Yule 2023
A season of celebration hardly seems attainable at the moment, and yet perhaps that’s exactly what we need: an external source of joy and excuses to gather together, offsetting the dreadful uncertainty that has settled in ahead of the bone-deep chill of winter.
Never fear, this year’s Yule offerings are replete with the treats, tales, and fancies you have come to expect from us when the sunlight grows scarce. And because the days have been particularly dark as of late, we’ve also launched a series of fundraiser scents benefiting World Central Kitchen, a trusted organization which is supplying emergency humanitarian aid in places like Gaza where the bombardment of critical infrastructure is leaving people without basics such as food and water. You may donate directly here: https://wck.org/
It’s often said that what we give to others comes back to us in one way or another; it’s impossible to know whether that’s true, or if it even matters. What matters most is that year after grueling year, we all keep turning ourselves inside out searching for evidence that the spirit of generosity still persists — and whether it was there all along, or is summoned as a result of such strenuous searching, we end up reunited with it, receiving the natural blessings that it confers.
Receiving generosity isn’t easy either, and it can be especially hard to feel worthy of pleasure and contentment and at a time when so many are left without such basic human comforts. Our wish for everyone this year is that your spirits will be buoyed by opportunities for communal exchange, that your hearts will be warmed by proximity to goodness and safety, and that you will not refuse these consolations purely on ascetic principle. Accepting one’s deserved sense of connection and celebration is part of how we embody the enduring soul of hope — which very much belongs in each of us, regardless of how dire the news may be at any given moment.
So pull up a chair near our fireplace (set just off the Lavender Kitchen) and get cozy. Your anxieties are welcome here, but not needed; your contributions are appreciated, but not expected. Have some gingerbread! You don’t even have to help with the dishes, because none of this is entirely real… but isn’t it interesting how tangible these comforts can seem? And how much more motivated we are in our daily struggles, when we don’t feel like we must conquer them alone?
May you know such peace. May it gradually proliferate throughout the world.
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Carved Wooden Holiday Village 2023
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Gingerbread Cotillion 2023
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Grove of Pomegranates 2023
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Holiday Vice Duets
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Santa Doesn't Need Your Help 2023
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Snow on Snow, Snow on Snow
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The Lavender Kitchen
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A Doll’s Doll Perfume Oil
Out of StockSomething to hold and play with during the solitude imposed by winter: cool porcelain cheeks glowing with a blush of spun sugar, lacy carnation frills delicately strung with pearlescent snowberries, and the faintest dusting of chimney soot.
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Black Julbocken Alchemy Lab Perfume Oil
Out of StockOur winter mascot! A musky, snow-touched, forest-deep Yuletide blend: shaggy black wool and a slushy tangle of juniper, mistletoe, winter sage, spikenard, white moss, and terebinth.
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Blackberry Apple Sufganiyot Perfume Oil
Out of StockSugar-sprinkled sufganiyot filled with blackberry jelly and spiced roasted apple.
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Blizzard Perfume Oil
Out of StockSnow:
years of anger following
hours that float idly down —
the blizzard
drifts its weight
deeper and deeper for three days
or sixty years, eh? Then
the sun! a clutter of
yellow and blue flakes —
Hairy looking trees stand out
in long alleys
over a wild solitude.
The man turns and there —
his solitary track stretched out
upon the world.
– William Carlos Williams
A solitary track stretched out upon the world: grey amber and white oud, ti leaf, vanilla ash and white sandalwood. -
Carved Wooden Alchemical Laboratory Perfume Oil
Out of StockThe Lab isn’t open to the public, but you can smell it from the street: hundreds of tiny wooden bottles of Snake Oil, marked with wee paper labels and packed off in tiny cardboard boxes.
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Carved Wooden Bakery Perfume Oil
Out of StockBe sure to visit early in the morning to watch as scores of flaky chocolate-filled croissant are rolled out on a walnut countertop with a maplewood rolling pin.
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Carved Wooden Barber Shop Perfume Oil
Out of StockMany an hour has been whiled away in this gentlemanly retreat: skin-warmed steel, fresh cedar shavings, a creamy fougere lather, a soothing splash of orange blossom water, and the distant memory of blood and bandages.
