Arcana Soaps

Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World aka The '07 Holiday Update

2007-11-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

Helloooo Darlings!

Just for you-- an update so merry, it could not be silenced! (Admittedly, no one really tried to silence it, but it stayed festive and alert just in case!)

Everything was created with one goal in mind: how can we bring feelings of unexpected delight to Arcana's adored customers, fans and friends? I hope we pulled it off.

Holiday Collection 2007

The Scents:

Arctic Bear Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): Cave in to shivery pleasures with this festively icy blend straight from the North Pole. A playful mix of aromatic Northern bayberry, frosted Siberian fir needle oil and the dry freshness of snowy woods. Hail the Great Arctic Bear!

Frozen Heart Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): The essence of a snow queen’s glacial affections. An enchanted concoction of spiky black pepper, cold peppermint, icy watermelon, pale vanilla and pearl musk. Beware of glittering women in sleighs who promise you the world.

La Befana Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): Notes of ripe apricot, Sicilian blood orange, dark chocolate, smoked vanilla, and toasted biscotti combine to evoke la Befana, the Christmas witch of Italy who slides down chimneys to leave sweets for very good children and lumps of coal for the very bad.

Pax Mundi Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): A prayerful ode to world peace. Smoky frankincense, bay laurel, myrtle pepper, peach nectar, myrrh, balsam of peru, Atlas cedarwood and gentle copaiba.

Solstice Sugar Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): Rejoice in the return of the sweet sun-child throughout all the jolly festivals of the Winter Solstice. The scent of warmest celebrations and Yuletide feasts with notes of toasty almonds, apple cakes, baking spices and honeyed mead.

The Ulda Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): The elusive fairy folk of the Nordic Sapmi region are said to live underneath the Earth and travel in reindeer-drawn sleighs tinkling with silver bells. With white almond, resinous Baltic amber, crisp bayberry, warm cardamom and pink pepper.

Winter Malaise Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): Sigh. A carb-laden base of syrupy sweet mango and thick, rich vanilla is prodded with cinnamon, clove, black anise and iron-distilled patchouli. Perfect for that date with your light box.

Winter Mirth Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): The scent of favorite scarves, gleeful snow days, and a lighthearted whirl of holiday parties: green coconut, baked pumpkin, nutmeg, red patchouli and brightest lemongrass.

The Soaps:

Arctic Bear Soap (Limited Edition): Cave in to shivery pleasures with this festively icy blend straight from the North Pole. A playful mix of aromatic Northern bayberry, frosted Siberian fir needle oil and the dry freshness of snowy woods. With coconut milk, white macadamia oil and sweet almond oil. Hail the Great Arctic Bear!

Solstice Sugar Soap (Limited Edition): Rejoice in the return of the sweet sun-child throughout all the jolly festivals of the Winter Solstice. The scent of warmest celebrations and Yuletide feasts with notes of toasty almonds, apple cakes, baking spices and honeyed mead. Enriched with sweet almond oil, coconut milk and a merry dusting of gold mica.

The Ulda Soap (Limited Edition): The elusive fairy folk of the Nordic Sapmi region are said to live underneath the Earth and travel in reindeer-drawn sleighs tinkling with silver bells. With white almond, resinous Baltic amber, crisp bayberry, warm cardamom, pink pepper, soothing macadamia oil and fragrant cedar tips.

Winter Malaise Soap (Limited Edition): Sigh. A carb-laden base of syrupy sweet mango and thick, rich vanilla is prodded with cinnamon, clove, black anise, iron-distilled patchouli, smoky shea butter and consolatory buttermilk. Perfect for that date with your light box.

Winter Mirth Soap (Limited Edition): The scent of favorite scarves, gleeful snow days, and a lighthearted whirl of holiday parties: green coconut, baked pumpkin, nutmeg, red patchouli and brightest lemongrass. Enriched with coconut milk and cheerfully scrubby organic oats.

The Scrubs:

Frozen Heart Scrub (Limited Edition): The essence of a snow queen’s glacial affections. An enchanted concoction of spiky black pepper, cold peppermint, icy watermelon, pale vanilla and pearl musk. Beware of glittering women in sleighs who promise you the world. Made with shea butter, cane sugar, vanilla beans and cooling menthol crystals.

La Befana Scrub (Limited Edition): Notes of ripe apricot, Sicilian blood orange, dark chocolate, smoked vanilla, and toasted biscotti combine to evoke la Befana, the Christmas witch of Italy who slides down chimneys to leave sweets for very good children and lumps of coal for the very bad. Made with shea butter, cane sugar and finely-ground apricot kernels.

Solstice Sugar Scrub (Limited Edition): Rejoice in the return of the sweet sun-child throughout all the jolly festivals of the Winter Solstice. The scent of warmest celebrations and Yuletide feasts with notes of toasty almonds, apple cakes, baking spices and honeyed mead. Made with shea butter, cane sugar and apple extract.

