The Moon

At the start, there is a good duet of raspberry and cardamom, but almost immediately we feel the acerbity and sharpness that comes from the amberwood materials and the unsuccessful use of isobutylquinoline. The fragrance is ruined. Neither brightness, nor juiciness, nor a tiny fraction of real indian oud saves it. It is hard to believe that this was done by a master with his truly subtle feeling, who really knows how to successfully balance the ingredients. As if he were forced to make a modern bad taste. Someone discovers Julien Rasquinet for themselves from this fragrance, unfortunately I, on the contrary, was completely disappointed in a once wonderful perfumer, for whom there were really high hopes. Apparently, the works for Naomi Goodsir is his Magnum Opus.

FRUITS! so much fruits! its insane! and I love it. all sorts of berries, i even get some passion fruit and other exotic fruit with this incredibly luscious oudy base. want the bottle but I want it to be a gift..

This is my second desert gem. I reviewed Hope last week. It is a good resinous Oriental and sweet. I like Moon quite a bit more. I've been into Areej Le Dore fragrances for the past few years. I think that house is the pinicle of genuine oud fragrances. So I ignored the hype of the Desert Gems. Areej doesn't have sweet fruity ouds. So this is nice. Hope did not have any oud to my perception. But Moon does have a slight cheesy oud. Moon isn't overly fruity or it doesn't have much rose. OK by me, as I don't care for rose heavy frags. This is realy well blended and balanced. The first thing I noticed was the litchy fruit. It has a distinctive sour and green nuances. The strawberry and raspberry are nice additions. The sweet fruit is perfectly balanced with the creamy oud. The rose softens the oud and everything is for mass apeal. If your completely new to oud, it may seem funky at first. But give it time. Its a very deep woody note that's very interesting. Violet is a favorite floral note. It gives it a dry aquatic touch. It is more noticeable to me here than the rose. I bought a 5 ml decant from Scentsplit. But I will consider buying a 50 ml of Moon. I'd your familiar with Amouage Jubilation XXV, this is something similar but on steroids in a good way. Quality, blending, enjoyment and performance are realy great. I think the red currant and berry give it a surprising freshness. As Orientals can often feel heavy. Also the cypriol gives it a fresh green lift. Cypriol has often felt synthetic and harsh is some fragrances. But not at all here. PS: After an hour or 2, the real oud and fruits fade. It becomes more like Amouage Interlude man, with a synthetic oud. So I'm dropping my rating from 10 to 8.5. Rating: 8.5/10 God bless. Ephesians 2:8.

I bought a 5ml decant last week and now I have to get a bottle. The most perfect and powerful fruity, rose Oud! Then the smoke that comes out about the third hour! Absolute bliss.. 😍

