Winter 2011-2012

It's been awhile since my last blog update, I know! For those of you who still follow OHWTO mainly via this blog, you can get more up-to-the-minute updates by following me on Facebook or via Twitter. I am not sure why but it just seems easier to update there than here... so, there you have it.

Winter is upon us, and here just in time are a few new fragrances, some of which are Limited Editions for the winter months, and some which will be around for the foreseeable future. I didn't feel much like doing a strictly "holiday" collection this year, so there's a couple of fragrances which aren't necessarily "holiday" themed.

* Merry & Bright(LE): Essential oils and absolutes make up this festive scent that will bring you good cheer through the upcoming season. Tangerine, Cardamom, Tonka Bean & Amber

* Waes Hail(LE): Be you healthy! A wonderfully uplifting sentiment, wishing you nothing but good things for the upcoming year. Tart Cranberries, mulling Spices, & Frankincense resin

* Winter Warmer(LE): A winter evening's delight, Winter Warmer brings together scents reminiscent of drinks well-loved for their knack for chasing way the chilly presence of Jack Frost. Figs, Currants, Buttered Rum, Apples, Brandy, Clove, Citrus peel, Ginger, Wheat Ale, Tobacco Absolute & Hops Flower extract

* Festivus(LE): A holiday scent for the rest of us! Celebrants of Festivus typically aren't those who follow a prescribed path, and this fragrance is just for you! In addition to your Feats of Strength and your Aluminum Poles, you can now add "Festivus the Fragrance" to your list of holiday traditions. Festivus, yes! Bagels, no! Creamy Vanilla, Cedarwood, Eastern spices, Patchouli, Sandalwood & Powdery faint Florals

* Goodie Goodie(LE): This was a custom request blend for Grey of LeGothique, spiced gumdrops- you know the ones! This fairly literal scent combines notes of Cinnamon, Peppermint, Anise, Cassia, Sugar & Vanilla (please use caution with this scent as it does contain cinnamon, which can irritate the skin of persons sensitive to it- patch testing is highly recommended before slathering all over yourself)

* Lumberjack(LE): I'm a lumberjack, I work all day... a masculine evergreen scent perfect for the cold wintry months. Balsam Pine, Bay Rum, Black Tea, Fallen Leaves, Musk, Valencia Orange, Spiced Rum, Vanilla

* Visions of Sugarplums(LE): Sweet and fruity, with a little something ethereal thrown in for good measure. Is this real? Are you still asleep? Close your eyes again, and see. Raspberries, Strawberry candies, Sugared Violets, Tuberose, White Musk & damp Moss

* The Cake Is A Lie: But it smells so REAL! Lemon-filled butter cake with thick, fluffy frosting. Lemon, Sugar, Cake batter & Frosting

* I Smell Like A Witch: A special request for Luna of Toxid-Lotus.net, I smell like a Witch came about when a little boy told her that the combination of scents she was wearing made her smell "like a witch". Heh. Red & White Roses, Cotton Candy, Bubble Gum, Smoke, Sandalwood, Patchouli & Vanilla Bean

* Pretty Undead: Another custom blend, this one was for Kayla of Pretty Undead; a young, fresh scent featuring a few of her favorite notes. Blueberries, Black Pepper, Brown Sugar, Nutmeg, Plums, Lavender, Peppermint, Lindenblossom, & Banana


I will also be adding a few new fragrances to the "Stock Scents" list in the next couple of days- a few new Lush & BBW dupes that are to die for! :) Till then!

Halloween 2011

It's been a long time coming, and rather than keep everyone waiting for a giant "all at once" release I'm just gonna start rolling these babies out as product is made. In keeping with the aforementioned changes to the shop, products will only be available as they are made so that I can get your orders packed and shipped out to you in a timely manner. Any scent not currently on the "Stock Fragrance" or "Private Stock" list is NOT available for adding to the "choose your own scent" products. Stock may run out but I will be restocking as fast as I can when that happens ;)

Without further ado, I present to you, OHWTO's Halloween 2011 collection of smells!

First up are the resurrected-from-the-dead scents from last Halloween, the 2010 collection. I'm also adding a few which up till now have been available year-round; after this season all but one will be retired until next fall.

