Dragon Moon 2006

[dierne]

In Imperial China, the Dragon was the symbol of the Emperor’s power, and to this day, the concept and the image of the Dragon is considered sacrosanct. The Dragon is a symbol of power, the Lord of weather and water. The Dragon Moon celebrates the glory and vigor of Springtime: dragon’s blood resin, tea leaf, bamboo reed, sandalwood and cherry blossom.

In the bottle - A dull almost earthy citrus, perhaps a little incenselike.

Wet on skin - Soft and warm and ... something the hint of citrus is still there with just the vaguest undertone of soap. Tell me it isn't going to go to soap

Dry on skin - It's rich and green earthy, the soap threat has gone. With a promise of sunwarmed flowers. It's looking good so far.

Later - The hint of citrus and tea is dominant now but over all still warm and earthy. Likes this one.

[brownbear]

Usually the lunar oils work out on me. Dragon moon on me is just ok. I think that dragon's blood amps a lot on my skin and kind of takes over the rest of the blend. At first it just smells like sweet dragon's blood. After a while it smells very much like incense. It's a specific incense that I can't place right now. Kind of woody. Not bad, but also not as good as I hoped.

[gypsybaby1]

Dragon's Blood, should have known better. It overpowers anything else - straight to headacheyness.

 

off to swaps it goes.

[kunoichi]

From the vial this is a cool and sweetly piercing fragrance; that of cherry blossoms and dragon’s blood resin (if Dragon’s Milk is anything to go by). The sweetness almost immediately disappears on my skin (goodbye cherry blossom!) and it becomes a more astringent smell as the tea leaf, sandalwood and bamboo come to the fore. After a few hours the astringent smell has disappeared and it has become a soft, somewhat wood-like blend after all the other notes have disappeared. This might have to be another blend for my car diffuser.

[fairy]

This one threw me for a loop. I sniffed, smelled flowers, specifically rose and carnation, checked to make sure I had the right imp, I did, I sniffed again. Same thing. I know none of those are in the description, I was expecting something more resin-scented. But this was very flowery on me. It's still quite lovely~

[sofaking6]

In the bottle: Warm and spicy with a hint of sharpness

 

Wet: Ach! All tangy bamboo and tea leaf...I can barely pull the cherry blossom out from underneath. This is much too green for me.

 

Dry: Same...sharp but with the nice spiciness finally coming through.

 

In the oil burner: WOW! It's all smooth creamy warm spice with the cherry sweetness swirling around it. If it smelled like that on me I'd bathe in it.

[batcheva]

I fear that I am a novice sniffer and cannot yet separate components, but here goes.

 

In the bottle this smells very green to me, but also of food oddly enough.

 

On me it smells very sweet and spicy and still make me think of food, but I cannot think what kind of food. The only word I can think of to describe it is delicious. I know the components listed in it but I cannot separate them. To me they blend into an overarching whole that is very compelling.

 

The scent is very visceral for me, plucking something deep inside. It truly speaks to me in ways I cannot describe. Of all the BPAL I have tried this is my absolute favorite.

 

[supremegoddessofall]

Not surprisingly, I like it. I like pretty much the whole Dragon _________ line. The dragon's blood and sandalwood are predominant, so it's another spicy scent. It's a bit milder than many of the others, which may be the tea and the bamboo mellowing out the others.

 

Score: 5 out of 5

[steffanina]

Dragon Moon-

 

In Bottle: Sweet and powdery and lightly citrus fruit! Lime and orange without being sharp.

 

Wet: A very strong lemon furniture polish bloom (not good) but that's just in the immediate wet phase. I will wait and see.

 

Dry: Not so aggressively lemony on the dry-down, though the lemon still outweighs the powder. Also a fast fader.

 

Overall: Fast fader, not bad.

[metaldog32]

Dragon Moon is one of two scents my significant other requested I wear this weekend. I went with this one because he was born in the year of the Dragon..plus...this IS a lunacy blend and well...when can I say no to one of those???

 

So..I have been wearing it for a day...so here are my thoughts on it:

 

Initial sniff from bottleFruity...not a sweet fruity..but fruity nonetheless..I think I am registering the cherry blossom..and something a bit tart. I kind of had my pulse quicken a bit..for whatever reason this initial sniff sort of reminded me of another lunacy blend...Red Moon..so to have something that might come as a close second would be fantastic. The wafting I get from the bottle is definitely fruity..a bit tart and very appealing. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Applied wet on skin: The tart fruit is there for a quick second and then I too get the dreaded slide to lemon furniture polish...NNNNOOOOOO!!!! It's skating awfully close to Pledge-like tendencies..but I don't want it to go to that lemon dark side.

 

Couple of minutes on skin:Okay...it's veered away from Lemon Pledge..thank goodness..but it still retains that tart like quality...sort of citrus-like..I wonder if it's the bamboo reed or tea doing this??? I kind of just get citrus like melange with some sort of faint floral..must be the dragon's blood..or maybe it's the cherry blossom??? All of this is a bit bracing...and to tell you the truth..the traditional lunar oils that I can usually pick out in a lunar blend certainly aren't here..that's what makes it kind of different. It's definitely different..and I think I like it.

