Friday, November 26, 2010

Happy Holidays from Conjure Oils! Yule LE's are LIVE and Black Friday Sale!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I am so pleased to introduce this year's 2010 Yule Limited Edition collection. I am particularly proud of this line because it is conceived and creatively configured by the Conjure Oils community. Congrats everyone! There really were no bad entries and it was next to impossible to decide which ones were going to be selected.  I hope you'll be as pleased as I am with the final results!

CONJURE OILS BLACK FRIDAY SALE

From today until 11:59pm Sunday night Pacific, Conjure Oils will be hosting a holiday Buy 2 get 1 (buy 4, get 2, buy 6 get 3, etc...) FREE sale in all lines EXCLUDING:

*Limited Editions, 
*The Toby Daye Collection, 
*Newfangled Notions and
*Oddment Emporium

The free oil must be equal to or lesser than the least expensive oil in your cart. For example, if you cart contains an oil for $17.50, and one for $20, your free oil can be a $17.50, or a $15 oil. Two $20 oils will get you a free $20, etc.

Bottles only! No pips, or pip samplers. Thank you!

HOW TO ORDER: Place your bottles in your cart then at check out, please list your free oil in the "Note To Merchant" box in the PayPal checkout.

Thank you! <3

Yuletide in Conjure County is LIVE!
Xmas in Conjure County
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2010 Conjure Oils Yule Contest!

YULETIDE IN CONJURE COUNTY

A La Nanita Nana

A haunting, mournful, lovely traditional Spanish folk carol. Most perfect when sung as an a cappella lullaby to a little one. 

"A la nanita nana, nanita ea, nanita ea,
Mi Jesus tiene sueno, bendito sea, bendito sea.
Fuentecilla que corres clara y sonora ,
Ruisenor q'en la selva cantando Iloras,
Callad mientras la cuna se balancea. A la nanita nana, nanita ea.  
A la nanita nana, nanita ea, nanita ea,

Sleep, sleep my little Jesus,
May peace attend Thee, may peace attend Thee.
To the world, little Savior, New hope thou art bringing
All the world, little Savior, Thy praises singing,
God's angels hovering o'er Thee chant hallelujah.
A la nanita nana, nanita ea."  

The cherubic scent of a sleeping infant's skin, the nourishing sweetness of mother's milk, holy white musk and the radiant golden glow of warm vanilla-infused amber angel wings.

Hillary Lemonds
Pennsylvania, USA

Aurora Borealis

Gossamer hues of green, ethereal hints of crimson and pale blue flashes of sky fire illuminate the long nights with mystery, wonder and awe.

Shivering frost notes cling to the boughs of fir and spruce whilst wisps of smoke from sacred wood fires swirl and undulate amid a wintry mix of chilled yew and cranberries sweetened with frozen vanilla.

Niki Whiting
United Kingdom

Dagda's Porridge

The Celtic precursor to Christmas pudding, Dagda's porridge is traditionally made "all the good things of the Earth"

Slices of golden apple and hot buttered rum soaked raisins are topped with lightly toasted oats, sticky clover honey, dark brown sugar, a light dusting of clove, nutmeg and powdered cinnamon then baked to oozy perfection.

Karen Shibuya
Virginia, USA

General Winter

Russian winters are notorious for their freezing temperatures and heavy snows, and also for the advantage they give the country during wartime. A particularly bad winter in 1812 crushed Napoleon Bonaparte's Moscow invasion forces, and the bleak winter of 1941 crushed Adolf Hitler's Operation Barbarossa while on its way to the capitol, freezing the engines of panzer tanks and the fuel used to run them.
Winter is also a season depicted often in Slavic folklore and myth. It is the province of the Morana, Slavic goddess of snow, darkness and death and an equivalent of Demeter, who is burned in effigy when spring returns and she transforms into a beautiful maiden. Long ago, Ded Moroz's beautiful granddaughter Snegurochka (the Snow Maiden) also fell in love with a herdsman but melted away when spring came. The season is also home to winter festivals in a number of Russia 's cities--including the capitol that neither Napoleon nor Hitler could take.

