Lotus Moon 2010

[Siberia]

LOTUS MOON
"Courage!" he said, and pointed toward the land,
"This mounting wave will roll us shoreward soon."
In the afternoon they came unto a land
In which it seemed always afternoon.
All round the coast the languid air did swoon,
Breathing like one that hath a weary dream.
Full-faced above the valley stood the moon;
And like a downward smoke, the slender stream
Along the cliff to fall and pause and fall did seem.

A land of streams! some, like a downward smoke,
Slow-dropping veils of thinnest lawn, did go;
And some thro' wavering lights and shadows broke,
Rolling a slumbrous sheet of foam below.
They saw the gleaming river seaward flow
From the inner land: far off, three mountain-tops,
Three silent pinnacles of aged snow,
Stood sunset-flush'd: and, dew'd with showery drops,
Up-clomb the shadowy pine above the woven copse.

The charmed sunset linger'd low adown
In the red West: thro' mountain clefts the dale
Was seen far inland, and the yellow down
Border'd with palm, and many a winding vale
And meadow, set with slender galingale;
A land where all things always seem'd the same!
And round about the keel with faces pale,
Dark faces pale against that rosy flame,
The mild-eyed melancholy Lotos-eaters came.

Branches they bore of that enchanted stem,
Laden with flower and fruit, whereof they gave
To each, but whoso did receive of them,
And taste, to him the gushing of the wave
Far far away did seem to mourn and rave
On alien shores; and if his fellow spake,
His voice was thin, as voices from the grave;
And deep-asleep he seem'd, yet all awake,
And music in his ears his beating heart did make.

They sat them down upon the yellow sand,
Between the sun and moon upon the shore;
And sweet it was to dream of Fatherland,
Of child, and wife, and slave; but evermore
Most weary seem'd the sea, weary the oar,
Weary the wandering fields of barren foam.
Then some one said, "We will return no more";
And all at once they sang, "Our island home
Is far beyond the wave; we will no longer roam."

Soporose and lenitive: opium-laced golden lotus with rich amber, red sandalwood, pomegranate, frankincense, and rose otto.

Okay, I'll go first.

This reminds me of a sweet version of Smoky Moon / Tristesses de la Lune. It has the same muzzy/soft sandalwood base that I love, but it is made more complex by the amber and opium. Floating over that is a sweetness that might be a combination of lotus, pomegranate, and rose. It's very well-blended and I have a hard time picking out the individual notes. It is beautifully complex.

I was a bit afraid to try this based on previous reviews comparing lotus to bubblegum and my own experience with other perfumers' versions of pomegranate, but this is wonderful. No trace of bubblegum or screamingly tart pomegranate. I'm very glad I took a chance and ordered a bottle. This is a definite win.

I would say this is a close to the skin scent that does not stick around for too long - I would probably slather this a bit more than I usually would.

[FathomBelow]

Wet on skin: Candylike and citrussy, in a way that reminds me of orange peel. This could be the lotus, although I must admit I don't know what lotus smells like - from the reviews, I was expecting bubblegum, which this is not. Other than that, I honestly can't pick out any notes from the description.

While drying: Still citrus, but now in a way that reminds me of grapefruit. Still sweet, as well - like grapefruit candy!

After it dries: Becomes powdery, in a good way. Settles into a beautiful, refreshing citrus-powder scent.

Final opinion: Surprisingly, the opium never reared its head. This is beautiful, lighthearted, and young - perfect for summer! I'm so glad my first Lunacy turned out well.

Edited June 14, 2010 by AmberApple

[MerriAnneStowe]

This started off as a light floral over what smelled like an aquatic base. After a while, it became spicier - I think that is the frankincense coming to the fore, perhaps boosted a little by the rose otto. It's still a light scent, though. Quite pleasant.

[kikithepirate]

I thought I was going crazy when I first applied this scent -- it smells like Christmas! It wasn't pine exactly, but more like the fresh, spicy, orange-laced, slightly piney scent that you get when you take a wreath out of a bag. Definitely no "bubblegum" in this perfume at all. The spices calm down after the oil dries, and it becomes a very pleasant, slightly fruity floral. Despite the rose otto and the amber, this doesn't go powdery or soapy on me. I can definitely pick out the sandalwood, which seems to be what prevents this from becoming an in-your-face floral scent.

[Dharklady]

In bottle: A gorgeous light blend that is slightly floral, slightly spicey, and all awesomeness.

