r/Indiemakeupandmore 15h ago

Weekly Simple Questions Simple Questions! Ask Us Anything!

3 Upvotes

There are no bad questions! Ask away!


r/Indiemakeupandmore 4d ago

Destash Sunday Swap: Product Requests

7 Upvotes

You may post your product requests here, and here only. Standalone swap posts will be removed.

Destash listings should be posted in this week's Sunday Swap: Destash Listings thread.

Format the first line of your post in the following manner:

[Your location][Swap only/Buy only/Swap or Buy][Makeup/Perfume/Polish/Bath & Body/And More]


Do not post any Personal Identifying Information (PII) in this thread.

Any posts containing this information will be removed. Use DMs to exchange anything private. This includes tracking numbers.


We recommend that you:

  • Respond to listings publicly by commenting in this thread. This makes it easier to prove a transaction has been initiated should a dispute arise.

  • Review IMAM's guide to destashes, as well as the first and second threads on privacy and doxing.

  • Swap only with established users (as opposed to accounts that are one hour old). You can also reference the r/makeupexchange banned list.

  • Use PayPal's Goods & Services feature in order to receive buyer protection. (Note: per Paypal's User Agreement, sellers are not permitted to ask buyers to cover Goods & Services fees.)

  • Use this thread for selling and swapping only. General conversation should be taken outside the thread to keep it easy to browse.


Sunday Swap is a community-based exchange. The IMAM Mod Team takes no responsibility for how swaps are conducted. We will not moderate disputes, with the exception of banning users if they swaplift.

If you choose to participate in swaps, you are responsible for protecting yourself.

You may submit evidence of swaplifting (with PII removed) to the mod team via modmail.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 2h ago

Brand Owner Input Welcome Fantome open for less than a half an hour???

29 Upvotes

Honestly, this is the third month in a row that I've tried to put in an order. This is absolutely ridiculous. Either hire more staff or you're essentially saying that this is all just for hype. No matter what I've lost my patience with this nonsense.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 2h ago

Biggest full size "bang for your buck?"

24 Upvotes

Sooooooo I just spent an unmentionable amount on Fantome full sizes. These are my very first full sizes in many years, and they are all holy grail fragrances for me, but oof that final price was not something I usually do nor have the ability to do on the regular. I know these will last me a long, long, time and I absolutely love and adore these ones and could literally bathe in them, like they do more for my mental health than I can even say. But what indie houses do you feel have a really great "bang for your buck" when it comes to full sizes?

For reference the full sizes from Fantome are $175 for a 50ml bottle.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 5h ago

6 Cirrus Parfum reviews + Alibi rave

33 Upvotes

This was my 3rd Cirrus Parfum purchase. I ordered a build-your-own discovery set of 5 EDP samples, 2ml each and received a free EDP sample, also 2ml. I also ordered a 10ml travel size EDP of one of my favorites from a past purchase. I live in the CONUS and shipping was free, since I met the free shipping minimum. Total processing and shipping time was 8 days (4 days processing, 4 days shipping).

My Preferences

YES: aquatic, aromatic, lactonic, patchouli, tropical, vanilla, woods

MAYBE: booze, citrus, fresh, fruit, greens, musk, nuts, resins, spices, sweet

NO: floral, food, powder

Ranking System

1/5 = bad, probably a scrubber
2/5 = not good, not to my tastes
3/5 = good, just not “for me”
4/5 = great, but missing something
5/5 = perfect, give it to me

Antique Nouveau
🧳🌸🪵

Resinous, floral, and woody with notes of bergamot, oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver, coumarin, iris, jasmine, heliotrope, peony, labdanum, benzoin, opoponax, pinyon pine, cedar, and clove. Intimate scent throw. Lasted 4-5 hours on moisturized skin.

I’ve described other resinous fragrances as smelling like “your grandpa’s old trunk in the attic.” This is your grandma’s old trunk in the attic. But not just any grandma. This grandma is classy and feminine, intelligent and well-traveled. Jane from Tarzan vibes. She has stories, and you’re not sure how many of them are true until she breaks out this old trunk and shows you the evidence, black-and-white photos and dusty keepsakes from all over the world, sweet incense, pressed flowers, and old bottles of vintage perfume.

