Schwarzer Mond

[azhure]

The keeper of secrets: opoponax, Tunisian black amber, night musk, antique patchouli, zdravetz, terebinth, myrrh, and Pimenta racemosa.

In the bottle: Very dark scent. Heady.

Wet: At first the lighter elements amp up. It's not unpleasant on me, but neither is it really something that I'm instantly in love with.

Drydown: The amber, musk and patchouli combine to form a deep musky scent unlike any other. It's gorgeous, and just right for a black moon. Edited November 29, 2007 by Shollin

[themerrybaker]

I like Swarzer Mond, but don't quite know what to make of it. At first it strikes me as extreme patchouli with something salty going on in the background. It doesn't change much when dry, but the powdery amber does develop. Swarzer seems to be one of those scents that grow on you: either aging helps, or you wear it often enough that eventually you "get" it.

 

So, if Brian was going for "keeper of secrets" he nailed it exactly with this mysterious concoction.

[crescentwench]

mm. this one smelled very masculine in the bottle, with a hint of something sort of sweet and "off".

 

on me, that goes away and the amber comes out! yum! but that "off" something is still there.

 

after about 10min it fades to a very faint scent, but it is sadly the scent of head shop on me. off to swaps.

[cuervosueno]

Schwarzer Mond, I really wanted to love you.

 

In bottle: whew! strong sharp resins with almost a licorice note.

 

On skin: yes, I see the coca-cola comparison-but it is like coca-cola syrup, spicy and dark. That’s the initial scent, but immediately I get, but I also get something woody, and I think I smell the antique patchouli--ie. something that smells like patchouli, but is softer, darker, more myserious. The odd thing I can’t reallly smell this if I press my nose to it--I have to be a bit away from it. Dark, spicy, cola-like, with a slight woodnote underneath.

 

10 minutes in and it is starting to smell like bay rum. I wonder if I will love this as much as I thought?

 

It ends up being like the early stages of Voodoo, or even more like French Creole on me. the pachouli is there too, but it is not that strong. I really had to slather to get this to work.

 

It will break my heart if it doesn’t work, but it may not. I’ll try it the scent locket before I give up.

 

Later: I tried. More than once. My best friend tried, because she liked it too. On neither of us was it impressive, though a little better on her than me. It won't work in the scent locket either (though honestly I didn't try it there) because this is a blend that needs to bloom on the skin. Except for on me it didn't.

 

I'm very very sad about this. I guess it will have to find a happier home, though.

 

eta: after i already sold the bottle, I began to have second thoughts, because after several hours all the coca-cola scent fades away, and I'm left with a very soft ambery (ie slightly powdery) note and soft patchouli. I started to regret my quick sale, but the fact is, while it is lovely now, it is so soft I can barely smell it (ie no throw), and I realize I will likely wear it very rarely, so better to let it go to Midnight Aeval who I hope will enjoy it more.

Edited October 2, 2006 by cuervosueno

[kuanyin]

I'm not familiar with several of the notes listed, but love dark patchouli blends so I was really looking forward to this one. I've had it on today and I have a serious problem with it. I am certain it will be even better aged, but I don't know how I can let it get to that stage. I also strongly desire another bottle.

 

This is probably my favorite of my favorites. Up close I get the patchouli. The throw is something I don't know, but someone described oponax as sweet resin, so that must be it. I wish I could drink this stuff! It is so beautiful, it hurts. I've had it on all day, reapplied at noon and this evening the throw is fantastic, so I would say it is very long lasting. It reminds me of the salon blends in that it is so complex, so blended and so different.

[yeahbutnobut]

Schwarzer Mond

 

In the imp: intense, dark, yet effervescent. A mix of patchouli, resins…and Coke (could be a reaction between the bay rum/pimenta and one of the resins?).

Wet on skin: the amber comes out once it's on my skin, the fizzy aspect tones down a little to let the patchouli and resins out to play. No more Coke.

