Moai

[scarletgenesis]

Volcanic ash and Easter Island palm.

I went to Costa Rica a few years ago, and one of the highlights was taking a hike through the rainforest by the lodge where we were staying to view the new and old lava flows. We stayed right near the Arenal Volcano, which is continuously active, and we could see the eruptions nightly from our room. The air around us always smelled like volcanic rock, sulfer, smoke, and tropical plants and flowers. When I saw the description for Moai, I was hoping it would evoke memories of my time in Costa Rica. It does not disappoint.

In the bottle, Moai is wet volcanic rocks, with some saltiness overlaying it. Flowing through all of this is a smoky sulferous mist.

Once applied, everything pretty much stays as it was in the bottle, except now I am getting something distinctly 'green' with everything else. I'm guessing that's the palm, because I don't know what else it could be. The palm softens this just a bit, but not too much. It actually gets to be like a sweet green note that adds a lovely dimension to this already wonderful scent.

What I love is that the smoke smells so perfectly that it almost burns in my throat with the memories it brings back!

This scent delivers ladies and gentlemen. Wonderful and completely different from anything else I've tried. Edited April 6, 2008 by scarletgenesis

[Czarina]

In the bottle: acrid. Yes, indeed, it actually smells like volcanic ash after a rain.

Wet: first, I should note that this stuff is a fairly bright yellow coming out of the bottle. Going on it is harsh, harsh, harsh. I can't smell the palm at all. I am really not sure about this one.

Drydown: The acrid note goes away, and this does, in fact, smell like volcanic ash tempered by palm.

 

This is a specialized scent for certain moods, I think, but it is extremely evocative.

[CiCi]

This is exactly what the bottle describes it to be, very strong sulphuric ash and I get more of a palm root smell rather than palm frond. This might be better layered with something, but for me personally, it is rather strong. When I was in Hawaii, (a looong time ago) there was a long wooden sidewalk/plank that you could walk on over some volcanic/sulfur fields. After that 30 minute walk, my husband and I smelled just like this! Beth has captured it perfectly!

[Sushi-n-Sake]

Bottle: Extreeeemely smokey. I likes it already!

Wet: More smoke and ash but I can smell the palm equally. Something about it reminds me of when I was in the Philippines a long time ago.

Dry: The smoke settles a bit, but it's not a morpher. Still equal amounts of smoke and palm.

 

Verdict: I can see why this scent would turn some people off with its acrid smokiness, but I like that kind of scent, so I am thrilled. Fans of Djinn should love this one. It's got a similar vibe yet smells very different.

[sarada]

How fantastic is it that I have a perfume with an Easter Island head on the bottle? Pretty fantastic.

 

This was the only one of all the Tiki scents that appealed to me based on notes but I would have had to get it anyway, for the image of the Moai!

 

It reminds me very much of the gunpowder/smoke scent from some other blends like Agnes Nutter, though a bit more like burnt wood. I don't really have a good handle on what palm should smell like, but as this dries it seems to have an almost floral undertone and I find myself thinking of humid tropical greenery and hot rocks. I have never had the pleasure of being in one of the places that this might evoke, but it definitely takes me to a wonderful, lost world kind of H. Rider Haggard place in my mind!

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Ash

 

Wet: Masculine and green, very ashy and smoky.

 

Drydown: Actually, a bit of a perfumey note is coming out now that it's dry.

2.5 outta 5

[grashopper8]

Ashy vetiver. It's gross on me, frankly.

 

1 out of 5

[Moryssa]

This has the same bottled smokiness in it that I get from Death of Autumn. It's definitely acrid and ashy. It wasn't something that screamed "Get me off of here NOW", but the more I sniffed at it, the more I decided I just didn't care for it. I didn't get much greenery from it at all, although there was *something* that kept trying to peek through from underneath the smoke... that something had more of a perfume-y/cologne-y smell to it, though. While it did mellow out more as it dried, it still wasn't something that I need a bottle of at all.

 

--M

[500ml]

Smokey and bitter with a very strong alcoholic undernote. Sometimes smoke works on me, usually it simply doesn't. This reminds me of Death of Autumn which I really tried to love, but it was just too bitter. Moai at least mellows out a bit (and that nasty alcoholic note disappears quite rapidly) which makes it a bit better and it is an interesting blend, but it's not something I'd actually enjoy wearing.

[akiko]

I can't get past the initial smell in the vial. It's this horrid, acrid stink, and I'm not putting it on my skin. I'm sure there's someone who wants to smell this way, but it's not me.

[savage_rose]

There are times when one smells a certain fragrance and must soldier on despite the fact that it's incredibly repugnant. THIS is one of those times. It smells like some kind of "take the rust off your car" moonshine and smoke out of the bottle. And on, OH MY GOD, nausea or headache, which will overtake me first? This is Troll on vacation. No need to come home, Troll.

 

However, once it's dry, it's not bad. It's kind of a dusty-earth note. I just tried layering it with Te Po, and it really tempers the sweetness and adds an incensey layer to Te Po that's actually appealing. I'll have to experiment more with the layering...if I can brave the drydown again. Ugh.

[grrrlennyl]

At first: Green, but with an odd metallic note.

On: Definitely hot ask and something cool and green.

2 hours later: A woodsy and green scent.

3 hours later: Still the same.

Overall: This is very, very interesting. I like it much better once it is dry, but I'm not sure it's for me.

