Lavender & Honeysuckle: Lunar Amulet perfume for the December 2, 2013 New Moon

Lavender & Honeysuckle is a sweet floral botanical perfume (which I rarely create) with deep honey undertones. This bright bouquet is accented with orange flower, ylang ylang, and jasmine and is anchored with a base of amber, beeswax, vetiver, and vanilla that holds to the skin after the flowers fade. Several varieties of lavender are blended to arrive at this delicate and feminine blend that stays close to the skin.




There are several extra from this batch available in the Limited Edition section of my Etsy shop. If you can't wait until Spring, this will hold you over.


I have also been blending my homemade recipe of organic Lavender & Honeysuckle tea! I made a batch of this last year and it was gone in like, seconds, so this time I'm making more. I will be including a tea sample in each order of this perfume refill, and they may end up in some other orders this month as well ;) 

Lunar Amulet Perfume for the November 3, 2013 New Moon: CIDER

Autumn! Yes!! There is a satisfaction this time of the year that cannot be matched; the harvest, filled pantries, backyard bonfires, rain, and staying home cooking. I havent gone to the orchard or made spiced cider yet this year but if I DID, this is what it would smell like ;)

This sweet apple-like accord is spiced with cassia, ginger, cardamom, and Tonka. The warmth of the cassia (hot cinnamon) wears down quickly to allow the smooth fruity and slightly floral tones of pressed cider to surface. After a few hours only hints of spices remain.

Lunar Amulet Perfume for the October 4, 2013 New Moon: Renaissance

I made this perfume after a full day of galivanting at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. This tribute scent includes essences of handtooled leather, chainmaille, wood crafts, and beeswax candles in a bed of Bulgarian rose. This is a warm, dark scent that compliments the changing seasons while transporting you to the Renaissance era. There are a few of these locket refills left in the Limited Edition section of my Etsy shop for you midevil maidens.

Lunar Amulet for September 5th, 2013 New Moon: Pink Floyd "Echoes"

I finally got my turntable and old stereo set up again. That means lots of Pink Floyd vinyl spinning. One of my current favorites to listen to is Meddle, with the extremely long and amazing "Echoes" on it. I wanted to capture the psychedelic, melodic, melancholy nature of this gorgeous song. For a long time I have experimented with "sad" scents; something that feels like a long cry upon inhalation. I think this is my closest success so far. It is sublimely resinous throughout, opening with a sting of citrus and quickly softening to a sea of delicate florals and sweet woods.

 I made sure to make a few extras this time to list in the Limited Edition section of my Etsy shop, since I had a lot of disappointed people when there were no extra Labyrinth perfumes last month.

Lunar Amulet for the August 6th, 2013 New Moon

The Labyrinth was one of my favorite movies and the first I can remember ever watching. When I began blending a variety of geranium essences that I have been collecting, the whimsical yet slightly disturbing atmosphere of this movie came to mind. I continued blending in fresh, bright verveine and lavender that a friend brought me back from France, then added an especially dark and leathery oakmoss, creating a dark undertone that intensifies over time. The result is a blend that puts me in the same emotional state as this movie did - another realm that is both bright and dark and unpredictable, but curiosity and magic kept me drawn in.

Lunar Amulet for the July 8th, 2013 New Moon

I am so glad I have a few of these lunar amulet refills to put in the limited edition section of my Etsy shop... I think it would be difficult to find a scent this strange anywhere else. This is inspired by hot stones, shells, and clay baking in the sunlight. The warmth lifts off it as dry, powdery musk stays close to the skin. Pure essences of roasted seashells and ambergris conjure a rocky beach with all the fossils that have washed to shore and dried. 

Epstein's Hardware Store - the perfume

If you are visiting Kansas City and you want to find unique, vintage hardware and items from strange old warehouses, you MUST go to Epsteins. And if the scent of leather, wood, metal, cardboard, and ephemera intrigue you but you are unable to visit the store, try this inspired custom scent. This interpretive blend is made to evoke the 83 years of strangeness that is Epsteins! 

My friend Jori has made their website into almost as fun of an experience as visiting the store itself. The video above is a true smellovision, so be sure to watch it if you are lucky enough to grab one of these sample. Jori also packs the online orders and offers custom artwork on the outside of your package.... (these put my online orders to shame)

The scent is masculine in nature (if scent is to be given a gender) but as with most of my perfumes I consider it completely unisex. You can also pour the vial contents onto the leather scrap that it is held to, and place the leather in your car or tool chest or anywhere else that you would like to fill with the essence of Epstein's. 

There are only a limited number of these sample vials available from my website, so now is your chance to feed your curiosity :)

Lunar Amulet for the June 8, 2013 New Moon

This "Irridescent" perfume is spicy and sweet and warm and cool all at once.. depending on the amount it is heated, it will smell differently. In cool weather it is a soft floral with earthy undertones, and in warm weather spices and woods will emerge. Over time it changes from bright and sweet to dark and whispering. The scent is not overpowering, but a light veil of delicate chords, all layered in a way that create a shimmering effect. This one was so fun to make, and different than what I normally create. The violet leaf and vanilla are offset with coriander and nutmeg, grounded with sandalwood and lifted with grapefruit. A central element of spruce and lavender cools the otherwise warm tones.

Lunar Amulet Perfume for the May 9, 2013 New Moon

Finally, after the longest winter I can remember having in Kansas City, Spring is really happening. This month's limited edition perfume for the Lunar Amulet is inspired by Sunlight, capturing the warmth and comfort of this perfect energy source. In this blend, thick tree balsams are blended into a bouquet of deep florals and sandalwood. Pink pepper, bergamot, and celery seed lift the warmth of the base notes, radiating spicy hints of Jasmine Sambac in an encompassing blanket of light.

4-10-13 Lunar Amulet Perfume - Seventh Tree

This perfume was inspired by one of my favorite albums of the last decade; Seventh Tree by Goldfrapp.  When it was first released I listened to it on my headphones while I worked in a soul-depleting office environment.  Seventh Tree had a delicate but warming quality to it which brought me to a place of calm.. as if I had walked far into the country, away from everything, and found a quiet place to live deep in the forest. This place is still in my mind, and I have been on the hunt for its physical manifestation. This sweet blend of Linden Blossom and Ylang Ylang nestled inside a base of Sandalwood and Orris Root create a comforting spring landscape.  Tangerine weaves in and out of the space before fading into the nest of innocent florals.

Lunar Amulet for March 11, 2013

Winter finally manifested snow here in Kansas City a couple weeks ago, inspiring this lunar cycle's scent: fresh, clean snow. This base of vanilla is wrapped in the soft surroundings of a winter landscape.

Year of the Snake - Lunar Amulet for 2-10-13

This post is a bit late!! So sorry - There are a few of the solid locket refills left in my shop for anyone else who wants to try it.

The Chinese believe that seeing a snake brings good fortune.

The new moon of February 10, 2013 marks the Year of the Snake, and I concocted this serpant-inspired perfume in celebration of the Lunar New Year. This limited edition scent features the dark and spicy South American Palo Santo (holy wood), in a smothering blend of 17 plant essences.

It only takes a minute for the black pepper and sage to give way to the deeper notes of amber, sandalwood, and patchouli. Balsams, resins, and grasses soften the sharp edges of the spiritually cleansing palo santo, conjuring the landscape of dry desert terrain to the senses.