LiberAmoris

Of all the ozone-y blends I’ve tried so far, I think Thunderbird is my favorite! There’s definitely a tang of something from the air, ozone and something citrus. But there’s also something very subtly sweet or floral in there as well, like pear or a wild flower. The overall effect for me is one of cirrus clouds moving quickly across the sky and bright sunlight. There’s something about Thunderbird that definitely soars.

I am loving all the Oblation blends, and Chiroptera is no exception. This smells like lemon-lavender cake to me. Herbal, citrus, with a sweetness that is not at all cloying. I’m usually not the biggest fan of lemon in a blend, as it tends to overpower every other note, but here I really enjoy it. It makes me feel like a little fruit bat! I’m so sorry that it’s being discontinued, as this is one that I might like to replenish when I finish my bottle. But I will just have to use my bottle sparingly and enjoy every drop!

Cerberus is the first Oblation blend I bought, as I just HAD to have it based on the incredible ingredient list. I was really surprised that it wasn’t a bit sweeter---I think the walnut and cubeb give it an odd tang that initially took me by surprise. Wearing it, my skin doesn’t change it that much from the scent in the bottle, but I think I was able to adjust my imagination a little bit and enjoy its dryness and warmth. For me it’s a very rich blend and very boozy, and I definitely smell both the earthy and bitter components of the walnut. Cerberus is very evocative of a dog somehow, as there is something both comforting and feral to it. It’s like running my fingers through the thick hair of a dog---it has a warm animal smell to it that I find really compelling. I will have to be in the right kind of mood to wear Cerberus, but when I am, it will be perfect.

I agree this is definitely a deeper version of The Hesperides. The amber and herbs really enrich the apple, giving it a kind of throbbing presence. This is Eve’s apple; a complicated apple. It’s also a pretty sexy blend. Sort of like the sexiest apple cider ever! I might try wearing this when I feel like a bit of a temptress. I love the scents that manage to be both relaxing and dashing at the same time---and this is one of those scents for me.

Sophia is a surprise favorite for me. It’s hard to describe, but on me it’s a complicated, refined lavender. It’s herbal and floral and unbelievably comforting and soft. I’ve been wearing this one to bed and it’s the most amazing way to drift off to sleep… I cannot put into words how much I love Sophia. Elegant, refined and therapeutic---with the radiance of wisdom and clarity of vision. This blend to me is an embodiment of the Middle English word gentilesse.

Thalia smelled fantastic in the vial but on my skin went sour for some reason. I was dismayed to say the least. I was on my way to wash it off but was interrupted with a phone call. Ten minutes into the phone call, I smelled something really good. Like a bubbly drink made with pear liquor mixed with a peach jolly rancher. Of course, it was Thalia! Something happened in those ten minutes, and all I can say is…right on! I’m going to keep and enjoy my imp. Don’t like it quite enough to put it on my bottle list, but it's very nice.

Chimera is delicious. I am really excited about this blend because I recognize the base from Dana O’Shee, and here it really works on my skin! (Dana O’Shee did not work for me and I felt like a BPAL heretic!) In Chimera, that same almondy, milky, creaminess is layered with a healthy dose of cinnamon and the result is a cinnamon milkshake!

Holy patchouli butter & jelly sandwich! Urd is right up there next to Sin as one of my favorite BPAL patchouli blends. I went ahead and just ordered a bottle of this because I know from experience that I just can’t resist the blends with patchouli in them. I’m so glad I did, as I love this! The patchouli here is sweetened up considerably with the muscadine, which adds a grapey, almost jam-like note. It sounds wacky, but it goes so well with the patchouli and really dresses the blend up a bit. I would not hesitate to wear this to the office in the summertime, as it’s sort of “ patchouli in heels.” Urd is also really comforting. This is a good Saturday perfume for me, as it’s so earthy and low-key. Love it. ETA: Note to self: read review for typos before posting!

Corazon is my favorite of the Oblation scents so far. Maybe because it’s such a gorgeous pink color, or because the label has a beautiful sacred heart on it, or because it’s such a radiant blend of peppery, fruity, and herbal notes. The notes most prominent in the bottle are the mango and lavender. After applying, it seems to spread out like a glow and positively waft from my person. It gives me a feeling of warmth and compassion when I wear it. Unfortunately, on my skin it does not last that long. But while it lasts, it is amazing! I will cherish the rest of my bottle and mourn the fact that it will soon be discontinued.

