LiberAmoris

I think I might just love every blend with peony in it. Peony Moon is gorgeous, with that perfect peony note that instantly calls up the image of an actual peony bloom, pink and slightly vulnerable. Underneath the peony I smell something that I think I recognize from the Water of Notre Dame, maybe it's the reeds. It's aquatic but not ozoney. And on the drydown, the soft woods. Totally stunning stuff. I will cherish my little bottle and happily use it up.

Fortunato really is like a dark sherry---and I really can smell the oak and catacomb stone. I'm not so fond of the boozy blends, but thought I'd take a chance since I love patchouli and I tend to enjoy BPAL's fruity-patchouli blends. On this skin, the orange and berry notes are playful and loud, but they evaporate quickly and leave the rose hip and patchouli. I can still smell the oak note. It reminds me a bit of Urd or Depraved meets Bess somehow, because of the intersection of fruit/patchouli notes and grape/orange notes. Even with the patchouli to temper it, I think it might just be too sweet for my tastes. But I'm awfully glad to have tried it---it's a great capture of the Poe story.

Boy am I glad I got a scent locket. Because I really like The Masque---it's a lovely complex incensey blend with woods and clove, and mouth-watering honey and carnation to boot---and on my skin it goes straight to powder. The first hour is ok, and then, powder. Rotten skin chemistry. But in my scent locket, it stays multi-faceted, yay! As others have mentioned, The Masque bears resemblance to both Luperci and Gypsy Queen. The carnation and clove are really yummy together, and the overall feel is of something very rich. So far, my favorite of the Maelström.

Usher is definitely like Dorian's genteel but unhinged relative---drinking tea. When I wear this I pick up notes that I recognize from blends I already know and love: Lurid, The Dormouse, and Villain (as Brianne and yeahbutnobut have already mentioned). Usher strikes me as a 'dry aquatic'---how it's possible for something to smell dry and wet at the same time is a mystery to me, but it does. The tea note is the most prominent on my skin, even a few hours in, and it's divine, like opening a fresh tin. I think Dorian will remain uppermost in my heart, but I like Usher enough to keep it. I think it might be fun to put some Usher on the boyfriend when I'm wearing Dorian, sort of like a His and Hers corrupted elegance set.

I must have the weirdest skin chemistry, because even though EOM is full of animalistic musks, it smells downright elegant on me. It is, as others have mentioned, much lighter than one would think, given the name. On, I get carmelized musks and the barest brush of orange peel. I can smell the rich amber, but the rainforest extracts elude me. It's very, dare I say...pretty? Even hours later, it's warm skin musks with amber. It wears very close to my skin and is a definite 'lean in and smell me' blend. I'm so glad I got this one, as it has been a true and pleasant surprise.

Sleepy Moon has its own place on my nightstand, next to my Somnium blends. I love the bamboo/ chamomile/ lavender intersection in it, as well as how well-blended the ylang ylang is, as I normally cannot bear even a little bit of the double ylang, in any amount. It feels very contemplative to me, like restful, restorative sleep filled with working dreams. I think this would also make a great blend for meditation or just general relaxation.

Baba Yaga was a frimp from the Lab (thanks!). I get no pineapple, just a fruity-floral (pear or berry and a floral melange similar to the kind in Vinland and Beltane?) over a resin-musk base and maybe a touch of something sweet, like honey or vanilla? There might be a bit of sandalwood in here, as well (?). It's the kind of floral that even people who aren't crazy about flowers might like, especially if they enjoy light resins and musks.

I love the Keats poem that inspired this blend, so I've been aching to try this ever since it was released. I mean seriously, how gorgeous are these lines: Though seen of none save him whose strenuous tongue / Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine... Only Keats could make melancholy so sensual. Ode on Melancholy surprised me because I'm used to an aggressive lavender top note whenever I see it listed, a note that I enjoy and that fades quickly, but always seems to be readily apparent right away. Here, the lavender is very subtle, and it's actually the wisteria that's strongest. Even the rose is very subdued. I don't quite know how to describe how wisteria smells to me, but it seems like a dry 'white' floral. It's fresh, but pitched 'high' and has a slightly watery component to it. It's the kind of floral I associate with the smell of hair spray, except that Beth's note is way more dimensional than that. As it dries and mellows, the white sandalwood and musk appear. They last for hours and hours, mingling with the remnants of the wisteria. There is something melancholic about this, and very restrained. I'm not sure I'll ever need a full bottle, but I'll treasure my imp.

