Jennifer's Blue Moon

[Beccah]

Another unique and wonderful potion idea from Black Cat! I was faithful to her directions, using deep black vanilla and a splash of vanilla bean, sweet roasted chestnuts and smidges of deep violet and blueberry. She used the words "soft yet definite", so I added a few ingredients of my own to round out the potion. I added just a splash of velvety vanilla musk for softness and sensuality sake, and 1 drop each of precious labdanum - for power, and coffee - for determination. Best of success, Black Cat!

[Black Cat]

OMG you guys!!!

 

So notes, because you know I love me some LP Reading Room notes!

 

VANILLA ~ Aphrodisiac, inspires happiness, playfulness, sexual arousal, lust, vitalizing.

CHESTNUT ~ Amplifies male potency, love.

VIOLET ~ Love, faithfulness, modesty; calming, balancing, healing, protection, draws luck & fortune, lust.

BLUEBERRY ~ Protection, communication, peace, calm.

MUSK ~ Self confidence and strength, sexual attractant, heightens passions and arousal.

CISTUS aka LABDANUM ~ One of the oldest known perfume ingredients. Considered holy, used in tribute, and as a sense-memory tool to stimulate the subconscious. Said to revive long forgotten memories and feelings.

COFFEE ~ Focus, stamina, concentration, determination.

 

I have to tell you, this has been a drama-filled arrival! I have been anxiously watching the tracking because I am moved out of my house, crashing at my folks, and having mail forwarded. I saw that the forwarding had been caught, and then saw that the packages were listed as "delivered" but in my town, not my parents' town.

 

When I got home and the packages were nowhere to be found, my lovely mother insisted on hopping in the car and driving over to see if they were at my house. She came back and reported tersely that there was no sign of them. At this point, I FREAKED. She kept saying that of course they were insured and I was insisting that money wasn't the point, these were unique handmade potions and it took weeks to get them, etc. I insisted on going out to the mailbox -- which at there house is actually a considerable distance from the house. And it's pouring rain. We drove down to the end of driveway and they were nowhere to be seen. I insisted on getting out of the car to check, and my mother kept reminding me that today's delivery had already been picked up... and I opened the mailbox and it was an LP Miracle! Boxes were there.

 

So this potion came from a couple of places. I knew I wanted a blueberry and violet scent. I also knew I wanted a chestnut scent ever since I smelled Seon's Winter Cozy, Midnight Requiem's fab creation. At the same time, I had a situation that I felt like I wanted to apply some Mara magic to. I won't go into detail, but suffice to say there is a particular relationship where I want to boost the male-female connection, and as I thought about what notes might do that and looked at the above, this came to mind. I was casting around for names, and since the situation is so weird and unique, something that could only happen "once in a blue moon" -- so Jennifer's Blue Moon was born.

 

I fully confess I had no idea how this might actually smell! Of course, it's just fresh out of the bottle but I am sooooooooooooo in love! Wet, the chestnut just bursts forward with a dark delicious sweetness that has a smoky tang to it. It's initially very foodie -- like a sweet and succulent dessert, a chestnut paste with a brush of fruit and edible flowers as garnish.

 

Then the blue comes out. I don't know how else to say it. It has the juiciness of the blueberry and soft cool tones of the violet. The vanilla, the musk, the coffee and labdanum -- all of them! can't believe how generous Mara was my ingredients, I swear I only asked for four! -- are so well blended I can't really pick them out. The whole experience becomes olfactory and tactile. It's intoxicating scent and like a wisp of silk against my cheek.

 

I told Mara that I was picturing a deep midnight sky with a full bluish tinged moon, and that's what this is. I was outside last night for the super moon, and this captures that feeling so perfectly. It's dark and rich and and weirdly energizing, and shot through with streaks of light all at the same time. You know how cold fresh air feels against your face when you go outside to look at a really beautiful moon? It's like that!

 

I know that every PE is my favorite PE but seriously. This one is SO SPECTACULAR!! In some ways it reminds a bit of my Inviting Aphrodite. But where that was pure feminine, this really does invoke both masculine and feminine elements. And the label! The picture didn't do it justice, it's the perfect embodiment of the "blue" I had in mind, and the scent then embodies the color. I am so glad I got an extra spray of this! I'm going to wear it with great joy.

