Berry Moon 2011

[Chanter]

A sensuous, deep berry bouquet: blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries with Morello cherries, apricots, and strawberries, swirled in heady red musk and brandy.

 

I got this as a tester with a decant circle, thank you!

In the imp: This smells much like it says on the tin, so to speak. I don't get much of the brandy at all, though there might be a little of the musk in the background. Mostly wild berries, though.

Wet on skin: Yup, wild berries ahoy. I still don't get the brandy note, but that's okay with me.

On drydown: This reminds me a *lot* of the berry scent in Blood Countess. It mellows after a while and hasn't got a lot of throw on me, but it's still a perfectly nice berry scent. I know some people have said the red musk overpowers everything else, but it doesn't do that at all for me. I'll enjoy the rest of the tester, I know that much.

[mistressfizz]

Sniff: Hello, red musk! There's fruit in there somewhere, but I'm getting mostly a dark, maroon muskiness

 

Wet: Now the berries come out to play! Sweet and tart, but not in a foodie or girly manner. This isn't just fruit, but also the vines and leaves and dirt of that fruit, mixed with something dusty and dark. I don't get any alcohol at all, but there's a brandy flavor that does balance the sweetness, providing a warm, earthy base.

 

Dry: A lush berry musk with a hint of dirt, slightly powdery and soft. I really like the mix of musk and sweetness here, it's a little too powerful for everyday wear, but something I would wear to a club or night out.

[AnyseLawsBray]

In vial: Berries!

Wet: I'm getting an impression of deep, ripened red. Pleasantly musky, not boozy or overly sweet. I was really nervous about testing this one, as my past experiences with strawberry in particular were not so good. But this is rather excellent so far.

Dry: Aha! It's the apricot that is saving this blend for me. The tartness keeps the sickly sweetness at bay, giving a fresh, light feel. What a nice surprise!

 

Verdict: From reading the description when this blend was up, I convinced myself to pass because berries are usually notorious on my skin. But this goes to show that the lab will always come up with something that makes a death note work, and really well at that. I feel like I've been frolicking in a field of wild berries- with sticky fingers and a stained mouth. This would be an awesome blend to wear in the hottest days of summer.

[rhubarb3point14]

I smell blueberries in the vial. Big-time blueberries. Like someone just opened a blueberry-flavored New York Seltzer (remember????) in the room.

 

On my skin, it's still very blueberry, with a generous wash of very sweet musk and a tiny, almost imperceptible dab of strawberry. I don't get the brambles or the cherry at all. Or the brandy -- and I know brandy!

 

Even though I think the fragrance smells really good, it's a little headachey, and I don't think I want to smell like this. Is it possible for a scent to be too young for me and too old for me at the same time?

Edited October 28, 2011 by rhubarb3point14

[Regan]

in the bottle: it smells like wild berry gummi lifesavers with the vaguest hint of musk.

 

wet on the skin: it smells pretty much the same - more musky, though.

 

almost 2hrs later it smells super musky and like craft store.

 

 

definitely not a fan... wish it would have smelled more similar to macerated berries or berry jam

[suki]

In the Bottle: Yup, that's some fruit brandy, alright!

 

Wet On Skin: The cherry has a marachino vibe to it for sure- usually BPAL cherry notes turn all cough syrup on me, but I'm digging this one- it's not medicinal, it's like yummy jam!

 

Dry Down: the fruit are now grounded by the musk and the whole thing is decidedly more spicy and grownup than the previous version of Berry Moon.

 

In All: low to medium throw, this is a sweet daytime scent that has just a little kick of sexiness. Perfect for a date down on the Boardwalk, for instance!

 

 

[Vega]

Sniffed: Juicy red fruit drowned in sour alcohol.

 

On skin: Oh, dear. I was SO looking forward to berries and red musk, and I do smell the deep red fruits, and smell a whiff of red musk. But all this loveliness is pickled in sour, old wine -- the brandy just ruins it all! I don't rule out that the berries may be contributing, as BPAL's cherry note sometimes does on my skin... but I just can't get past fermenting, stale alcoholic beverage. Eventually, the blend calms after drydown, the alcohol burns off, and I get the juicy, red fruit that I was expecting. But a breath of bad alcohol lingers, and the damage is done.

 

Verdict: Berry Moon shot to the top of my wishlist when it first came out, and I almost jumped for a bottle. Now I'm thankful that I didn't, because this was such a crushing disappointment. Drat the brandy, if only it wasn't in the blend! Sigh...

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Rich juicy red fruits, with an underlying creamy vanilla

 

Wet on me - Soft almost floral berries, a hint of cherry and a haze of musk

 

Dry on me - Soft, light berries with hints of vanilla

 

Overall - I love the wet stages, but in the final dry down it's a little meh

[brilliantcat]

Bottle: Rich berries with a hint of slightly sour booziness, like fruit soaked in red wine.

 

Wet: Sweeter on my skin than it smelled in the bottle. Less sourness. Syrupy cherry and red fruit.

 

Dry: Stays primarily cherry. I was hoping for a sweet, springtime fruity scent and this is much more an autumn type of scent with rich, syrupy berries and wine.

[LizziesLuck]

This could go either way on me - berries and apricot and musk are good, cherry, brandy and strawberry are iffy. But I love Blackberry and red musk so much I couldn't resist trying.

 

 

Wet: Mmm. Hard to discern between the fruit notes, but I think apricot and cherry are strongest. I'm getting syrupy brandy, for sure, and hints of musk. I really like it so far. Fingers crossed it doesn't go plastic! I'm getting hints of mint - huh?

 

 

Dry: Whatever was masquerading as mint has died down. This is now a faint fruity/musky scent. It's quite nice, but not blowing me away. I think it would likely be fantastic on someone else who has less difficulty with Strawberry and Cherry.