LiberAmoris

I Suppose You Are a Princess hair gloss is just good fun. This is sweet sweet pea on me, like floral candy. Very springy and layers beautifully with Mouse's Long and Sad Tale.

Spectral Courtesan hair gloss is an oakmoss-heavy scent on me, which surprised me a bit. I get a ton of oakmoss, then patchouli, and then very subtle notes of cassis, bergamot, and blackcurrant trailing. The oakmoss and patchouli are a combo I like, as I love patch and oakmoss smells like a mix of moss, vague aquatics, and water damage on books to me (swoon). So this is definitely within my ambit. I would recommend this to people that love patchouli and oakmoss, as I think this features those notes to great effect.

I didn't pick up a bottle of Honey Snowballs the perfume oil, so can't compare on that front. But I really like Honey Snowballs the hair gloss. Honey and snow, pure and simple, but the combination of the two in my hair smells like if honey was imbued with something creamy and ever so slightly coniferous. The snow note really cuts the sweetness of honey in a nice way, making this very wearable for me.

Lucille's Room perfume is just as good as the atmo. This is lilac- and oakmoss-heavy on me, with black amber flowing in between. The lily of the valley and violet leaf are subtle, although they bolster the lilac and broaden it. It's a beautiful, slightly morbid floral—perfect for the filmic inspiration.

[No additional description provided.] Mmm, this is really interesting—this is really dry, not spicy or sweet. It smells like powdered incense. The amber, frankincense, and ginger root are well-balanced, and the impression I get after spraying is that of a resinous ginger. I have a lot of sweet holiday atmos and I like that this is so different. My husband swiped the bottle for his home office, so he clearly likes it as well.

Thin wisps of frankincense smoke drifting through a snow-dusted cluster of red spruce boughs. This post is merely a placeholder for future reviews. Whoever is first to review, please report this post using the report button below, so a mod can merge it with yours. Thanks!

When haughty expectations prostrate lie, And grandeur crouches like a guilty thing, Oft shall the lowly weak, till nature bring Mature release, in fair society Survive, and Fortune’s utmost anger try; Like these frail snow-drops that together cling, And nod their helmets smitten by the wing Of many a furious whirlblast sweeping by. Observe the faithful flowers! if small to great May lead the thoughts, thus struggling used to stand The Emathian phalanx, nobly obstinate; And so the bright immortal Theban band, Whom onset, fiercely urged at Jove’s command, Might overwhelm, but could not separate! - William Wordsworth Observe the faithful flowers: snowdrop and sweet pea, wintersweet, winter-flowering honeysuckle, and deep purple honeywort. On Seeing a Tuft of Snowdrops in a Storm is a really pretty winter-into-spring floral. Wordsworth's sonnet* about the noble snowdrops, underdogs of winter, is a lovely inspiration for this snowdrop-strong blend. Appropriately, snowdrop is the strongest note on me, with sweet pea and pale honeysuckle right behind. Dry, it's a waxy, lightly buttery, pale white and yellow floral with a salty, almost marine flume. *Arguably, the grand tension/conflict in Wordsworth's poetry is Nature versus God, which we see in high relief in this particular work. I highly recommend reading The Prelude (the 1805 version, not the 1850 version!), if you haven't already.

Padded and Painted Beauties is lovely peony, orris, carnation, and vanilla orchid under a thrum of musk. Agree that this is Morocco-adjacent! I’m traveling for work right now and poured an ungodly/godly amount in the hotel bathroom tonight for a good hot soak. It was more beautiful than I was bargaining for and I ended up leaving the water in the tub for a while after I climbed out because it perfumed the whole space.

A midwinter mystery: a perfume of intrigue, passion, and longing. Rose Oudh and Myrrh hair gloss is definitely a rose that telegraphs intrigue, passion, and longing. There's something mysterious created when the rose, myrrh, and oudh notes intersect here. The point of concurrency ends up being rose-focal. The myrrh and oudh submit and are pulled through the rose's lens. The sillage is a darkened rose, with a subtle 'barnyard' note in the oudh bringing it to a softly animalic place. I'm someone who tends to amp oudh and it's hit or miss on me, but in my hair, it remains nicely in check. This reminds me of classic roses from earlier ages, although it wears beautifully now. A fierce, restrained floral, for those who enjoy roses that have lived a little.

HAUNTED BONBON Dark chocolate with thick golden amber and murky black musk. This was the only bonbon from this year's bonbon box that I picked up—I can't resist Haunted. I have a 10ml from 2004 or early 2005 that I'm still working on, and it's only gotten better with time. There's just something about the combo of the amber and black musk that's so straightforward and yet so...haunting? Wet, Haunted Bonbon is chocolate-forward, with the amber and black musk in the background and a very faint, almost citrusy tang. As it dries, the chocolate recedes until what's left on me is a richer Haunted—a little darker, a little more bready, with a slight molasses-y note adding complexity. A half hour after applying, the chocolate is almost gone but I can smell it informing the other notes, and I mostly get a marriage of dark, rich supermusk and golden amber.