General Winter -- or sometimes General Snow -- is the militaristic nickname given to this winter, and he is honored by this perfume.

Desolate and barren patchouli, splinters of ice, shriveled brown frost-dappled steppe grass, the smoke of distant birch fires, the barest hint of sbiten - a hot Russian beverage consisting of Soviet honey, sweet blackberry jam with deep spices: nutmeg, warming cinnamon, spicy ginger root, clove bud and the ghost of oil and General Winter's triumph over tyranny.

JoSelle Vanderhooft
Utah, USA

I Want To Believe (in Santa)

Is Santa real, or is he part of a government conspiracy to cover up the truth about fat philanthropic jolly men in red? Let's put the X back in Xmas.

A suspicious mix of holiday cheer: vanilla syrup sweetened eggnog spiked with a dubious shot of spiced rum, garnished with a peppermint candy cane and a splash of doublespeak.

Vajra Wright
Oregon, USA

Los Matachines

Los Matachines are an important part of the holiday season on the US/Mexico border and in Northern Mexico. They are mummer dancers traveling from house to house dressed in elaborate, Aztec-inspired outfits with drums and rattles, performing a play based on the story of Montezuma and the last days of the Aztec empire. The performance venerates the Virgen de Guadalupe, whose feast day is December 12th and is often combined with Advent and other Christmas celebrations.

Offertory incenses of sweet copal and resinous myrrh, holy roses sacred to the Virgen, blue agave, amber musk, a pinch of chipotle pepper and a handful of festive chocolate candies.

Eleanor Baxter
Texas, USA

Moosemas

All hail the mighty moose! This Erisian day of indulgence, celebrated toward the end of the season of Aftermath or toward the beginning of the season of Chaos, is dedicated to the Discordian Horned God in his sacred incarnation as a particular beloved cartoon moose. A holiday of good friends, good food, and good humor!

Dark and rich chocolate mousse laced with the warmth and cheer of hazelnut liqueur and slivered almonds because things always get a little nutty at Moosemas!

Andrea Fontaine
Wisconsin, USA

Midnight of the Century

"Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation."  -Daniel 9:21

Midnight on Christmas Eve is a legendary time for supernatural activity, ghostly visitation and divination. According to folklore the Fetch, or the soul of a person that is destined to pass through the veil in the coming year, will travel to mass at the local church in order to congregate with the other Fetch spirits in search of eternal companionship. Other ghosts, angels and harbingers are known to visit loved ones from beyond to ease loneliness, offer warnings of impending death or danger, or to simply share in the warmth of the holiday spirit.

The otherworldly aroma of sacred offerings: resinous billows of frankincense and myrrh smoke, the built up wax from ages of burned beeswax candles, sacramental wine sweetened with milk and honey, slices of oven-fresh cranberry bread, garlands of holiday greens and flecks of gold foil from worn Byzantine saint icons.

Mark Hayden and the TIWWA Gang
UK/USA

Pomme d'Ambre

Pomme d'Ambre, also known more commonly as a pomander, is a beautifully scented device devised during medieval times to deter pestilence and to mask the less-than-wonderful smells emitted from inadequate sewage systems and personal hygiene. In the modern era, pomanders now scent the air to enhance the holiday ambiance and to see a clove studded fruit dangling gently on a red ribbon exudes nothing but old fashioned charm.

A juicy clove-studded orange is dusted with powdered cinnamon, ginger and orris root and hung from a scarlet ribbon to perfume the air with its ancient aroma.

Erin Germain
Massachusetts, USA

Stiricide

"Stiricide- the act of an icicle falling, as from the edge of a roof." 17th century. Definitely a chilling way to die.

Icicles with evil agendas, ozone and the coppery tang of impending doom.

Krystal Adams/Maire Irwin
USA

Stille Nacht

Wrapped in snow, long forgotten, the ghosts of an abandoned village church still follow the rites they knew in life, accompanied by an ephemeral choir and the tolling of long-fallen bells. Or perhaps it's only the wind through the cracked shutters and fallen eaves...

Atlas cedar, oakmoss, cold dry woods, faded cathedral incense and drifting snow.

