Hunter Moon 2004

[LunaSea]

... A blend of traditional lunar oils touched with dry leaves, autumn bonfires, warm mulled wine, feral, animalistic notes and the chill of approaching winter.

Ok, this is my first review, so bear with me!

In the bottle, Hunter Moon smells like grapes at the first sniff. Second sniff is still sweet and gorgeous - other fruits in addition to grapes. When I put it on, it lost a lot of the sweetness, and softened within a few minutes to something more - floral? I don't have the nose for notes that a lot of you have yet, so I can't put a definite name to it.

I've been sitting on my couch for about an hour now after putting it on, and I am just loving this scent more and more! Now, it has the soft, floral/woodsy scent lying over that sweetness of the grapes and wine which come out at the end of the sniff. If there is smoke, it is very faint in the background, which makes me VERY happy, because I had the smoke problem with Harvest Moon. When I put that one on, it instantly turned to smoke, smoke, and more smoke and had to be washed off. Therefore, I have been afraid to try Hunter Moon for fear of smelling like a bonfire again. Not happening! I am falling in love with this scent more and more with every breath I take! Thanks to Minilux for having an extra bottle to sell!

ETA: another hour later, and it still smells lovely. The description that comes to mind is a Sweet-tart or Smarties. Not icky-sweet candy, but a faint sweet candy that has a bit of a tart-sharpness to it that tingles your nose at the end of the sniff. Behind that is the faint woodsy scent that maybe has a touch of smoke to it. My husband came downstairs and said it smelled great down here - definitely a keeper! (And I didn't really slather it either.)

[inkstone]

I got a bottle of this from the wonderful Eris. It's my very first lunacy oil.

 

In the bottle: Mulled wine & drying leaves. It smells like autumn!

 

Wet: There's definitely musk in this. I'm not sure what kind, but it's definitely one of the darker varieties. I can smell the drying leaves and the wine has intensified. Wow, this is definitely autumn!

 

Drydown: I still smell the leaves and wine. Thankfully the musk didn't go crazy and overpower everything else like it normally does on me. I get whiffs of the smokey flavor, so there's the bonfire action.

 

Final Thoughts: I think I like this! I'll have to try it out a few more times to make sure, but I think I do! This would have been a wonderful scent to wear on the actual Hunter Moon. It's so evocative of the season.

[Astarte]

This is very evocative of the autumnal season, wine, dead leaves and smoke. This settles into quite a sophisticated scent with decent sillage. I can also smell the slight animalistic note to it, hence the name, Hunter Moon.

 

I adore this one, for some reason all the wine ones seem to work quite well with my body chemistry. Something I am infinitely grateful for

[starrykitten]

I was surprised at how berry-like this was on me. I was expecting it to be more woodsy and feral, and there were those notes. It was mostly like berries and wine tinged with greenery and woods on me. It lasted for a rather long time, too, which was nice.

[fallow deer]

This is definately a night smell - not a dressed up going out night, but a wear dark clothes and tread softly though the woods night.

 

When I smell this I find myself also listening very carefully and my eyes widen and other senses expand around me as I wait.

 

And then I realise that I'm not in the middle of woods but sitting on my sofa with my computer!

 

Its like a winter night version of The Unicorn in a way.

 

Ooh I read Angela Carter's Nights at the Circus recently and this reminds me of the shaman's village in Siberia - bears and blood and magic!

 

ETA: I'm so glad I can smell the spices in this!

Edited December 2, 2004 by fallow deer

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Mmm a really warm grape-y wine.

 

After Wearing It:

This smells of very warm red wine on me but with a very animalistic edge to it. I can't pinpoint exactly what I'm smelling, because it doesn't really smell like musk and it doesn't smell like civet. It's kind of like the smell of fur, like the haze of a (just washed!) dog. That unusually pleasant puppy smell.

 

During the life of this scent, I kept getting flashes of drinking hot, spiced whine in a dim pub somewhere from times past. Big leather arm chairs, roaring fires, and a cheer in the air that comes from the joy of a successful hunt. People have been out all in in the chilled, autumn air, pursuing game (fox would be appropriate, though it's rare than anything is actually caught in a fox hunt) and have now retired to warm themselves by the fire and with large flasks of sweet wine while boasting about the accomplishments of the day. The scent of the outdoors clings to them, the smell of their hounds and horses and blends with the scents of the warmth of the room, the smoke of the fire, and the wine they drink as they celebrate long into the night. It's a very warm and glowy scent, dark but cheerful too.

 

Final Thoughts:

This is a really unique and evocative scent! I'm not sure if I'll wear it often, but I'm very glad to have it a part of my collection.

[Penance]

Got an imp of this from allamanda.