Coven: a blend of jack-o-lantern, dragon's blood, patchouli and amber, spiked with citrus and grounded out by a drop of dark and smoky vetivert.
Sugar Skulls: a custom fragrance created for a very wonderful customer, this is a blend inspired by Dia de los Muertos, or, the Day of the Dead. You'll smell sweet baked goods, vanilla cookies, anise, and roses- all the scents of a stroll through a Mexican neighborhood at that time of the year. (perfume formats only)
Pumpkin Eater: No, it's got nothing to do with that movie from the 60's... it's more to do with a story. As long as anyone can remember, the tale's been told, every Halloween night one can go up to old Peter's house, past the cemetery and up the hill, through the pumpkin field and the wood just past it, and catch a glimpse of his ghost if you bring him an offering of a pumpkin. Surrounded by pumpkin fragments, they say he can be seen sitting where his body had been found years before, still consuming the flesh of pumpkin after pumpkin, as though he'd never left. This fragrance smells of mangled pumpkin flesh, tilled earth, and a dash of spiced cider, haunted by an apparition of patchouli.
Los Angelitos: Dia de los Angelitos is the celebration of the lives of children who have passed before reaching adulthood, held in conjunction with Dia de Los Muertos. It's common for the family to spend time at the little ones' graves on this day, where they bring gifts and offerings of sweets to their little angels. Much like the idea behind the holiday itself, this fragrance is sweet yet somewhat somber. You'll smell: Honey, white flowers, milk, freshly-turned earth, and hay.
Calaveras: Named for the sugar skulls which adorn the Day of the Dead altars, this fragrance is sweet and spicy. Cinnamon, sugar, orange, and sweet breads dressed up with a smattering of dried roses on a sandalwood altar. 
ChocoPumpkin: this is an awesome pumpkin spice and cocoa scent, which smells like a slice of pumpkin pie dipped in chocolate! Of all my Halloween fragrances, this one is probably the "spiciest" in terms of cinnamon and clove notes, but the mellow cocoa balances them out perfectly so that they're not overbearing. Think "Pumpkin Truffle" and you'll have a pretty good idea of what this one smells like
Pumpkin Bread: One of my favorite things about fall is all the pumpkin-based baked goods I get to make. This smells like (almost) all of them, rolled up into one deliciously food-y fragrance! You'll smell Pumpkin, of course, along with Carrot, Clove, Nut, Rum, Bread, Butter and Malt notes; it's enough to make your mouth water! 




And new for 2011 are a peculiar bunch of scents, inspired by traditional folklore, contemporary horror, holiday traditions, and all the things that go bump in the night.

Burning Times: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"; motivated by fear, or some would say, by greed, the execution of a witch nearly always included the burning of her body, though the method of dispatch may have varied. Vanilla, Clove, Patchouli, Pink Peppercorn, a hint of Suede, Red Musk, Sandalwood, Cinnamon, Cedarwood, and the smoldering Embers of a thousand years.


Solanum: Infectious! The virus responsible for all instances of zombie outbreaks, solanum has a 100% fatality rate, and yet somehow the undead never seem to stink too terribly.The toxicity level of undead flesh slows down the process of decomposition, killing most bacterium foolish enough to try to decompose a zombie. All studies thus far have shown an absence of bacteria in the flesh of the undead. This has the interesting side effect of giving most zombies little offensive smell other than slight flesh decay, due to the absence of the bacteria responsible for body odor and the traditional smell of rotting flesh. Rotting pumpkin, Apple cores, Raspberry, Almond, Madagascar Vanilla, Cardamom, and a hint of Immortelle because zombies never die.

Mirror Witch,Legend says that in order to summon the spirit of  Bloody Mary, also known as The Mirror Witch, you must say her name thirteen times in front of a mirror, in the dark; it is said that on the thirteenth repetition she will appear. Upon appearing, the Mirror Witch may do any number of things to her summoners, depending entirely upon her mood upon being awakened. If she's not offended you may get away with a scratch, but offend her and the price may very well be your life. Reverent gifts of Pomegranates, Dried Figs, White Sage, Candied Ginger, and a vision of White Musk.


