Lucchesa

I should have ordered more of this. I don’t think I need a whole bottle, but more than a decant would be nice. My father was a middle school woodshop teacher, so these kinds of scents are very nostalgic for me. It starts off newly planed bird’s eye maple and machine oil — this is Robotic Scarab’s wooden cousin. The rust and smoke notes are very gentle on me. It dries down into mainly wood and sap. I love this!

Carved Wooden Cultist Lair turns into single note incense on my skin. I wish I got starbrow’s beeswax. Or z_z’s woodsy dark musk. It’s the exact same incense as in certain other BPALs my brain is refusing to name. It’s nice, especially about an hour in, but my skin has obliterated its complexities.

Spumoni is my 2022 foodie. I ate lots of spumoni as a child. Chocolate, cherry, pistachio. In a perfume. Perfect.

When Burn Pile first hit my skin, it was so blackly smoky that I thought I would reserve it for ritual use. It would have been perfect for the shredded text messages my best friend and I sent up in flames after the guy I who’d been leading her on for weeks showed his true colors. But an hour or so after application, it has dried down into something quite lovely, with the across edges smoothed away. Dark smoky resin, very atmospheric. Would pair well with smudged black eyeliner.

The cranberry note here surprised me. I was expecting Ocean Spray juice or Craisins— in other words, highly sweetened, almost candied cranberry. Which is why I only ordered one cranberry bog decant. Like actual cranberries, however, CHS&PR is not at all sweet. The cranberry is earthy and tart and dominates the opening. After a while I get the sandalwood too, also not appreciably sweetened by the honey. Like a sprinkling of honey dust. Very little patch on me at this point, but I’ll keep this decant because the cranberry-sandalwood combination is like nothing else I own and is really appealing.

I wore This Is the Day on my way to meet an old friend this morning. It is absolutely lovely. Without looking at the notes, I thought there must be labdanum in here, as there's something of its slightly spicy sweetness, but that's probably the actual (but not overwhelming) spices from the figgy pudding. Lots of fig and vanilla, non-gnarly patchouli, and no appreciable smoke or vetiver on me. I only got about four hours wear length from it, but it's worth reapplying.

I was lucky enough to receive a decant of this in a circular swap, and I believe it may be a very well-aged decant. On me, it's mostly frankincense, with myrrh and labdanum playing backup resins. This is a treat for frankincense lovers. I don't get any leather and only a faint trace of wood. Perhaps the leather is more apparent when it's fresh. I'm delighted to have tried it, but I think my decant will suffice.

Have I never reviewed Goblin? It's the closest the GC comes to a single-note patchouli. Gnarly? Maybe. Rich and beautiful, yes, and sweetened and softened slightly by the benzoin and the black coconut, which reads more like coconut husk on me. A joy for patch lovers.

I'm a big fan of Event Horizon when I want to go dark and femme: Black opium, labdanum, opoponax, black orchid, and benzoin. Imps (sample vials) are the way to go when you're first figuring out what you like. Some of the things I thought I would like (jasmine) were terrible on me while other things I thought I hated (patchouli) are now huge favorites. I have extra decants of Event Horizon and Bastet if you'd like me to send them your direction. PM me!

Haunt is not quite what I was hoping for. I wanted the dead leaves to temper the sweetness of the Snake Oil, but instead I get them sequentially: first DL, then SO. Instead of Dorian, I get what smells on my skin like Snake Oil with a dab of TKO. No smoke at all. I think I was wanting something more like the love child of SO and DL on Fire. I’ll have to try that!

Raven Moon 2022 is pretty similar to how I remember the 2012 version smelling. Lots of myth and black musk, with a soft vanillaed patch in the background and the spices barely discernible. It’s nice but not a standout on me.

Lovely! Warm and snuggly, with good wear length. I’m getting lots of tonka and oak and a soft sandalwood all sweetened by a little beeswax. No discernible vetiver, which is a shame, but it’s still lovely.

Leather, leather, leather. I want there to be beeswax. And balsam and tobacco and smoked vanilla, all among my favorite notes. Nope. Just leather. Nice leather, but leather. I'll hang onto this decant and see if any of the secondary notes develop with time.

Received as a frimp in a decant circle (thank you, @VetchVesper!) a couple years ago. I quite like this one! A sprightly citrus with evergreen and ozone. Not my usual thing but effervescent and mood lifting.

I purchased The Orgy buy one, get one free with a backup of a bottle I really wanted. This was the free one. I wanted to try it because I love Hogarth and it's one of my favorite of his images, but I was worried about the rose and even more about the lead. And sure enough, the opening is rough. It's pretty much bandaids and alcohol. A wound, in other words. Sadly, it doesn't get a whole lot better on me. The alcohol dissipates, but instead of leather and port I get sweet rosy bandaids. I'll have to pass this one on.

I’ve never reviewed Haunted? It’s one of my favorites. So simple, so evocative. Bright amber and dusky musk, with that lemony tinge black musk often has. Like many amber-based scents, it feels old fashioned to me (in a good way) and lasts well.

I only got a decant of The Haunted Mill when it came out because I am avoiding oud, but it’s very much in the background here, not problematic at all. The other notes are all favorites, and it’s a lovely blend, kind of a cross between a weenie and a Yule. The patchouli also stays in the background, and it’s primarily soft leather and opium tar on me, with woody base notes. Much more comforting than forbidding!

Voodoo Lily starts out with that citrus that threatens to go all lemon pledge on me. It pulls back from full cleanser mode though the citrus remains prominent, backed with a heady lily and a hint of spice. Fruity lily is not for me.

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.