Winter Mirth Scrub (Limited Edition): The scent of favorite scarves, gleeful snow days, and a lighthearted whirl of holiday parties: green coconut, baked pumpkin, nutmeg, red patchouli and brightest lemongrass. Made with mango butter, cane sugar and ground coconut.

The Exclusive:

One final blend, found only at Magical Omaha...

Fezziwig Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): All rosy cheeks, frolicsome dances and convivial jokes. Spiced gingerbread, honey, treacle, raspberry ale, warm cardamom, sweet benzoin and aged vetiver.

Fezziwig Sugar Scrub (Limited Edition): All rosy cheeks, frolicsome dances and convivial jokes. Spiced gingerbread, honey, treacle, raspberry ale, warm cardamom, sweet benzoin and aged vetiver. Made with mango butter, cane sugar, ginger root and raspberry fruit.

Coming very, very soon to the following online retailers:

www.buyolympia.com
www.thesoapboxco.com
www.magicalomaha.com
www.goreydetails.net

Available until mid-Januaryish* or until we run out of stock.

*Hopefully by now everyone has heard me say at least once that since we sell wholesale and don't know when the Arcana retailers will sell through their stock, we cannot give exact ending dates for limiteds.

With gladsome tidings and much love,
Julia

x-posted from
The Arcana LJ Community

Hallowe'en!

2007-09-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

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

Ye Olde Update: Part 1

2007-08-15T17:06:00.001-07:00

Hello my sweets!

At last, your long and patiently awaited update lies shimmering ahead. On August 17th, I will put up the descriptions of the new items and begin shipping these very same delectables to our retailers, who will then pass said goodness on to you. Most of the new items are available in very limited quantities-- just enough to get us all through the next month or so until it's time for the Hallowe'en update.

In other news, Shipwrecked is being discontinued in both soap and perfume. You can still find it staggering down the beach at various shops and etailers, but it's headed out to sea very soon.

The following are slated for discontinuation in the coming months. I realize a more precise date would be preferable, but it's impossible to say when the retailers will sell through the rest of their stock.

Avalon soap and perfume

Byzantium soap

Persephone's Flowers soap

Spitfire soap

See you very soon for Part 2!

xoxo,

Julia

Crossposted to the Arcana LJ Community: http://community.livejournal.com/arcanasoapslove/

Changes are Afoot!

2007-03-02T22:02:00.000-08:00

My dears,

You hear about it, you know it happens to others, but you just never think it's going to happen to you.

Yes, I'm talking about price increases.

Due to rising costs in both materials and operating, the price of Arcana's soaps, 5 ml perfume blends and 10 ml perfume blends are going up. (Layering notes will stay the same.) I can't say exactly how much prices will go up in retail terms, as all the retailers set their own prices.

For over 3 years the price of soap has stayed the same while ingredient costs have gone up and up. So it really is time.

xoxoxo,
Julia

The Great Purge

2007-01-16T00:54:00.000-08:00

Hello sweethearts,

First, note that the e-tail and retail lists on the site have been updated. So very many places to find a wee fix!

Second, I know discontinuations are not your favorite thing, but it's time to clear some shelves in anticipation of spring. The dates for discontinuations reflect, as always, the time when these goods will no longer be available to our retailers. The retailers may sell out of their stock sooner or later than the dates given.

I was going to send the winter blends on their merry way in mid-January, but since I've been remiss in announcing that, let's give them a slight reprieve, shall we? As of January 31st, the following will retire to rest in their little snow caves until next Yule:

Arctic Bear
Hogmanay
La Befana
Solstice Sugar
The Ulda
Winternights

The following layering notes will also be retired (probably forever) on January 31st:

Eggnog
Citrus Creme

Also on January 31st (but you knew that, didn't you?), the following limited editions will finally come to the end of the line:

Espionage
Revival

Finally: If you used to buy Spitfire soap and found it not quite strong enough, you are in luck. The scent just got stronger and the color got redder. I know! As if it wasn't exciting enough!

xoxox,
Julia

Crossposted to Arcana Soaps Love LJ Community. Come on over and join us!

Sources Galorces

2007-01-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

New places to find Arcana!

