Dragon Moon 2012

[Gold Dust Kitten]

In some cultures, the Dragon is benevolent, bestowing blessings and granting wishes. In others, the Dragon is an icon of destruction and harbinger of catastrophe. In all its incarnations, both baneful and benign, the Dragon is a symbol of strength, authority, and the raw power of nature. This Dragon Moon represents the forces of rebirth and the vigor that springtime brings: dragon's blood resin, galbanum, coriander, patchouli, wild arbor vitae, blue sage, lavender, peppermint, sweetgrass, frankincense, moonglow magnolia, bergamot, Terebinth pine, fire-blackened wood, and green cedar.

I admit I bought this for the label art and the fact that it was dragon-related. While I love patchouli, woods, resins and pine...I was afraid the lavender, peppermint, magnolia and sage would make it icky.

It's difficult to tell what I'm smelling in the bottle. I guess I'd call it sweet pine? On my skin, I get a lot of gorgeous Schwarzer Mond-like patchouli, sweetgrass, coriander and dragon's blood resin. The peppermint is hanging in there somewhere but it's not obvious, kind of like like peppermint note in WILF does. Dry, it smells like smooth patchouli with a bit of coriander and dragon's blood.

I think Dragon Moon is a rather unique, pretty, "dark" scent. Everything is very well blended, definitely a keeper.

[hexnut]

I haven't finished trying my first set of samples. I've no business ordering five mils of anything, let alone a Limited Edition. But... Dragons! And sweetgrass, and sage... oh well. [clicks]

 

In Vitro A sweet and "Clearing" smell like mint, eucalyptus, or camphor.

 

Wet Still sweet and vaguely camphor-ish, but not Tiger Balm, if you were worried.

 

Drying The camphor-like smell continued, but the overall scent mellowed in the next two hours and became "sophisticated". I was tempted to break my reviewing rules and look up the lab description, because this vexed me all evening - I simply couldn't identify the notes! Loved the result, though.

 

I woke briefly six and a half hours after application and I could still smell it on my wrist. Finally a hint of spice. Scent gone entirely after ten hours.

 

Looking back at the lab's list, I wonder if the "camphor" was dragon's blood resin. Aside from the sage, lavender, mint, sweetgrass, and pine, I am unfamiliar with the remaining notes. What ever it was, I liked it and it didn't turn weird on my skin, and I bet it will age nicely, so I'll happily keep this bottle.

[mistressfizz]

Sniff: Herbal and floral, with a woodsy base

 

Wet: The woods intensify and warm up, it feels almost like amber, but dark & resiny instead of golden. The floral notes become sharper and I get a slight citrus tang. This is light yet substantial and reminds me of spring on the horizon, with a shadow of winter lingering.

 

Dry: As this dries, the resins grow stronger and wear a veil of ashy incense. The citrus/floral notes evolve into a pleasant spice, earthy and warm, which is wonderful combined with the woodsy resins. As a whole, the scent is surprisingly soft. It has a definite warmth which is gentle yet powerful at the same time. Delighted to have a bottle of this, it's lovely and unexpectedly comforting.

[taramarie]

In the bottle, Dragon Moon '12 smells resiny. I imagine that's the DBR. Wet on my skin, it's plumeria (what DBR turns to on my skin) and woods. It's nice but I was expecting something more.

[wendyb1063]

Fresh out of the mailbox, Dragon Moon 2012 has kind of a soapy floral scent, but I mean that in the best possible way. That phase morphed quickly into a resiny/woody scent, and I almost was convinced there was rose in here... I'm having a hard time recognizing many of the notes (which is a good thing); I don't get patchouli, or camphor, bergamot, or mint, and the dragon blood doesn't seem to dominate for me at all. I do get maybe a bit of the lavender and the sweetgrass. It smells very clean and dry. It reminds me of Gun Moll and Micthutatel (sorry about the spelling!). I do get the "warmth which is gentle yet powerful at the same time" sense that Mistressfizz got. I like this a lot! I would give it a solid 7/10.

[stellamaris]

I am learning about patience, so I have refrained from skin testing this yet, it came two days ago.

 

In the bottle it smells like a light gorgeous Dragon's Blood mixture, will update with review shortly...

 

OK, tested today. This is exactly what I wanted it to be, salty, flowery, mysterious Dragon's Blood and heaven. Not super light either, kind of medium strength and good throw.

Edited April 24, 2012 by stellamaris

[a_llb]

In bottle: Greenly resinous. Fresh without being overbearingly herbal - quite gently so, to my nose. The trio of resins (dragon's blood, galbanum & frankincense) are apparent, as is the lavender and peppermint. Seems very smooth, reflective.