Hungry Ghost: In Taoism, Hungry Ghosts are ghosts of people who did not find everything they need to survive in the after life. If a person passes on, but does not have enough food, water, shelter, etc., it will come back into the world of the living to feed on the living. They will scare you, and then they will feed on your energy and fear. You get rid of these Hungry Ghosts by performing a ritual; pray or chant and offer food and other things to the Hungry Ghosts, so they will have what they need to survive and move on to their next life. Steaming-hot Green Tea, Lively Lemongrass, and Cardamom, with Peppermint providing a wisp of otherworldly chill.


This Is Halloween: The very essence of Halloween (for a 10 year old), captured in a bottle! Candy Corn, Cinnamon Candies, Fruity Chews, a bite of Chocolate, and Marshmallow Treats.


Bobbing for Apples: A game traditionally played at Halloween parties, bobbing for apples involves a water-filled tub and apples floating in it, waiting for you to pick them up with your teeth. Fun! Fresh Apples, Apple Skin, Bonfire Smoke, Hay Bales, and Tonka Beans.


Green Lady: Poor Elizabeth; after her husband Benjamin didn't return from a trip to town when expected, Elisabeth went out into a terrible storm to find him, and then tragically drowned in a nearby swamp during the search. Some people have questioned the story and wonder if Benjamin may have murdered her and covered up his heinous deed with the drowning alibi. Regardless of exactly what caused her demise, she has been roaming the damned earth for centuries. Appearing to startled visitors as a green mist, which becomes the clearly defined shape of a woman in a green dress, she then gives an otherworldly smile before disappearing just as quickly. Green Bartlett Pears, a basket of Figs, and an apparition of spectral Musk.



Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things: A creepy multimedia fragrance experience, see this video; sweet baby sweet baby sweet baby. Acorns, Oak, Vanilla, Apples, Roasted Spiced Pumpkin, a bit of Musk and a mound of freshly-dug Dirt. Sort of disturbing!

Final Girl: The Final Girl is a horror/slasher film character type which specifically refers to the last female alive to confront the killer; the sole survivor who lives to tell the story. A crushed corsage of Magnolias and Carnations, the Musky Cologne of a Maniac, a whiff of Oil from a freshly-sharpened Chainsaw blade, and the paralyzing scent of Fear.

Santa Muerte: Literally translated, it means Saint Death. Santa Muerte can grant favors no other saint can, such as causing a person to fall in love with you, damage others' property, or even harm or cause the death of someone, but only in the name of justice. In exchange, the petitioner must be in the right and continue to live so. As Señora de la Noche ("Lady of the Night"), she is often invoked by those exposed to the dangers of working at night, such as taxi drivers, mariachi players, bar owners, police, soldiers, and prostitutes. As such, she can protect against assaults, accidents, gun violence and all types of violent death. This is much "darker" than the usual OHWTO scents, and very complex. A Blessed Bounty of Sacred Offerings- Amber, Cinnamon Pastries, Caramel, Carnation, Tuberose, Spices, Chocolate, Tobacco, Labdanum, Church Incense, Dark Patchouli, Vanilla, Musk, Cognac, Fruits, Black Agar, Cardamom, and Lilies.

I will be adding these scents in various products to the Halloween section in the shop over the next week or so (a few are already there) and will be updating Facebook and Twitter when these products are added, so stay tuned!!

Changes, part 1

It's no secret that I <3 David Bowie. Listen to this song while you read this post, it'll make it 100 times better, really!

I have been mulling this over for weeks now, and have come to the conclusion that I cannot keep going the way that I have been. Rather than wax poetic on you guys, lemme just get right to it- As of October 1, I will no longer be able to offer made-to-order items such as "choose your own scent" solid scents or whipped bathing cremes, etc. It's become just too much to handle for one person.

