LiberAmoris

Apple cider! Block Buster smells a lot like apple cider chock full of cinnamon and cloves. Yum, perfect for this time of year. I'll be using this blend to focus on being 'flexible, adaptable, and open to change' which is something I want to remain open to. Happily, Block Buster smells so wonderful that it will make working on these things delightful!

Oy, this smells good. Sandalwood is just so wonderful. And it pairs well with the dragon's blood for a long-lasting incensey waft. Dragon's Claw is going into the Apply Directly to Boyfriend pile.

Dragon's Reverie smells like dragon's blood and lilac on me. I don't smell any poppy or ylang ylang, and I'm ok with that. I can't smell any amber either, but there is something 'rich' about this blend, so maybe it's the amber casting that glow. This isn't something that I'd probably wear often, but I would love to smell this on someone else. Maybe I'll try to give one of my coworkers a good coating on Monday.

I've been a bit wary of Uruk because of the almond note, but the reviews here emboldened me. And I had the same experience as some of the reviewers above---the almond's present for a few minutes and then it dies down to the point that I can't even smell it anymore. And what's left is a well-blended incensey floral that does not smell muddled at all, even though the individual notes are woven into each other and all the threads tucked under. In the end, it's a sophisticated, worldly melange. So much more than the sum of its parts. Definitely going on my list for a bottle at some point.

Spring eternal! Queen of Hearts smells like early spring to me, and it really is a lily-centric blend. The drop of cherry is wonderful here---strong for a few moments while wet, but burns off quickly and then serves to darken up the edges of the florals, blunting some of their sweetness. When I was in junior high school I used to wear a lily of the valley perfume, so this reminds me of my youth. It's still a smell I love, so I'll definitely be keeping my imp for that reason alone.

Sri Lanka smells just like some sandalwood incense a friend brought me back when she visited her relatives in India. And then there's also a green note in here that's almost sap-like, and it gives the woods such a lift. I really want to try this one in my oil burner. This is what relaxation and a peaceful mind smell like to me.

London is something I've been meaning to try for so long because Beth's roses kick my ass. And this is bright, lush, heady roses--- the kind that are like little cups brimming over with scent. Backing that, there's something very subtle that smells a little like leather. It makes the rose feel darker. London's an uncomplicated blend, and there are days where that really appeals to me. It's like a beautiful rose single note with minute crosshatchings and shadings. I'll definitely keep my imp. This is like the shadow Rose Red casts.

I love the lavender and the spice in Paris. The combo reminds me of the way lavender comes across in Sophia, one of my all time faves. But the lotus here is just too strong on my skin, and pushes the overall scent into a waxy, sweet place that doesn't change, even a few hours into the drydown. I have so many lavender blends from the Lab that I already adore, so I'll pass Paris on to someone who enjoys le lotus.

Bananas! Manila goes on with a strong banana note and a mix of lush florals. The banana note soon fades and it's a cheerful tropical blend---fruity floral with a slight sweet undercurrent. Banana is probably my least favorite fruit note, but it doesn't bother me here, which is really saying something. I like this. I don't need more than my imp but I think this would be terrific in the bath.

Wow, eucalyptus! And pine! The combo smells so good, like a blue spruce. The orange is barely detectable beyond the trees. I think it's working behind the scenes to warm up the woods. This is a simple but nice blend. It's really mind clearing and I can imagine this would be great when I feel nauseous or have a headache, because it fills me with a sense of clean air and the outdoors. It's refreshing. I'll definitely hold on to the imp for panacea purposes.

Sheol is really a surprise. I had held off on this one originally because the notes didn't seem like a combo that would work on me, but this is just proof that I should try everything at least once. Because Sheol smells like a combo of The Lion and The Living Flame on my skin, and I am in love. This is a tough scent to try and encapsulate in a review, but to start, it's got lovely soft resins, warm and slightly spiced. Over that I smell the florals---no one note sticking out, and nothing that screams 'flower!'. It absolutely falls between any categories I could mentally call up. It ends up as a floral-resin-spice blend, defying any attempt I could make to classify it further. I really like this and will for sure use up the imp, and put it on the list for bottle consideration.

This should be called Cocaine. I smell the buttery note from Jack with ginger and pastry dough. It's like a happy union between Eat Me, Jack, Gingerbread Poppet, and Underpants. Yum! And I have to agree with tinyvulture---it does smell like a buttery graham cracker crust! Very foody, and if you're into that kind of thing, quite wonderful. This is something I may only need the imp of because I'm already up to my pulse points in BPAL, but I'll definitely enjoy it.

Kumari Kandam smells just like snow on stone to me, like a cold breeze off rocky cliffs. I smell the icy slush from Ice Queen, the mineral note from Black Opal, and a smidge of ozone. Once it begins to dry down, I get the incense and hothouse blooms. It's really unique and feels so cold and wintry that it actually gives me chills. This is an imp I intend to keep if only for the tremendous evocative power it has. It's quite impressive how well it captures the poles of ice and tropical blooms.

