Beaver Moon 2017

[DiesMali]

Traditionally, Beaver Moon is named thus for a very obvious reason: during this time of year, beavers are hard at work building their dams and preparing for the onset of winter. Not here at BPAL, though! Its our semi-annual opportunity for absurdity and campiness. This years cheesecake is a werebeavers indulgence: chocolate espresso bean cheesecake with a chipotle caramel cocoa drizzle.

In the bottle: Rich, creamy espresso and chocolate.

Wet on my skin: This goes on with a wave of rich, thick, warm espresso and gooey chocolate. The caramel comes out to join it after a few moments, and my mouth is actually watering because it already smells SO DELICIOUS. No cheesecake yet, but it might be part of the warm creaminess.

Dry: Foodie heaven. Seriously. This smells exactly like the description, and right now, I'm REALLY regretting being on a mostly-liquid diet for the next few weeks. It's espresso and chocolate, primarily, but more of a darker baking cocoa than milk chocolate. There's a dry, bitter edge to the coffee/cocoa if you inhale deeply, and the caramel and what I think must be the cheesecake itself give it all a sweet (but not TOO sweet), gooey, warm, creamy feel of burnt-sugary caramelized goodness. I am not getting much, if any, of the chipotle on the backs of my hands, but there's definitely a bit of a spicy kick in the crooks of my arms, so I suspect this is one that will smell better on warmer/less-dry body parts. If it smells THIS good less than two hours out of the mailbox, I can only imagine how good it will be with a few months' aging.

[VioletChaos]

In The Bottle: Yummy, yummy espresso and dry cocoa. Nomnomnom

 

Wet On Skin: The espresso has downgraded to coffee, but you'll hear no complaints from me about it. Also, I detect a hard-tack crust, which might be the caramel?

 

Dry Down: An amazing dry cocoa / coffee bean combination. I sadly don't seem to be getting any of the cheesecake aspect, but I'm not complaining: it might come out later through aging, but even if it doesn't I am pleased as punch to have another chocolate-coffee scent in my roster.

[Numanoid]

So, reading the notes...yeah.. I bought this instantly!! Ya kidding me?

 

In the bottle, creamy chocolate and espresso!!

 

On skin, Mmm...I detect the caramel a little....still get creamy chocolate and espresso. Not too heavy actually, considering the notes in it. Getting a teeny hint of the chipotle...very much in the background.

 

As it dries, the chocolate stays creamy... sometimes choco notes get powdery on me, but this is lovely. At this point, also not getting much espresso, but all the notes are there and well balanced and soft to me. Low throw, but maybe with age this will get crazy rich, I hope.

[thekittenkat]

In the bottle: There's the chocolate, the caramel, the cheesecake, and touches of the coffee bean.

Wet: All the notes meld in a glorious yumminess on my wrist. Still no sign of the chipotle, but it's probably keeping all the rich sweetness in check. At this stage, it's close to that eyes rolling up into the back of the head moment.

The dry-down: Sadly, this fades into faint whiffs of a coffee cheesecake. (But see the Note below.)

Note: I've worn this since Friday, in honor of the moon. My skin is somewhat drying and acidic, so to keep this from fading, I have to use an unscented lotion or oil underneath. Also, my skin doesn't like the Lab's coffee note (alas, I quickly smell like a barista), but the coffee bean note is a wonderful thing of beauty to me.

Edited November 6, 2017 by thekittenkat

[lady_pandora]

Foody scents often go wrong on my skin, especially ones containing dairy or bakery notes, and the way they go wrong is that they smell burnt or bitter on me. So the cheesecake aspect of Beaver Moon had me a little worried even as the rest of the blend sounded delightful. Hooray, this is a foody scent that works!

 

I start out getting mostly coffee, with a hint of chocolate in the background, and the chipotle as a spicy little tickle to the nose when I sniff close to the skin. I suspect that the reason the usual bitter note doesn't happen is that the coffee drowns it out--anything that smells burnt/bitter is just registering as part of the coffee's roasted quality! So I guess the secret to fighting the bitter note is to make sure something else in the blend is bitter-er?

 

As it evolves, it goes through a stage where it's oddly a bit woody, like the salty wood notes that sometimes appear in the pirate-themed scents. I can't imagine what note is causing this*, but it seems appropriate for a beaver scent. That dam's not going to build itself!

 

Ooooh, and then out comes the caramel. I love the British word "lashings" for large amounts of yummy stuff, and there are lashings and lashings of caramel here. I tested this in the evening, and by the time I went to bed, the scent was mostly caramel, and then when I woke up, it smelled good enough to devour my arm. And not a hint of bitter. So this is going to join my "Miracle BPALs that break all the rules" list.

