LiberAmoris

Virahotkantita is all about the blue lilac. That note is so gorgeous and it's here in large amounts. It's definitely the most prominent note in the blend for me, which is a good thing, because I love it.

The only other notes I pick up from the note list are the lily, the frankincense, and the cedar. Overall the blend's not stellar with my chemistry, but because of my great love for lilac, this is one I'll keep and enjoy.

Kalahantarika is really unusual---there's that astringent lavender, unmitigated in this context, and it is sharp---much like the inspiration for the blend, in which harsh words are spoken. But as the lavender cools down, it also seems to regret its sharpness and the other notes come forward like a chorus of repentent thoughts---and they are such lovely herbal-resins, plus the jonquil (narcissus).

The result at the drydown is a really pretty, mellow lavendered resin with just a hint of the floral narcissus, and it's so gorgeous. It's the kind of thing I'd definitely reach for as a sleep scent, or if I needed to wind down after a long day. Definitely worth the wait for the sharpness to recede.

I wore Chintamani-Dhupa today at work and I kept thinking I smelled incense burning---but it was me! I have no idea what's in this, but it really is a honeyed incense blend, subtle but searching. It's also tremendously relaxing. I can feel my blood pressure drop just smelling it. It's like being somewhere else, somewhere meditative.

I loved the Lupercalia series last year, and this year's additions are just as wonderful.

Vasakasajja is definitely the kind of blend that blooms on the skin. It's pretty in the bottle, but on my skin it's like a tropical flower unfurling. Strangely, I get a melon note from this, and I'm not sure what combo of the notes could be coming across that way, but it's nice all the same. I love the tonka, vanilla, and skin musk here---they're so warm, like flushed skin.

Very pretty, very seductive, but eminently wearable to work. Definitely a keeper.

Dolce Stil Nuovo is another unusual lavender blend. Here it's married to the amber and white musk in a really nice glowing way. I don't smell any jasmine here, nor really any rose. The vanilla flower and carnation are just wisps and hints at the edges. It feels cool and elegant. There's a similarity to Lyonesse here at times that I'm quite happy about.

The Oblation is a pink, happy blend on me---reminiscent in that color association of Pink Moon, though not nearly as sweet by a long shot. The lavender here is really ingenious, perfectly blended to play its astringency against the sweetness of the honey. In fact, it’s hard for my nose to tell where the lavender ends and the blackberry begins, which is kind of amazing, I think.

There is something innocent and youthful (perhaps even naive) about this blend that aligns wonderfully with the feel of the Swinburne poem. Something to wear on the rare days when I’m not feeling bitter about love!

Kanishta is sexy stuff. Of the new Lupercalia blends I've sampled so far, this is the one that stands out as overtly sexual, almost predatorial---but winningly, like a sexpot with a magnolia flower tucked behind her ear. I'm a sucker for patchouli, so maybe that's what's working on me here. But the whole combination of the patchouli with the jasmine and opium and magnolia and kush---is just wonderful. I love the way the earthy patchouli and high elegant florals collide and collude here.

Gorgeous blend. If this is the Other Woman, she's really quite something to contend with.

Anaconda can wrap me up in its death squeeze of caramel any time! Yum. Buttery, sugary, delicious caramel with a hint of Snake Oil. It makes me want dessert.

Faiza is one that I'm glad I tried a few times, because the first time it just didn't strike me as something I needed to hang on to. But I wore it again yesterday and holy hell, this is beautiful stuff. As others have said, the gazillion notes are seamlessly blended and roll elegantly into each other like the muscles on a snake as it moves. It's just gorgeous.

This is the kind of blend that I could see myself wearing with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt or a slinky dress. It's feminine without being prissy or uptight, it's sensual and warm, and I think I absolutely need to put it on my bottle list.

The Music of Erich Zach is fascinating stuff. I have to say I have not smelled any other BPAL blend that even remotely resembles it. And it's got a strange sort of sexuality about it that's kind of messing with my head, because I keep getting whiffs of tamarind chutney from it!

There's something very compelling about the mixture, something exotically foody but not sweet, something a little bit feral and dangerous, something outdoorsy and natural. It's a bizarre combo, but it's more than the sum of its parts. I probably wouldn't reach for this as a personal fragrance, but it's so amazingly evocative that I think I should probably hold onto the imp for a while. If I met a guy that smelled like this, it would be a foregone conclusion!

Habu reminds me of fresh cut grass. There's definitely something very viridescent about it, vigorous and alive like springtime. Although I love that feeling, the bamboo note is one I'd rather have around me in the air but not on my person. It's beautiful, though. And if you enjoyed the Asian moons, this is likely to work for you.

The Snake Oil comes out just a bit on the drydown---if I didn't know it was in here, I wouldn't know it's in here.

Australian Copperhead's really such a berry blend, and the acai note is really interesting---not a sweet berry so much, but more tart. It smells like the dried goji berries I keep around for snacking. As much as I like the note, berry-prominent blends aren't usually ones that I enjoy wearing on my skin. And although the smoked vanilla and Snake Oil do emerge on the drydown to dim and darken the berryliciousness of this, it's still too much for me right now.

I think I'll also be setting this one aside for a little aging, to see if that acai note can come down a little bit.