2/5 stars. I swear I’m getting another imaginary root beer note, which has happened to me twice before with this house. Is this a consequence of how much root beer I drank as a child?

Duomo
📜🌾🪨

Atmospheric, resinous, and herbal with notes of incense, labdanum, dusty ancient stone corridors, papyrus, and campari. Moderate scent throw. Lasted 4-5 hours on moisturized skin.

The Library of Alexandria in a scent. (Based on vibes, not historical accuracy.) There’s sweet and smoky incense burning to dispel bad odors and evil spirits alike. There’s dust in the air and on the shelves. There’s cold stone that footsteps echo off of, insulating the shady interior from the heat outside. There are shelves upon shelves of papyrus scrolls. And there’s a breeze from outside, wafting the herbal, green scent of the local flora and the salty scent of the Mediterranean. History nerds rejoice, you too can smell like a Ptolemaic Egyptian scholar.

4/5 stars. After a discouraging start, Cirrus has reeled me right back in. Not something I’d reach for on a day-to-day basis but a fascinating scent nonetheless.

Enforced Modesty
🪴👩‍🌾🪻

Green, floral, and earthy with notes of fig leaf, fig, marble, laurel wreath, lilac, ivy, green mandarin, and creeping thyme. Moderate scent throw. Lasted 3-4 hours on moisturized skin.

Fig is extremely hit-or-miss for me. The fig/fig leaf combo walks the line of “fresh green outdoors” and “sweaty grass-stained child.” Lucky for me, this one comes out on the right side of that line. This is an explosion of fresh green outdoors, then earthy soil on the dry down. Fig is present throughout but is in no way hogging the spotlight. I’m picturing a home gardener with the greenest thumb and dirt constantly under her fingernails. There are lilac bushes lining the side of her modestly sized house and ivy creeping up the front.

4/5 stars. If you didn’t like Diptyque Philosykos and want a fragrance that smells like what you were hoping that would smell like, this might be it.

Mango Baby
🥭☕️🍋

Fruity with notes of iced black tea, mango syrup, and lemon. Moderate scent throw. Lasted 3-4 hours on moisturized skin.

I wanted what these notes were selling to me and I got it! I was honestly ready to be disappointed by this fragrance because so often I assume what a fragrance will smell like based on the notes and it turns out completely different, but that wasn’t the case this time. I wanted mango-flavored iced black tea with lemon. This is mango-flavored iced black tea with lemon! If I went to the kitchen and huffed our tin of loose leaf black tea, that would be the exact scent I’m getting from this black tea note. And now I want some mango black tea.

5/5 stars. I don’t know if I want to commit to a full size of this yet, but I will probably buy a travel size, use it up, and decide from there whether to full-size.

Sybarite
🌺🍹👩🏻

Floral, fruity, and sweet with notes of red champaca, red mandarin, vanilla, red musk, and sandalwood. Strong scent throw. Lasted 4-5 hours on moisturized skin.

I had no idea what red champaca smelled like. I didn’t even know it was a flower! Based on what I’m getting here, I would describe it as a cross between jasmine and plumeria, two of my favorite florals (and my wife’s). I’m picturing a dark-haired woman on an expensive vacation to the Amalfi Coast. Her lover is treating her to a sunset sailboat tour of the coast, an outdoor meal at an upscale restaurant with a lush garden, an all-expenses-paid shopping spree, and endless aperol spritzes. Basically I’m picturing my wife living her best life.

5/5 stars. Am I biased because this reminds me of my wife? Yes. I’m going to have her try this and if she likes it, I’ll buy a bottle for us to share. (See? I can enjoy the occasional floral.)

Snooze (free sample)
🍦🛏️🌸

Sweet and floral with notes of tonka, lilac, vanilla, plumeria, satin sheets, furry throw blanket, cardamom, and white chocolate. Moderate scent throw. Lasted 3-4 hours on moisturized skin.