I love Pickle hair gloss. This is such a yummy combination of vanilla, coconut, and tiare. It smells very summery to me between the tiare and the coconut (which I'm really digging at this time of year when even spring seems so far away). I tried this a couple of times and liked it. But today, after it's now good and rested, I tried it again and adored it. It's part tropical, part foody, and part comforting. My go-to tropical hair gloss has been Pearl, but the tiare in Pickle is making me think this could be a good substitute for when my bottle of Pearl finally runs dry. It doesn't hurt that the cutest puppy is on the label, that's for sure.

A Circle Round the Hearth is maybe the most festive hair gloss I own. This just smells like Yule in the nicest way possible. The warm fig pudding suffused in apricot brandy is the heart of the scent for me, but the roasted chestnuts, oranges, and apples are all clearly present, adding a nutty chewiness (chestnuts) and vibrant, sweet fruitiness (orange and apple). A couple of hours after application, the orange is mostly gone and what remains is the chestnut, a touch of apple, and a touch of fig. I think the apricot brandy might remain in the form of a slight sweet effervescence. I feel like this would be the perfect hair gloss for me to wear while watching the 1984 film release of A Christmas Carol. It's been a year since I first received this, and honestly, I think the scent is even better now. I'm always amazed at the longevity of the hair glosses when they're stored in cool, dark places. I hope to enjoy this for many Yules to come.

Jammy gingerbread! This is gingerbread strong on the spices, particularly cinnamon. Smells like raspberry is one of the red fruits here, unsure of the others. Dries down to what smells like gingerbread with a layer of luscious jam on top. Really strong sillage on me; the tiniest bit lasts all day.

I bought The Russian Dance when it released, but never reviewed it. At the time I think I recall that it felt a little too 'perfumey' to me, and I set it aside after a couple of tests. Now, many years later, I smell this and it smells like classic perfumery to me, following in a canon I can recognize. The Florentine iris is the star of this blend, and just behind it, the black tea, patchouli, champaca, labdanum, benzoin, and ambergris are all detectable, although the lines between them are very blurred. This is a floral to its core, but it's no wallflower. There's a strength to it, the kind of scent that would pair well with vintage Christian Dior suiting. I'm so glad I kept this—it feels perfect for me now.

I tried The Arabian Dance years back when it released and felt a little overwhelmed by the leather-hazelnut-coffee combo. After many years of aging, things have really softened in the blend and I find it really appealing. That leather and hazelnut coffee mashup still feels unsettling to me somehow, but the blend quickly morphs into a leather, tobacco, and spice scent. The drydown smells like very fancy soap or aftershave on me, in a nice way. I can absolutely see how this is a favorite for so many people—it is sexy as heck. I agree that the leather here is buttery soft and very upscale.

2009 version: Well, I've taken my sweet time in reviewing Pink Snowballs...my bottle from 2009 has been dipped into many times over the years, and I've enjoyed wearing it over many Yule seasons. I'm happy to report that it smells just as good now (maybe even better?) than it did when I first received it. This is the snow from Snow White, with vanilla and rose, full stop. It's a fluffy pink rose vanilla cloud of perfume, and is perfect for days when I want something just like that. It reminds me of a floofy pink powderpuff on a dressing table, and the scent is reminiscent of some of the fancy lipsticks and face creams my mother had when I was a kid.

Sin and Snow White. The Sin isn't terribly strong compared to the snow, but it adds light amber, patchouli, and sandalwood notes that give it more heft.

Yum! Chocolate and Snow White go well together. I love Bliss, and the snow here adds a kind of creamy depth. It lasts a really long time on my skin, too, which is great.

This is an interesting combination. Blood Amber is so warm with the golden amber and blood notes, but this blend adds a layer of snow over the top. That snow melts off as this dries down, and then it's Blood Amber with a slight chill to it, like a breath of fresh air.

Dorian in the snow! This is Dorian's lemony tea and fougere with a good dusting of powder. The Dorian is a strong presence, the snow is very light on me once this dries down.

Yes, Snake Oil + Snow White! These are great together. Sweet spices and fluffy snow, with a merged personality that runs both sexy and cozy.

Belonging to the Darkness II is for patchouli lovers. This is deep, warm patchouli, backed by amber, cardamom, and what truly does smell like just a drop of vetiver. I'm not getting much juniper leaf out of this, although maybe it's connected to a hint of greenery that I catch a bit of every once in a while. The cardamom is particularly nice here, there's just enough to inform but not overpower. As it dries down, I get more and more amber, but the patchouli remains the most prominent note.

Petite Planchette feels structured around those burnished woods at the center, with the frankincense and myrrh adding smolder and the sugared honey and bourbon vanilla adding sweetness and warmth. Have you ever touched wood that's been worn to satin by centuries of human hands passing over it? That's the visual I'm getting—satin woods, smooth and golden. Very pretty.

Perseus is a very light blend, with feather-soft sage, patchouli, and black currant. The iris, leather, and ambergris are like a whisper. This is a gentle herbal blend on my skin, almost like an infused tea. I agree that aging may bring out a stronger voice in this blend and look forward to testing it again in the future.

After aging,10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 is a vanilla cake-centric scent. This is a table heaped full of vanilla and red velvet cupcakes, with apple cider and buttercream hanging in the air. The wisteria is in the background, like a floral drape. This is very yummy, like dessert in a bottle.