Woo, Laudanum is some strong stuff! Right out of the vial I get a smoky root beer, laced with what smells like clove but must be the nutmeg. As it dries down, I get a warm, sexy myrrh enfolded with the spices. I also pick up on something with a menthol edge to it that fades after the first hour. Laudanum is like the dark side of the Victorian period. This is no sitting room perfume. This is darting through back alleys, avoiding the the throw of gas lights, and keeping 'unsavoury' company in the best way possible. Laudanum is the smell that clings to one's jacket after a night in these circles. I'll be keeping my imp to wear when the mood strikes me.

The tale of Cupid and Psyche is both a perfect love story and an allegory for the soul's search to reunite with Deity. This is the scent of true love, your heart's deepest, purest desires. Bulgar rose, Chinese white musk, lavender, orchid and frankincense. Psyche has a couple notes that are iffy on me: orchid and frankincense. But I love lavender and rose, so I wanted to give it a go. On, the lavender looms and blooms large, and I can smell a bit of rose. But the orchid lends an edge that makes me feel uneasy, and the frankincense makes the blend turn sour on my skin, as it is wont to do. As much as I'd like to love Psyche, it just doesn't mesh with my chemistry. For a lavender/rose blend, I prefer Sophia.

My little imp of Zephyr has been getting quite a bit of use lately, as the weather has turned a bit warmer and it just seems right. The lemon verbena/white musk combo here is just so creamy and warm. The sandalwood and vanilla come out on the drydown for me and round out the white florals perfectly. Zephyr definitely reminds me of Dorian, sans tea, and the lemony base of Chiroptera. Lovely stuff.

Wow, strong cedarwood and bay leaf! Very rugged and traditionally masculine. The notes are so strong and piercing, there’s a kind of warlike intensity to them. The sage only comes through on the drydown for me. Really glad to have tried this one. It was quite an experience, but it’s a little too powerful for me.

Yep, Golden Priapus is a lot like O + Snake Oil. There's that mellow vanilla note that's golden and sweet and always just on the line of turning into Play-Doh on me, but staying on the right side of that line. This is lighter on my skin than Snake Oil, but the amber/vanilla combo is very, very nice. It's sexy and slightly foody and some kind of wonderful. I'm reminded of the famous Landman translation of Rilke's Archaic Torso of Apollo.

Come to Me is definitely light and citrus-rosey, like a perfume worn down on someone's skin or the soapy smell of French-milled suds. Unlike the other Voodoo oils I've tried, this is really light and inobtrusive, something sweet and innocent, without guile or motive of any kind. But it works. Within ten minutes of putting this on my skin, my boyfriend got all snuggly with me. Maybe it's just a fluke. But I'll test this one out again tomorrow, layered with some Dorian, to see if there's a repeat performance.

Santo Domingo is very smoky and sultry---like what traditional bay rum cologne would smell like in heaven if angels were mixing it up in vats with a flaming sword. The tobacco here is absolutely mind-blowingly smooth. This definitely does seem like a warm weather blend, like bare skin and smoke from an herbal cigarette, a touch of tanning oil, and a dirty thought. For some reason, and I chalk this up to my wacky nose, Santo Domingo reminds me of a rugged and manly Vinland. Not sure where I'm getting that from, as there seems to be nary a note in common, but that's how it's hitting me. I'm definitely keeping my imp for the dog days of summer. I think this would be so sexy with a halter dress and a great pair of heels.

I like the watery blends, so I was excited to try Undertow, even though I was a little nervous about the lotus which goes straight to pink bubblegum on my skin. But Undertow is a true triangulation between the mint, juniper and lotus. When first applied, the mint is very strong. But after a few minutes everything was balanced again, and the lotus, instead of going gum, went floral-fruity. I love mint so I think I still like Undertow wet, when the mint is more bracing. But the drydown is very nice. Like the tangy sweet smell of water when one accidentally gets a snootful, or the smell of the sea on the air. I'll keep my imp for summertime, when I break out all of my minty blends.