Buy Olympia

The Soap Box Company

Stumpy and Scurvy's Pirate Shop

Gorey Details @ House
3315 SE Hawthorne Blvd– Space #30, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 256-3122

Gorey Details @ Stars & Splendid
7027 SE Milwaukie Ave– Space #8, Portland, OR 97202
(503) 256-3122

Greg's
8218 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203
(503) 289-7510

Remember Salem
127 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970
(978) 741-1170

Whole Foods Market
7380 SW Bridgeport Rd, Tigard, OR 97224
(503) 639-6500

These new stores will be added soon to the retail list on Arcana Soaps. Yes, the aforementioned list will finally be edited, added to, cleaned up, and generally buffed, since it has been sadly out of date for far too long. I don't want you zooming over to one of the stores listed, excited to do some serious sniffing, only to find the very shop itself was razed to the ground 6 months earlier and there's not a damn thing to sniff except scorched earth. You so don't need that.

xoxo,
Julia

Edited to add the address of the new Greg's on North Lombard, as promised. Also, you might like to come over and join us at a charming spot for which I can't take any credit, as it came to two wonderful UK customers in a dream (similar to Coleridge with Kubla Khan): click here to go to a stately pleasure dome of Arcana reviews and swappage.

Sic Itur Ad Astra

2006-12-07T03:22:00.000-08:00

Darlings,

I have sad news to share. Last Friday, my mother made a sudden departure from this world. Please light a candle or say a prayer for her soul's safe passage into the next world.

My mom was full of life. She was strong, quick-witted, open-hearted, opinionated and eccentric. She adored books, music, art, her family, and her beloved granddaughter. As a teacher and a librarian, she believed in education and was ardently opposed to censorship. She believed in the power of strong women to overcome anything. She had a soft spot for stray people and continually impressed upon us that all are equally deserving of love. She carried books, conversation, friendship and laughter to everyone she met-- so many people are readers today because of her. As one of her smaller legacies, her influence is woven through Arcana Soaps, from descriptions she helped to write to the gorgeous perfumes she wore throughout my childhood to her love of history, literature and fantasy which she passed down to me.

Thanks, Mom, for all of the good advice and all of the forgiveness you gave me. I hope that right now you are singing as much as you want to, dancing in 3 inch heels with a roster of tall, clever men, joking, swimming, reading, reciting poetry, playing the piano, and telling the best stories anybody's ever heard.

Love,
Julia

The Holiday Goods

2006-11-30T04:02:00.000-08:00

Here they are! Coming soon to an etailer (or a bricks & mortar) near you!

PERFUME OILS

Arctic Bear Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): Cave in to shivery pleasures with this festively icy blend straight from the North Pole. A playful mix of aromatic Northern bayberry, frosted Siberian fir needle oil and the dry freshness of snowy woods. Hail the Great Arctic Bear!

La Befana Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): Notes of ripe apricot, Sicilian blood orange, dark chocolate, smoked vanilla, and toasted biscotti combine to evoke la Befana, the Christmas witch of Italy who slides down chimneys to leave sweets for very good children and lumps of coal for the very bad.

Solstice Sugar Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): Rejoice in the return of the sweet sun-child throughout all the jolly festivals of the Winter Solstice. The scent of warmest celebrations and Yuletide feasts with notes of toasty almonds, apple cakes, baking spices and honeyed mead.

The Ulda Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): The elusive fairy folk of the Nordic Sapmi region are said to live underneath the Earth and travel in reindeer-drawn sleighs tinkling with silver bells. With white almond, resinous Baltic amber, crisp bayberry, warm cardamom and pink pepper.

Winternights Perfume Oil (Limited Edition): The ancient pagan Norse revels of Winternights and Walpurgis once marked the beginning and ending of a long and frozen winter season. Feast, give thanks, ward off Frost Giants, or just frolic with this mirthful Northern mix of three vanillas, frosty peppermint, a dab of white musk, and a hint of ripe young berries encased in ice.

SOAPS

Arctic Bear Soap (Limited Edition): Cave in to shivery pleasures with this festively icy blend straight from the North Pole. A playful mix of aromatic Northern bayberry, frosted Siberian fir needle oil and the dry freshness of snowy woods. With coconut milk, white macadamia oil and sweet almond oil. Hail the Great Arctic Bear!

Hogmanay Soap (Limited Edition): Go first footing with our fragrant paean to the Scottish New Year. The scents of heather and damp moss mix with a generous pour of Scotch whisky, organic oats and sea salt. Warning: bathing with this soap may cause the spontaneous singing of Auld Lang Syne.

Solstice Sugar Soap (Limited Edition): Rejoice in the return of the sweet sun-child throughout all the jolly festivals of the Winter Solstice. The scent of warmest celebrations and Yuletide feasts with notes of toasty almonds, apple cakes, baking spices and honeyed mead. Enriched with sweet almond oil, coconut milk and a merry dusting of gold mica.

The Ulda Soap (Limited Edition): The elusive fairy folk of the Nordic Sapmi region are said to live underneath the Earth and travel in reindeer-drawn sleighs tinkling with silver bells. With white almond, resinous Baltic amber, crisp bayberry, warm cardamom, pink pepper, soothing macadamia oil and fragrant cedar tips.

