Fledgling Raptor Moon

[lothien]

Warm, soft tufts of down and gleaming tawny feathers: clove, toasted sandalwood, aged patchouli, bourbon vanilla, carnation, massoia bark, hinoki wood, and West Indian Bay.

I have a horrible track record with the Lunacies, so I was seriously surprised when I LOVED this one as much as I do. I grabbed a decant, which turned into acquiring two bottles with two more on the way. I don't have a lot of scents I want multiple back-ups of, but this is one of them.

In the bottle I get a lot of bay, and not much else.

On the skin, at first the bay, and a spiciness that almost comes across as cassia, but must be a clove I haven't tried yet, because it definitely doesn't jump out as clove.

Hinoki wood and bay give a forest-in-summer sort of feeling to start with, then the forest recedes into the background after just a few minutes, and the most beautiful, soft carnation appears, and what must be massoia bark, with the faintest breath of vanilla. Later I get more of the toasted sandalwood, but all of the notes blend so well that it really does have a soft, cuddly feeling to it without anything really standing out, and the woods keep it from being too sweet.

I don't get patchouli from it, which is more than fine with me. It stays close and soft, enough so that I can wear it to work without attracting attention, and even if I don't reapply, I still smell the scent several hours later if I put my nose to my skin.

Curiously enough, I have found that if I apply it to my neck or cleavage, the bay sticks around and doesn't fade nearly as much - this is a scent that I apply mostly to my forearms/wrists to get the above results.

Really, really lovely, and goes on the list with Banded Sea Snake as the two I would take to the desert island.

[Elfbait]

What a handsome, strokeable, sinuous Moon. Fledgling Raptor Moon is dark, austere, and sculptural like ikebana, but also wonderfully syrupy like an elixir.

 

The hinoki wood, massoia bark and sandalwood create a stern but sensuous foundation of earth- wood shavings, sun-warmed tree trunks, river bank soil, and sarsaparilla all came to my mind when I smelled this in the bottle. Carnation and bay add a layer of sweet spice, but it is very discreet. The patchouli didn't really come out strongly for me, but I could feel its woody presence nonetheless. All in all, I was really impressed by the richness and discretion of this scent- so many handsome woods, such unobtrusively alluring spice.

 

 

This is an intimate and inviting scent, warm, regal and mature. I enjoy it now, but I imagine age will make it even better.

[zankoku_zen]

On wet, I get a huge blast of bay and then something that I can only describe as 'feathery'. As it dries, I get more of the woods and they are spicy (I am thinking that its the massioa bark + clove here), and there's a certain amount of powderiness that I think is probably coming from the aged sandalwood. It's a little 'hippie stinky' (why hello patchouli), and for me lacks a certain sweetness to balance out all the wood elements. It's probably my skin chemistry not cooperating.

 

Masculine, powdery, spicy.

[voodoobaby]

Most of what I get is the various woods. At first it starts out kind of sharp, but the longer it sits the warmer and softer it gets. Eventually the vanilla and clove make their way into the picture, and that is lovely.

 

I would most definitely describe this as a warm scent. Very comforting and nice, but not TOO soft. I think it would be good for both men and women. Definitely a keeper!

[Fury]

This scent reminds me of hot summers that I protest by wearing spicy, cologne-y scents to help remind me of the approaching cooler weather, months off. Lots and lots of bay and wood- by reviews I was hoping for smooth, warm, patchouli-ridden vanilla with hints of the bay and the woods rounding it out, but unfortunately the patchouli and vanilla have run for the hills while the more masculine aspects have set up stake. After getting over my initial sadness losing some of my favorite notes, I'm able to enjoy the masculine edge to this. To me it's almost like a summer bonfire without smokiness, reminding me somewhat of Halloween: Los Angeles.

 

Pretty. On first testing was thinking of throwing it to the swap box, but now it's a staying.

[claudia6913]

In the bottle: A bit musky and soft ... if soft could have a scent.