Dry on skin: wow, this is stunning. So dark, so rich. The patchouli note is amazing here, and very prominent. The fact that it's antique, aged for a very long time, means that it is more delicious than regular patch, and doesn't smell like hippies at all. The resins are fantastic and they all seem to mesh together so well-the black amber is the most dominant (smells like my Tunisian amber perfume, in fact), with opoponax and myrrh. I get a slight herbal-balsamic tinge to the scent, which I think is from the zdravetz and terebinth, but that's just a guess. The musk is deeper and darker than I expected and rounds off the scent beautifully. There's even a slight hint of Noir to it all.

After a while: now the scent has two parts, depending on where I smell it. Far from the wrist, wafts of black amber and opoponax are smelt, darkly sweet and resinous. Close to the wrist the scent is drier, smokier, with more patchouli, black musk and myrrh, and the balsamic notes. This really is the epitome of mystery and darkness in scent, the only light provided by this scent is the flickering, faint light of a candle-and yes, I do get a little hint of candle smoke from here, as well as old books and muted, lingering ritual incense. This scent is now very warm, and it's crazy but sometimes I get a slight 'toasted' feel to it all. This contrasts with the coolness of Black Moon.

The end scent is a wonderful amber note, pure Tunisian amber, which wafts like crazy. Mmmm...

Verdict: again, wow. I definitely agree that this is the yang to Black Moon's yin, though having said that, the scent is very unisex, and I love it. Much darker and more profound than Black Moon, this scent is indeed as the description implies, a very secretive fragrance, thoughtful and introspective, with a feel of ancient, arcane secrets being guarded. Again, I agree with Goth Hobbit's association with the Magician tarot card. This scent is of the occult, that of a powerful and handsome magus or alchemist (of course), shrouded in mystery. The scent brings to mind a very ancient incense blend, both in it's burnt and unburnt states, it is packed with wonderful rich resins like sweet black amber and opoponax, dark myrrh and something slightly more herbal which may be zdravetz, and the most incredible patchouli note ever. Like Black Moon, there is nothing else quite like this in BPAL and this is a true masterpiece in the form of perfume, a real work of art-a scent that shouldn't be just worn, it should be appreciated, experienced, and meditated on. And yes, this would make an amazing ritual oil too…and wearing both Black Moon Rising oils together (yet on separate wrists) is a powerful, moving scent experience and I really see how complementary and contrasting both scents are.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Definitely. Multiple bottles (well, two in reality)

If you like this, try: Voodoo, Omen, Dee, Al Azif, Oblivion

Edited October 2, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[Bluebody]

This is one the weirdeist scents that I have tried of the bpal collection....at first I hated it! ..but then! Wonders of Wonders I applied once again afore I offered it up for sale.... and this thyme (my spelling of the total illusion that is known as Earth Time) I loved it!

 

Just like The Finer Dinah as in Washington said: "What a Difference a Day Makes"

[dawna]

In the vial: Oh my god this is gorgeous. I smell sweet patchouli, myrrh and I think amber.

 

Wet on the skin: The same but the myrrh really amps up as soon as its on the skin. I can smell something very sweet, this is really nice.

 

On drydown: Its a little powdery but the overall scent is absolutely gorgeous. I love this one the most out of the two blends. I am getting some pepper now, something quite spicy mixing in with the sweetness and that gorgeous patchouli and myrrh. Myrrh is one of my favorite scents so when something amps the myrrh as much as this does it pleases me very much.

[maijasu]

 

Wow! This scent, is dark, deep, and mysterious, just like I knew it would be. What I didn't know was how wearable it would be. I thought it might be too sharp or masculine, but I can actually pull it off quite nicely. It has great throw, and the amber adds just enough powdery sweetness to keep the patchouli in check. I wish I'd ordered a backup bottle!

[Rheliwen]

Wow, this one is weird.

 

I totally got pledge musk when wet...but my eyes start to roll back into my head when I take big whiffs. This is a strong masculine blend without the roughness and anger. It's smooth enough for a woman to wear for sure...I think it's the myrrh. I find myrrh very smooth and comforting.

