LiberAmoris

Gleaming white amber and silvered ambergris accord with copoiba balsam, benzoin, Atlas cedar, black pepper, and oudh. I read the review by sunshinedaisybliss and it pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. Silver-Haired Bat is just...wonderful. I love amber and ambergris accord in pretty much every iteration—they're such shimmering, warm, skin musky, fuzzy, happy smells. The pepper gives them a bit of an edge—just a bit, and something almost smoky. The quartet of balsam, cedar, benzoin, and oudh notes smell both burnished and rough, like something from the outdoors brought in and refined. This one doesn't have a ton of throw, it stays very close and intimate. At times I catch a waft and it's almost like peppery butterscotch, in the best way, even though it doesn't smell foody in the least when I put wrist to nose. It's like the scent equivalent of an oversized, super-cozy grey cashmere sweater.

I used up the last of my Three Impossible Errands bath oil bottle today (I'm in use-it-up mode and enjoying every moment of clearing my little BPTP shelf in the bathroom!). This has been my go-to moisturizer when I take a late night shower before bed or just want something herbal and calming. The blend of notes here harmonizes well with and reminds me of the Somnium blends, as well as TKO and the wonderful Erebos atmo spray. It's very grounding and a perfect base for one of those soothing, sleepytime blends. I like the astringent note in lavender, but others who find it too high pitched might not enjoy it here—this bath oil is very lavender-forward, even though it's also well-blended with the other notes.

I saw the notes and was like, YEP. And Hal does not disappoint: woods and hay, honey, saffrony bourbon vanilla, musky ambrette, and restrained jasmine? It's so good. I bought this for my husband but it will never make it to his BPAL drawer. I have enough BPAL to last a lifetime so shouldn't be buying backup bottles of anything, but this one really tempts me. ETA: I did buy a backup bottle, it's just that good.

This is definitely for jasmine lovers, of which I am one. The description says it all, but there's just something about that black orchid note—I don't know what it is, but it makes everything else in a blend smell like it's been slowed down and sultry-fied. I tend to use the bath oils and moisturizers after I shower rather than in the bath, and Selbstverliebt is so strong that I have to be careful—a little bit goes a long way! But it's become something of a habit for me to dot some of it on after a shower on a Saturday or Sunday—and I look forward to catching wafts of the jasmine the rest of the day.

Aged patchouli and ambrette with burgundy pitch, labdanum, orange blossom, gurjum balsam, and white sandalwood. I'll pretty much try anything with patchouli, so this hopped right into my cart. The patch pulls ahead with the ambrette, but it's brightened and softened by the orange blossom and the sandalwood. The balsam gives it a tangy touch that keeps it from being too relaxing and sleepy—make no mistake, this is a sexy spray. But I can also see myself spritzing a room just to be surrounded by its happy, hazy radiance. I think a lot of people will dig the incensy vibe of this atmo spray—it reminds me of some of the wonderful Fred Soll sticks I've burned. Earthy, sensuous, blood pressure-lowering stuff. Like the spray equivalent of a smoky eye done in copper, gold, bronze, and dark brown—smudged a little after a long kiss. Or y'know, a tortoiseshell dildo. One of my favorite atmos yet.

White lilies, vermillion roses, vanilla orchid, sweet clove, white frankincense, velvety brown oudh, cistus, styrax, aged red patchouli, and a hint of black peppercorn. From You I Have Been Absent in the Spring is the most unabashed floral from my order—the lilies and roses and orchids bloom on the skin like a huge bouquet when first applied. At first the other notes sit well below that tumult of flowers, and provide a subtle warm, resiny, woody base, but after about a half hour, the top notes settle down. Then the most prominent notes are the lilies, orchid, frankincense, and oudh. The clove and patchouli and pepper are more subtle—I can pick them out if I concentrate on them, but they're not prominent. Then it goes through a bit of an awkward phase on me where the notes seem a little muddy or soapy—could just be my hormones/chemistry. And then it somehow mellows even more to a very nice vanilla-infused lily. This isn't an incensey blend on me or one with thick base notes to fill in the higher pitched florals—although both the frankincense and oudh become stronger with wear. It feels like a classic perfume, like perfume from some gorgeous '50s flacon. There's something retro and glam about it that I really like, even though I might not be up for a headstrong floral every day of the week.

I'm delighted with how many of the Shungas this year become skin scents on me within a half hour or so. The Nun and the Courtly Lady starts off strong, all bergamot and tobacco flower and honey, and for a while, I'm not sure it's something I want to smell like—the bergamot is too high pitched for me, the tobacco flower is too dusty, and the honey is too sweet. But within an hour, it's really calmed down, and the sandalwood has pulled ahead. The drydown is an equal blend of sandalwood and honey, with a little tobacco flower on the side. I like it, but I think this would be even better on my husband...I think he'll be getting my bottle, along with a plea to put a little on today.