 

Wet: Almost immediately the magnolia and sweetgrass temper the resins and herbs, becoming almost creamy. I think bergamot's soft bite adds a luminous feel. Like a bank of plush moonlit fog rolling in on a humid spring night, leaving beads of dew on every leaf and blade of grass it passes.

 

Dry: Slightly more woodsy - the mint is all but gone, and I can't pick out anything specifically at this point other than the magnolia, and a decadent base of rather earthy dragon's blood. Clean earth, sweet & softly spiced.

 

Verdict: Just about my favorite dragon's blood blend I've worn so far. It melds in such an unexpected way with the other notes. Spectacularly moody/atmospheric, yet serene all at once.

[patina]

Resinous. Not church resins or hippie shop resins, but it smell like tree resin. I can tell there's some dragon's blood, pine and cedar here as well as something herbal. It smells very much like a damp forest, full of scorched patches. Actually, now that I think about it, it smells perfectly like a place where a dragon would live.

 

Note: after a while the patchouli comes out. It smells a bit like baby powder, but aging should fix that.

Edited May 1, 2012 by patina

[hlinspjalda]

I got a decant of this because Dragon Moon '08 was a huge win on me.

 

In the vial: Wood and evergreen notes, with a menthol-y herbal cast. This smells complex, deep but invigorating. I hope it loves me as much as Dragon Moon ‘08, although it has some additional notes. It smells much less of dragon's blood than ‘08.

 

Wet: Ah, there's the dragon's blood. Not terribly different from Dragon Moon ‘08 at this stage, except maybe a touch more complex.

 

One hour: Wow, I quite like this. It's round and sweetly resinous, a little grassy, with none of the notes sticking out obtrusively. The dragon's blood is definitely less obvious than in Dragon Moon ‘08. I should probably acquire a bottle of this.

 

Two hours: This is pretty, and less aggressive than ‘08. It's now calmed down to something that's clinging closely to my skin. It is more comforting than invigorating, and it's very well blended so nothing dominates.

[angelamaria]

In decant: herbal, cool and a touch sweet. Of the herbs, I'm getting sage and lavender; a hint of magnolia and woods here gives a nice depth.

 

Wet on skin: this is slightly powdery-soft on me, but not in a bad way--it's almost cuddly which is weird given it's a dragon moon It keeps its coolness and sweetness along with those herbs, but it really smoothes out and blends even more. The dragon's blood resin gives this an understated cherry sweetness. The patchouli is not recognizable to my nose.

 

Dry: sadly, that soft powderiness in the wet stage just keeps going on and on...the other notes just sort of disappear and hide behind it. Slightly smoky, although not in an incense way, and it's gone slightly soapy. It's a nice enough blend, but these powdery-soapy cherry-ish herbs isnt working for my skin chemistry or me.

 

Verdict: no, not for me, but I'm not surprised. None of the Ars Draconis line has worked for me, despite a momentary fling with Dragon's Eye.

[kawaiiferreto]

I love this, but I'll be damned if I can really explain what it smells like. Dry and resinous, a little smoky, a little spicy, a little woody, a little herbaceous. It's very complex and well blended. It's a little mysterious, but warm, snuggly and approachable at the same time. Definitely a keeper!

 

(I would like to note that dragon's blood resin historically smells like banana Runts on me, but this does not do that!)

[lookingglass]

This is JUST what I wanted it to be! It's green yet soft, deep, and sweetly resinous. There's a swift clearing of the mind with the herbs (I'm SO glad it's not too minty or lavendery!), and then it becomes softly powdery and classic with a strong galbanum undertone. I love the gramma's purse finish to the thick dragon's blood note. I find it very, very comforting.

Edited May 16, 2012 by lookingglass

[zankoku_zen]

I have to say, I am quite surprised with this version of Dragon Moon. It's sweetly resinous, touch of grassiness with hints of lavender and something that has a strong soft powderiness, without actually being powdery.

 

Very wearable.

[Akurarei]

This is a very soft blend - I usually amp cedar, but this is a gentle woodsy, resiny floral.

it's very delicate and mellow.

[brilliantcat]

Herbally resinous. I don't get much of the patchouli and it's very lightly floral. I'd call it luminous. That's exactly how it smells. It feels as if my arm should be glowing softly. I almost get a touch of salty aquatic, but not soapy or cologne-y at all. Complex, well-blended, and smooth. It's soft and pretty and a smidge powdery.

[Little Bird]

This starts off and soapy on my skin, like a mix of sour, sharp pine and soapy floral. I was worried that it would stay sour and off smelling (like the 2008 version is on me), but the drydown after about 15 minutes is nicer and more like dry wood with dry, green herbs and herbal lavender. The dragon's blood, I think, is giving it a floral undertone. It's light and doesn't have much throw on me as it settles, but is probably a bit too herbal and soft for my tastes anyhow.

