LiberAmoris

Chrysanthemum Tea atmo is so pretty! I love BPAL's black tea note, and I love chrysanthemum, so this hopped right into my cart. I don't get anything leafy here, just honey-sweetened black tea with mums and something pleasantly bitter tempering the sweetness—maybe that's the bark note? There's something somber and bittersweet about this that makes it perfect for this time of year. It's also on the lighter side of the atmos I've tried...it's delicate, and would be perfect for those days (or places) where I don't want a strong scent.

Pumpkin III does smell a little like pumpkiny Fig Newtons! It also reminds me of The Demon in My View scent Alone, just ever so slightly, if it took a roll in a pumpkin patch. Fig and benzoin are front and center on me, with vanilla, copal, and cedar trailing. The pumpkin is nicely balanced. There's spice in here too, somehow, making it even more delicious. After about ten minutes, this is a sweet spiced fig and pumpkin blend on me—surprisingly foody and totally delicious.

The Tumultuous Vultures of Stern Passion is such a wonderful surprise. I was seriously worried about the vetiver tar, because vetiver just doesn't do it for me, and 'vetiver tar' sounds like pretty strong vetiver. I can definitely smell it here, and for those who are really sensitive, it still may too much for them, but I personally think it's absolutely beautiful in this blend. It adds something rooty, earthy, green, almost citrusy...that comes down like a slender green spike through the other notes swimming around it.

The red musk is mellow here, with the benzoin adding a resiny, woodsy base. The patchouli is very subtle. The plum brings sweetness and a bit of tartness. The white musk and vanilla-ed lily add a lighter, floral layer that gives a lot of depth and complexity. At times I catch a phantom note of very faint leather and I'm not sure what could be causing that, but it's not at all unpleasant. The lily and vanilla actually come forward as I wear this one, peaking about an hour after application.

As with the other Ligeias I've tried, this feels like a classic, well-blended perfume that an Art Nouveau heroine would wear. I'll treasure my bottle.

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.

I pulled out my bottle of Pumpkin S'mores atmo spray again once we hit October, and have been dusting my apartment a few times a week with it. I can only use this spray if I'm not hungry, because otherwise I get a serious craving for dessert—that's how realistic the smell is! It's a heavy hit of graham cracker and caramelized sugars, followed by melty chocolate and a hint of smoke and pumpkin. Definitely not pumpkin-forward to my nose, which is actually perfect. It makes my apartment smell like I've been baking something delicious.

If the bath oil released this year is similar, I think there will be a lot of happy campers (and let's face it, happy campers are sort of s'mores' target demo!).

I'm finishing up my (second) bottle of The Shining Dimple of Love...this is maybe my favorite bath oil the Post has released (right up there with Bloodbath and Selbstverliebt). I use bath oils as after-shower rmoisturizers, which makes them really linger and last on my skin. Even though Shining Dimple is on the subtle side, when I apply this in the morning I can still smell the tea and vanilla at the end of the day.

It's almost a straight split of vanilla and black tea on me, with the orchid adding something light and seductive. It layers beautifully with Furo, but sometimes I avoid all other scents so I don't drown out its soft, fuzzy, almost feathery goodness.

I love Pumpkin Princess at this time of year. On me, it's like an end-of-summer fall blend, perfect for when it's definitely fall but still in the 70s and not jacket weather. I get vanilla and amber and pumpkin, with honey/meringue sweetness and something tropical...maybe that's the tiare and guava? Whatever it is, it's like a pumpkin on vacation. Definitely the least somber pumpkin scent I have in my collection, and every year I pull it out and am so grateful to have an airy, lighthearted, sweet pumpkin perfume. IT'S SO FLUFFY!

Sometimes I get so caught up with BPAL LEs that I forget about the GC beauties that I have. The Rose is one of those beauties. This is a red, red rose—just one, perfect, unspotted red rose. It smells sun-warmed and at the peak of its flowering. It's very similar to the rose in Rose Red, but The Rose is a summer rose while Rose Red is a winter rose.

Beauty & The Beast is one of my favorite fairytales—my parents used to read me a children's version of the tale by Marissa Mayer and Mercer Mayer that had the most exquisite illustrations, and I was hooked. Many of the pages were studded with ne'er dimming red roses: entwined in the margins, spilling over in a vase, woven through a hedge. The Rose does justice to those storied roses, and that's saying a lot.

