I just found the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab site, which is silly because they apparently have me on their link list. But then, I am usually the last to hear when someone puts me on their blogroll.
However the scents and other products that Black Phoenix creates actually smell (which I suspect would be excellent), the site's presentation and concept are marvelous. Imagine my joy when I find a section called "Steamworks" which houses scents based on things I've talked about here, such as Aelopile, Antikythera Mechanism, Robotic Scarab, and Violet Ray.
They also have whole sections of oils named after Neil Gaiman characters, Shakespearean oils, oils based on Alice in Wonderland characters. And so much more. And the site is really fun to look at, very well-done.
6 comments:
They seem to be making perfumes as a sort of evocative art form, rather than merely a cosmetic. I'm rather taken by their range of Lovecraft-inspired scents, although I'm not sure I'd actually like to smell of "a creeping, wet, slithering scent, dripping with seaweed, oceanic plants and dark, unfathomable waters".
I'm a longtime BPAL fan. They are, indeed, really excellent perfume oils. I loathe commercial perfumes, but these converted me into someone who will actually wear a scent.
I just tried the new steampunk scents this week. I've gotta say, the Antikythera Mechanism is BLINDINGLY sexy. An absolutely beautiful blend!
I love the site and the scents seem wonderful but alas cannot bring myself to buy a perfume I cannot try on my skin first. I already miss the random browsing in on-line bookshops...
I'd like to chirp up at this point and say how much I am enjoying your blog. I have actually added you to my blogroll. So you know.
Neil Gaiman's blog pointed me to those scents a while ago. I've come close to buying a couple of times, hampered by indecision and not being able to smell them in person. Such delicious descriptions! How on earth do people choose?
Keep writing!
What a small world... I found out about BPAL at the beginning of the year, and several months ago I started reading Neil Gaiman's blog because several BPAL scents are based on his novels. He recently linked to your blog (which I was reading for the first time today), and here you are, mentioning BPAL.
If you are ever in the North Hollywood, California area around a full moon, you can visit their shop and try/buy scents in person. The full moon open house dates are here: http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/about.html
For those daunted by the selection and inability to smell over the internet, I offer two small beacons of light. Firstly, you may order samples called imps of most of the scents. Secondly, if you log onto the forum you can swap or sell things that you didn't like for new things you want to try. It's all set up very well so that you're never stuck with something you won't love.
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