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Carved Wooden Bawdy House Perfume Oil
Out of StockLet your fingers wander along this ornately carved teak banister, polished to a high gloss by the rough hands of countless miniature clients being led upstairs to taste trickles of sugar maple sap, illuminated by a cherry-red light and suffused with decadent, lustrous perfumes.
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Carved Wooden Post Office Perfume Oil
Out of StockWe owe everything to the USPS! And we certainly wouldn’t mind waiting in line surrounded by this ink-smudged, papery shuffle of letters, parcels, and holiday cards stuffed into a mahogany mailbox cabinet covered in shiny brass doors with a faint whiff of fruitcake.
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Gingerbread & Leather Perfume Oil
Out of StockThey ride again! Black leather, gingerbread, clove, and tobacco.
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Gingerbread Ghost Perfume Oil
Out of StockAn otherworldly snack: gingerbread twisted in ivy and chilled by white iris, osmanthus, calla lily, gladiolus, lisianthus, and delphinium.
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Gingerbread London Fog Perfume Oil
Out of StockSteeped a bit too long because I wandered off and forgot about it.
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Gingerbread Snek Perfume Oil
Out of StockGingerbread thickened with molasses and patchouli, spiced with Snake oil, and frosted with sugared vanilla bean.
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Hard Luck Lollipop Perfume Oil
Out of StockEach year, the organization Transanta gathers holiday wish lists from young trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people, setting them up with registries so that well-wishers online can provide everything they can’t count on from their family or community — including gender-affirming items which might otherwise elude them. You may more and/or donate directly here: https://www.transanta.com/
You can view the wish lists here:
https://www.instagram.com/transanta/
This year’s fundraiser scent is a wish for enjoyment that transcends hard conditions: a cotton candy-flavored lollipop blessed with a pinch of grit and petrichor.
Proceeds from this scent will be donated to Transanta through their fiscal sponsor, Allies in Arts, a 501(c)3 non profit.
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Hearth Perfume Oil
Out of StockSweet pipe tobacco, cherry wood, the warm, worn leather of an easy chair and a pleasant, subtle waft of fireplace smoke.
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Hildegard’s Cakes of Joy Perfume Oil
Out of StockNutmeg (Nux muscata) has great heat and good moderation in its powers. If a person eats a nutmeg, it will open up his heart, make his judgment free from obstruction, and give him a good disposition. Take some nutmeg and an equal weight of cinnamon and a bit of cloves, and pulverize them. Then make small cakes with this and fine whole wheat flour and water. Eat them often. It will calm all bitterness of the heart and mind, open your heart and impaired senses, and make your mind cheerful. It purifies your senses and diminishes all harmful humors in you. It gives good liquid to your blood, and makes you strong.
The best grain is spelt (spelta). It is hot, rich, and powerful. It is milder than other grains. Eating it rectifies the flesh and provides proper blood. It also creates a happy mind and puts joy in the human disposition.</em>
– Hildegard von Bingen’s Physica, translated by Priscilla Throop
A hearty, humor-balancing, cheer-inducing cake crafted with spelt, nutmeg, clove, and a dollop of honey.
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Hymn to St. Brigid Perfume Oil
Out of StockFar above enthroned in glory
Sweetest Saint of Erin’s Isle
See thy children kneel before thee
Turn on us a Mother’s smile.
Sancta Mater, hear our pleading
Faith and hope and holy love
Sweet St. Brigid, Spouse of Jesus,
Sent to us from Heaven above.
Sweet St. Brigid, Erin’s children,
Far and near o’er land and sea
In the world and in the cloister
Fondly turn with love to thee.
Sancta Mater, sooth the mourner
Shield the weary tempted soul
Sweet St. Brigid, guide thy children
To thy bright and happy home.
A bounty of butter, honey, and sweet cream.
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Krampus Perfume Oil
Out of StockHappy SEVENTEENTH ANNIVERSARY to our Krampus perfume!
This scent is anything BUT jolly! Draped with chains and bells, wielding both whip and rod, this rag-clad, horned, red-skinned, soot-covered leering creature is both the companion and the antithesis of rosy-cheeked and ebullient Kris Kringle. He is called by many names, and, in a myriad of cultures, he is seen with different robes and faces, but he is nevertheless always a sinister and fearsome instrument of Santa’s wrath: he wields a switch on all irredeemably naughty children before tossing them into his large black sack and whisking them away.
