[Jettcat]

LUNA NEGRA: TED'S CREATION
The solace of shadows: blackberry and blackcurrant with Nepalese amber, kewda attar, and a deep, rich, sweet dark musk.

Wow, I'm the first?

In the bottle: A soft musk with a hint of fruitiness in the bottle.

Wet on skin: Why hello there fruits, the blackberry is bold and in perfect tandem with the black currant.


Dry down: The fruit is still out front, but the musk has reappeared and only the faintest hint of amber.

Verdict: A youthful feel to this scent and perfect if a little late night naughtiness at the drive in is your cup of tea. Stays very close to skin and would be perfect if worn in all the right places.

[wendyb1063]

Mmmmm!!!!! This is just as yummy as I hoped!!! Dark fruit and sweet musk. Reminds me a bit of Panther Moon and WILF, two of my absolute favorites. My husband (who rarely comments on my BPAL beyond saying "it smells musty" or "it smells like weeds", said "Mmmm, that's good!".

[marared]

Love this. It smells just like sangria in the bottle and freshly applied on the wrist - a very cool, sweet, alcoholic blast of berry, but not hyper-sweet like the Luau scents. After it dries down, it's mostly just sweet berry musk. I can barely detect the amber, just a bit of warmth behind the musk. Yum.

Edit to add that if you like Lampades, this is a definite family member, but a little softer and sweeter.

This post has been edited by marared: 16 July 2011 - 03:02 AM

[Aleah]

I really wanted to like this but . . . . I am no good at picking out notes, so I can't really say what it is that I don't care for.

This will be going up for sale.

[taoeizzm]

I'm so happy I took a chance with buying this unsniffed! I agree with the other reviewers - dark fruits and sweet red musk, mainly! But the undercurrent of amber keeps it from being too fruity, and I swear it smells a little spicy, too. As a huge red musk fan, this combo is absolutely fantastic... :wub2:

[sfsassy]

Sexy sangria fruity goodness. Sorta like dark red berries in the jungle. It also smells just like I thought it might. NICE!!

[killerklown]

Mmm dark fruits and red musk, a winning combination. This is gonna age fantastic, I can tell.

[lahdeedah]

Made of WIN! Dark luscious berries in a dark ambery musk wrapper. Can't stop smelling my wrist. :wub2: Under there I detect a hint of floral, but the kewda attar appears to giving off a honey vibe and it's very subtle to my nose.

[angelicruin]

I definitely agree with the Sangria references. This blend's blackberry note is bold and strong mixed with a dark sweet musk. The scent has that dark feel to it without being harsh.

LOVE this one!

[lanas]

This is amazing. I almost didn't buy this but I am so happy I did. It smells like a fruity version of Smut on my skin. Sweet berry musk and very sexy.

[hlinspjalda]

I bought this bottle unsniffed because it's chock-full of notes I love.

In the bottle: Amber and dark musk, sort of Schwarzer Mondy.

Wet: There's still amber and sweet dark musk, but I am also getting a honey-sweet floral and a touch of fruit. The musk isn't at all powdery. This has major promise.

Half an hour: Chewy and dark, very much in my zone but with a major difference. I suppose it's the kewra that adds that wonderful edible-floral note. Usually Nepalese amber is beyond my zone, but this one I may have to keep.

One hour: Oh, I quite like this. The kewra and fruit have teamed up now, the amber has lightened, and the musk isn't obtrusive.

Two and a half hours: Fruit, amber, musk, and the very sweet floral kewra note. The dark fruit notes are a little more pronounced, and the amber less so; I like it better this way, because it seems deeper and darker.

Five hours: This one is a winner! The dark fruits are so pretty, and the floral is so different!

[Akurarei]

Luna Negra

In the Bottle:
patchouli?
that's not a listed note, but I swear that's all I smell

On my Skin, Wet:
Now this is interesting - to me this smells like a 'blue' version of Crypt Queen.
Crypt Queen always has a 'red' feeling to me, probably because of the blood accord & raspberries.
Luna Negra smells almost exactly like Crypt Queen to me, but I guess the blackberry gives it the 'blue' quality.
weird synesthesia.