 

The throw on this is medium.

 

Drying on skin:The lemon-note is softening up considerably..and it's more in the background with the floral permeating softly to the forefront. Not quite so bracing..but I still don't get the sandalwood.

 

Drydown:Sharp notes exited the building and now I get the sandalwood which anchor the echoes of the floral/bamboo/tea party that had been getting it's groove on my skin 4 hours earlier.

 

Lasting power:4+ hours

 

Bottom Line:Dragon Moon is one of the more unusual lunacy blends. I definitely was thrown for a loop with the bracing/sharp qualities of this one..but giving it time to warm on my skin paid off. I like it...and I think I will probably wear it late spring to summer.

 

Addendum:SO didn't go ga-ga over the scent..said it reminded him of air freshner or dryer sheets..but no matter..I wear what I want. This just won't be on the rotation when I sleep over..

Edited October 16, 2006 by metaldog32

[Elrianra]

Tea and cherries in the bottle, with a faintly woodish note. Wet, this is sweetly floral with a tea and fresh bamboo undertone. As it dries, the sandalwood in this one comes out as a nice smooth smoky essence that mixes quite well with the dragon's blood, keeping this from getting spicy or sticky. Dry, this is warm green tea with cherry mints and bamboo mats... now where's the sushi? This is a bit tipsy, very delightful and disjointed but in that fun "crazy for the night, sane at work" (yeah right!) way. This is clear and yet so well blended that after a while, as it dies out, it all fades into an experience and not explainable ways.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Breathtakingly glorious. Dragon’s blood, bright fresh air, soft flowers and flowing water.

 

Wearing: This is by far the lightest dragon blend I’ve ever tried. It’s airy, flowy and blue-grey, not the heavy red sweetness I’ve come to expect from dragon’s blood… an honorable and respected ruler of weather and water, not a scary fire-breathing beastie.

 

And here’s a tangent: I was absolutely delighted to see that Macha’s dragon has five claws. Most Chinese dragons have four; the five-clawed dragon is a symbol of the Emperor.

[Deiicide]

Dragon's Moon was my first lunacy that I purchased when I first got into my bpal addiction, and to this day I treasure my bottle as though it was made of liquid gold.

In the bottle it is bamboo and cherry blossoms with the barest hint of cherry. It has a very clean feeling which is the tea coming from behind. When upon my skin it's the dragon blood and bamboo with the cherry blossom backing it up. Very violently that I add until it dries down in which all of them meld together with the tea. None of the sandelwood comes up but that's alright with me. It's the perfect spring time blend that's perfect for parties, sophisicated or no!

[Voleuse]

Oh! This is fascinating. On me, it's sandalwood glossed with sweet cherry blossom, and the tiniest hint of dragon's blood. Fresh and almost fiery, like Neo-Tokyo seared.

 

After a while, the sandalwood settles down, and this becomes more of a fresh floral scent. The sandalwood is definitely there, but I don't immediately think "desert" upon sniffing. Neat!

[asciident]

Wet: Sandalwood and bamboo are overpowering any other notes in this. Sniffing at it a lot I can make out some cherry.

 

First on: Instantly morphs into dragon's blood and cherry, mmm. None of the greenness is coming through, though.

 

Dry: Still dragon's blood and cherry, with sandalwood drifting in and out. Definitely a power scent as the description suggests, but without the notes that make me feel ill. I think this might be my favorite yet.

[furygrrl]

In the imp: A clean citrus-tea scent. Slightly sweet, slightly floral, slighty aquatic.

 

On wet: Bathroom air freshener.

 

Drydown: Sweet, sweet floral. Faint citrus. A sharpness reminiscent of ozone - perhaps the bamboo? (I'm discovering that I'm not a fan of bamboo in certain blends.) The sandalwood's underneath everything, lending an almost incensey quality to the overall experience. Still reminds me of something you'd use to clean a public restroom, though.

 

Overall: I heartily agree with some of the previous reviewers who mention similarities between this scent and Neo-Tokyo. Unsurprisingly, since I absolutely LOATHED Neo-Tokyo (it was the very first scent I needed to wash off immediately), I'm not exactly loving this one, either. A shame, really - I haven't been able to pull off any blends with dragon's blood so far, and this one - with all its exotic ingredients - had me hopeful.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Mostly bamboo, with hints of florals from the cherry blossom

 

Wet: Bamboo and some tea, I think

 

Drydown: Bamboo still dominates the blend a lot, I think that I can make out a little bit of tea and cherry blossom underneath it. It takes a while until the bamboo lifts and gives way to something softer, a little bit of sweet dragon's blood, warm gentle tea leaves and cherry blossom.

