Black Phoenix Trading Post: Dog Days of Summer Hair Gloss
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BPAL’s sister company does good…VERY good
I like dogs more than most people (except for you, you’re awesome). So when I heard that my beloved Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, BPAL for those in the know, created a line of Hair Gloss in ode to all the dogs they loved before, I was in. But when I heard that proceeds benefited the Pasadena Humane Society I KNEW it was my mission to share my love with all of you. And that’s what I will do here today folks.
Because I really, really love these.
The Dogs Days of Summer Hair Gloss is actually from Black Phoenix Trading Post, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s sister company. Here you’ll find a smattering of clothing and jewelry, bath products, nail polish and room/linen sprays. But what you will keep coming back for again and again are the hair glosses, I’d bet money on it.
The blends are delightful (Coconut, Vanilla Bean and Tiare, anyone?) and the formula is stellar; a rich blend of Tahitian monoi, camelina oil, argan oil and karanja oil. Just one spray on my palm gives my hair frizz-free, soft shine. FYI, I like applying it like this to control application. But best of all, the scents last ALL day. I love catching a waft of them throughout the day. And that one spray will draw compliments, a lot of them!
Dog Days of Summer shows the lab softer side. Both figuratively, because this kick ass company is getting all gooey over their dogs, and literally, as the notes are for the most part decidingly sweet. Gourmand lovers will be head over heels. That’s me, and I am.
I checked out four of the eight glosses (all $28 for 5 oz.)
Ella – Not a dog, not a hound, but a 100% genuine cur: Brian’s crazy swamp girl, the Blueberry Catahoula Hog Dog! Louisiana’s olive blossom and magnolia swirled with blueberries.
Ella is beautiful; flowers and blueberries are a great combo. Really soft and pretty without being cloying or overly feminine.
Granite – Brian’s sweet Granite passed at Halloween in 2014, and our hearts broke. This scent is a captured memory: the day that a bottle of body lotion accidentally fell on him. It’s a rich patchouli carnation mingled with warm fur and a hint of corn chip-paws.
They had me at “corn chip-paws!” (I once read dog’s feet smell like corn chips because they pee on them. But I have no scientific backing on that…) This is a super unique scent and the one that I consider the most BPAL-like thanks to the richness of the patchouli and, in fact, most dog-like. There is definitely a fur vibe going on. My husband is getting this one for his beard.
Wednesday – My cantankerous old lady, a dog of many names: Lumpy, No-Fun Dog, Grandma, Day-Day, and Cranks. She always looked like a s’more to me, so her scent is scorched marshmallows and melted chocolate with cinnamon sugar-dusted graham cracker bits.
(Bonus: I think you see a peek of the lovely lump that is Wednesday in the promo video that BPAL made for the launch.)
This smells EXACTLY like a s’more. Exactly. I wore this to my office the other day and got no less that five comments similar to “OMG, who smells so good?!”
Zoe – Ella’s best friend and Pickle’s nemesis! A voracious lover of food and all things foodlike: warm milk chocolate and Canadian maple syrup with amber and caramel.
Rich and delightful. And super sexy, like a late night snack with the one you love.
Some other notes you’ll find in the remaining four glosses are snow, jellybean, tiare and black tea. Check them out!
All this talk of dogs and scents makes me want to introduce you to my dogs, both past and present. And though I’m nowhere as good at scent development as BPAL, here are some smells I think would go into each of their fragrances.
Our first dog was Ted, a Boston Terrier who never met a meal he didn’t like. It’s partly our fault. We fed him like a kitty from a freestanding bowl of kibble that constantly needed filling. It wasn’t until a vet pointed at a chart on the wall to the little tubby dog on the end labeled “obese” that we figured out we were doing it wrong. Ted’s perfume would smell like wind and bacon, because there were few things he loved more than car rides and pig ears.
Next came Mabel, our deaf Boston Terrier. We learned sign language to communicate with her and she “listened” better than any dog we’ve ever had. Unless she didn’t want to, then she’d just turn her head and scamper off, probably to eat poop. Mabel’s perfume would smell like a tomgirl; sand and desert lavender, with a touch of freshly-washed fleece in ode to her jammies. Boy, she loved her jammies.
Next up to the pack was Louise, a breed ambassador for Pit Bulls. She was the single sweetest creature I have ever met. We got her fresh from the streets of LA County, when she was 11 months old and had just had a litter of 8 female puppies. Our German friend called it when she first met her: “Pure love” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. She was right. Lou smelled like sunshine, so would her scent.
Then came Charlie, a German Shorthair pup I found on the side of the road in the rain. I brought him home, hubs said “Absolutely not!” only to tell me the next day “I named him Charlie!” Fun fact, Charlie hates having his feet touched. He gets nervous if I even look at them. A scent ode to Charles would have to have notes of rain and dark chocolate, for his delicious fur.
After both of the Bostons passed away, we met a brother and sister duo in the Humane Society shelter where we volunteered, Boston Terrier/Poodle mixes that we fell instantly in love with. We named them Hank and Millie. Hank has a natural mohawk and an underbite, and is the funniest looking dog I’ve ever seen. My little clown’s perfume would smell like the circus with notes of salty popcorn and cotton candy. And Millie is my “needy little sausage” who can not ever get enough love. Her scent would smell like a savory pie, specifically the buttery crust and a whiff of gravy.
I think I’ll leave the fragrance development to BPAL…
I recommend you pick up a Dog Days of Summer Hair Gloss ASAP (they’re limited edition). And as mentioned, proceeds benefit the Pasadena Humane Society so you’ll be a good-smelling do-gooder!
we heartsters – what would YOUR dog’s scent smell like? Share in the comments!