Arcana Soaps

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Location: Portland, Oregon, United States

The fevered minds behind Arcana Soaps have been selling lavish distillations and ablutions since 2003. Our focus is on unparalleled skincare, exotic ingredients and delectable hand-blended scents.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Hallowe'en!

Crossposted from the Arcana LJ Community.

Having received a plethora of emails on this subject, all I can say is bless your cider-swilling, pumpkin-carving, darling orange and black striped hearts for being so excited for this update. I am eternally yours in spooky Hallowe'enness.

The Scents:

Caffeinated Death Perfume (Limited Edition): A fatally wired combination of cocoa absolute, coffee, chai spices, Bourbon vanilla and white cognac. You can sleep when you’re dead.

Guy Fawkes Perfume (Limited Edition):
Remember, remember
The fifth of November

Revisit the Gunpowder Plot with this intense mix of smoky bonfire revels, dry apple cider, aged vetiver, black coffee and cold, damp November earth. A penny for the guy!

Haint Perfume (Limited Edition): The sweet, melancholy essence of a Southern ghost drifting through dark mountain hollows and crumbling neo-classical mansions. White musk, vanilla musk, Madagascar vanilla, sugarcane, and a faint trail of white pepper.

Holy Terror Perfume (Limited Edition): There are utterly somber and fearsome spirits which are known to haunt certain long-deserted chapels, monasteries and abbeys. An unsettling, austere blend of burning frankincense, sandalwood, deep myrrh and dusty beeswax candles.

Little Ghoulie Perfume (Limited Edition): All the scents of a small, terribly excited newbie to the trick-or-treat scene. Jack o’ Lanterns, ginger cookies, chocolate candy and a frisson of overwhelming delight.

Zombie’s Cucumber Perfume (Limited Edition): The poisonous thornapple, known in the voodoo world as concombre zombie, carries a wicked and perverse reputation. Our homage to this narcotic night-bloomer reeks of Egyptian musk, Haitian vetiver, crisp apples, sweet clove, black pepper and a host of dark spices.

The Soaps:

Caffeinated Life Soap (Limited Edition): Stay awake for the spookiest part of the night with this hopped-up brew of espresso, chocolate, chai, Bourbon vanilla, black cocoa butter, finely ground organic oats, Fair Trade coffee, sweet almond oil and buttermilk. You can sleep when you’re dead.

Miasma Soap (Limited Edition):
Into my heart an air that kills
From yon far country blows
What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?*

Dark amber and black coconut swirl through atmospheric sea air, sweetly rotting fruits, rich coconut milk and autumnally smoky Fair Trade shea butter.
*A.E. Housman

Zombie’s Cucumber Soap (Limited Edition): The poisonous thornapple, known in the voodoo world as concombre zombie, has a wicked and perverse reputation. Our homage to this narcotic night-bloomer reeks of Egyptian musk, Haitian vetiver, crisp apples, sweet clove, black pepper, buttermilk and a host of dark spices.

The Scrubs:

Dia de los Muertos Scrub (Limited Edition): Though Spanish conquistadores tried to put the kibosh on this Aztec ritual for the dead, the holiday not only endured but retained its flamingly pagan core. Celebrate, honor, and even laugh at death with our fusion of spices, honey, tobacco and dark chocolate. Made with organic cocoa and pure cane sugar.

Guy Fawkes Scrub (Limited Edition):
Remember, remember
The fifth of November

Revisit the Gunpowder Plot with this intense mix of smoky bonfire revels, dry apple cider, aged vetiver, black coffee and cold, damp November earth. Made with shea butter, cane sugar and apple extract. A penny for the guy!

Haint Scrub (Limited Edition): The sweet, melancholy essence of a Southern ghost drifting through dark mountain hollows and crumbling neo-classical mansions. White musk, vanilla musk, Madagascar vanilla, sugarcane, and a faint trail of white pepper. Made with cane sugar, shea butter and finely ground vanilla beans.

Little Ghoulie Scrub (Limited Edition): All the scents of a small, terribly excited newbie to the trick-or-treat scene. Jack o’ Lanterns, ginger cookies, chocolate candy and a frisson of overwhelming delight. Made with mango butter, ginger extract and softly-exfoliating brown sugar.

You'll notice that Caffeinated Life & Death have similarities. While many of the notes are the same, the end results are unique enough that each warranted its own (albeit linked) name.

The usual suspects:

Magical Omaha
Buy Olympia
Gorey Details
The Soap Box


In other news, Grasshopper soap and Jane & Tarzan soap are slated for discontinuation in the coming months. However, both perfume blends will remain for the time being.

Also, after this season ends, Dia de los Muertos and Sleepy Hollow will be discontinued in both soap and perfume until further notice. They may return yearly as seasonals, but at this point should simply be considered discontinued.

Love,
Julia