Wet: It’s hard for me to pick out the individual notes though I can definitely feel their influence. The amber and frankincense are tempered by the pom and sandalwood, while the lotus and rose add just a touch of sweetness.

Dry: This really is a lovely complex scent. I love what the pomegranate is doing to help ground the incense and floral notes.

Notes: This feels feminine and powerful without any being overpowering in any way. I wish it had a touch more staying power but overall it’s simply lovely.

 

[Elfbait]

In the bottle: buttery sweet and diffuse, but harmonious. The unapologetic femininity of the lotus greeted me right away, and it certainly did not smell like "bubblegum". It was vaguely reminiscent of a fragrance of my youth, "Ruffles", by Oscar de la Renta. But Lotus Moon is much deeper-it has a more intriguing composition than "Ruffles", which, on me at least, never dared to rise above "innocuously pleasant". Lotus Moon is pleasant to be sure, but with so much sybaritic languor it could hardly be called "innocuous".

 

Wet on skin: Candied, opulent and feminine. No one note dominated. Again, harmonious.

 

 

Dry on skin: all rosy-gold voluptuousness, soft, warm, idiot-grin inducing. There are no hard angles to this perfume, no edges. That's not to say this perfume has no backbone- it's just that the backbone is languorously at rest. It's the backbone of an odalisque, persuasive, and supple. On me, the pomegranate just hid behind the sandalwood door, while the lotus cast its powdery glow upon the resinous heart and the whole scent lit up with narcotic, creamy, wood tempered sweetness. Rose otto was a discreet and informing presence, but overall this perfume is about harmony, thus the rose never dominated. I fell in love with my wrists over and over again. Although gently heady, this perfume never seemed to be trying too hard, and I love it for its luminous and serene sensuality.

 

Final opinion: This scent put a smile on my face from the moment I smelled it. It is a murmured invitation to partake in unhasty pleasures, serene and confident, but it is also simply gladdening and easy to wear, bypassing the usual categorizations of use like "day" and "night". This is something to wear anytime. Sillage isn't much of an issue with this- it wears very close to the skin. It stuck around for a long time on me- I put it on at 5:30 PM and it was still warmly, fuzzily evident at 9 this morning. I'll treasure this bottle, but I won't horde it- it's getting used. Beautiful stuff.

 

This was my first order from Black Phoenix, and I was overwhelmingly pleased. Thank you so much.

 

 

[AliBabble]

a pleasant, sort of light scent, which deepens as it dries down. starts off fruity, as someone mentioned it smells a bit of grapefruit at first - i guess that's the pomegranate, as it's the only fruit in there...when it's dry, it gets a bit floral, almost softly musky, but not too distinct...i can't say i'm getting much amber, but the overall effect is soft and nuzzly, if a bit subtle....all in all a pretty scent, but light - fades fast....

[Venneh]

Testing this prior to starting decanting. In the bottle, I'm getting opium, amber, and frankincense, I think. On my skin, it's primarily those three notes, we'll see if it does anything else. Ends up being opium and frankincense, not quite for me, sadly.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Venneh

[fairnymph]

Wow, this is surprisingly nice! It's a light, sweet, fruity scent in the bottle that's quite fresh, a tart edge - the pomegranate is definitely standing out. The lotus doesn't smell like bubblegum at all, although it's still a sweet, girly floral - it reminds me more of Davana here note-wise.

 

On my skin, it's still a fresh fruity floral but with a bit more depth; still juicy, but backed up by something more. The rose is much more apparent, though this is not a bullying rose note by any means, but more subtle, almost resinous, like crystallized red rose. The lotus combined with the softly creamy red sandalwood provide a sense of golden glowing warmth that's lovely. But a few notes are niggling away in the background unpleasantly - a hint of perfumey powder from the amber, which is not a type that suits my skin, I can tell, and a sort of soapy, but still dark and sort of 'smudged', incensey frankincense, and then a murky haze of opium, though it's thankfully not as heavy on my skin as opium usually is. I can at least see through this haze; it's not smothering. Still, these latter 3 notes for me clash with the lighter, girlier, more luminescent fruit, florals and sandalwood, really dragging it down, or dirtying or defiling it. Which could be a vibe that works for some people, but not for me.