Be good, or Krampus will toss you in a river! Sinister red musk, black leather, dusty rags, and wooden switches.
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Lavender Brownie Perfume Oil
Out of StockA chewy-edged brownie that gently bites back, studded with cacao nibs and lavender baking morsels
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Lavender Coconut Cream Pie Perfume Oil
Out of StockBillows of lavender-tinged whipped cream luxuriating on a silky bed of coconut custard.
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Lavender Earl Grey Cookies Perfume Oil
Out of StockA bitter, tea-stained ache soothed by softly herbaceous sugar cookies.
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Lavender Honey Cake Perfume Oil
Out of StockEvery crumb sticks to the fork: a dense, lightly-spiced cake glazed in raw honey gathered from bees who thrive on lavender nectar.
[This blend is vegan!]
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Lavender Lemon Bar Perfume Oil
Out of StockRibbons of thick curd cooling in a crust flecked with crystallized purple buds.
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Lavender Plum Galette Perfume Oil
Out of StockA mouth-watering mixture of glistening plum wedges and ground almonds, enfolded in flaky crust and drizzled with lavender sea-salted caramel.
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Lavender Rosemary Baguette Perfume Oil
Out of StockPerfectly crusty and yeasty with a pillowy-soft interior, sprinkled with lavender sea salt and brushed with herbed olive oil.
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Mari Lwyd Perfume Oil
Out of StockAn echo of the rites of Rhiannon, the Great Queen and Mother of Horses, the Mari Lwyd is a Midwinter tradition in Wales. The beribboned Grey Mare travels door to door with her entourage, seeking permission to wassail and initiate a contest of wit: the pwnco, a battle of improvised verses filled with good-natured ridicule set to song. If the Mari party were victorious, they were invited into the home to partake of ale and cakes and provide entertainment for the family.
Welsh cakes and ale with a smattering of dried lavender.
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Midnight Mass Perfume Oil
Out of StockI will wash my hands among the innocent; and will compass thy altar, O Lord: That I may hear the voice of thy praise: and tell of all thy wondrous works. I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of thy house; and the place where thy glory dwelleth. Take not away my soul, O God, with the wicked: nor my life with bloody men: In whose hands are iniquities: their right hand is filled with gifts.
But as for me, I have walked in my innocence: redeem me, and have mercy on me. My foot hath stood in the direct way: in the churches I will bless thee, O Lord.
In Roman Catholic tradition, the Christmas season begins liturgically on Christmas Eve, though it is forbidden to celebrate the Christmas Mass before midnight. The most devout attend Midnight Mass, celebrating both the Eucharist and the drama of the Nativity.
This perfume is a traditional Roman Catholic sacramental incense, most often used during a Solemn Mass. Traditionally, five tears of this incense, each encased individually in wax that has been fashioned into the shape of a nail, are inserted into the paschal candle. This is, of course, represents the Five Wounds of Our Risen Savior. Symbolically, the burning of the incense signifies spiritual fervor, the fragrance itself inspires virtue, and the rising smoke carries our prayers to God.
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
Et in unum Dominum Iesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri; per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis. Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est, et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas, et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris. Et iterum venturus est cum gloria, iudicare vivos et mortuos, cuius regni non erit finis.
Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre procedit. Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur: qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum, et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.
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Puff Pastry Apple Roses Perfume Oil
Out of StockA deceptively simple recipe: paper-thin red apple slices pulled from a bath of lemon juice and rosewater, sprinkled with cinnamon, layered just so in syrup-brushed strips of pastry, and then rolled into perfect rosebud shapes that crisp up into a red-gold bouquet in the oven.
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Red Velvet Tuxedo Perfume Oil
Out of StockA very special Yuletide sponsorship scent, dressed up for a scandalous night on the town:
red velvet fruitcake with buttercream and a splash of cologne.
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Rose Red Perfume Oil
Out of StockThe perfected winter rose, dew covered and freshly cut.
Illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith. -
Santa Doesn’t Need Your Help Perfume Oil
Out of StockA calming, affirming fragrance to help motivate Santa through the daunting tasks which await him year after year: sugar plum lavender marshmallows.
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Skogtroll Perfume Oil
Out of StockOur gruesome blend of ghastly greens and blacks, now streaked with blue-white: frozen and snow-packed vetiver, pine pitch, troll musk, elemi, camphor, black basil, eucalyptus blossom, clove smoke, and scorched cumin.
