Hungry Ghost Moon 2006

[HoneyHoneyNY]

... Offerings of ginger candy, sugar cane, smoky vanilla and rice wine mingle with a ghost’s perfume of white sandalwood, ho wood, ti, white grapefruit, crystalline musk and aloe. This scent is tapered by the presence of seven herbs, woods and resins used in the purification of the spirit and the purging of earthly concerns from the soul.

It's been a while since I've been interested in a lunacy oil. Hungry Ghost Moon sounded appealing, what with the grapefruit, and ginger candy, and vanilla, but all the wood notes in it scared me, since wood notes tend to turn very dry and sharp on my skin. I didn't order it when it came out, and I'm very sad about that, since I think that HGM is love.

In the bottle this is fruity sweet, with a tinge of tanginess that the grapefruit brings. It reminds me of grapefruit gummies, which I love. It's not a heavy sort of sweet though, it's lighter, and not carmelized at all. It's green sweet, like chomping on a piece of fresh sugar cane. It's one of the few scents that I could sniff from the bottle forever.

Wet on my skin, the initial gummy grapefruit scent actually lingers for a minute or two, and then it gets greener. Sometimes scents that are too green make me a bit queasy, but this stays fresh and light green. The fruitiness softens right away, though the scent remains sweet and fresh. I think I can sense a tinge of the dryness that wood brings to a scent, but it's not overwhelming, sharp or powdery.

As it dries, it becomes more soft and subtle. It's light and so pretty. I can still smell the sweet greeness, but its less prominent. The scent is drier, but still very soft, and under the dryness is a touch of vanilla and a bit of sharpness that might be the ginger.

After 2 hours on my skin, most of the green freshness has passed, and what I smell on my skin is a soft vanilla-dry not creamy at all-that reminds me just a bit of the vanilla in Antique Lace, but instead of the linen and flowers smell of AL, this is exotic, a little spicy and ever so faintly tropical. Not like pineapples and coconut, like green leaves and exotic spices. Underlying that is a delicate hint of musk.

I think this is gorgeous. It's complex, but not heavy and overwhelming. Every stage of it is soft, light and wispy, but strongly present, not weak. It's also comforting. I find Milk Moon comforting in a warm milk, cozy blankets way, but sniffing my wrists while wearing Hungry Ghost Moon gives me a very peaceful feeling. It's serene, clean , and restful.

[Monster]

Well, Hungry Ghost Moon is pretty much a combination of notes that make my heart go pitter patter I knew I was going to love this one right away....and I was right!

 

This is already one of my favorite scents. I'm going to need an additional bottle becasue I know I'm gonna kill this one.

 

Hungry Ghost Moon is sweet and fresh smelling. Right out of the bottle at first whiff I get a sugared bamboo and aloe (but not too sweet! It's just right )

On my skin, wet the ginger suddenly bursts through the aloe and bamboo.

As this dries down is turns into the most gorgeous scent ever....slightly resiny ginger with a warm vanilla background and just a breeze of fresh aloe, bamboo, and grapefruit.

 

All of the notes are well-balanced in this blend. Nothing jumps out too much on me, it's just PERFECT!

 

This is also a really long lasting scent and not too overpowering. I put some of this in my hair and on my wrists and the following morning when I woke up I could still smell this on my skin.

 

THANK YOU LAB!

[zombiegrrl]

In the bottle and wet, it smelled like ginger sandalwood with something sweet underneath it all. Dry on me it smells like a sweet vanilla sandalwood with herbal undertones. Quite nice, actually.

[juniperus]

Bottle: fruit with a hint of green.

Wet: same

Dry: fruit is more clearly grapefruit, very sweet. vanilla. no woods that I can identify, yet.

Later: grapefruit and aloe, vanilla and candy growing cloyingly sweet, very sweetened-fruity in affect. amping something...unpleasant.

[ginevra]

Mmmm, sweet - like a quality hard candy - it's so much more complex than that though. Sweet and smokey with the tang of grapefruit coming through. I've had this since it was released and I feel like I'm only now just getting to know its depths and richness.

[wikkidraven]

i just got this one and i was excited to try it...from the bottle it smells really fruity, but on skin i get a sweet grapefruit, not sour or tangy like you might expect, with a blend of the ginger note.

 

it doesn't seem to have a lot of throw, either. i haven't yet found the citrusy scent that really agrees with me. i might give this one another go for the subtlety factor, but i have a sneaking suspicion it will end up in my swap pile.

[jasmine]

On the wand, that’s beautiful. I paused and inhaled several times, just completely taken by the sweetness of it, before finally remembering to put it on my wrist. I detect... yuzu, I think? (After reading the lab description, I see that it really was just grapefruit. I can’t tell the difference between the two yet.) There’s a familiarity to this melange of flavors, but figuring out everything is difficult.

 

As it settles in, it retains its beauty. It’s not overly sweet or sugary or citrusy, but it has traces of all of them... just a smooth, beautiful medley of fruit, with a hint of spice (ginger?) underneath. I can definitely detect vanilla. Oh, I like this one so much!