 

First sniff:

 

Wine and something very animal smelling; it's sharp like Haunted was for me, but softened somewhat by the wine. I don't remember musk being sharp, but everything I've smelled with musk in it lately has smelled very sharp to my nose. I don't know if my sense of smell is off or what, but it's a little odd.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Almost sour (must be the wine) and sharply musky. This reminds me a lot of Haunted because of the sharp, nose-burning animalistic note, but this reminds me more of autumn in the woods than Haunted's unsettling sexual vibe.

 

Dry down:

 

The musk has mellowed out now that it's dried and I'm left with an almost sour wine smell and a faint hint of leaves. This is a very unusual scent and one I'm not sure whether I'll end up keeping or not. Someting about this one just feels wrong on me and I'm sure it's my chemistry that's to blame.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'm undecided on this one; I don't know if I'll end up keeping it or not. It should have worked beautifully, but my chemistry's throwing it all out of whack.

[antimony]

I don't know why I keep ordering Lunacy blends.

 

The "Traditional Lunar oils" (or whatever it is that the oils have in common) make the inside of my nose prickle in this really unfortunate way.

 

This one turned into really harsh smoke, some kind of civet-y musk note, and nose-prickles. I didn't get berries at all.

[isyche]

Love this, thanks for the imp, AlectoNox!

It's like Mabon, only smokier and less sweet – there's no floral in this, just leaves and smoke and oak bark and maybe a touch of dry red wine. Whatever the “animalistic notes” are, I don't really notice them, so they seem to be working OK with my skin. The drydown is very similar to Mabon, too.

[LupaWulf]

My VERY first BPAL oil ever tried!

 

From this moment forth I was hooked.

 

I read the description of Hunter Moon, and NEEDED to buy it. Not wanted, but NEEDED. (I'm sort of a huntriss type and it just sounded so much like me...)

 

Sweet scented in the bottle, I think the wine is mostly what I catch, occationally I catch a note of woodsmoke too..

 

Worn it brings out a scent of spiced apple cider, woodstoves, and fall weather. I compair it to the open house days at little country gift shops when they serve the spiced cider and cookies.

 

It's not strong enough to make me reek of potpourie, but strong enough to be pleasent and fall spicey. I do like it! I loved it enough to end up with two bottles. Then again, I won't mind it being a signature scent, since I am a fall weather person and LOVE the spices.

 

I don't really notice the animalistic tones in this. Maybe they just blend in, or didn't feel like peeking at me in the couple times I've worn it so far. I also like its staying power. All day without having to slather!

[shelldoo]

I am beginning to think I am a fall scent kinda gal.

 

I adore this one!

 

In the bottle: I can not pick out any individual notes, it is simply beautiful

 

wet: ahhhhhh I adore winey smells and I can definitely smell some kind of wine in this one

 

dry down: what can I say? GORGEOUS!!!! I love the blend of wine, floral, fall leaves, it is just such a superb blend!

[Shollin]

First sniff: Hunter Moon is deep, rust-brown, slightly sweet and very rich.

 

Wearing: This scent has the same autumnal richness as Harvest Moon – they’re similar, to my nose, but Hunter is a bit redder, and there’s definitely a tinge of something feral around the edges, prowling around the firelight. I fell asleep on the couch while wearing this and woke up to a lovely burst of sweet grape, though the scent on my wrists isn’t even remotely grapey. Interesting.

[Macha]

First: some background...

We were stepping out to walk down to the market last fall. The door to our apartment faces east, so the sun's in our eyes in the morning. At night though, a night like that, we opened that door to see a crisp full moon...

 

...that was red as a blood-stained tooth.

 

"An eclipse?" My boyfriend says.

 

I nod. "I forgot there was going to be one tonight."

 

Instead of going to the market, we roamed the neighborhood for several hours, stepping over damp dead leaves on the concrete sidewalks and wrapping our jackets a little tighter, for it had been unseasonably cold for Los Angeles. Gradually the full eclipse claimed all the moon, turning it a dark sooty red. This wasn't a moon being eaten by a serpent: it was stained from the kill. Wasn't this the Hunter's Moon, after all? Here we were, in the middle of the city, and rarely had I encountered a night that felt more feral and wild. Magic, but no safe magic.

 

Little wonder my boyfriend shared my excitement at receiving a bottle of this, and little wonder he put some one first. On him it was a dark, smokey beast, dangerous, not a little provocative, but we'd both smelled the grapiness of the scent in the bottle, and I could tell he was a little disappointed to have that note lost on his skin.

 

Wet, on my skin: I was careful to roll the bottle when I applied this, and whether that or skin chemistry made the difference, the grape note remained, along with the spiciness of mulled wine and the faint scent of sweet wood smoke. I think my boyfriend may be a bit jealous...but I was careful to remind him that this is one of the older bottles with a built-in dropper, and it's important to get a drop of oil from the center, rather than swipe the rim as he's used to doing.

