Luna Azul 2018

[Geminirubyshoes]

Ted’s interpretation.

The ephemeral romance, the fleeting affair: frankincense and blackcurrant, caramelized black amber, and motia attar.

So I had to look up what motia attar was and discovered that it's another name for Jasmine sambac

 

I typically love Ted's lunar interpretations because they always have a warm, soft quality to them and this one definitely has it. The frankincense is clean, the black current is mildly fruity and sweet here with the caramelized black Amber giving it a tiny bit of a smoky, sexy quality to my nose. The motia/Jasmine comes through a little bit at the end and makes the whole blend sparkly in feeling, not in smell if you know what I mean. This is really beautiful and will probably age incredibly.

[djnevermore]

Dark, sexy, night-driven. An old-fashioned cologne with a backing sweet note and a hint of woodiness, but not overwhelming like some woods can be. This is a sly enchanter, heady as hell. I agree: it will probably age like Sean Connery.

[sprout]

The jasmine is in the forefront of this in the first few minutes with a frankincense note giving it an airy quality. Jasmine sambac has a very subtropical, Southern nights association for me. The black currant is on the limit of my ability to detect it. It brings sweetness to the composition.

 

Drying this becomes more of a skin scent. The Amber assuming a fuzzy, soft character. The jasmine is much less in evidence on drydown, where this scent becomes mostly resin. It's well integrated, especially for a less aged oil. The sweetness of the currant marries nicely with the caramel and Amber. Often caramel amps on me, but this scent isn't gourmand and you won't be mistaken for dessert.

 

In summation, this starts like a fruity floral but it's more Southern belle femme fatale than teeny bopper juice. The jasmine bows out on the drydown and leaves the caramelized Amber and black currant fusion. This is really unique and unlike anything else in my collection.

 

If you are a fan of the black currant note from Sufganiyot and weren't put off by the jasmine note, you will probably love this.

[zankoku_zen]

Okay, so I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I do. The jasmine is soft and curling, the currant adds a soft fruitiness, but then I get mainly a caramelized resin. It's soft, feminine, and very nostalgic. This is the smell of standing on a full moon on an late summer night, when it's not summer anymore and it's transitioning into autumn so you get a bit of a chill in the air. There's a quiet in the air, and you're struck with a sudden contemplation and reflection of your life. It's not sad or nostalgic, but it is that powerful moment of calm as you take inventory. Haunting. Beautiful. Lovely.

 

Medium throw and wear length.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: I don't know what motia attar is, but I wonder if that's what I am smelling? It's sort of a creamy herbal scent. Very bizarre. Hmmm.

 

 

Dry: Slightly fruity, but still mainly this strange, unidentifiable scent - creamy and herbal green is the only way I can describe it. It's kind of lovely, in a strange, ethereal kind of way. Not sure how much I will wear it, but glad I tried it, and I will keep the decant.

[Lucchesa]

I was given a tester of this by a very generous swap partner - I had been scared off from the bottle when I learned motia attar was jasmine. And Luna Azul is a jasmine-dominated scent for me. It goes on as jasmine, it mellows into jasmine and fruit and deep dark sweet amber. I never get much frankincense. It is a gorgeous jasmine, it behaves beautifully on my skin, it's soft and sexy and I'm sure it's going to age beautifully, but the jasmine is not a minor player in this scent. If you adore jasmine, find yourself a bottle.

[dementia_divine]

In the decant: The jasmine note is by far the strongest note, backed by the resins and blackcurrant.

 

Wet: The jasmine note is also the strongest on my skin, with the blackcurrant note and resins in the background. As the scent sits on my skin, the blackcurrant note becomes more prominent.

 

Dry: Sweet, heady jasmine accompanied by the sweetness of blackcurrant. The caramelized black amber and frankincense are lingering in the background, behind these notes.

 

Verdict: This wasn't initially on my radar, but I ended up ordering a leftover decant because of the positive reviews. Although this is a well-behaved jasmine, it's too jasmine-forward for me, but it is nice, and I'm glad I was able to try it.