I bought a bottle of Baghdad back when it came out, tested it out, was not terribly excited about it, and tucked it into the back of my box for another day. Eight months later...I thought I'd try this again, and am finding that a little time has been kind to Baghdad. The rose has really mellowed, and the formerly sharp bergamot is now much less prominent. There's still a powdery side to Baghdad that I'm not crazy about, but only when I sniff my skin. In the air around me, it's candied roses and oranges with amber and musk. I still wish I got more spice here, but it's very nice.

Athens really is sweet. On me it's overwhelming honey, with that slightly sour berried wine note. I get just a bit of myrrh. It does seem ancient somehow, straightforward and decadent. It's a golden blend, and strikes me as mead at a bacchanal. There's no blush on the cheek of this honey. I like the idea of Athens, but I don't think I could ever wear this as perfume, as the honey's just too strong for my taste.

I want to love Tombstone, but the cedar is just too sharp for me here to wear on my skin. Besides having a bit of an edge, it elbows all the other notes out of the way. I love what I can smell of the vanilla and sassafras here, I just wish I got more of them. I might try putting a little bit of this on the edge of one of my hoodies to see if it's better off my skin. I always put on a little perfume before I sit down to watch a film, and I really would love to have this for the occasional Western.

The Black Tower is a really complex blend. On my skin is like a darker Mabon, with a splash of Tintagel. There's a note that's slightly astringent and bitter, I think it's the ivy, that strikes me as almost academic. The red wine and ozone are perfectly behaved here, and the overall effect is of wind through ivy, carrying something smoldering and slightly sweet on it from far away. It's incensey but also green. I don't think this is one that I need a bottle of, but I'm keeping the imp. I think this would be an amazing autumn blend on my boyfriend, and there are times when I think I might want to wear a bit as well.

Liquid courage without a hangover? Wolf's Heart seems very useful. Wet, it smells like dragon's blood, jasmine, and maybe a touch of rosemary or eucalyptus? It's warm and herbal. I wore this one today underneath The Living Flame because I was a bit nervous about some things I had to get done. I did feel more confident and strong. What I enjoy about the Voodoo oils is that wearing them causes me to focus on their properties, which in and of itself, seems to help me rise to meet the challenges their use occasioned.

A gentlemen's blend, possessed of dignity, charm and refinement, but in truth masking a corrupted, hideous, soulless core. White musk, lime, lilac and citron. I'm loving Whitechapel. Wet, it's strong lemon/lime. Very strong. But as it dries down, the citrus gets creamy and mellow and the lilac and musk really blossom. I love the Lab's white musk, it's so dreamy. This is another blend that would be great during the dog days of summer, when it gets really hot and I don't want to be surrounded by an incensey perfume. I'm keeping the imp, eventually I might have to get a bottle.

Black Forest on me is all kinds of black musk. That's the note that my skin loves in this blend, and it manages to even drown out the pine, juniper and cypress. The woods are in the background, so it ends up as an outdoorsy black musk on me. Not at all unpleasant, but something that I think I might like more on my boyfriend. I think I might go dab a little bit of this on him right now.

Wanton really does smell like female power and sexuality from another era. I smell like a Suffragette. I'm able to detect the rose (love rose, and it's glorious here), sandalwood, and patchouli (barely) and I guess the sharp note I'm catching must be the palmarosa. I wish I got more patchouli from this, but it's still very evocative and mellow. I don't think this is a blend I'll need a bottle of, but the rose is flipping some happy switch in my brain so I'll definitely be keeping my imp. I just love rose, it's like an affliction.

Oleander with black patchouli, ylang ylang, and neroli. Tisiphone is a blend I've sort of been putting off testing, as it contains ylang ylang and the double ylang is not good on me. But here I can really only smell it when it's wet----as it dries, the blend becomes a lush floral, slightly incensey and dark. The patchouli is truly an underpinning here, it's so well-blended that I'd never know it was one of the notes unless it was listed. I enjoyed Tisiphone much more than I thought I would, but it's not something I need to try again. Even the fleeting wet ylang ylang stage is almost too much for me.