Old Moon

[absalem]

The scent of things drifting just on the edge of memory, hiding in shadowed corners. Old, yellowing books, dust-covered toys pushed to the back of the attic, windows obscured by thick, thorny vines, letters discarded, and photographs of people long-forgotten.

It's exactly what I hoped it would be: the delicious smell of antiques and used-book stores.

In the bottle it was sassy and herbal with a musky base. Wet it was musky dust, which faded into a delicious dry, dusty, herbal musk within five-ten minutes. It started to remind me so much of The Phantom Wooer that I had to dab a bit from my imp onto an inconspicuous part of my upper arm to compare. Old Moon is less sweet, floral, and liquid than Phantom Wooer, but I am convinced that their dust note are both the same and amping on me nicely. Heh, never thought I'd use liquid to describe Phantom Wooer, but there is something to Old Moon that is much drier. As Old Moon dries, it becomes less musky, drier, and sweeter. There is a hint of Vanilla that fully realizes around the hour mark and continues to grow stronger. The blend remains old books, dust, and that bit of vanilla from here out. I'd say the wear length is long as it's still here three hours later after a sweaty cleaning frenzy, and scents die on me fast. The throw is variable. I feel like it lost strength immediately after application, then steadily built up sillage for the next couple hours. It is pretty decent but not overpowering at the moment, and doesn't seem to be losing steam.

(Edited to add: I finally figured out what other scent this reminds me of, aside from Phantom Wooer! Kubla Khan, randomly enough. No clue what note is setting off this feeling of similarity, but I love it.)

Exactly what I wanted, with the unexpected perks of longevity and perfect throw? Me thinks this is a 5/5.

[hlemonds]

The lab is hitting it out of the park lately. This is probably my favorite lunacy so far. I think it even beats out Joyful moon. Granted they are quite different, but this is so wonderful, I can't help but love it. Initially it reminds me a bit of Black Opal with a hint of leather. As it dries I do get a hint of dustiness, but it is very pleasant dustiness, not an overwhelming sort of powdery quality like some things can have. And I do agree that there is a vanilla and musk quality to it. This is such a pleasant scent, very inviting. Certainly 5/5 on my skin.

[amanderinorange]

Sniffing straight from the bottle there is a leathery musk scent lacking anything herbal or floral to my nose, which I was half expecting given the description. When applied, it turns into a very cologne-like scent, with the musk coming forth more and sort of pushing the leather to the side. After a bit more wear, there is a semi-sweet quality, a bit like vanilla, that comes out and turns this from cologne to something a bit more wearable to me. It's overall a nice scent and one of the few lunacies that has worked on me in a while.

 

 

[Dark Alice]

Fresh from the bottle: Leather with hints of green papyrus. (I know how fresh paper smells) It then dries down to this wonderful dusty, fresh papyrus scent with hints of leather. I think it brown leather. Either way...I don't care...this is gorgeous!

[Altaira]

I'm always wary of Lunacies, the descriptions sound great, but they usually smell like cheap cologne on me. while waiting for my order, I got very worried about reviews in this thread comparing it to scents that were floral disasters on me (like Phantom Wooer).

 

Luckily, there is absolutely no floral or cologne in this for me!

 

It is a light, woody, dusty, sweet musk on my skin. Very nice and wearable.

 

For comparison, I would say it is a woodier/dustier version of Lights of Men's Lives. Or a very light version of Tombstone.

 

Although the description sounds similar to Philologus, I don't find them similar at all. Philologus is cool and cologne-like, while Old Moon is warm and grounded.

 

I've only had it on about an hour, so not sure how long it lasts.

[mymymai]

ITB: I get a green scent, like ivy, with musk and just a hint of leather and folio paper.

Wet: The green scent really comes out on my skin, but I'm getting a lovely sweet musk worn into just a little leather. The paper scent is very gentle and takes some time to tease out.

Dry: Light leather, musk, and the faintest hint of old paper.