Paula Schricker
Arizona, USA

Tió de Nadal

In the Catalonia region of Spain, it is traditional to have a Tió de Nadal, or Christmas log, in one's house. It is a log propped up on four legs, higher in the front and has a happy face painted, a bulbous nose and wears a red cap. Beginning on December 8th, the Feast of the Conception, the log is given a little bit of food each night to eat then he gets tucked in with a blanket so he stays warm while he sleeps.

Finally on Christmas day, the Tió de Nadal become the Caga Tió, or the pooping log - the Tio is placed in the fireplace and ordered to "poop" whereupon he's beat with sticks in order to "poop" out small treats such as candies, dried figs, turrón (a sweet nougaty confection) and nuts. When the log can "go" no more he will deliver a final "gift" of a dried herring or a bulb of garlic!

Likened to a Christmas Tree or a Spanish Yule log, carols are song to the Caga Tio:

"caga tió,
caga torró,
avellanes i mató,
si no cagues bé
et daré un cop de bastó.
caga tió!

'poop log,
poop turrón,
hazelnuts and cottage cheese,
if you don't poop well,
I'll hit you with a stick,
'poop log!
giving log,
give us treats,
give us sweets!
if you don't want to give,
I'll hit you with a stick,
give it up!

'caga tió,
tió de Nadal,
no caguis arengades,
que són massa salades
caga torrons

'poop log,
log of Christmas,
don't poop herrings,
which are too salty,
poop turrón
which is much better!

'log, log,
giving log,
don't give us herrings,
they are too salty,
give us treats,
give us sweets!"

Candy sweets, turrón nougat - sweet honey, egg white, toasted almonds and white sugar, black fig, walnuts, hardwood and a wisp of smoke.

(We'll be merciful and save the herring, onion, garlic and caga for another Tió at another time!)

Jen Buttermore
Pennsylvania, USA

THE SUGAR-PLUM TREE SERIES
The Sugar-Plum Tree
Eugene Field (1850-1895)

         Have you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree?
            It is a marvel of great renown!
            It blooms on the shore of the Lollipop sea
            In the
garden of Shut-Eye Town;
            The fruit that it bears is so wondrously sweet
            (As those who have tasted it say)
            That good little children have only to eat
            Of that fruit to be happy next day.
            
            When you've got to the tree, you would have a hard time
            To capture the fruit which I sing;
            The tree is so tall that no person could climb
            To the boughs where the sugar-plums swing!
            But up in that tree sits a chocolate cat,
            And a gingerbread dog prowls below--
            And this is the way you contrive to get at
            Those sugar-plums tempting you so:
            
            You say but the word to that gingerbread dog
            And he barks with such terrible zest
            That the chocolate cat is at once all agog,
            As her swelling proportions attest.
            And the chocolate cat goes cavorting around
            From this leafy limb unto that,
            And the sugar-plums tumble, of course, to the ground--
            Hurrah for that chocolate cat!
            
            There are marshmallows, gumdrops, and peppermint canes,
            With stripings of scarlet or gold,
            And you carry away of the treasure that rains
            As much as your apron can hold!
            So come, little child, cuddle closer to me
            In your dainty white nightcap and gown,
            And I'll rock you away to that Sugar-Plum Tree
            In the garden of Shut-Eye Town."
VioletBlue
Florida, USA

The Sugar-Plum Tree
Candied dragée sugar plums and sweet green leaves softly dotted with chilly snow and brisk winter wind.

Shut-Eye Town
Sweet lavender-infused vanilla cream, heliotrope blossoms and blue chamomile to soothe winter woes.

Chocolate Cat
Hot chocolate cream flavored with curls of blood orange peel and soft ginger fur. Hurrah for the Chocolate Cat!

Gingerbread Dog
Playfully sweet gingerbread, freshly baked with brandy sauce, treacle and whipped vanilla cream

The Lollipop Tree
Lollipop sweeties in all the colors of the rainbow are flavored with sugared winter fruits: pomegranate, fig, sour 
cherry, lemon, candied ginger, pineapple and clementine.