Things have changed tremendously since our move, and for right now the best thing I can do for OHWTO and myself is cut down on my workload in order to ensure that I can still meet reasonable turnaround times and product quality standards while still bringing you exciting new things, and SALES, and specials, and all of that fun stuff. I debated cutting my fragrance list to like 25% of what it currently is, but I know that I will only end up adding more scents and end up right back where I currently am, which is not what I wanna do. I could also leave things the way they are, with me basically treading water, but that would mean I'll never be able to introduce new products or Private Stock scent blends, and that's not really an acceptable option for me either. So for right now, while this is not my favorite thing to do, this is the best decision I can make for OHWTO- I have my Halloween release running MUCH later than I'd wanted, and am almost dreading the December holiday rush because of this, and that's no good. Time to fix that. This isn't necessarily a permanent change, but it is what I need to do for right now. I hope you all don't hate me for this :(

So, here's what's going to happen. On October 1st-2nd, all "choose your own" products will be deactivated, and I will begin listing products by scent with what I have on hand and ready to ship. Perfume oils, sample oil vials and Snake Oils will still be available in any scent you like, so there's always going to be that option to get your favorites. Solid Scents, Sweet Cream scrubs, Whipped Bathing creme, Soaps... those will all be listed with "on hand" stock only. I will start making them in larger batches so that I can keep a reasonable number of scents on hand and in stock- and having them on hand means a much shorter TAT which will keep all of us happy- I really hate having old orders hanging around waiting to be completed, maybe even more than you hate waiting for them to arrive.

Scent discontinuations- Constance, Corrine, Passiflora, Brass Goggles, & Let them Eat Cake are all being discontinued effective immediately. Current orders will be filled and I'll use any leftovers, if there are any, to make a product or two to list for sale in the soon-to-come "Clearance" section, but when those are gone, they're gone. Additionally, Bitten and Lady Grey have been slightly reformulated; they smell a tiny bit different but are mostly the same as ever and I probably could have gotten away without even mentioning this, but I figure I might as well let you guys know ;)

Recently there has been a lot of interest in ordering Solid Scent samples, and I have been more than happy to oblige those who emailed me about this, but I will not be able to do this any longer, for anyone. I'm sorry! It's far too time-consuming and is incredibly wasteful. I am planning on offering random sample packs of solid scent samples- or maybe I'll add a "sample" option to whichever scents I have in the shop and have samples on hand for? I suppose I could do that too, but either way, I will no longer be able to make solid scent samples to order (Unless you're ordering them in bulk for promotional items or whatever- if this is something you're interested in, let's talk!).

I would LOVE some feedback on this next one from my vegan lifestyle friends. When I lived in CT I was able to obtain bone char-free sugars easily and locally, and used them exclusively for my Sweet Cream scrubs. Now that we are 1,000 miles away from there, I am finding it impossible to locate the stuff at a reasonable cost locally. Would you guys still consider it a "vegan" product if I were to start adding in some white sugar (such as Domino brand) to the mix? I realize it's not technically "vegan" because they use bone char to bleach their sugar, but how many other companies use plain white sugar in their products and don't even mention it? How many vegans consume the stuff and aren't bothered by it? I think I'll probably cross-post this part to facebook and twitter to get as many answers to this as possible, but my inclination is to stop calling this product "vegan" if I'm going to be using white sugar in the mix... but I would love to hear what you all think about this.

Also- the "Vegan Bathing Bars" are going to be discontinued altogether, aside from Limited Edition releases and such. I'm shifting my soapy focus back to "from scratch" soaps, rather than the ones made from a base, so look for the shop to eventually be overrun with them :) Loofah soaps will live on and will be sold as stock allows- probably with a focus on the seasonal LE blends, but also with my top sellers and fan favorites. Maybe a "Scent of the Month" type thing is in order ;)

I am very sorry to have to do this, all of this, but I want to be able to bring out all sorts of fun new things and I just haven't had the time to work on them (or the energy when I finally found the time) and that's not acceptable to me. And the sugar thing, well, that's kind of beyond my control at the moment. I'm hoping that the new goodies and sales I'll be able to offer (finally), will be enough to make up for this inconvenience, and also that this won't really be much of an inconvenience at all for you guys :) Got feedback? I'd love to hear it!

Gonna go work on that Halloween release post now- look for it to go up tonight or tomorrow, for sure! Also, a quick post about shipping using the new site :) And then there will be a Changes, part 2... eventually. Till then!

Third verse, same as the first.