[damonkitty]

This scent has been one of the biggest ordering learning experiences of my entire BPAL collecting life(which has been three years ). I found a lovely person to help me find my future stash of this scent which still may not be enough. I read the scent description with total confusion and even was tempted to post on Live Journal if anyone had a clue what this scent could possibly smell like. The scent description made me think of the Halloween blends The Lurid Library or The Attrocious Attic which were sadly not my kind of scents due to the floral side of them. I had one more bottle available for my cart before the cart jumped in shipping so one lonely Old Moon bottle made its way in (besides my doubts). I put this blend on for the first time and wanted to literally cry it smelled so good to me. I am not sure what is in it, but it makes me feel warm and cozy and delicious all in one instant. It has a musky (skin musk?) note that reminds me of my mother's scent along with a freshness from an herbal/plant like note. It turns luscious and sweet with the best damn leather note the lab has. This leather is warm and spicy and sweet on my skin. It is the leather note I hoard when it is available in any form. I wore it to work and had two coworkers literally grab my arm and do one of these faces at me. They said it was the best scent I had ever worn (and I have worn many a scent to work). One lady said I smelled like strawberries??? which really threw me for a loop, but I think she was smelling the sweetness this scent gives off on my skin. I have heard people say the words "holy grail" before and thought what is mine. This is it!!!! I had a previous favorite, but I think it has been replaced and pushed to a close second. So the lesson learned has been when Beth describes something in abstract I am going to stand up and pay attention. I think this blend was a mystery to a lot of people. Beth is a genious!!!! I hope I make it to heaven and Old Moon 2011 is what it smells like . Thanks so much Beth for such a beautiful blend.

 

I was testing imps today and pulled out The Robotic Scarab. It is almost dead on to the scent I get in Old Moon. I am off to hoard that scent as well!!!!

Edited January 3, 2012 by damonkitty

[angelicruin]

Wow, I am so glad I took a chance ordering a bottle of this. It's dry, dusty, with a hint of sweet perfume in it. Actually, it is very similar to Black Lace on my skin, but without the cognac note I get with Black Lace.

[PurringPulsar]

Old Moon 2011

 

In the imp: a very leathery scent with a hint of cologne, reminds me of U.

Wet on skin: perfumey leather! Is that rose?

Dry on skin: this smells mainly of leather with lots of heavy perfume. The leathery scent is worn and dusty, and it reminds me of a cross between the leather from U and the leather from Dee. The ‘vintage perfume’ I smell here is dominated by rose and some more masculine aftershave-type notes. I can’t smell the old books yet, but there’s a hint of something that reminds me of old photos, or photo film, and also a scent that reminds me of old newspapers-it’s very inky. There is probably some tobacco here, as I smell a hint of ashes and cigars in this scent. I can’t smell the vanilla musk mentioned by others. I can smell a deep green scent from the vines, reminds me of the greenery in U, but it’s a deeper, ivy-like, less grassy green.

After a while: unfortunately for me, this does contain tobacco, and lots of it, and it’s the bad variety. This now smells of cigarettes and burning on me, as well as hints of classic chypre aftershave and dead roses. There are old books and photos here, but it seems that they are on fire, as this now smells like charred paper thanks to the tobacco. There are also hints of cigars and whisky here. But I'm saddened by that unexpected tobacco note amping like crazy and blocking out most of the other notes.

Verdict: I was really looking forward to this, the reviews were so favourable and I wanted this to evoke the scent of old things in the best way possible. This does smell of oldness, that’s for sure, there are hints of yellowed pages, dusty and wilted bouquets, worn leather and ink here, but there’s also a strong whiff of men’s perfume and worst of all, it has the tobacco note that goes straight to ashtrays on me. And that’s all I smell for much of the scent. None of the vanilla or musk, just cigar and cigarette smoke and ash. It reminds me, if anything, of the scents that evoke gentleman’s clubs and secret societies, and some of the Dogs Playing Poker line. Not my thing at all.

Is it a keeper? Sadly not.

If you like this, try: Buggre Alle This Bible, U, Dee, Lurid Library, Philologus, Romanti.Goth, Black Lace, Riding the Goat, A Bachelor’s Dog, Hellfire, The Committee of 300

[mimieux]

I am so pleased that I sprang for a bottle of this. Considering all the high strangeness that surrounded the moon when this blend was released (Black Rainbow- Pure Awesomeness) it was a must have. It is gorgeous. It's so hard for me to describe what I'm even smelling here. It's a comforting scent, but also really, really classy. Something that you'd find in a very high end French niche perfume. Yes, I do feel the spirit of things past and old, dusty books, yellowed photographs, etc. That all comes across as well. That's the beauty of this blend. It evokes so many things. And it smells so beautiful! Beth and the lab amazes again. 5/5. Old Moon is a new favorite.

