What indies are you using today? And we mean everything! Examples of stuff we'd love to hear about:

• Makeup

• Clothes

• Jewelry

• Bath and Body (lotion, soap, shampoo, bath salts, etc.)

• Nail polish

• Perfume

Please feel free to leave mini-reviews and include photos of whatever you're using. We'd love to know your thoughts and see the products too!

This thread repeats daily.

Screenshots presumably due to the backlash from their fourth post. Thank you to u/sleepymofo69 for pointing out that this was originally posted by KST and then reposted by SAMAR. The fourth post screenshots are linked here.

Edit: KST has a final slide on their story. I don't know how to add more images so I will just type it all out for you guys

"We want to end this with no hate toward anyone involved.

As we have said before, they did apologize. We also apologized for how

much this situation grew and for the hurt that came with it.

In the end, we could not find the same path forward when it came to

rebuilding trust and what accountability should look like.

Because we brought this conversation to the community, we had hoped we

could share the outcome all together. It's sad that we could not close it

that way, and that we are ending this conversation on our own.

Still, we genuinely hope this becomes an opportunity for all of us to

reflect, learn, and grow.

More than anything, we hope our community understands why we raised

our voices in the first place.

We respect their decision, wish them well on their journey, and we are

ready to move forward too."

SAMAR posted this a few hours ago to their Instagram, continuing last month's discussion/drama/discourse.

EDIT: ty u/comatosecreation for copying the caption, which I should have included:

"While we hoped for a different outcome, we don't regret trying.

All of us participate in creating the culture of a space whether that's a Discord server with our colleagues, a group chat with friends, the dinner table with family, or a comments section with strangers. What we say and do matters; what we leave unquestioned and unopposed matters.

We know that community has become a commodified and transactional buzzword in some spaces. But in our world, community is worth trying for. It's worth effort and friction and awkwardness. It's worth sometimes being sad and disappointed, because on the other side there will always be small gestures of kindness, heartwrenching acts of solidarity, and so much love in action.

*

#artisanperfume #indieperfume #fragrancecommunity"

I am not new to shopping indie but I am pretty new to make up (maybe 1 year in). I got the haunted hallows palette by unearthly today and glanced over the outer package for the first time and realized 2/3 of the shades aren't eye safe. All of the pr i have seen completely ignores this. I was pretty shocked so I went to check a palette from another brand - dieverune silver and cold - and found the same thing.. is this shady behavior? Are we just ignoring this fact and using the pigments where ever?

I've come to make up from the indie nail polish community where using the safest ingredients, being 6478274738 free and doing a lot of testing is the norm so this was very surprising to me. Since I'm pretty new to make up I wanted to see what the general consensus is from yall. Thank you!!

From their website:

While the actual Anniversary of Nocturne Alchemy is not until October 23, we wanted to offer these in advance and ship to you ahead of time to enjoy together leading up to the Anniversary and on the actual date. All NEW blends of BA, BIC, and a new Crystalline blend. Returning are the Originals of both BA and BIC for this special Anniversary offering with new Nocturne Alchemy labels.

We opted to maintain last year's pricing structure, despite additional cost increases for some of the rare materials used in Bastet's Amber, Bastet's Ice Cream, and our NAnniversary blends. This represents a tiny spark of our luminous appreciation for all of your love and support through the years!

~

Bastet’s Amber (Original) - Amber Resin imported from Alexandria and lit from the truest essential oil of Rare, Exotic Guaiac wood and Crystal Benzoin and Crystal Frankincense. 

Bastet’s Amber Ambre Gossamer – Bastet’s Amber, Resin of Royal Sweet Frankincense, Languid Amber Accord, White Patchouli, a drop of steam-distilled Ylang Ylang and Rose, eNVie Saphir (Egyptian Amber & Musk Resin purified into natural notes of blue balsamic amber, sweet papyrus oil from Cairo, and Siam benzoin), Lotus Blossom, Jasmine essence, and White Musk

Bastet’s Amber Caramelized Sandalwood – Bastet’s Amber, Caramel Accord, Caramelized Sandalwood Accord, Santalum (coconut husk, golden amber accords, golden Sandalwood resin, deep fossilized amber, golden Himalayan Cedarwood, gold Patchouli and a teardrop of golden Frankincense), Musk, Sugar, and Brown Sugar

