BIG CHANGES
First and foremost, I want to thank you, truly. Since I sent out the original email about the crossroads Sugar and Spite is facing, the response has been overwhelming in the best possible way. The sudden wave of support, love, and orders caught me a little off guard (in the best way). I’m putting extra love and gratitude into every package.
In the midst of all this, I’ve worked with a business consultant to dig deep into what’s working, what’s not, and what the future of Sugar and Spite could look like. The good news? There’s a path forward. It involves some big changes, but they’re changes I feel really good about—and I hope you will too.
Packaging Upgrades, Updates & Supplier Swaps
You’ll start to notice some updates to the packaging. I’ve been hunting down suppliers that are either based in the USA or haven’t hiked their prices yet (a small miracle). I’m happy to report that body sprays will now come in super cute, sustainable glass bottles. Our eau de parfum bottles are getting a size upgrade too—they’ll be larger but remain close to the same price. The price increase will be $5 per bottle, but they’re almost double the size - 50ml instead of 30ml. If you’ve ordered EDP lately, you may have already noticed this change (without the price increase. That hasn’t happened yet). For now, we’ll be retiring drams for purchase, as well as the 4oz lotions. Until this tariff situation is resolved, the financial drain of offering many different sizes is too much. As I’ve said before, I want to do everything possible to not pass price increases on to you.
The Fragrance Vault Swings Open (and Shut)
Over the last few months, I’ve been quietly sending out sample vials to gauge interest in some new scents. Some of you noticed, and some of you REALLY noticed. Based on your feedback and the data, several of those experimental fragrances are officially joining the lineup. On the flip side, I’ve also had to take a hard look at what simply isn’t selling. As painful as it is, it doesn’t make sense to keep every fragrance on the shelf, especially with the rising costs and the pressure of new tariffs on small fragrance suppliers.
Some scents will be retired to the vault—possibly for good, possibly just for a while. I know that’s frustrating. I’ve received heartfelt (and sometimes angry lol) messages from some of you mourning the loss of your favorites, and believe me, I feel it too. But these changes are necessary if Sugar and Spite is going to survive and thrive in this new environment.
A New Kind of Magic:
Lately, I’ve been watching videos about something called “dopamine decorating,” which I think was meant to be cheeky, but nevertheless clicked for me in a big way. I realized that when I create products with a bit more color, a little more whimsy, I feel better. And it turns out you do too. The more colorful and playful products tend to get the warmest response. You may have already noticed something different in the new logo. :) But don’t freak out - S&S isn’t turning into a nickelodeon nightmare….. I’ve just come to realize that I’ve been swimming in a sea of brands that, frankly, all start to blur together. Expect more of a “Halloween all year” kind of energy…. a sort of mashup of Sugar and Spite and my old side project Spidercake. Because listen - growing up on Tales From the Crypt and Elvira gave me a leg up in the horror-pun perfume naming department. We wouldn’t want to waste that, would we? Also, this is what brings me joy—and if I’m not making magic I believe in, what’s the point?
I’ve been hard at work making bath bombs, bath dust, bubble scoops and so much more. I will be leaning much more heavily into bath treats. I’m even considering a “bomb of the month” situation.
Thank you for sticking around. I hope you’ll grow with me—and I promise to keep making strange and beautiful things for you to love.
Lysa
Funeral Biscuits (with recipe)
Photo courtesy of Rowan Artistry
Funeral biscuits were a type of biscuit traditionally served at funerals. They’ve been described as "a kind of sugared biscuit, which are wrapped up, generally two of them together, in a sheet of wax paper, sealed with black wax." The biscuits were given to each person attending the funeral.
