Chocolate
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13 Perfume Oil
Out of Stock13 is significant, whether you consider it lucky, unlucky or just plain odd. Many believe it to be unfortunate…
…because there were 13 present at the Last Supper.
…Loki crashed a party of 12 at Valhalla, which ended in Baldur’s death.
…Oinomaos killed 13 of Hippodamia’s suitors before Pelops finally, in his own shady way, defeated the jealous king.
…In ancient Rome, Hecate’s witches gathered in groups of 12, the Goddess herself being the 13th in the coven.Concern over the number thirteen echoes back beyond the Christian era. Line 13 was omitted form the Code of Hammurabi.
The shivers over Friday the 13th also have some interesting origins:
…Christ was allegedly crucified on Friday the 13th.
…On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and sixty of his senior knights.
…In British custom, hangings were held on Fridays, and there were 13 steps on the gallows leading to the noose.To combat the superstition, Robert Ingersoll and the Thirteen Club held thirteen-men dinners during the 19th Century. Successful? Hardly. The number still invokes trepidation to this day. A recent whimsical little serial killer study showed that the following murderers all have names that total thirteen letters:
Theodore Bundy
Jeffrey Dahmer
Albert De Salvo
John Wayne GacyAnd, with a little stretch of the imagination, you can also fit “Jack the Ripper” and “Charles Manson” into that equation.
More current-era paranoia: modern schoolchildren stop their memorization of the multiplication tables at 12. There were 13 Plutonium slugs in the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. Apollo 13 wasn’t exactly the most successful space mission. All of these are things that modern triskaidekaphobes point to when justifying their fears.
For some, 13 is an extremely fortuitous and auspicious number…
…In Jewish tradition, God has 13 Attributes of Mercy. Also, there were 13 tribes of Israel, 13 principles of Jewish faith, and 13 is considered the age of maturity.
…The ancient Egyptians believed that there were 12 stages of spiritual achievement in this lifetime, and a 13th beyond death.
…The word for thirteen, in Chinese, sounds much like the word which means “must be alive”.Thirteen, whether you love it or loathe it, is a pretty cool number all around.
…In some theories of relativity, there are 13 dimensions.
…It is a prime number, lucky number, star number, Wilson Prime, and Fibonacci number.
…There are 13 Archimedean solids.AND…
…There were 13 original colonies when the United States were founded.Says a lot about the US, doesn’t it?
Thirteen herbs to stave off the plague, coated with chocolate and delivered with a spoonful of sugar: butterburr, fennel, marigold, borage, rosemary, wood sorrel, clove pink, self-heal, yarrow, lemon balm, sweet cicely, rue, and masterwort.
(This perfume doesn’t really stave off any diseases. In order to actually keep Covid at bay, please get vaccinated if you are able, mask up diligently, and wash your hands!)
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13 Perfume Oil
Out of Stock13 is significant, whether you consider it lucky, unlucky or just plain odd. Many believe it to be unfortunate…
…because there were 13 present at the Last Supper.
…Loki crashed a party of 12 at Valhalla, which ended in Baldur’s death.
…Oinomaos killed 13 of Hippodamia’s suitors before Pelops finally, in his own shady way, defeated the jealous king.
…In ancient Rome, Hecate’s witches gathered in groups of 12, the Goddess herself being the 13th in the coven.Concern over the number thirteen echoes back beyond the Christian era. Line 13 was omitted form the Code of Hammurabi.
The shivers over Friday the 13th also have some interesting origins:
…Christ was allegedly crucified on Friday the 13th.
…On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and sixty of his senior knights.
…In British custom, hangings were held on Fridays, and there were 13 steps on the gallows leading to the noose.To combat the superstition, Robert Ingersoll and the Thirteen Club held thirteen-men dinners during the 19th Century. Successful? Hardly. The number still invokes trepidation to this day. A recent whimsical little serial killer study showed that the following murderers all have names that total thirteen letters:
Theodore Bundy
Jeffrey Dahmer
Albert De Salvo
John Wayne GacyAnd, with a little stretch of the imagination, you can also fit “Jack the Ripper” and “Charles Manson” into that equation.
More current-era paranoia: modern schoolchildren stop their memorization of the multiplication tables at 12. There were 13 Plutonium slugs in the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. Apollo 13 wasn’t exactly the most successful space mission. All of these are things that modern triskaidekaphobes point to when justifying their fears.