SUGAR SCRUBS
8.5 oz jars of emulsifying body scrubs in our signature scents

La Befana Scrub (Limited Edition): Notes of ripe apricot, Sicilian blood orange, dark chocolate, smoked vanilla, and toasted biscotti combine to evoke la Befana, the Christmas witch of Italy who slides down chimneys to leave sweets for very good children and lumps of coal for the very bad. Made with shea butter, pure cane sugar and finely-ground apricot kernels.

Solstice Sugar Scrub (Limited Edition): Rejoice in the return of the sweet sun-child throughout all the jolly festivals of the Winter Solstice. The scent of warmest celebrations and Yuletide feasts with notes of toasty almonds, apple cakes, baking spices and honeyed mead. Made with shea butter, gently exfoliating brown sugar and apple extract.

xoxox,
Julia

All About Limiteds

2006-11-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

Several people have written to ask how limited editions work-- why they're limited, whether or not they'll come back, etc.

The answer is that they are all different. Some scents/soaps are made on a limited basis because I have a relatively small amount of an ingredient and want to do something interesting with it. Others are limited because I want to try something out, maybe even for half a year, but for various reasons (such as being difficult to make or containing especially costly ingredients) it's not something I necessarily want to make forever and ever. Still others are limited because they are seasonal and will generally hang around for the length of the season to which they relate. Obviously the latter are the most likely to make comebacks, though there are no guarantees. I do admit to getting a bit of nostalgia now and then for ye olde scent blends...

Speaking of limiteds, Guy Fawkes, Haint, Holy Terror and Little Ghoulie will no longer be available to our retailers after November 30th. The retailers will probably continue to have stock past that point, although one never knows. It all depends on how much they ordered and how fast they sell out of the remainder of their stock.

The holiday blends will start to be available at the end of November. They will stay available to the retailers until mid-January, but again, it's a case of how fast they sell through their stock, whether or not they reorder, whether or not the postal carrier gets hijacked by soap-craving highwayman and avid, deranged perfumistas, and many other variables.

xoxo,
Julia

Hallowe'en, Playgirl, Etc

2006-10-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

OK, my dears, your sweet (but determined!) nudges about the Hallowe'en blends yielded results. Guy Fawkes, Haint, Holy Terror and Little Ghoulie are now available at Magical Omaha and Gorey Details. These seasonal LEs will not be available in soaps-- only 'fumes this time. I hope to keep them available through mid to late November.

In other news, you can see Burlesque, Devilish and Spitfire featured along with other cool products in the current issue of Playgirl. Our soaps are so damn foxy, they didn't even have to drop their wrappers for the photo.

Finally, if you receive a Arcana sample which does not have an official Arcana label and/or does not come from an authorized Arcana retailer, I can't vouch for its authenticity. I absolutely know that the vast majority of you who like to sell and swap these are extremely honest, ethical people. However, I certainly can't control what a few bad apples do. There are some things in the works which may come to pass eventually, but in the meantime, I have not authorized anyone for the widespread sale of our samples.

Edited to add: In regards to my October 3rd post, yes, we are OK here. Thank you all so much for your concern.

The retail site will stay down indefinitely, but our wholesale business is getting back up to speed, so we encourage you to seek out the fine shops & websites which carry our wares.

xo,
Julia

Bad News

2006-10-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

Due to a completely unexpected crisis here in the Arcana family, I'm afraid that the site is not going to be back anytime soon.

I'm so sorry, you guys. The worst part is that I was very excited about the 4 new Hallowe'en scents and about some other new... items. I will try to get the Hallowe'en blends into the hands of a few of our retailers ASAP, so at least those who want to try them will get that chance. Therefore, you might check Gorey Details and Magical Omaha and other retail-type people in the next few days.

For all those in Portland who come to our regular outdoor markets, please know that we had to cancel the rest of our markets for the season.

If you have a problem, a question, a gift certificate, or just want to tell me to keep my chin up, please feel free to email.

xoxoxo,
Julia

The Further Adventures of Arcana

2006-09-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

First, I have to apologize because I'm horribly behind in my correspondence at the moment. Honestly, it's not you, it's me. Actually it's time, the one thing I'm always short of, the great thief of good intentions (so poetic!). But I hope to get caught up over this weekend.

