LiberAmoris

A lively bit of larceny: tinkling amber and well-worn boot leather ensnared by covetous, envy-green strands of mint and raw frankincense. I'm so fascinated by It is Gold! It is Gold! hair gloss. It's such an unusual combo of notes and does smell so green. Mint and leather are strong right out of the gates. The mint is really nice, a very refreshing, super-green mint. Just after spraying, I would say that the strength of the mint might actually be on par with the strength of mint in Lick It. The leather is also strong, though, so they're evenly matched. (I'm getting a brown leather note rather than black, although there are surely leather lovers here who would do a better job of parsing.) The frankincense holds things together at the bottom, knitting these two notes together in a really nice way. As it settles in, it remains minty leather and frankincense, all notes ascertainable, but blended together to create a non-foody mint scent that feels wintry and warm at the same time. I find this scent really head-clearing and calming. I think this will be great during the winter, but also wonderful when it's warm out.

Ethically harvested: goat’s milk, white honey, honeycomb, orange peel, red currant, a burp of honey ale, and a jingle of silvery musk.

The Harbinger of the Dawn: shimmering mugwort-infused crystalline musk painted by a glowing arc of sheer vanilla, pink grapefruit, honeyed benzoin, almond blossom, tangerine rind, rose water, green cognac, and neroli. Montes Harbinger is so pretty, like a sparkling, citrusy play of light above a very gentle musk. No one note overshadows on my skin, and it's hard to pin down any individual one as they're as fleeting as the jittery prisms cast by a spinning crystal in a window. On the drydown I think I smell the rose water and the almond blossom, and then I catch the grapefruit and tangerine. There's just a hint of vanilla to it—the balance of citrus and the grounding benzoin and musk keep the blend from being too sweet, at least on me. This would be a great BPAL for work or a day when I want something clean and light but with real complexity.

Gilded vanilla orchid, cherry blossom, crystalline pale petals, flecks gold leaf, and drops of daemonorops draco. Unf, I love Delicate Dragon HG. Cherry blossom can be a bit too much for me, but here it's cut by the vanilla orchid and daemonorops draco (dragon's blood). Those notes take down the sweetness and innocence of cherry blossom a bit without making it less delicate. I'm not sure if I'm detecting the pale petals and gold leaf, but I'm sure they're here, helping to make this well-blended beast as pretty as it is. It smells pale pink, and although there are loads of flowers in it, I wouldn't classify it as an overt floral. It's really difficult to describe but I will enjoy using every drop.

MOUNT FUJI REFLECTED IN LAKE MISAICA An oakmoss chypre with black cypress, wild mint, labdanum, pine needles, white sandalwood, and white cedar. I'm reviewing Mount Fuji Reflected in Lake Misaica because I'm a little worried that it will be lost in the shuffle amongst the other Shungas this year, and I think it deserves a shoutout. This blend is like the palate cleanser to all the sweets and florals in the Lupercalia release. The best way I can describe this is green, as the most prominent notes when wet are oakmoss, black cypress, mint, and pine. The labdanum (which smells a bit like green-brown ambergris here), white sandalwood, and white cedar anchor this blend and come forward on the drydown. Wet, this is a cavalcade of mouthy greens, a little tingly due to the mint and the camphorous spangle of evergreens. As it dries, the oakmoss pushes forward like a marathoner. Fully dry, this is oakmoss chypre with white sandalwood and white cedar—pale woods and oakmoss. The mint and cedar do not amp on me in the slightest—the mint burns off early and the cedar is held in check by the oakmoss. If you love oakmoss...definitely try this one! It's like the cologne version of walking through the woods in early, early spring, when a cold snap is still possible and the evergreens are still bleating their song of survival over the trepidatious spring herbals. I'm going to put this bottle with my husband's collection, and convince him to wear it on our next evening out...and wear it myself, from time to time.

With a cinnamon and maple glaze. This is so much lighter than I thought it would be! Pumpkin Donut HG has a fresh pumpkin note that smells like it's just been scooped out—it's nearly floral. The baked good aspect of this is very subtle. The cinnamon and maple are in fact more perceptible to me than the donut angle. That said, it does smell like dessert, it's just not a heavy scent. The sillage smells more like pumpkin donut than it does during application/wet, so interesting. I like this, and it's even more wearable than I thought it would be (sometimes the foody scents are too much for me to wear to work).

Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood. Like the other Ladies of the Grindhouse, I'm really excited to be, in some small way, a part of Beth's Carnaval and her art. Thank you, Beth. I absolutely love that in an alternate universe I'm whoring it up with some of the finest women around. And Jenn's portrait is stunning---I only wish I looked that exotic and regal in real life (read: wow, look at that décolletage)! I was so excited when I saw the notes for Inez, because I am a complete amber fiend. I love the earthy sweetness and depth of it, and the way that it seems to ebb towards a skin scent over the day, until there's just a golden tracery of it around me and no way for me to tell where the smell of my own skin ends and the amber begins. BPAL blends that are amber-centric always fade like sunsets on me in the most lovely way. So I was hoping that Inez would be mostly amber with the other notes rounding it out and making it a little complicated and a little warm. And that's exactly what I get when I wear it. In the bottle, Inez is undeniably amber. To me, amber always smells a little like caramel and honey with something almost fruity on top and something rooty or earthy at the bottom. It's sweet without being foody, although it can be almost buttery. It smells golden and warm and rich. It's a dense note, and one that seems to envelop and encompass other notes when it's paired with them, rather than allowing them to sit above or below it in layers. I can smell the vanilla musk as well, which makes a lovely complement. And then there's the carnation, which always strikes me as a bit spicy for a floral. It gives Inez a subtle kick. On my skin, the bottom notes are more prominent. The myrrh, which I was most concerned about, is quite lovely here, beveling the edges of the blend with something pleasantly sharper. The cedar and red sandalwood anchor the blend from inside but do so almost invisibly---at times I catch wafts of the sandalwood, but it's not overpowering. Because Inez is at heart such a resiny blend, there is something incensey about her, something calm and meditative and slow and sexy. Sexy in a come-closer kind of way. Sexy in a slightly disheveled, not-trying-too-hard kind of way. Sexy like when women pull their hair up without using a mirror. Or like waking up after a long night out---to sunlight pouring in through the window and the smell of the perfume worn the night before suffused in the sheets, like goodness spent and scattered. She's just lovely, and I'll be wearing her often.

A smoldering bundle of pine needles, bark, and resin with myrrh, frankincense, and burgundy pitch. Pine Smoke hair gloss is like a Christmas tree + church incense for my hair. I was hoping it might have the same vibe as my beloved Frankincense and Pine Pitch atmo, and yes, it does. The ‘smoke’ element is not too strong, more of a suggestion than outright smoke. I’m glad for that, as I’m not sure I’d want my hair to smell overly smoky. Delightful!

A strange swirl of hot baked gingerbread biscuits, champa incense, and hemp. Gingerbread Champaca hair gloss is wonderful. This smells like real hot water gingerbread made from scratch with tons of ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and molasses—sweetened just enough to bring it into dessert territory but not so much that the sweetness overpowers the spices—plus a shot of heady champaca. The result is like gingerbread incense, chewy and slightly floral. I don't get any hemp until after the gingerbread and champaca have tired themselves out, and then it adds something that smells a bit like dry grass/"grass" to the mix. It's something I have to actively search for to smell. I would say that the prevailing waft is that of divine gingerbread, so those who fear champaca may have no issues here. Are you the kind of person who loves gingerbread and nag champa? (If so, come sit next to me!) This one may be for you, as it is for me.

Green almond, orange blossom, white sage, and a sharp slash of eucalyptus. 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!

They are imps of the kitchen, or drawing-room at most; and, if any spirit answers to their sphere, it must be those of unclaimed and disaffected ghosts, who, having no substance within themselves, out of which to compound a spiritual body, wander about church-yards, or haunt the localities where they enacted old crimes, or lived frivolous and disjointed lives. … It may be that the spirits called the Rappers… belong to this class. They are in, what Dante would call Limbo, driven to and fro, perturbed and lonely. These eagerly question the finer spirits, who pass through their realm on their way to higher spheres, of all the gossip that used to interest them on earth. But, inasmuch as the companionship of these people was in no way desirable while they lived in this world, they become less so when separated from the body. They are the gossips of ghost land, poor, frivolous, flimsy wretches, who receive the shred of thought here, and the shadows only of through in the spirit world, for all thought has a body and a substance as it were to itself, so that we say a thought may be grasped in anticipation of the fact hereafter; hence, thought finding no lodgment in these thin poor spirits, floats right through them. They have a restless desire for tangibility, and are perpetually trying to command material objects in a way to make themselves known. —d’Espérance, 1897 Idle poltergeists and truant phantoms loitering in darkened corners and shadowed hallways: black cedar, patchouli, and tea leaf spiked with a tittering cackle of pink peppercorn, mate, and lime rind. Gossips of Ghost Land is kind of a wild olfactory ride. First applied, it's definitely cedar and patchouli, with something that feels minty but might be the lime? The tea leaf, mate, and pink peppercorn add color and movement so it does smell restless, like different spirits moving around in the dark. Dry, this is primarily patchouli and tea leaf on me, with cedar lingering but not dominant. (I don't amp cedar, though, for the record.) The pink peppercorn and lime smooth into an interesting layer that adds subtle spice and freshness. The sillage smells a bit like chocolate, which is so weird and fun. The overall effect is really unusual and perfectly evocative—there's something a bit disturbing about this one, in the best way. I'm definitely hanging on to my bottle because the progression is so fascinating and the patch/tea leaf drydown is really nice.