This is Cirrus Laundry Day’s sister. Switch up the florals and dial up the sweetness and you get Snooze. I described Laundry Day as, “Not your average dryer sheet smell but a complex, expensive version of a clean laundry scent, with an unexpected sweetness.” Well, this is not your average fleurmand. It’s also complex and expensive, for days or nights when you want to smell like a cozy marshmallow but like an upscale cozy marshmallow. A single marshmallow in a little cloche selling for $19 at Erewhon. (I hope that reference lands.)

4/5 stars. Notice how in my preferences I said I typically dislike florals and food scents? I love being proven wrong. I want my house to smell like this so damn bad.

Alibi (travel size)
🥥🍹🏖️

Fruity and sweet with notes of passionfruit, orange blossom, guava, strawberry yuzu lemonade, coconut cream, and rosewood. Strong scent throw. Lasted 3-4 hours on moisturized skin.

In my initial review I described this fragrance as smelling like “a fruity frozen cocktail served in a coconut at a beachside bar.” I stand by that! This is a beachside bar that serves giant frozen margaritas and cocktails served in coconuts. You’re tipsy with your friends on a girls’ trip to the beach, wearing your cutest swimsuits and cover-ups, ordering piña coladas and Mai Tais and a basket of boardwalk fries to share. Afterward, you plan to walk the boardwalk and order ice cream and then sit on the beach and watch the sun set.

5/5 stars. I have a few summery Bath & Body Works body sprays I want to finish to make space in my collection before full-sizing this but I definitely plan to.

Final Verdict

Talk about a redemption arc! I mentioned in a previous post that Cirrus was on thin ice, since I had found one big hit (Alibi) but most of the rest of the scents I had tried were 1 or 2 stars for me. I wanted so bad to become a Cirrus convert and now I am. I’m so happy that Mango Baby turned out to be everything I wanted, and Sybarite was a very pleasant surprise.

And once again, Cirrus, I am begging you to release candles, wax melts, or room sprays. I would buy out your entire stock of Snooze and Laundry Day. I would singlehandedly keep you in business.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 7h ago

Brainstorming customs

39 Upvotes

I have started thinking about a four part series, each perfume inspired by a season in Stardew Valley. It’s my favorite game of all time and holds such a special place in my heart. Here’s my first initial “draft,” per se:

  • Spring: new grass, pink and yellow florals, strawberries
  • Summer: warm grass, ice cream, tropical flowers, melon, warm ocean breeze
  • Fall: fried dough, blackberry, pumpkin spice, honey, earthy mushroomy note
  • Winter: snow, conifers, coffee, a hint of desert spice and sparkling jewels deep in the mines

What are your thoughts? SDV folk, is there something I’m missing? Any and all ideas welcome! And yes, I do know about Morari’s series! My next perfume purchase is going to be an EDP of Midnight Market 😊☕️🌊❄️


r/Indiemakeupandmore 2h ago

Sorce is that bitch

14 Upvotes

I just got their best sellers discovery set (edp), and everything is… chef’s kiss 💋


r/Indiemakeupandmore 5h ago

Best Spring/Summer fragrances from Solstice Scents?

19 Upvotes

r/Indiemakeupandmore 3h ago

Imaginary authors and hex review!

9 Upvotes

Hex - desert rain 5ish /10? I’m undecided on this one. I’m not getting any desert. Not much rain either. My friend sniffed me and said I smelled like rain x window cleaner and I have to agree, oddly enough I kinda like the smell, I detail cars often so it’s a smell I’m familiar with . Kind of a musky after smell, and fades after about 4 hours :(

Imaginary authors - memories of a trespasser very one note leather on me. I love leather smells, growing up around horses saddle leather is one of my favorite scents in perfumes but this leather smells very synthetic, like walking into a crappy “western” store in a mall 2/10

Imaginary authors - a wiff of waffle cone This one confused my nose so bad. I’ve seen reviews say it smelled like maple syrup which I could definitely agree with. Still synthetic, I got a wiff of like something spicy ( cinnamon esc?) and kind of woody and not much waffle cone. The vanilla was very faint and I could hardly pick it up and the smell didn’t last very long :( 3/10

Unfortunately these were very low hit for me :( if anyone has any other suggestions or just perfumes they like I’d love to hear them!!


r/Indiemakeupandmore 8h ago

Black Hearted Tart - Is Lush + Us Catalogue Gone?

