Candles Moon

[stellans]

CANDLES MOON
To-day is the Day of Bride,
The serpent shall come from his hole,
I will not molest the serpent,
And the serpent will not molest me.

The serpent will come from the hole
On the brown day of Bride,
Though there should be three feet of snow
On the flat surface of the ground.

Moonlight shining on the Quickening Tree, the heat and wax of sacred candles, the milk of ewes, Brigid's blackberry, the sting of keening wind, and the last flutter of the Cailleach's winter snow.

Beeswax and a hint of cinnamon are what jump to my nose from the bottle, but when it's lightly applied to my skin, I get the hint of cold wind and the barest breath of a blackberry note. Only as the application warms and starts to dry down is there a bit of a milky note in evidence, thought the bit of cold vanishes utterly. The blackberry becomes a little more prominent as it the oil warms and dries, but the spice and wax notes still dominate. This is a lovely, lovely homage to Bride --to Brigid-- the Goddess of the Forge, and I am going to love using this in my 30-day Lunar Nightly rotation.

Edited May 16, 2011 by stellans

[ellebelle]

I honestly can't decide if I like this. The "keening wind" must be ozone, as that it very present in this blend on my skin. Ozone always smells a wee bit like cleaning fluid on me, which is off putting. As it dries, I get more of a "green" scent which must be the quickening tree. I agree with Stellens, there is definitely a cinnamon note in here too, which is most noticeable on the dry down.

 

This does not smell like beeswax or candles to me. I have tried Hanerot Halalu, Ichabod Crane, The Lights of Men's Lives, Bijoux Y'ha-nthlei and Giant Vulva and this smells utterly unlike any of those. I also don't get any of the blackberry or sheeps milk.

 

Overall, this is a very very interesting blend, complex and well-blended. I'm not sure it's really for me, but I think this would be beautiful for someone else.

 

ETA: On me, this does not last very long. On the final dry down, I do get that semi-milky note.

 

ETA2: It's been almost a month and I STILL do not get any blackberries. I am now getting beeswax from this scent - it is a sweet, milky beeswax and ozone on me, with a touch of herbs. The lasting power is still around 4 hours on me, but I am loving it more and more. It reminds me a lot of The Lights of Men's Lives, but less sugary and more milky.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Ellebelle

[angelicruin]

I just got my bottle today so it may need to settle a bit, but at first sniff, I kind of panicked. I definitely smelled the BPAL Milk-Of-Doom note sniffing the bottle and wet on my skin.

 

Fortunately, within a few minutes after application, the milk note begins to fade. I'm getting beeswax and the snow. BPAL's snow notes usually go to some variation of mint on my skin and this is no different, but the mint is very light and doesn't overpower. The milk note makes another bid for dominance, but I begin to smell the blackberry note in the background.

 

This dries down to beeswax, (minty) snow, and lightly sweetened blackberries. And, yes, the milk note is still there in the background, but it's light enough now that I can deal with it.

 

 

[surf-tormented]

In the bottle: Both delightful and frightening. A little sweetness I am worried about but I can sense the milk note of Nonae Caprotina, which I really like being as bizarre as it is on me. That milk note is very strong in that blend. The milk is fitting of Bride or Brigid, the inspiration for this perfume oil and Candlemas, her holiday for both Christians and Pagans. She certainly bridges the gap between the two religions, being both revered as a goddess and as a saint.

 

On skin, wet: Sweet and creamy, but not too sweet. A natural kind of sweet. Like sweet milk. That must me the candle wax mixing in. It is a natural sweet without being foodie on me. A hint of greenery too, maybe the tree?

 

As it dries on my skin: Amusing. I am getting spice and ozone on top of the sweet milk. It has a good throw. I put it on the back of my hand and can smell it while I am typing this out.

 

After 15 minutes: Ozone has become snow, a note similar to the snow notes in other BPAL oils like Snowball Fracas. I have yet to get berry out of this, but it is good right now without it. This could be the white serpent coming out of its winter roost to show the turning of the year.

 

After an hour: I get an almost Ice Queen note at this point, a minty snow with the blackberry or dark fruit note coming out. The fruit isn't that strong and it is dry and sharp, instead of being sweet. It blends with the snow and milk notes perfectly. Still has a good throw and strength, for I only put one drop on the top of my hand.