 

The red sandalwood has amped up quite a bit, and is deliciously creamy, musky and both adds that warmth and a bit of an exotic, oriental feel (specifically, I imagine a female yogi emits this scent). Amber bridges the gap between the wood and incense notes; much less perfumey, despite having amped, it's now only faintly, pleasantly powdery, and very much warm, golden, and summery (it's one of the ambers in L'Estate, I'm sure of it). The opium and frankincense have merged so that they can't be easily picked out, and together lend a soft wisp of faded incense, again oriental - how a quiet temple smells between services, but with the lingering essence of worship still present in the air. Very soft, a sort of smoky golden colour that complements the golden lotus & warm-tone sandalwood perfectly. The pomegranate is the note that has faded the most, despite being initially strongest and a note that my skin generally holds very well; I can still pick it out, but it's a struggle because it's so much lighter and this scent is so impenetrable. It still adds some sweet-tart fruitiness which prevents this scent from being too dull or hazy, as well as deep reddish depth that reminds me, again, of late summer and its bounty of fruit. The rose and lotus seem to merge in a manner similar to the incense nose, and both have a crystalline, but not sharp or sparkling, more of muted glow that comes across as coral-colured. The rose has amped up a bit as rose does on me usually, but the lotus hasn't, surprisingly; it has held at a constant level over time, and tempers the rosiness of the rose otto as well as adding a lighter floral top-note rose's deeper heart-note. These florals really round out the scent and also give the blend a distinctly feminine, and again, somewhat exotic feel.

 

This dries down QUITE differently - and I wasn't paying attention so an hour at least has passed and it smells totally different. It has really come together as scent; it's beautifully balanced and complex yet seamless. It doesn't have that initial fresh, bright fruity-floral quality thatI liked at first anymore, but is instead now very subdued, tranquil in feel. It reminds me very much of Dolce Stil Nuovo (a scent I just found out I love!), not so much in notes, although the final drydown is in the same general scent category, I would say - but very much in terms of the vibe of scent. Peaceful and soothing and all that I just said, just like DSN, but whereas DSN has a 'cool' bluish-lavender feel to it, like an early morning in Spring on a weekend, Lotus Mun has a 'warm' energy, more like sunset when things air is still warm but the hot late Summer day has begun to cool off, and is not longer sweltering but instead just pleasantly, lightly warm. Softly sweet & sunset-hued florals and subtle, sweet red fruit over a warm base of musky, creamy sandalwood and summery, golden amber with a distant, reverent hint of lingering incense of a calm, quiet temple in some exotic Eastern place, on an August evening at twilight.

 

I don't do warm scents, but this is a STUNNINGLY evocative and masterfully blended scent that I very much enjoy smelling on myself right now. It's both soothing and energizing, and above all deeply comforting, like a hug from loving maternal figure. This have excellent throw, though it does fade a bit it sort of amps back up, and it has good longevity, too.

 

Brava, Beth! This may be your best Lunacy so far this year.

Edited June 22, 2010 by fairnymph

[Soniadevi]

Hi there Maker Not Muse!

 

I just wanted to say a friendly hello, because I absolutely loved your post, and the way you described this scent! You've really nailed the concept of the Lotus Moon here, and the whole point of these poetic scents. I have to say that not only do I agree with your description, but it actually inspires me to smell this more in the way that you perceived it.

 

On a side note, I would like to add that when I received Lotus Moon, I wanted to weep for not having ordered at least three bottles!!

 

In the bottle: buttery sweet and diffuse, but harmonious. The unapologetic femininity of the lotus greeted me right away, and it certainly did not smell like "bubblegum". It was vaguely reminiscent of a fragrance of my youth, "Ruffles", by Oscar de la Renta. But Lotus Moon is much deeper-it has a more intriguing composition than "Ruffles", which, on me at least, never dared to rise above "innocuously pleasant". Lotus Moon is pleasant to be sure, but with so much sybaritic languor it could hardly be called "innocuous".

 

Wet on skin: Candied, opulent and feminine. No one note dominated. Again, harmonious.

 

 

Dry on skin: all rosy-gold voluptuousness, soft, warm, idiot-grin inducing. There are no hard angles to this perfume, no edges. That's not to say this perfume has no backbone- it's just that the backbone is languorously at rest. It's the backbone of an odalisque, persuasive, and supple. On me, the pomegranate just hid behind the sandalwood door, while the lotus cast its powdery glow upon the resinous heart and the whole scent lit up with narcotic, creamy, wood tempered sweetness. Rose otto was a discreet and informing presence, but overall this perfume is about harmony, thus the rose never dominated. I fell in love with my wrists over and over again. Although gently heady, this perfume never seemed to be trying too hard, and I love it for its luminous and serene sensuality.

