The perfume that set me into my perfume journey this year, this was a love at first scent that I impulsively purchased when my friend first tested it at the Escentials perfume shop in KLCC. The moment I smelled it, the song Altar of Dreams by Aspidistrafly began to play in my head I knew I had to have it, being a perfume strong enough to evoke a song on first scent. It feels so fairy-like.
It's far from a statement type of scent, but rather one ethereal as a mist at moonrise and moonset. There's a soft blanket of refreshing citrus in the opening which I find as comforting as a breeze as one awakes at nightfall, and it dries down to a dreamlike Greek impressionistic, watercolour moonlit rose garden in shades of silver, blue and magenta. Pools of clear water ripple after a light rain, petals float atop it, dewdrops rest atop bushes of roses and jasmine. One traipses barefoot across the stepping stones on the lake, and descends into the lake of silvery moonlight, almost lulled into a slumber by the beauty of the fragrance.
It also develops beautifully on my skin. The only saddening thing about this fragrance is like what others have said - the longevity is poor for such a steep price, at most 3 hours before it becomes a skin scent. I spray it on my clothes to get at least 5 - 6 hours out of it; on my pillow it would last a whole night. Then again, it is made out of a lot of refreshing accords which are not meant to last long enough. It's good for going to church, having tea with friends or for a date. Not something that would last a whole day. I suppose the dreamlike ethereal quality also extends to its literal longevity - you'll eventually have to wake up from a short-lived, beautiful dream. But after misting my hair quite generously with it, I can catch whiffs of citrusy rosiness the whole day. It also has gotten me quite a few compliments from others after those few generous sprays, that is after several hours have passed since the initial application, whjch means it's still enough to be noticed by others but not enough to be offensive.
I love it so much that after buying the 30ml bottle and using almost half of it, I bought the 100ml bottle a few months later the moment it was back in stock (and fortunately with a seasonal discount voucher) because there's really no way to obtain this bottle anywhere else in Malaysia other than Escentials KLCC. Penhaligon's doesn't ship directly to Malaysia, and all other methods of shipping are way more expensive. I use it for special occasions and outings, but due to its price point, I do not wear it all the time despite this being the one I consider my signature scent. All my friends who are not into perfume also agree this one is beautiful, and my beau loves this scent on me.
Easily my top favourite scent only contended by Guerlain's Herba Fresca, which is still are in that "fresh" category, albeit having very different vibes. But Luna officially stays at the top of my list, and I very recently realise it's great layered with another one of my best scents - Coco Mademoiselle Intense, the chypre amber and fresh florals layer amazingly well.
