wickedgoddess

It's official, the lab will be meeting and greeting at Ringler's Pub on Saturday, May 26 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. No laminate will be required to attend. Djnevermore is organizing this, and has requested that everyone attending register by emailing her at shopping@convergence13.com so that she can have a headcount for the reservation. More details can be found in djnevermore's forum post here. *** We will be vending at the Hilton Grand Ballroom on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We will have all of our general catalog and many LE's, such as Carnaval Diabolique and the Carousel, available. We won't be able to bring the imps though; they cause havoc on the plane. We will be accepting cash, and hopefully, Paypal.

May 2007 brings us a lunatic’s blessing: a Blue Moon. Tonight, Rose Moon is live, along with this month’s first appearance of Blue Moon: ROSE MOON Since friendships fade like the flow'rs of June, I will leave her in charge of the stable moon." Then he said to the moon: "O dear old moon, Who for years and years from thy throne above Hast nurtured and guarded young lovers and love, My heart has but come to its waiting June, And the promise time of the budding vine; Oh, guard thee well this love of mine." And he harked him then while all was still, And the pale moon answered and said, "I will." And he sailed in his ship o'er many seas, And he wandered wide o'er strange far strands: in isles of the south and in Orient lands, Where pestilence lurks in the breath of the breeze. But his star was high, so he braved the main, And sailed him blithely home again; And with joy he bended his footsteps soon To learn of his love from the matron moon. She sat as of yore, in her olden place, Serene as death, in her silver chair. A white rose gleamed in her whiter hair, And the tint of a blush was on her face. At sight of the youth she sadly bowed And hid her face 'neath a gracious cloud. She faltered faint on the night's dim marge, But "How," spoke the youth, "have you kept your charge?" The moon was sad at a trust ill-kept; The blush went out in her blanching cheek, And her voice was timid and low and weak, As she made her plea and sighed and wept. "Oh, another prayed and another plead, And I couldn't resist," she answering said;" But love still grows in the hearts of men: Go forth, dear youth, and love again." But he turned him away from her proffered grace. "Thou art false, O moon, as the hearts of men, I will not, will not love again." And he turned sheer 'round with a soul-sick face To the sea, and cried: "Sea, curse the moon, Who makes her vows and forgets so soon." And the awful sea with anger stirred, And his breast heaved hard as he lay and heard. And ever the moon wept down in rain, And ever her sighs rose high in wind; But the earth and sea were deaf and blind, And she wept and sighed her griefs in vain. And ever at night, when the storm is fierce, The cries of a wraith through the thunders pierce; And the waves strain their awful hands on high To tear the false moon from the sky. Thou art false, O moon, as the hearts of men. I will not, will not love again. Bulgarian rose, tea rose, violet leaf, opium poppy, Bois de Jasmin, patchouli leaf, honey, blue lilac, balsam, woodruff, and lemon peel. BLUE MOON 2007 The spirit of the full moon is capricious, intense and passionate, yet still distant, aloof and cold. Luna herself governs glamours, bewitchments and dream-work, innocent wonder, transient pleasure and delight, the Moment, impulse, mystery and veils. The Blue Moon is one of her rarest manifestations, and this scent is formulated to encapsulate her most complex and profound nature: Mugwort and bay, for psychic sensitivity… Juniper, for divination through dreams… Orchid and galbanum, for complexity, wisdom and noscere… … with a potent lunar-charged blend of exquisite Asian woods, moonflower, Madagascan ylang ylang, Florentine iris, Greek cypress, davana, green tea absolute, palmarosa, cucumber, Clary sage, melilot trefoils, wood aloes, and pale creeping buttercup. This full moon’s lycanthrope is the comely, charismatic, and conniving Tamamo-No-Mae: TAMAMO-NO-MAE One day, a courtesan of unearthly beauty appeared at the Emperor’s court. Her skin was like silk and porcelain, and her eyes gleamed like polished