For some, 13 is an extremely fortuitous and auspicious number…
…In Jewish tradition, God has 13 Attributes of Mercy. Also, there were 13 tribes of Israel, 13 principles of Jewish faith, and 13 is considered the age of maturity.
…The ancient Egyptians believed that there were 12 stages of spiritual achievement in this lifetime, and a 13th beyond death.
…The word for thirteen, in Chinese, sounds much like the word which means “must be alive”.Thirteen, whether you love it or loathe it, is a pretty cool number all around.
…In some theories of relativity, there are 13 dimensions.
…It is a prime number, lucky number, star number, Wilson Prime, and Fibonacci number.
…There are 13 Archimedean solids.AND…
…There were 13 original colonies when the United States were founded.Says a lot about the US, doesn’t it?
I am exhausted by current events and worldwide so this 13 is just the warmest, cheeriest goddamn thing I could come up with right now. I need cheering, and dollars to donuts, you probably do, too. Five chocolates, ranging from sweet to smoky, with white sugar, brown sugar, cardamom, coconut, vanilla marshmallow, hazelnut, candied pralines, and Madagascar vanilla.
Here’s to a happy 2020 filled with warmth, love, good fortune, safety, and kindness.
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Amaxophobia Perfume Oil
Out of StockFear of Riding in Cars
Encased in a roaring tomb of vinyl siding, strangled by nylon bindings, arms bruised and battered by writhing bodies punching and pummeling-punctuated by wild cries of SLUG BUG and CALL BOX – and endless discordant choruses of 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.
Motor oil, a burst of exhaust, a faded tree-shaped air freshener, and crushed gas station chocolates.
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Beaver Moon 2019 Perfume Oil
Out of StockTraditionally, Beaver Moon is named thus for a very obvious reason: during this time of year, beavers are hard at work building their dams and preparing for the onset of winter. Not here at BPAL, though! – it’s our quasi-annual opportunity for absurdity and campiness.
This year’s confection is a creamy coffee cheesecake with a hint of milk chocolate.
The accompanying Lunacy Tee can be found here!
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Beaver Moon 2021 Perfume Oil
Out of StockThis year’s beev is a chocolate pumpkin cheesecake with black cherry glaze.
Illustrated by Drew Rausch!
The accompanying Lunacy Tee can be found here!
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Chocolate Babka Perfume Oil
Add to cartA diasporic take on an ancestral dessert: braided chocolate rye bread with a sliver of almond paste filling.
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Cold Moon 2020 Perfume Oil
Out of StockThis year’s Cold Moon is a frozen chocolate confection because we’re too deep into 2020 for me to feel like being profound.
The accompanying Lunacy Tee can be found here!
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Countess Willie Perfume Oil
Out of StockSophisticated, dramatic, well-traveled, glamorous, and worldly, Countess Willie V. Piazza, owner of the French Studio, was a trendsetter in style and fashion. Countess Willie was an educated woman, a patron of the arts, and possessed an impressive library of rare volumes. She featured many historic jazz musicians in her House, including Tony Jackson and Jelly Roll Morton. Unlike many of her counterparts, she was known for having a kind heart and a generous, loving nature. She was fiercely protective: when a patron of her establishment, the nephew of a prominent New Orleans cleric, committed a heinous act of sadism against one of her ladies, Countess Willie shot him dead.
Chocolate plum musk, red musk, amaretto, candied fruits, and red ginger.
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Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Perfume Oil
Out of StockWith a chocolate crust, a layer of pumpkin cream cheese, and chocolate ganache.
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Dia De Los Muertos Perfume Oil
Out of StockA joyous celebration of La Catarina, La Flaca, La Muerte… Glorious, Beautiful Death. In Mexico, death is not something to be feared or hated; She is embraced, loved, and adored. La Muerte is fêted, as the celebrant “…chases after it, mocks it, courts it, hugs it, sleeps with it; it is his favorite plaything and his most lasting love.” This is a Mexican paean to La Huesuda: dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus.
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Gelt 2022 Perfume Oil
Add to cartSevivon, sov, sov, sov
Chanukah, hu chag tov
Chanukah, hu chag tov
Sevivon, sov, sov, sov!Chag simcha hu la-am
Nes gadol haya sham
Nes gadol haya sham
Chag simcha hu la-am.A bounty of chocolate coins! Dry cocoa and golden amber!