 

Not much lasting power on this, regrettably... it faded softly into my wrist within the hour... but it still has a delicate, ethereal aura that pleases me. Reapplication would probably be needed to wear this one, but it would be worth it.

[supremegoddessofall]

Definitely a white scent, and very heavy on the grapefruit. I'm getting a lot of "tea" and "soap" feel here. No sandalwood, ginger, or vanilla at all. Not for me.

[Elrianra]

In the bottle, very fruity with a nice blending of the musk and aloe and herbs to make this green and minty. The ho wood and ti are lively but mild still. Wet on me? Citrus and berries with a green tea overture. Oh. Yum. As it dries, this gets sweetly lemony with a very smooth herbal tone, there's woods in this but I don't get any resins. Oh, that's ginger! Goodness yes, that's ginger. With a nice sweet vanilla and musk flavor. Actually quite pleasant, just don't sniff TOO closely. *sneezes* Dried and warmed, there's a gingery citrus with musk and tea to this, it's delightful. Very smooth and toned with a slightly spicy-sweet note to it, this is a definite winner!

[Pachelbel]

In the bottle: sweet without being overly foody, fruity without scaring me away (fruity scents and I have a rocky relationship), floral to soften things up. No ginger, sandalwood, or vanilla, so they'll probably show up on the drydown.

 

Wet: Slightly more fruity and herbal, but not like you're in a garden...it's more like how you imagine the subjects of still-life paintings must have smelled years ago when they were being sized up and put on canvas. If that makes sense, heh.

 

Dry: Some sort of fruit is definitely on top, but I can't tell which...the florals are tying it down so it doesn't pull the "attack of the killer (insert fruit here)" trick. Lovely. There's a fruity blend I can wear?

 

Wearing this to work, so I'll keep tabs....

[cranberry]

In the imp, this smells sweet, fresh, juicy, fruit and tart

 

On the skin, this is tart and sweet, almost like a sweet glass of limeade but with a different citrus fruit. It’s juicy, fresh and such a perfect scent for summer. There’s hints of green and clean, clear musk. It has a bit of a fizzy quality to it. It’s complex and hard for me to describe, other than I love this scent and I think it’s really one of the most unique blends. There’s a touch of spice which must be the ginger.

 

After its been on a while, the sandalwood becomes a bit more distinct, mixing wonderfully with the vanilla, sugar and citrus. It gets deeper as it wears, while remaining sweet and fresh. And such a happy smelling scent.

 

It’s an amazing combination of scents and they all meld so well. Fantastic.

[halcyon_flight]

With all this talk of grapefruit and sugar I feel as if I've gotten a completely different version of Hungry Ghost Moon. Fortunately I absolutely _love_ my Hungry Ghost Moon.

 

The top notes for me are the woods and aloe. I don't know what ho wood and white sandal wood smell like, but to me the wood smells almost like bamboo. The aloe in this is so natural, so unlike any aloe in the world except a fresh aloe leaf cracked in half. Beautiful!

 

In the background I get a bit of mellow citrus that must be the white grapefruit, and I can smell the ginger candy as if catching a whiff of it from across the room. The rest of the ingredients are such a mixture I can't pick them out. I don't get smoky vanilla at _all_ and my skin usually amps such things.

 

Hungry Ghost Moon is the kind of scent that I don't know exactly _why_ I like it, but I do. It's unique to the extent that I'm only in the mood for it every couple of weeks, but when that time comes around I practically bath in it.

[myoubi]

this one was kinda... meh.

I'm paraphrasing this review from my notes, since I swapped HGM off the very same day I received it. All I got was slightly musty-sweet vanilla, rice and grapefruit. It wasn't unpleasant, but at the same time it wasn't that nice either. I didn't object to it, it was even kinda good on the occasional whiff; but not something I would've chosen to smell like. It was very warm, and didn't morph much, and stayed on my skin all night and into the next day.

All in all: warm, sweetly musty and meh.

[Deiicide]

From the bottle it's very sweet smelling musk and greenish feeling. The grapefruit is very dominate as well with the hint of the woods just barely in the background. Upon the skin it's the same clean sweet smell with a largely grapefruit smell and then it settles down into a very hazy vanilla with a hint of ginger. It's nothing that I've ever smelled before and very unique. A+ with this one.

[Voleuse]

This is tart citrus and burnt wood on first sniff, sweet and elusive. After a minute, however, it completely disappears on me! I can smell a bit of grapefruit if I press my nose to my skin, but that's it. Alas.

[little_galaxie]

Oh. My. God.

This scent is so exquisitely blended, so lovely, and addictive. I have not been able to take my nose off my wrist.

 

I highly doubt I can elucidate the wonders of the Hungry Ghost in this haze of happiness, so suffice it to say that the top note is definitely grapefruit - sweet, sugared grapefruit underlayed by "crystalline" musk and soft vanilla. I don't get any herbs, woods, or resins, from this, but I don't care. This is a very happy scent, bright and ethereal and carefree.

