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LiberAmoris

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Posts posted by LiberAmoris


  1. Lucille's Room perfume is just as good as the atmo. This is lilac- and oakmoss-heavy on me, with black amber flowing in between. The lily of the valley and violet leaf are subtle, although they bolster the lilac and broaden it. It's a beautiful, slightly morbid floral—perfect for the filmic inspiration.


  2. Thin wisps of frankincense smoke drifting through a snow-dusted cluster of red spruce boughs.

     

    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!


  3. Padded and Painted Beauties is lovely peony, orris, carnation, and vanilla orchid under a thrum of musk. Agree that this is Morocco-adjacent! I’m traveling for work right now and poured an ungodly/godly amount in the hotel bathroom tonight for a good hot soak. It was more beautiful than I was bargaining for and I ended up leaving the water in the tub for a while after I climbed out because it perfumed the whole space.


  4. I love Pickle hair gloss. This is such a yummy combination of vanilla, coconut, and tiare. It smells very summery to me between the tiare and the coconut (which I'm really digging at this time of year when even spring seems so far away). I tried this a couple of times and liked it. But today, after it's now good and rested, I tried it again and adored it. It's part tropical, part foody, and part comforting. My go-to tropical hair gloss has been Pearl, but the tiare in Pickle is making me think this could be a good substitute for when my bottle of Pearl finally runs dry.

     

    It doesn't hurt that the cutest puppy is on the label, that's for sure. :)


  5. A Circle Round the Hearth is maybe the most festive hair gloss I own. This just smells like Yule in the nicest way possible. The warm fig pudding suffused in apricot brandy is the heart of the scent for me, but the roasted chestnuts, oranges, and apples are all clearly present, adding a nutty chewiness (chestnuts) and vibrant, sweet fruitiness (orange and apple). A couple of hours after application, the orange is mostly gone and what remains is the chestnut, a touch of apple, and a touch of fig. I think the apricot brandy might remain in the form of a slight sweet effervescence. I feel like this would be the perfect hair gloss for me to wear while watching the 1984 film release of A Christmas Carol.

     

    It's been a year since I first received this, and honestly, I think the scent is even better now. I'm always amazed at the longevity of the hair glosses when they're stored in cool, dark places. I hope to enjoy this for many Yules to come. :)


  6. Jammy gingerbread! This is gingerbread strong on the spices, particularly cinnamon. Smells like raspberry is one of the red fruits here, unsure of the others. Dries down to what smells like gingerbread with a layer of luscious jam on top. Really strong sillage on me; the tiniest bit lasts all day.


  7. I bought The Russian Dance when it released, but never reviewed it. At the time I think I recall that it felt a little too 'perfumey' to me, and I set it aside after a couple of tests. Now, many years later, I smell this and it smells like classic perfumery to me, following in a canon I can recognize. The Florentine iris is the star of this blend, and just behind it, the black tea, patchouli, champaca, labdanum, benzoin, and ambergris are all detectable, although the lines between them are very blurred. This is a floral to its core, but it's no wallflower. There's a strength to it, the kind of scent that would pair well with vintage Christian Dior suiting. I'm so glad I kept this—it feels perfect for me now.


  8. I tried The Arabian Dance years back when it released and felt a little overwhelmed by the leather-hazelnut-coffee combo. After many years of aging, things have really softened in the blend and I find it really appealing. That leather and hazelnut coffee mashup still feels unsettling to me somehow, but the blend quickly morphs into a leather, tobacco, and spice scent. The drydown smells like very fancy soap or aftershave on me, in a nice way. I can absolutely see how this is a favorite for so many people—it is sexy as heck. I agree that the leather here is buttery soft and very upscale.


  9. 2009 version:

     

    Well, I've taken my sweet time in reviewing Pink Snowballs...my bottle from 2009 has been dipped into many times over the years, and I've enjoyed wearing it over many Yule seasons. I'm happy to report that it smells just as good now (maybe even better?) than it did when I first received it. This is the snow from Snow White, with vanilla and rose, full stop. It's a fluffy pink rose vanilla cloud of perfume, and is perfect for days when I want something just like that. It reminds me of a floofy pink powderpuff on a dressing table, and the scent is reminiscent of some of the fancy lipsticks and face creams my mother had when I was a kid.


  10. This is an interesting combination. Blood Amber is so warm with the golden amber and blood notes, but this blend adds a layer of snow over the top. That snow melts off as this dries down, and then it's Blood Amber with a slight chill to it, like a breath of fresh air.


  11. Belonging to the Darkness II is for patchouli lovers. This is deep, warm patchouli, backed by amber, cardamom, and what truly does smell like just a drop of vetiver. I'm not getting much juniper leaf out of this, although maybe it's connected to a hint of greenery that I catch a bit of every once in a while. The cardamom is particularly nice here, there's just enough to inform but not overpower. As it dries down, I get more and more amber, but the patchouli remains the most prominent note.


  12. Petite Planchette feels structured around those burnished woods at the center, with the frankincense and myrrh adding smolder and the sugared honey and bourbon vanilla adding sweetness and warmth. Have you ever touched wood that's been worn to satin by centuries of human hands passing over it? That's the visual I'm getting—satin woods, smooth and golden. Very pretty.