Spooky struck me as a haunted tropical isle. Scent-wise, I got mint and coconut and a bit of lime with a smooth gourmand-y chocolate around it. That first blast of mint upon application wears off, and the coconut really comes through. The happy frolic of carefree coconut is checked by something darker and more ominous (the chocolate?) that keeps it from being merely foody or lighthearted. Like a thunderous, dark day somewhere in the Caribbean, or a vacation that quickly becomes complicated. The first day I wore it, I got three completely unprovoked compliments from structural engineers. I don’t know if there is a higher compliment for a perfume than that. Spooky seems to me to share a base with Tarot: The Star. So if you like the coconut/lime in Spooky, you might like also The Star.

Storm Moon was all ozone and Irish Springs on me, but I have to say I really enjoy it on those days when I get that...not so fresh feeling. Like days when I don't have time to wash my hair and end up pulling it up in some kind of impromptu bun and feeling kind of grody. Storm Moon is like a shower in bottle! It is a little soapy on me, but I kind of enjoy a soapy scent every once in a while. I think this will be great in the summertime when I'm riding the subway and sticking to the seat because of the humidity. All I need is a couple of drops of Storm Moon and I will feel as though I'm standing out in a rainstorm. Fresh!

Wow, Titus Andronicus is gorgeous. It would be great on a man (am going to run and apply it to the BF as soon as I'm done here) but it's also great on me. It does indeed smell a bit like Haunted, like a cross between Haunted and Iago (sans leather note) to my nose. I think the amber helps to sweeten it up so it's gender-neutral. I looooove amber. To make it darker and more smoky, I'll layer it with Iago. To sweeten it up, I'll layer it with The Lion or Haunted. Mmmmmm. Very, very sexy.

Dragon's Eye was all lilac on me with nothing else discernable. Unfortunately lilac is one of those notes that my skin amps up until it drowns out everything else. I enjoy lilac, but I prefer florals that are tempered by other notes or that are more complex. The comparisons other reviewers have made to sexpot 50s fragrances are dead on, though. Dragon's Eye and a little red lipstick could get a girl into the right kind of trouble.

Kostnice is more floral than incense on me, which was a disappointment. I love Cathedral and really enjoy All Saints so I was hoping for another ‘penitential’ blend to round out my little collection. I also got the dill note; I think it might be the geranium rose that plays that way on my skin. It ended up smelling like spa shampoo on me, a soapy fresh floral. Nice, but not something that I need to wear again.

Strong black tea and milk with white pepper, ginger, honey and vanilla, spilled over the crisp scent of clean linen. Ack, I just cannot do the tea scents. No matter how good they sound, the ‘tea’ note always turns sour on my skin and smells like tea with milk past the expiration date. Unfortunately, White Rabbit is no exception. In the vial it’s utterly delightful, but once it hits my skin it’s bad news. In the vial: lemon, English tea, and ginger. It reminds me a great deal of Sudha Segara at this point, with the addition of tea. On my skin: high tea ruined by adding milk and lemon to the same cup (curdle city). I am so sad that this did not work on me because it’s so gorgeous in the imp. Off to someone whose skin chemistry is more amenable! ADDED April 6: I really wanted to adore White Rabbit, but the tea scents just don’t do it for me. I have worn this one a few times and have been warming up to it slowly, but the tea note still doesn’t really charm my skin the way I would have loved it to. Even though I’m not crazy about the way White Rabbit played itself out on my skin, I still find myself admiring the way the blend captures the downy, dreamy softness of white rabbit fur along with the teatime sequence from Alice’s adventure. This is why I love BPAL.

Mars reminds me a lot of Brimstone in that it smells as if it is about to burst into flame. It’s an incendiary blend, with what I detect as cinnamon, ylang ylang, clove and a spiky floral. It also reminds me quite a bit of Serpent’s Kiss, which was not a favorite of mine. All in all, it’s a perfect blend to describe the red planet and the god of war, but it doesn’t agree with me. I think this would be amazing on a man. Somehow it seems like the kind of smell that would roll off of Vulcan when Venus goes strolling by.