Candy Filled Apron
Pockets overflowing with chewy fruit and spice gumdrops, sticky hands, puffy marshmallows, candy canes and crisp, freshly laundered cotton.

Stripes of Scarlet
Fiery red dragon's blood ignited by drops of red sandalwood and sweet patchouli adorned with dashes of red musk and clusters of sugared crimson holly berries.

Strokes of Gold
Glimmering golden sandalwood, glittering vanilla blossoms and a shimmer of sweet clove bud.

Yule 2010 Resurrected

Christmas in Sydney 2010

Move over eggnog, Yule log and heaps of snow! Time to soak in the summer sun and celebrate with friends at the beach, twilight barbecues and a dip in the Ocean!

The fragrance of gorgeous blossoms of frangipani and jasmine float in the air and mingle with the sweet scent of bodies slathered with coconut oil, cocoa butter, freshly mown grass and sea-spray sweetly lingering in the distance.

Dominica,
Sydney, Australia
Yule 2008 Winner 

Korochun 2010

A Slavic holiday celebrated on the longest night of the year, December 21st. In the Northern Hemisphere as the days become shorter, Hors, the Old Sun becomes smaller and eventually dies on the Solstice, defeated by the dark powers of Chernobog. On December 23rd Hors is resurrected and becomes the New Sun, Koleda.

On this day, Western Slavs lit fires in cemeteries to keep their loved ones warm, organized feasts to honor the dead and keep them fed and lit wooden logs at local crossroads in reverence.

Smoke wafting through frosty air carries promises of warm wheat bread, juicy figs, spiced cookies and buttered rum.

Cassandra
Tennessee, USA
Yule 2009 Winner

Misa del Gallo 2010

Misa del Gallo, or "Roosters Mass" is a name used in Catholic Latin America for the tradition of Midnight Mass, stemming from the belief that the rooster was one of the first creatures to witness and then announce the birth of the infant Jesus with a mighty crow.

Celebrate Midnight Mass in a cathedral dark and crumbling: black amber, sweet myrrh, olibanum resin, beeswax candle smoke wafting heavenward, raw cacao absolute, desert chaparral and braids of sweetgrass.

Siggster
North Carolina, USA
Yule 2007 Winner

Snegurochka 2010

In Russian folklore, there is a beautiful snow maiden named Snegurochka - daughter and helper of Grandfather Frost who has the jolly task of delivering presents to children on Christmas. In one old fairy tale, Snegurochka yearns for the companionship of mortal humans and falls in love with a handsome shepherd named Lel. Unfortunately, her heart is frozen solid rendering her incapable of knowing love. Her mother, Mother Spring, takes pity on her dear Snegurochka and gives her heart the capacity to love. Sadly,Snegurochka's icy heart of snow and deep ice isn't immune to the fire of love and melts in the heat of passion.

Snegurochka, how cold it is!
Vitreous soul
It does not wait my love
It knows all secrets in advance
How difficult it is for me
What more can I say?
And my heart aches
Ice heated
And difficultly selected words
Where is your accordion?
Where is the light of love?
Do you not know?

Romantically tragic and withering: roses heavy with ice are thawed with a deep heart of oud and fiery ginger.

Christine
Oregon, USA
Yule 2008 Winner

Snowbound 2010

The sting of black leather on shivering skin; the merging of ice and lust.

Frozen musk topped by worn leather, sultry sandalwood and a drop of sweetest honey.

Spectral Ball 2010

The spirit of the Holiday for the spirits themselves!

The milky sap of poinsettias, yew branches decking the halls to the ballroom, the ethereal breath of cardamom and cognac from the Yule punch, swirls of gossamer linen brushing the gleaming teak floors buffed to a mirrored finish as the ghostly couples share a waltz from beyond the grave.

Samantha
Texas, USA
Yule 2009 Winner

We Three Kings 2010

"We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain
Moor and mountain
Following yonder star..."

Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar: weary travelers from exotic lands, following the promise of faith hanging on a star.