onyx. Her body exuded an enchanting scent, and her robes were immaculate. She quickly endeared herself to the Emperor and his concubines; her unequaled grace was matched by a glittering wit and astonishing intellect, and though she appeared to be no older than twenty, there was no question that she could not answer. There seemed to be no limit to her knowledge and strange wisdom, and she was well-versed on every topic, from astronomy to Buddhist teachings. So profound was the Emperor’s fascination with this woman that he kept her by his side, day and night. One night, the Emperor and his court attended a performance of poetry and music at the serene Seiryoden. A strong gust of wind suddenly tore through the Leaping Tiger Garden into the performance hall, shaking the bamboo reeds and extinguishing the lanterns. The room was plunged into darkness, save for a warm, golden light that emanated from within the mysterious woman’s robes. She was aglow like the rising sun. Enthralled, the Emperor declared to his ministers that this woman must be an incarnation of the Buddha, and he named her Tamamo-no-Mae. Deeply in love and profoundly devoted, the Emperor exchanged weighty vows with his favored mistress, and showered her with gifts and affection. Within months, the Emperor became ill. He was listless, his sword-hand faltered, his skin took on a grey cast, and his muscles began to sag. Horrified, his ministers went to all the priests and soothsayers in the land, begging them for answers. They had none. The ministers appealed to the people, begging them to raise their voices in prayer. The people loved the Emperor, and sent their prayers to the Gods. The Emperor’s condition did not change. Finally, the renowned astrologer, Abe no Yasuchika, divined the cause of the Emperor’s infirmity: Tamamo-no-Mae. She was not born of woman; her true form was that of a hundred-year-old, forty-two-foot-tall, two-tailed fox demon. Disguised as a beautiful courtesan, the demoness hoped to slowly kill the Emperor, and then take his place. Knowing that she was exposed, Tamamo-no-Mae fled the palace. Horrified, the Emperor sent the greatest warriors in the land, Kazusa-no-Suke and Miura-no-Suke, to pursue and slay his former mistress. The creature was wily and elusive, and after many weeks of hunting, the warriors began to fear that they would be unable to bring the demon to justice, thus shaming themselves and their families. They vowed that they would commit suicide if they failed in their quest, and they prayed to the Gods for assistance. That night, a beautiful woman appeared to Miura-no-Suke in his dreams. Her lovely face was marred by weeping, and she begged the warrior to spare her life. He refused, and cut the woman down. Upon waking, he realized that the dream was an omen – they would find and kill the foxwoman this day – and the warriors resumed their hunt with renewed enthusiasm. The hunters spotted the fox on the Plains of Nasu, and Miura-no-Suke fired an arrow into her heart. She fell, and her body transformed into the Sessho-seki, the Killing Stone. Tamamo-no-Mae’s scent is soft skin musk, brushed by white tea leaf, rice flower, black locust flower, white sandalwood kodo soke, dry ginger, benzoin gum, and Amacha. This month's astrological blend is Gemini: GEMINI 2007 Mutable Air: the essence of thought. Lavender, benzoin, orchid, and frankincense. Blue and Rose Moon are also lighting up the skies over Black Phoenix Trading Post: At Black Phoenix Trading Post, Monster Bait: biggerCritters has opened up to the public! MONSTER BAIT: BIGGERCRITTERS Monster Bait: biggerCritters -- a deceptively sweet scent; just like the Critters themselves, the perfume is fluffy, poofy, soft, snuggly, and googly! Five vanillas with Moroccan jasmine, white gardenia, and pink grapefruit. At Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, a new wing has opened in the Salon. Exhibit III contains: Bat Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Those Condemned to Death Death and Life Completed Fox Fires on New Year's Eve at the Garment Nettle Tree at Oji Kiyohime Changes From a Serpent Love and Pain Macbeth and the Witches Mad Meg Madonna Monna Vanna Philosopher in Meditation Schlafende Baigneuse The Smiling Spider Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree Sunflower Sunrise With Sea-Monsters