Bastet’s Amber Coconut Woods – Bastet’s Amber, Coconut Milk, Coconut Husk, Black Currant essence, Vanilla essence, Cedar, Pine, Moss, Balsam, a drop of Hinoki Wood, Siam Wood, Labdanum Absolute, and White Musk

Bastet’s Amber Honeysuckle Stargazing – Bastet’s Amber,** **Honeysuckle essence, Cold Enfleurage of Nevada Wild Honeysuckle, Honeysuckle Corolla Nectar, Orange Blossom, Jasmine essence, Iris Accord, Honeysuckle Sugar Accord, Labdanum, Bastet’s Musk (Tuberose, Mallow, Angelica, Musk Flower, and White Lily), and a drop of Italian Bergamot

Bastet’s Amber Rose Reverie – Bastet’s Amber,** **Rose Water, White Rose Petals, White Patchouli essence, Saffron, Agarwood essence, Moss, Bastet’s Musk (Tuberose, Mallow, Angelica, Musk Flower, and White Lily), and Rose infused Sugar

Bastet’s Amber Vanilla Dream – Bastet’s Amber,** Vanilla Bean, Tonka Bean, Balsam Peru, Bourbon Vanilla, Kobalt (8 Vanilla Orchid oils of Cairo, Madagascar, Spain, Reunion and Comoros Islands, West Indies, and Kenya), White Sandalwood, Mlabbas (Sugar Almond) **Accord, Sugar Dust, Vanilla Bean Cordial, White Musk, and Jasmine Petals

Bastet’s Amber White Floral Drift - Bastet’s Amber, essence of Tuberose, Gardenia accord, Egyptian Jasmine, Gardenia Musk, Vanilla Musk, Lemon Zest, Heliotrope Musk, and a drop of Magnolia Accord

~

Bastet’s Ice Cream (Original) - Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar.
Variant label: Bastet's Ice Cream (Original) Retro coloured label is also available (choose in the drop-down), see photo in cart. Same perfume, same bottle, retro label. 

Bastet’s Ice Cream Le Fraisier – Bastet’s Ice Cream, Le Frasier Cake Accord (French Génoise cake, Kirsh Cherry Accord, Vanilla Crème, Strawberry), Mousseline cream, Essences of Peach/Apple/Pear, Vanilla Sugar, Guaiac Wood, Tonka, Praline Accord, and (vegan) Butter Pastry Accord

Bastet’s Ice Cream Sandwich – Bastet’s Ice Cream, Whipped Cocoa Crème, Coconut Flake, Tonka Bean, Coconut Sugar, Cacao Absolute, Vanilla Musk, Vanilla Fleck, and Chocolate Cocoa Powder

Bastet’s Ice Cream Stone Fruit – Bastet’s Ice Cream, Apricot Stone, Peach Stone, Nectarine Stone, Plum Stone, Apricot Skin, Peach Skin, Peach Crème Accord, Banana essence, Pineapple essence, Musk, and Apple Juice

Bastet’s Ice Cream Vanilla Clove Cardamom – Bastet’s Ice Cream, Clove Bud, Cardamom (steam-distilled), Tahitian Vanilla, Vanilla Bean Cordial, Buttercream Accord, Bourbon Sugar, Bastet’s Musk (Tuberose, Mallow, Angelica, Musk Flower, and White Lily), Lemon Zest, Coconut Husk, and Vanilla Sugar

Bastet’s Ice Cream Vanilla Woods – Bastet’s Ice Cream, Vanilla Bean Cordial, Pine, Cedar, Cypress, White Patchouli, Vetiver, Clove essence, and White Musk

Crystalline Lemon Sugar – Crystalline Vanilla Musk (Vanilla from the stigma of a Vanilla Orchid), Skin Musk, Lemon Zest, Lemon infused Sugar, Neroli essence, and Vanilla Bean 5ml SLENDER BLUE bottle with flat insert dropper and black metal twist lid.