Edit to update aging process: April 5, 1012
So, I applied Old Moon '11 last night before bad and holy moly! It was absolutely stunning. The leather was to die for. All other notes were completely kicked to the sidelines. Leather has taken over! It was the most gorgeous leather note I've ever smelled. Wow, what a few months have done already. I'm only sad that I only have one bottle of this gorgeous blend. Must...use...very sparingly...(So hard for this slatherer)

[MCS4096]

I took a chance on this one because I loved the picture and I can't resist a book themed blend. I was very pleasantly surprised when I smelled it for the first time-- leather! A beautiful light leather mixed with the lab's "paper" note (which I don't personally think smells like an old book, but I've come to like it nonetheless). Just beautiful! It's fairly light in throw, but it warms up on the skin to a musky, clean, soft, leather that I love. I may have to find another bottle.

 

Between Old Moon and Blood Moon the Lab's Lunacies have really impressed me recently

 

 

[porcelina]

OMG gorgeous.

 

i have been coveting old moon since i smelled the prototype at december wcwc and immediately went home to order two bottles. now that it is here and in my possession, i can confirm that it is still a beautiful scent.

 

i don't get a lot of leather. maybe a hint, of old, worn, faded leather book covers. mostly it is old books and sweet musk- a softer, gentler, more personal version of my all-time favorite lurid library. it reminds me a little of dee as well, or a sweeter aziraphale.

 

it wears quite close to the skin and just has the most amazing scent- clean musk (without being soapy) and old books distilled into a beautiful perfume. i am not sure others would be able to guess the notes without hearing them beforehand- they would just think you smelled wonderful. i could easily see old moon being a go-to, in-the-morning, not-sure-what-to-wear-and-don't-particularly-want-to-smell-like-cookies-or-church-or-dirt-or-blood-today kinda scent (yes, even i have those days). mmm.

[a_llb]

In vial: A forest green leather bound book, aged and worn. Something a bit sharper in the background, it actually does seem a bit thorny!

Wet: The leather gets stronger, smoother. There is a velvety dust note, not too sweet or powdery. A hint of inked paper.

Dry: It reminds me very much of Rogue at this point - leather with a touch of green, bolstered by a waxy dustiness. But it has something else too, that makes it seem much darker than Rogue.

 

Verdict: Surprisingly when I tested this I was immediately able to describe what it smells like on me by using an equation of existing BPAL blends. I'd say it's just like the velvet & leather from Erik plus the sweet dust from Black Opal plus the dark green stone from Night's Bridge. Maybe some hemp & rosin from Rogue, as well. I'd recommend any of those blends if you like this version of Old Moon, or are wanting to try it but having a hard time obtaining any.

[milo]

In the imp, this is a warm leather. On, leather for just a bit, and then musk and paper comes out. This smells kind of like my mom's books that she had from the 50's in my Grandpa's basement, only better. There's a freshness kind of like citrus in the background with a touch of leather. Oh damn, I may need more of this, it is very classy, and like other reviewers noted, like Black Lace, only something is missing. Very nice!!

[Little Bird]

This reminds me a bit of Story Time at Dark Delicacies at first, with a very faint, soft leather smell and hints of something like citrus (though this doesn't have the sweetness that Story Time does for me). As it dries down, it start to smell like clean, powdery skin musk and a whiff of smoky tobacco on me, with not so much on the leather or old books smell. It's not really sweet or leathery enough for me.

This version of Old Moon is really light on me, clinging close to the skin and only lasting about an hour and a half.

There are a lot of leather and book scents that I like a lot more than this one...

Edited January 18, 2012 by Little Bird

[angelamaria]

In bottle: a very nostalgic sort of scent, a hint of melancholia, soft and deep. My untrained nose is pretty bad at recognizing what exactly I'm smelling, but the nearest thing would be resins.

 

Wet on skin: old/antiqued wood, old photos that give it a slightly chemically feel, but oddly, this chemically note kind of soothing, reassuring. I'm getting resins and a hint of leather. Color that comes to mind mind would be deep green--which I half expected based on the description--but there's a mix of that deep antique brown color.