 

Later on: This is getting stronger on my skin with time. I can smell it when my arm is at its side (still only got that one drop on top of my hand). It really smells like Ice Queen with milk in it. Might be an Ice Queen replacement for me. I put it on at about 12pm and now it is 2:40pm and it is still about the same strength. By 3:15 pm, it is slowly going way. I would say it has about a 3-4 hour life. Not the best, but because it smells so good, it's acceptable.

 

Verdict: It's everything I hoped it would be. Another blend with milk in it I can wear and it does remind me of Bride, with her symbols of milk, candles and blackberries. I am going to read the book Brigid of Kildare before the full moon this month and then invoke her for my full moon ritual. I usually do this only at the beginning of the month, but with the full moon oil being Candles Moon, I've drug out the Brigid worship into a month long event. I read a bit about the Bride's Day poem in the description of the oil and I have had imagined a serpent that calls off the goddess of the winter as it climbs out of it's cold slumber. Since I am pagan, I would tend to say the chant in order for the serpent to know it is accepted rather than the Christianized way of chanting it to keep snakes away. Geez, what is the problem with the Irish and snakes anyway? There were never any snakes in Ireland, unless they meant the pagans, then shame on them. Seriously. But maybe I should save that rant until St. Patrick's Day!

 

I do wish this would have been the January Moon 2010, because then it would have been closer to Candlemas on the 2nd, but that is a minor quibble.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Madame Nyx

[pinkstardust420]

Wowsa, this is strong when first applied. You only need a LIL BIT! I'm getting tangy blackberry, a slight milk note, and some sort of musk/ozone/snow? It's very nice. After wearing it for a few hours, it dries down on me to a sweet, soft blackberry. Kinda sugary even. Maybe this is the beeswax. Yes, I suck at reviews, but man, this scent is definitely complex! Very pretty indeed.

[cfrancesca]

In the bottle: I'm getting the milk note from Nonae Caprotina and the Milk Moon's, with tangy blackberry a drop of beeswax.

 

Wet: still the same milk, followed by blackberry and honey, I'm starting to get a little ozone (similar to Whirling Wind Moon).

 

Dry: As it starts to dry the ozone note starts competing with the milk note and the ozone is winning. Ok, ozone is the winner and the milk is quickly fading, the blackberry is still in the background.

For awhile it's creamy, fruity ozone/snow, the throw is almost pure ozone for me. Around an hr. later it has faded a lot, and I'm left with a faint musky beeswax (similar to The Light's of Men's Lives), with a hint of ozone and just barely, barely any blackberry.

 

Conclusion: Mm..this one morphs big time for me. It's hard to figure it out, different notes were amped in all the different stages. I'm not sure if I want to smell like this, but it's an interesting scent, that's for sure. I'll test it again in a couple of days.

 

I would say the strongest note is ozone/snow once dried, if you like snow scents I would recommend you try it.

 

ETA: Now that it has settled a bit, I get more of the "snow" note than the wind/ozone note, so I revised my review a bit.

Edited February 21, 2010 by cfrancesca

[reynardine]

Blackberries and beeswax, that's what I'm getting from this blend. The man picked up a bit of creaminess that I missed. Mainly the blackberries are dominating on me.

 

This is a GORGEOUS blend. Now I have to go and find a backup bottle...

[Frills]

This has been different every time I've applied it. The first time, it was all berry all the time with just a touch of warmth (probably from the candles). The second time, it smelled exactly like a Christmas store I've been to--so I'm guessing the spices include cinnamon. The third time, it was gorgeous. To die for. Exactly what the description sounds like minus the snow. Definitely keeping this one, although I may have to pick and choose where I wear it to carefully.

[Caerphilly]

In the bottle: I love it! Reminds me of White Rabbit. Sour milk, linens, Something sharp or tangy. Could be the blackberry.

 

Wet: Very light and faint. Like a glow. Like a candle! Clean breezy, wax (not beeswax, though. beeswax usually has a slight honey scent, and this doesn't.)

 

Dry: I get snow (from Snow Moon and Snow Maiden and Snow bunny, etc...). Light flowers. A slight, slight hint of berry. No milk anymore. Only in the bottle. Lovely!

