Lucchesa
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Everything posted by Lucchesa
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@biggest_ghost Oh, yes. You want Dee. Here's the full scent description: John Dee: master of science, alchemy and magic, Hermetic philosopher in the schools of Rosicrucian Christian Mysticism and Platonic-Pythagorean doctrine, and Queen Elizabeth’s astrologer, advisor, cryptologist and spy. With Edward Kelly, he created a field of study and work in Angelic Evocation, and isolated the Angelic language: Enochian. His scent is soft English leather, rosewood and tonka with a hint of incense, parchment and soft woods. Or if you want to smell like an alchemist, there's Brimstone. Or Incantation is kind of dark wizardy. The Black Tower definitely has some of that "summoning the spirits of the dead" vibe, and Scholar's Tower for more theoretical wizardry. And if you want to smell like a wizard who's been consorting with broomstick-riding witches in forest orgies, Diese Dumpfen Pfaffenchristen or any of the Walpurgisnacht scents might be an excellent choice. That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure there are more. Don't despair!
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This is a delight! Lovely warm sugary pumpkin melded with fruity red musk. I'm not getting brimstone, and I was hoping for that note to balance the fruitiness somewhat, and maybe it will develop with some aging, but I don't really care because the red musk isn't walking off with this one. I get killer throw, which although unusual for my skin chemistry can happen with red musk, but it's usually all red musk and instead I get the musk and the warm pumpkin and sugar notes too, and it's really an upbeat scent. And a safe-for-work red musk. I applied around 6 last night and can still smell it this morning.
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I forgot about the honey, so I was surprised when Etienne de Boray had a foodie element to it. Manuka must be a honey that works particularly well on me, one of the warm golden ones. This is a radiant scent. I get just a whisper of lavender at the beginning, and no one note is prominent here, it all blends together to create the impression of sitting under a tree in the sunlight, bark, soil, leaves, moss, dust motes bright in the air. I can't make out pine needles so don't avoid this if you dislike evergreen notes because they're very faint here. I wore this for a hard workout and it did go through a wonky stage, exactly what feyofthefellwood describes as the honey getting funky between wet and dry -- I'll have to try it again without sweat to see if it still happens on me. Nevertheless, just lovely.
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Visions II is definitely dominated by the rose geranium. The balsam is apparent in the decant but largely absent on my skin; I get less leather, patch and opoponax than I wanted and far more violet leaf, violet being a nemesis of mine. I do like geranium but I was hoping for more of the supporting players.
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This goes on exactly as the name and inspiration suggest, in an aggressive strike of pine pitch and metal. Teak can smell like caramel on my skin, but I'm not getting that at all. I wore this for a hard workout and it held up beautifully to sweat and movement. Afterwards -- about 90 minutes after application -- it has softened considerably. Now it's lovely soft pine, a bit of sweet tobacco, and a hint of metal. I've been buying a lot of evergreen scents lately, but I may need more of this.
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Yesterday WOSOTD: Hope and Fear Set Free. Wore it for the 45-minute online yoga. Which was OK, not great. Today it's raining again. We should get a break this evening. So I googled best fun workout videos and came up with Kukuwa Fitness. Did a very sweaty 45 minute dance and sculpt video in my bedroom. The sound quality wasn't great in parts but the energy was amazing. Testing Etienne de Boray and Thunk. The latter held up better to the workout than the former. I want to thank you guys for the inspiration to do this! Before @VetchVesper's challenge, I had worked out with an online instructor maybe once the whole pandemic. Now that it's the rainy season, I need to shift gear from the walking, and you all are fantastic spirit guides!
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Looking for Beeswax Recommendations That Don't Have Honey
Lucchesa replied to FloridaFledgling's topic in Recommendations
Seconding No. 93 Engine, thirding V'al Ha Nissim, and adding The Writing on the Slate from 2017 Yules: beeswax candles, chalk, and dust. And I can't wait to try Endless Corridors! I'm assuming you've tried The Lights of Men's Lives and it reads as honey? If not, it's one of my very favorite GCs and certainly worth adding an imp to your next lab order to see if it works on you: The wax and smoke of millions upon millions of candles illuminating the walls of Death’s shadowy cave: some tall, straight, and strong, blazing with the fire of life, others dim and guttering. -
I amp grape and wine notes, so sadly on me Harvest Moon 2020 smells like mulled Manischewitz and fruitcake, with some buttery pumpkin also apparent. No dead leaves, no evergreens, herbs or woodsmoke. I'm sure this decant will find a better home.
