Lucchesa

Would you like to receive Girl Scout cookies and if so, what kind is your favorite? I love Samoas! Would you like a Gnome amigurumi? (smol knitted or crocheted gnome) These are adorable!!! -- if so, What gnome colors appeal to you? (three-four colors please) Red hat! Blue or green body. -- do any of these patterns appeal to you (I pretty much have all of them including the ones for humans but I'm not going to make a colorwork sweater for you, sorry. I *might* make a hat or mitts if you like grey, blue, and red as shown because I already have that yarn.) Make Gnome Mistake and No Fun Like Gnome Fun How about Gnome tea towel(s)? Absolutely! Would you like a cross stitched gnome picture / ornament? An ornament would be welcome! What's your favorite way to experience Nature? A hike in the woods, a day lounging on the beach, only as screen savers on your computer? A hike in the woods, or a hike to a beach. what kinds of safety and environmental concerns need to be considered for your gnome so they can safely reside at your home? will they live outdoors so they need to be weatherproof (for what kind of weather)? will they be indoors and need to be pet or child-safe? do they need to be very tiny or capable of hanging on a wall? I don't have a very good outdoor environment for a gnome. My pet is small so I can put my indoor gnome out of reach. Zombie/horror gnomes? No, thanks. Feathers from Gary? I have some in a vase in the corner of my office. But I wouldn't say no to more! I can vouch for their excellence. Do you need any seeds? If so what varieties might you be interested in? Flowers, veg, herbs.. ? Only if I can grow them on my windowsill -- parsley? if BPAL is one of your treasures, which BPAL would you like the mostest? (Maybe one that is available right now from BPAL and one Limited Edition/Discontinued?) I have been blessed with much BPAL in recent swaps. If there's one scent I'd love to find most it would be Road to Versailles at Louveciennes because I like to wear it for my Impressionists in the Snow talk and my decant is nearly empty. Another decant would be great. I love to try new things, so I'd be delighted to see decants of anything on my wishlist. If you are a tea drinker, which (if any) of these teas tickle your fancy? Naughty Vicar, Queen of Hearts, Churchill, Coconut Black, Cinnamon Plum, Dickens' Xmas Blend. And I love trying new teas from people's local tea shops! would you like a tiny hand drawn gnome picture? Yes! Is homemade vanilla something you might like? I have a "Mother Jar" that I can decant from. These beans have been steeping for 2 years in a very nice bourbon. Yes please! Are there any colors you would prefer your gnome not to have? No neon or pastel, please. Gnomes should wear red caps and green or blue clothes, I think. If the creativity bites, would you possibly like a small embroidered gnome? Could be an ornament? Any gender preference or details you might like added (small mushroom, bee, heart or egg...)? A gnome ornament would be lovely! With mushroom! Do you have a need for cheese knife? https://ototodesign.com/products/bert-cheese-knife? I don't need a cheese knife but if I did, that would be the one I would need. I'll be in Seattle next week- any treat you might enjoy from the PNW? Spoopy/ Gothy things? Nice coffee beans? A Nirvana t-shirt...? ALSO... Umm, I'll be in Seattle then too. And pretty much every other day. I'll be back in Disney World next month- anything you might like from Epcot or Hollywood Studios? No, thanks. Would you be interested in a small copper nature totem that could nestle in your garden or amongst your plants? I can do some chasing to create a mushroom or a leaf or a special bug fren... Would it work for a houseplant? That sounds lovely! Mushroom, please. Would you be interested in a decorative pillow or zippered pouch featuring a gnomely figure? I don't need any pillows, but I can always use zippered pouches for tarot cards or art supplies. I have an angora rabbit and she's currently molting. Would you like rabbit fur for spinning, felting, or other crafty uses? No, thanks, I'm not sufficiently crafty! Do you need any spices? Always. I always seem to be out of dill and Aleppo pepper. And I love trying new spice blends for roasted veggies. How would you feel about gnome-inspired clothing? Sure! Socks or t-shirt. would you be interested in any horror movie merch? If so, do you have a favorite horror movie / character? No, thanks. Haus of Gloi launched their Valentine goodies today. Anything appeal? https://www.hausofgloi.com/collections/valentines-1 By Candlelight bubbling scrub, soap or candle! Nocturne Alchemy just released their Valentine collection. Is there anything that strikes your fancy? No, thanks. Any Paintbox Soapworks items you want? https://paintboxsoapworks.com/new-limited-edition/new/ Sorbetto in Daisy, Pussy Hat, Moon Shadow, Rice Pudding, or The Cartographer. Buttercup Moisturizing Facial Scrub. Nihilist lotion or cream. Are you interested in some of my homemade brown sugar shortbread? I can do gluten free and/ or monkfruit sweetened. Flavors include "plain" vanilla, chocolate, orange blossom, cherry blossom, lavender, rose, combinations thereof. All of this sounds lovely! Do you have a seed and/or plant wishlist? Seeds may come from my personal stash, or not. Not really. Herbs for my windowsill? So if I were to send you a plant, would you prefer an air plant or a succulent?? Either! Any candles you might like? Be sure to check her clearance for leftovers from Halloween! https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeresaLynnsSimpleLux Its Ok To Take a Break, Russian Tea, love in her eyes, Santa’s Hearth, Vellichor, Falling Leaves and Pumpkins — so many sound great! Lupercalia went live. Anything catch your attention? Lupercalia 2023 – Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab the ones I didn’t order decants of but am interested in: A Medley of Vulvas, Kiseru, Yanagi, Cacao Sweet Patchouli Clove and Green Cardamom, Dark Chocolate Coffee Bean and Rum, Black Cherry Oakmoss Red Amber and Wild Tobacco What is your favorite animal? I love them all!!! Dogs, wolves, cats, big cats, sloths, hedgehogs, bees, dragonflies, butterflies, deer — I’m not so big on reptiles but anything furry. Is there anything you would love from San Diego? Can’t think of anything! But you can visit my favorite painting, the still life by Juan Sanchez Cotan.