 

Overall: I'm so glad I got a bottle of this. And the label is gorgeous! A god transition from winter scent. Glowing snow is the best description, I think.

[iiinterstate]

In the bottle: Very faint berries, something herbal, and milk.

 

Wet on me: Milk and berries and with a hint of ozone. It sounds like an odd combination, but I like it a lot already.

 

After a few minutes: I don't usually like milky blends for some reason. They never go sour, but I always feel like they might. I reaaallly like this though. I think the ozone keeps the other ingredients from being too cloying but without being all HEY I AM FULL OF OZONE.

 

Later: Candles Moon fades pretty fast, but I think once I let it rest awhile it might stick around more. The drydown smells much warmer to me. I don't get much beeswax...or at least I don't get anything resembling honey that usually comes with the beeswax note. Primarily berries and warm spices in milk.

 

 

Edit: An hour and a half has passed and I just got a big ol' waft of blackberry. Not so faint anymore! I really like this, glad I got a backup.

Edited February 22, 2010 by iiinterstate

[xoe]

My experience with Candles Moon is similar to Reynardine's.

At first in the bottle it smells an awful lot like Hawaiian Punch. But once on, it is all blackberries and beeswax.

 

Very nice!

[wl552]

After reading some reviews, I was more than a little terrified when I finally got my bottle. Fortunately, I don't get any notes of doom. It's difficult for me to describe. In the bottle, it is pretty sharp and stings my nose, but on skin, that sharpness immediately disappears. It has went through a bit of morphing as it's dried out. It ends up being a slightly musky berry. I'm very glad the berry is behaving... berry is one of those tricky notes on me; as is any kind of milk.

 

Actually, I'm not really sure why I got this. The only notes that I was interested in are the "heat", "wax" and "tree". "Moonlight", "milk", "blackberry", "wind" and "snow" are all either iffy or bad. LOL

 

Luckily, this one is definitely okay on me! All the notes blend together to make a nice perfume that isn't strictly any one note in particular, but encompasses the whole. Is it a favorite? No. But it's definitely a keeper.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: They are not kidding about the blackberry. It is surprisingly sharp and fresh. I’m liking the way the milk is blending with the berries, ozone, and wax. It’s a rich fruity blend elevated by the candles and wind. Wet: The milk and snow are stronger on the skin. The blackberry/candle combination stays dominant, but the whole thing balances and warms as it wears. It definitely gives the effect of candles and snow, though I’m not sure how to explain that, the warm quality of the light and the chill of the snowscape really come through simultaneously. Dry: Fades rather fast. The blackberry/milk stays dominant on the way out.

[lady_pandora]

I was worried about this one. I was in love with the concept and had to have it, but I bit my metaphorical nails a bit about the milk note, which sometimes goes wrong on me, and about the candle wax, which I was afraid would make me smell like the Yankee Candle shop. I was fully prepared to have to classify this one as "ritual scent only" and not one that I'd find day-to-day wearable.

 

I'm happy to report that I was wrong. I don't even get milk or candle wax. Candles Moon starts out with a big burst of a snow/ice note. It makes my nose feel a little tickly, as these kinds of notes often do, but not enough that I can't ignore it.

 

Then comes the blackberry; I think it's the same blackberry note that's in Bewitched, but it took me a while to realize that since the surrounding notes are so different. Here, I'm reminded of eating berries that are partially frozen. There's that sheen of ice on the outside, and then you bite into the berry and it's so cold but has a really intense flavor because all the extra water has been concentrated into the ice.

 

As it wears on, the blackberry becomes more dominant and the ice less so, which seems appropriate since it makes me think of thawing. This is really wearable, really lovely, and evokes the concept well.

[Invidiana]

This is one of the most beautiful Moons I've come across. The beeswax and blackberry are the strongest wet, and the beeswax really gave me that warm, glowing feel of actually standing over a candle. I also love how the honey tinge that is typical to beeswax gave a certain depth to the other elements. The blackberry is very well proportioned, just sweet enough with the right tart bite. As it dries down, the milk mellows out the berry and adds a wonderful creaminess in the background, and finally a whisper of chill wind and snowflakes rises from the background as well. It's absolutely gorgeous and perfectly evocative of this time of year.