[milo]

I'm not a big fan of Dragon's Blood, but enjoy it in some DBR blends, especially with musks and resin's, so here goes! At first, quite a bit of DB, but then turns into a spicy, woody blend with a touch of Dragon's Blood. I really like this, it is very comforting and warm. I may try to track down more than the decant I have. I think this would be better suited for cooler weather, though.

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the vial: The sharpness of pine, lavender, and some peppermint is what I notice first and most strongly, with some wood coming in behind that. With a bit of floral sweetness (especially magnolia) on the side.

 

On me, wet: On my skin it is immediately sweeter, with some orangey bergamot now adding to the astringent notes. Within a minute, the woods come out more strongly. I'm still noticing all of the notes that I initially detected in the vial as well. This is very complex and sophisticated. I especially like the lavender and magnolia top notes, although the juxtaposition of those with the peppermint and pine is a little strange. They co-exist, rather than blending. Something in here is also contributing a jasmine-like soapiness - I'm thinking it is the lavender-magnolia combo.

 

After 10 minutes: The heavier wood notes are garnering more attention, although the astringent top notes still dominate. The Dragon's Blood is there, but I have to think about it to notice it. I'm surprised that it isn't a stronger presence, in a blend with Dragon in the name. I'm glad that the florals are still around, although they are fading.

 

After 20 minutes: Mint, lavender, and pine - in that order - are what I notice first. The heavy woods are surprisingly less strong than before - I'd have predicted that they would grow stronger as the astringent top notes faded. There's some smokiness mixed in with the woods. And the florals haven't given up yet, yay! This isn't what I'd call a floral perfume, though, especially at this point. The magnolia softens the sharpness of the top notes and the darkness of the smoky wood, rather than being a distinct presence.

 

After 30 minutes: A sharp lavender and pine note comes first, followed by the warm softness of magnolia, which has surprised and delighted me by making an encore. A little spiciness of incense is beginning to show up in the background, adding to the new warmth of the scent.

 

After 1 hour: Most of the magnolia is gone now. But the lightening-up of the astringency and soapiness, together with the increasing spiciness of incense notes adding warmth to the smoky woods, keeps this as lovely as ever. Maybe even lovelier. The lavender is still around, but much softer.

 

After 2 hours: Very soft now. Mostly spicy incense, with a little wood and lavender.

 

After 3 hours: I thought most of the throw had wafted away, but someone just now commented that it was nice to walk behind me, because I smelled so good.

 

After 4 hours: A faint but distinct whiff of incense.

 

After 10 hours: I can still smell a trace of resin.

 

 

Verdict: Although I've mentioned florals and magnolia so many times in my review, don't get the wrong impression. They are a fairly subtle accent, not the main theme. This is still a unisex fragrance like the other Lunacies. But the touch of flowers makes it one of my favorites of the Lunacies.

 

My rating: 4.5 stars

[MtMoonKitty]

I was disappointed with this one. I was really hoping for Dragons Blood Resin, but it smells like dragons blood flower, which I dont like. It turns to a funky baby powder on me immediately. Its in the swap pile for me.

[Winter_Wanderer]

-

Edited October 7, 2016 by Winter_Wanderer

[JazzieCazzie]

Purchased bottle on forum. Testing from imp decanted from that bottle.

 

IN THE IMP: Dragon's blood and lavender evenly balanced.

 

Dabbed on wrist. Would have slathered but am test driving four scents today.

 

WET: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh yes. The lavender and the herbs offset what is usually a very ampy dragon's blood on me (and I loves me my dragon's blood, so that's not a problem) and they all blend together into something impossibly awesome. I'd say the calming lavender and herbs are more predominant, but the DB gives this wonderful, lush base for them to lie back and relax. Amazeballs.

 

DRYDOWN: I only applied this to my wrist and not the crook of my arm (which is where scents go to either die or bloom), because I was pretty sure this would be great and I didn't have to find out if there were dealbreakers in here. It also generally means the scent is less "throw-y." But this is freaking awesome. One of the most beautifully balanced blends.

 

OVERALL: I have had this on my wishlist since reading the reviews, plus I LOVE my bottle of DM 2008. I was able to purchase this for an amazing price because of "water damage" to the label. I don't care what the label looks like. It's what's inside that counts and to me this is priceless as a result.

 

On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5.

[porcelina]

i love the sweetgrass combined with peppermint here in dragon moon. there's a beautiful dry greenery with wonderful resins in the background. it is not as dark as i was expecting and is more grassy than anything else, with maybe an appropriate touch of smoke (the fire-blackened wood?).

[aquazoo]

I get the resin. There are a few things in the description that I don’t tend to like, but I’m not getting them at all. I do get an earthy woodiness, but mostly the resin.