Moving Arcana has been such an adventure. First there was the painstaking process of bubble-wrapping what I'm positive has to be at least 8 billion amber glass bottles. Seriously. We have more amber glass bottles--all filled with various potions--than anyone has a right to. And they're all so charmingly old-fashioned and breakable! Then the first set of supposedly professional movers arrived on the day of, took one look at the (admittedly sucky) parking situation and fled in terror, leaving us scrambling to find replacements. The second set of supposedly professional (and yet desperately hungover) movers suffered from a profound clumsiness which asserted itself whenever they drew near to boxes marked GLASS! FRAGILE! But every time they broke something we all got a big dose of aromatherapy, so it wasn't all bad. I'm sure their truck will reek of sweet orange and lavender for many months to come. Just to top things off, all of our internet access went on the fritz, phones were dead for the better part of a week due to the lines being chewed by squirrels (at least that was the official explanation from the phone company), and so on, with various other assorted pieces of excitement.

But the worst is behind us and now we're busily getting things all set up again, as well as rubbing our paws together in glee over the new releases for the next few months. See you soon!

All Shipped!

2006-08-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday, when the last of the August 16th orders went out, all domestic and international orders have been shipped. Godspeed to the USPS.

I'm long overdue in letting you all know how much Will and I treasure your sweet cards, notes and emails, reminding us to get some rest during the break, giving various blends the thumbs up, reassuring us that you aren't mad about refunded LfW orders, and generally being the supportive darlings that you are. I really do think we have the nicest customers & friends in the world!

Kisses,
Julia

Shipping Update

2006-08-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

All domestic and international orders through August 15th have been shipped.

All the refunds for Lost for Words have now been issued. If you think you should have received a refund and did not receive one, please email us at sales@arcanasoaps.com. If you ordered Lost for Words and don't know what this is all about, please see the post below this one.

If You Ordered Lost for Words

2006-08-25T00:36:00.000-07:00

I'll cut right to the chase. We simply underestimated the interest in Lost for Words. What was initially considered to be a 3 month supply of this perfume wound up selling out in about a week. Unfortunately, some of the orders which were placed for LfW cannot be filled.

We are processing orders based on strict chronology, without regard to size of order, whether the buyer is domestic or international, or any other criteria except the following: first come, first served. Currently it looks as if we will get through the orders placed early in the day on August 15th before we run out. If you ordered after that, expect the Lost for Words portion of your order to be refunded.

We're very sorry about this. Arcana Soaps is growing so rapidly that sometimes things are hard to gauge correctly in advance. I realize it would be preferable to have a product listed as sold out (as we normally do) rather than allowing orders to be placed and then refunding money later. However, since the business is in the midst of moving, things are jumbled right now. Sorry guys, but this one got away from us.

Thursday Shipping Updates

2006-08-24T15:25:00.001-07:00

All domestic and international orders through August 13th have been shipped. Which means we are catching up. Yes, it's a veritable orgy of shipping here at Arcana HQ.

Shipping

2006-08-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

All domestic and international orders through August 8th have been shipped.

If You're Expecting a Globe Bottle

2006-08-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

When your globe bottle arrives, please be sure to uncork it gently so as to avoid breaking the little corksie.

Also, the pouches that the globe bottles come in are faux suede. They would never be real suede. Apparently they feel shocked and even a bit lost by the very notion of being confused with animal skin.

If you see a few black specks in your Lost for Words, those are from vanilla beans and will not harm you.

Finally, after 3 days of nonstop tapegun wielding, the last of the 8/7/06 orders went out earlier today (Friday). We'll be packing orders all weekend and expect to finish shipping the 8/8/06 orders on Monday. But don't cry for us, Argentina, we're very fortunate to be doing what we love.

Shipping

2006-08-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

All domestic and international orders through August 6th have been shipped.

The Long Goodbye

2006-08-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Our site will be going down Wednesday, August 16th at 9 PM PST (midnight EST).

Again, all orders received before closing time will be processed & shipped before our break.

Officially we'll be back by October 1st, but the plan is to try to make it sooner than that. We miss you already!

A shipping update will be posted later today.

Shipping Etc.

2006-08-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

As of today, all domestic and international orders through August 3rd have been shipped.

Due to a formidable number of orders (thank you!) received during our recent update, the usual turnaround time of 5-7 business days may extend to 8-9 business days.

I still don't have an exact date and time for the site's closure, but I think we're looking at sometime Tuesday, August 15th. I will let you know when I know.

Until then:

Orders will be accepted up until the site goes down. All orders placed before the site goes down will be processed and shipped before our break.

Get Your Update News Here

2006-08-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

From now until 8 PM PST on Tuesday, 8/8, orders of $50 or more will receive an adorable 3.6 ml cork-stoppered globe bottle for FREE in your choice of the following scents:

Anodyne
Chocolate LN
Lost for Words
Mutiny
Queen Crossbones

Please write your choice of scent in the comments section of the cart. And remember, orders over $75 receive free shipping and an adorable bottle of scent.

I'm sorry, but this offer is not available for orders consisting only of samples.

When making your purchase, please remember our upcoming break, as discussed below. While you are welcome to purchase samples, you won't receive them in time to purchase full sizes before we close. In the case of certain limited editions, they may be gone by the time we reopen, so please order with this in mind.