 

5/5

Edited January 7, 2007 by little_galaxie

[Shollin]

First sniff: One great big heaping helping of seriously juicy fruit and candied ginger. It’s sweet, but with a ravenous bite.

 

Wearing: This is so incredibly juicyfruitysweet! And the ginger is perfect. I madly adore ginger scents (the original Siren is still one of my absolute favorites) and the candied version is a very happy shift from the root-scent of Siren and the spice-scent that’s shown up in lots of other places. Damn, this is good.

[Keslynn]

In the bottle, this one is mouth-watering sugared grapefruit or lemon.

 

On my skin, the initial scent is the same as I smelled in the bottle. Then it becomes softer and wispier and slowly takes on a more powdery/cologne kind of note. Eventually, HGM turns into something reminiscent of perfume wafting from the old yellowed pages of a journal or a bundle of love letters. It's soft and haunting.

 

Verdict: Brings up gorgeous gothic images in my head (Jane Eyre style). I will probably use my imp but not quest for more.

[intothetrees]

In the bottle: Sugary grapefruit. I catch of whiff of something sharp and woodsy in there too. Yum! Hope it works on my skin.

 

Wet: Less sugary, and the sandalwood comes out. Don't really get any vanilla, ginger, or musk though. But still, very yum!

 

Dry: It's changed into a very lemony-Pledge-cleaner smell on me, with some sandalwood still under there. Oh well.

[lightgatherer]

This starts off smelling like a Pier One store (this is a good thing). After a bit something (the vanilla?) comes out more and starts smelling like ginger cookies without being overly foody. The ginger comes out more as I wear it, and it is tasty love. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist and decided I needed more.

[HappyLoveJoy]

Thank goodness I didn't swap this beauty out! Initially I only got crushed green citrus leaves and sugar out of it but it has since mellowed into a juicy-crisp, tart and sweet scent that's perfect for hot weather. I don't smell the traditional bitter grapefruit but more of a blend of grapefruit, lemon and orange that has been mixed with lots of sugar and reduced to a delectable clear citrus syrup. I'm thinking it's the aloe that gives the greeness I first detected and it's still there but not in the forefront. The vanilla, sandalwood and musk create a warmth at the end that is tinged with the memories of the juicy fruit and ginger. If sunshine had a scent it would be Hungry Ghost Moon.

[stellans]

After disliking Hunger Moon so much, I was a bit cautious with this one given the raves in the forum reporting this was HM's 'older brother.' Well, caution was unnecessary -- I love this Lunacy blend!

 

In the imp: On the top is grapefruit, my favorite citrus note, and that's mostly what I smell. There may be a little sandalwood lurking underneath, but the grapefruit is pretty dominant.

 

Wet on skin: Still mostly grapefruit, though I can smell green and vanilla a bit once the oil begins to mix on my skin.

 

Dry: Ohhh, lovely! The grapefruit is giving way ever so gracefully to the musky vanilla woodsy notes, though still maintaining a presence. This is such a lovely mixture, and once again proves that I can wear some vanilla notes, just not all.

 

Verdict: I am so happy I went against better judgment and bought a bottle of this Lunacy. In fact, I may have to stalk the forums/eBay for a backup bottle.

Edited May 2, 2008 by stellans

[DangerInRed]

Yay, I finally got me a bottle of Hungry Ghost Moon! I've been wanting to try it for so long!

 

Let's see, first sniff is...puzzling. Sweet and citrusy.

 

On, it's a sweet, perfumey grapefruit. The ginger is there but not dominant at all and very well blended in. There is a slighlty smokey note in here too.

 

Mmm, I really like this and am glad I got it.

[bulletslc]

Oh.....this one is just

 

In the bottle it smelled fruity...kinda like a less potent version of Fire Pig.

 

The minute I put it on my skin I knew I had a winner! I could smell some kind of citrusy grapefruit/lime/green scent immediately (love grapefruit!) and then all sorts of other notes pop up....vanilla, definitly and some very green/herby scents.

 

The drydown brings out the sandalwood a bit more, but not overwhelmingly so. It just becomes a base for the lighter notes to ride....which is nice because I'm hoping sandalwood's staying power helps the lighter notes last. AND the ginger is light and lovely, but not the main note like it is in Shub. The musk is also very light and combines well with the sandalwood in a warm, comforting base.

 

Beautiful! So glad I bought this!!!! Perfect early summer scent!

 

Edit.....furthur dry down info...This stays VERY green smelling. Its an asian type smell that isn't too spicy for me. green AND warm....nice....The grapefruit/citrus smell dissappears for the most part (like it does in everything on me) but there is still enough of it to be noticable.....SCORE!!! And I think the bamboo and aloe help with the "greenness".

Edited April 14, 2007 by Bulletslc

[muselette]

One of my absolute favorite perfumes ever!

Hungry Ghost Moon is a sophisticated green oriental scent. To me, it's mostly fresh, sweet, sugar cane with ginger and grapefruit, with a base of sandalwood. It's so well blended and comple, it's hard to pick out individual notes. A fantastic perfume for sultry summer nights.