Wowza, minty! Green Tree Viper is some seriously sinus-clearing stuff right out of the bottle. Then it's all about the bergamot and green tea. I don't really detect much Snake Oil in here, maybe just a little around the edges. Mostly it comes across as a slightly minty Earl Grey tea on my skin, with that 'green' feel from the green tea note.

As others have noted, very refreshing and mind-clearing. Surprisingly wearable for me, given all the mintage in here. I think this would also be great in the oil burner on a day when I'm having difficulty concentrating.

Now this is an aquatic I can really get into. Banded Sea Snake is like Snake Oil plus Lyonesse on me, and I could not be happier. The result is a dark aquatic with something lurking in it, like a brackish, moss-green pool teeming with naiads.

I can't stop sniffing my wrists. It's a little bit hypnotic.

Asp Viper's like a sexy almond cookie! That initial hit of almond is really strong, but it fades quickly to a warm, marzipan-ed Snake Oil with the mandarin and myrrh rounding it out.

I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I do, as almond's one of those notes that kind of makes me queasy sometimes because it's so strong and sweet, but here it's perfect. A definite keeper.

Death Adder is a true morpher on my skin. When I first put it on, I thought the vetiver was going to knock me out. It's strong, and I'm not a vetiver person. But after about ten minutes, it really backed off, and I got more black coconut (yum!) and opoponax (double yum!).

At this stage, it's much more balanced and I can see myself maybe reaching for this when I want something darker and more dangerous in feel. I think it's worth aging a bit to see if the vetiver backs off a little more, but even if it doesn't, I think I might be able to wear this when I get in the right mood. It's really kind of unapologetically sexy and rough-hewn!

King Cobra is incensey heaven. It's not showy in the bottle, but on the skin it absolutely unfolds and is maybe one of my favorite incensey BPAL blends ever. The Snake Oil is the true and recognizable base here, with the orris, frankincense, and copal rounding it out and giving it a lot more sillage. The definite and immediate association for me is church incense, although it also smells like some decidedly secular loose incense I bought on the street one time on St. Marks.

I just need the tiniest bit of King Cobra to send scent absolutely everywhere in the room, it's that strong. Mmmm. Very nice.

Western Diamondback is like the Snake Oil that tips its hat and calls you 'mam. I love the tonka here, and the leather is just perfect. When it dries down, it's just so warm and snuggly and rustic. I would love to smell this on a guy some time, but it also wears well on my skin and I can see this being a comfort scent of sorts for me.

Saw-Scaled Viper is crazy hot stuff. Wow. Spice lovers, this is the snake for you! The first few minutes are pretty intense, but then everything starts mellowing and it's a vibrant but not incendiary mix of the ginger, cinnamon, and cassia. It's very invigorating.

As this dries down, I also get a hint of the 'feral' note mentioned by others, and what's incredible is that it actually kind of smells like a real snake to me. Amazing.

Cottonmouth is really such a gorgeous and elegant incensey floral.

At first I don't smell Snake Oil per se in here, but I can feel its presence, bringing down the brightness of the florals like a wash of sepia. But a half hour later, the familiar slither emerges on my wrist. And the resulting combination smells like a bank of lilies scalloped in the kind of golden sunlight that opens things up to their fullest capacity while pressing their smells close to the ground, the kind of warmth that has weight. Definitely a keeper.

Oooh, Boomslang! This stuff is serious business. As others have said, this is some good sh*t. It's like cocoa-rolled Snake Oil, and the teakwood gives it depth while the rice milk gives it almost a grain-like creaminess. It's exotic, it's hypnotic, and it's the kind of blend that inspires misbehavior.

I may need to get a little extra of this for aging. It's that good.

Coral Snake is all about Beth's incredible apple note. I love that note, it's so crisp and warm and juicy and lovely. So Coral Snake is right up my alley. I have a hard time picking out the Snake Oil until this begins to dry down, and then about an hour into it, there it is, and the resulting mix of apple and orange and florals with Snake Oil is pretty great.

This will definitely be perfect in the autumn, it's like apple cider with spices.

Temple Viper is making it difficult for me to concentrate at work today. It's like all the lovely churchy resins from blends I love like Cathedral and Jacob's Ladder mixed with Snake Oil, and the combo is so good. The vaulted and spiritual feel of religious incense is held in tension with the sexy earthiness of SO, and the result is a resiny cloud of happiness! Good stuff.

Snow-Flakes really captures the nature of a snowflake---the downy, delicate, lacy, soft, ephemeral nature of a snowflake, and that kind of quiet peace. There is a definite resemblance to Snow White here, although Snow-Flakes has a (more) prominent mint note and the snow/slush notes are much stronger. The mint in Snow-Flakes is strong enough for me to taste in my mouth when I breathe it in from my skin, although it's certainly not overwhelming in the blend at all.

This is a beautiful blend, and I have a feeling I'll be wearing it often in the next couple of months. I think it will also be wonderful in the summer as a cooling, refreshing scent.

The Snow Maiden is just so pretty. It's an elegant white floral tipped with ice but with something definitely warm and glowing at the center that gives it a bit of radiance. It doesn't last very long on my skin, but I'm so happy that the ylang ylang behaves itself here (as it is not normally wont to do) that I wouldn't mind reapplying halfway through the day.