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Gelt Perfume Oil 2021
Out of StockSevivon, sov, sov, sov
Chanukah, hu chag tov
Chanukah, hu chag tov
Sevivon, sov, sov, sov!Chag simcha hu la-am
Nes gadol haya sham
Nes gadol haya sham
Chag simcha hu la-am.A bounty of chocolate coins! Dry cocoa and golden amber!
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Hohensalzurg Fortress Perfume Oil
Out of StockAn absolutely stunning view of the Baroque historical district from high atop the Festungsberg.
A shiver of iced chocolate and white amber.
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How Doth the Little Crocodile Perfume Oil
Select OptionsHow doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in
With gently smiling jaws!Chocolate peppermint, mint-soaked vanilla, pistachio, oakmoss, and green cedar.
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Jólabókaflóðið Perfume Oil
Out of StockA dribble of candle wax, distant hearth-smoke, a fleck of chocolate Yule log on a thick wool sweater, and aged, yellowing paper bound by well-loved leather that has passed through many gentle hands.
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Juicebox Perfume Oil
Out of StockSometimes being a dad is not just caring about your human child. Maggie is less than a year old and she has been in and out of the ER five times. She had a botched spay that resulted in her getting an infection that needed emergency surgery, and before that she almost died when she got a cut near her neck and was shooting blood everywhere. (I still have the bloodstained shirt to prove it!)
She is the sweetest disaster dog ever and she is my baby and I love her lots and lots.
Chocolate honey cakes with hazelnut and ripe figs.
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Margaret Magdalena Muffinhead Perfume Oil
Add to cartLast week, our puppy, Maggie, went in for a routine spay. Today we found out that she has a potentially catastrophic infection, and she was rushed to emergency for exploratory surgery. The regular and emergency vet bills are massive (and climbing) so we’re doing a fundraiser for her to ensure that we are able to afford the care she needs.
Miss Margaret Magdalena is a chocolate lab baby so her perfume is a thick, smoky fudge brownie scent with a heavy handful of coffee beans. She has golden eyes with a hint of green, so I added a bit of caramelized amber and green cardamom.
Once we cover her medical bill, all proceeds from this scent above the cost of manufacture will be donated to Red Rover, an organization that shelters and cares for animals displaced by disaster and reconnects pets with their owners, rescues and cares for animals saved from abuse situations, and helps people to obtain urgent veterinary care. In addition, Red Rover works with domestic violence shelters to help survivors of domestic violence and their pets escape abusive environments together.
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Millennial Pink
Add to cart“The titration of actual pinkness varies a little, but it’s still a fairly narrow spectrum — from salmon mousse to gravlax, to extend the metaphor. Call it ‘millennial pink”…it’s ironic pink, pink without the sugary prettiness. It’s a non-color that doesn’t commit, whose semi-ugliness is proof of its sophistication.”
— Véronique Hyland, 2016
“When I revisit my original story, the whole phenomenon feels more insidious than I once thought, especially as I consider how the past few years have unfolded. I wonder if this period in fashion history, with its toothless pastels and sweet, ruffled, Regency-style minidresses—the sartorial version of millennial pink—will come to be seen as analogous to the ’80s fashion backlash against strong-shouldered power suits worn with sneakers.
…One of the most confounding things about the pink-tinted economy is the way it’s selling back existing things to us and making them ‘new,’ painting them as essentials of self-actualization and empowerment. An elite women’s club isn’t new. Nor is makeup. Nor is a modest floral garment. Nor is pink. What we have here is a rebranding of the reactionary.”
— Véronique Hyland in Dress Code, 2022
A shimmering, noncommittal pastel: ruby chocolate enveloped in white musk
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Nibble Nibble Gnaw Perfume Oil
Add to cartLooking down, you see a scattering of breadcrumbs strewn on the packed soil and straw at your feet. A waft of candied apple and pancakes embraces you, as you follow the crumbs on the path. The scent intensifies: sugared nuts, crushed candies, hot gusts of chocolate, and you find yourself standing before a small booth constructed of cakes, pastries, sweet breads, and a cascade of candy tiles. Shards of clear sugar glint in the ambient firelight of the Midway, and an old woman emerges from the shadows within. She extends a gnarled hand to you and rasps, “Oh, you dear, what has brought you here? You look like skin and bones; a strong gust of wind would spirit you into the air. Do come in, and visit with me. No harm shall happen to you.”