Edited February 24, 2010 by Invidiana

[Rheliwen]

This is like Milk Moon v2. Instead of the fig, you get a sharp, tangy blackberry and a whiff of musk and not quite as much milk. There are two distinct layers in this one. The creamy milk/beeswax base and the sharp berry/ozone.

 

I like it.

 

Whoa. I put some on after my run tonight and it totally reminds me of Skadi. That woodsy/snowy, rich berry scent. It's like her early spring cousin.

Edited February 25, 2010 by Rheliwen

[thekittenkat]

 

In the bottle: The fresh blackberry and some sweetness, which I suspect is the beeswax, as that can have a honey-like scent to me.

 

Wet: That's now a very tart blackberry! But there's some hints of ozone (the wind) and a brief flurry of snow.

 

The dry-down: The berry is slowly backing off and the beeswax is coming forward. A bit more minty snow, as well. The milk note is not too obvious to me, as it has been in other blends with the milk note. I think it's the base note. The wind has died down.

 

What this is slowly turning into is a dish of blackberries, washed in fresh powder snow, with maybe a teaspoon of honey poured over the berries. Then there's a sprig or two of a dried mint that's been crushed and sprinkled over the berries. And let's don't forget a splash of milk. It's all blending together beautifully, but yet it's not foodie, but just a soft and lovely scent that I will need to slather.

 

If you like Lines/Hills and The Winter Maiden, Candles Moon is perhaps their sweeter and not so snowy cousin who's been keeping close to the best candles in the house, while raiding the fridge for those half-frozen blackberries.

[starfish327]

i think that i'm destined to be one of those people who can only wear random lunacies, because this is another i can't wear. it reminds me way too much of the cough meds i used to have to take and now it's dried to nothing in five minutes- and what is there is foul on my skin.

 

sorry little decant it's nothing personal.

[thebirdofhermes]

In bottle: Sour milk. Um. I am now quite concerned about skin testing this. Ah well, scents morph.

 

Wet: OH YE GADS THAT'S AWFUL. Sour, curdled milk and not much else. Must... persevere...

 

Dry: ...Oh... hey... that's really not so bad. I never really do get the blackberries, although I suspect they're providing the tartness in the background. It's still creamy and milky, but more like fresh cream. No more curdled smell. The wax is coming out a bit, and indeed smells like a freshly lit candle. (I really cannot explain that one further. Just go light an unscented candle and inhale right away. It's heated wax before it starts to melt.) There's ozone just dancing around the edges, teasing, a chill trying to encroach on the warmth of the candle. Something vaguely woodsy, although that may be my mind reaching for things since there was mention of the Quickening Tree and my mind takes anything involving trees of any sort straight to wood. It's not wood, though, not in the sense of a piece of lumber. More the idea of an actual forest. If I get really close to my wrist, I get the snow in the form of just beginning to melt slush.

 

This is very complex and interesting. I don't know if I need the back-up yet, although I will hold onto it for the time being. I can't say I'm overly fond of the wet phase. Oh, and now that I've gone a-hunting for the snow note, it's coming to me in the occasional waft without having to press my nose to my wrist. Awesome.

 

I did slather this one to test, which was rather odd for me since I usually test quite sparingly for fear of migraine, but I think that it was probably for the best. I don't know I would get quite the range of scent I did otherwise.

 

EDIT TO ADD: And now it's pretty much all some sort of musk. One of the lighter ones, but neither skin nor brown, and I don't think it's white because my skin pretty much eats white for dinner. Vaguely reminds me of the musks from Evening Cicadas and Red Peppers. Bit of ozone around the edges. Not bad, but I wish the wax stuck around longer. Very quick fade to this; I applied it at around 1500 and noticed everything else had burned off around 1800. I may not need the back-up after all. It's very nice earlier in the drydown, but I don't need that much of a scent that can't even stick around for three hours.

Edited February 26, 2010 by thebirdofhermes

[realafterglow]

 

 

 

I'm unsure if I like this myself. I thought the milk and blackberry is what made me REALLY excited about this scent but yeah..it almost smells like a chai tea?