 

It's totally about the sweet patchouli and myrrh here.

 

So very spicey without trying too hard. SM is so comfident in itself that it doesn't need gimmicks or flash to get attention. It knows it's beautiful but isn't totally egocentric.

Edited October 3, 2006 by Rheliwen

[Taniwha]

I am

resigned.

Resins

do not

resonate

with me.

 

You know how you tell someone, when you're breaking up - "It's not you, it's me!"? In the case of Brian's amazing creation, it realy, truly is me. I feel like I should be purring over it, but instead it smells utterly foreign and distateful to me, beyond being even able to describe why. I've failed this blend, am not worthy of it - I'm the kid playing dress up and trying to sit at the grownups table. I wish I could be more explicit in what it is that I smell, but I can't even do that, so puzzling is this brew.

 

I will let it sit awhile - my palate has shown itself to be educable in other BPAL cases.

[birdiefu]

Wet- Very dark feel, with syrupy resins. The hit of patchouli is so different from the usual patchouli- smooth and ancient.

 

Dry- Opoponax comes to the front- yum! The patchouli is still a major player, and there is a woodsy feel keeping the resins company. I get a boozy kick from this scent also, a mild smokey sweetness, also a slight spicyness here. This scent is so complex and wonderful, and there are other nuances to it that I can't quite describe.

 

Overall- Super scent! Dark, languid, syrupy resin love

[salamandrina]

This is amazing. It's dark and strong, and a little medicinal at first, but it mellows into this amazing spicy-sweet earthiness.

 

I am in love, as is the husband - all three times I've worn it he keeps saying how fabulous I smell. When it rubbed off on my kitten, he talked about how good the cat smelled.

 

Now I need to try it on him...and maybe hunt down some more.

[Bagfish]

Gutted, I so thought that this had me written all over it.

 

Schwarzer Mond on me is lumpen and heavy patchouli, a darker version of Saturn. The Coke accord that people have mentioned is very much there on first slather, but then the oil just sits on my wrist doing nothing much for about 3 hours and then it disappears.

 

This has happened twice. I gave SM a second chance two days later and still it just sits like a lump of resin on my arm, absoultely no throw, no amber, no musk, just heavy, heavy patchouli, frankincense and myrrh.

 

 

*sniff*

 

Bottle sold on already.....

[pkthunder]

When I first put this on, it smelled so... foreign. It was just so different than anything I've smelled before. I'm still new to BPAL, but this still seemed incredibly unique. As it dried down it turned into a sexy, dark spiciness with a little sweetness, too. Luckily the wet smell is not too off-putting to keep me from wearing it. And I think it would be lovely to layer it with Black Moon.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp this is pure heaven!! thick and sweet...gorgeous

antique patchouli and amber...

 

once applied the combination of all the notes is absolutely spectactular...blended

to perfection in every way possible...

 

this is very, very strong so i only need the smallest amount behind my ears

and on my wrists to smell wonderful for hours on end...yay!!

Edited October 6, 2006 by sookster

[miss apple]

Schwarzer Mond - very dark in the bottle and I can't really pick out any notes. Once on it becomes extremely heavy - incense and some sort of men's cologne. Despite the fact that I don't wear the oils on my skin something about my chemstry really amps musk and initially I worried that it would be too much. After about an hour the musk calms down and the incense comes out more. Musk does weird things to my nose so I'm guessing that's the cologne scent but since it isn't as strong I'm finding that I like it. It's quite masculine but not so much that it is unwearable for me. Definitely a particualr scent for a particular mood and I'm going to keep my bottle for those darker days

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: I actually detect something that smells like cherry, though I guess that could be the antiqued patchouli or maybe the opoponax in combination with something

 

Wet: This is very singular on me--it smells exactly like a light combination of cherries and patchouli.

 

Drydown and wear: This does eventually reach the beautiful and gorgeous aged stage (smoky, dark, foreboding) that others have mentioned, but it takes upwards of 45 minutes to get there on my skin, and then it does not last long. Fortunately, I've already found someone to give this treasure the home it deserves.