Wet on skin: I can definitely smell the "toasted" part of the sandalwood as well as a hint of the bourbon and the carnation.

Drydown: The woods come out more now as does the bay. I'm not getting much clove at all in this yet. I think adding that scent would heighten this a bit and give it some depth. Hopefully once it's dry that bit will come out more.

 

Dry: Lots of wood and the toasted scent is fairly strong still as is the bourbon. The carnation is sitting pretty far in the back, and I'm not getting much of the vanilla part of the bourbon. I think the bay is giving it a bit of an herbal smell. Still no clove.

 

Overall: Not really a favorite of mine, but I bought it for sentimental reasons as it's my daughter's birth moon.

[milo]

Sandalwood is almost always a win on me. So I find this out AFTER FRM comes down. I love the combination of notes here, the clove is not overpowering at all, and there is just a wonderful brown warm musky feel to this blend. I think a hunt down of at least a partial is in order.

 

eta: Oops, this gets uber metallic (wtf) on me after a bit. Not so keen on FRM now. Reminds me of what tin foil would smell like if it had a scent. Not for me now, unfortuneately.

Edited September 18, 2010 by milo

[sarahmarie]

Wow, this really kind of smells like A BIRD! I mean that in a good way, it's pretty amazing. It smells soft and feathery, sort of warm, almost a little dusty. I don't really detect individual notes well in this blend, except for sandalwood - mostly, it's just blended perfectly to invoke "bird" for me. I love when perfume paints such a vivid picture!

[edenssixthday]

Fledgling Raptor Moon - When I first apply this, the strongest notes are the bay and the woods. It's got a strange kind of scent that's a bit "off" on me. I'm pretty certain it's not going to work. But then, after it's dried down, I catch a whiff of it on my skin, and it's dried down to a scent that is to die for -- the bay is gone, and what I smell at this point is sandalwood spiced up with a drop of clove and a hint of patchouli, combined with the smooth sweetness of warm, bourbon vanilla. Once it's dry, it turns into the absolutely perfect sandalwood scent. I'm in love!

[dreamingjune]

In the bottle: A green musk with fresh carnation and the green balsam of U Mutter Museum.

 

Wet on skin: Hello carnation! Yet not in a bad way. There is a bit of musk, subtle wood, and the softest hint of bay and clove.

 

Dry: This is really mostly carnation on me, but grounded by just a bit of musk and warm wood with a hint of fresh spice. It is not too powdery nor does it smell synthetic. I am used to amping the hell out of clove and it is not happening here. There is a subtle toasted quality along with a subtle vanilla/musk sweetness that is making this quite comforting. Like a baby raptor you want to cuddle with? The balsam presence is subtle but keeps all of the other notes in line for me.

 

Overall: Amazingly well blended. Carnation on its own would be terrible on me, but this manages to bring out the carnation without going overboard. The background of toasty woods, sweet musk, and subtle spice is just perfect. Also, yay for balsam being in here. I could see this working on someone who can not usually do scents with heavy spice or woods. It does not have a ton of throw or lasting power but that almost makes it more comforting. 5 out of 5.

[Bluestocking]

Note: this review was written for a fresh bottle, unaged. I'm just reeeeeeeeally late in posting it.

 

In the bottle: On a purely superficial note, the label art for this one is stunning. Wow. It's lovely when I open the bottle, too. There something of Winter of Our Discontent here, because it has that same warm, spicy, slightly sweet clove right out front. It doesn't have the dark, moody depth of Winter—this is a very warm, brown scent, not a dark and shadowy one—but the similarity is there. Beyond the clove, it's hard to tell what's what, since it's all blended so well. My overall impression is one of spicy woods and barks.

On, wet: Still clove-y and similar to Winter of Our Discontent, but some of the sandalwood and bay and massoia bark are coming out, which makes this deeper and softer at the same time. It's so well-blended that it's hard to pick out individual notes, but the spiciness is apparent at a sniff.