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Hugs right back at you! And you, @Amazonia. I wish I had thought of doing a ritual or anything like that. Instead, just dealing with my own anxiety. I'm sorry I've been MIA these past few days, but I have been in action. We had three stunning days of perfect fall weather, brilliant sunshine, vivid colors, so I got out each day. Saturday I wore Samhain and walked to the rose garden to meet three friends -- it's our coronavirus hangout instead of happy hour. A little over 5 miles round trip. Sunday I wore Dia de los Muertos and took Abby on a morning walk in gorgeous Carkeek Park, 2.5 miles, then in the afternoon I played ping pong at the outdoor tables in Greenwood Park. This was suggested by my neurologist as good for warding off dementia, and my very overweight friend Judy said that she used to be a ping pong champion and would love to play with me. I was skeptical, but damn if she isn't a better player than I am despite her two knee replacements. Monday Dia de los Muertos again -- it's too floral to be a usual scent for me, but I enjoy it and always wear it Nov 1-2. Abby and I met a friend and walked in Ravenna Park. So my step count was great for a few days. Yesterday it was pouring rain -- the spectacular weather has come to an end. I just wore a comfort scent, Pumpkin Tobacco. But I'll be trucking out all my hope scents in the days to come. I did a 60-minute live power yoga class on Insight Timer. I didn't love the instructor -- he kept making rhymes, which is irritating -- but it was hard and I'm sore this morning. In the late afternoon we caught a brief rainless window and my son and I walked Abby to Green Lake to drop off his ballot, his first vote. And now we wait. There's a 45-minute self care yoga on Insight Timer at 9, so I'll probably do that. Courage!!!
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Loaf was the Lilith I was most excited about because it's like nothing else I have worn. It starts out with a lot of rye and caraway, then added to that is the fresh-baked bread, not too sweet, and then a salty butter note. I'm not sure I can smell any rosemary. It has no throw on me (which is not unusual for my skin chemistry) but is an oddly comforting skin scent and may indeed be bottle worthy.
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Dang, @Amazonia, that is a hard workout!!! Congrats on inspiring your husband!!! Today I walked to the farther away post office and then to the little tea shop a few blocks farther down, about 5.5 miles round trip. They had restocked some of the teas I was interested in trying (Pirate King and Kaboom), and I needed some lapsang souchong, too. I was sweaty by the time I got to the post office. I tested some Liliths this morning but for my walk they had faded so I put on Samhain. Which I love. It's still going strong. Every time I put it on, I wonder why I don't wear it more of the year.
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On me, the apple cider note in Our Little Crypt Ghoul takes over. It's a very nice apple , reminiscent of the apple note in Samhain, but I was hoping for more of the dirt and sage and especially squirreltail. I get apple cider against a grassy backdrop. I'm going to keep the decant around a while to see if the other notes develop. If you love fresh scents and apple, you need to try this.
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The main note I am getting from Shadows and Light is smoke. It combines with the white musk and lavender to make this a little higher-pitched blend than I usually wear. I was hoping the cognac would balance out the other notes, but I'm not getting any appreciable cognac at all. This has great staying power for a scent that just arrived in yesterday's mail.
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@Amazonia 7 x 7. Very auspicious. Also, I’m a few years older than you are. @VetchVesper Nice work! I don’t remember that about the Addams Family — I’ll have to watch some episodes. Yesterday I put on Dead Leaves and Maple Sap from last year’s marvelous leaf pile and did a 30 minute “power yoga” video on YouTube. Not sure what about it constituted power yoga, but it was a fast flow. I was supposed to bike to a friend’s in the afternoon, a hard 20-minute ride there, an easy coast home, but she wasn’t feeling well, so I didn’t do anything. I was going to test my Liliths that came yesterday, but DL & Maple Sap lasted and lasted. So good. I’m sore today from the yoga. This morning I played tennis and got sweaty. Which you can do playing tennis even if you’re terrible. I was death matching All Head, All Spine and Western Diamondback at a forumite’s request, so it was a leather and snake oil day. Tomorrow, Liliths!
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@Amazonia Be careful! When I first started doing yoga, coming up on ten years ago, an instructor I had never met before urged me into wheel and I hurt myself. It’s why I’m so leery of that pose. It was hot yoga, too, where I feel the heat gives you less awareness of your body’s limits. Old? You’re a fit, toned badass!
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@Amazonia If you look great and feel great, who cares what the scale says? Awesome work! @Madame Mew I’m in Seattle, but my son, if he ever goes back, is a student at UP and my daughter is applying to Reed, Lewis and Clark and Portland State. I love Portland! I usually don’t even try wheel unless I have a teacher supporting me. Awesome job!!! Today I was testing Shelter on one wrist and Cedarwood, Vanilla Absolute and Tolu Balsam on the other. I walked to an independent bookstore to get a birthday present for a friend. About 40 minutes.