Today's review continues my exploration of Frederic Malle's ultra luxurious Desert Gems collection with The Moon, a fragrance that many enthusiasts regard as the crown jewel of the entire line. If Promise represented an opulent interpretation of classic Middle Eastern perfumery, The Moon is often described as its even grander sibling, amplifying nearly every aspect of that aesthetic into something larger, richer, and more uncompromising. It also commands one of the highest price tags in Frederic Malle's catalog, approaching $1,000 for a 100 ml bottle, placing it firmly among the most expensive commercially available fragrances on the market. Such pricing naturally raises eyebrows and expectations. At this level, good performance and quality are simply assumed. The question becomes whether the fragrance can deliver an experience that genuinely feels extraordinary enough to justify occupying such rarefied territory. Unlike Promise, which leaned heavily into the familiar elegance of rose, woods, and spice, The Moon immediately suggests something more extravagant. A lavish assortment of berries and exotic fruits sits atop a foundation of oud, leather, woods, and amber, hinting at a fragrance that may balance radiant sweetness with the darker, regal qualities that define Middle Eastern perfumery. It is a composition that has earned an almost mythical reputation among collectors, with many considering it not only the finest fragrance within the Desert Gems collection, but one of the greatest oud fragrances ever created. Those are exceptionally lofty claims, especially after my experience with Promise, which impressed me tremendously from a technical standpoint but ultimately felt too familiar to justify its asking price. The Moon now has an opportunity to answer a different question entirely. Can it build upon that same level of craftsmanship while offering something distinctive enough to reignite my excitement for this style of perfumery, or will it ultimately reinforce the same conclusions I reached with its predecessor? I'm eager to find out. Opening: The opening is woody, fruity, and animalic. The primary notes I get are oud, raspberry, leather, and Turkish rose, with the oud and raspberry leading the composition. Immediately after spraying, I'm hit by a wall of dark, animalic woodiness. It's immediately recognizable as a high quality natural oud note, carrying with it all of the inherent funk, earthy richness, and barnyard animalic facets that make natural oud such a polarizing material, wasting no time establishing itself as the centerpiece of the composition. Following closely behind is the raspberry, introducing a surprisingly vivid contrast through a deep red fruit accord. Rather than smelling bright or candy like, it presents as juicy raspberries with tart sweetness, syrupy richness, and a slightly jammy texture that pairs beautifully with the darkness of the oud. Beneath the fruit, the leather reinforces the composition with an authentic worn leather accord reminiscent of a well broken in pair of boots or an old saddle, adding another layer of natural animalic warmth without overwhelming the composition. Lastly, the Turkish rose provides the classic Middle Eastern counterbalance to the oud, bringing a fresh, dewy floral quality with gentle aromatic brightness that keeps the opening from becoming excessively heavy. Beneath these primary players, countless supporting notes reveal themselves in flashes. I pick up sparkling mixed berries from the red berry accord, soft floral powder from the violet, earthy woods from the patchouli and cypriol, warm dusty spice from the saffron, and a dry incense smoke drifting upward from the olibanum. The result is an opening of extraordinary complexity, where every material feels purposeful and every transition is seamless, immediately communicating the level of craftsmanship and ingredient quality expected from a fragrance occupying the very top of the luxury market. Dry Down: The dry down is woody, animalic, and floral. The primary notes I get are oud, leather, violet, and rose, with the oud and leather continuing to lead the composition. While the natural oud remains the defining feature of the fragrance, it has softened considerably from its initially uncompromising introduction. Much of the barnyard character has subsided, revealing a smoother, darker woodiness with a gentler animalic warmth that feels significantly more approachable. This transition naturally gives the leather additional room to shine, where it continues to smell like genuine worn leather rather than polished designer suede, reinforcing the fragrance's luxurious and rugged personality. One of the biggest surprises comes from the violet, which has grown substantially since the opening. Its soft powdery floral character emerges beneath the darker materials, lending an elegant smoothness that lightens the composition without sacrificing its richness. Lastly, the Turkish rose remains present as well, continuing to contribute fresh, dewy floral nuances that weave effortlessly around the woods. Underneath everything is an intricate foundation of supporting notes. The cedar contributes dry timber, sandalwood introduces creamy woods, while the patchouli and cypriol deepen the fragrance through smoky, earthy woods that occasionally even remind me of vetiver. The olibanum still produces faint ribbons of incense smoke, saffron continues to blanket the fragrance with dry leathery spice, and the amber finally becomes emerges, providing a warm resinous glow that quietly binds everything together. The result is a dry down every bit as layered and sophisticated as the opening, but noticeably smoother and more comfortable to wear while never abandoning the luxurious identity established from the very first spray. Performance: The performance of The Moon is every bit as monumental as its reputation suggests. During the first hour, projection is absolutely enormous, effortlessly filling even a large room with very little effort. Sillage is equally commanding, leaving behind a dense, luxurious scent trail that lingers impressively and ensures the fragrance is noticed long after you've walked past. Even after approximately four hours, there is remarkably little sign of decline. Projection is still extending well beyond six feet, while the scent trail remains rich, heavy, and immediately recognizable. Around the nine hour mark, I expected the fragrance to begin settling closer to the skin, but surprisingly it continued projecting at roughly the same impressive distance while still producing a substantial trail. It wasn't until well after the twelve hour mark that The Moon finally transitioned into a true skin scent. Those numbers are impressive on paper, but what makes them even more remarkable is the consistency. Rather than exploding for an hour before collapsing, The Moon maintains its presence for the overwhelming majority of its lifespan. It feels less like a fragrance that fades and more like one that simply refuses to surrender. This is exactly the sort of technical performance one hopes for from a fragrance approaching four figures in price. While exceptional performance alone can never justify such a lofty retail cost, it certainly reinforces the feeling that no compromises were made anywhere in the composition. For those who value longevity and projection alongside artistic composition, The Moon comfortably ranks among the strongest fragrances I have ever worn. When to Wear: The Moon is unmistakably a fall and winter fragrance that feels most at home during the evening. Everything about the composition, from its natural oud to its rich leather, florals, resins, and woods, projects an overwhelming sense of luxury and opulence that seems tailor made for cooler weather. It is exactly the sort of fragrance I would reserve for occasions where making an impression is part of the objective. Black tie events, elegant dinners, anniversaries, and formal celebra