On, dry: Oh, really, really pretty. The clove is still there, but it's blended so smoothly into the other notes, and there's something definitely soft and downy around the edges here. I don't get anything remotely powdery or soapy, but it's just… fluffy. Like baby bird feathers. It's warm and sweet and spicy and comforting. Snuggle-worthy! I'd call it gender-neutral, too. I'm happy wearing it, but I'd be equally happy to hug a man who smelled like this, you know? And snuggle.

Later: Soft, brown, baby-bird fuzzy loveliness. It's warm and spicy and fantastic. Not overly sweet, but subtly so. This isn't a scent that shouts, either; it's a skin scent. It's not "HERE I AM," but rather, "Come and sniff me."

Overall: This really fits the inspiration, and it's beautiful. I have no idea how Beth manages to capture the quality of downy brown feathers in scent, but that's exactly what this is. It's a soft, beautifully blended, spicy-sweet perfume that evokes comfort and cuddling and adorable little baby birds, more fledgling than deadly raptor—but that's just fine by me. The throw isn't massive on this one, and it's definitely a skin scent, but the staying power is impressive. I first put it on almost twelve hours ago, and it's still readily apparent on my skin. Also gave some of this to a convenient male test subject, to see whether it was as unisex as I thought. It smelled fantastic on him, too, and apparently grabbed him plenty of female attention! (I think that when a man wears this, it's a fragrance that says, "Trust me. I'm a woobie." )

[Vega]

I love birds of prey, so I was over the moon (yes, pun intended) that the Lab released a raptor-related Lunacy blend!

 

Sniffed: Fuzzy and warm with a spicy bite.

 

On skin: Even though there's no musk in Fledgling Raptor Moon, it is very much like a light skin scent, airy and feathery yet cozy in feel. It begins mostly musky and what I can only describe as "feathery", but over time the other notes, clove in particular, open up and make the blend spicy and slightly green/lush in a "freshly broken green stem" kind of way. Quite a complex blend, I can't quite pick out individual notes, but they are all playing together and making a very distinct, intriguing blend. Fledgling Raptor Moon certainly resembles a raptor chick, fuzzy and warm, but already with a spicy bite. It also resembles Ivanushka in terms of soft, cozy musk, and Coyote (albeit a bit more distantly). Colour impression is indeed the downy, brown-grey feathers of a young raptor.

 

Verdict: If I liked skin scents more, Fledgling Raptor Moon would definitely be in my permanent collection! Even though I don't think I'll wear it much, it's a fascinating, well-crafted blend that really does resemble its namesake.

[halation]

I am a big ol' raptor nerd, so I needed this one, even though I usually stay far away from things that even have a chance of going powdery.

 

In the bottle, it's all carnation, with maybe a trace of vanilla.

 

Wet, it has considerable throw, especially for the first hour: strong sweet carnation, with a hint of sandalwood. No spice. Very seldom do I get as much throw as I did with this one. About twenty minutes into the drydown the patchouli shows up and close-up wrist-huffing gets me that slight whiff of urine patchouli always gives, and I got a little nervous, because 1) ew, urine and 2) I am just not really a florals person, especially not florals-with-urine.

 

But I gave it an hour, and oh! now it is so lovely. It's just so... warm! Beautiful and warm and reassuring, like bottled hugs and sunshine and your very favorite blanket. Very brown, a little sweet, and a little spicy from the bay and clove. The vanilla isn't crazy-amping the way it often does for me -- the vanilla in Antikythera Mechanism, for example, amps so hard it makes me a bit queasy. This is not that vanilla-and-wood, but just a slightly sweet, warm and sleepy wood. And somehow... fluffy. I swear. I keep thinking it's about to go powdery, but the bay keeps it from going over the edge. Every now and then, balsam peeps out, but it's shy.

 

Two hours in, and now I want it to stay just like this on my wrist forever. The drydown kind of sucked, but it's so worth it for me. This is what I wanted Lionheart to actually *smell* like for me -- not in notes, but the way it makes me feel: calm and strength and a general sense of everything-being-okayness. Due to allergies, Lionheart is just a big no for actual on-skin application. FRM fills that gap beautifully! This is just so... comforting. Perfect.