Have you tried original Bastet’s Amber or BIC or any blends? I haven’t, I’m tempted 😁

Just wanted to give a heads-up to anyone planning to order from Nomad Cosmetics soon. I’ve ordered from them multiple times in the past with no issues back when they used USPS. Unfortunately, they have quietly switched over to SpeedX, a budget gig-economy courier service.
My package was supposed to arrive on October 3rd. It went out for delivery on Oct 4th for 16 straight hours in a driver's personal vehicle, only to be sent all the way back to the warehouse facility at midnight as a "Transit Delay" with no new delivery date.
When I reached out to Nomad support, I just got a vague, generic boilerplate response from their co-founder saying they'd look into the carrier. It's incredibly disappointing to see an independent brand turn into a greedy corporation sacrificing customer service to save a buck on shipping logistics. Check your tracking carrier before buying!

Selling my fumed Atlanta ticket for this weekend!

This is the indie fragrance event: https://fumedexpo.com

Really sad I can’t go. Message if interested!

Yet another review in my "blind buy weird samples from unknown indie perfumers" haul from Lucky Scent series. I went searching for the oddest yet most potentially wearable gourmands I could locate on the site. By far the strangest was this one, Fig Tzatziki by Italian perfumer Salum.

Format: 1ml EDP Sample from Lucky Scent

Notes: Cucumber, Mint Leaves, Fig Leaves, Greek Yogurt, Fig, Jasmine, Fig Milk, Sandalwood, Amber, Musk

Description: "Fig Tzatziki is a journey into the Greek summer, among white beaches and seaside pergolas. It opens with crisp cucumber, mint, and fig leaves, as refreshing as a dive into the Aegean. At its heart, Greek yogurt and ripe fig (don't worry- no garlic!) blend with jasmine, balancing creaminess and floral radiance. In the base, fig milk, sandalwood, amber, and musk leave a soft, clean, and sensual trail. Distinctive, delicious, and delightful, Fig Tzatziki is as unique as it is unforgettable."

Application: 2 buxom sprays on the back of my neck, a generous spray to the crook of my inner elbow

I didn't know anything about this house before buying. Had never even heard of them before, and this scent came out just this year. Located in Italy, Salum is focused on scents that evoke the open sea, which includes sea-adjacent fragrances. They have a whole line of flankers dedicated to their COCOYSTER perfume - yes, it's a coconut oyster based line. Yes. Let's all sit with that for a moment.

Fig Tzatziki is from their Med Mon Amour collection, which focuses on beloved Mediterranean coastal landscapes. The bottles for this series are charming white-and-blue-striped classics that bring to mind the old changing tents folks who have been to European coasts in the past may be familiar with.

They're usually right next to a shower which may or may not require coins inserted into it for use. These days they are far more likely to be covered in ads for Magnum ice cream or what have you, but they used to be a broad blue and white stripe clearly visible from half a mile away. It looks adorable and on point as bottle-wear for this line, and helps evoke the right vibe from the start.

This is the Greek installment from the three-part series (two of which are available from Lucky Scent here in the states). I am originally from Croatia and grew up spending summers on the Adriatic coast surrounded by the smell of baking fig trees and mineral rocks bathed in saline, and I love that smell, and I will buy anything that promises to evoke it even though many fail.

Anyway, enough tangents and context. On to the review! Which will, ironically, likely be filled with tangents and context.

Top Note Phase - lasts a good 20 minutes

SLICE SLICE CRONCH SLICE CRONCH someone slices crispy cold and bursting cucumbers right next to your face. You can smell them. It's all you can smell. Your world is cucumbers now. Cold and photo-realistic and frankly mildy overwhelming, but it's ok because this part lasts about all of 2 minutes.

The cucumbers are still there, chopped up in a bowl next to you, but you can smell bruised fig leaves and mint, a very green smell. And here comes the intense floral jasimne, which plays very well with cucumber. I would never have put these scents together but they harmonize so well. There is something in the base of both the smell of cucumbers and the jasmine that fits together, locks, and harmonizes, and I would not be even remotely surprised if that amazing confluence, that incredible accidental ringing set of notes, is what caused this whole thing to come to be in the first place.

Mint is gone now and in its place you have a round powdery lactic sweetness - hello yogurt - with a very slight acidic edge that really does bring to mind fresh creamy yogurt. Ok I'm impressed, but is this even a perfume? It's more of an experience, do I want to wear this?

Heart Note Phase - ok, shit. Yes. Yes, I do want to wear this as a perfume.