[Tess]

I don't think I know what half these notes ARE, let alone what they smell like. However, I do know I don't have the best track record with patchouli. There have been some exceptions, though. (ie. Depraved)

 

In the vial - This is dark, boozy and musky to my nose. An image of heavy drinking in an incensed clouded room while wearing amber perfume comes to mind.

 

Wet - A lighter, slightly less booze version of the bottle.

 

Drying - I'm getting barely any patchouli at all from this, but large amounts of deep amber musk with bitter myrrh in the background. It's black and ferrel. But faint, oddly. Someone wearing a leather jacket would be sexy in this, so far!

 

Dry (45 minutes) - This turned into the sweetest amber musk with a huuuuuuge throw that yet isn't overpowering at all. When I get close to my wrist, I catch the patchouli and myrrh. In fact, those are the two most powerful notes close to my skin, as I walk through an amber musk cloud.

 

Overall - I LOVE THIS. The combination of the dark, hidden heart to the scent, surrounding by a halo of light amber and musk is fantastic. (I'm probably catching the oponax in the throw, too.) It's very much a scent for a "keeper of secrets" and I'm looking forward to seeing how this one ages.

[gingersnapp]

Whoa, this is dark dark dark. Dark, even. Very, very dark.

 

It's a bit dusty / musty, which I'm going to blame on the amber. VERY patchouli. Other than that, I don't know what most of the other notes are, other than myrrh, which I know that I am not detecting on its own right now.

 

This one kind of knocks me on my ass, and I haven't decided if that's a good thing or not just yet. I want to try it with Black Moon and see how they play together, because I've heard it works really well.

[mmcfa2]

while I generally adore dark scents, this one was a bust for me. Started out turpentine and finished the same way

[sofiaviolet]

This is spicy. Kind of musty, a wee bit sour. It's rapidly turning into rubber gloves on my skin. There's definitely a whiff of latex about it. But then, my skin chemistry is very weird.

[Emma2403]

In the bottle: it smells like moss and patchouli… not a usual combination for sure.

 

On my skin: wow, that's dry and dark. Patchouli and myrrh. It's not me, it's too strong and all, but it's really nice, I couldn't say anything else.

 

After a couple of hours: it gets more musky. Very perfumey, too much for me.

 

Verdict: this is unusual. I've never had anything like that (well, I'm not a bpal veteran but I've smelled many, many of them)… I don't like it for me but I understand the craziness around this one.

[shadesong]

In bottle: The sweetness of myrrh... other things reaching up and blending with it.

 

On me: Ooooh. Smooth spicy goodness. The amber lurks under it as a base for the wisps for spice. This is lickable. Very masculine. Very...yum. Were I to meet someone who was wearing this, I would want to pin them down and do... oh, many things to them. Mmmm. I keep sniffing my wrist! Sweet and spice and musk and... this is dark. I am so glad I have a bottle of this coming.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Antique patchouli!

 

Pre-review thoughts: The notes (aside from amber and musk) didn't really appeal to me, but after seeing all the hype swirling around it, I figured I'd snag a bottle when GypsyRoseRed offered to pick things up for people at the October Will-Call over in the LJ comm. Hopefully I didn't waste her time.

 

In the bottle: Patchouli and myrrh. SM is very sweet in the bottle.

 

On skin, wet: Cinnamon? I suppose it's the myrrh, but this is surprisingly spicy. It's also wonderfully musky, and a tad earthy.

 

On skin, dry: This is very, very, very dark, but strangely enough, a bit... light. Well, not heavy, at any rate. This is a musky, spicy, musky patchouli-amber fragrance, and, for some bloody reason, I absolutely adore it. The patchouli is earthy, but it has a quality I can't quite explain. I don't get much myrrh, thankfully, and I'm not so well-versed in notes as to know if I'm "getting" any of the other listed notes.

 

Conclusion/Notes: I absolutely, positively adore SM -- and I couldn't be more surprised by that.

Edited May 29, 2008 by Aredhel