Edited June 4, 2011 by halation

[theseagrows]

this definitely smells kind of golden-brown, like the description, but there is greenery and mild aquatics here too. i think i am getting the woods and the bay, and that's pretty much it. maybe the "gleaming" feathers is the kind of golden ozoney-aquatic i am getting? yeah, i am really not like this too much, as i am not a big fan of woods or bay...i was hoping for more vanilla and carnation, but sadly i can detect neither one.

[donnatron]

Bottle: It smells like... Florida Water and patchouli. I would assume that I'm mainly smelling the West Indian Bay, which I'm pretty sure is a component in Florida Water. Very... savoury to my nose.

 

Wet: This is downright weird on first application. The bay is the dominant note and I recall having had weird interactions with massoia in the past. It's a little spicy but also like an herb cupboard or the herb section of a pagan shop. Very faint vanilla and patchouli in there.

 

Dry: It's rather nice, considering the wet phase. But it's also one of those things that is very unique to my own chemistry, as clove usually smells like blood on my chemistry. It dries down to a soft patchouli/vanilla with the rest of the ingredients sort of floating around but there is a distinct, metallic, bloody type scent that lingers over it making the soft cuddly quality a little less soft.

 

Throw: Good.

 

Overall: I'm not sure how I feel about this scent. It definitely smells a bit like cooking herbs and also like blood. It reminds me strongly of Raven Moon but instead of the dark, sultry mature qualities of Raven Moon, it's more like... Raven Moon's totally nutso little sister. Very strange.

[porcelina]

fledgling raptor moon is really soft and gentle! thankfully, it's not powdery, as these scents often are. i can pick out the lovely aged patchouli if i try, but overall this is really well-blended. it smells light brown and fluffy, if that makes any sense. woodsy, warm, sweet with a hint of spice.

[KrahesPhoenix]

In the Bottle: Strong sandalwood and spices

Wet on the Skin: Sandalwood and carnation, a lovely spicy woodiness that I didn't think I'd love but I DO. It has some decent throw but it's not overpowering--it's actually quite soft to my nose.

 

Dry: Soft sandalwood, more carnation, and a slight powder now...which is pretty par for course, as some oils tend to turn to powder on me after a few hours, but it's not something I particularly mind as long as there's some integrity left. Fledgling Raptor Moon turns to power a lot how Joyful Moon turns to powder on me so I wonder if it's the patchouli as they both contain it. I don't know, I'm not that BPAL experienced. Anyway, I still find it lovely.

 

Overall: I LOVE this and I'm so glad I bought it! Now I fear I might need more than one bottle...

Edited August 20, 2011 by KrahesPhoenix

[aleciarivas]

Unfortunately, while this started off rather nicely, it ends up complete baby powder for me. Vanilla often does this, although I suspect there may be other culprits. Still deducing that one.

[Poenari]

This is a beautiful, soft and mildly spicy scent. The notes are all very well-blended, but I can detect the sandalwood first, with the carnation giving it the gentle spiciness. It's grounded by the patchouli, but in no way is this a patchouli scent. Overall, I really love this and find it comforting.

[angelmecha]

In Bottle: This is actually quite bright and sweet in the bottle; not what I was expecting (I figured that with clove as a main ingredient it'd strike me more like Raven Moon as a black, dry, sharp scent). I definitely can pick out bay and vanilla, and the sandalwood is absolutely the "feather down" feeling. It's bright and playful, but, as all the Lunacies I've tried have been, it still just *feels* like a night-time, full moon in pitch blackness scent.