I’m all about the licorice blends, so I was puzzled to find I’d only bought an Ajevie slink of this one until I read the notes. Licorice oud sounded an awful lot like black oud, and black oud is not my friend. My caution was misplaced, though. There is nothing fecal here. It’s black salt water taffy with an earthiness provided by the oud and patchouli, and the oud gives it some early throw as well. My only disappointment here is that it is not particularly long lasting on me, but it’s pure delight while it lasts.

Die Pest is very much a cologne on me as well, which I didn’t expect but am not upset by, as I prefer unisex scents and leaning masculine is fine for me. It’s difficult for me to pick out individual notes like myrrh or fig here. Kind of a birch tar cologne with hints of patchouli and peppercorn, slightly softened by the vanilla. If you’re looking for something femme or in the sweet patchouli family, this is not your animal.

Obsequies is quite a bit better on me than I had expected. Usually when there’s a longish note list and I think, “I hope it’s not all rose,” it’s all rose. Here I barely notice the rose. The initial standout notes were myrrh, pale honey, saffron, and what I thought was balsam but is obviously terebinth pine. The patch isn’t appreciable until much later. But this is really about the whole, not the parts. It’s a warm, dry scent, subtly spicy and woody, kind of a cousin to Bastet. It’s got good throw and wear length, both of which are rare on me. I tested Cherry Red on the other wrist and the combination was surprisingly wonderful.

Lots of maraschino cherry right off the bat. This lasts for an hour tops as the bing cherry edges its way in. Gorgeous rich dark red cherry. And then that melds seamlessly with a fruity red musk as if it were a cherry musk. This note usually takes over on me, but the cherry pins it down nicely, while the musk gives it some throw and staying power. I love this — I am sure to reach for it during cherry season!

Lots of spiced vanilla pumpkin and not much mouse. Hardly any sandalwood, sweet pea or amber. I agree with z_z’ assessment that it’s quite like a vanilla pumpkin spice latte. I’m going to try this again next fall and see what it’s settled into.

