Unwrapped gifts

My beloved had never mistaken in choosing a gift to me. For Christmas I got addition to my collection of fragrances from the DFL. At this time "Сinnamon bun"! Needless to say that the smell of cinnamon is one of my most favorite, besides it matches with the spirit of Christmas perfectly. This scent in the line of DFL is more complex and multifaceted than usually. It's not just the monotonous smell of cinnamon, but a whole symphony of flavors. And the result of it is delicious. Excellent flavor for the winter! A drop of Christmas, a piece of gingerbread, fragrant glogg and joyful mood - you'll breathe it all together with "Cinnamon bun"!

Black October

Even in the middle of November I still relish post-Halloween mood. It came the most difficult period for me, when I barely see the sun and nature around me is painted in the mournful colors. At the same time I try to enjoy my melancholy and draw inspiration from it. Time for black silk blouses and Sylvia Plath lyrics.The best soundtracks for these days are Corpus Delicti, Fields of the Nephilim and Sisters of Mercy. And now I've also found fragrance that suited my despondency perfectly. It's "Death and Decay" by Lush. What a sweet goth name! 

"The pure scent of lily mingles with over-ripe tones of indole to give this fragrance a pungent, narcotic headiness. Let it transport you to a serene space where the fullness of beauty and its inevitable decay can be contemplated without fear. The message is one of meditation, acceptance and optimism delivered in a glorious, floral flourish"

Available in both solid and oil form. I am the proud owner of a small jar with solid perfume. Every time I open it and put on the skin, I feel a kind of decadent pleasure in the spirit of Dorian Gray. They certainly smell funereal, but at the same time incredibly calm. This is mature, wise and peaceful aroma. I'm just in love with it.  

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I wanted to share with you also a couple of trinkets from my Halloween:

1) Oh so lovely pumpkin brooch found on Ebay fields. It created me a holiday mood a week before the event.

2) My culinary masterpiece - a vegan sandwich "Frankenstein." Avocados, olives and tomatoes - the best combination for healthy and creepy breakfast ever!

Blessed me, my Darlings!

The Sisterhood

*commercial break*

My beloved sister now lives in Germany. She is the most talented person in the world and I can not help but admire her creativity! She sees all the beauty in nature and people. Maybe because she is a witch and has a mystical connection with the spirits, huh? In any case, I love her with all my heart and  want to share with you one of her works. This is the new vision of traditional Russian nesting dolls. Cute, isn't it? I only regret that I haven't  got good quality photos of this little masterpiece.

I had once written about the artistic skills of my sister here. But I should add that most of my best photos are also made by her. So if you want to arrange a fabulous photo shoot, ask to make a drawing or crafts, perform a Wiccan ritual or simply make friends with her, please welcome:

http://meorzo.tumblr.com/

Phoenix Of My Heart

Dear friends, I have accumulated a number of new cosmetic products, which I would like to share with you. Firstly, it's my discovery of perfume brand "Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab". I was given a lot of "imp's ears" for Halloween, and I hardly could find the time to try them all. My collection of fragrances called "A Picnic in Arkham". Oh, I love the dark world of HP Lovecraft! And of course I just had to taste something as weird as a perfume associated with his books! So, here is my top of creepy fragrances:

****  Al Azif

"A sinister, sinuous incense of summoning, a herald and paean to the Primordial Gods of Darkness, Chaos, Madness and Decay."

I put 4 out of possible 5 because this scent is more for men. The smell of coffee with a touch of oriental.

***** Arkham

"A shadowy, unapproachable forest of maple, birch, dogwood, cypress and pine softened by a garland of New England wildflowers: bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax, and pixie moss."

If this city really smells like this oil, it should be not so scary. Very light flavor with a hint of mango.

*** Cthulhu

"A creeping, wet, slithering scent, dripping with seaweed, oceanic plants and dark, unfathomable waters."

This is the worst smell of the whole line. Very sharp and not natural. It looks like Cthulhu enjoys air freshener.

**** Herbert West

"Aftershave, embalming fluid, and splatterings from a panoply of reanimation reagents."

I smell the tea and very light shade of flowers. As if he is  not possessed  reanimator but harmless old florist. 

***** Miskatonic University

"The scent of Irish coffee, dusty tomes and polished oakwood halls."

Warm and soft scent that I associate with cookies. It seems that the University is a stronghold of the goodness.

**** Nyarlathotep

"Brooding, yet electric: the scent of buried secrets, roiling nightmares, the essence of the Crawling Chaos, the Father of Knives and Locusts, the Hunter in the Dark. This is the blackest of ritual incenses charged with flashes of ozone."