A few thoughts on the new scents:

Queen Crossbones has Egyptian musk in it, but it's different than our layering note Egyptian musk. Where our layering note E-musk is darker and drier, Queen Crossbones' E-musk is warm and sweet with an almost foody quality, yet it's still very intense. Another prominent note in this is wild honey. Oh yes.

Anodyne is my new addiction. The vivid blue coloration is caused by the azulene in our high grade chamomile essential oil. Why use real German blue chamomile in $10 perfume oil? Easy, because there's absolutely nothing like it. Incidentally, if you ever buy German chamomile which is brown in color, that's a sure sign it has passed its prime. It should be outrageously deep blue.

Speaking of which, for some reason everything is blue. Will kept saying we didn't have enough blue things, and apparently I took that to heart. Anodyne is blue. Revival soap is light blue with brown swirls. Queen Crossbones soap is very dark blue. Mutiny soap is ecru with navy blue swirls (though the perfume oil is dark red from the patchouli). I don't know. It's our blue period or something.

I'll leave the rest for you to discover. Feel free to ask any questions.

Edited to say: Never fear, Ganesh is still coming back!

Announcements

2006-08-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

Now that we've stopped unintentionally flashing you with the new scents and soaps, let's get down to brass tacks.

First of all, Gathering Day perfume and soap will come down when the update goes up, which should be around 9 AM PST.

Secondly, having received a number of reports of Spitfire perfume burning, hurting and generally molesting the sensitive-skinned, we are removing it. However, since I realize that many people already love this scent and are able to use it with nary a whimper, it will still be available via special order in 5 and 10 ml bottles only (no samples). My hope is that this will discourage the innocent and unsuspecting from buying Spitfire and possibly hurting themselves, while still keeping it accessible for you cinnamon-loving adrenaline junkies out there who already use it. To purchase Spitfire perfume, you can simply place any other scent in your cart and put a note in the comments section of your order saying: "Please replace the 5 ml of _____ in my order with a 5 ml of Spitfire. Danger is my middle name." OK, you don't have to include that last part. Comments will be enabled in the cart shortly.

Spitfire soap is still available.

Also, Grasshopper finally earned its wings and will be moving into the permanent line-up in the update.

Finally, we are taking a much-needed break. In approximately 1 week, the retail site will be shutting down for an extended vacation. We will be back up in mid to late September. I realize some of you might feel as if you've only just found us and here we are going away already, but please keep in mind that we've actually been going full throttle for 3 years now without stopping. So it's time for some R & R. However, we will not only spend our time lying around with cold compresses on our foreheads babbling unintelligibly about sweet myrrh, Australian clays and priority tracking numbers. Not at all. We will also be moving Arcana Soaps into a much larger production space, completely redesigning the website, and putting the finishing touches on some devastatingly fabulous new items.

I'm sorry, but during our break, no retail orders will be accepted via email. Our wholesale business will continue, but processing may be slightly slower than normal. We will still be answering your emails, and will gladly try to fix any problems you might have, but, again, responses may be slightly delayed (remember the cold compress thing?). We heartily encourage you to visit the many wonderful shops and e-commerce sites which carry our wares. You might even see some new Arcana offerings.

You will hear more from us about our exact closing date and time very soon. We're sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment this announcement might cause.

Whoops!

2006-08-06T15:14:00.000-07:00

Our extremely hard-working and conscientious web guy put the update up a little early and things aren't quite ready. Therefore, it is coming down until first thing Monday morning.

For those who already placed orders, never fear. Your orders will still be processed. However, if you would like to have them refunded, just email sales@arcanasoaps.com and I will get right on that.

In other news, we are currently shipped through July 31. This refers to all domestic orders and all international orders. All of 'em.

Thank you so much for your patience! We do appreciate it!

Shipping and More Update News

2006-07-31T06:19:00.000-07:00

All domestic and international orders through July 24th have been shipped.

Please continue to count on approximately 5-7 business days for your order to be processed and shipped out.

The update has been delayed slightly, but you can expect to see it on or around August 7th. Having received many concerned emails about the layering notes, we've decided not to remove any for the time being. This is not a permanent solution, but while we work on one, the layering notes will stay in place now and during the August 7th update.

A Small Update is Foretold

2006-07-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

Look for a couple of new things on our site within the next week or so. Additionally, we will be going through the list of layering notes and discarding a few of them which simply do not sell. Atlas Cedarwood, I'm looking at you.

Also, as of today, we are shipped (both domestic and international) through July 14, and partially through the 15th.

Lord Ganesha and... yes, more shipping updates

2006-07-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

All domestic and international orders through July 13th have been shipped. Happily, we are a little ahead at the moment.

