Magical Moon

EDP: Heaven meets Earth in Hanae Mori's Magical Moon. I enjoy a whimsical, imaginative, creative, artistic, Spiritual, Otherworldly scent, that is not just the exact same smell as a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, or a room full of burning "oud" oil, incense sticks and patchouli. I am not one to dissect all the notes individually, as I find that defeats the purpose of Perfume. I enjoy and prefer a perfect mixture of different various scents, that in turn, create an entirely new scent; Unique to my sense of smell, and Exclusive. This EDP ticks all these boxes for me. Ms. Hanae Mori concocted this Gem under a Special Super Moon. A Magical Moon with it's many phases, and colors, and the emotions that it can stir is how this Gem translates into smell. If your more of a late night person who enjoys gazing at the stars and the moon when it shines it's light on a field of already beautiful flowers, only to make them appear even more beautiful and translucent almost, then this EDP might be for you. As the moon reflects light, this perfume reflects a particular emotion using various key notes. The emotion is indescribable, but I will try my best: as folklore, myth, and some science says, that under a Full Moon people tend to become erratic because all of their emotions reach a sudden spontaneous peak due to many arguable factors. This emotion can cause some to become hyper, confused, and have heightened sensory awareness. When a person is able to recognize the oncoming of a certain emotion, and be able to truly manipulate their own emotions, this special emotion felt under the Full Moon is actually one of Bliss. It allows for a total higher positive vibration level, and it truly is a Spiritual experience; one that can then be felt, hopefully, throughout ones life. Moon and Star gazing can be a moment in time where one is truly in the Heavens and Earth at once. As anyone who has been entranced by the Moonlight, or as an avid Stargazer would say, the rush experienced is like taking off into flight in between Earth and Heaven. Wearing Hanae Mori's Magical Moon is like experiencing these 2 phenomenons. It is truly a pleasure and something special. My Love recognizes "me" with this scent. He says "wear the blue one" I haven't smelled a perfume even remotely like it, so don't pay mind to that "reminds me of" list. At first whiff it is spicy with a hint of sweet and fruit, and then it becomes smoky, woody and fruity, with a touch of something soft and tender, almost cloud like. After spending about almost an hour with the middle notes, the EDP settles and becomes clearer and clearer, a sweet, balmy and woody smell, slightly spicy with hints of fruit and flowers and a touch of clouds and smoke, adding a sparkle like quality to the overall scent; it is honestly very hard to describe. I can not separate the notes entirely to give such an accurate description of what it is one will be smelling. The Note seems so Tropical and foreign to an American like myself, but they all come together to paint a picture of Blue, White & Silver on the same plain, just as the lovely bottle is presented. This is one of a kind, intriguing, a Scent to be remembered and cherished by. I am sure they will stop producing it someday, so I will have to hoard it while I can. I urge all to baste in the glorious Magical Moonlight. But, beware, this gem CHOOSES it's wearer. Chemistry is key here, and Ms. Hanae Mori knew this very well. This perfume really shines in the spring and summer as it allows all the notes to come out and sizzle together. In Eastern Countries where the climate is particularly hot year round, "Oriental" scents are almost always worn. Warm weather truly works best for orientals. This is not a "Spray and go" perfume for on the go people, this is a sitting in front of your vanity spray spray, finish getting ready calmly, and then go :-) Longevity: Until You have Showered and Scrubbed it Off

I don't think I have reviewed this one yet, but I've been wearing it for about a year now. I have wonderful associations with this scent, so I might be somewhat biased, but I don't think there's much to dislike about it anyways. The name is so fitting. The perfume does smell magical! It all comes together so well. This fragrance really has a personality, and it's fabulous. Also unlike anything I've smelled before. It's really unique but also very appealing to most noses, I'd think. It makes a great first impression, and no matter how often I wear it (one of the ones I reach for most), I don't tire of it. Lasting power and sillage are perfect and the bottle is gorgeous. Incense looks like it's the prominent note based on the votes, but I usually don't love strong incense (church-like incense) and I don't think that's what stands out the most on my skin. I mostly get the vanilla, the sugar, and some fruity notes while the incense just delicately adds the 'mysterious' touch. But it's not so mysterious that it strikes you as a serious perfume. This is the only perfume I took with me for a three week long road trip down the east coast of the U.S. with my best best friend. All we did was laugh and enjoy ourselves and I associate the scent with her and our time together, everytime I wear it. It brings me back to hotel rooms, warm weather, hungover car drives, and moments that made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe. It just brings a smile to my face. Magical Moon is such a happy perfume. It's very playful, almost ingenue. I wouldn't wear it on a date or to the office. I reach for this beaut while I'm putting on my blue mascara and going out for cocktails with the girls. :) It's not a juvenile perfume but it speaks to my inner child. It's pure and innocent and confident in its individuality, strong, feminine, and gentle at once. Magical Moon is like a little girl who knows who she is before the world starts asking her to be someone else. Magical Moon is the little girl inside all of us who asks for what she wants without feeling bad, the little girl who can be vulnerable, the little girl who can forgive and forget, the little princess inside us all that is every bit a princess playing Tag barefoot in the grass as she is in ballerina slippers. Magical Moon is the divine feminine, the perfume that always reminds me of who I was and proud of who I've become. It brings me back to basics. When life starts to feel like too much, this one puts it all into perspective. EDIT: review is based on the EDP