The smell of the earth, weighed down by sadness. On the skin reveals notes of citrus. 

**** R’Lyeh

"A hellishly dark aquatic scent, evocative of fathomless oceanic deeps, the mysteries of madness buried under crushing black waters, and the brooding eternal evil that lies beneath the waves."

The smell of freshly sliced apples, mixed with something unnatural. Maybe a trace of air freshener from Cthulhu? 

***** Shub-Niggurat

"The lust incense of a corrupted Astarte. A blend of ritual herbs and dark resins, shot through with three gingers and aphrodisiacal spices."

My favorite scent! Apple, cinnamon, honey... Warm, enveloping scent. Looks like Shub-Niggurath is just ducky and often bakes at home an apple pie.

Please don't forget that these estimates are highly subjective, and everyone feels in flavors something specifically own. 

What else is new?I have already written about the fact that the care of the hair very important to me. So I discover new amazing brands with great joy. "Kensuko" is the last such opening for me. Shampoo of this mark perfectly moisturizes and nourishes the hair and has the consistency of cream. In addition, this eco-friendly brand! So I'm going to try a few more funds from "Kensuko". 

In addition, I switched to natural oils for my skin. Now I'm testing macadamia oil. It's too early to talk about the results, but I hope that this is much more useful than chemical creams. 
Ladies, I ask you to share with me your experiences in the use of oils: cosmetic and aromatic. What is your favorite flavor at BPAL? And what kind of oil do you use for face 

care

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Soap Bubbles

Who among us doesn't love to receive gifts? :) But for me, there is nothing nicer than Halloween gifts! Me and my American friend Norman have a long tradition of exchanging festive parcels that day. This year he sent me an 8 pound box packed with all that could wish a Gothic heart! Among other enjoyable things there was an amazing vintage casket made in the form of a Hemingway's book. 

What was inside of it became for me an object of the real mania! And in fact this was just a soap! Who would have thought that the soap can be so creative, interesting, unusual?! And smell like holy heaven! So I can't resist and not to introduce to you Nature's emporium soap company. 

I was gifted with 3 kinds of this paradise  pleasure: Thunder moon, Golden pumpkin and Sugar bar. I will tell about them in order. 

So #1 Thunder moon

It refers to the collection of ethnic flavors and associated with the Native American myths. Invigorating as the July Thunderstorms, this soap is a sure energizer. 

Cocoa Butter & Shea Butter. Essential Oils of Juniperberry, Cedar and Lavender. 

#2 Golden pumpkin

This is my favorite! It smells so incredibly delicious that I don't want to let it from my hands! Warm Vanilla, Spicey Cinnamon & Honey combine to make this a romantic Autumn bar. 

Handcrafted with Saponified Olive, Soy, Coconut, Sweet Almond & Castor Oils. 

Cocoa Butter & Shea Butter. Oils of Vanilla, Cinnamon & Honey.

And finally #3 Sugar bar

If the previous was the best in its smell, this one is undoubtedly the best in design. Just look at this traditional skull and a great combination of colors. Celebrating our Ancestors the way of the South West, the Sugar Bar featuring art by Sarah Hart! This Bar smells so sweet you will want to eat it! Just like Sugar and combined with Coconut & Palm Sugar ~ it is sure to make your shower a true TREAT! 

I feel like I know her, but sometimes my arms bend back

Autumn. Soft and fresh. The air is filled with new flavors. Have you noticed that every season has its own aroma? In autumn it's spicy and sweet. May be the case in the allegory of a pumpkin? :) September - my favorite month. It's bright, sunny, warm and foggy at the same time. Japanese art  helped me to come to a new understanding of autumn. Previously, I perceived it exclusively on the Gothic manner as something depressing and gloomy, associated with death. But the Japanese Zen art, especially poetry, made me realize that the End - it is always the Beginning of something new, and wilting no less beautiful than the bloom. So September is time for warm sweaters, books and memories! Speaking of memories, I recently found an old gift from my American friend. This is a deck of cards, which appeared in Twin Peaks. Since I am really mad about this film, he made cards of Windom Earle especially for my birthday. Just besides the characters of David Lynch, he added cards with me and my friends. The result was something fascinating and frightening! Oh, how I love when real life is interwoven with dreams!

(Me)

(My sister Tarya)

(My friend Irina)

 (Me and beauties of Twin Peaks)

 (Audrey^^)

(another alignment)

(Boo!)

