blends really well with my skin chemistry and Beth's beewax note is TDF!! This scent on me (wears very close to the skin)..is blackberries covered with sweet sugary milk topped with a dash of cinnamon. Covered with melting warm beeswax. A combination I would never think of but somehow is just beautiful together. Warm, spicy, creamy, decadent..I just keep smelling my wrist.

Edited January 22, 2011 by angburfield

[HerbGirl]

OK. I am wearing Candles Moon today for Imbolc. I can't really figure this one out...I have worn this three times in the last few months and have to say that it is a comforting scent, but I only think I smell milk, candles and something kind of sweet (which I'm hoping is the Blackberry?). It's very nice, and a warm scent. I'm glad I have a bottle, and it will definitely be worn each year on February 2nd.

Edited February 25, 2011 by Shollin
Removed Lab description

[Gin]

Eh, I wanted blackberries and milk and got smoke and wax.

[imaginepageant]

In the Vial: This is a warm, milky, fruity scent. I'm not getting any ozone (...yet), which is a relief because that's a note of doom for me. However, I'm not really getting any candle wax, either, which is what I was hoping for.

 

Wet: A smoky, sweet scent starts to come out. The milk and blackberry are still strong, though. It's like fruity incense.

 

Dry: Hmm, the milk is going bad. It's a weird mix of burned cream and soap. Actually, that soapiness might be from the ozone note finally coming out. The fruitiness of the blackberry note is still hanging around.

 

An Hour Later: Still basically the same, burned fruity soapiness.

 

Overall: This is a weird scent; the notes (or at least, how they morph on my skin) don't blend together very well. I guess that burning smell can be attributed to the candles, but it just doesn't mesh with the milk and blackberry. And the ozone - if that is indeed what is causing the soap scent - doesn't really work, either. I did like it in the bottle, but it really didn't jive with my skin chemistry.

[biocarolyn]

Beeswax, clear & strong. I also get something that smells a bit like Cassia or cinnamon or something. Sadly, the sweet milky cream goes sour, bad to awful on my skin. No blackberry in sight. Sigh. Such potential, but not for me.

[Circaea]

I get blackberry and a kind of cinnamony yogurt, over something colognelike. That must be the snow note. It's fruity, a litte tart, and pretty in a perfumish way. Quite similar to Hungry Ghost Moon, and that's a good thing.

 

My first test was iffy, with an aquatic phase that I disliked, but this second test I'm liking it more. The aquatic bite is holding to the background this time, and there's a complex, composedly sensual nature to this scent which makes it intriguing, as if it is trying, and managing, to be both cool and warm. I keep sniffing, but it's hard to come up with an association. The blackberry yogurt makes it foody, but the spicy cologne quality makes it sophisticated and grown up. It's not so much pagan ritual as it is dinner date in a nice dress and heels. I like it, though it feels a little formal for most of my usual pursuits. I might try layering it with something sweet to warm it up a bit more.

Edited October 8, 2011 by Circaea

[boxinghelena]

Candles Moon 2010:

 

It's very perfumery floral holding my wrist down at my side but if I actually sniff my wrist I get a slight sour milk. No thanks!

[joyfulgirl]

Candles Moon 2012:

 

In the bottle: I also get a very cologne-y feel from this blend. I think it is the wind/snow note? It definitely has a chilled feel to it...a very airy aquatic with a slight bite to it. I smell something a bit like cinnamon, which makes me nervous because my skin reacts to it.

 

On my skin: It warms up a bit and I get a hint of berry and wafts of a smoky note. The cinnamon (thankfully) is nowhere to be found. The whole thing feels very formal...I agree with Circaea that it feels very sophisticated. Lots of wind and water, not as much of the berry and wax that I was hoping for. Not at all what I expected, but not unpleasant either.

 

Bottom line: I am going to give it a few more weeks, let it breathe and see if I warm up to it any more. I actually might try it on my boyfriend, since it feels unisex at best and possibly masculine, due to the serious aquatic cologne feel of it.

[kawaiiferreto]

Candles Moon 2010, decant:

 

Milk notes always make me nervous, sometimes they are AWESOME and creamy and delicious, but sometimes they are sour and yech (I'm looking at you Milk Moon!) Thankfully this behaved on me very very well. This was light and sweet and warm -- candles, with a hint of berry and other good stuff to smooth it out. I could really smell the candle wax, it reminded me of a lit beeswax candle, even though I don't think there is actually a honey note to this. This was definitely a skin scent on me, very light throw.

[zankoku_zen]

Candles Moon 2012

 

Milk, hint of ozone, and beeswax. This one is a creamy, breezy blend. Occasional swirl of fruity blackberry. Much lighter than the 2010 version on me.

[milo]

Quite perfumey, but under the perfume, there is a creamy, waxy sweetness, like creme brulee. Up close, I get the yucky perfume, but the creamy goodness seems to be wafting around me. It's nice to have the decant, as this one is an 'almost', but I think it's the blackberry that is ruining this one for me. It's very sharp and biting.

[tinyvulture]

Smooth, creamy beeswax (think Ichabod Crane) with the bright, fruity pop of blackberries. No milk or wind notes that I can tell. I wouldn't have guessed snow, either, but after peeking at the scent description, yes, there's a faint slushy note. But mainly wax and berries. I always enjoy berry blends so this is nice.

[maija]

I bought my bottle of Candles Moon 2010 originally from forumite makahanights. I wanted to give it a try since lately I have been obsessed with milk/cream scents. Brigid is also my favourite deity from celtic mythology. This was also second lunacy blend I've ever tried.

 

From the bottle I can mostly smell cool ozony snowyness and a little bit of blackberry.

 

On skin the snowy coolness backs down a bit (but doesn't disappear) and the scent sweetens. Milk note is light but detectable. I don't own many berry scents because most of the ones I've tried smell very synthetic on plasticy on me - but in Candles Moon berries seem to behave. I can't really smell beeswax but I guess it adds to overall smoothness of this blend. I think I'm also picking hints of evergreen.

 

It stays equal parts cool, milky and fruity. Despite milk and berries it's not super sweet or foody, more like fresh, clean and smooth spring time scent. It makes me think of melting snow and first signs of greenery in spring (although it doesn't smell like grass or flowers or aquatics). I really like Candles Moon and I'm curious how it will work in warmer weather.

Edited December 18, 2014 by maija

[DevilsCandyCane]

Surprise sniffie of something I was super curious about!

 

Freshly applied, this is *gorgeous*, there's the soft beeswaxy candles with a hint of smoke, but also something that gives me the impression of a soft, fluffy, pale pink cloud, almost a gentle floral note somewhere between rose and lavendar, very comforting and cuddly and soft. Unfortunately it fades away very very quickly, leaving just a very quiet hint of milk and something that smells almost like violets.

 

If that initial scent stayed, I would definitely be seeking some out, it's just such a comforting scent, but given it dies in all of 5 minutes on my skin, nope. Glad I've got to try it though!