  13. Perseus is a very light blend, with feather-soft sage, patchouli, and black currant. The iris, leather, and ambergris are like a whisper. This is a gentle herbal blend on my skin, almost like an infused tea. I agree that aging may bring out a stronger voice in this blend and look forward to testing it again in the future.


  14. Wow, every single Lilith has improved with just a bit of aging. Every note in Wednesday's Child is Full of Woe was appealing to me—I think I was hoping for a gothy version of Venus Libitina, and that's what I got. :) Both share notes of rose and black cherry, and these are the predominant notes here as well. Wednesday's Child adds clove, cacao, and vanilla patchouli, and they are good additions! The clove is a real feature, mixing with the other notes to give the impression of carnation, rather than rose. Beautiful scent!


  15. Spinning on Graves is very grassy. Beautiful fresh cut grass note here, mixing with the lavender. The Dorian comes through on the drydown, enriching this with tea and fougere. The cypress leaf and clove are subtle, adding additional greenery and a hint of spice. Very green and herbal. I think this scent would be ideal for those who love the grass note, as it is used well here.


  16. My Little Themysciran Princess is another Lilith that took time to settle before revealing its true self. I love the coconut milk and saffron combo here; it smells golden on my skin. The leather and olive blossom drift up as this dries down, to something that smells half warrior, half queen. It's an unusual combination of notes, but it works, like a golden latte. Setting this one aside for additional aging, because it only continues to get better!


  17. The message behind this one was so powerful that I had to try it, and I'm not disappointed. I've tested it a few times, and my experience with it improves with each test—I think it may have needed to rest/age longer than some of the others from my Lilith order.

     

    Orange blossom is strong at first, with the golden amber right behind. The vanilla oudh is in the mix as well, with the oudh nicely in check. If I didn't have the note list, I'd swear there was a warm, mild patchouli in here. Reminiscent of Vixen and Alma Venus in spirit, this is an orange blossom-centric blend that mellows into something very comforting and gorgeous. I'm grateful for my bottle, and if I'd been timely in my testing this year, I probably would have bought a back up.


  18. A Spirit, Katie is really beautiful. It's reminiscent of Razors in a Doll's House with the shared rose water and cognac notes. But this is greener and fresher, with the 'green' cognac and bergamot giving this a fresh, tart, citrusy feel. It dries down to a green, fresh, cucumbery, slightly tangy rose water. This really does smell like a springtime perfume. :)


  19. The Naturally Possible and Impossible is a genteel mix of notes, with the leather, cigar smoke, and amber oudh most prominent. The vetiver is subtle on me (and quite nice here). As it dries down, I get mostly cigar smoke and amber, with hints of leather and bay rum. I love the cigar smoke note, and there's such a nice glug of it here. I tested this one on my husband as well, and it is very, very nice on him.


  20. UNCANNY STORY FROM THE ONSET SPIRITUALISTS
    Wealthy Widow Becomes a Ghost’s Bride

    The Bangs Sisters, May and Lizzie, Continue to Startle the Peaceful Residents of a Massachusetts Town – the Spirit Bridegroom

    Charming May Bands and her sister, the great spiritualists, who, when at home, reside in Chicago, have lately startled the natives of Onset, Mass. This statement means more than might appear on the surface when it is added that that little town is almost wholly made up of spiritualists. Thither the Bangs sisters hied themselves some weeks ago to take part in the summer assembly of the eastern societies. They made their headquarters at Happy Home cottage, where they were daily visited by pilgrims in search of friends and relatives long since in the “other world.” Among those visitors was a rich widow from the far west, who wanted to see her lover, who had been a captain in the United States army. The captain, who came from Maryland, died on the eve of his marriage to the rich widow. For a year she has worn widows’ weeds and longed for even a visit from the spirit of her departed lover. Miss Bangs informed her that she could not only produce the captain’s spirit, but that the marriage ceremony that had been cut off by death would be performed in Happy Home cottage. A few days ago an item was given out for publication to the effect that the ceremony had been effectually performed some days before. In speaking of it May Bangs said:

    “I materialized the form and the lover came out of the cabinet attired in the uniform of an army officer. The premises had been previously examined to prove that there was no mortal about. The materialized spirit asked that the curtains be drawn for a while to shut off the front parlor. The bride wanted him to put on her slipper, and he did.

    “Only a faint light shone through the room where the minister and others were waiting. He kissed her numerous times. The bride was in a new wedding dress. Then the materialized spirit lover requested that the marriage ceremony be performed, and the request was granted. He placed a ring on her finger. They were together a long time that evening.”

    – Fort Wayne Sentinel, September 10, 1894

    Misted roses and the memory of cologne, salt-wet and bittersweet.

    The Spirit Groom is gentle rose and salt water on me, like roses and tears. The 'memory of cologne' is very subtle, almost an insinuation more than a note. The first time I tested this, I wasn't sure it would be 'me', despite the lovely rose. But the second time I tested it, it really bloomed on my skin and I found that I kept bringing my wrist to my nose for the watery rose. So I guess this one is a keeper!
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