In early North America, the biscuits were stamped with burial motifs or symbols, such as a winged head or cherub, or an hourglass or skull. (read more on Wikipedia)
The little parcels were sometimes inscribed with poems, Bible verses, or other memento mori. One wrapper, printed in Yorkshire in 1828, to commemorate the passing of one 52-year-old Mrs. Oliver, lamented, “How feeble is our mortal frame! What dying worms we be.” Occasionally, the dough was pressed into molds that left impressions of skulls, hearts, or other shapes. In 18th- and 19th-century England, it was customary for biscuits like these to accompany a formal, printed funeral invitation, “wrapped in a black-edged paper printed with suitably reflective verses and sealed with black wax” and tied with a black ribbon, writes University of Bristol folklorist and historian Helen Frisby in Traditions of Death and Burial. The more ornate wax seals might depict an hourglass, skull, or cherub flying toward Heaven. The cookies were also sometimes handed to mourners directly, or mailed to those who couldn’t make it. (read more at Atlas Obscura)
Photo courtesy of Atlas Obscura
Recipe:
Ingredients
250g butter (at room temperature)
120g caster sugar
4 teaspoons caraway seeds
3 teaspoons ground cardamom
280g flour
80g rice flour
pinch salt
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the cardamom and caraway seeds.In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, rice flour and salt.Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and sugar until the dough forms into a ball. If it does not bind, add a little iced water (no more than 2 teaspoons).
Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.Preheat the oven to 150° C. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.
On a floured surface, gently roll out the dough until it is 1cm thick. Cut out 6cm rounds with a pre-floured scone cutter, and space them well apart on the baking sheet. Impress a cross shape into the top of each biscuit.Bake for 20 minutes, or until the biscuits have just begun to turn golden. Allow to cool completely. Once cold, wrap each biscuit individually with paper. (read more at Sydney Living Museums)
Another Recipe here
Let me know if you make these!
Re: International shipping
International shipping, with the exception of Canada, has been temporarily suspended.
Despite the radical increases in the price of postage, and radical decrease in service, the USPS has seen fit to suspend shipping to many countries.
What that means, is there are many orders sitting in the queue until shipping resumes. Others have been returned, and others are just out there……somewhere.
On the packages that have been returned, I am working with payment companies and the USPS the recoup the shipping charges.
Until further notice, I will not be shipping internationally, with Canada being the one exception.
I apologize for the actions of the USPS, and am working to resolve issues with any outstanding orders.
HALLOWEEN AND TURNAROUND TIME
It’s finally here!
And while Halloween is arguably THE most wonderful time of the year, it is also the busiest for Sugar and Spite. I wouldn’t have it any other way. PLEASE be prepared for a longer TAT, and it helps a lot if you make sure everything is correct before placing your order (address, sample choices, etc). I will do my best to combine orders, but can’t make any promises this time of year.
I hope you all have the spookiest, ookiest holiday season ever!!
Caring for Wood Wick Candles
THE FIRST BURN:
The first burn is very important. Soy wax has a memory. If you don’t reach a full melt pool (when the wax is melted fully to the edges of the jar), it’s very likely you never will after that. Upon first lighting your candle, make sure to burn it long enough for the wax to reach the very edges.
SCENT:
Although not mandatory, it’s a good idea to let your new candle cure a couple weeks before using. The good news is, it’s been made, shipped, and stored for at least a week before you even receive it! The longer soy wax cures, the more tenacious the fragrance will be.
WICK TRIMMING:
To get the best performance out of your new candle, be sure to keep the wick trimmed to about 1/4”. If you notice problems like your wick drowning and putting itself out, blow the candle out, wait for it to cool, and trim the black, charred wood from the wick (you can even do this with your fingertips). Then relight.
If you have any problems with your candle, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via the contact form.
Wood wick candles can be a bit temperamental, but they’re so worth it. :-)
Shop Update, Changes, and Announcements
Hello, people! I’ve got some very important announcements (and things and such) below:
I’ve been working for about a year (since the middle of the pandemic, really) to come up with ways to streamline, deal with supplier issues, shortages, and sadly, even closures. I’ve had a couple suppliers close permanently. Many of the ones that ARE open have limited supplies, backlogs, wait lists, or they’ve chosen to only sell in mass quantities, which isn’t feasible for me (like where am I going to store 2500 jars, Barbara?)