Red amber, aged patchouli, sweet clove 2CO2 extract, Ceylon cinnamon, Ethiopian frankincense, Moroccan myrrh and sweet vanilla resin carried on a spiced Middle Eastern wind.
Nikki & Michelle
California, USA & Ottawa, Canada
Yule 2008 Winner

Winter Shroud 2010

The cold and barren loneliness of a mid-Winter night. Knee-deep snow below you, the silent forest around, and a clear never-ending icy darkness above. The only sound is the soft crunching of paws breaking through the drifts searching for rare morsels. Everything sleeps covered in a mantle of stillness.
Smoldering oak branches carried to the nose on a bitter wind, frozen apples withering on the bough, decaying maple leaves amid ice tipped cedars, a spray of crimson pomegranate blood across the virgin white snow and the only heat is the spice suggested by Dragon's Blood resin.

Gail
Massachusetts, USA
Yule 2009 Winner

HOLIDAY SHIPPING INFORMATION:
In order for a timely holiday delivery, please place all orders by Monday, December 13.

Please note that Conjure Oils will be closed December 15th through the 27th. Any orders placed during that time period will be shipped after the 27th.

The current turn around time is approximately 14 business days, so plan accordingly!

The Oddment Emporium will not be having a December update, as the last one was a seasonal update. The Newfangled Notions December update will go live by the 30th of November.

Thank you for all the support this year!

Have a fantastic Holiday! I hope that love, fun, light, love and bliss fill your season with gorgeous memories!

All the best,

Vajra

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

SHIPPING CHANGES

Conjure Oils makes every effort to remain an affordable, competitive, fair and sustainable business. Taking care of the needs of our supporters and the health of our vision benefits both you, our beloved clientele and ourselves as well. It is of the utmost importance to us that we continue giving you the goods that you've grown to love and cherish while sticking to our belief in a fair and affordable shipping policy.

With this in mind it has become glaringly apparent that we desperately need to adjust our shipping structures so we can retain one of the most reasonable shipping policies out there. Here is our new shipping policy for both Domestic and International orders. And, of course, we still offer Free Shipping on all orders over $50 (in the US) and $100 (International*)

Thank you for your understanding. 

DOMESTIC
Perfume Oils Only: $5 on all orders under $50. After $50, it's free. Shipped First Class with Delivery Confirmation
Oddment Emporium: (with, or without perfume oils) $7.25 on all orders under $50. After $50, it's free. Shipped Priority with Delivery Confirmation.

INTERNATIONAL
*Perfume Oils Only: $7 on all orders under $100. After $100, it's free. Shipped First Class with Delivery Confirmation
*Oddment Emporium: (with, or without perfume oils) Actual shipping charge will be billed prior to shipment if you order from the Oddment Emporium, less the $7 initial charge. The Free Shipping offer is no longer available for International orders. 

INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: You are responsible for all customs charges, including duties, taxes, brokerage fees, and any other fees, assessed at the border before delivery.

All the best,
Vajra
 

Friday, November 12, 2010

The Toby Daye Collection

The Toby Daye Collection - Perfumed oils inspired by the writing of Seanan McGuire.



If you haven't yet read the Toby (October) Daye series of books, you're in for a treat!

"The October Daye books are modern urban fantasy set in the San Francisco Bay Area, and heavily influenced by classical folklore. They follow the adventures of October "Toby" Daye as she tries to find her footing in a world that seems a little more interested in killing her than she'd like. The first three books in the series are available now: Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, and An Artificial Night. Two more books will be following in 2011: Late Eclipses and One Salt Sea." (Taken from the Seanan McGuire website)

Fragrances Available:

TOBY DAYE - THE SCENT OF COPPER & FRESHLY CUT GRASS
TYBALT - CIVET MUSK, PENNYROYAL, LEATHER & WILD HONEY
A.T. OLSEN - COFFEE & CLOVER
CONNOR O’DELL - BLUE EUCALYPTUS & SWEET SALT WATER
MAY DAYE - ASHES & BURNT SUGAR
ROSE GOBLIN - PEAT MOSS, RED ROSES & THE PRICK OF THE THORNS
SALAMANDER ATTRACTANT - CINNAMON BARK & MYRRH RESIN

The perfume oils will be available this weekend through Seanan at OryCon, Oregon's SciFi convention.They are also available HERE at ConjureOils.com

So, if you're a fan of Seanan and Conjure, this is a match made in the Summerland! If you're not a fan yet... you will be!