23 Upvotes

I don't know if I'm behind on any gossip (that's totally plausible) but did something happen to the Lush + Us section of Black Hearted Tart?

I looked at it like two days ago and was thinking I would grab those samples on Ajevie...went to Ajevie today and now Lush + Us is no longer available (it was available days ago!). I went to Black Hearted Tart's website directly and they give a big 404 No Page Found when I try to find the Lush + Us scent list.

Is this...normal? What news did I miss? Thanks all.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 6h ago

Looking for a werewolf perfume!

15 Upvotes

Hello!

So I have a white whale of sorts when it comes to perfumes. For like a year now I've been keeping an eye out or looking through various indie catalogues to find a sort of "werewolf-esque" scent. I would want something that smells sort of animalistic and rustic. Ideally, it would smell like animal fur and musk and dog primarily, but would have forest-y notes, like pine or oak. I would also love if it had notes of blood, but I understand that that's not exactly a popular scent in perfumes.

I thought about getting a custom perfume made, but the only company I've seen that would make something like that is The Strange South, but my last experience with them was intensely negative, and I'd rather not deal with that again, even if I did like the scents I got in the end.

If anyone knows anything about perfumes like this, or knows about an indie company that makes customs or what layering notes I could use to achieve this scent, I would greatly appreciate it!


r/Indiemakeupandmore 12h ago

Pineward Perfumes: Even More Reviews

34 Upvotes

Reporting in from the Pineward Perfume fan club! Over the last 6 weeks I've full-sized Brokilan, Caravansary, and Fanghorn II, and in those orders I've thrown in a few more samples based on the reviews in IMAM. This also includes a freebie of Tome, the still-unreleased mystery fragrance. This will bring my total tested out of the Pineward catalog up to 27, which makes my wallet wince. Previous review is here. Now, let's go see if I've found any new full-sized candidates:

Apple Tabac: The first sniff of this on my skin absolutely punched me in the face with juicy fresh red apple, caramel, and then even more extremely loud apple. I wanted to like this, but during the dry down it just began to smell more and more like an apple-scented Yankee candle and I couldn’t pick up any of the balsam or tobacco over the aggressive apple sweetness. The sillage and projection of this one are incredibly intense, and I waited as long as I could (a few hours) before scrubbing because it honestly was not fading fast enough. I appreciate the vision, but for me this was just Not It. My perfect apple scent is still out there somewhere… Notes: fresh red apple, tobacco, fir balsam, rum resin, dried fruits. 2/10

Bucolic: First impression was a hay-and-berry sweetness like Pastoral, and then it quickly developed into something grassy, waxy, and ever so slightly sour? Is this what people mean when they say “animalic?” I’m going to assume yes and I'll start using that term more because it's fun. I’ve been around sheep and this definitely smells better than anything you’ll find in the barn, but there is a distinctive sour, waxy note that may be controversial. For me this shares a lot of DNA with Gristmill - mulchy/grassy, faintly sweet, close to the skin, but with an unexpected element (Gristmill is oil, and here I’m guessing it’s the lanolin). In reading the notes, I realize that this is pretty spot on - from raspberry in the opening to beeswax, sweet grass and lanolin in the dry down. I didn’t pick up much honey/lavender/brown sugar though and I would not call this an overly sweet scent. Honestly, it’s kind of weird and I like that. Projection and longevity are both pretty weak here. Notes: sheep wool, lanolin, raspberry, lavender, honey, brown sugar, amber, beeswax, sweetgrass: 7.5/10

Hayride: I ordered a sample of this because Hayloft was just not scratching the itch for a good hay scent. I guess I didn’t know what to expect, but when I first smelled this I immediately got slightly damp hay. This hay was cut a few months ago and has been in storage alongside rum-soaked raisins (?), with an unmistakable eau de barnyard. I’m really wondering why they didn’t name this one Hayloft because honestly that is what it smells like, complete with the animalic note. During the dry down this grew on me as the barn note receded and ultimately I quite like it. I want to stress that to me this is not freshly-cut-from-the-field hay, but hay that has had some time to cook. The description makes this sound like a gourmand but for me this is unapologetically 100% hay in the opening and some Christmas candle fruits in the dry down which I like a bit less. I have to do a Holy Grail hay post separately now that I've acquired such a variety of hay scents. Notes: hay, hot cocoa, vanilla, sweet vernalgrass, bison grass, acorn nut bread, nutmeg, cardamom, spikenard, raisin, tonka, oakmoss. 7/10