The deadest death, most deadest of deadlies: sweet blackened patchouli, blackcurrant, cypress wood, and vetiver. 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!

Red musk, saffron threads, molten honey, and tobacco oudh. Red, red, red. The Blood Red Window Panes HG smells like dark red incarnate. I would call this a red musk-prominent blend, but the other notes really get their fingers into it. The saffron and honey sweeten this and turn it sideways, and the tobacco oudh makes it smell decadent and perverse. It's a bit like if the Infernal Lover took a dose of debauched tobacco oudh and went out on the town. The oudh is definitely present, but I wouldn't call it overpowering.

We won’t ask what you use it for. Polished oak, vanilla husk, and cucumber juice.

The darkest and deathiest of black black hats: inky grey cashmere, tobacco-stained leather, and a feathery plume of bay leaf, opoponax, and sandalwood.

“Who is she? Who was she? Who does she hope to be?” — Mart Crowley, The Boys in the Band (1968) Spritz to imbue any resting place with the raffish charm and earthy mystique of a lost Twin, curbed Queen, or dethroned California King. Dandelion sap, baby powder, ribgrass, spurge, and nutgrass squished into a poly cotton blend, poked by a rusty bonnell coil. 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!

Opulent gilded red musk and ivory-encrusted vanilla with orris root, smoked amber, red patchouli, and red oudh. Lady in Black is opulent and rich, seductive and decadent. This smells red and black with glints of ivory. There's a great balance in the notes here, so much so that it smells sanded down with no one note taking deep prominence. The red musk is warm and husky and sensual, the orris root adds a touch of violets, and the red patchouli and red oudh ground it and bring the equivalent of a raised eyebrow. And the smoked amber...oh my goodness, the smoked amber. I get the smoke mostly right after I spray, and it lifts quickly but remains an influencer. What a gorgeous note. I would absolutely wear this as a perfume, and will likely use up my bottle spraying clothes so that I can wear this on my person.

Terebinth, hemp, and champaca resin. Yum, champaca. The Emerald Kaya atmo is champaca-heavy, with the terebinth and hemp rounding this out. On this balance this smells like champaca (white-yellow sweet-spicy flowers) with an earthy streak, and it is glorious. I need at least one moar bottle of this one.

Fresh pumpkin puree seasoned with brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and clove baked into an anise seed crust. 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!

Terebinth resin crackling with amber and coarse black tobacco, a drop of cardamom husk, caramelized brown sugar, and smoky birch tar. The Language of Crows is sweetness in tension with smoky resins and tobacco. On the one hand, this blend highlights the warmth of amber and caramelized brown sugar. On the other, it highlights the rootsy, gently camphorous terebinth resin and smoky birch tar. The cardamom husk moderates, in a restrained role. On, the sweetness and tobacco reminds me of my beloved Bulgarian Tobacco SN. But this is (obviously) more complex. I would recommend this to those who love tobacco when it's paired with something sweet, and for those who love the brown sugar note but don't mind smoky resins cresting underneath.

Showers you with blessings of good fortune. Use to attract prosperity in all areas of your life. Note: my bottle says 'Perpetuum Bonuum', but if memory serves, the Latin could/should be 'Perpetuum Bonum.' I've always been of the mind that nulli est homini perpetuum bonum (there's no such thing as unending/perpetual good fortune), but even if I got some transitory good fortune from this, I'd be happy. Wet and on the skin, this smells a bit like Horn of Plenty to me. It's an herbal cherry with a kind of waxy overtone that reminds me a bit of the classic cherry chapstick smell. This is not a bad thing in my opinion, as it brings back some good memories. There's something very soothing and relaxing about it, almost reassuring. I anointed a candle with a few drops of this oil last week as I was feeling in need of some good fortune. I'm happy to say that I got some. It looks like I might have some positive changes on the horizon. I'm not sure if it was the oil or the fact that it allowed me to focus on bringing myself some good fortune, but either way, it worked. ETA: The proofreader can't spell. Tsk tsk.

With cinnamon, clove, allspice, and a bit of apricot. Yum. Frosted Apple Gingerbread atmo is heavy on the frosted apple and spices, with the gingerbread in the background. I pick up the apricot only slightly. I sprayed this and my husband said it smelled like stewed apples—a compliment. Very festive!

A glopping blurp of viscera sloshing in a crystal sphere: creamy intraocular fluid, intestine-pink bois de rose and grapefruit, and coppery-clove blood musk encased in glassy transparent musk.

Use a few drops in water to scrub down windows, doorways, and thresholds as part of your purification, cleansing, and protection rituals. 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!

A vivacious squirt of decay: viscous blackcurrant juice and pomegranate rind with sweet labdanum, rose attar, and a thin splat of motor oil.