Reflected Vulva truly does smell light pink. Wet or dry, I can pick out all the notes...it's like if sweet pea and cherry blossom were whipped up into a creamy candy. A playful take on springtime that I think a lot of people will enjoy. I also catch a phantom light coconut scent at times, maybe it's the cream note? I love coconut, so I don't mind a bit! And I can see the comparison to Snow White...this is also a creamy floral, although it's pinker and sweeter than Snow White.

The Elephant's Leash is really pretty—resiny spring florals! Those peach and cherry blossoms are so light and sweet, and they're well balanced by the red musk, amber, copal, and sandalwood. The lilac isn't strong on me, but it's one of my favorite notes and I can smell it around the edges of this blend, adding an almost creamy texture to it all. I wish the peach blossoms lasted a little longer on me, but I won't complain because what's left on my skin after about a half hour is an incensy, 'red musk muddle' of nearly drowned florals that is somehow oddly sexy and complex. Definitely in the tradition of classic Oriental perfumes, crossed with the breath of spring—which, frankly, is very appealing after the winter we've been through this year!

The Sunlight and the Moonlight Fall from Thee is for lily-lovers. This one strays pretty true from wet to dry on me—heaps of those red lilies, rounded with tuberose and given depth with frankincense. The pepper provides a textural foil to the velvety florals—the spicy, elegant grit that it adds makes the lily even more lush somehow, while also cutting the headiness of the florals in a really lovely way.

Furo is so lovely. I rarely get backups, but I think I might need one more bottle! It's one of the most delicate black tea blends I've tried from BPAL, truly a lightly sweet black tea with a twist of bergamot.

Love Lay Upon Her Eyes is a must for lovers of white amber. On my skin it's definitely the star in this blend, with the rose recognizable but not overwhelming. After a half hour, it's a nice clean, almost sweet amber with very subtle rose—like a rose trapped in amber. There's something pure about it, and comforting. It's pretty enough to wear all on its own, or I imagine that it would be a great blender as well.

I had to get this one for the art and name alone. I'm dying for someone to ask me what I'm wearing... I was hoping that the coffee note here wouldn't be too strong—as much as I love coffee, it doesn't always work well on my skin. But in Destructive Vagina of the Fox Spirit, it's really just right. About five minutes after application, this is a snuggly, warm, incensey mix of vanilla, amber, and champaca on me. The coffee note is really gentle. It's truly like a creamy, coffee-dipped nag champa!

I love being able to go back and forth between BPAL perfumes that have a kajillion notes and are lovely, complex beasts—an orchestra of notes—and then dip into one the next day that's just as lovely but is more like listening to a solo. Well, it more like a trio here. But there's a primacy to Love and Time and Sin that I appreciate and enjoy. On me the rose and musk feel doled out in equal measure, and it reminds me a lot of Spellbound, one of my early favorites from the Lab. As with Spellbound, you get red musk and rose, but instead of Spellbound's warm amber, there's opoponax, which I always find really tough to describe. It smells like a cross between a wood and a resin to me—grounding and slightly herbal, slightly earthy. Love and Time and Sin is definitely worth trying if you like red roses and red musk, because they're strong and rather glorious here!

Furo really is a showcase for that lovely black tea note. On me, it's lighter and airier than I would have thought—almost evanescent. The bergamot is bright at first, but burns off quickly, leaving the tea and vanilla, with just a touch of patchouli and peru balsam. Those bottom notes are handled with a light touch—just enough to give a bit of weight and structure. For those wary of patchouli, I wouldn't necessarily know it was in here if it wasn't listed. It fits so neatly behind the other notes that it falls more like a light shadow than an outline of its own. A couple of hours later, it's soft, slightly peppery and close to the skin—I smell tea and vanilla and the warm underpinnings, but the overall effect is almost like a tea-inspired skin musk. I don't normally seek out tea as a note, but it's gorgeous here, and utterly wearable. I think Furo would also pair really well with Silkybat hair gloss. In fact, I might try that today.

One of the hits from my Lupercalia order, Queen Venus with a Hood Striped Gold and Black is resins and rose, resins and rose. Like a snake chasing its tail, they blend together so beautifully that it seems more like some heady single note—like if a rose tree bled golden sap in a storybook. It reminds me a little of my beloved Rose Red...but older, wiser, with more at stake but less to lose. After an hour or so, this is a beautiful rosy amber on me. Definitely a keeper.

Discussion on the First Climb of the Mountain of Passion is so pretty. The carnation, peony, moss and frankincense are the strongest notes for me, with the lemon, rose, and peppercorn asserting themselves gently between those broader strokes. I'm a sucker for peony, and it's nice and complex in this mix—I'd call this floral forward but well balanced. It does a great job of capturing the colors in the art that inspired it—which, by the way, is so gorgeous with the tumult of fabric prints. Wherever I spray this one, it smells like spring. After the winter we've had/are still having, I can't think of anything better.