 

*Edit! I just read up a little on chipotle peppers, and what I didn't know was that they're just jalapenos smoked over wood. That's where it's coming from! Neat-o!

Edited November 6, 2017 by lady_pandora

[vanilla323]

I had to get this because I love the Beaver Moon cheesecake scents! I was nervous about chipotle note but I never really smell it. I do get a dry delicious chocolate cheeesecake with a hint of coffee and caramel. So delicious! I couldnt stop sniffing my wrist!! So glad this worked out! Great staying power but close throw. Sexy and disturbing label too lol 😝

[LizziesLuck]

Beaver Moons haven't worked on me in the past - they all smell like single note "Graham Cracker Crust" and I am not a fan. But I keep trying, because I WANT to love it so much! Couldn't resist the coffee and caramel in this.

 

 

Wet: Mmmmmmmmmm. Oh this is yummy. Slightly spicy coffee caramel cheesecake. Nom nom nom. I don't wear a lot of gourmands, but I do find them comforting and relaxing on occasion. This totally hits the spot for me.

 

 

 

Dry: I can smell chocolate! And some spice! Things OTHER than graham crackers. It's a miracle. Clearly I have to keep it. It reminds me of El Dia de Los Reyes a bit? Chocolate, coffee and spice. It's less spicy, of course, but still has that vibe. I like it. Keeper!

[zankoku_zen]

Chocolate cheesecake, caramel and a whiff of coffee. I smell chocolate, spices, and a whiff of graham crackers on a deeper inhale. This one is a well balanced foodie, with the spices and coffee keeping it from being all food in your face. I agree with it reminding me of El Dia de los Reyes, but with a definite cheesecake element. Good throw and wear length.

[LiberAmoris]

Wow, Beaver Moon 2017 is a dead-on hit to the description of a chipotle-, caramel-, cocoa-, and coffee-inflected cheesecake. It's a piece of cheesecake that you order and arrives festooned with chocolate-covered coffee beans and chipotle dust, with a plate striping of caramel and chocolate. This is an over-the-top dessert that you think you'll only have a few bites of but end up finishing. Not an everyday scent for me, but I'll enjoy pulling this out when I'm craving dessert.

[WinterSong]

I love this one. In the bottle, it smells like sweet coffee and chocolate. Initially, I was concerned because it goes through a plasticky stage about 20 minutes after application. But on me it dries down to a sweet caramel coffee. It's a definite winner and I'm so happy that I have a bottle!

[Juliamon]

People who know me know I love cheesecake, I love coffee, and that I hate chocolate being added to either. No idea why, maybe I just prefer chocolate to be its own thing instead of hijacking other, better things. And yet, when I saw the description for this, I immediately stuck it on my wishlist. There are some desserts you'd rather eat than smell like, so maybe there are some you'd rather smell like than eat?

 

In the imp: Oh yes, this is delicious indeed. Smells exactly like the description, and I actually think I would eat this cheescake, or at least have a bite.

 

Wet: The cheesecake immediately backs off, letting this turn into a caramel mocha with a trace of smoky spice. Alright, I'm less interested in eating it now.

 

Dry: I keep trying coffee blends, but I think I just have to suck it up and admit to myself that my skin doesn't like the Lab's coffee notes. It's gone bitter-burnt again and the chipotle is amping it. Ugh! On the upside, this has better throw than usual for me, and it's less burnt-smelling in the wafts.

 

I might give this a few more tries, but otherwise it's getting sent to the locket-only corner of my decant box.

[SilentWolf]

In the bottle it smells absolutely delicious. Chocolate, caramel, coffee and definately cheesecake. I can smell some spice hiding way back. When it's wet the caramel does something funny on my skin, kinda like Box of Chocolates with whiskey and caramel did. It's not as bad since there's no alcoholic note but I'm a little dissapointed. That phase goes away and I'm left with chocolate, coffee and some caramel. The cheesecake is hiding and the spice comes out.

 

I like it! I've been on the hunt for some chocolate-blends and this is great! It's one of those that stick so well that you can smell it the next day. I'm so glad that I got a bottle.

[Thuy]

This is decadently delicious sniffing from the bottle. Chocolate, coffee, caramel, but I don't really get the cheesecake whiff. Wearing it? That's when that chipotle comes out without being obnoxious! I want to love this so much but something in the dry down makes it become...bitter? burnt? It's not terrible but not great. I think it may be the coffee but I love smelling this from the bottle so there's that.

 

Late evening update: This actually morphed back into something delicious. I'm catching chocolate, caramel and a hint of coffee; and I'm delighted again. Definitely hanging onto this bottle.

Edited April 19, 2021 by Thuy