lovin' the moss!

[eatingthesea]

i know there are rec's here for wet greenery and foresty scents, but i want any and all rec's that really, intensely focus on the moss. i often see moss-based scents end up arm-in-arm with leafy or needly trees. i kinda want to get away from aquatic moss and foresty moss. maybe it's inevitable it'll be buoyed by water and forest, but i am looking for moss front and center. (for example, zombi is an all-time favorite; though there is that rose, i find the spanish moss all wooooo-wee in zombi.) i've tried a lot of BPAL scents thus far, but i'm sure i've missed a lot of LE's or discontinued's that may be moss-laden. i know how to do a search on the lab site for "moss," but i'm hoping to hear about direct sniffins. thankee!

Edited January 25, 2008 by ivyandpeony
teeny title tweak to be sure "moss" would be picked up in search engine. Originally "lovin the mosssss" =)

[Koukla]

It's GC so you may have tried it before, but Cathode comes to mind. On me it was all moss and natural mint, and so, so very nice...until two hours into it my darned skin started amping the previously quiet ambergris into Play-doh, and ruined it for me. (I was so close - bad skin, bad skin!! ) But that might not happen with your chemistry...

[Blood onmy hands]

I'd recommend trying to get ahold of RM Renfield (Order of the Dragon LE) if you can. It's probably the closest I've come to finding a scent where moss was the main player and it wasn't really watery or floral. My review for that one:

"In the bottle, this is mossy with an almost salty sharpness, and very woodsy. I love scents that smell kind of swampy (yay Bayou & Whippoorwill), and this falls into that category for me. It's colder and not as floral as Bayou, and not as crisp or watery smelling as Whippoorwill.

On me... moss and dry, spicy woods. Renfield very much makes me think of playing in the woods in the fall, when everything is dryer, climbing on moss-laden rocks and weaving through barren trees. I get hints of a very light citrus in the drydown. The patchouli isn't strong for me, but is a grounding element in the background.

Renfield hasn't been getting much love, but this is a new favorite for me. I love blends that remind me of the forest settings that I grew up in... and the moss notes here are wonderful. I'd love this on a guy, and will be wearing it myself when I want to be transported back to the forest in fall."

 

It really does smell like pale moss on rocks to me. Whippoorwill is another mossy favorite for me (also LE though :/) though it smells slightly wet. Most of my favorite, strong moss scents have been LE.

 

Bayou & Jazz Funeral are my GC moss-favorites, but those have pretty strong floral aspects and Jazz Funeral is pretty complex.

[ivyandpeony]

I love the oakmoss and Spanish moss notes, but usually don't like what they are matched with - the aquatics & the evergreens. I don't know if these will necesarily = moss front & center, but at least the combos are pretty different, so you might find the moss is amped up or better complemented for your chemistry by these notes.

 

So... some LEs for you - I put these in the order of (IMO) the ease of tracking them down. I think you should try Banded Sea Snake before it's gone - it's Snake Oil with oak and sea mosses and olive leaf - very unusual but also very mossy to my nose. Luperci (patchouli, Gurjam balsam, essence of Sampson Root, beeswax, juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed, honey and East African musk) has a very mossy feel to me as well. I definitely support BomH's rec of Whippoorwill. It has lots of sweet bamboo on me - I discovered that I really amp bamboo with the Asian lunacy series - but it has deep swampy, mossy base notes. And Graveyard Dirt was very "dirty" like Zombi but without the florals, which I found wet and mossy in character.

 

As for GCs, Nocnitsa is foresty, but the moss really holds its own for me - the evergreen is very balanced. I just tried Robin Goodfellow and it has the smell of woods to me, a mossy forest of deciduous trees opposed to an evergreen forest. (And I have heard RG compared to Greed, which also contains oakmoss, so eventually you might want to check it out too - I find it much sweeter.) Omen isn't a scent that I can really wear, but its earthy components (oakmoss, patchouli, myrrh, juniper) seem to make it especially mossy to me. The juniper might be the dealbreaker for you, but I think it's worth a try!

[Archaic Smile]

I definately recommend Roux-Ga-Roux (LE) for swampy mossy goodness: Spanish moss, swamp jessamine, bog water, cypress, hickory wood, lobelia, sweet flag, wisteria, and marsh milkweed. A lot of people were put off by bog water, cypress, and hickory wood in the description so it might be a little difficult to track down a decant or bottle, but it's worth it. Roux-Ga-Roux really is a wonderful mossy aquatic with light floral notes dancing in the background. Plus it has a nice throw and good longevity.

 

I'm big into moss, too. I have Bayou on order plus I'm going to give Robin Goodfellow a try. It's a bit of a wild card, but the dark musk, moss-covered wood, ragwort, heather, and sage sounded too lovely to pass up.

Edited July 27, 2007 by Archaic Smile

[cranberry]

I echo suggestions for Whippoorwill and Banded Sea Snake. Whippoorwill was the first one that I thought of when I read your question. The moss in that scent is amazing.

