Did you know that one of London’s oldest department stores is also home to one of the most exciting and innovative perfume collections? No, neither did we, until we tested out Liberty London’s own perfume line, BTY; created with some of the best noses in the biz. We’re talking Frank Voelkl (the brains behind Le Labo Santal 33 and Glossier You), Pierre Negrin (Tom Ford Black Orchid), Honorine Blanc (YSL Black Opium) and Gabriela Chelariu (Kayali Vanilla 26 and Lovefest Burning Cherry).
It first launched in 2023 and has been steadily growing, with three new scents recently joining the ranks. Each comes in a bottle inspired by one of Liberty’s iconic prints and pays homage to the brand’s heritage (and, naturally is a piece of art). Inside, though, is where things get interesting. Have you ever wondered what strawberry liquor and condensed milk smell like together? Try Vine Thief. Mimosa and myrrh? Try Ianthe Oud. How about Earl Grey tea and honeysuckle? Liberty Maze. These are some of the most intriguing and exciting perfume combinations — and names! — we’ve come across (and trust us, we’ve seen a lot). Between three beauty editors, we were bowled away.
Of course, all of this isn’t cheap — an 8ml travel bottle will set you back £45, whilst the full monty a cool £225. However, ‘tis almost the season of gifting, and we reckon that these would make a perfect and totally unique Christmas present to yourself or a loved one. Read on for our honest thoughts.
LBTY Ianthe Oud Eau de Parfum, £225
“I love deep, spicy fragrances but even some oud perfumes are too rich for me. Not this one, though. Liberty has perfectly balanced the warm, spicy, intoxicating heart and base notes (cedarwood, myrrh, patchouli, leather and agarwood, aka oud) with the bright and sparkling. Namely mimosa (a sweet, honey-like flower) and bergamot (a fresh, zesty fruit). Altogether it smells expensive and sensual, but also super wearable. I can see myself gravitating to this throughout autumn and into winter.” — Esther Newman, Affiliate Writer
LBTY Liberty Maze Eau de Parfum, £225
“When I first smelt Liberty Maze, I understood why my beauty editor peers think that LBTY rivals some of the bigger, more established fragrance brands: It instantly transported me to a sun-drenched beach in a far-flung destination. Citrusy bergamot, refreshing tea, honey-like jasmine and sweet neroli (from the delicate blossoms of a bitter orange tree) make this an addictive mood-booster. In fact, it earned me the most compliments. No one ever talks on the Tube, but as soon as I sat down, a woman nudged me to ask what I was wearing — it’s that beautiful. Even better? It sticks around, unlike most other orange blossom scents.” — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
LBTY Wild Rosinda Eau de Parfum, £225
“Rose perfumes sometimes get a bad rep for smelling too “grandma-like”. But my first impression of Rosinda, LBTY’s take on the rose perfume, is the furthest thing from that. The perfume opens with invigorating whiffs of black pepper and wild currant, which gives the Bulgarian rose and geranium in the heart notes a peppier edge. The floral scent then dries down to a sultry woodsy finish, featuring saffron, patchouli, amber and a touch of oud. It’s not the type of overpowering floral you’d expect from a rose-centred perfume, but rather something that resembles a crackling fireplace — which feels perfectly seasonal for autumn.” — Venus Wong, Senior Writer
LBTY Hera Reigns Eau de Parfum, £225
“This is an acquired smell, and while it’s a little too masculine for me, it made an excellent impression on my partner. It has so many layers; one spritz evokes leather jackets, tobacco and tequila. It changes slightly as it dries down, though. I imagine this is what a Georgian London coffeehouse would smell like: Bitter coffee beans and plumes of fragrant smoke. It’s commanding and utterly fearless.” — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
LBTY Zephirine Eau de Parfum, £225
“Zepherine smells so nostalgic to me. It starts with a burst of juicy fruity-floral notes — especially rose — but then dries down into a creamy, comforting mix of fig, sandalwood and suede. It reminds me so much of the perfume my gran wore and so I’ve been spritzing it around my house to fill my space with more memories of her. In fact, I teared up the first time I smelt this!” — Esther Newman, Affiliate Writer
LBTY Tudor Eau de Parfum, £225
“Contrary to its name, Tudor is neither dark nor brooding. On the first spritz, it’s the juniper — bright and refreshing, like an icy gin and tonic — that jumps out at me. On the dry down, woody nutmeg and warm amber envelop my skin and lend every wave of scent a festive feel, much like pine trees. The greenness gives it a crunchy and invigorating quality, but it’s also clean and soapy, and that’s so soothing to me as an anxious person! For that reason, I’ve spritzed all of my comforting hoodies and coats with it. I can’t stop smelling myself when I wear it.” — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
LBTY Adelphi Sun Eau de Parfum, £225
“This is sunshine in a bottle — and the perfect antidote to the dreary autumn weather. There are a handful of commanding notes in here like peppery cardamom and syrupy jasmine but it’s the zingy, floral grapefruit that really comes up trumps. It’s equal parts warm and quenching and reminds me a lot of fragrant Turkish tea. Throughout the day, the citrus notes settle on the skin and it transforms into something really warm and comforting. If you like citrus scents but find that the staying power just isn’t there, then you’re going to love this. It sticks around for hours and I could still smell it when I went to bed.” — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
LBTY Vine Thief Eau de Parfum, £225
“How has Liberty captured yet another deeply nostalgic scent so perfectly? After the initial spritz which is strongly alcoholic, the dry down on this perfume is sweet and comforting in only the way you remember your strawberry-flavoured birthday cake as a child. I think it must be the base combination of skin musk, condensed milk and vanilla. It’s a winning combination to trip the senses in much the same way Phlur’s Missing Person does.” — Esther Newman, Affiliate Writer
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