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Are we at 30 days already??? Goal for this coming month: some intervals and some strength training. You are all inspiring me so much!!! And I have done a really good job at getting outside when the weather permits. Which, if you don't mind the cold and damp, is most of the year in the PNW. Today I wore Pumpkin Tobacco and took Abby for a walk in the arboretum with my aunt and uncle and mother-in-law. I got my steps in, but it was not really exercise. My MIL in particular was strolling at a very leisurely pace. Abby loved it. Pumpkin Tobacco is beautiful. Yesterday I wore The Mournful Influence of the Unperceived Shadow. Dark, dark, dark resins. Better throw than I remembered, too. We went (Abby and I) for a walk in Carkeek Park. It was chilly. It was sunny. It was a gorgeous autumn day filled with brilliant leaves and babbling streams. Abby has had a very happy couple of days.
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This! Though I haven’t tried any of the PSIYs because I’m not keen to smell like funnel cake. @Madame Mew You can do that? That angle thing? OMG! That’s awesome! (Google it and be impressed, folks!) Great work, everyone!!! I’ve got some catching up to do, but I’ve been keeping track. Thursday morning I went for a walk in a beautiful place with my aunt. Only 45 minutes because I was pressed for time, not having completed a work thing for the afternoon. I wore Epidote Phoenix with the rationale that if I kept wearing Weenies they were never going to drop AND it worked! Epidote is one of my all-time favorite forest scents. Highly recommended for nature walks. Friday I didn’t get out until after dark and just did a brisk 45-minute walk through my neighborhood. I was wearing Poem in a Snowdrift HG which is strong but had forgotten to apply perfume. Yesterday I had 200 postcards to mail so I walked to the post office that’s open Saturday, about 5 miles round trip. And I wore October because I love it and generally reserve it for this month, which is fast coming to an end. Today it’s bright and sunny out and currently 37 degrees. Brr! But not raining, so I will do something outside!
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WOSOTD: October. I did a ten minute yoga video this morning then a walk to the post office and pharmacy during another splash of sunshine in a rainy day. Good work, @Seajewel and @Amazonia!!!
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Yes, yes, yes, thank you all for keeping me motivated!!! And that line about Amazonia's weather got me out into the bright, unexpected early autumn sunshine since the weather in the Pacific NW is now officially unpredictable (yesterday was supposed to be cloudy, it rained most of the day). If it's nice, I'd better get my ass outside. About a 45 minute walk with some good hills. WOSOTD was Hoiru because I didn't manage to get anything on before heading out for a very stressful doctor's appointment, and Hoiru was the most comforting scent I had in my car (usual purse decants were in my travel bag -- need to remedy that!). Hoiru's really lovely, but not exactly motivating. Anyway, the doctor prescribed high intensity interval training and/or weight training and yoga or tai chi. She particularly felt yin yoga (which I pretty much hate) would be good for my anxiety. So I'm going to be finding some online workouts to do. She said sweating every day is something to aspire to, to keep the brain healthy. So glad I have you all to keep me going!
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Hello, witchy friends! Nice work, @Seajewel and @Madame Mew! I have a decent of the unholy basketball scent coming, too! I hope it works for me. Yesterday two shorter walks: one to the dollar store for more envelopes and one to the post office for the lady of the Vote Forward letters. WOSOTD: Two Sheep and Two Goats which I haven’t worn since last fall but it’s SO beautiful!!!!!! And lasted all day and apparently got onto my Fitbit because I can still smell it on my left wrist 36 hours later. Today’s scent: Studie Einer Zeige which has an almost fizzy feel. I did a long walk but not an intense one. I kept stopping to take pictures of autumn leaves.
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WOSOTD: Black Annis. I walked to -- ready for it? -- the post office. To mail more GOTV letters. Pretty much a slug the rest of the day.
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Hi, all!!! WOSOTD: Dead Leaves and Red Carnation. I made my son leave the house 45 minutes early for his orthodontist appointment (I said an hour, but he didn't comply) so that we could walk the dog on a trail near the orthodontist. She is reluctant to walk starting from home but loves to walk in any unfamiliar area -- park, hiking trail, she was ecstatic to be out exploring. We only got in a 30 minute walk because of drive time, but it was good, it was outdoors, it was better than nothing. An hour is WAY better than nothing, @Madame Mew! @Amazonia, I love the creativity in incorporating your granddaughter into your workout!
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Cedarwood, Vanilla Absolute & Tolu Balsam
Lucchesa replied to zankoku_zen's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Wet, this was all cedar bark, and it was loud, like you'd just fallen off the swing at the playground and were sitting in the freshly re-mulched cedar chips. But it calmed down pretty quickly on me. It's still cedar dominant, but the balsam is there too, and possibly the vanilla, though it is having trouble standing up to the cedar. There's definitely a sweetness, but evergreens always sweeten on my skin. I wouldn't say it's obviously vanillic. One of the most beautiful realistic cedars I've tried recently. -
Not sure what year my Twisted Oak Tree decant is. I like it a lot. It has the cologney feel of the dead leaves note with wood and ivy. Very outdoors in the fall. It's not aquatic on me, nor am I getting any appreciable moss, and over its wear length, which is a good eight hours or so, it softens and sweetens as forest scents tend to do on my skin.