 

Overall: It goes from very sharp citrusy bamboo to a gentle, barely there drydown of cherry blossom and slightly powdery dragon's blood, with bamboo that makes sporadic returns. It's an energetic blend, citrusy and shiny. It's a pretty spring blend, but really not my cup of tea.

[Jilara]

I had to have this, as dragons blood with an asian theme is sooo me. Dragon's blood is one of the scents I love on me. Unfortunately, this one fades pretty fast on me, but it's worth re-applying.

 

Note from later: how fast this fades seems to depend on my hormone cycles. At certain times of the month, it lasts 8-10 hours! Other times, it's gone within two. Interesting.

 

In bottle: Juicy red plums! With a slight undertone of dragon's blood and cherry blossom.

 

Wet: Dragon's blood and juicy, plummy goodness, with a slight green undertone.

Drydown: Ooh, here comes the bamboo! The plums are melding into the cherry and keeping the dragon's blood mellow.

 

1 hour: Dragon's blood and bamboo. The fruit has faded. Another note is starting to show up, but not identifiable yet.

2 hours: Sandalwood has replaced the bamboo. It's all Dragon's blood and sandalwood, now. A little bit dusty.

3 hours: completely gone. Time to reapply.

 

Note from a different part of my hormone cycle: the bamboo stays in the running the whole time, and the cherry blossom lasts longer---a couple hours.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Jilara

[emzebel]

I was soooo looking forward to this blend last year, as I love dragons, dragon's blood, and was getting along well with the Asian Moons. Oddly, I wear this a lot less than you might think, even though I do like it.

 

This is a light dragon's blood on me, with a lot of the other notes, which make for a very nice, pleasant, fruity, fresh coctail of fruity tea with a shot of DB.

[curly girl fla]

This is the first moon and the first anything with dragon's blood that I tried.

In the bottle: sharp, almost citrusy with a green edge

Wet on the skin: the sharpness dissipates leaving a more floral-fruity aroma with softer green...

Dry-later: mellowed into a well-blended light herb-floral...hard to describe, but I love it!

[Rat The Unloved]

Initial Impressions: Bright, clear. Suggests "Watery tea".

On the skin: Honest to gods... reminds me of an old floral soap my grandmother had.

Dry: High, soapy, flowery. Cherry Blossom and orchids, I think. It disagrees with my skin entirely.

Mature: Bah. Not liking it at all. Too high and floral for my nose.

Several Hours Later: It became thin, and parchmenty.

Overall: Incompatable with the way my skin works.

Buyability: Would not purchase for myself.

[Victory]

Thanks to macabre_fae for sending this imp along in a swap, because I'd have never thought to try it otherwise, but I am glad that I did. In the vial, Dragon Moon smells really fresh and interesting. On me, it's somehow very, very sweet. I like sweet blends, but this gets near the teeth-gritting sweetness level but doesn't quiiiite reach it. A couple of hours later it backs down to a clean, fragile, soothing smell. I like it.

[LadyCrow]

In the vial: Cherry blossom with a hint of dragon's blood.

 

Wet on skin: Fruity! Something's coming forward -- citrus? Lemon? No, I think that's lemongrass.

 

Drying down: Sweet green tea. As the drydown continues, the bamboo advances and keeps the blend overall very green, with the other notes detectable but still in the background. The sandalwood, I think, may just be there as a base amping the floral aspects of the dragon's blood. This has really unusual throw for what I'd call a fresh/floral blend -- maybe that's the dragon's blood?

 

Sigh. I would continue to write about Dragon Moon, but it is impossible: I have died of yum. My icon aside, I think I may have a new favorite Lunacy.

[Trish]

Interesting. Usually dragon's blood would be the most dominant scent on me - unless it also contains sandalwood where it takes over instead. Yet this contains both but neither are dominant! Instead it's the cherry blossom which makes this very much a floral scent. Normally this would be the kiss of death, but this is a new note for me and it agrees with me quite favourably. Especially since the wood and particularly the tea are still noticeable underneath, with a bit of dragon's blood. There's also a tinge of green which I normally hate but it works with this, cutting through the floral a bit. It's quite strong for the first hour or so, then softens quite a bit.

 

I'd describe this as resin, wood and tea overlayed with cherry blossom. It's a floral with warmth, strength of character and depth, and is not a summer floral to my nose.

 

It has good throw and last as all dragon's blood blends have on me, and I like this quite a bit. Maybe not enough to seek out a second bottle, but this one I will keep. I'm going to a wedding in October and I think this might just be what I'll wear to it!

[Salsa Shark]

This is a hard one to review, because I've found that this more than most other blends I've tried tends to differ wildly each time I wear it. Usually it's predominantly DB resin and cherry blossom, making it a kind of soapy fruity floral, with a sharp sweetness from the bamboo, and then other times it's the tart crisp green scent of the bamboo and tea, mellowed and anchored by the sandalwood. An then from time to time it'll be anywhere in between those two.

 

This time round it's mostly sandalwood and tea, with a vague hint of cherry blossom. The DB and bamboo disappeared after about five minutes from putting it on. Last time it was almost all DB.