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Scorched Marshmallows Perfume Oil
Out of StockLilith loves to camp, but she’s not a huge fan of roughing it. This year, we opted for some cabin glamping with some of Lilith’s best friends.
This is the scent of Kyle and Lilith deliberately setting marshmallows on fire, with chocolate and graham crackers as an afterthought.
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Secret Donuts Perfume Oil
Out of StockAs is our tradition, Beth takes a photo of me walking with Lilith on their first day of school. This photo is special because it is one of the first ones taken at our new home in Philadelphia, and though it wasn’t taken on the first day of school, it was snapped on one of the first days of high school. Lilith was so excited and nervous to start and we kept telling them that they will do great and will meet lots of new people and love the school.
They came home so happy, and had tons of stories of new friends and how much they love high school.
Not shown in this photo are the two boxes of donuts that Beth got (as bribes?) for the faculty.
Glazed donuts, chocolate frosted donuts, and maple bars.
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Spumoni Perfume Oil
Add to cartThick bands of cherry, chocolate, and pistachio gelati concealing bits of maraschino cherries and roasted, salted pistachio nutmeats.
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Stitched Together Hair Gloss
Out of StockLavina’s nights are stitched together
From the dead bits most would sever
With lightning zapping from her eyes
She’ll shine, but there’s no rush to rise.A shock of green tea mochi and chocolate mint ice cream.
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The Other Hot Chocolate Perfume Oil
Add to cartThe other mother took the bacon from under the grill and put it on a plate. Then she slipped the cheese omelette from the pan onto the plate, flipping it as she did so, letting it fold itself into a perfect omelette shape.
She placed the breakfast plate in front of Coraline, along with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a mug of frothy hot chocolate.
“Yes,” she said. “I think I like this game. But what kind of game shall it be? A riddle game? A test of knowledge or of skill?
“An exploring game,” suggested Coraline. “A finding-things game.”
“And what is it you think you should be finding in this hide-and-go-seek game, Coraline Jones?”
Coraline hesitated. Then, “My parents,” said Coraline. “And the souls of the children behind the mirror.”
The other mother smiled at this, triumphantly, and Coraline wondered if she had made the right choice. Still, it was too late to change her mind now.
“A deal,” said the other mother. “Now eat up your breakfast, my sweet. Don’t worry-it won’t hurt you.”
Coraline stared at the breakfast, hating herself for giving in so easily, but she was starving.
“How do I know you’ll keep your word?” asked Coraline.
“I swear it,” said the other mother. “I swear it on my own mother’s grave.”
“Does she have a grave?” asked Coraline.
“Oh yes,” said the other mother. “I put her in there myself. And when I found her trying to crawl out, I put her back.”
“Swear on something else. So I can trust you to keep your word.”
“My right hand,” said the other mother, holding it up. She waggled the long fingers slowly, displaying the clawlike nails. “I swear on that.”
Coraline shrugged. “Okay,” she said. “It’s a deal.” She ate the breakfast, trying not to wolf it down. She was hungrier than she had thought.
As she ate, her other mother stared at her. It was hard to read expressions into those black button eyes, but Coraline thought that her other mother looked hungry, too.
She drank the orange juice, but even though she knew she would like it she could not bring herself to taste the hot chocolate.
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Torta Setteveli Perfume Oil
Out of StockThis time of year, the veil is so thin — you need seven of them just to stay covered! A classic Sicilian recipe alternating layers of chocolate sponge cake, hazelnut Bavarian cream, chocolate mousse, and hazelnut praline crunch, all enrobed in a dark chocolate mirror glaze.
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Vice Perfume Oil
Select OptionsVoluptuous and indulgent! A deep chocolate scent, with black cherry and orange blossom.
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Weihnachtsmärkte Perfume Oil
Out of StockThe first Christmas market that we visited in Berlin was at Potsdamer Platz. We were completely wiped from the day of travel from Salzburg, but we were stubbornly determined to at least step into the market before collapsing into bed.
The scent of brightly frosted lebkuchen, warm mutzenmandeln, and chocolate-drizzled, marzipan filled schneeballen.