 

Dry, on skin: Spicey, rich, dark. The wine note is still there, along with smoke and...hmm...civet? Not really sure. The spiciness has a peppery edge to it. There's some strange notes to this, and I didn't think I'd be one to like wine notes, but this is actually quite lovely. Incense and berries and wildness -- it's highly evocative. I hadn't even dared to hope that Hunter's Moon would encapsulate my memories of that night last fall, and yet...it does. I really couldn't be happier.

 

Conclusion: Well, the boyfriend likes it so it would be a keeper for that if nothing else, but honestly, I find I really like this too. This scent also has quite a throw, and good staying power. It's very different from the scents that I always told myself I liked (lighter, sweeter, flowerier) but since discovering BPAL I'm having to re-examine my opinions on many of my preconceptions about the perfumes I do and don't like.

 

Edit: There's a weird postscript to this. I couple weeks ago I was over at a house for the first time, and met the owner's three large standard poodles. They didn't really warm up to me at all, and after some growling, I kept my distance. This weekend I went back over, wearing Hunter Moon. I don't know if it was self-confidence or familiarity, but this times these poodles (and remember that these are the large hunting dog variety of poodle, not lap dogs) decided they LOVED me. They were meek, gentle, sweet, rubbing up against me, begging for attention...and trying to lick my wrists. The owner said she'd never seen her dogs warm up to anyone like that. Beth, what did you put in this perfume?!

Edited January 18, 2005 by Macha

[requieminblack]

First sniff out of the bottle- Grapes!

 

After 10 minutes- I want to say it has that Occult shop/ritual smells to it. Yes, that is what it is. Like fresh incense on charcoals being burned outside on a chilly night. I smell Juniper berries and fresh rosemary mixed with red wine. There is a smoky muskiness to it but it is very subtle. The grape/wine scent dominates.

 

After 30 minutes- Wow. This is just...magical. I am still getting smoky grape and juniper. It is berry sweet yet slightly spicy, like mulled wine, as others have mentioned. I don't get anything animalistic in this at all. If there is a civet blend in it, either I don't smell it or I like it. All I can think of when sniffing this is 'Dionysus'. This is truly his scent.

 

Summery- I want a big bottle of this. I just can't get enough. I didn't think I would like it based on the description and reviews but I am in love.

[phoefromelsewhere]

In the bottle: Burning woods, stg sour smelling? “Ew” was my first thought. Will just have to see what it does tho…

 

Wet: Cinnamon, woods…smells like those country craft shops with tons of candles everywhere.

 

Drydown: Lovely, warm and rich. Perfectly evocative of that time of year. Crackling fire, cool night air and mulled wine. There is stg fresh and cool there as well, I want to say mint but it’s not that bright. This makes me wish it was autumn again!

 

Later: Oh bother. This goes awfully smoky and sweet for some reason. There must be musk in this as it’s doing the typical love hate thing on my skin that musk does. Bum bum BUM. I hate musk but it seems to love me. Bother again. Off to the swaps.

[minouska]

I tried Hunter Moon once when I got it, and couldn't remember it at all, so I tried this again today.

 

Sadly, it doesn't work at all on me. For the first 15 minutes, I couldn't smell it *at all*--I even re-applied. Then, a scent did come out, but sadly nothing like the description. It must be the animalistic scents, which often don't work on me....this is just kind of dark, damp, leaves with a little smoke and a weird sweetness. It's also giving me a headache and making me feel anxious and unsettled. I've never had quite this reaction to an oil before--I don't think I can even wait awhile for the drydown to see if it changes.

 

I'm disappointed, because it sounds like this really works on some the way I wanted it to work on me.

 

Off to wash this off and then to post this for swap.....

[scourgeotheseas]

Hunter Moon- got an imp in a swap with Jasminepearls.

 

In the bottle: A hint of grape, a touch of wine, but mostly spices and florals.

 

On me/wet: Mmmm...I like this immediately. I smell yellow flowers and mulled wine. As somebody else mentioned, it smells like a country craft store. And it reminds me of Tintagel, which I love.

 

Drydown: It's gotten sweeter as it dried, but still retains the warm, spicy scent of fall. Unfortunately, I keep getting a whiff of pencil shavings from my arm, beneath the cinnamon and spicy florals.

 

I do like this one a lot. It reminds me of Autumn.

[Witch's Dagger]

Hunter Moon

 

I ordered this because I liked the animalistic moon idea.