Wet: I think it must be a mix of massoia bark, carnation, and bay that's really noticible to me here, because they are all definitely notes that I've never noticed or picked out before. I feel like the bay (a note I -do- recognize from cooking) is brighter than it's got any right to be, so I'll attribute that to the carnation. It's only a matter of time before clove starts to amp on my skin and get dry and powdery; but it feels like the toastiness of the sandalwood and the creaminess of vanilla is keeping it from going TOO crazy on me. It's quiet, unassuming, and just a little bit menacing, collected into a fluffy package. Beth really did a great job with the *imagery* of this blend.

Drydown: The clove *did* powder a little, but it's only succeeded in making this blend softer. I like this a lot. It's a good cold weather smell (maybe that's just because it happens to be snowing out right now and it feels appropriate)... really warm and soft. I wish that Wolf Moon had had a fur-musk that was this soft and warm.

Verdict: This may become my winter signature scent! Plus I'm pleased to notice that this blend was from my birthday month (I was abroad, and sadly devoid of BPAL). I just need it not to powder more than it already does... time will tell!

 

3 stars

[orata]

I received this in a swap along with a generous frimp of U Mutter Museum, and tested both the same day. I was so surprised at how similar they smelled! U was much like I expected from reading the reviews, but I was expecting something more woodsy, spicy, and cozy from FRM. I put this on and was immediately struck by the same intensely green, slightly bittersweet balsam note as U Mutter Museum: intellectually, I parsed this as part hay and part cut grass, but feeling-wise I would have to say the sensation of smelling this scent is somewhere between eating an underripe green banana and drinking a cup of oversteeped black tea. An understated whiff of tropical-fruit fragrance and a sort of slight powdery mouth-puckering astringency underlying the grassy notes. I think it must be the East Indian bay causing this resemblance to the balsam notes in U. I get faint hints of the spicy clove and carnation and there's a certain soft creamy quality as it dries down that must be the vanilla (though I can't pick it out individually). Undecided about how I feel about it; it's definitely interesting, but whether I will reach for it to wear it is another question.

[WidgetAlley]

Bottle: A soft, powdery, fuzzy brown scent. Sweet clove, sandalwood, a little soft carnation and patchouli and wood.

 

Wet: A spiced, almost citrussy scent, full of dry exotic wood and spice and soft incense. It's quite feathery, light and gently brown, and a bit sweet-- vanilla? It's a comfort scent for sure, but an exotic, interesting one.

 

Dry: A soft, sandal-wood based incense with lovely touches of wood, vanilla, and carnation-spice. Very nice!

[symphonyinsilence]

I think this might be gender-neutral. I'm smelling clove, spices and lots of sandalwood on me. Reminds me of my dad and this guy I like. I quite like it, but maybe not so much on myself. I'll be keeping it though, just because.

[Wildwoodflower]

Fledgling Raptor Moon is amazingly well-balanced on my skin. I am pretty sure that I can detect each of the listed notes but none of them overpowers the others. That rarely happens on me! It's a very warm and cuddly blend, fuzzy even, and it is spicy in a cozy platonic way. I love bourbon vanilla and carnation so I wish they were a little more prominent, but I'm not complaining because it smells lovely as-is.

Edited March 1, 2012 by Wildwoodflower

[karykeion]

STUPID CONFESSION TIME:

 

 

This is why I wanted this blend.

Thank you, evanescence, for unwittingly indulging the Jurassic Park fangirlism that started when I was like seven and never stopped.

 

In the decant: Oh wow, that's so interesting! Soft and lightly earthy and clovey.

 

On me, wet: It's...it's so cuddly. It's all down to earth and soft and vaguely lightly sweet. This is kind of smoky and kind of woodsy, and a little spicy, and almost sweet, and pretty much exactly what being out in the woods smells like. Granted, I have never taken it upon myself to smell a bird before, but I kind of understand what people mean when they say this is "feathery"--there's something light and soft and tickly about it. It's a cross between woodsy and kind of adorable.

 

On me, dry: Yep, soft and adorable and woodsy. I'm not getting any vanilla, but there's a hint of carnation in here, and I think that's what's making it all cuddly. Not sure I'll wear it often, but...n'aww, baby raptors birds.