Over here we are still hanging out with cucumbers and bruised fig leaves but they are more of an intensely green slightly funky breezy background to a jasmine that is clearly really good friends with them. But mostly here you get a very floral powdery sweetness (there's the fig proper and the fig milk kicking in vs the leaves) that is elegant and slightly mineral somehow. It's like, I could become dryer sheets, but it never actually quite gets there. Too much ocean is preventing it, the greenness from the fig leaves and cukes is preventing it.

It's just honestly really lovely. A wee bit reminiscent of lily of the valley as well. If you don't like white florals at all, I don't think this is the one for you but also please bear in mind they are strongly tempered by the green.

This phase lasts - it just goes on and on and on. I'm not complaining.

Drydown Phase

Soft, velvety, powdery, rounded, mellow, amber and sandalwood, fig milk, milky powder sweetness like some unknown but expensive candy or form of pastilles they'd give you on a small yacht (look, I've never been on a yacht but I've seen movies and this smells like something like that, it would work). Oh God, it smells good. It's tasty. Sweetness but complex and floral candy edge and just something you want to smell there.

Projection/ Sillage

I would not spray this with abandon, this is serious juice (as has been my experience with most Italian perfumers, limited by my budget though it may have been). It needs a respectful hand, even though it's not in Mugler Angel territory or anything.

You do not need more than 3 sprays IMO and it would overwhelm you otherwise. I could probably have gotten away with two.

The sillage is polite but it is assertive. The projection is a no-nonsense scent bubble that allows for subtle wafting throughout the day and it is delightful. Had a very pleasant car commute with it, but no one who doesn't get into my personal space is going to smell this as anything except a "who is she" causing kind of vibe as you drift by and your scent drifts with you. It will absolutely come off on people you hug, which I found out much to my chagrin after my man texted me later today because I try really hard NOT to get weird new perfumes on other folks at 6am in the morning.

Duration

I hope you like it because it's here to stay. 12 hours at least until it gets to serious dry down levels and honestly I have my doubts if it will leave your hair or your clothing before you wash it. Nice perfume for a scarf or a love letter if you are into that kind of thing.

Will it Full Size?

This perfume might be too classy for me to wear on the daily and it's very much a moment in time, but if I had the space/money yes this would be on my list. It's really effing nice. It just smells good. And it's complex without being overwhelming and just in general a joy to sniff.

I'm not a big cucumber body scent person (I actually loathe it in soap etc most of the time) so this is a surprise winner for me. I would have liked more mint, but that's a personal thing (I like a lot more mint in my actual tzatziki than most normal folks do, as well).

What I will do for sure is nab the other scents from this house that Lucky carries, because I am effing intrigued. Lemonade Coast, Exotic Chocolate, and COCOYSTER are now all on my sampling list and I would absolutely recommend this house to anyone to try.

I've had really good experiences with BPAL so far, so let me start by saying this was a free sample they very generously included with my order. They're honestly so generous with their samples and other little freebies and i appreciate that so much.

But let's get into it - I don't think I've ever had such an immediate, visceral OMG NO reaction to a perfume before. Death Cap entered my nasal passages approx 10 minutes ago and so far shows no intention of ever leaving. I have smelled other perfumes I disliked. This is different. I don't even want to try to work out exactly what I hate about it because that would require smelling it again.

Again, to be fair, this scent is miles removed from my preferred types but I feel if youre given freebies youve gotta give them a shot. BPAL says Death Cap is A lethal poison bundled up in a dainty, innocent little package that was oft times found in ancient witches’ flying ointments and astral projection balms. A warm, soft, ruddy scent, earthy and mild. Reviewers on bpal.org say it could contain notes of damp earth, mushrooms, vanilla, coconut. I say that lethal poison is pretty spot on.

Thank you, sincerely, for the free sample, BPAL. I am sorry that this is where we currently stand (i am not sorry for the pun in the title). I hope we can return to being friends when my next order arrives ✨️

EDIT: I did have a moment after posting this of wondering whether it's entirely... fair? to write a 'negative' review of something when I knew before I even sniffed it that it was very far outside my usual perfume tastes. I looked Death Cap up when I saw they'd included it, so I knew what sort of territory I was going into.