 

in the vial: dead leaves, sweet florals, mulled wine, and smoke (from a campfire)

 

On me: This is a pretty stable scent. It doesn’t change much at all. It is, for me, the quintessential autumn scent - more so than Mabon and Samhain. It’s absolutely lovely. For awhile, it was all I was wearing. I’m particularly amazed at the way the dead leaves and smoke came out. It also lasts a very long time. I put it on this morning, and I could still smell it strongly as I was coming home this evening. And most of Beth’s oils tend to evaporate within an hour or two on me. Oh, and something about it definitely seems to conjure up chill autumn fresh air.

 

Overall: I’m ecstatic to have it. Now, I just hope I don’t run out.

[surf-tormented]

Ooh, here comes that note I don't like. The kinda hot sassafras on the sidewalk note included in many of BPAL's voodoo blends. Icky.

 

Yea, that is gone in minutes, replaced by a feral tone. Ok, now it smells like weeds...ok, I tried. This oil doesn't love me at all.

 

It's ok, but not one of my favorite moons by far. It is a bit stinky on me, like Harvest Moon, but in a different way.

 

It has to be something herbal in it that I don't like in any oil that the note is in.

[Barb25]

So far, I've been a big fan of the moon scents, and Hunter Moon is no exception.

 

It's a very green scent on me, woodsy, with a leafy/musky background, and just a hint of wine playing in the background. Very beautiful.

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Ooh. Musky and spicy and...anise-y. Again. My nose really likes to make things smell like anise. Not a bad thing, though. I do get the woodsmoke note. The smell of an autumn night, with the light from nearby bonfires casting an orange glow on everything. This is sexy.

 

Wearing: Mmhmm. This is the same wine note in Mabon (and Bordello, to a lesser degree) that makes it smell like gummi worms and popsicles. Definitely very berry, very sweet, but woodsy. Nice combination.

 

Later: And...all berry/wine now. Darn. I like the first hour of scent, so I'll probably keep it.

[wolfie13]

I got this as an extra gift in a swap (thanks kellia!) - just when I had been thinking that

I should maybe look into finding an imp to try!

 

Alas, Hunter Moon is not for me. There are so many great descriptions already, that I won't really elaborate too much, but basically it smelled like grape juice and woodsmoke, with an additional musk-y or civet note. It stayed pretty much the same throughout wearing - and it was REALLY strong - I could barely wash it off.

 

VERY evocative and unique, but did not work for me at all.

 

(Now worried that none of the lunar oils will ever work for me - and i JUST ordered Milk Moon!)

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Cough syrup. Cherry cough syrup is all I get from the bottle. Makes me a bit dizzy, and it's pretty awful lol

 

On me:

Much better. Not so much the medicinal smell anymore, now it's lighter - fruitier than I was expecting as well, I think that's mostly the wine smell. As it dries, I'm starting to get a little bit more of a woodsier smell, just a touch. And then some spices kicking in.

 

Final note:

Not what I expected at all to be honest, but all the same I do like it. Like it enough to want to track down a whole bottle for myself! Definitely couldn't get a feel for this one in the vial, it's so very different on my skin!

 

 

EDIT: I had to come back and say that I LOVE this scent. This is probably my favorite so far, it's so perfectly Autumn!

Edited April 28, 2005 by Brianne

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): It's a little sweet, and a little sharp. I can't pick anything out, and can't decide whether or not I like it.

 

Just On: Smells a little like animals, and maybe grassy or woodsy?

 

An hour or two later: Ooh. I'm sitting on a porch in autumn sipping on really mild blackberry wine. This is gorgeous. No more animals, no woods or grass... instead it's the wine with a hint of fresh fall air.

 

Around 6 hours: The wine really coming out in this. This makes me want to brew some homemade wine really bad. It's sweet, and lovely.

 

12 hours: Mmm, tobacco smoke with a very slight hint of wine smell, like there is the tiniest bit left in a glass and I'm having a peaceful smoke on the veranda.

 

Overall: I wondered at first if I would like this, and after it dries, my answer is YES. I'm not desperate to buy more, I still have higher ranked scents, but I don't think I would turn down more if it weren't too spendy.

 

After reading other reviews: It looks like my nose agreed with a lot of folks in reviews. I certainly like the way it sits on me, and it had some fair staying power. I'll certainly be keeping this, and if the chance comes, I wouldn't complain about getting more. I still lean towards the really foody scents more, but this is pleasant.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Wine and smoke. This is very different than the other lunacy blends!

 

Wearing: Oh, my - this is lovely! At first the wine really dominates, but it quickly settles down into a lovely fruitiness that is layered over dark smoke, musk, and those lovely lunar oils. The visual on this one is a raucous midnight party in the deepest part of the forest under the full moon surrounded by bonfires.

 

Final Impressions: I LOVE THIS! It is too bad I only have an imp.

*goes off to stalk the swap thread and ebay*