Milk Moon Brick & Mortar Lunacy! We will be open for Milk Moon on Wednesday, May 2nd from 7 to 10pm. The theme this month is.....slumber party! Yes that's right, it's another infamous BPAL slumber party, so grab your jammies, bake up some brownies and head on over. The address is: 12120 Sherman Way North Hollywood, CA 91605 It may be a little hard to find. We are in the industrial complex, right behind Game Dude. The nearest cross street is Laurel Canyon Blvd. Please do not bring any cameras. No photography of any kind will be allowed during this Will Call. Thanks for your cooperation. *** The blends that will be available for purchase include those that went live on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website up to and including the Friday the 13th update. This includes 13, Milk Moon, the Monster Baits and Dogs Playing Poker. Scents exclusive to Dark Delicacies and Black Phoenix Trading Post, will not be available at Will Call. Once again, thanks for understanding. All in-house sales will have to be either cash, or through PayPal. We will have a terminal set up there for people who want to use the latter. If you would like to place an order for pick-up at Will Call, please do the following: Email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com with your order before 1pm on Tuesday, May 1st. Payment may be remitted by PayPal ahead of time to willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com, or you can pay at pick up with cash or by using our computer as a PayPal terminal. When making your payment, please omit shipping charges. You may purchase any current catalogue oils, as long as we have them in stock. Due to the sheer volume, currently pending orders can not be combined with Will-Call orders. Thanks for your understanding. We will do our best to accommodate all orders of 5mls and imps, but sales will be based on availability. Imp Packs will be available, but it’s best to pre-order, so we can make sure we have enough stock, or be able to tell you beforehand if we’re out of stock. You get the gist. Items from Black Phoenix Trading Post will be available, subject to stock on hand. Twilight Alchemy Lab oils will also be available. For Will-Call only, Twilight Alchemy Lab orders can be combined with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab orders. Thanks everyone for your continued support. See you Wednesday night! And don't forget the cookies!!

My favorite rum scents are Elegba and Mr. Nancy.

Wow, SueDonym, that was...awesome!

Pink Moon Brick & Mortar Lunacy! We will be open for Pink Moon on Monday, April 2nd from 7 to 10pm. The theme this month is.....PINK! The address is: 12120 Sherman Way North Hollywood, CA 91605 It may be a little hard to find. We are in the industrial complex, right behind Game Dude. The nearest cross street is Laurel Canyon Blvd. Parking at that time in the evening should be plentiful. Please do not bring any cameras. No photography of any kind will be allowed during this Will Call. Thanks for your cooperation. All in-house sales will have to be either cash, or through PayPal. We will have a terminal set up there for people who want to use the latter. If you would like to place an order for pick-up for Pink Moon, please do the following: Email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com with your order before 1pm on Sunday, April 1st. Payment may be remitted by PayPal ahead of time to willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com, or you can pay at pick up with cash or by using our computer as a PayPal terminal. When making your payment, please omit shipping charges. You may purchase any current catalogue oils, as long as we have them in stock. Due to the sheer volume, currently pending orders can not be combined with Will-Call orders. Thanks for your understanding. The blends that will be available for purchase include those that went live on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website up to and including Pink Moon. This includes the Neil Gaiman Collection. Scents exclusive to Dark Delicacies and Black Phoenix Trading Post, will not be available at Will Call. Once again, thanks for understanding. We will do our best to accommodate all orders of 5mls and imps, but sales will be based on availability. Imp Packs will be available, but we would prefer that, if you are going to purchase imps, you pre-order them so we can expedite the process. In all cases, it’s probably best to pre-order anyway, so we can make sure we have the oils allotted, or will be able to tell you beforehand if we’re out of stock. You get the gist. Items from Black Phoenix Trading Post (soaps, fizzyBOOMS, lockets, etc.) will be available, subject to stock on hand. Twilight Alchemy Lab oils will also be available. For Will-Call, TAL orders can be combined with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab orders. Thanks everyone for your continued support. See you Monday night!