Soft, green, fruity and dewy. Grape never works on me, and it didn’t occur to me that there might be grapes on the vine. Actually, the fruit sensation is more like melon on my skin. Like Missanneshirleyofgg I wanted the autumnal notes — vines, soil, coffee, thyme — and got an innocent springtime meadow scent instead. Definitely pretty, but not what I was hoping for.

Skeleton Hands starts out as a sweet, nutty sandalwood on me and gradually softens into a warm boozy not-quite-gourmand. This is my sweet spot with foodie blends — I prefer them combined with woods or resins, here both. I don’t get the smokiness or tattoo ink, and at one point the bourbon cream threatened to curdle as all cream notes are doing on my skin lately, but it only flirted with spoiled milk. Mostly it’s a solid comfort scent, perfect for fall.

The Season of Forgiveness is interesting in that I love all the listed notes, and after seven years in the decant, they have become so mellowed and unified that I can hardly pick out a single one. Bare hints of clove/spicy carnation, a backdrop of warm pine similar to that in Golden Priapus, and a lot of warm glowy atmosphere that makes me think there’s an unlisted amber note in here. I love this but not for the reason I thought I would, i.e. the expression of the particular notes, but rather for the overall warmth and beauty that subsumes the components.

Unfortunately I amp the rose resin in Its Own Sweet Will, and that’s all I get here. Rose and galbanum. No fig or, sigh, chestnut; no spices. I’ll try letting it rest a couple weeks to see if it balances out at all. If not, I’ll avoid rose resin in future!

Strawberry is not my usual jam, but every other note here is a winner, and I was curious. A Portrait is a really fun, sweet, upbeat scent. It was all strawberry at first, and then the sugared patch emerged, reminding me of Bears of Berlin. I get some syrupy labdanum but really couldn’t make out much in the way of carnation. So lots of sweet burstingly ripe strawberry with sweet patch, and it lasts a long time on me. I can’t imagine wanting to wear this innocent a scent often, but I ought to — it feels like a good counterweight to nihilism.

Great list, @a_bear! I would add: Haunted — black musk and amber Penitence — frank and myrrh Sloth — vetiver and myrrh Dirty — clean linen Squirting Cucumber Anne Bonny - Frank, sandalwood and patch (unless sandalwood and patch count as wood)

Illuminati Cotillion starts out as pale incense, dry rose petals, and gentle wood, the latter two combining to give a sensation of rosewood. Unfortunately, I never make out any pipe tobacco, which is a scent that is always very fugitive on me. (I would LOVE to find a good pipe tobacco scent that lasted more than 20 minutes on my skin!) The rose goes a little sour on me, as rose + incense often does, but if the combination works for you, this is a lovely rose/wood incense, perfect for world domination.

I was thinking Pomegranate might be a good layering scent. I was wrong. It is a fully rounded perfume all on its own. It starts with dark pomegranate, which never goes too sweet on me here, and elegant amber. This feels like a classic, old-fashioned perfume that just happens to have a pomegranate component. It's rich and sophisticated with good throw, though the wear life is maybe a little shy of average. I have a burgundy velvet dress that this is going to be smashing with.

I was hoping DL, Bourbon, and Bitter Almond would be 2020’s DL & Scotch, my favorite DL ever. Instead, it didn’t wow me then, and wearing it again today, I was still underwhelmed. Dead leaves and almond at first, more a sweet than a bitter almond. Then I get a kind of sweet husky note that must be the bourbon, but it’s kind of non-specific. The dead leaves fade, the almond fades, the bourbon fades. It’s pleasant enough but just didn’t stick around for long on me, and that’s a 2-year-old decant.

This was kindly gifted to me — ordinarily I don’t do tuberose. On me, it’s bright tangy red currant and lots of tuberose with hardly any dead leaves. In fact this is the least dead leafy DL I have ever worn, possibly because my skin’s tendency to amp tuberose is drowning out any leaves. It’s surprisingly pleasant given how little I like tuberose. And it doesn’t stick around terribly long.

