Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Paczki Day 2013 is LIVE at Conjure!



PACZKI DAY 2013!

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND ! Celebrate Fat Tuesday Conjure style with our NINE Polish pastry inspired perfume oils! Growing up in Southeastern Michigan like I did, it wasn't hard to find a box of these delectable sweet treats! For those who don't know what a paczki is, (pronounced "poonchky") it's like a large huge doughnut stuffed to the brim with various intoxicatingly sweet fillings ranging from traditional plum and rose hip jam to more modern conventions like Bavarian custard, apple or raspberry. Though it's no typical doughnut - the paczki is sweeter and spongier. They can be topped with powdered or granulated sugar, or with icing. Truly, the mortal doughnut pales in comparison!

Paczki are a convenient way to get all of the sugar, fat and temptation out of the house before the sparse season of Lent rears it head. Fortunately, we've conjured a great way to get the paczki experience throughout whilst avoiding the calories as well! It's like magic! Indulge!

CONJURE PACZKI SELECTIONS

PLUM JAM PACZKI
Sweet dough is filled with black plum jam and dusted with refined powdered sugar.

BAVARIAN CUSTARD PACZKI
Fried pastry dough filled with thick vanilla Bavarian custard and coated with granulated vanilla sugar.

ROSE HIP JAM PACZKI 
Fresh paczki are served warm, overflowing with rose hip jam and drizzled with sweet honey sugar glaze.

BLUEBERRY and GARDENIA PACZKI 
Wonderfully sweet and deep fried dough dusted with powdered sugar, spice and filled with plump, succulent blueberry and gardenia flower compote.

COCONUT CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CHAI PACZKI 
A twist on a traditional favorite! A filling of toasted coconut flakes coated in chai spiced infused salted caramel stuffed to bursting in a flaky golden shell topped with a drizzle of milk chocolate ganache.

CARAMELIZED APPLE and CHAMOMILE PACZKI
Fresh Granny Smith apples reduced with baker's sugar, cinnamon and gooey caramel packed in a delectable paczki pastry coated with a chamomile tea glaze. .

LEMON CURD and ARABIAN JASMINE PACZKI 
Creamy sweet lemon filling, fragranced with Arabian jasmine petals encased by a powdered sugar topped doughy delight.

RASPBERRY and SWEET PEA PACZKI 
Lovely red raspberries stewed with vanilla, sweet pea blossoms and pink rock candy sugar sweetly oozing out of a honey glazed paczki pocket.

STRAWBERRY and HIBISCUS PACZKI 
Plump and crimson strawberries, allspice, clove, sweet orange zest and gorgeous hibiscus flowers packed into its sweet and sticky balsamic glaze coated shell.

Paczki will available until March 21st, or until we sell out! And I must say this: while these do indeed smell good enough to eat, they are not in any way, shape or form intended for consumption, human or animal. External use only!

PURCHASE

Fat Tuesday fragrances are available in one size, nine styles:

5ml Brown Apothecary Bottle - $19
5ml Brown Apothecary Bottle Glass Roll-On -$20


LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!!


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Conjure Oils' 2013 Lupertine and Mardi Gras Collections are LIVE!

Hello Everyone!

I hope this winter has been kind to you, and to those of you below the equator, I know this summer has been a cruel one. Soon, the seasons will change and we will long for the heat when we're freezing and dream of the days we were shivering when the mercury shoots to the triple digits.

I've been extremely busy this past month. If you are awaiting an order, please know that it's going out this week. Because I'm VERY PREGNANT and it's hard for me to move, I have to rely on the kindness of my helper elves to get orders out. My helper has been busy getting her school and work schedule dialed in so she could help me. Now she's available twice a week and things will run much smoother on out. It's kind of humbling to have to have someone help me to this extent. I mean if Lucy still was unable to put her own socks and shoes on, she'd be barefoot all the time! In fact, she helps me find my boots most days!

There are three parts to this Lupertine update. First, we have Selections from the Book of Love. A fragrance collection inspired by the myriad ways we have to express love, loss and desire. Second, we have our Mardi Gras collection, the Conjure Krewe! Six darkly playful scents to mark the revelry of Fat Tuesday and the debaucherous fun that comes before the austerity of Lent. Inspired by the comical figures found within Commedia dell'arte, Doktor Schnabel von Rom and just a little Steampunk for good measure, these figures promise to delight, entertain and disturb just slightly! Plus if you order the whole set of the Krewe, you'll get a free Gris Gris bag made with love and spirit by yours truly! Which brings us to the third aspect of this update: Gris Gris Bags! Similar in nature to a Mojo Bag, but based in the Vodoun tradition (as opposed to Hoodoo in the case of the Mojo) the Gris Gris bag is a prayer in a pouch. It contains symbolically and spiritually potent items that create an energetic synergy to help you fulfill your desires. In concert with my Egun (the spirits of my ancestors whom I work with closely) I have designed nine different Gris Gris styles for you to choose from! From Love and Sex to Protection and Dark Arts, I'm sure there will be something for everyone! They'll only be available for a month, so be sure to get one while you can!