Vajra

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

November Update in the Oddment Emporium is LIVE!



NOVEMBER UPDATE in the ODDMENT EMPORIUM!

Soaps, Lotions and Wicked Whips available in the following six scents:


Chai Spice Tea
{Regal Indian spices: cardamon, clove, cinnamon and garam masala tea steeped in steamy, creamy milk and lightly sweetened}

Vanilla Fire
{Vanilla Soaked Chili Peppers}

Vanilla Smoke
{Smoked Vanilla Tobacco}

Vanilla Steam
{Aquatic Vanilla}

all from the Apothecary collection

November - Frost Moon
{Chrysanthemum, fallen leaves, wood smoke and the first flakes of snow}

from the Dark Moon Lodge collection

Nuit - The Celestial Cow
{A blackberry sky sparkling with vanilla stars, a cup full of celestial milk from the Cow, and warm Egyptian musk }

from the Mythos collection

El Diablito - The Little Devil
{Smoke, chocolate and warm spices conspire to make debauchery a divine pastime}

from the Loteria collection

And don't forget to enter the Holiday contest! 

<3


Vajra

Monday, November 8, 2010

4th Annual Conjure Oils Holiday Contest is a GO!

Holiday Contest!

For the past three years now, Conjure Oils has offered a contest for people to come up with a suggestion for a Holiday blend of their own design. Each and every year, I get more and more stunning, wonderful and creative entries and I'm hoping that this year will be no different!

Conjure Oils Holiday Contest 2010!


Here's the contest: Come up with a name, a description, some notes, a story, an image. It doesn't matter which - you can develop the entire concept or just come up with one or two things. From these submissions, I'll select several ideas to create for the Yule line this year.

The winners will receive a 5ml bottle of their scent as well as a 50 dollar gift certificate good for anything on the Conjure Oils website! ...not to mention temporary fame on the Limited Editions page as well!

In order for me to potentially use them, all entries will become the property of Conjure Oils so make sure you want them out in the world before you submit your ideas! By entering the contest, you agree to give me permission to use your idea for production. If you don't want your name associated with your entry, let me know, ok? I'll respect your privacy. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON, so make it count! (Multiple ideas per entry are just dandy!)

Please email your submissions to yulecontest (at) conjureoils (dot) com by November 15th and don't forget to include your contact info!

I'll pick the winners on the 20th and make the scents available by November 25th. If I can't decide, or there are too many ideas, I reserve the right to freak out, scrap the whole idea and save some ideas for next year.

May creativity and good luck be with you!

Vajra

ps. The Hallows scents will be left up throughout the season to give folks the chance to get the ones they love.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

New Cryptozoology line, Vanilla Vices, new Gears... all LIVE!

WELCOME!

Cryptozoology



Welcome to our new Cryptozoology line! Over three years in the making, I am over the moon now that it's live! Big thank you to Paula Schricker for the label art and design. You did a bang up job, love!

Conjure County
Conjure County

I must thank Paula Schricker again, along with Kelly C. for their love and effort that went into creating Conjure County, Conjure Oils' very own forum! Come and see what all the fuss is about!

MORE UPDATES!

Apothecary: The Apothecary has a few Limited Edition visitors - the Vanilla Vices line! Get them while you can:

Vanilla Vices

Vanilla Smoke
Vanilla Steam
Vanilla Fire
Vanilla Creme Fraiche
Absolutely Vanilla
and Caramelized Vanilla Vice

and added to the GC in the Apothecary, please welcome:

White Sage
Sacred Sweetgrass
Japanese Green Tea
and Black Raspberry

Miss Victoria's

Gears of Cognition
Gears of Oblivion
and Gears of Victory!

THANK YOU!

Thank you to all of you who participated in the Wicked Whips of the West Sugar Scrubs! The Oddment Emporium is ripe for an update any day now, so last call for Wicked Whips, Lotions and Soaps currently available!

I love all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my hear for allowing me to do what I love and to love what I do.

Best,

Vajra