Crow Moon Brick & Mortar Lunacy! We will be open for Crow Moon on Saturday, March 3rd from 4 to 8pm. The address is: 12120 Sherman Way North Hollywood, CA 91605 It may be a little hard to find. We are in the industrial complex, right behind Game Dude. The nearest cross street is Laurel Canyon Blvd. Parking at that time in the evening should be plentiful. Please do not bring any cameras. No photography of any kind will be allowed during this Will Call. Thanks for your cooperation. All in-house sales will have to be either cash, or through PayPal. We will have a terminal set up there for people who want to use the latter. If you would like to place an order for pick-up for Crow Moon, please do the following: Email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com with your order before 1pm on Friday, March 2nd. Payment may be remitted by PayPal ahead of time to willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com, or you can pay at pick up with cash or by using our computer as a PayPal terminal. When making your payment, please omit shipping charges. You may purchase any current catalogue oils, as long as we have them in stock. Due to the sheer volume, currently pending orders can not be combined with Will-Call orders. Thanks for your understanding. The blends that will be available for purchase include those that went live on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website up to and including Crow Moon. This does includes the Neil Gaiman Collection. Scents exclusive to Dark Delicacies and Black Phoenix Trading Post, will not be available at Will Call. Once again, thanks for understanding. Items from Black Phoenix Trading Post (soaps, fizzyBOOMS, lockets, etc.) will be available, subject to stock on hand. Twilight Alchemy Lab oils will also be available. For Will-Call, TAL orders can be combined with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab orders. Please remit all PayPal pre-payments no later than 1pm PST on Friday, March 2nd so that we can get your orders together. We will do our best to accommodate all orders of 5mls and imps, but sales will be based on availability. Imp Packs will be available, but we would prefer that, if you are going to purchase imps, you pre-order them so we can expedite the process. In all cases, it’s probably best to pre-order anyway, so we can make sure we have the oils allotted, or will be able to tell you beforehand if we’re out of stock. You get the gist. The theme for this month's Will Call is Ides of March. Don't forget your toga! Thanks everyone for your continued support. See you Saturday!

Just a quick reminder that Sara and I will be chatting over at Lemming Central today (Friday) from 4 to 5 pm est/1 to 2 pm pst. There will be special games and cool prizes. If you haven't chatted at Lemming Central before, there is chat software that you need to download, so you may want to head over there a few minutes early and make sure you're ready. Bring any questions you may have, and we will do our best to answer them. See you there!

The lab has a new home on MySpace.com! Come visit us at http://www.myspace.com/blackphoenixalchemicallab

Have you tried Snake Oil?

Holy Mother, this is gorgeous!! It takes all of my will power to not snort this directly up my nose. Wet - resin and smoke. Indescribably beautiful. Dry - as it dries it mellows; softens. It still smells gorgeous, but it's so subtle I really have to sniff to smell it. Even though it's subtle, it's quite long lasting. And it sure seems to be effective. I absolutely love this, and it will probably end up in my top ten, both for scent and efficacy. Love this! On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5.

Wet - boozy blackberries! I like!! There's quite a bit of throw here and this isn't nearly as sweet as you would expect. Dry - The bourbon combines with the berries and this becomes darker, richer. I really don't get a sweet buttercream/cake scent out of this until much later. Mostly it's just boozy blackberries. After a few hours, I get a touch of buttercream sweetness, but I wouldn't consider this a foody scent at all. I didn't think it was possibly, but I might love this just a tad more than Underbed. Gah, who knows, they are both gorgeous! On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5.

Cassia-caked cocoa coconut over angel food cake. Wet - ASDDFGTWHW!!! Cinnamon, chocolate and coconut. How many bottles of this do I need? Dry - mostly cassia, a sweet soft cinnamon. I know the cocoa and coconut are there, but they are in the background, rounding out this scent but not overpowering it. This is sweet but not too sweet, absolutely delicious. My only complaint it that it doesn't have a lot of throw, although it does last and last and last. On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5.

Before I put this on, I am struck by the dark green color. Interesting. Wet - Oh. Wow. Dark and herbal at the same time. Dark musk and woods. Damn, this is good. *slathers on more* Dry - definite top ten material. I haven't really found a dark musk BPAL I love; this is it. Dark and sexy and woody at the same time. Indescribably gorgeous. On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5. I've already ordered a bottle!

Assists in finding gainful employment. Wet - pennyroyal with a "voodoo note" base. It smells vaguely like Helping Hand, but not as complex. Dry - the minty note fades quickly, leaving behind a voodoo base I have smelled before. Not an oil I would buy for it's scent, but it's efficacy remains to be seen.