I've been wanting to find and sample this fragrance for so long, having read the many reviews that describe it as pure magic, and I'm really sorry to say this is a scrubber. I have EDT which isn't sweet at all. Sugar, vanilla, fruits, tropical, exotic? Yeah no. And there's nothing alluring or magical about it. It smells like the worst date of your life with a really miserly guy who smokes cheap menthol cigarettes and uses his dad's dated cologne because he thinks it gives him sex appeal. He has dull jokes and grabby hands and makes you pay for your own cocktail which you don't care to finish because the place was chosen solely for its affordability and you're not even sure they wash the glasses properly. You come home and want to wash the whole evening off, not just the scents of it. Yikes. The longer I wear it the more I feel like it's just not suitable for women. Mishmash of potent unclean patchouli and an in-your-face sour accord of most likely starfruit makes it smell like bitter citrus rinds which is... kind of stomach turning, literally. All the harsh notes were turned up to the maximum at the expense of the gentler and milder ones being significantly toned down which is how they usually go about men's frags to make them edgy. What I imagine when I smell it is a 70s cologne that had turned due to the passage of time and bad storaging. It really has that "gone bad" quality on top of everything. The base is largely different, tamer. It pulls soapy on me, and I also detect very old fashioned powder (like 50s iris) which I would wear on its own because the scent is traditionally delicate and comforting, but it's many long hours of suffocating dryness and bitterness to get to that stage. What part exactly is supposed to be magical? Old man's cologne, ever-present menthol or vintage soap? I would argue all of these things are pretty basic, and even as an ex-smoker I never went for those menthol cigs, they were always considered super tacky, there's no way it's suddenly magical in perfume. But I guess that gives you "unique" just for the sake of it. Suppose whatever magic it might have had must've leaked out on the way here. Or maybe it's a new magic-free formula for those allergic to it. If anything changes on my end there'll be a follow-up but so far my high hopes for this fragrance only lead to disappointment and disgust.

Magical Moon is the ONLY fragrance in my idiotically large collection that I've chosen to have in edt, edp and parfum because it truly is THAT wonderful. There is no other fragrance that features chili pepper (curiously absent from the pyramid above) and incense, an unlikely pairing that produces an oriental gourmand, and the combination is absolutely delicious. The aura is that of a sweet, hot and spicy dense smoke infused with a refreshingly outdoorsy/vegetal green. And all of this tasty goodness hits from the first spray! Since I love that opening so much I don't fault the fragrance for being linear but celebrate the fact that what initially enchants remains throughout its impressive longevity. As for all of the reviews that cite rotten fruit and dead flowers, I submit that the omission of chili as the first note in the pyramid has caused the dislike/confusion. When the nose is primed for fruit and flowers and is instead hit with chili peppers the effect is akin to forgetting you've just brushed your teeth and taking a long gulp from a glass of orange juice. A couple of years ago all formulations had become rather pricey but old stock of 30ml edp has surfaced and Magical Moon is once again very affordable, especially on "that auction site". Highly recommended and a safe blind buy for oriental fans and those who enjoy their green in a sweet vegetable rather than bitter galbanum format. Edit: Reviewer Pari88 has already listed the notes from the bottle but since her review from 2011 is now quite a way down the list, here they are again, listed in the order in which they appear on my tester bottle: Chilli [sic], incense, pink peppercorns, cane sugar, white sandalwood, vanilla pod, red cedar bark, patchouli leaves, cotton blossom, white musk, pineapple pulp, guava nectar, lychee, star fruit, coco milk, rose de porcelaine [?] gardenia and finally, orange blossom. Almost looks like a recipe for an exotic smoothie!

Magical Moon is unique, powerful and very underrated. It's a creamy oriental that smells like night air in moonlit tropics. I agree with the description from Perfume Revolution (which I'll preserve here because I can't find it elsewhere): A floral oriental fragrance, Magical Moon features a constellation of balmy notes including tart pineapple, litchi and guava blended with the smoky sweetness of sandalwood, white musk, vanilla and sugar cane. Coconut milk adds creamy smoothness while pink berries deliver a peppery perk like a comet shooting through the night sky. Allegedly, each Magical Moon ingredient is harvested according to the lunar calendar, a nod to ancient Japan (cannot confirm accuracy of these claims). It's difficult to similarities with this unusual fragrance but it could be described as a much more rich and exquisite Ghost. The packaging is absolutely right to fit its deep blue/purple profile. It's incense-y and distinctly nocturnal, and for that reason, this is not a go-to office scent. I agree with luciennemily's assessment and sundayinheaven's assessment (except for the sillage). I've found the longevity to be powerful. This is not a perfume I have ever needed to reapply. It's well formulated. The sillage is strong, you can smell it when the bottle is closed. It will stay on your clothes, skin, and really anything. It settles down well. The character softens beautifully in its twilight. I have both the EDP and the EDT. The EDT is more fruity and subtle but misses some of the depth and complexity of the EDP. Longevity is much higher than most EDTs. When I bought a bottle from the Hanae Mori online store, it came with some samples of Butterfly and HM (which is always appreciated but I was not blown away by either of these).