One of the best perfumes of all time. Wanna sell my second 100ml bottle from 2022 - around 25ml left - 200 shipped in Europe.

Yess oh my god this smells so good. I went to the Paris store just to try it and I wasn't disappointed. Very strong raspberry smell, not even slightly funky to me, very dark and elegant. I have to say this is the first out of the Desert gems collection that I truly love, this feels otherworldly.

This damn thing took me to the moon and back. My first review was it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever smelled Then I said it didn’t have that magic maybe I was in a bad mood. After finishing a 5ml sample I bought 50ml and this is one of the greatest frags I’ve ever smelled it gets better every time you wear it. 4 seasons signature worthy

it's a very dry woody leathery(quinuline) amberwoody oud accord( amberocenide, kephalis, ambrofix, javanol) and tart dry sour fruit accord( sour red candy like). No feral/oily/soft musky feel like fragrances on this genre, so this is light on the musky side. the scent is sharp and in your face. It got less smoky and earthy cypriol than the promise, but its VERY noticeable. there is also noticeable amount of patchouli used here. I think they wanted to create a clean and ultra western oud accord and fruity fragrance made for 2050 or sth and they succeeded somehow.

I did not think I was going to find even an ounce of challenge in this perfume. I’m very used to wearing and enjoying oud Assam, which is known for its cheesy and qualities. However, the first 5-10 minutes of the moon revealed the heaviest, densest, and most earthy and chocolatey oud that I’ve smelled in a long time. The oud mixed with the other notes creates a gorgeous Oud+fruity rose combo. The sweetness in here is the perfect counterpoint to the earthy Oud. Super well done, I would love a bottle at some point. edit: I'm pretty far into the heart of this perfume now, and it's such a treat. The oud is still prominent, but there is no more challenging aspect to it. I think this is the type of perfume that a 10ml decant would scratch my itch for a bottle.

L'unico elemento che può determinare il suo costo elevato (700 euro) sarebbe la presenza del famigerato oudh naturale. Chi lo sa se c'è veramente... Il resto è un profumo di fumo dolciastro,non si distinguono le singole note ma tutto si poggia su una base abbastanza frequente di cipryol che lo fa durare a lungo sulla pelle con la sua nota di bruciato,che dopo un po mi stanca. Ci hanno abituato a pagare costi altissimi immotivati per fragranze di dubbia natura.

A pragmatic review of Frederic Malle The Moon from an unrefined nose Summary: I'm probably the only being on earth who cannot smell this. === Context: Niche counter at a large department store. The Sales Associate told me to save this one for last: "It's gonna blow your nose." I smelled nothing on the opening. Nothing. Either this juice somehow nuked my nose before contact (time travel!), or I'm anosmic to every single note (I'm not). The Sales Associate was spraying for me the whole time, did she specifically cheat me on this one fragrance? (implausible) === The Smell: Six hours later, I have to bury my nose in the strip. What I get is something grey, mineral—like a rock. Probably the oud and leather. Above that, a faint shimmer that's probably the fruit, catching light like regolith under sun. Yes, the marketing got me but this genuinely feels like how a moon rock should smell. === Use Case: Now I get what the "eau de fried chicken" snobs are chasing. The Moon was fun to experience but I would not wear this even if I could smell it properly and afford it.

I love this fragrance on me, so woody and sweet/spicey and rosy and raspberry. The opening is a bit sour and somewhat like red wine, then it settles down. That is when the magic happens, it has notes of freshly sawn wood, like a carpenters workshop, with bouquets of wild roses and fresh raspberries hidden. I am deeply captivated by it, and seem to want to cover myself in its gloriousness. I spray a bit of LV Les Sables Roses on top and they are incredible together. I just have a 5ml decant for now as the bottle is so insanely expensive. Long live the Moon, may she grace me forever. Who else loves loves this fragrance. She is poetry to me and my skin.