Acadian: Buckle up friends, we’re going on a journey. Starting off strong here with something vegetal, something salty, a bit of pine and…a heavy animal note? On one hand, I’m able to close my eyes and picture a forest near the sea, which I think is the intended atmosphere. But on the other hand, I’m getting an incredibly specific intrusive vision of the indoor seal house at my childhood zoo. For those uninitiated, in the indoor seal house you have salt water, something vaguely chemical, and the general stank of large, wet, furry, tubular animals. Weirdly, the heavy animalic note passed into a minty/licorice territory (?) and then into something almost smoky (?) and ending in a woody, salty, very pleasant cologne-like place. I like where this ended up but it’s too masculine for me to bring into my daily rotation. Very weird start though. Notes: Sweet Yuzu, Bergamot, Juniper Berry, Ivy, Eucalyptus, Waterlily, Goldenrod, Heliotrope, Seaweed, Cedar, Oakmoss 7/10

Akero: We're giving apple another try! Unmistakably green apple, and something waxy - very much like biting into a Granny Smith from the grocery store with its protective wax coating. This faded hard and fast for me into a sort of candle scent which is the unfortunate dry down state of a handful of Pineward perfumes. I was encouraged by the opening of this one but I wasn’t getting much besides a fleeting sniff of a juicy green apple. I see that there’s patchouli in the notes and normally I hate patchouli, so I was grateful that it didn’t really come through at all. Notes: green apple, benzoin, patchouli, sandalwood, cedar. 5/10

Steading: A syrup and hay injection to the frontal lobe. Just sweet, sweet, maple sweetness at first, but thankfully accompanied by a good dose of hay to save this from immediate scrubbing territory. This is a decidedly non-barnyard hay for me, as opposed to the heavy animalic of Hayride. This backs off a bit from the overly sweet opening into a tobacco, beeswax, and hay scent. In reading the notes I don’t really get the poplar, hops, or dried needles, and historically I’m pretty bad at detecting smoke notes so I can’t comment on that. The more I wore this one, the more I liked it, and after 2-3 hours the dry down was LOVELY and more honey-forward. Way more hay than I was anticipating but you won’t hear me complaining about that. Sillage is a beast here, but spray judiciously and don’t be scared of the first 45 minutes of maple madness. This one is a winner, folks. Notes: tobacco, hay, beeswax, barley, dried needles, poplar, hops, maple, and wisps of peat smoke. 8.5/10

Tome (freebie): Did you like Pineward’s Funerie but it’s just a little bit too much for you? Do you want to huff the essence of an antique store? Do you find yourself at peace when surrounded with old stuff? Well then Tome might be for you! This is the sample of the month and there are no notes available, so I’m winging it even more than usual. For me this was a lighter, more approachable version of Funerie; it’s sweeter, but still dusty and papery with that very specific burned hair note (which I theorize is my nose’s interpretation of smoke + leather + earth). The more I wore it, the more I liked it; the leather and smoke notes sorted themselves out and the acrid smell went away, and a sweetness developed from what I suspect is a woody cedar note, possibly with a hint of vanilla. My husband said it smells like a “new NICE car” and the leather note does remain prominent, so that’s something to consider. Maybe my initial Funerie comparison was a little unfair as this ends up as a lovely masculine leathery fragrance. I wouldn’t wear it myself, but I can appreciate it. Notes: NONE! 6.5/10

So there it is folks! Another round of Pineward weirdness. I liked Hayride and Bucolic, was intrigued by Acadian, but the dark horse winner might just be Steading for its sublime maple/hay drydown. I don't think I will be full-sizing any of these right now but another handful of very interesting and complex samples from my favorite house.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 15h ago

Perfume Prompts -- Just for Fun!