 

Dry: doesn't really morph on me aside from a further "softening" of the scent, with the deep green feel receding. Definitely gender neutral, although more on the masculine side for me. After a couple of hours I'm getting a pleasant sort of resinous powder, very soft.

 

Verdict: I really like this, although I'm not entirely sure if it's more of a psychological "like" (because of the actual idea behind it) more than a real "like" for the scent. It's soothing, but I don't see myself reaching for this much due to my own tastes in what perfume to wear.

[sarandipitee]

This is lovely! Soft, sweet vanilla with a hint of leather. It's the leather that could go awful on me, but instead behaves and stays under the gorgeous vanilla. As it dries the dusty note comes out and the paper emerges. The faded and dustiness reminds me a tad of the dry down in Phyllocrania Paradoxa V1.

 

It's for sure a keeper and I can't wait to see how it ages.

[zankoku_zen]

Dusty books, hints of wody and pine, paper and.... uhhh, this just smells like an old, expensive library. Except, well, human.

 

So make that a sexy male librarian (with those hot black rimmed glasses), leather bound books and shiny bookshelves.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Bibliophile heaven. This is the rich scent of Library: books, wood, vines, dust, cologne. I suspect I am reading the toys as cologne and wood. I don’t care. This scent is so gloriously tactile. I want to run my hands all over it and snuffle it’s neck. Wet: Less intensely Book on my skin. The Vines press forward, though the books and toys and dust swirl about behind the dark green curtains. It is still beautiful, but it’s no longer calling an irresistible come hither to my hind brain. I am fascinated by the way the delicate dust accord swirls around the vibes and books. I love the way the cloth tangles with the wood and books. It is more subtle in it’s allure than in the bottle, but it is seducing me more by the minute. Dry: Mostly books and wood.

[Nicnivin]

I'd have to agree with other posters who called this scent "Bibliophile Heaven". To me, it's a gorgeous, dry, papery scent that brings to mind a visit to an antique book shop on a crisp November day; the kind that has old leather chairs that are perfect for curling up in.

[Aviatrix]

This is one of my favorite bookish scents, and I just realized I forgot to review it!

 

It smells exactly like old dusty leather and antique paper, yellowed old photographs, and ….well, a gothic attic.

I love it to bits! There is a phase in the beginning where it goes a little soapy on me, but it dissipates quickly again.

 

If you love the Lab's book scents, be sure to give this one a try!

Throw is medium, and wear length is good.

[Lucchesa]

Ooh, I love these library scents, and they never last on me as long as I would like. Old Moon has that dusty leather feel of Quintessence of Dust and Adam, both of which were longer lasting on me (though I want to retry and slather a bit more to see if it helps). It reminds me of one of those funky used bookstores of my childhood with the really old, slightly musty leather-bound books that had the coolest illustrations. A little corner of heaven, in other words.

[aphrodisms]

The old/book note mainly is woody on me, so it’s quite a dry dark heavy wood scent overall.

[starbrow]

As a seeker of book scents, this one was a must-have for my collection. Old Moon 2011 is undeniably atmospheric. It straddles the line between old-fashioned herbal cologne and old dusty library. Clean and musty converge to convey a picture of freshly varnished and polished bannisters in a library full of crumbly manuscripts, tattered leather-bound volumes, and ancient hardbacks that crackle when you turn the pages. It's really amazing how those two pictures come together in this bottle.

 

For those who usually get a lot of leather from those bookish scents with leather in them, I think 11 years of aging has done its work in mellowing this leather out to a very soft, stretched, ratty hide. I'm not punched in the face by leather. There is something a little herbaceous and a little varnish-y that niggles at me when I sniff deeply. I don't know what it is, but it's quite mild and atmospheric. My favorite note here is the paper. It's reedy! I can practically hear the pages turning! But with the silvery, almost cologney element, this would make a good Phoenix Steamworks installment.

 

I don't find myself wanting to actually smell like old public libraries much, as nostalgic as that scent is for me, but if I did, this would do it. I am keeping my bottle for now as a "sniff when I want to be reminded" experience, but I don't see myself wearing this one much?

 

I would wear this while: cataloguing my bookshelves