The Lion is so that blend that makes me want to scream: I am woman, hear me roar! It’s a deep and dizzying plunge into amber, amber, and more amber. The savannah spices round out the blend in the most lovely way---I smell something like sweet alfalfa or hops, tall grasses, and something else lingeringly earthy and primal that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s so buttery, warm, downy and golden! Like honey run through the veins of a lion. This is perfect for days when I want a blend that is low key but sexy; the fragrance equivalent for me of designer jeans, black boots and a cozy but devastingly soft black cashmere sweater. Absolutely mind-blowingly gorgeous stuff. I’m so glad I ordered a 5ml based on the description alone. It’s a definite 10ml purchase the next time I make an order. This is a knockout.

Cathode reminds me of the Dylan Thomas Poem with the line "The force that through the green fuse drives the flower." I keep hearing that line today as I catch little bursts of Cathode rising from my sleeves. It's super minty, but once that top layer evaporates a bit, the moss and ambergris come through and really makes it an earthy, sexy, and charged blend. I love the air right before a summer storm, and this is the closest to that feeling that I have found in my BPAL sojourns so far. I notice a similarity between Cathode and both Ice Queen and Nine Mysteries. For fans of those two blends, you might want to give Cathode a try for more minty deliciousness.

Absinthe smells just like the home-brewed bottle of (wormwood-free) Absinthe that was set in front of my boyfriend and I in a back room of a New Orleans bar. Just like it! As a personal fragrance, the licorice/anise smell mingled with the mint might be a bit too pungent and herby for everyday use, but I can see myself popping open this imp in the summer for a dinner date. It's really refreshing and unique.

Were I prone to dramatic gestures, I would be ready to part with my last bottle of commercial perfume (Angel) right this minute. The comparisons between Xiuhtecuhtli and Angel are right on, although Xiuhtecuhtli is more tangy and less sweet. But it’s gorgeous tropical blooms and citrus/fruity vibe are very similar. This seems to me sort of the summer version of Snow White, with the buttery snow removed. I think I will be ordering the big bottle in time for summer, as it seems the perfect scent for sticky, sexy NYC nights out on the town. Or for riding the subway to work when (probability suddenly being on my side) I find myself smushed up against some painfully attractive man who just happens to enjoy brushing up on his Aztec mythology.

Like powdery violet candies with a touch of myrrh. Sybaris is delightfully dark violets, like violet incense that hangs on the air. It’s smoky and sultry and beckoning. And yet, it's also elegant and refined. Like a staid tea party after which the ladies pull out the ouiji board and close the curtains. This is one of those BPALs that I know will slowly wear me down until I decide I absolutely can’t live without a bottle.

As other reviewers have mentioned, Mistletoe is not a complex scent, but it is lovely. I get a very true crushed juniper that does indeed smell like an X-mas tree. I actually kind of enjoy its one-note simplicity, as so many of the other Yule LEs are really complex, and this is almost comfortingly straightforward. It also makes for a great blender, to amp up the other Yule scents when you want more green, and with Rose Red, with which it makes a damn near heavenly wreath.

Oooh, Ice Queen is brisk and refreshing. I get a melon-mint with spruce and a touch of the musk. (Doctor, I think I have a touch of the musk…) This one is so wintry and cold that I think I might save it until July/August/September, when it’s so bloomin’ hot that Ice Queen will be the ultimate personal air conditioner. It will feel amazing to slather some of this on in a lotion and let the mint cool my skin down. Sort of like saving some snow (of which there is currently plenty outside) in the freezer for a mid-summer snowball fight.

Sugar Cookie smells to me like a blend of Gingerbread Poppet with a touch of Sugar Skull. It reminds me of the crisp edges of a sugar cookie right out of the oven. I have actually used it to quell cravings for dessert! When I want to kick Sugar Cookie into serious sweet tooth territory, I layer it with Sugar Skull and walk around in a cookie cloud.

Skadi is what I imagine Christmas potpourri would smell like in the afterlife. It’s got the same blend of holiday spices, evergreenery, and berries that commercial holiday blends try to get right---but don’t. Skadi has all those elements, but adds such depth and complexity. Each note in Skadi is so true and rich! Of the new Yule LEs released this year, Skadi is by far my favorite. Please bring this one back next year!