This update is on the large side because I'm trying to wind down in anticipation of the birth of my son. (He still doesn't have a name, but he'll get one eventually, I'm sure!) He's due April 16th and I'd like to have a pregnant pause (see what I did there?) and take a break from April to the end of May. I'll be open for orders during that time, but there will be no summer update. I am working on some special perfumes to celebrate the birth, but that will be small and manageable for me. The next large update you can expect from Conjure will be the Hallows 2013 update.

I'm telling you all this so you can plan accordingly. All orders placed before February 4th will be shipped for a timely Valentine's Day arrival. Now that I have reliable help once again, I'm going to try and keep a short leash on the turn around time just in case Junior decides to arrive unexpectedly!

So, enough of an introduction! On to the reason you're here - THE SMELLIES! Thanks again for your patience and understanding during this time of transition here at Conjure. It's already starting to mellow out. I hope you had a fantastic holiday and that 2013 is shaping up to be the best year EVER.

Love and Bliss,

Vajra




Sometimes we lack the words to express the depth or essence of what is thought or felt so very deep within our souls. We string together strands of nouns, adjectives and verbs hoping for just the right sequence to express the secrets buried in our hearts. We imagine songs and poetry or visual art in an attempt at a melodic, abstract or symbolic explanation.

Language is the art of the tongue acting in concert with the heart and mind. Some languages are clumsy in their presentation of complex theories and emotions while others are more graceful, playful or efficient. In crafting this series, I wondered what it would look like if all the human expressions of love were assembled in one place; a proverbial Book of Love in a fashion. As I searched for words that conveyed ideas of love, longing and loss in a unique way, I stumbled upon a couple blog articles investigating the same subject and was inspired by what I had found. All of the words in this collection are non English in their origin and while English is my native language, I find that it often lacks the elegance and grace found in many other tongues.
In the end, what I take away from this collection is the commonality of love, loss and desire. We all ache, yearn, have our hearts broken and share the bliss of love - all evident in the myriad ways we have to say, sing or recreate our inner worlds.

We hope you enjoy the Lupertine 2013 collection.

PLEASE NOTE: Please order by February 4th for delivery by Valentine's Day. Also, last years Lupertines - Mlle Victoria's Lupertine Burlesque Cabaret are still available HERE! No other scents will be resurrected at this time. If there is a Lupertine from the past you're interested in, please contact Vajra.

LUPERTINE 2013 and MARDI GRAS 2013 perfumes will be available until March 15th, or until supplies are exhausted. Gris Gris Bags will be available until February 28.

CAFUNÉ
Brazilian Portuguese
The act of running ones fingers gently and lovingly through a beloved's hair.
Black tea, toasted sweet tobacco, Sudanese frankincense, cocoa absolute, black pepper and vanilla infused coconut husk.

FORELSKET
Norwegian
The pure euphoric bliss experienced during the first moments of falling in love.
Davana, blood orange, spun sugar, vanilla musk, hibiscus and Indian patchouli.

ILUNGA
Bantu
An individual who is willing to forgive a lover's transgression the first time that it is committed, show tolerance toward a second event and refuse to abide any abuse a third time.
English lavender, juniper berry, allspice, Himalayan cedar, aged pine resin, palo santo and black copal.

KOI NO YOKAN
Japanese
The instantaneous intuitive knowledge that you and the person you just met will fall in love with one another.
King mandarin, rose geranium, bois de rose, beeswax absolute, crimson orchid, magnolia, pink lotus and golden honey.

LA DOULEUR EXQUISE
French
The exquisite agony that accompanies the desire for someone who is unobtainable.
Coriander, clove absolute, Meyer lemon, oleander, white musk and amber milk.

MAMIHLAPINATAPEI
Yagan, Tierra del Fuego
A silent, aching look shared by a couple who long for one another that is shadowed by a mutual, bashful reluctance.
Sweet pea, cardamom, fresh fig, Baltic amber, ginger and stargazer lily.

RETROUVAILLES
French
The joyous reunion after a long separation.
Ruby red grapefruit, cassia, black pepper, pomegranate, black tea and red sandalwood.

SAUDADE
Portuguese
An unrelenting longing for someone who was loved and lost. Also, a nebulous and nagging desire for people, places or things that never have, cannot and never will exist.
Passion fruit, candied Parma violet, vanilla blossom, balm of Gilead infusion, guaiac wood, love-lies-bleeding and French opium.

YA'ABURNEE
Arabic
Literally: "You bury me." The hope that one would die before their loved one, as a life spent apart would be unbearable.
Black musk, aged patchouli, Spanish moss, desert hyacinth, leather, oakmoss and clove soaked myrrh.