I apologize in advance for any inconvenience or disappointment this causes, but Ganesh will continue to be out of stock in both soap and perfume for about six more weeks. It will be reintroduced sometime around the end of August with a whole new scent. This is occuring because one of the key ingredients which used to go into Ganesh is no longer available. I have spent the last few weeks searching high and low for something similar, but after much product testing, nothing has proven acceptable. We could have simply dropped this item from our line, but I'm just too in love with our elephant-headed friend to let him go that easily-- thus the new scent. I'm testing various recipes at the moment, and new Ganesh may turn out to be something much sweeter and foodier, or very herbal, or with a big old snootful of jasmine in it. We'll see.

Shipping Good, Email Not So Good

2006-07-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

All domestic and international orders through July 8th have been shipped. Just to be clear: the days we post shipping updates are not the only days we ship. We ship most weekdays, but only post updates once or twice a week. 'Cause updating any more frequently would be kind of insanely repetitive, no?

For various reasons, including the need for tracking information, from now on everything will ship via USPS Priority mail. We wanted to offer the lower cost First Class option to help small orderers (is that a word?) save money, but unfortunately it isn't working out as we had hoped. So starting today, our shipping rates will be as follows:

$.01 to $18 = $4.50
$18.01 to $40 = $6.50
$40.01 to $74.99 = $8.50
$75 and up = free!

Email continues to be problematic. We've received reports of both our emails to you as well as your emails to us going astray. I just sent a test email from sales@arcanasoaps.com to one of our hotmail accounts and it was funneled right into the junk mail folder. Very distressing. We are trying to straighten this out, but in the meantime, please do give us the benefit of the doubt. We reply to all legitimate email, so if you don't receive a reply from us, please try an alternate route of communication.

Shipping Update

2006-07-08T18:37:00.001-07:00

All domestic and international orders through July 1st have been shipped.

*throws confetti*

Shipping and Current Turnaround

2006-07-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

All domestic and international orders through June 28th have been shipped.

Also, our current turnaround is approximately 5-7 business days, which means it will generally take 5-7 business days not including weekends or holidays for your order to be processed and placed in the loving arms of the USPS.

Send mash notes and queries to sales@arcanasoaps.com.

Email: Still Slouching Towards Bethlehem

2006-06-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Please remember that email is a rough beast at best and not the perfect mode of communication we were all promised by Bill Gates (or some such person). Sometimes your emails to us don't arrive. Even more frequently our emails to you are apparently mistaken for spam and summarily dismissed before they reach your inbox.

If you write and don't hear back from us, please re-send or try us through some alternate route. Our phone number here in Portland is on every label and we are always happy to hear from you.

Finally, all domestic and international orders through June 22 have been shipped.

Pirates and Birthdays (and Shipping)

2006-06-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

A few things:

Firstly, all domestic and international orders through June 21 have shipped.

Also, here's a not-that-recent review of 2 of our soaps from a very fine piratical website: Bilgemunky

Finally, a tip of the hat to one Miss Juliana Lufkin, who only yesterday reached the venerable age of 15. Or possibly 16. Anyway, happy birthday to a young lady of indeterminate age with an unarguable nose for scent.

Shipping

2006-06-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

All domestic and international orders through June 15 have been packed and shipped out with love and light.

Well, with love, anyway. ;)

Questions? Write to us at sales@arcanasoaps.com.

Sale and Shipping Updates

2006-06-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

Our products are currently on sale at Gorey Details, an excellent source for mountains of cool stuff, including all things related to Edward Gorey. We don't know how long the sale will last, so hurry over-- Julia and Russ will take good care of you!

After consulting our Gashlycrumb Tinies calender, we're fatally happy to report that all domestic and international orders through June 12th have been shipped.

New places to find Arcana

2006-06-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

If you're in historic Freighthouse Square in Tacoma, Washington, be sure to stop by our newest retailer:

Crescent Moon Gifts
440 East 25th St, Suite 46
Tacoma, WA 98421
(253) 572-8339

You don't know how hard it was to write that without making Furnace Room Lullaby references. OK, OK, it's a dusty old jewel in the south Puget Sound.

Speaking of which, why is it that the ONE month we didn't advertise in Venus magazine they had Neko Case on the cover? Of course all their cover subjects are fabulous (Amy Sedaris!), but... Neko Case.

Anyway, retailers. Very soon our friendly neighbors to the north will be able to find Arcana's goods in Kustom Kulture in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Shipping Update

2006-06-17T00:23:00.000-07:00

As of June 16th, all domestic and international orders up to (and including) June 10th have shipped.

Limited Editions

2006-06-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

As predicted below, Butterfly Gardenia has sold out. Although we normally make limiteds in multiple large batches, for various reasons Butterfly Gardenia had to be made in smaller quantities. We had hoped there would be enough to last the summer, but instead it went prematurely into that good night.