[samarablackcat]

Moai in the bottle: wow! Maybe something I could fall in love with.

 

On the skin: smoke, dirt, ash.

 

Dry: Ash so thick my tongue feels as if it is coated. I actually feels as though I have swallowed a mouthful of ash. No palm on me. Although the artwork on the bottle is beautiful, no need for me to purchase this one. But I'm glad I tried it. You just never know how they will turn out!

[schackjj]

In the Bottle: Sour. Old wood?

 

Wet: Wet smoke? This one is really hard to describe.

 

Drydown: I don't know firsthand what volcanic ash smells like, but I'll bet this is it. One of the strangest blends I've ever tried

Perfect for, I don't know, Halloween, Day of the Dead parties, bonfires. . .

[widdershins]

This is exactly what it advertises to be. Charcoal and ash, but dampened. It reminds me of a match put out in a glass of water. Smoky and ashy and wet. I don't really get anything like a palm from it, but it does smell like exotic ash.

[Ina Garten Davita]

Definitely not supposed to like this, especially since it smells like burnt vetiver in the bottle. But my skin turns it sweet and smoky with the dry down being slightly reminiscent of Havana. Very surprising.

[alicia_stardust]

This starts out a bit acrid and offputting, but as it settles it turns into a dry atmospheric smoke with a touch of sweetness to it. It's really quite evocative, and definitely unique.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is smoke and vetiver...

 

once applied this sweetens slightly but stays very dark and mysterious...

being a vetiver freak, this is a fav from the lab

[edenssixthday]

Moai - Holy smoky! In the bottle and when first applied, this is overpoweringly acrid and smoky and ashy and I'm positive I'm going to hate it. Then, as it dries down, the smoky ash scent lightens up A LOT and the scent of palm moves to the forefront and this ends up being a gorgeous scent on my skin. The husky ash scent backs up the sweet palm gorgeously. Initially, I thought this would be a good scent to layer to give depth to another scent, but I think I'll be wearing this on its own. I can't get over how gorgeous this scent turns out to be once it dries down. This is definitely the biggest surprise of all the Luau Lounge scents. Kudos, Beth!

[suki]

in the bottle: mostly smoky vetiver, a hint of some green plant matter under it.

 

wet on skin: much the same, with a tiny bit more green leaf thrown in

 

dry down: total, TOTAL shift. the vetiver is gone, the green is gone and it's become sulphurous wet rock. really, it smells like being in a natural hot spring.

 

in all: i bought this for my boyfriend and my kid, but now i'm rather sorry i got none for myself

[iiinterstate]

When first applied Moai was too volcanic for me. In fact, it smelled like Djinn in the drydown stage. Now it smells green and ashy at the same time, and its quite lovely! I might have to consider hunting down more of this... its so unusual. I'd definitely wear this on nights out in summertime.

[Blood onmy hands]

Moai reminds me of an exotic mix of Djinn, Brimstone, and Caliban. It's far too smoky for my tastes, and I agree that the opening stages of this one are pretty awful, but my husband-to-be actually loves this blend and I don't mind the drydown too much. He really likes smoky/campfire-esque scents. It starts off way too sharp for me to handle, but it mellows down into an exotic smokiness over dark, leafy greenery and something of a humid, warm, aquatic smell. It seems to smell nicer on my man than it does on me, so he has taken custody of our decant. I did not fight him for it though, lol.

[othelloperrello]

In the bottle this reminds me of one thing:

When I was living in Oaxaca, in the south of Mexico, we would go out to the desert-mountain-country town where they made the local liquor, called mezcal. We'd go there where they ground the giant maguey plant into pulp, burn it, let it ferment for 24 days in a cauldron, and then slowly distill it in a brick and copper still. We'd taste the fresh or 'white' liquor still warm from the still - this is that smell. Slightly sour, slightly acrid, but with a deep sweetness carrying it.

 

First skin:

Once on my skin, Moai spreads itself into a dry volcanic landscape. Sweet and sour palm surrounded by sulphurous fumes, the kind that leaves yellow and purple rocks. It's all there, really - dry stone, volcanic mists in sea air, and sparse but sweet vegetation. A very warm smell, I can almost feel the strong sunshine on my cheek as I come close to smell it.

The other thing this reminds me of are hot springs, of course, because of the sulphur smell.

 

Dry down:

On me this stays true to its original scent, but sinks way in. Throw is minimal, but seems to last several hours close to my skin.

 

Truly unique scent - well done Beth!

[hkhm]

bottle: wow. what this smells like to me is slightly overbaked potatoes. weird.

 

wet: um, now this smells like i'm at a barbecue. except there's no meat on the coals... there's just barbecue smoke.

 

dry: alas, i'm left with a light smoky/ashy scent. i will, however, be layering this with other dark scents (like troll) to see how they mix.

[penemuel]

I really wanted the smoky volcanic ash and palm, but what I got was dirty rotted vetiver. Ugh. It's wet and slimy and looks like the stuff you find in the bottom of those bagged salads that have been on the shelf too long -- and smells like it, too.

 

I hope my nemesis recedes soon and this becomes what it says it is, because that's such an intriguing idea. But... vetiver.

 

I'm sad. Especially because I bought a bottle unsniffed based on the uniqueness of it.

 

And instead of unique, vetiver.

 

Eugh.