LiberAmoris

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

2017 version: I've never tried Perchta before so can't speak to how this year's release compares to the 2008 release. This smells like winter wildflowers, musk, and snow. The bouquet of floral notes are tough to pick apart—they sort of meld together into the smell of a snow-spotted field of flowers rather than individual notes. Definitely one to try if you like the snow note and multi-flower scents.

2017 version: I’ve never tried Hanerot Halalu before, so have no previous version to compare this experience to. Wet, this is a light floral beswax on me, delicate and subtle. As it settles down, what previously came across as a floral note appears to be at least partially the olive oil, as the scent becomes more golden and substantial, and a thin olive note floats up. I’m not getting any smoke, although perhaps it’s just because I’m expecting smoke-smoke, and not the dainty smoke of a burnt-out candle. The floral note remains into drydown. A gentle scent, one that would be perfect for me to wear to work.

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Writing on the Slate. Chalk and dust aren't notes that I'm overly familiar with, and the combination with beeswax sounded like it would result in something unusual. This is unusual...and really pretty. Beeswax is the first, middle, and last of this blend, but the combination with the chalk and dust renders it drier, and on my skin it smells like powdered honey. This is really wearable and quite sexy, like a buttoned up O. I'm so glad I gave it a try!

A Hailstorm of Knitting-Needles is woods and vanilla tea on me, quite nice. There is a minty breath that falls across this which makes it feel like wintertime without being overt. It holds its shape through drydown, mellowing slightly but retaining the same proportion of notes. I like this a lot and can imagine myself wearing it from time to time, but I'm going to stash it in my husband's BPAL box in the hope that I can get him to wear it on NYE.

2017 version: Wet, the white grape and coriander are must prominent, but they quickly move aside for the frankincense and myrrh. This does smell like a golden Midnight Mass. The ambergris and vanilla bean are particularly nice in rounding out the other notes. This is a nice golden incense blend, topical for Yule but would be nice year round for those who love sweet incense with light spices.

Canis Major smells like starlight musk. Wet, I get some of the hay, but it dries down to a snuggly vanilla musk on my skin. The sillage is actually reminding me a bit of the creamy feel of Morocco, so perhaps there's sandalwood in this. There's a very light minty feel to this when wet that gives it the glimmer. Hours later, this clings as a wonderful skin musk. Really nice!

Crystal Phoenix is all about the patchouli. Smooth patchouli is the star here, with cedar, tobacco leaf, birch tar, and leather all also prominent. These notes are softened by the bourbon vanilla and tonka bean, and the oakmoss reinforces the earthy quality of the blend well into the drydown. I can absolutely see the similarities in terms of overall feel to scents like The Antikythera Mechanism and Revenant Rhythm. I love the earthiness of this one and will enjoy it.

Ivory Phoenix does smell a little like Christmas! The combo of golden frankincense, clove, and cinnamon definitely conjures up warm holiday scents. It's a really warming mix, evoking both mulling spices and incense. The white cognac is a nice touch here, giving the blend a little buzz. Golden is a good word to describe it. Dries to a light, golden skin scent on me of frankincense and clove.

Lace Phoenix smells like sweet incense (I think I detect both red musk and red sandalwood, but that's a wild guess), and what might be a hint of stone and/or soil. It feels like it gives off the same red, incensey vibe as scents like Mme. Moriarty and Crimson, while being very much its own creature.

Silk Phoenix is a very striking leather blend. I'm getting strong black leather, brown leather, light smoke, and a slight touch of metal—but aside from the strong leather notes, this comes across much more softly than I would have thought from the description. Perhaps it's the Moroccan spices tempering this? They may also be what is giving me the impression of a leathery Eve from Only Lovers Left Alive. Leather lovers, rejoice!

Steel Phoenix is intense. Strong vetiver, dead leaves, and smoke! The patchouli and bourbon vanilla don't come out until the far drydown. This has a Halloweenie feel, like the far-off scent of burning leaf piles. Definitely for those who really appreciate those frontloaded notes.

Aluminum Phoenix is really unique. The white musk fougere is (I think) helping to give this a metallic feel. It starts with white musk and a cascade of fruity notes—red currant, King mandarin, and those 'sweet dried fruits'. As it dries down, I get more and more of the incensey myrrh/oudh mix. The oudh is really light. It ends as a white musk-centric skin scent with lingering fruit notes.

The galbanum gives the wet phase of Pottery Phoenix a green, tangy, slightly bitter, resinous edge that quickly loses its sharpness to reveal a soft, incensey sandalwood and myrrh scent. An hour after application, this is a fuzzy skin scent, very cozy and warm.

Oh my god. Salt Phoenix truly is lilac-centric, with all other notes there to support the beauty of the lilac blossom. Wet, this is lilac, lilac, lilac. As it starts to dry down, the florals come out and have more presence, particularly the osmanthus and jasmine. The icy lavender and salt spray temper the sweet florals with a bit of bite. This is a gorgeous purple and white floral, and a fantastic vehicle for the beautiful lilac note.

Wool Phoenix is a fuzzy peach and port scent with a drift of cigar smoke making itself known from time to time. It smells like it could be one of the Peach Pit scents! There could be even more peach for me personally, as I love that note. But this is well-blended, with a lot of balance between the notes. The goat's wool and cigar notes aren't overwhelming on me, but come out more strongly on drydown, reminding me just a smidge of the goat/cigarillo combo in The Jeweled Spider.

Mmm, Sugar Phoenix is like lavender candy, not too sweet but very satisfying. This is gentle lavender, sweet grapefruit, and that spangly Mi-Go musk. It's lavender-centric on me, and relaxing but not sleepy. It feels like a sister scent to Père Noël because of the sweet lavender and citrus combo. Pretty, wearable, and would layer beautifully with lavender hair glosses.

Wood Phoenix has a lot going on, and yet it manages to smell surprisingly harmonious. The apple and honey mead are the strongest notes on me when wet, but as it dries down, I get the Snake Oil and Dorian, and then finally the salty wood. Red wine isn't my favorite note, but it's fleeting here and very much held in check by the other elements. Late in the drydown, this a slightly powdery honey mead with apple. I like this more than I expected to!

Fruit Phoenix goes on with a strong wash of what must be the terebinth (smells like pine). This is a camphorous moment, but it passes quickly. It then settles into a fuzzy, tart black currant and pomegranate blend, accented by a light hand of Snake Oil and maybe some red musk. Woods, tart dark fruit, and the sugared Indonesian oils of Snake Oil make for a nice combo.

Paper Phoenix starts out as a dry Dorian with a hit of pink pepper. As it starts to dry, an echo of the creamy vanilla linens of Antique Lace come forward. At all stages, this is primarily a tea scent on me, gentle but with a backbone. It's refined and classic, but also intensely wearable and comforting. Really lovely, and if all the anniversary phoenixes are as good as the first two, I'm in real trouble.