As someone who enjoys the genre, I've sampled many fruity oud fragrances. In general, they're quite simple.. the irony is that when something is simple, it's more difficult to master or achieve perfection. I won't say The Moon is a masterpiece, but I respect the craft and quality. The oud is there to make a statement -- it's strong, bold, and dark. There's a funky aspect from the beginning that I didnt expect, most ouds these days are very restrained. The raspberry note adds balance and complexity to the fragrance. With that said, the performance is too strong for my taste. It projects too much and lasts too long. Imo its not hard to make a fruity oud fragrance with monster performance (Oud maracuja, oud satin mood, etc)... but its important to put the fragrance's purpose into perspective. Considering the inspiration, I think it has been executed exceptionally. All said and done, I think this is one worth sampling. If you like the fruity oud genre from a Middle Eastern perspective, this is the one.

Note to self: Never take advice from someone who says “this fragrance may end my fragrance journey” in one breath, then 1 month later says, “This doesn’t have the WOW factor.” Lol…anyways, this is a top 10 frag in my collection of over 300 bottles and has a chance to move up the ladder.

Guys just get Gucci oud instead. Cheaper, more wearable and not in the face. I love this but it's a special occasion scent only. Can't wear this everywhere. Gives off strong DARK LORD vibes, in a good way

This doesn’t have the wow factor. It’s a calming fruity oud scent. I initially said this was the greatest thing ever lol. I was wrong glad I got a sample not full bottle worthy. Portrait of a lady is still my favorite Frédéric malle. The moon is a work of art just not that impressive for 500 plus

This fragrance is something else—definitely very unique. However, I wouldn't say this is a safe blind buy, it's also quite expensive, whether you go for the 50ml or 100ml bottle. But to me... this is beautiful. If you're not into oud, I would say maybe stay away. However, this isn't an overwhelming oud, but it is still there—the fruits and dark oud mix create a dark yet fresh feel. The cherry and blackberries are amazing, and it almost gives a sweet shisha vibe. It smells beautiful and performance is beast mode. I believe 1-2 sprays is the maximum needed, any more will give you and the people around you headaches so go gentle. I've owned this bottle for more than a couple of months now, and the fruits have smoothed out nicely. Definitely get this if you like Middle Eastern fragrances—you'll simply smell rich and stand out. But don't overspray, little smells better and goes a far way.

There are many things you can get on Edgware Road: chicken; the manifold delights of Church Street Market; no taxis from anywhere near Lisson Grove; crack, probably; oud oil; and shisha. The latter comes in many exciting syrupy fruit flavours, and wafts through the bus every time someone gets impatient with the traffic and hits the alarm to open the door. It’s a nice enough smell, and very enjoyable for a tenner after a kebab, but I’m not sure I’d want to walk around all day smelling like that for £4.50 a millilitre. I have happily coughed up just as much several times to smell of mucky oud, so quite why anyone would hide such a wonderful material under this fruity avalanche is beyond me, as impeccably well-built as it may be. The remainder of the bottle will make a perfect addition for the scale model of the number 52 bus I’m building in the shed.

For this one you should like oud and darker heavy statement fragrances because that’s what this is. Yes there is an opening - maybe 5 minutes at most. Smells like a fruit basket with oud and rose. Eternal scent, lasts for weeks on clothing, sillage is extremely strong.

Not a bad scent but the opening it's too animalic for my liking. Luckily, the funky oud gets toned down a lot within a few minutes, and you're left with scent that I'd describe as having a bit of that earthy facet of something like Portrait of a Lady, the fizzy nature of Tauer's Incense Rose, with a sprinkle of funkiness that's left from the Oud which sits quite far into the background by this point. Nothing very remarkable though, and for a small fraction of the price I'd go for Incense Rose instead, which gives a very similar fizzy sparkling rose vibe to the one I'm getting from this one.