In happier LE news, Espionage and Grasshopper should be with us through the end of summer.

Gathering Day is a different story. Included in its ingredients is an aged rosewood essential oil which we had a finite amount of and which cannot be replaced. If we used a newer rosewood and continued to make this, it truly wouldn't smell the same. Besides this, rosewood is endangered. As such, it's one of the ingredients we are gradually weeding out of our repertoire. The upshot of this is that whenever Gathering Day sells out (I'm guessing in a month or two), it will be gone for good.

Shipping updates will be posted later today.

Flirting with the USPS

2006-06-14T01:22:00.000-07:00

Oodles of recycled styrofoam peanuts and several hardcore flirtations with postal employees later, we are happy to say:

As of Tuesday, June 13th, all domestic and international orders through June 7th have shipped.

Once again, the only exceptions to these dates are some international e-check payments which Paypal has not yet cleared.

Update

2006-06-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

As of today, June 12, all domestic and international orders up to (and including) June 4th have shipped.

The only exceptions are some e-check payments which Paypal has not yet cleared. These will ship once cleared.

Send questions and confessions to: sales@arcanasoaps.com

Shipping Schedule

2006-06-09T01:20:00.000-07:00

Arcana Soaps' recent sale resulted in a profusion of orders. Thanks to our obsessive devotion to packing, shipping, and excitement-laced trips to the post office, many of these orders have already been lovingly packed up and mailed out. However, many more remain. Despite our best efforts, Arcana's normal turnaround time (5 business days) will probably stretch to approximately 6 or 7 business days until we get through the bulk of these.

From now on, we'll be updating you here as to where we are in the order sequence.

As of Thursday, June 8th, all domestic orders up to June 2nd have shipped. Almost all international orders up to June 2nd have also shipped, while the remaining June 2nd international orders will ship June 9th.

On a different note, Butterfly Gardenia soap is already low and I predict it will sell out soon. Once sold out, it will be gone for good. We don't normally expect limiteds to sell through so quickly, but this one surprised us. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

Free Shipping Ends Tonight

2006-06-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that free shipping for domestic orders (15% off for international orders) ends tonight at midnight PST.

Also, witness our newest creations--the charming Gathering Day and the effervescent Grasshopper--posing here for your enjoyment. Pet them and tell them they look pretty.

Questions? Write to: sales@arcanasoaps.com

The Shopping Cart Cometh

2006-06-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

Hello to all of you lovely Arcana customers out there. We've recently added a few improvements and additions to the site. Although arcanasoaps.com is still delightfully rudimentary, an actual shopping cart has materialized, Brigadoon-like, out of the mist.

The cart will tally domestic shipping (via USPS Priority or First Class) as follows:

$.01 to $11 = $2.50
$11.01 to $18 = $4.50
$18.01 to $40 = $6.50
$40.01 to $74.99 = $8.50
$75 and up = free!

For the time being, our beloved international customers are still in the unenviable Van Johnson role, and, as such, are not able to use this sterling example of Paypal-esque technology. This means that those of you outside the U.S. will still have to email with your orders and addresses. We will reply with brief-yet-affectionate emails detailing shipping quotes, totals and payment instructions. Eventually, Arcana Soaps will have a site which will include a more advanced cart with the ability to tally international shipping automatically. For now, however, this is it.

Due to the rising costs of our absurdly extravagant ingredients, most Arcana products have experienced small price increases. Samples are now $2, although they can now be ordered one at a time, rather than in sets of 5. Soap samples have increased in size and are now at least 1 oz each.

Sampler packs (e.g. 5 samples for $7.50) are no longer available.

Oh, did we forget to mention the sale?

All domestic orders will receive free shipping from now until Monday, June 5th at midnight PST (3 AM EST). No secret handshake is needed-- the cart will automatically list shipping as $0.

We wish we could offer free shipping internationally, but we were haunted by visions of hours spent at the P.O., clutching huge piles of boxes addressed to Outer Mongolia (with the requisite sky-high Outer Mongolian postal fees) in our shaking hands. Therefore, instead of free shipping, we offer the following:

All international orders will receive 15% off of the pre-shipping total. This applies to international customers only. This offer is available from now until Monday, June 5th at midnight PST (3 AM EST). No secret handshake is needed-- the discount will be manually deducted from all international orders.

Finally, our current turnaround time is 5 business days, which means that it will generally take 5 business days not including weekends or transit time for your order to arrive.

Questions? Post them here or write to us at sales@arcanasoaps.com.

2006-05-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Arcana Soaps' new blog

2006-05-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

We are starting this blog so that we'll be able to easily make announcements to our customers.