I'm still using up my bottle of Winter Maiden from last year's Yule update, and happily so. Yesterday was really warm (in the 90s) and the apartment is still a bit stuffy, so I wanted something cooling today as an after-bath moisturizer. Winter Maiden was the perfect choice...those snow-laden woods are subtle, but they're really effective at conveying still, quiet snow and it feels like the temperature of my skin drops in response. The blackberry and bergamot are ice-rimmed and lovely, as is the chilly white rose. The amber at the bottom gives a bit of warmth that provides some nice tension and real staying power on my skin. This is definitely an Ice Queen scent.

I'm breaking out some of the deeper scents because it's finally September! Die Sundë, Vom Tod Verfolgt is definitely reminiscent of Snake Charmer on me, like an orchid-y, musky SC. There's something about the scent that's unsettling and strange, and perfect for the inspiration. The tobacco honey, frankincense, and white amber all take a backseat to the blood musk, orchid, and fig leaf on me—and the result is a heady, 'perfumey' skin scent that skews floral and musk, but has complex underpinnings. I've worn this a few times, and it does dry down to 'sexy dryer sheets' on me as well, like something clean run through something dirty. I don't mind.

Scrappy Damsel was another standout for me from the Naughty or Nice Fairy tale Inquisition. The orange blossom is so restrained in this blend it's almost tough to pick out, and on my skin it's more like a white musk/honey/cedar skin scent with just light touches of warm saffron and amber, shimmering orange blossom, and that gorgeous yellow sandalwood. It's subtly blended, and I find this is one I feel very comfortable wearing to work—and do often, with Hair Loosened and Soiled in Mid Orgies hair gloss. I have about half a bottle left, and will be sad when it's gone—it's innocent, plucky, and very pretty.

I meant to review Vain Sorceress last year, but didn't get around to it. But I should have—it's gorgeous. Definitely one of my favorites from 2013. The blackened vanilla musk and black velvet accord alone...! Tuberose, gardenia, and jasmine sambac can go either way on me, but here they're so pretty. The red amber warms everything up and the caraway adds a very slight anise note that's more herbaceous than licorice-y to my nose. It's definitely powerful (and I don't mean the throw), so there can be no sitting in the corner when you're wearing this one. This is a big personality in a bottle.

Wicked Matriarch is all reds, oranges, and purples on me. The magnolia and purple musk are the strongest notes, with roses and mimosa just behind. The mimosa here reminds me a bit of a natural toothpaste I used to use, and it's throwing off my experience because it reminds me of brushing my teeth! But it's a very regal and mature scent, and the red rose note is beautiful here. After about an hour, it's mostly purpley musk with patch and florals in the background. It does seem like something the Red Queen or Evil Queen would wear, and wear well.

I recently finished up my bottle of Bloodbath and was so sad—I wished I'd bought a backup! I love both Blood Rose and Smut, and Bloodbath seemed in the same family—warm, red, resiny, musky goodness. I applied some after a shower one day and went into work, and one of my colleagues was roving the halls trying to find the source of the scent she said was 'intoxicating'. Indeed, it was. I hope this gets brought back at some point, because I'll be sure to buy a little extra. Count me in as another person who would love this as perfume!

ETA: I got a second bottle from Etsy and am so delighted...I will absolutely be rationing this to make sure it lasts. I hope it comes back as a perfume someday!

Last year I got both Sylvia and Callidora in a wenchy splurge. Callidora is dark and dangerous, a true nighttime perfume. Sylvia is fuzzy and sweet, perfect for wearing during the day with snuggly sweaters. I don't get as much pine as others have mentioned—it's there, but is definitely in the background, especially after the first few minutes. On me, Sylvia is mostly brown musk and carnation with clove and vanilla. I have two dogs who bring me a lot of comfort and happiness, and the smell reminds me a bit of their fur after a morning spent playing outside in the fall. It's like the ultimate comfort scent for me.

Callidora is one of those blends that I save for nights out. It's nocturnal and dangerous and unabashed. Out of the bottle, it's really dark with cacao, like Boomslang, and similarly strong. The tobacco, myrrh, and patchouli are most prominent on me, with blood musk adding a pulse of something lighter and tangy (which is all but subsumed by the darker notes). It's almost like Smut and Boomslang had a chain-smoking baby! Or like a strobe light at a club cutting through cigarette smoke, humidity, and the haze made by a fog machine. Dry, it's an almost dusty tobacco with just a shot of cacao/patch. When paired with Silkybat hair gloss, they're a going-out dream team.

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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.

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!