I'm not gonna spend a lot of time on this, as I really don't want to sound rambly, but- I'm done with Artfire. I thought Etsy was bad when it came to protecting users' privacy, but at least Etsy never revealed buyers' names, addresses and emails to other buyers. I'm hearing it's "not a big deal and not a lot of people were affected" from Artfire, so I'm done. It's a VERY big deal to the people who were affected, and for the site to just not care is well, disappointing. I left Etsy for lesser violations of user privacy and it would be insane of me to stay on Artfire after this snafu, especially considering that many of MY customers were affected. I may reconsider opening the Etsy shop again one day, but in the meantime...

OHWTO.com now points to my own website! It's still being worked on- I'm adding inventory today, in fact, but it's going to be live very soon! I'm still taking time off to catch up with existing orders and get Halloween ready, but when that's all set the site will go live and everyone's info will be 100% safe when making purchases. I'm very excited about this whole thing- and look, there's even an OHWTO forum now! Lots of exciting and BIG changes are in the works, guys! Neat!

(Edited to add: Christie wrote an excellent post about the mess at Artfire; she said it better than I could have, so if you'd like to learn more about why my shop there is now closed, you can do so here: http://cupcakesquirkycorner.blogspot.com/2011/08/sunday-sprinkles-artfire.html)

Summer update, temporary hiatus

Hi all!

I'm just taking a quick minute to update you on the Summer Scent list- Rose Lemonade and Violette are SOLD OUT! I may be able to squeeze one or two more bottles of perfume oil or tubes of Solid Scent out of them, but for all intents and purposes we can consider them gone. The rest of the Summer LE collection is still available though, at least as of the time of this post, so don't fret- there's still plenty more to sniff!

ALSO- I spaced out and though I meant to add this in my last post, I neglected to do so. Sorry! ALL "perfume oil only" fragrances are now available in Solid Scent as well as Perfume Oil format. This means Mermiad, Besos del Sol, etc etc, as long as it's a scent which is still available. Go nuts!

Additionally, I will be CLOSED from Sunday, 8/21, until approximately 8/27 or so in order to fully catch up on existing orders, and to get a good amount of stock ready for the Halloween release, which I am aiming to put up for sale on August 31. There's lots to do between now and then, so I'll just leave it at that! Till next time!

(pic is totally unrelated; I just like it and didn't want to make this a "text-only" post!)

There's Never Enough Time

So a couple days ago, I told you that there would be new summer scents being released- finally, here they are! Available immediately, and subject to my usual turnaround time. All are "Private Stock" scents, and most of these were made in very small amounts- some so meager that I'm limiting the formats they'll be available in to perfume oil and solid perfumes. They're here until supplies run out, or September 30, whichever comes first! In order to make room for fall goodies, I won't be remaking most of these until next year, if at all; there's always the possibility for one or two to make it into the regular scent catalog, though, so if after smelling these you realize you can't live without something, please do let me know!

* Passiflora: Punchy passionfruit, ripe raspberries, wild figs, a shot of Earl Grey tea, caressed by the light touch of rich woods and a sprinkling of soft talcum powder. Tart and fruity! (solid scent, perfume oil 5mL, and samples only)

* Scarlett: A deceptively complex blend of Neroli, Cilantro, and Rhubarb. A sweet summertime smell for all the Southern belles.

* Tea Rose Mimosa: Red Tea, white rose, and raw honey; brewed, cooled, and splashed with sparkling champagne and served upon an antique wooden tray. A soft, delicate scent- rose haters, this one might just steal your heart.

* Tilly: Sweet, juicy peaches, rows upon rows of tomato plants ready to harvest, damp earth and Lily-of-the-Valley underfoot, a trail of fragrant honeysuckle, and a locket filled with intoxicating amber. A fruity floral with green notes to cut the sweetness.

* Violette: Wood violets, Leather, and Honeycomb. Simple and sweet, Violette will change on your skin as you wear it, giving each note a chance to take center stage. (solid scent, perfume oil 5mL, and samples only)

* Highland Crest: The clean scent of an Ocean breeze, the waves dashed against the rocks below, ripe with Plumeria blossoms, cliffside Heather, and a worn Suede jacket to cut the chill.

