The City of Angels
Over 180,000 people have had to evacuate their homes in Los Angeles due to the horrific fires that began on January 7th. At least five lives have been lost, and the destruction of homes, businesses, and landmarks is widespread. The devastation is unimaginable and the depth of loss is crushing.
Please keep my home town and all those who live there in your thoughts.
The Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network is maintaining a list of resources for those affected by the fires
Please consider donating to these organizations that have boots on the ground in Los Angeles right now —
DIRECT RELIEF
Distributes emergency medical aid, hygiene kits, respirators and other critical supplies.
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S WILDLIFE RECOVERY FUND
Distributes money to local organizations that aid in long-term recovery efforts.
CALIFORNIA FIRE FOUNDATION
Provides critical support to surviving families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they serve.
“PASADENA HUMANE SOCIETY
Though they appreciate donations of supplies, monetary donations go the furthest right now.
If you want to help feed people in need:
LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK
Proceeds from the sale of this series will be donated to Direct Relief and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Please consider donating to these organizations—and the organizations mentioned above—directly.
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Genius Loci: Bats of Los Angeles
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California Leaf-Nosed Bat Perfume Oil
Add to cartThe California Leaf-Nosed Bat prefers the desert. They’re homebodies and do not migrate, and they’re also definitely Type A bats, as they don’t hibernate. Go go go!
Nightfall in the desert: Mojave yucca, creosote bush, saguaro, dusty clove, and sacred datura.
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Fire Poppy Perfume Oil
Add to cartA rare wild herb that only grows in California, primarily where fires have recently erupted.
A scent of renewal, a vibrant cascade of crimson, orange, and russet: tangerine, scarlet musk, honey absolute, red amber, pink peppercorn, and champaca.
Please note: this oil is not vegan.
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Ghost Faced Bat Perfume Oil
Add to cartA venerable and well-respected bat, Ghost Face Bats can trace their ancestry to the late Pleistocene era.
Sugared coconut meat, vanilla pods, condensed milk, white honey, and benzoin.
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Lace Lichen Perfume Oil
Add to cartEverybody knows their state flower and state animal —but do you know what the official LICHEN of your state is?
Ramalina menziesii—the lace or fishnet lichen—is an unusually sexy bundle of algae and fungi. Fashioned into elegant, delicate patterns up to a meter long, it is a nest-making material for birds, a vital food source for California’s deer, and is considered to have sorcerous properties that protect against the ravages of lightning.
A pale green filigree: oakmoss, orris absolute, ylang ylang sap, green patchouli, ambergris accord, and sheer vanilla.
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Pallid Bat Perfume Oil
Add to cartI want my rooftop filled with Pallid Bats. Not only are they cute as hell, but their favored meal is the Arizona bark scorpion, whose sting is the most venomous to be found in North America.
Bats > Scorpions
(Sorry, Scorpios!)Tea leaf, bourbon, a sting of white ginger, and Italian bergamot swirled in amber incense smoke.
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Poppies and Lupine Perfume Oil
Add to cartMemories of my lifetime in Los Angeles are entwined with California poppies and lupine. In late winter, the hills near my home would be covered with swaths of orange and lilac—of sunbeams and the shadowed colors of dusk. Then in spring it would all die away as quickly as it appeared.
When I first moved to Philadelphia, I brought a ton of seeds with me so I could start a small California garden and bring a little of my state’s magic with me.
King mandarin, orange, coconut, lilac blossoms, lavender tar, and amber musk.
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Wild Sweet Pea Perfume Oil
Add to cartA stunningly lovely flower that only grows in California. It is integral to the health of recently burnt areas: its roots spread rapidly, anchoring the soil and preventing further erosion.
Vanilla-soaked sweet pea, white sandalwood, and almond milk.