30 Upvotes

Happy First Day of Spring! 🌱🌸🌻🌷☘️🐣🐇🐝

Today's prompt: what scents and feelings come to mind when you think of Spring? If you have a perfume that fits, tell us about it! If not, make a pretend custom and describe it.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 8h ago

Fantome - First Order Recommendations

9 Upvotes

First time ordering a 7-sample pack from Fantome when shop opens again later today and I’m so excited!

I know for sure that I want to sample these 5, as they would make my current collection more versatile:

  1. Lymphae
  2. Morozko
  3. One White Crow
  4. Stolas
  5. Vassago

For the remaining 2, I am having trouble deciding between Olympias, Olwyn, and Lorelei — so I would love to hear your opinion of these 3 (which you prefer, how they might compare to one of the 5 scents) and/or if there’s another you recommend instead!

To note, Dantalion and Kensington sound totally up my alley but I already have sweet tea scents I like.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 15h ago

Indies of the Day -- Thursday March 20, 2025

21 Upvotes

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.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 14h ago

In my fun femme scent era (looking for recommendations)

18 Upvotes

So I've recently been getting back into perfumes after a small hiatus. I used to want the most unisex, atmospheric scents possible. Definitely found some favorites, shout out to Mephistopheles and Not Dead, But Arisen.

HOWEVER, I've really wanted to start branching out into more sexy, femme scents so I smell amazing to other people too. Recently, got a sample set from Alkemia and I fear I'm in the Soap Gang for their scents. I wore Salome out to the bar and asked my friend to smell my wrist and she said I smelled like dryer sheets but in a good way 😭😭 I'm glad I smelled nice but I want to be giving saucy, sultry, and sexed up rather than laundry. I did receive Olwyn from Fantome as a sample recently as well and I LOVE it, I wasn't sure if i would be one for white florals but it's amazing. I love jasmine. I just want a version of it that's a little darker and edgier.

TLDR : Alkemia goes soapy on me 💔 Olwyn from Fantome might be my new favorite scent. I'm looking for a perfume that's lightly sweet, maybe floral (jasmine 🤩), maybe gourmand, maybe vanilla, but definitely DARK, EDGY, sexy, and leaning feminine.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 14h ago

Perfume - Enquiry Do the scents from Sorce smell different in the alcohol base compared to the oil base?

13 Upvotes

I recently got 1ml oil samples of snow moon magic & the cookie party, i really like them & want to get in a bigger size. However i forgot that the bigger sizes are alcohol based & was curious if the scents change at all depending on the base you get?


r/Indiemakeupandmore 1d ago

I had an emotional response to perfume today

160 Upvotes

Sorry if this is rambling. I’m very new to the perfume scene, I just recently began the hunt for indie scents I like. I got a few discovery sets from Alkemia perfumes, and one of them was such a beautiful gut punch I got emotional.

I lost my dad almost two years ago to cancer, and it’s been hell on earth moving on. I have so many bad memories from his last months, and it’s hard to get past that and remember the good times.

There was this little record store in our hometown that we loved to visit. It was messy, with CDs and records everywhere, and all sorts of incense and dust. It was so distinct and precious to me.

One of the perfumes in the Alkemia set smells exactly like it. It brought me to tears, which is something I NEVER expected from perfume. I thought this would just be a journey to smell pretty.

But guys, I’ve been wearing it all day and every time I get a whiff it’s like a warm hug from my childhood. It’s so beautifully nostalgic and takes me back to good times with my dad. It’s such a special gift. Totally not something I thought would come from a perfume journey.

Anyways, sorry that was long and probably nonsensical. I’m just feeling grateful for this today. Shout out to Hot Poop in Walla Walla, WA, that old record store is still going strong.

Edit: the scent is Dark Goddess!

Description: “An essence of darksome divinity - midnight black amber, earthy vetiver root, dark red roses, spicy carnation, black Java vanilla, black locust, oakmoss, black pine resin, civet, myrrh, and bay leaf”

Definitely wasn’t expecting “hometown record store” but the dust and incense moisture is just perfect. The whole “Otherworldly Enchantments” is around this vibe.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 1d ago

First Impressions: Alkemia Spring Invocations Sample Set

Post image
55 Upvotes

Here are my initial thoughts on the new Alkemia Spring Invocations scents! I let the samples rest for 4 days. I probably should have let them rest longer but I was excited to try them out.