 

Banded Sea Snake has that same kinda moss and is probably more accessible than Whippoorwill since that was from 2005. It reminds me a "Snake Oil -lite" but with heavy moss. It's quite beautiful. With CD being live, if you're at all partial to a lighter Snake Oil, I'd snap it up.

 

I can't really think of any GCs right now, I wonder if any of the new oils from the Springtime A Picnic in Arkham line have that mossy feel?

 

I'm finding that I'm loving moss more and more, so I'll be watching this thread too!

 

(edited: not Springtime, A Picnic, edited to fix)

Edited July 27, 2007 by cranberry

[eatingthesea]

I'd recommend trying to get ahold of RM Renfield (Order of the Dragon LE) if you can. It's probably the closest I've come to finding a scent where moss was the main player and it wasn't really watery or floral. My review for that one:

"In the bottle, this is mossy with an almost salty sharpness, and very woodsy. I love scents that smell kind of swampy (yay Bayou & Whippoorwill), and this falls into that category for me. It's colder and not as floral as Bayou, and not as crisp or watery smelling as Whippoorwill.

On me... moss and dry, spicy woods. Renfield very much makes me think of playing in the woods in the fall, when everything is dryer, climbing on moss-laden rocks and weaving through barren trees. I get hints of a very light citrus in the drydown. The patchouli isn't strong for me, but is a grounding element in the background.

Renfield hasn't been getting much love, but this is a new favorite for me. I love blends that remind me of the forest settings that I grew up in... and the moss notes here are wonderful. I'd love this on a guy, and will be wearing it myself when I want to be transported back to the forest in fall."

 

It really does smell like pale moss on rocks to me. Whippoorwill is another mossy favorite for me (also LE though :/) though it smells slightly wet. Most of my favorite, strong moss scents have been LE.

 

Bayou & Jazz Funeral are my GC moss-favorites, but those have pretty strong floral aspects and Jazz Funeral is pretty complex.

 

thanks all for your suggestions! i, in fact, love both roux-ga-roux and whippoorwill, which both satisfy my desire for moss, though both of those do get a little powdery/sweet on me, but not so much that i don't feel that lovely, smushy, swamp-grade moss creeping through. i recently tried bayou and that one hits the nail on the head, too, but it's very...steamy! i like the coolish mosses, if that makes sense. jazz funeral may be a bit too boozy for my tastes. nocnitsa is loverly, but still a bit too foresty, at least on my skin. robin goodfellow is less foresty, more...crackling leaves, branches and dried-out moss. which are all good things.

 

now, renfield is an interesting suggestion, and i'll definitely keep my eyes peeled for that one, as well as luperci! cathode is also an interesting one...i've tried it and never really extracted the moss, but i do love it muchly. it certainly has that "cool-dark" effect i so crave. and lastly, i believe banded sea snake is THE best moss-laden BPAL scent i've tried thus far. for any of you seeking the kind'a moss i love, you MUST grab this snake before it disappears!!! ...and i would love to try graveyard dirt, if i could only find it...sigh.

[minilux]

Puck is very mossy! Unless you have money to burn on heartbreaking scents, you might want to try to find an impsworth of Graveyard Dirt to try it first, because no matter how many times I tried it, it never lasted more than 10 seconds on me. The initial whiff of it was lovely though.

 

And while on the subject of moss, I can't help mentioning one of my favorite lotions from Common Sense Farm. It's wonderfully mossy and I can't stop sniffing myself when I use it.

 

ETA: You might also want to try Omen.

Edited August 3, 2007 by minilux

[303marlena]

You must try Rat King. totally moss

[ivyandpeony]

How is Spanish Moss different from Oakmoss in smell?

 

I've never smelled it. Before BPAL I never even knew it had any smell.

 

See how educative BPAL is?

 

 

I saw this question in another thread and thought it might get an answer here if it doesn't get answered there as well.

[sarada]

Spanish Moss is very strong, pungent, damp and even a little floral smelling in my experience (I've tried the BPAL single note). The GC scent that is strongest in Spanish Moss is Wolfsbane as far as I remember. It's even a little bit rosey in tone. Oakmoss is much more dry of a moss and the BPAL note smells exactly like fresh-from-the-tree oakmoss. A little dusty and rather earthy.

[ivyandpeony]

I should have known who the expert on this note would be

 

Thank you so much for the information, Sarada! I sniffed these 2 single notes a long time ago and didn't remember them so clearly until your description refreshed my memory. It makes sense too, since Spanish moss grows in such humid conditions, so naturally it would smell boggy and marshy.

[sarada]

My pleasure!

 

Oakmoss is my pick for the favorite moss for its green earthiness. When I see oakmoss on trees I stop to smell it. I also rub pine sap on my arm though. My friend tarotbydiana makes these amazing bath tarts with oakmoss in them so I can literally bathe in it when the mood strikes me!

[Sistinas]

My pleasure!