YUANFEN
Chinese
A complex concept rooted in Buddhist theological determinism. A synchronistic, predetermined karmic force that links or binds two people together in a relationship that is fated or destined to be. This relationship can be shared between lovers, friends and family as well and is, according to the ancients, indicative of connections forged in past lives.
Dragon's blood, temple sandalwood, white amber, black locust blossom, white ginger and quince.


Join the Conjure Plague Circus as the good Doktor leads our rag tag krewe down paths devious and debaucherous!

Order all six of the Conjure Krewe and receive a free Gris Gris bag conjured by Mama Vajra herself! The bag comes along with a pip of a specially formulated anointing oil and instructions for use! The current Gris Gris we are offering can be found HERE. If you're ordering a complete set, please let me know your free Gris Gris selection either in the Message to Merchant section on the PayPal check out page, or send a separate email to vajra at conjureoils dot com.

You can also purchase the Gris Gris bags individually. They are $40 each and are available HERE.

DOKTOR PLAGUE
Ringmaster and mysteriously dark leader of this motley Conjure krewe!
Smoked black tea, cardamom, aged myrrh, robust sandalwood, sweet sage and silver lavender.


COLUMBINE
Clever Columbine is an artful and confident juggler, carelessly tossing glass spheres, sharp toys, grenades and the hearts of the men who adore her to the delight and dismay of her audience.
Cherry blossom, guava fruit, blood orange, golden patchouli and sugared amber.


HARLEQUIN
Harlequin serves up his comedy nimbly with the aid of his robotic limbs, ever trying to catch the heart of Columbine with his acrobatics and foolish antics.
Crystalline amber, black coconut, sugared tobacco, vanilla musk, osmanthus and salted caramel.

PIERROT
Wrapped in a straight jacket and donning a gas mask, Pierrot is the picture of the sadness and madness born of unrequited love; he pines for Columbine whom he always loses to the agile Harlequin.
Blue iris, antiqued frankincense, red sandalwood, aged vanilla resin, bergamot and white carnations.


MLLE. JUDIE
Half human, half skeletal, Mlle. Judie tries her best to keep her brute of a husband, Punch, in line. She insists that one day she will get it through his thick skull that when baby sitting, one doesn't actually sit on the baby.
Red amber, black currant, kush, orange blossom honey and lush gardenia.


PUNCH
Despite his ability to fight the devil and win, Punch will always be just the the hen pecked husband and eternal tormentor of his formidable wife Mlle. Judie. He's all bark, and some bite, too!
Black musk, champaca blossom, red myrrh, cassia, burned sugar, narcissus, pomegranate and black patchouli. 


Gris Gris Bags are available at Conjure Oils for a short time only!

Made by hand using a combination of organic and/or wildcrafted herbs, roots, semi precious stones, minerals, metals, shells and other mystical curios, these Gris Gris bags come in beautiful color appropriate pouches with a small charm affixed by hand to the exterior. Each Gris Gris comes with complete instructions on their preparation with suggestions on how to enliven them using various candle colors, moon phases, days of the week and instructions on how personalize them with anointing oils and personal concerns.

Before they're sent out to you, each Bag is prayed over and passed through sacred smoke that is burned as a daily devotional on my Boveda, or spirit altar.

CURRENT GRIS GRIS SELECTIONS:
TRUE LOVE - To attract LOVE. Pink bag, heart charm.
LA FLAMME - To enliven an existing relationship or attract SEX - Red bag, devil charm.
TREASURE CHEST - To draw :PROSPERITY - Green bag, coin charm.
GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT - To acquire employment that meets financial, mental, emotional and spiritual needs - Green bag, clock charm.
PEACE CLOUD - To create an aura of peace for the wearer - White bag, dove charm.
SPIRIT VEIL - To encourage COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEAD - Violet bag with skull charm.
THIRD EYE - To strengthen PSYCHIC ABILITIES - Silver bag with ankh charm.
BLUE FLAME - To create a fiery wall of PROTECTION - Haint blue bag with anti evil eye charm.
SHADOW WEAVER - To create PACTS WITH DARK SPIRITS - Black bag with inverted cross charm.
Please note that bag color and charm may vary in accordance with availability; any substitutions will be expertly chosen.

Prices are as follows:
SELECTIONS FROM THE BOOK OF LOVE - $19/5ml $20/5ml roll on
MARDI GRAS - $20/5ml $21/5ml roll on. Set of SIX $120 plus a FREE Gris Gris of your own choosing.
GRIS GRIS - $40/1 Bag $100/3 Bags $300/All NINE Bags

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for your kindness, understanding and support of The Little Perfume House that Could! 

Love and Mystery,

Vajra, Sterling, Miss Lucy and the little one yet to be born (and named!)