Art by Ashton Hansen!
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Slug Perfume Oil
Out of StockA relaxed, lazy scent; slightly sebaceous and sweetly slimy: warm, buttery honey cream and dribbles of amber. May we all have at least a few gentle, sweet slug moments throughout this holiday season.
Painted by Nagasawa Rosetsu.
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Slushy Snowballs Perfume Oil
Out of StockChilly vanilla frankincense snowballs polluted with raw cacao, labdanum, and myrrh.
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Snake Oil Hot Toddy Perfume Oil
Out of StockBPAL’s perennial favorite, Snake Oil, soaked in whiskey, honey, and a twist of lemon.
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Snow Lotus Perfume Oil
Out of StockFrost-blue lotus petal, lotus root, amber, myrrh, and black sandalwood.
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Snow Snake 2023 Perfume Oil
Out of StockA chilly interpretation of BPAL’s Snake Oil: sweet, spiced musk with a crunch of snow and frost-hardened patchouli.
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Snow White Perfume Oil
Out of StockA chilly, bright perfume: flurries of virgin snow, crisp winter wind and the faintest breath of night-blooming flowers.
Illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith. -
Snow-Covered Cathedral Perfume Oil
Out of StockEcclesiastical incense wafting behind candlelit stained glass and icicles thrusting from stone archways.
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Snowbound Perfume Oil
Out of StockBlack Phoenix’s rapturous blend of three roses, radiant amber, and sensual red musk strapped in leather and covered in snow.
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The Peacock Queen Perfume Oil
Out of StockIn dramatic contrast to the soft innocence of Snow White and the dew-kissed freshness of her sister, Rose Red, this is a blood red, voluptuous rose, velvet-petaled, at the height of bloom. Haughty and imperious, vain, yet incomparably lovely to the eye, but thick with thorns of jealousy, pride and hatred.
Illustrated by Franz Jüttner. -
The Picture of Dorian Sufganiyot Perfume Oil
Out of StockIt has mysteriously stayed fresh for decades… but you REALLY don’t want to see the pastry in the attic.
A deep-fried fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea.
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The Poinsettia Gown Perfume Oil
Out of StockA perfume simply inspired by a vintage Christmas postcard. Rose cream, jasmine cream, mallow, vanilla foam, and sweet amber.
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To a Wreath of Snow Perfume Oil
Out of StockO transient voyager of heaven!
O silent sign of winter skies!
What adverse wind thy sail has driven
To dungeons where a prisoner lies?
Methinks the hands that shut the sun
So sternly from this mourning brow
Might still their rebel task have done
And checked a thing so frail as thou
They would have done it had they known
The talisman that dwelt in thee,
For all the suns that ever shone
Have never been so kind to me!
For many a week, and many a day
My heart was weighed with sinking gloom
When morning rose in mourning grey
And faintly lit my prison room
But angel like, when I awoke,
Thy silvery form so soft and fair
Shining through darkness, sweetly spoke
Of cloudy skies and mountains bare
The dearest to a mountaineer
Who, all life long has loved the snow
That crowned her native summits drear,
Better, than greenest plains below –
And voiceless, soulless messenger
Thy presence waked a thrilling tone
That comforts me while thou art here
And will sustain when thou art gone
– Emily Brontë
Morning rising in mourning grey: tobacco flower, white oud, lavender bud, and ambergris accord.
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Vintage Candy Garland Blow Mold Perfume Oil
Out of StockThis tangled string of hollow plastic sweets is sure to conjure childlike fantasies of cartoonish opulence! An enticing swirl of multi-hued fruit and mint flavors, illuminated from behind by twinkling amber tree lights.
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Vintage Mrs. Clause Blow Mold Perfume Oil
Out of StockA shell of milky plastic encasing fond memories of bread pudding with strawberry cream, illuminated from within by 40 watts of glowing amber.
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Vintage Snowman Blow Mold Perfume Oil
Out of StockHe’s just pretending to be cold! A milky plastic shell of frosted blue spruce, illuminated from within by 40 watts of glowing amber.
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Vintage Wise Man Blow Mold Perfume Oil
Out of StockA sun-faded plasticky shell of lemony gold, frankincense, and myrrh, illuminated from within by 40 watts of glowing amber.
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