On my Skin, Dry:
Smoky resins, patchouli (??), and a hint of the berries, but not much at all.
yep - this is a 'blue' version of Crypt Queen to my nose.
very strange indeed.

Verdict:
I really like this one, even though patchouli isn't my thing - and even though it does not seem to be an ingredient.
I like the depth of this scent, and it's 'evilness'
it's a great scent for the upcoming fall months, and I am looking forward to wearing it in October particularly.

p.s.
Crypt Queen is probably my favorite Halloweenie scent but I'm always hesistant to wear her because I don't want to run out or creep anyone out as she has that presence.
this is going to sit along side her so I can have a red & blue version.
awesome!!

[Mellifluous]

This was my favorite of the bunch. It definitely reminds me of snake oil. Not that it smells the same, but just that sweet, spicy, musky quality is present.
On my skin, I get mainly the sweet dark musk and the kewda, with berries tamed in the background. This is pretty much where the scent stays for the rest of the drydown. A sweet thick luscious.. and I agree with the poster above 'chewy' scent. I dont really get very much of the berries. But if I look for them I can pick out the qualities of them. A tiny bit tart, a little berry fruitiness, but, yes, they are way behind the sweet dark musk and attar.

The throw on this was.. almost too much, lol. Most likely because its been soo hot here with an average temp of 115. But, this scent also lasts forever! I put it on in the morning, and after a day trip out of town, and a quick shower, and then a bath, I could still smell it, nearly as strongly as when I first put it on.

Oh, also. I just noticed this scent has a cola quality to it. I think its the musk and kewda. Its really strange to have just noticed, but I just compared it with my cola extract, and yup.. very similar!

Def a keeper for me!

[SophieCedar]

Crap. I forgot to review this but totally thought I did. I'm loosing it.

Wet: spicy dark berry sangria! Cute, sweet, gnarly dark> dangerous bitch style! I like this... Smells like trouble! The berries are a rich black maroon. I've never smelled kewda like but it's pretty much an awesome floral from what I can tell, picking apart the identifiable from the unknown here.

Drydown: still wonderful dark berries, sweet deep musk, and a orchid-level like floral. Consistent trouble.. like the kind that makes you forgive a gal if she's a sloppy drunken mess starting bar fights, just because she smells great. Note to self.

[gnomethedroll]

Zomg! Love! :wub2:

In the bottle: Strong scent of musk backed by the berries

Wet on Skin: Hello, Amber.

Dry Down: The amber fades back into the background and the musk and berries come out more again. I never really smelled anything floral in this. Everything in this just combines together so nicely that it is hard to pick out specific notes.

Verdict: Berries sometimes turn sour on my skin but for some reason they worked fine in this blend. This makes me really happy because I love the scent of berries. The feeling of this scent is very mature and feminine. I can't picture myself wearing this as an everyday scent but I think it will be perfect as a date perfume. It did have good throw and lasted all day without me ever needing to reapply it.

[ECLECTIC]

Oh! Oh!

This is everything that I wanted WILF, Smut and Snake Oil to be....it has those deep, resinous, incensey qualities to it, but doesn't make me sick! Rejoice!!

Wet, it smells deep and slightly sweet. Not nearly as sweet or fruity as I was expecting, I thought it was going to be a fruit explosion tempered by a bit of musk and amber. I would say its more ambery musk than fruit.

It begins to dry down and smells like a head shop, and for those of us who like that sweet, complex smell, this doesn't disappoint!! I definitely get a hint of patchouli, but its sweet and not dirty stankiness.

Over all, it is VERY yummy, sexy, and mysterious. LOVE.


EDIT: its also VERY boozy smelling. Almost like a sangria- a little sour, with deep dark berry/ grape notes nestled next to those gorgeous incense notes.