 

THANK YOU MARA YOU ARE MAGIC.

[tink333]

First of all OMG I cannot believe you went through the delivery chaos of you LPMP package! I'm glad you found it safely in the mailbox.

 

Second of all YAY!!! I'm so excited for you and this PE! It sounds AMAZING!Who am I kidding, all the ones you come up with do sound pretty amazing. (And of course I'm kicking myself for not getting a bottle.) The label is gorgeous and the idea and magic behind this one is just beautiful! ❤❤❤

[Black Cat]

Aw, tink, thank you so much! I was joking on the other thread that whenever a situation in my life is causing me concern or angst, I deal with it but starting to imagine the PE Mara can make for me.... and I've realized, it's actually not a joke! LP has brought this extraordinary dimension to my life, in terms of trying to translate situations/issues into scents. I just love it and feel so fortunate to have found this place.

 

And you're pretty talented on the way cool PE ideas yourself! Hoping that Blue Heron will appear one of these days soon.... :-)

[johnsonlisa90012]

I was so excited to try this! First and foremost, this is unisex for those men interested!

 

Initially I got a fun blueberry almond-ish smell with a whiff of coffee. I think the vanilla and chestnut just registered as the almond in Determination Potion. Then the layers emerged. Violet tipped tart berry over a deep nut smell over an incredibly sexy musk. A whiff of a unisex powder. A nuance of coffee on the edge...is it there or is it my imagination??

 

As for intent, I feel alert and focused (after a long day, impossible!) I don't feel girly. I feel direct, like I can have a direct conversation without leaning towards a gender style of communication. Like I am just a being. Hard to explain.

 

I love this! Very unisex, as I explained above. Well done Black Cat and Mara. I can completely see wearing this to a meeting where there is work to do and I don't wantto play games about deferring to men or levels of management.

[dolphindolls2]

I love everthing that Blackcat creates, so I'm very excited to have a bottle of this coming my way.

[Black Cat]

DD, I'm so psyched you're getting this! Can't wait to hear what you think.

 

Lovely review, JLisa! I really love the way you have described the unisex piece. As I said, I wanted this to really enhance/open up the male-female connection, and I love what you said about feeling as if it opens up direct communication.

 

I am just loving this. It's already settling and getting more evenly blended. I love the sweet smoky chestnut splash when it goes on, but I'm adoring the soft dark fruity/floral/coffee musk that it settles into!

[dolphindolls2]

DD, I'm so psyched you're getting this! Can't wait to hear what you think.

 

Lovely review, JLisa! I really love the way you have described the unisex piece. As I said, I wanted this to really enhance/open up the male-female connection, and I love what you said about feeling as if it opens up direct communication.

 

I am just loving this. It's already settling and getting more evenly blended. I love the sweet smoky chestnut splash when it goes on, but I'm adoring the soft dark fruity/floral/coffee musk that it settles into!

 

Thanks, I'm pretty geeked, I've been traveling a lot and I'm excited that I'm getting this. They were all sold out but somebody that originally wanted this baby decided not to take it and I put my name as next in line...so very happy... I will let you know what I think, once I wear this one.

[Black Cat]

DD can't wait to hear what you think!

 

This just gets better and better. There is a smokiness to it that is indescribably lovely -- I think the chestnut? When I sniff it, it's like a beautiful chilly little breeze against my face.

 

Also, tonight I was walking back from work at 5:00 and looked up and saw a perfect sky the color of the label, with a half moon glowing, and I stopped dead, smelled my wrist and gazed up and looked pretty much like a lunatic, but hey, it was dark and no one was paying attention. This scent is magic.

[tink333]

This sounds so incredible! Wish I would have gotten a FB! I do have a small itty-bitty sample though and I'm so excited to try it. ?

