Created by Tomas Hempel for Stora Skuggan
Launched in 2017
Top Notes: black tea and lime
Mid Notes: black pepper, cardamom, lily of the valley, and mandarin
Base Notes: leather and sandalwood
When I was studying in Sweden over the summer, I thought the best souvenir I could find for myself would be something that created a scent memory of my time in the country. To that end, I went down to Södermalm in Stockholm to buy a set of samples from Stora Skuggan. After successfully stumbling through the conversation in Swedish, I took my samples back home and opened the packaging very gently to preserve it and metered out trying the new scents on my skin over the course of the next few weeks. Moonmilk stood out as my favorite. This isn't surprising given my taste; in fact, I had assumed I would gravitate towards it when I was reading all the notes for Stora Skuggan's offerings. The backbone of this perfume is velvety, dry sandalwood. A bitter, green, herbal accord is created from the tea and lily; I find it resembles licorice. The cardamom borders warm and green spiciness, and the leather is a gentle suede that blends nicely into the composition. Biting and woody, yet somehow still comforting and earthy, this is beautifully unique scent. When I first wore it in the states, I got compliments from a stranger, my family, and my coworker, all in the span of a weekend, so I knew I had to acquire a full bottle. Perfume is a relatively new interest for me, and for now, this is the most expensive full bottle I own, so I treat it very carefully. But I'm happy to own a perfume with a special connection to a place I really love, particularly one that suits me this well. I find Moonmilk very wearable, so regardless of the cost, I use it whenever I want. (October 17, 2024)