For the rhythm of our blood

My good friend from U.S. sent me a big box of wonderful books. I long couldn't reach them, but finally  Nick Bantock's book "Venetian's wife" literally mesmerized me. It is incredibly beautiful graphic novel about "а Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis". The story is very sensual and full of references to Hindu mythology. So it's no surprise that this book attracted me! The entire novel consists of letters between a museum researcher, Sara Wolfe, and N. Conti, a centuries-old ghost trapped within the confines of modern technology. Conti hires Sara to track down the pieces of a peculiar art collection, and Sara discovers more of herself — and her destiny — in the process. Bаntock is a great graphic artist, and small pictures accompanying the text are really peculiar and charming. The story about art historian is so close to me that the book has left a lot of pleasant impressions. My house is full of statues brought from various trips to Asia and marvelous incenses, and books such as "Venetian's wife" carry me back to the narrow streets of India and make me purr like a cat ^^.

Baby goth :D

Do you remember yourself in a period when you just became interested in the subculture? For me the turning point was 2005-2006, when I began to communicate with gothic hangouts of Petersburg and feel like a Goth. On the other hand, of course I was still a child. What can I say, 15-16 years! :) Now, after almost ten years, so weird to look at old photos ...First black clothes, first hair coloring, first party, first gothic boys :) It seems that it was in another life with another person. But these pictures - silent witnesses of the past. 

(I am second from the left. What a grim, oh!)

( I love that pic very much...Don't ask me why, I can't explain...)

Mirror Medusa

It seems god of perfumes appreciated my previous post and gave me a new flavor! :D Addition to my collection - Kenzo Mirror Edition. This odor is like reminiscent of childhood - lollipops, summer, fruits ... I feel notes of melon, wild berries and mint mixed with tangerine, pepper, sandalwood, vanilla and musk. Such a light and delicate flavor! 

Well, once we started talking about cosmetics, I must share with you a useful thing for hair. It's wonderful Aroma Magic revitalising hair oil. I bought this bottle during my trip to India, as I have always wanted to know how oriental beauties get such amazing hair. Here is the answer - natural oils! Aroma Magic oil contains only natural ingredients and extracts - for my long hair it's the best choice! And what is very important, all Indian cosmetics not tested on animals - I always carefully study this point. 

The air tastes just like you, it's the smell of June

I hope you are familiar with Demeter Fragrance Library. This is an incredible collection of scents! In addition to the wonderful, but a lil boring flavors like cherry, lavender, lilac or freesia, they have more interesting and unusual - blueberry, giant sequoia and grass. But that's not all! For demanding noses they have perfume with the scent of...moonbeam, snow, salt air, sawdust, clean skin and many other crazy fragrances. And now here's my wish list: holy water, dirt and funeral home! Honestly last smell is not the best. But what else to expect from a funeral home!:) Nevertheless, I still desire them for my collection. However, my other half decided that I am too sweet for this perfume and gave me Vanilla Ice Cream and ...tadam!...my pride - Elvira's Black Roses! 

Elvira is the inspiration for the collection of supernatural, spooky, spectacular scents that are unlike anything you have smelled from Demeter Fragrance Library before. Or from anyone alse for that metter. These Dark Florals are beautiful, but radical and truly unique in their approach to the scent.

But today I want to talk not only about that. This weekend I saw a new movie called "Viy". Don't be put off by the fact that it's Russian :) This is a great example of sci-fi thriller, with elements of Gothic and steampunk. For lovers of literature I can say that the film is based on the classic story by Nikolai Gogol. It's really beautiful and not a banal film. If you see it in the cinema in your city - be sure to go and write about your experience! Here are a few frames: 

Fortune Presents Gifts not According to the Book

Books play an incredible role in my life. What can I say, they were my mentors and best friends since childhood. Each stage of my life is associated with a particular book or writer. My first love - Greek myths and fairy tales. Then Goethe, Bulgakov, Hoffmann, Baudelaire, Eliade. In University I was fascinated by books on philosophy and cultural studies, history of religions. Nowdays one of my "table books" - Emil Cioran's brief essays. 

Now, when I'm finishing my study, I connected with books like never before. The deal is in my thesis, dedicated to oriental religions and architecture. So all the books I'm reading in some way connected with this topic. And the best among them is "Jaina temple architecture in India". This is a true compendium of knowledge! The most expensive and, well, the biggest and heaviest book in my library :) Hundreds of color illustrations and rare information. Yes this is a whole treasure!

I wonder what are you reading now?)