This post has been edited by ECLECTIC: 20 October 2011 - 09:42 PM

[patina]

Fruity, traditionally perfumy, a little headshoppy. The berry element reminds me of Bordello, very slightly, though it's missing the vanilla and it has musk. I'm also reminded of The Night Raven, though I don't have an imp right now so I can't check that.

Overall this is a very simple blend that smells very much like traditional perfume. Something, maybe the blackberries, becomes just a tiny bit too loud and sharp and the amber veers towards powdery old lady perfume. I think I'll keep this a while to see if it smooths out.

(By the way, layering this with Opium Poppy makes most of the sharpness go away on me. :yum: Your taste may vary, of course )

This post has been edited by patina: 27 July 2011 - 05:22 PM

[Dark Alice]

Sweet dark berry musk of goodness! :wub: Halleleujah!!!! A fruity moon I can wear!!!! :joy:

[Nachtwulf]

Well, as far as I can tell, this reminds me pretty much of Countess WIllie, and pretty much every other 'dark fruits' type BPAL I've ever ordered. I'm going to let it sit and see if settling for a week or so brings out anything that will make this less generic, but i was really hoping for something more exotic with the musk and amber, and not so much the 'berry yankee candle' thing.

[mxtine]

Luna Negra is kind of a better version of Lampades, which was straight-up berry candle on me. It smells like a fruity Schwarzer Mond in the bottle, and on my skin it's dark berries, light musk and amber. I'm also getting a bit of Red Lace/Smut from this, which makes me love it more.

[Melenass]

http://www.bpal.org/public/style_emoticons/default/00001736.gif
I liked the concept of the description of this Luna Negra... "the solace of the shadows" as necessary
to mature, the darkness is not always harmful or negative, sometimes
absence of light gives the right point to things ... like the best wine. And this is exactly what it suggests to me this perfume: the berry in its exact point of maturity, sweet without being heavy, collected in wooden casks where the wine matures, reaching its flavor.Excellent. I do not know if it's imagination, but I smell some wood to winery in it.

This post has been edited by Melenass: 28 July 2011 - 09:39 PM

[PhantasmMysteria]

Oh.... oh my, yes.

In the bottle and wet, I swear that this is the red musk of my much-loved Marianne (though perhaps it's a trick of the berries' sweetness mixing with the musk). There's also a burst of floral here, which I am going to guess if from the kewda attar. "Heady, pungent and very tenacious..." yes, I would agree! It seems to lend a bit of spiciness to the scent, as well, particularly in the throw. As it dies, I no longer get the Marianne association, but am reminded of another fruity floral, Dark Delicacies.

As this dries, it does go a bit sharp on my skin, and the note I was hoping for most (the nepalese amber) is hidden in the mix of fruit and floral. Still, this is a gorgeous blend. I have no doubt that a little age will do wonders for this blend, and I think I'll be seeking out another bottle just for that purpose. ^_^

[dawndie]

In bottle: slightly sweetened rubbing alcohol

On skin: lots and lots of musk, red and black

Half-hour later: delicious dark fruit sugaring up the musk

In conclusion: I love the combo of aggressive musks and dark fruit, and with the amber ends up reminding me of a dustier Corazon. Less staying power than Corazon, but a great backup. I'm glad I splurged on this one.

[Mattie]

Unhelpful & Fangirly Review :D

O. M. F. G.

If Snake Charmer & Smut had a baby, it would be Luna Negra. This is one of the sexiest & most beautiful scents the Lab has ever created IMO. I wish I could hoard this! I can't imagine how good it's going to smell in a year or so.

If you love Smut, Snake Oil, Snake Charmer and can do berry notes, I hope you got a bottle of this. It's amazing.

[Absinthetics]

I can't add much to all of the current reviews, other than the fact that something that is in Elephantine Colossus is in here as well. It's almost a little of that popcorny note.