[tink333]

This is hauntingly beautiful. It swirls all around me like it's trying to reach the sky and maybe the moon itself. That's because this makes me think about Practical Magic, when Sally casts her love spell when she's little AND when she's writing her letter to Gillian and the moon is full. ❤❤❤

It seems to be a striped swirl of things around me, the blueberry and violet, the roasted chestnuts, every so often this hint of coffee. The blueberry and violet combine together to make this pretty blue softness. And it has this creamy smokiness. The vanilla is fairly prominent as well as the musk. It's borderline plastic on me though and that makes me so sad. It's my body chemistry but hopefully it's not always like that for me. I just love the magic behind this one. It's just brilliant!

 

ETA this never actually went full plastic on me! YAY! It's now this soft blue violet. It's beautiful!

Edited December 9, 2016 by tink333

[dolphindolls2]

My baby is out for delivery and I can not wait till I get it, I promise I will review once I get it...

[Black Cat]

Oh, Tink, what a gorgeous and thoughtful review! I am so happy to hear it didn't end up going plastic and you got all the magic.

 

And DD -- can't wait to hear how you like it!

I have been wearing Inviting Aphrodite quite a bit recently and these really feel paired in some way.... different takes on the Night and Darkness.... both velvety and mysterious potions of amazingness.

[Invidiana]

This is one of those scents that can't be judged by sniffing the bottle, because that won't do it justice in the least. For just a second, it seems lie an olfactory cacophony of different elements trying to make themselves known - especially the coffee vs. the blue elements vs. the vanilla and chestnut. But it isn't a deathmatch forever! Leave it on for a minute and it completely morphs into the velvety night sky it was intended capture. The coffee and blueberry end up not clashing at all in the end, and I've actually had blueberry coffee so I can testify as to them being able to work together. What I love about this is how it paints a cohesive picture without sacrificing or overpowering anything. There is coffee and labdanum that ground it, the vanilla and chestnut that color in the heart, and the ethereal blueberry-violet musk that is like a clear purplish-indigo sky at midnight. Anything with a nocturnal theme calls my name, and I am so glad I took a chance on this one.

[Black Cat]

Oh, Invi, what a gorgeous review! I adore your writing, and I'm so glad to hear you're having the same wonderful experience with this that I am.

 

I am wearing this quite a lot and I remain madly in love. What I don't understand is how Mara captures temperatures with her scents -- honestly, every time I put this on and sniff I get a little rush of cold clean but slightly smoky night air. It's just amazing.

[luna65]

This kept reminding me of something but I wasn't sure what, until I did my theme this week and then it hit me: Mara's trope of dark coffee/chocolate/fruit blends, which are always faboo (even though this has no chocolate). I enjoy the tangy contrast of the blueberry and violet against the weight and warmth of the other notes which blend to provide a velvety background of sorts. That softness is definitely there but not obtrusive, more like a backdrop, something everything else has been staged upon, if that makes sense. I get more of a warm-and-cozy evocation rather than a fresh one, but this was a really great idea, I think blueberry and violet is a natural pairing but I've never really experienced what I would consider a well-blended version of that combination until this scent.

[SirenSong]

I have kind of sworn off PEs (just trying to limit my purchases), but I couldn’t resist the label, the intent, and the combination of notes.

 

In the bottle, it smells like fruity vanilla with a hint of coffee – fruity coffee – specifically blueberry as you would expect. After application, I get a blast of blueberry. It really stands out. I suspect the violet is lending support to the blueberry giving it a candied-like quality. I smell candied violets and blueberry and there is also a nutty note. Floral coffee – with the blueberry standing out, a candied blueberry, but I also smell violets. About five minutes in, the vanilla also makes a presence with the fruity violets.

 

It’s comforting, a little foody -- hard to describe -- it just reminds me of the transient twilight in cool weather, you know that uncatchable pre-darkness of evening. It definitely smells like deep blue of evening.

 

However, after a long drydown, it dries down to a perfumey scent that doesn’t resemble any of the beginning notes which is puzzling to me and loses its staying power in the process. It’s not unpleasant at this point. It just wish it would retain its beginning scent. On me, I feel it ends as a different scent.

 

It is a gorgeous combo and unique idea. Another of Jennifer’s fantastic cat scents.