Hm. The Moon by Julien Rasquinet. I've been wearing The Moon for the last few days and really living with it. It's mid January, cold and dark outside. I'm not stranger to this fragrance. It's been floating around my wardrobe in some form or another for a few years. The first thing I can say is that The Moon is ungodly strong. Two sprays and I can smell it from 3 rooms away, 25-30ft. Explosive projection for the first few hours. The longevity is eternal. Performance outdoes all the benchmarks. The smell itself... Well... That's where things get complicated. This is a loud, expensive fragrance that has garnered some hype over time. It begins to infiltrate the psyche and beg the question - is this "good"? Or by wearing this am I participating in some advanced form of signaling? Is this perfume "tasteful" or is this perfume signaling "taste", and if so, is it a bit more gaudy than it appears on the surface? Is there heritage here, or is this a perfume for the nouveau riche? It's a modern oriental. What is most prominent to me is whatever is being used for the berry accord. By a longshot. Essentially, everything is drowned out by the fruits. There are some sort of obvious Uber ambers, a moderate smokey-leathery quality, patchouli, and a suggestion of oud, but this is 90% tart, bitter, bordering sour berries. The berries become cloying and screechy after enough time is spent indulging. I yearn for a different sense of balance. I imagine how nice it could be if the berries were toned down, if the violet, saffron, or incense played more of a prominent role. If the leather was a bit more macho to offset the bright, tart berries. It all comes off a bit sharp, and doesn't feel well rounded. I return to the premise - the volume is cranked up to 11 and the 100ml will run you a mortgage payment. Does that make this good? Is this tasteful artistry? Or is this loud to the point of somewhat obnoxious, and marketed in such a way that compels you to experience? Far be it for me to yuck another person's yum. There is definitely a market for this. This is unisex down the middle. Will get you noticed. It's a conversation piece. It's just not subtle. And maybe it could maybe benefit from a dose of restraint.

This might end my fragrance journey. God this is the greatest fragrance I’ve ever smelled. 10/10 all seasons especially warm weather just stunning

well, after long last, i finally sniffed it. this was ALMOST the first blind buy of my life, but i got nervous and went with Side Effect instead. No regrets on that, but WOW - this is perfume mastery. The Moon exemplifies the duality of humanity itself. It's soft and gentle, warm and yielding, but also stark and dangerous and rough and punishing. It is exactly what it feels like to be alive - to be an animal on this earth. WOW. 10/10

Looking for help from the community... Do us a favor and like this comment if at any time you got feces from this. I greatly appreciate your help. People go around saying how great certain fragrances are and I try them and cannot get over the hay barn cow pasture oud. There are ouds that smell really nice, but for some reason some companies use these skanky feces ouds. The fact that we should wait 30 minutes to 2 hours for a fragrance to settle down and finally smell nice is whack af. The outright people think niche means smelling like a toilet and insist someone like me should stick with designers is absolutely preposterous. I get it, your want to be trendy with a man bun and argyle sweaters insisting you're cultured with granola and an iPhone while smelling like a toilet. Sorry, some people just don't care for it. There is a reason why people in the east bang goats for fun, probably because they think they smell good, like their bad oud.

I find this fragrance very very stingy and very aggressive. Maybe the nature of middle-eastern parfumes is like that, but for me it lacks the finesse, the smoothness, the elegance. It's very hard to think of occasion to wear this. It smells like arabian house where a wedding just happened. Also this is not winter fragrance, they have no winter in middle-east, and i see no notes to make this a winter fragrance. This would be summer night in middle east fragrance

winter fragrance , scent of trillioner , big love.

Well well This is like Fruity at start than its SMELL LIKE ROYAL OUD One word: Avoid

Tart yet also somewhat sweet fruity notes mix with florals. Slightly animalic oud (not as funky as a Bortnikoff) with slightly smoky leather (not quiet as smoky as something Amouage would put out). There's maybe some woodiness, amber, and earthiness in the background as well. It's a pretty amazing smelling/performing fragrance overall. Lasts a crazy long time, while also projecting decently as well. Full retail price is pretty crazy expensive, but if you can find it for low-mid $6-ish/ml, I feel like its well worth it to add a 50ml or even 100ml bottle to the collection.

Everything has already been said below. It’s a masterpiece that is clearly worth its price; however, I’m offering it at a gentle price for those who would like to discover it. €35/5 ml, €59/10 ml.