 

Final opinion: This scent put a smile on my face from the moment I smelled it. It is a murmured invitation to partake in unhasty pleasures, serene and confident, but it is also simply gladdening and easy to wear, bypassing the usual categorizations of use like "day" and "night". This is something to wear anytime. Sillage isn't much of an issue with this- it wears very close to the skin. It stuck around for a long time on me- I put it on at 5:30 PM and it was still warmly, fuzzily evident at 9 this morning. I'll treasure this bottle, but I won't horde it- it's getting used. Beautiful stuff.

 

This was my first order from Black Phoenix, and I was overwhelmingly pleased. Thank you so much.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Soniadevi

[girasol]

I really wish I'd bought more of this.

 

In the bottle: Slightly herbal with a bit of citrus sparkle. Fresh, but gentle.

 

Wet: The citrusy note really came to the fore at first. It has a very grapefruit-like character, but I'm assuming it's the tartness of the pomegranate.

 

Dry: The citrus has dropped back and everything is nicely blended. Frankincense has been known to really amp on me, but it's behaving itself nicely here. This one sticks close to the skin, but in a good way - like a secret you're not ready to share. A slightly powdery finish, but not in an overpowering granny-talc way.

 

Verdict: Lotus Moon is really not what I was expecting from the notes - I thought it would be a bit deeper and spicier. There is a slight spiciness in the background, but as a whole this blend actually feels quite herbal to me. All the same, this a gorgeous scent. Soft and calming and feminine. It would be perfect for when you're in a dreamy, contemplative mood.

[angelicruin]

This is not at all sweet on my skin. I'm just get an aquatic/herbal floral scent that becomes "soapy" on dry down.

[brilliantcat]

I got my bottle today and these are just first impressions, I may add more when I do a full review.

 

I got the slight sweet "bubblegum" from the lotus at first though that quickly mellows into a rich floral with some help from the rose. I usually amp rose but it's behaving itself nicely. Early on it's a very opulent, feminine scent, it feels very "expensive perfume" until it starts to pick up more of the frankincense and amber notes. I like how it's morphing. The sweetness has tempered into a mature, spicy floral with a lot of depth. Medium throw and I keep huffing my wrist to see how it's changed. I'm missing the opium, which is a shame as it's a note I love, but I can deal without it. I wouldn't mind staying on the Island of the Lotus-Eaters for awhile.

[edenssixthday]

Lotus Moon 2010 - With the potential exception of the pomegranate, there's nothing about this blend that should go wrong on my skin, but altogether, everything about it is wrong. The lotus comes across and screamingly high-pitched and the red sandalwood and amber grate against it instead of grounding it. The husky frankincense is almost night, but seems to be be fighting with the opium note and the ensuing smokiness is just weird. And then there's the rose otto, sweet little rose...she's gone a little soapy on me this time. What I thought was going to be true love has turned to a woody-resiny-soapy-floral. Blah.

[Blood onmy hands]

In the bottle, this is an intense, perfumey, fruity-floral with a dark, smoky feel to it.

 

On my skin, something about this smells really familiar, and I can't place it and it's driving me crazy :/. This version doesn't smell anything like the 2006 version. I really like this one. Opium is usually awful on me, but there's a very well-behaved, dark smokiness to this and none of opium's usual hairspray-esque sharpness.

 

Mostly this is darkly resinous on me, with a dry, sweet, rich floral smell and a touch of dark smokiness. Every once in a while I can smell a hint of fruity pomegranate, but the fruitiness isn't very strong on me at all.

 

Lotus Moon 2010 is a dark, dry, sexy, exotic, resinous floral on my skin . Gorgeous and unique. It smells like an expensive perfume without being unoriginal or sharply musky. I've been craving dark floral scents lately and have trouble finding any that appeal to me, and this is definitely something that I'll wear. I hope that I can track down more than my one decant of this'n.

[lunaticana]

oh noooo this def. needs to age first before I try again

citrus and no flowers?! bizar

[zankoku_zen]

Holy moley. So I get a TON of pomegranate from this. Huh, I am thinking that pom is one of those notes that likes to bloom on my skin. It doesn't last past the first hour though, and I get a woody dark base.

 

Interesting. I have to say I am gratified by the lack of bubblegum despite lotus being there.

[moon_lemming]

Good news: the lotus in Lotus Moon is not the one that smells like Bubble Yum, at least not on me!

 

Bad news: instead, it's one of those florals that end up stomping all over the other notes and turning into soap. This is very pretty, sweet, fancy soap, and it's not headache-y or anything, but it's still soap.