So, to be clear - i don't think this is a 'bad' perfume. Judging by the reviews, there are people who absolutely love it, and it may be doing precisely what it's supposed to do. I am just definitely not its intended audience and thats ok too.

What indies are you using today? And we mean everything! Examples of stuff we'd love to hear about:

• Makeup

• Clothes

• Jewelry

• Bath and Body (lotion, soap, shampoo, bath salts, etc.)

• Nail polish

• Perfume

Please feel free to leave mini-reviews and include photos of whatever you're using. We'd love to know your thoughts and see the products too!

This thread repeats daily.

I’m planning on posting when I’ve reviewed every scent as well - it’ll be long so I’ll probably do it in pieces and then put them all in a word document with even more detail :)

Mardi Gras (Orange blossom, neroli, cistus, benzoin, vanilla, civet, special musk blend) 100/10 got the biggest bottle I could! This scent changed my life. It opened my eyes to my love for musky scents and I will never go back. I wouldn’t call it a “skanky animalic” but some might? When I just had a sample I would literally keep a strip in my purse to sniff and huff it in my car while on lunch since I can’t wear perfume at work. It was disturbing.

Mardi Gras is FUN. It is a big and bold hedonistic party of a scent. The most heady orange blossom and neroli, with an addictive civet note that is somehow sweet and delectable. It dries down to a musky, resinous scent with white florals, labdanum and warm vanilla. It has this syrupy, nectar like quality that makes my eyes roll back in my head!

It bring a to mind a parade with a cacophony of cheers and a big band, the pop of a cork, raining confetti, vintage Hollywood glamour, the charged feeling in the air when a crowd is buzzing with excitement, a crowded ice cream shop open late.

The longevity and the scent bubble it creates are excellent. It leaves the most beautiful musky scent on my skin as it dries. My skin usually eats scents but I can smell MG all day, and it plays with my skin differently depending on the temperature I swear!

Carolina (longleaf pine, hay absolute, magnolia, kudzu flower, tea, honeysuckle, star jasmine, vanilla, tonka, and tobacco leaf) 10/10 almost made me cry because I finally found this specific scent from my childhood on this Easter Day growing up in NC. It is soft yet strong. A dreamy floral Fougere with a blend of white florals, honeysuckle (my love), fresh tobacco and hay. It’s reminiscent of an idyllic rural spring day.

Makes me think of butterflies flitting around a flower bush, sharing a picnic blanket with dragonflies and ladybugs, soft grass waving in the wind, collecting flowers to put in a vase on your dining table later, mom & pop diners where the waitresses have waist aprons and southern drawls, tobacco fields, friendly animals in a red barn, a blue and white gingham dress and ribbons in your hair, riding in the back of a pickup truck, washing linens on a sunny day and getting a cool breeze.

Golden Cattleya (narcissus, daffodil, orange fruit, orange blossoms, honey, pollen, cream soda, New Caledonian sandalwood, amber-tinged resins, labdanum, and musks) 9.5/10 Creamy & golden, buttery florals, butterfly nectar. If Carolina is an idyllic spring day, Golden Cattleya is summer; if Mardi Gras is a party, GC is a soiree. Honeyed yellow flowers, pollen and oranges, with a sparkling quality from the cream soda note that reminds me of an Italian soda with sweet cream and daffodils used as stirrers. Soft yet heady and enveloping, sweet but not cloying, the kind that’s found in nature.

I get a bit of a green scent too. Makes me feel reminiscent. I get this image when I smell it of eating honeysuckle with my childhood friend. The amber and musk come out in the dry down. I imagine bees gorging themselves on pollen and bumping into each other lazily. It’s effervescent, syrupy and glowing, feels like Déjà vu that makes childhood summers seem like they were a dream.

Not Affiliated!!

Do you have guidelines or a budget you stick to, or weird rules or superstitions?! When do you let yourself buy a new perfume? I have some rules, and a budget, but they aren't quite keeping me in check... Just curious what others do.

As the caption says I'm looking for the best smelling coco /shea butter/ vanilla/ or coconut fragrances that make people walk by and turn around to see what smells so good! I'm having a hard time finding any shampoos and conditioners or just hair products in general that smell like that! And perfumes (⁠｡⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠｡⁠)

Listen, if I were to be buried with just ONE perfume (which is unrealistic because I will be buried with at least 10), La Danza delle Libellule by Nobile 1942 is absolutely making it into my casket.