[theandorran]

In the bottle: I get ewes' milk very strongly, and it's a bit sour. Obviously not cow's milk that you get from the grocery store, but still identifiable as milk. It's tangy and a little bit cool. That's the only note I can really pick out.

 

Wet: It takes a moment for all the notes to come together. At first, the sour milk is still there, but then, I get a whiff of sweet, juicy blackberries. You can smell the moonlight and the beeswax.

 

Dry: The 'quickening tree' comes out in a moody sort of woodsy note, like bark. Smoothness of warm beeswax and a touch of blackberry.

 

It's really gorgeous. I'm glad I went for the bottle!

[edenssixthday]

Candles Moon - I was really excited about this -- it sounded like such a beautiful combination of notes. However, on my skin, it's all milk and wax with the tiniest hint of some type of evergreen, and ... well, that's about it. No blackberry, no snow (other than that evergreen note), no "keening wind"... it's just kind of flat on me. I was hoping for something a bit colder and juicier. And then my skin eats it up, as it tends to do with milk notes, so I'm sad this won't work for me, but hopefully it'll land in the hands of someone who loves it more than I.

[fairnymph]

Tart-juicy blackberry dominates, and there's a bit of creamy, slightly sour milk that reminds me of Nonae Caprotiae - sheep's milk for sure - some ozone and softly, sweetly minty snow - very light and pleasant snow, a la Ded Moroz or When the Winter Chrysanthemums Go.

 

On my skin there is something spicy-woody, almost like cinnamon - maybe that's the quickening tree? Still lots of ozone and cool minty snow, and these are more on part with the blackberry which is still strong but more balanced now. The milk is the lightest note, and quite pleasant and inoffenesive so far. Actually, no, the beeswax is the lightest note - if I really strain I get it, gently honeyed far in the distance.

 

That wood note has amped. I think it's cassia,, because it's not quite spicy enough to be cinnamon and it's woodier and warmer. The milk note has faded to a soft creaminess with a hint of tang that's totally lovely, and spicy/warm wood and sweet creaminess remind me a lot of Morocco. I'm pretty sure the minty snow note, which is hanging on though always remains light and an interesting cool contrast to the warmth I just described, is a spearmint note, because it has that smooth sweetness. So yes, totally the mint from Ded Moroz/Winter Mums, which is the ONLY snow note I can wear.

 

I'm getting a very little bit of wax, but barely any. So sad, where's my wax? I get more a sort of candle smoke effect - reminiscent of Gypsy Queen - than the honeyed beeswax I hope for. This scent on the whole is reminding me a lot of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, overall - it has the same musky, sweet-tart, creamy fruits and spicy woods, but with the cool touch of mint differentiating it most. It's almost foody but not quite. Good throw too; it's light in the bottle but amps on my skin.

 

Not much morphing after initial drydown, although the blackberry amps up a bit and becomes sweeter, as does the general sweet creaminess of this scent (but NOT the milk specifically). It's a creamy, fruity, slightly tart-juicy, sweetly candle-smoky waxy, spicy, warmly woody and coolly minty blend that's reminiscent of other lovely scents (Ded Moroz, Tree of Knowledge, Morocco) yet definitely its own unique blend. Very complex; there's a lot going on but it works. It's almost foody but not quite and definitely, those who fear milk and honey and snow notes should NOT fear. VERY strong throw and longevity, too.

 

Not my thing, but a superbly blended scent.

Edited February 27, 2010 by fairnymph

[midnight_aeval]

All too often I see "___ wax" as a note and I immediately WANT it, but then when I wear it it's way too dry and sort of bland (mostly happens with beeswax). I was hoping the other notes would help balance the candle wax and I was pleasantly surprised by this blend. It's waxy without being dry; on my chemistry I really smell lighted candles next to snow dusted dark, red, berries. It's sweet, warm, and inviting, yet there's also that hint of cold from the snow. Very, very lovely.

[anomie]

Bottle: Huh, a very clear and limpid scent. I guess that would be "tree" and "moonlight," and "snow." And possibly wind and maaaaaybe blackberry?

 

Drydown: Um, where did it go? Again, something clear and sweet, but... it's vanishing. Going to try this in my locket to see if it sticks around longer.