Jasmine is one of two florals that always works on me (the other is orchid). Peitho & The Moon are both in my top 5 catalog scents, and I love myrrh, apple and sandalwood, so I have high hopes for this. Wet - Jasmine. Strong almost overwhelming jasmine, along with something else. I am not gettng any individual notes other than jasmine yet, but so far, it all smells good. Dry - while the jasmine is still strong, this becomes very fruity on drydown. I get some apple, but it is overshadowed but a sharper, astringent fruit; I don't know if it's the quince or the citron, but I don't like it very much. I do get a bit of soft musk, but the myrrh and the sandalwood are almost unnoticeable on my skin. After an hour or so, the fruitiness settles down, and it is pure jasmine with just a trace of apple. This is nice and I like it, but I am not sure if I need a bottle of another jasmine scent, particularly since I already have bottles of Peitho, The Moon and The Sleeper. Moderate amount of throw on this one. On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4 .

I already tried and fell in love with this at last month's Will Call. In the bottle, the first thing I notice is that it has already mellowed a bit since then. This was a bit stinky in the bottle, but it's much mellower already. This is going to age beautifully! Wet - Dark, dirty patchouli and cognac. Dry - this is a bit soft on me, I can barely smell it. I have had it on my sleeve for the past month though, and know that I love it that way. On my clothes, it smells very much like Snake Oil, but without the black musk that smells so awful on me. It's an intoxicating scent! On me, it's similiar, but much too light. I may have found the first oil to try in a BPAL scent locket! On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5 .

Even more so than Smut, this was the first blend in this release that screamed buy me. And it seems that for once, I was right. Wet - pure sex in a bottle. Umm, I don't even know, I get patchouli and other stuff and it smells better than anything I have ever smelt before. I rub this eagerly on my wrists, and it still smells that good. Oh god, I may just have a new number one! And it doesn't even have ginger in it! Let's see, there's patchouli, but it's not the in-your-face patchouli, it's earthy but not sharp. Something grounding, oakmoss and juniper I presume. And just a trace of sweetness which could be the balsalm and/or the honey. Dry - not a lot of change when dry, the juniper lightens up, musk comes out and the honey comes on a bit stronger. It doesn't have much throw when dry, it's almost a skin musk which is probably for the best, as this is something I'd like to keep close. To me this smells like passion and lust, and is something I would wear when I want someone to fuck me hard, and I don't want to be broadcasting it to every stranger on the street. And yes, I do believe this is my new #1 favorite scent. I'll be looking for more of this. On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5+ .

Wow! Macha, you have outdone yourself once again.

Ah the play-doh note. On me, the biggest offenders were Egg Nog and Midway, and I seem to get a bit of it in Lump of Coal as well.

This smells so sharp and off-putting in the imp that I almost don't want to try it on. I do anyway. Wet - There is something very sharp and bitter. I think it may be the way the orange is interacting with the lavender. Dry - as it dries, is softens and I find myself liking this almost in spite of myself. No patchouli, no woods, just a sharp orange blossom, with a softer lavender and yes, I do believe I get the parchment note. The longer this is on my skin the more I like this. I think this is my favorite of the muses, at least of the ones I have tried so far. I am not sure if I would want a bottle of this, but I will definitely hang on to the imp. On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4.

Wet - Moonflower and benzoin, perhaps a bit of white musk. Even though the notes are quite different, this is a white scent in the same way that the Moon is a white scent. Although I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but me. Dry - it softens and a tiny bit of jasmine comes out. This is a touch too floral for my tastes but it is very pretty, and I will definitely hang on to the imp. On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 3.

Wet - Wow, I wasn't expecting sharp! This is sharp, astringent….it must be the lemon balm. Dry - lemon and the dry, powdery scent of orris root. I was looking forward to this blend because of the rowan, the rosemary, the myrrh, the red sandalwood and the white sage, so it's just my luck that all I get out of it is lemon and orris. Sadly, this will be going into the swap pile. On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 2 .

Wet - leather and sage. Hmmm, this could be interesting Dry - somewhere between leather and band-aids. I never get the carnation, cedar, lavender or vanilla. I will try one more time, it case it's a chemistry thing, but this just doesn't work on me. On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 2 .

Wet - strawberries and something green. At first I think it's sage, but then it hits me…sweet pea. Dry - this dries to a soft, vague, sweet scent. Nice, but it's just not me. On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 2.