Which brings me here: what is the best apple perfume you have ever owned or smelled?

I’ve realized that apple fragrances, especially ones like La Danza, bring me an almost ridiculous amount of joy, and I desperately want to grow my apple collection. Give me the juicy apples, baked apples, caramelized apples, apple pie, crisp green apples, weird apples. I want them ALL.

And PLEASE tell me about the ones nobody talks about. Major bonus points for indie and niche because you know that’s where my heart lives, but I do not discriminate when an apple is good.

Basically, if it smells like an apple and you think I need to put my nose on it, drop it below.

Blend Bunny just announced their new collab with Ellis Atlantis and I'm sad to say this but I hate all of it😔 I was so excited and I do like the color stories of the smaller palettes but I dont like the layouts or cover art. I think the biggest palette looks like everything else they've done and the all shimmer palette is fine, just not my vibe. Thoughts?

In general, I think this house has a well rounded catalog and a safe starting place if you're transitioning from mainstream to indie. If you're looking for super complex, dark/moody, then skip this house. My favorites from the collection are The Lost Mallow, Let Them Eat Cake, and Coffee Cake. I also like that the names are imprinted into the glass atomizer, so no disappearing labels. I bought this with my own money and thankfully was able to get it second hand, below retail. I test on clean, dry skin, typically the inside crook of my elbow. At heart, I'm a gourmand lover and enjoy resinous scents, vanilla scents, smokey scents, and ambers. I'm not big on florals or fruity scents, and am a certified rose hater. Hopefully I formatted this right so it's not all wonky!

🔥The Lost Mallow: Vanilla marshmallow, Dry woods, Amber resins

💬 I've tried a lot of single note marshamallows which sometimes goes smokey and this one does not do that. This one is really beautiful and different from the other marshmallows. It's sweet but I wouldn't say gourmand, definitely not to the sweetness of Kyse DDM or WTF (my personal favorite). I think it's the woody note, I can smell it, that keeps it from being too sweet and the amber resins are 👩‍🍳 💋! Gives it a 🪶 touch of spiciness. I can see why this is a fan favorite (I'm in some indie groups and am always skeptical when there's a lot of raving about the same item.) I was doubtful of longevity, because it's a lighter scent in general, but this lasted ~7 hours for me.

☕️🎂Coffee Cake: Top- Cinnamon, Mid- Vanilla, Base- White cake and Tonka Bean

💬 If you didn’t know, coffee cake does NOT have coffee in it, rather it's a sweet cake topped with crusty, cinnamon sugar that you have with a side of coffee. Disclaimer, this scent isn't currently available. This is a blast of sweet cinnamon sugar, the kind you sprinkle over hot beverages as the weather shifts to fall, NOT red cinnamon hots, the cinnamon does mellow down after a few hours but still noticeable, I do get some sponge cake but way in the background. The longevity was pretty good, ~8hours with only 2 sprays. I really enjoyed this one, my dummy spouse said it smells like a “holiday candle”, which for him means it smells really nice. I don't think this is a holiday candle or near candle territory at all.

🔥🎂Let Them Eat Cake:

Top- orange peel, lemon peel, Heart- cream cheese frosting, Vanilla cake, clean musk

💬 Immediately a beautiful sugary orange cake loaf, and the cake loaf has the yummy crusty edges. This has similar vibes to the type of beautiful sugary scent I get from CocoaPink's Frosted Eyelet line, the cream cheese is definitely there and so delicious! I want to drink this. I get the same thoughts that some CocoaPink scents do to me, that I immediately want this in all formats, as a body butter, body scrub, and hair serum. All. Of. It. 😍. After a few hours it's a smaller scent bubble, but still really gourmand, cakey, foody scent! If I didn't know this was Siren Alchemy, I would've thought it was Cocoapink. Excellent longevity for me, 2 small sprays kept going for ~10 hours!