[countessmouse]

Sweet and perfumey in the imp and on my skin. Not getting much fruit, unfortunately, but boy are the amber, sandalwood and frankincense having a shoving match to see which one can pair with the lotus! This scent comes across as very rich to me, not at all light like the previous posters experienced. I think I like this one enough to get a bottle.

[LadyMedb]

This came soooooo close to being perfect...though I usually eschew fruity florals, the frankincense was divine on first application, and the lotus was watery and not too sweet, with the most subtle and well-blended pink rose one could imagine. So gentle, so girly, so balanced, until the pomegranate amped on my skin after an hour, making this just a bit umbrella-drinky for me. It was still lovely, but not something I could ever reach for.

[ravenscanary]

Source: Fresh decant

 

In the decant: Frankincense mostly, with a little green and the rose otto.

 

Wet: A hint of opium, still predominantly about the frankincense with lotus and rose otto under the incense-y frankincense

 

Dry: the sweet lotus comes out a little more as it dries, but I still consider frankincense the dominant note, here. I pick out the rose otto strongly because it's my favorite in a few other blends. I don't get any amber out of this, a note that normally goes powdery on my skin but that doesn't seem to be making an appearance. The longer this wears, I do get some sandalwood, but very little.

[ACVail24]

Lotus Moon 2010

 

In the Bottle:

Resin & Dark Fruits - not specific

 

On my Skin, Wet::

blossoming dark fruits, lotus, & deep resins. Very 'morning dew' impression to me.

the dark fruit could be pomegranate, but to my nose it could also be black cherry or very dark red raspberries.

the lotus seems dewy at this stage - not bubblegum.

I can't specify any resins at this stage

 

On my Skin, Dry:

not a dewy fresh fragrance anymore.

this has become rather dry - almost parched of all gentle welcoming scents.

the resin has turned to incense

the lotus is now a potpourri

and the fruits have turned to dried versions of their former lush selves.

 

not a bad smell, but the dryness of it is a little bizarre

 

Verdict:

pretty but not something that holds my attention

4 of 10 ranking

[milo]

At first, this is citrussy, fruity lotus. Kind of like bubblegum, but nicer as the citruss tones down the sweetness. I'm guessing the tartness is from the pomegranate. Dry, the lotus and pomegranate disappear on me, and the opium comes out. BOO, as it's quite perfumey and not in a good way. I like lotus, so was looking forward to this, but unfortuneately the incense just overpowers everything here.

[yeahbutnobut]

Lotus Moon 2010

 

In the imp: amber, pomegranate and…grapefruit? Huh?

Wet on skin: grapefruit. This is a very bitter grapefruit and it’s quite disconcerting. It’s blocking out all the other notes.

Dry on skin: not sure about the grapefruit. What is doing that? It’s a bitter grapefruit peel scent as opposed to a fresh juicy grapefruit, which I like. It’s strong and strident and seems to be blocking out all the other notes, and that’s a shame because the other notes smell really good. I can detect a really gorgeous creamy lotus note, hints of resin-touched rose, and deep red pomegranate. But I can’t enjoy those wonderful notes if that irritating grapefruit peel note gets in the way.

After a while: the grapefruit does fade away thankfully, and what is left is really beautiful and sophisticated. It’s very slightly reminiscent of the old Lotus Moon, but it’s also very different. It’s a bit more perfumey, it reminds me of a posh perfume or body lotion, it smells expensive and grown up. A luxurious lotus gilded with amber and with ruby red accents of pomegranate, a hint of smoky incense. It’s got a silky, creamy smoothness, a hint of sweetness.

Verdict: still unsure about this one. Theoretically I should adore it as all the notes work on me. But I can’t get over the odd grapefruity scent that obstructs all the lovely notes. This weird, strident, bitter grapefruit peel scent does fade after some time to leave behind a beautiful scent, golden and classy, it smells dignified and regal, gold and red velvet, reminiscent of some of the palace themed scents like Versailles and the Haunted Palace, though this seems to evoke more exotic places, hinting at Egypt and India. It does remind me a bit of the original LM but I think this one is more complex, less candied and actually less lotus-y. I still think I prefer the 06 version, I would adore this version if it wasn’t for that annoying grapefruit! I hope that disappears with aging.

Emoticon rating: then

Is it a keeper? one bottle, definitely.

If you like this, try: Lotus Moon 06, Blood Lotus, Kurukulla, Persephone, Haunted Palace, Versailles

[isisonearth]

Very pretty combination of pomegranate and rose otto. It has an ancient feel to me with none of the bubblegummy feeling I usually get from lotus.