If the apple note here were stronger, it would smell almost identical to the Dawn green apple antibacterial dishwashing liquid my husband bought a four-pack of on Amazon. And I don't use antibacterial soap. As the apple note is very faint, this is more like laundry detergent.

Ooky is mostly a somewhat pumpkin-flavored marzipan on me, with a trace of pumpkin spice. It's very sweet, from the buttercream, and the lemon zest gives it a lightness and brightness. It's a total foodie, but not a heavy one. Marzipan is one of my very favorite foodie notes, so I love this. The cinnamon is perfectly well behaved and in the background; I do not get a skin reaction from this. It's the kind of thing I reach for when I'm having a crappy day and just need something to cheer me up.

I completely agree with z_z on this one. Smoky, somnolent, inky, autumnal. I don’t know about poppy leaves — I get the lab’s beautiful opium note, and this pairs gorgeously with Event Horizon. Elegant, mysterious, femme f$@king fatale.

Spring starts out as a whole faceful of spring flowers. It’s hard to pick out individual notes but it seems like there are bulb flowers like narcissi and jonquils, big pink smells like peony, big purple smells like lilac and wisteria — all the flowers, all at the same time. It takes about an hour on me for the incense notes to emerge. Not nag champa, which is awful on me. It’s almost an opium sort of incense, but it’s light enough that it doesn’t drown out the flowers. This scent is very not me, and very not September, and yet I really enjoyed testing it. It’s undeniably beautiful, and if you love florals and lightweight incense, you should have this one.

The clover note in this trio is beautiful and reminiscent of Passionate Shepherd, but in combination with the fern and wild lettuce it didn’t work on me. One or both is too high pitched here. I mostly got this out of curiosity about those two notes — I’ll avoid them in future.

I rarely wear florals, but for a couple weeks each year when the lilacs are blooming, I want to go around in a cloud of lilac. I’ve run out of Eusapia, and I’m hoarding my last quarter bottle of Cave of Treasures, so this is a very welcome addition to my Lilac stash. Lilac and more lilac. I’m sure the vanilla and amber are supporting this somehow, but the overall impression is exactly that cloud of lilac I’m after, with great throw. Pure springtime loveliness.

I didn’t even get a decant of this one because the pineapple just sounded weird. But last year in the crone swap I received a whole bottle and learned what I was missing. These notes harmonize surprisingly well with a lovely balance between juicy and bright and dry and earthy. It’s mostly dead leaves and the sweet, tart pineapple with patchouli grounding; the vetiver doesn’t get much play. And wear length was only 3-4 hours on my (dry middle aged) skin, so, reapply! It pairs beautifully with Autumn Leaves & Haitian Patchouli hair gloss.

Up front, Totality is a whole lot of fig. As it snuggles in on my skin, I start to get the notes I'm really here for -- the patch, the tobacco, the pitch, but they are all cozied up with the fig, and it's not nearly as gnarly a patch as I expected from "abyss of black patchouli." Gentle frank and amber are there but lightly, air notes balancing out the earth notes. This is exactly what I wanted -- the earthy sweetness of fig and tobacco, the grounding of patch, something dark and something golden. Perfect as the days get shorter. I can tell this one is going to be a favorite.

My Il Matto is not nearly as dangerous as starbrow's. (@starbrow, I think we are scent cousins -- I always find your reviews so informative & fun to read and often your reactions are similar to mine). In fact, my Il Matto is the ashtanga yoga teacher at the studio that shut down during the pandemic, half my age and adorably intense. My Il Matto swears by selenite to balance your chakras. He's been smudging his apartment with sage though he worries that it's appropriation. He smells like incense, sandalwood and palo santo and copal. He would never defile his body by smoking tobacco but he might purify himself with it (and worry that it was appropriation). The palo santo and copal are the strongest notes on me, so this has a new age shop feel to it. It's quite nice even if it has less soot and tobacco than I'd like.