Ouija's exciting for me because I feel like I'm finally able to find the teak note in a BPAL blend, and it's quite nice. I'm also a lilac lover, so the blue lilac in this is another winner. Sadly, something in the combo of notes here is feeling muddled on my skin---nice, but not a standout. It does smells like a Victorian parlor, though! This is something I think I'd rather smell in the air than on my person. It might also make a nice blend for a drawer sachet.

I know I tried Queen Mab a couple of years ago but didn't remember how it worked on me so I'm giving it another go. On, it smells a lot like baby powder, but I think it's just an olfactory trick. Maybe a combo of the orchid and osmanthus? It's creamy. The rose and jasmine are really muted on my skin. There's a note that's almost like anise or licorice here, too. As it dries it remains very powdery and floral. It smells like a very expensive triple-milled rose and orchid soap. The jasmine is really well blended here, but the overall effect is one that doesn't work on my skin. That's ok, I know someone who will love this one!

Aizen-Myoo is definitely sharp grapefruit at first, a true bracing grapefruit that's both surprising and refreshing. I'm not sure I could pick out persimmon (kaki) and satsuma (mikan) as notes, but it's certainly a citrus blend---without added sweetness. The cherry blossom and black tea come out much later for me, after the citrus oils have died down. As strong and almost bitter as the citrus notes here are, I really like this. It's very head-clearing and reviving without a drop of mint. I'll definitely be keeping my imp.

I tested this one out on my boyfriend, because, hey, it's Casanova, baby! First on, it's strong lavender and lemon with an almost antiseptic smell, like a cleaning product. But that quickly wanes and is replaced with a mellow leather-amber-tonka combo. The patchouli is very subtle here. The bergamot I can smell at certain points but not at others. It's really nice. Ten minutes after application Casanova is very sexy and warm. Even my boyfriend likes it, which is a miracle and a half.

Eris is a mix of super-duper melony melons, mimosa, and something musky or animalistic on my skin. The melon note is a bit problematic for me. I enjoy it in general, but it can be too sweet and fruity on my skin, and it's just not something I find I'm in the mood for all that often. The martial spices here go a long way in tempering the exuberant melon note, but the end result is still much sweeter than I'm comfortable with. I'll be passing this imp on for someone else to try.

Maenad goes on with a burst of orange blossom and then a tumble of other, seemingly discordant notes---the strawberry, carnation, black poppy, and hibiscus. It's like a messy chord some kid plays on a piano---their fingers have good form but they're not on the right notes. Then it starts to calm down and things begin to stratify a bit. It smells like this strawberry tobacco I had at a hookah bar once. Sweet, but smoky. There's something almost candied here, or like a liquor. It's quite nice. It reminds me a bit of a darker Bon Vivant. A really unusual and interesting blend. I'm really glad I got to try it.

Another BPAL that smells like books and paper! Clio has an ultra-sharp wet phase that smells like orange blossom to me (which always has a pungent green side to it that eventually burns away). Once that dries, it's ambery, woodsy, papery---with subtle orange and patchouli. It becomes a very light scent, like the weight of a piece of paper. I'll have to try this again to see if I can handle that sharpness at the beginning. I want to love all of the muses!

Polyhymnia is an oil I burn when I sit down to write sometimes. On my skin, the lemon balm is too strong, but in my oil burner it smells fantastic. It smells like lemon and herbs and is remarkably uplifting and refreshing.

Schwarzer Mond is so wonderful. First off, antique patchouli. Yum. Then opoponax. Double yum. But with all the other exotics in it, it's just one surprise after another. It's resiny, ambery, and rooty. It's dark but not without a shot of brightness in there somewhere, and a little bit of earthy sweetness. But what really wins me over is that there's something in here that smells to me like books. Like stacks of books in the basement of my college library, like their bindings and that wonderful smell that the pages get after a few decades. It's one of my favorite smells in the world. I'm so happy to have it bottled up in Schwarzer Mond!

Black Moon smells just like pale cool golden light to me, like moonlight in the darkness, and the kind of blue that moonlight makes when it's faint. It's incredibly evocative. I can smell some of the individual notes---like the pear, motia attar, and blue lotus. But that's only if I really concentrate on them. Wearing this is really just like wearing dusky, dimmed moonlight.

Madrid is great for people who love the red wine note in all its heady brightness. It's featured here in the same kind of way that it is in Lady Macbeth---red wine with no apologies, no interruptions! On my skin at least, the clove and mimosa toil in obscurity, trailing behind. The red wine note is not one that works well on me, so I don't think I'll be keeping this. But I love how cheerful and berried and bright it is, and will pass the imp on to a friend so I can smell it on someone with amenable skin chemistry.

Chrysanthemum Moon is just perfect for this time of year. I definitely get the musk and mums, and a tinge of opium. But this is primarily a musk and honey (?) based blend on me with an autumnal floral mix. It does remind me a bit of HM 05, and also Silk Road, for some reason. I'm enjoying this on it's own, but also think it makes a terrific blender. It gives everything a musky autumn floral edge that I just love.