As a result of closures and discontinuations, I have no choice but to retire quite a few fragrances, as they have become impossible to source components for. But the good news is, I have been working for the last year formulating new fragrances for you all, coming from good solid supply houses. And hopefully I’ll be able to reformulate. Nothing is forever, right? Also, I’ve found a local place that has a lot of stuff I use - bulk oils, butters, wax, and lots more.
So……… changes.
My supplier of 1/4 dram screw top sample vials has gone out of business. I’ve ordered from several places, and the quality wasn’t there at ALL. As a result, I’ll be transitioning back to sample tube vials that most houses use.
I am getting rid of the “premium” section and moving everything to general catalogue.
I’m adding wood wick candles and wax melts. Although they’ll be permanent, they will be a restock situation, meaning when they’re gone, they’re gone until I restock them. I’ve been test burning the candles constantly for a month and I love them.
In place of the premium section in the shop, there will be an emporium like there used to be. That’s where you’ll find brooches, jewelry, collars, Hauntlings, and any other non-fragrance items when they are available.
Dram sets have gone, BUT I’ll still offer them as a size option, be gifting drams with any order above $20 (before shipping), and you’ll still be able to choose your fragrance.
I’ve raised prices a wee bit. Nothing dramatic. I just needed some cushion, as I’ve not raised shipping prices, even with the latest postal service increase. My raw materials have gone up in price QUITE a bit, but hopefully they’ll stay steady now.
The new fragrances:
Doctor Bitchcraft - Manic pink pepper, elderflower, white amber, sugary drops of honey, bamboo, cherry blossom, sandalwood and tonka
La Tarentule - Cardamon, cognac, molasses, smoky cedar, and oak aged rum
Mad Mad World - Burnt toffee, crunchy leaves, pecan, vanilla, sandalwood, tobacco, and a wee drop of red wine
Obscuritas - Chamomile, tonka bean, mulling spices, whiskey and red tea leaves
Speak of the Devil - Patchouli, dust, beeswax candles, black vanilla, clove and egyptian musk
Tragically Delicious - Chai tea, marshmallow, patchouli, burned sugar and crunchy cereal
Throwing Bones - White pumpkin, pearl musk, carnation, coriander, white sandal and light oak accord
Retiring fragrances are as follows:
1891 - Rich golden amber, bay leaf, crumbling whiskey barrels, clove bud, tea leaves.
Drosta - cashmere, blonde wood shavings, corn mint, oolong tea, sandalwood, oakwood
Histoire du Professeur (collection 1 of 3) - leather, vetiver, sandalwood, sweet cherry pipe tobacco, driftwood, bourbon, musk
Histoire du Secretaire - (collection 2 of 3) leather, vetiver, sandalwood, wool, freshly brewed coffee, pencil shavings, perfume
Histoire des Amoureaux (collection 3 of 3) - leather, vetiver, sandalwood, white amber, green grass, juicy apples, pink pepper and vanilla
Kalopsia - Raw, sweet honey, amber syrup, ancient spices, and black tea leaves.
La Lune - ambered white musk, sweetened clove, agar, orchid, dew drops, tonka, cacao
Long Winter - Studded oranges, black patchouli, Egyptian musk, sweet incense and delicate florals
New Dawn Fades - leaves, pale honey, geranium, lush green grass, wild flowers, white amber, wood accord
Planet X - Rose, mandarin, labdanum, tonka, vanilla and gummy worms.
Sin Deep - cactus flower, white amber, Egyptian musk, cyanide and blonde wood
The Saw is Family - red musk, pepper, patchouli, black sandalwood, blood accord, rusty metal
These Pieces are Broken - bundles of sun-warmed sage and thyme, hot sand, dried white tea, white amber and cracked, splintered wood
I think that’s about all. Once I start writing, my brain freezes. :-)
I hope you’re all safe and well!
Love, Lysa