* Latitude: Coconut flesh, lychee, mango and jackfruit, pineapple juice, vanilla, honeysuckle and magnolia. A sweet and tropical fruity-floral fragrance, perfect for the hottest summer days.


* Rose Lemonade: Fresh-squeezed lemons and pink rosebuds, shaken with cubed ice, mixed liberally with chilled sparkling water and warmed by crushed ginger root, garnished for looks with a slice of pink grapefruit. (solid scent, perfume oil 5mL, and samples only)


* Stolen Bouquet: Purple blooms sneakily gathered from the gardens of others while nobody was looking- lilacs and violets, accented with orchids, with a dash of powdery vanilla added to ground the scent.




As for the new Stock scents, here's a couple for now- look for the rest to be added within the next week or so.


* Orange Sapphire: A BBW dupe, Orange Sapphire is described as "Radiant droplets of blood orange shimmer upon sweet sparkling cassis. Sugary nectar and citrus sangria trickle over coral rose petals."


* Fresh Ginger Lime: A BBW dupe,  it's a bright citrusy blend of ginger and lime, orange, and apple.


* Sugar Leaf: Notes of Vanilla Sugar, Sparkling Citron, Apple Peel, Sheer Floral, Sensual Woods, Creamy Musk

* Moonlight Path: A BBW dupe, it's described as a sensual women's fragrance infused with lavender, violets, and light musk.

Oh, and look for my emulsifying scrub and snake oil, along with the Black Magic cream (in jars and in bottles), to be added back to stock within a week. I'll also be introducing the next Vanillology blend soon, and reintroducing the Scent of the Week! After that, there's a few new goodies I've got up my sleeves :)

Slow and Steady...

Wow, it's been awhile since my last update. I've been keeping in touch via Twitter, Facebook, and recently, Google+, but have shamefully been neglecting my blog. This needs to be rectified. So!

We have landed in SC, and are settling in. Boxes full of stuff are still plentiful, but their number is dwindling daily. I'm probably back up to 75-80% of my usual full-time working capacity; I am still missing items and tools, which are somewhere in these boxes. It's nuts.

I have reopened the shop. I'm going slow at adding items back to "stock" so that I don't get overwhelmed, but I'm getting there. Once I'm fully restocked, or at least pretty darn close, look for a grand reopening type sale to occur. Most of the staples are available for purchase now.

I have a few new scents to add. I have a Summer collection which, sadly, isn't going to be available for very long as Fall is fast approaching. I guess this is what happens when you move in the middle of Summer, huh? Jeez. I'll probably end up offering them with very limited options as to the formats, and only while supplies last, so that I don't have to re-blend any of them. At first, this sounds like it might be kind of a bummer, but then there's the part where I remind you that there's new Fall scents on the horizon and that's pretty much the most exciting thing ever :)

Additionally, there are a few new Stock Fragrances I'll be adding to the list as soon as possible. They are: Orange Sapphire (A BBW dupe), Moonlight Path (A BBW Dupe), Fresh Ginger Lime, Sugar Leaf, and a few new L*SH dupes which I have yet to rename. For the time being I'll refer to them by their usual names- look to see Sex Bomb, B Scent, Skinny Dip, and Yummy Yummy Yummy added to the list.

I'm going to start handling Stock Frags a little differently; once they run out, I will replace them with new scents so that my list will be ever-changing. Best-sellers obviously will stay on, but scents which don't have a high demand will not be restocked once my supplies run out. This will ensure a constant rotation of stock, and will guarantee that all fragrances used will be at their freshest. Oh and then there's the obvious benefit of there almost always being something new for you when you come by the shop!

That said, I am discontinuing my current "Mountain Dew" scent. I'll be blending my own version soon, so, never fear! There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with the one I used to have, but it was the only scent (of many) I liked from that particular supplier, and with shipping costs being as high as they are, it just wasn't practical to continue buying just one thing from them, so I've decided to take it in-house. For the time being, I'll be suspending my Mountain Dew Brain soaps, hopefully it won't be for too long though. I may end up using another scent in the meantime, but I'm not sure on that yet.

Let's see... what else? Probably lots, but I don't want to get ahead of myself, so I'm just going to leave it at that for now. Till next time!!