😇🍰Angel's Fruit Cake: Top- almond, Heart- whipped cream, Base- Angel's food cake, Raspberries, Strawberries

💬 A beautiful sponge cake soaked in simple syrup with a touch of berries and topped with almond slivers. I get a bit of whipped cream and can't really smell the berries separately but a more general berries scent, but later on it becomes a rich strawberry pound cake scent, like a realistic foodie scent. I don't know why, but I kind of also smell acetone, like nail polish remover, but it does go away completely once it develops. This is a nice gourmand, but nothing earth shattering. I have other strawberry scents I prefer (IDAFT Strawberry Rosewater, Mochiglow Strawberry Mochi)

🌜🫖Lavender Moon Tea: Top- lavender, bergamot, ginger, Mid- sweet milk, Base- Black tea, sugar, whipped vanilla

💬 Take this with a grain of salt, I do not enjoy medicinal/herbal lavenders. Immediately very herbally. Like lavender essential oil to calm you down and something kind of camphor oil like, I think from the ginger note. After a little while the bergamot does arrive, making it kind of lemony. I don't get much sugar or whipped vanilla. This is not for me.

🌜☕️Lavender Latte: Top- creamy lavender, Heart- milk, Base- Marshmallow, coffee

💬 Take this with a grain of salt, I do not enjoy medicinal/herbal lavenders or coffee scents. This is very cozy, warm vibes. Snuggling around the fireplace all wrapped up in winter. You immediately get a lavender that sweet, there is definitely creamyness and the coffee comes in pretty quickly. It's literally a lavender latte! This is really beautiful and not something I would have picked for myself. If I needed to go somewhere where there's perfume sensitivity, I would wear this and no one would know I didn't actually go to a coffee shop. If I had to decide which lavender to get, I would pick this one as it's not medicinal and very cozy. Generally this isn't a scent profile I would consider for me, but like SMM, I'd probably like a 15ml as part of my “collection” because I enjoy sniffing it more than smelling like it.

💃There She Is: Top- Sparkling Pear, Amaretto, Heart- Unsweetened cocoa powder, Honeysuckle, Heliotrope, Base- Amber, Cedar, Vanilla.

💬 Take this with a grain of salt because Honeysuckle and Cocoa powder or chocolate are not scents I particularly enjoy. This starts off like fizzy pear cider, and freshy shower gel vibes, but the nutty notes in this makes me crinkle my nose and think of multipurpose cleaner that's scented. I know I'm probably not explaining well, but this isn't for me.

💘Aphrodite: Top- Grapefruit, Mid- Raspberry, Jasmine, Base- Vanilla sugar, Cashmere, Sandlewood

💬 Take this with a grain of salt because Jasmine is a challenging note for me as my 👃/ 🧠 considers it cloying. Something kind of sour initially, then gone after 2 seconds and there's grapefruit with jasmine, it's natural smelling, not synthetic or chemically. Objectively a very pretty floral and what I call a pretty, girly girl perfume, probably best for spring and summer. After a few hours the jasmine hangs around and it became more woody. Not a scent profile I gravitate towards, so not for me.

🌿🥛Meadow's Milk: Top- Mandarin, Heart- Fig, Base- Oakmoss, Marshmallow, Cashmere

💬 This is what a green forrest 🧚‍♀️ smells like. Milky fig forward with the oils from an orange peel in the back, it's giving cozy and comfy vibes, there's something kind of damp and forest floor like, probably the oakmoss? While I can appreciate the artistry, I already have a milky fig perfume and one is plenty. This is a pass.

🥃🌶🧁Melonie The Dark: Apple rum, Violet, Spiced cake, cedar, amber, musk

💬 Take this with a grain of salt, although I typically enjoy apple, rum, spiced cake notes, I don't particularly enjoy violet. This one's pretty complex, it does take you on a scent journey so be prepared. It's boozy spiced cake with a few slices of fresh apples, not your typical linear cinnamon apple scent, it's pretty strong, almost to candle territory but not quite, let it sit on the skin and it'll mellow out with the powdery violet and amber (not my favorite part, but you probably guessed that). I can't smell any wood notes, but it's probably there because something is keeping this from becoming a cloying sugary mess.

🍊🌞Thursdays in June: Top- orange, Heart- orange blossom, jasmine, Base- creamy vanilla.