This review is long overdue—I love House of Unquenchable Fire atmo spray. Like my beloved British Blondes, it's an amber and vanilla fest, but at times it also reminds me of one of my favorite perfumes from my teenage years: Benetton Colors. Sometimes on the weekend I give my whole apartment a good spray and then just revel in the golden, warm, rich scent that seems to coat everything in sunny glamour. I sprayed the inside of one of my long wool jackets with it, and now every time I wear it, I'm enveloped by House of Unquenchable Fire. Even after I take the jacket off, traces of it cling to me like gold dust and I can smell it all day. Truly an everyday luxury!

Moroccan Pumpkin Patch is really great—the spices in Morocco blend really beautifully with the pumpkin. It's my favorite after Sin and Snakes.

I can't believe it's taken me so long to review The British Blondes atmo spray...it's absolutely stunning and I've been spraying it every which way for the past few years. I only have an inch or so left in the bottle, and I'll be so sad when it's finally gone! Vanilla, orchid, and amber...sounds relatively straightforward, but like so many blends, it's entirely more than the sum of its parts. The golden amber is the strongest note, with the orchid coming through brightly and with that great dusky tang that they have. The vanilla rounds everything out and adds warmth and sweetness. It smells like brass on blonde wood, like the perfect red lipstick, like a pile of furs in the back of a Rolls Royce. There's something Gatsby-esque about it—outsized, unabashed and luxe. I'll enjoy every last spritz!

I bought an Erebos atmo spray a while back because work was so stressful that I was having trouble sleeping. I give the bed and pillows a few squirts before I start getting ready to sleep each night and it's been working wonders. As almost everyone has said, it's very reminiscent of TKO and harmonizes well for those wearing TKO as a sleeping oil—but Erebos is more floral and less astringent. I'm one of those people who often wears TKO to bed, and the combination of TKO and Erebos is pretty much heavenly. It's one of my BPTP essentials...I hope to never be without it. It would also make a really great gift for anyone who needs help relaxing, and frankly, that's most us!

I've loved Sin for a long time. It was one of the first GCs that I bought a 10ml of when I first started collecting BPAL, and I still wear it often. So I was excited but a little nervous about trying Sin in the Pumpkin Patch, because y'know, don't mess with perfection. But this is SO GOOD. All the warmth and sultriness and straight-up mellow goodness of Sin...plus pumpkin. Like fall wearing over-the-knee boots and a smirk and nothing else. I've already bought one back up bottle, and I'm contemplating getting another (or two) in case it doesn't make a reappearance in the future.

I died for beauty but was scarce Adjusted in the tomb, When one who died for truth was lain In an adjoining room. He questioned softly why I failed? "For beauty," I replied. "And I for truth, the two are one; We brethren are," he said. And so, as kinsmen met a night, We talked between the rooms, Until the moss had reached our lips, And covered up our names. The Venusian splendor of ylang ylang and violet stirred by hyssop, frankincense, and grave loam. Even though I'm a bit wary of ylang ylang in general, I had to buy a bottle of I Died For Beauty because I love Emily Dickinson. I put some on this morning and as I was riding the train, I kept bringing my wrist up to my nose, which is dangerous when you're hanging on for dear life but is a true testament to this blend! Right out of the bottle the ylang ylang was strong, and then I could smell the violet. It's rich and purple but even wet it's not completely overpowering. The resins really work to enbolden the violet but also take the sweet edge off the floral. Lastly I smell the grave loam, which smells like oakmoss to me. As it dries down, the mossy note(s) really emerge---just as in the poem, the moss rises up! The violet and resins together play across like a deep, purpley kind of incense that has a similar feel to me as Gypsy Queen. On my skin, it's in that same deep and complicated floral 'family.' It smells like violets with tiny curls of smoke rising from them or a hazy, dark, mysterious interior space much like a tomb heaped with funereal wreaths. A great capture of the poem, and a surprising lovely blend on my skin, despite the notes which normally aren't so great on me! I'm really happy to have my little bottle.

Not as direct as our Money Draw: Quick and Dirty oil, this bath attracts financial gain through expansiveness, optimism, and opportunity. For optimum results, use this bath in conjunction with prosperity and money drawing rituals. This post is merely a placeholder for future reviews of this bath oil. Whoever is first to review, please report this post using the report button below, so a mod can merge it with yours. Thanks!

Trolling Oil will keep you glib, witty, fired up, and on-point while you participate in fruitless, frustrating arguments on the internet. This post is merely a placeholder for future reviews of this TAL oil. Whoever is first to review, please report this post using the report button below, so a mod can merge it with yours. Thanks!