 

Oakmoss is my pick for the favorite moss for its green earthiness. When I see oakmoss on trees I stop to smell it. I also rub pine sap on my arm though. My friend tarotbydiana makes these amazing bath tarts with oakmoss in them so I can literally bathe in it when the mood strikes me!

 

 

 

Oooh, you lucky girl. Those sound really nice. I have to say I liked the smell of Lush's Deep Forest Ballistic, but the sticky yellow like tar that came along with it in the tub was another matter altogether, especially when it got in my hair. I now have to give up most of my bathing goodies soon because of my upcoming move

[hkhm]

moss scents are one of the main deciding factors in oils my husband orders. his first whiff of zombi and he told me to add a bottle to my next order. now i'm going through the catalog and getting ready to order imps of all the mossy scents he hasn't tried yet. yay moss!

[Moryssa]

I've recently started systematically going through my imps (well, if "reaching into the ziplock baggie of untested imps and randomly pulling one out so that it can be worn that day" can be considered "systematic"...) and I've noticed something.

 

Every one of the ones that I'm marking "I need a bottle of this" on my spreadsheet have moss, woods, or herbs in them. Or "white flowers".

 

I'm noticing a theme...

 

I've made a note of all the recommendations here, and will add them to my list of Things To Try.

 

( Ok, there is one exception -- Manila. Mmmm... )

 

--M

[eatingthesea]

i snipped some various moss note descriptions from dsh perfumes' site. does this make me a traitor??

 

BROWN OAKMOSS: A deep, earthy, burnt campfire-like note with a powdery sweetness in the dry down. (Masculine)

 

GREEN OAKMOSS: A lighter, more damp-earth-like oakmoss note. (Unisex)

 

FRENCH OAKMOSS: A drier, more earthy-mildew oakmoss note. (Unisex)

 

MOSS: A warm, dark aroma reminiscent of damp earth. (Unisex)

 

TREEMOSS: Intensely earthy and dense with very subtle green and fruity nuances in the top note and with smoky warmth in its base note. (Unisex)

 

i'd love to see treemoss in bpal's blends...yum.

 

and from some other sites...

 

SEA MOSS: This fragrance could be described as fresh, green and almost a little kelp-y. (does sea moss even exist?)

 

SPANISH MOSS: a damp, earthy scent with a touch of southern mystery (how vague can you get...i couldn't find an accurate description anywhere, other than the fact that spanish moss isn't really a moss...its flower blossoms are what create the scent).

[black*cat]

Now I regret swapping my decant of Whipporwill when I was a newbie, I'm lovin' mossy woody blends now, as long as there's no floral or atleast a very light floral. I've consider trying to find some Rat King, but the reviews on it are so mixed that I'm undecided, I'd love to smell furry & mossy, but not like a hamster cage.

[ImperatrixMundi]

SPANISH MOSS: a damp, earthy scent with a touch of southern mystery (how vague can you get...i couldn't find an accurate description anywhere, other than the fact that spanish moss isn't really a moss...its flower blossoms are what create the scent).

 

It is a bromeliad, Tillandsia usneoides. Ha! That explains why the oakmoss I had at home never smelled of anything, I kept sniffing it in desperation but no blossoms... The glasshouses of my university are full of it and the gardener there hands some out, alas it did not survive in my apartment

[crimescenecleanup]

Banded Sea Snake is a lovely moss scent, and Danse Macabre was very mossy on me.

[errosenzweig]

The Passionate Shepherd To His Love is very mossy on me.

[Jocelyn]

Phantom Queen has some lovely moss notes if I recall correctly.

[velvetedge]

"(does sea moss even exist?)"

 

yes and no- there's a seaweed called "irish moss" that's a short, mossy looking seaweed. totally not related to moss, except in name and a little bit in appearance.

[eatingthesea]

The Passionate Shepherd To His Love is very mossy on me.

 

good thing this one's on my list.

 

anyone try ebisu making love as two octopuses look on? as oakmoss is the first note listed, i'm hoping it's nice and mossy (love its simplicity and the musk; i have high hopes).

[blu°]

BROWN OAKMOSS: A deep, earthy, burnt campfire-like note with a powdery sweetness in the dry down. (Masculine)

 

I might go and order some of that dsh oil now.

 

Background: I keep smelling that gorgeous burnt woods covered with oakmoss scent when I go for a walk with my friends' kids in her area. It's driving me nuts to always be sniffing the air up there and trying to locate the source of the scent.

 

I can't imagine it being anything else than a fire from dried woods covered with oakmoss. I this smell so much, and I recognize the oakmoss from my bpal 'education', but I wouldn't know one blend that captures that same scent that fills the air during those walks.

 

I had bottles of Greed and Danse Macabre which would come closest to that smell among all the BPAL blends I've tested, but both had components that I started to dislike after a while.

 

A perfume capturing that scent would probably have that brown oakmoss from the dsh description plus a bit of woodsmoke and nothing else, especially nothing aquatic.

 

I'm pretty sure there's nothing at this time in the GC, but maybe I've missed something.

Edited February 18, 2008 by blu°