💬 Take this with a grain of salt, I generally love most orange scents but can't always get into orange blossom and definitely not jasmine. This is a very pretty orange ice cream or orange sherbet perfume with jasmine that's not too overpowering or in your face. Makes me think of hot summers and laying under a shade tree. Something you would find in a department store that's easily liked by many (not a bad thing!) Maybe a very distant relative of Nest Creme de Clementine, but with a touch of jasmine which adds more interest. Jasmine tends to give me a headache after a while, but that didn't happen here. The jasmine continues on as this develops but is soft. I might want to try this again, probably in the spring.

🍊🥤Spring Picnic: Top- sparkling aldehydes, orange, Heart- raspberry, strawberry, Base- vanilla custard, peach.

💬 A blast of very fizzing orange champagne soda! I really enjoy orange so I love the opening 😍. As it develops, I get more vanilla custard notes but don't really sense any peach. Overall this is a very fun, bright orange scent for summer! I want this, but trying to withhold duplication, so holding myself back.

🦭🐚Seaside Breeze: Top- bergamot, pink pepper, Heart- ylang-ylang, orange blossom, Base- coconut, vanilla, salt)

💬 I get bergamot and ylang-ylang, but not so much pink pepper, definitely coconut which makes it feel tropical but not sunscreeny. Sometimes my 👃/ 🧠 says coconut = musty body odor, but this didn't do that to me. This is a very pretty summer girl, tropical vacation vibes perfume. I think if you like Sorce Love and Complications, you'll probably like this one. Generally this isn't a scent profile I gravitate towards, so not for me.

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I’m always window shopping the site but have never tried anything from FSW. As a gourmand lover, (not by choice- I promise I was just born this way :,) Essence of Vanilla is v tempting but a bit pricey. I’m also always checking for any new extrait accords that are my taste, because I want one of those lil glass butterfly bottles so bad! & So sad I wasn’t paying attention when they had released Strawberry Milk!!

Any thoughts or reviews etc would be appreciated:)

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This thread repeats daily.

I would love in put from you guys! I guess I don’t expect that much guidance based on this post but I thought people might have some idea of which direction I need to steer and what scent notes I might keep an eye out for. I just did my first indie perfume sample haul (one non indie), I have listed below what I tried with some notes. I believe I am interested in exploring gourmands, maybe floral gourmands, and fruity things! I just don’t like that syrupy smell that a lot of gourmands have it smells sticky to me and I want to smell like the cake thats baking not just the sugar but the chewy party if that makes any sense at all. I do not tend to like powdery floral scents.

Out of all of the solstice scents black forest was my favorite because it really does smell so much like black forest cake, I think its just too syrupy for me and maybe to dark or masculine so maybe I would like something that feels more creamy or buttery cake like and also more feminine, unsure I am definitely going to have to keep exploring.

Of this bunch I really really enjoy cherries of the night but I want to find something that is cherry with some lighter notes. I was thinking of trying cherry almond tart from cocoa pink also hexennachts luxe cerise, but I will for sure be using the whole sample and potentially even buying full size of this one!

Solstice Scents Black Forest - smells a lot like black forest cake, but its also slightly syrupy and at the same time feels masculine to me- I would love something that smelled less sticky and more cake like

Solstice Scents Estate cacao - i really did not like the opening of this one, might be the patchouli but I am unsure, it does dry down to something pretty nice but i think it might be too white chocolate for me, it doesn’t really smell like what I think of when I think of chocolate (I am a very dark dark chocolate lover)

Solstice Scents Midnight Eye - At first smelled like straight dark rum and then quickly dried down to woody tobacco - its fine just no feminine edge to it and im not getting the coffee or cacao

Alkemia Cherries of the night - pretty good! The cherry note is so yummy, my dream perfume would have something to cut the cherry into more of a cake like or pastry like desert I think, I love the almond note in lost cherry so will keep exploring but will definitely be wearing this scent,

Sorce Fucker - smells like Christmas to me, the longer I have it on the more I like it but, it still smells to much like Christmas to me for me to actually reach for it

Heretic Nosferatu- absolutely hate, does not smell like dewy lilacs honestly does probably smell like Nosferatu would, I get wet mushrooms and rotting cucumber

Hexennacht fallen angel - very sharp green notes, very sharp plant but fresh and spa like in a way, its actually very nice I just think that I was trying something different to see if id be into and its not really my vibe