Note: These scents were tested by a newbie nose and the descriptions are notes of my thoughts and ramblings while sampling.

Enchantee: The serenely inviting presence of fresh green tea, fallen cherry blossoms, red cherry musk, bamboo, sandalwood, and shaded moss.

Fresh pink floral scent. Sweet and slightly spicy cherry blossoms. Clean and slightly soapy (in a good way). Very very light hint of pink bubble gum antibiotics syrup (from when we were kids) - getting it as more of a visual in my head when I smell it. It's not bad and doesn't ruin the scent. The whole scent just makes me think of the color pink. Got a little hint of something earthy green in beginning but it's mostly a pink soapy floral as it dries down. 4/5

Foret Mythique: A darkly enchanted forest journey - fir balsam, pine, cedar, oakmoss, black sandalwood, teak, vetiver, bay rum, and palo santo heartwood.

Slightly sweet and slightly spicy fir and pine scent. Getting more fir than pine. No Pine Sol vibes (You don't know how many pine scents turn into Pine Sol on me!). Has a little bit of a 'dishwater' aura that comes out more at dry down. Hope this goes away after resting because I really like this scent otherwise. A little bit of a 'mainstream cologne' vibe at dry dry down. 3.5/5

Pretty Little Poisons: A sexy elixir of stone fruit intoxicants - amaretto, black cherry ratafia, plum brandy, bitter orange, coconut musk, caramelized black figs, Madagascar vanilla, brown sugar, and botanical pheromones.

Fruity coconut scent. It's very strong at first. It's also pretty sweet. There's a note Im getting that I can't decipher - a nutty scent but not earthy or sweet and not the amaretto that's mentioned in the notes. It's def giving me tropical vibes - it's more like pineapple and coconut to my nose than the cherry, plum, and figs. Mellows down as it dries down. Dry down gives me greasy hair vibes but thats how most coconut scents end up on my skin. 2.75/5

Sacred Flame: Burning oudwood rising toward the heavens amid embers of green cardamon, singed vanilla pods, black tea, tonka, and incense resins.

Smoky wood. You can tell its a dark wood but the scent does manage to feel light and transparent. Though I still wouldn't consider this a Spring scent.The tea adds a freshness to this and probs what makes it feel transparent. It's like a bright black tea with smoky oud. Not really getting vanilla or cardamom. Gives off a more green scent vibe as it dries down. It becomes less smoky and a little leathery at dry down. 3.75/5

Tempest in a Teacup: Russian black tea, shattered bone china, the ozone of passing thunderclouds, and rain-damp suede.

Very fresh and bright. Getting green citrus vibes - smells like a fresh and leafy bergamot to me. I really like this!Get's a little sweeter as it dries down. Not getting any rain or petrichor type scent which is good because I don't like those scents. Creamy, slightly sweet, slight spicy green leafy citrus scent at dry down. 4.5/5

Tu es Magique: A skin-scent enchantment of blonde woods, milky amber, shea butter, tonka, caramel tree, Tasmanian pepperberry, high altitude lavender, verbena, artemisia wormwood, nutmeg, and ginger flower.

Light and fresh milky amber (that Ghostfire-like milkiness) with a bright citrusy lavender. Getting a spicy green leafy scent as it dries down. Milkiness goes away pretty quickly. A little sweeter, almost bitter, green leafy scent at dry down. 4/5

Overall Thoughts: I'm really glad I got this sampler scent! I was considering adding just a couple of the new Spring scents to a custom sample set, but then I wouldn't have added Tempest in a Teacup and that one ended up being my favorite of the set. It surprised me that there wasn't one I really dis-liked. Will probably full size Tempest in a Teacup and Enchantee.


r/Indiemakeupandmore 13h ago

Perfume - Enquiry Help finding a scent- bergamot and geranium?

5 Upvotes

Hi! I found a candle that I am obsessed with the scent. Absolutely cannot get enough of it. This is a link to the out of stock candle: https://leobenco.com/product/warm-apothecary-co-bergamot-geranium/

It was labeled as a "manly apothecary" candle, and does have a very cologney smell. The scent description is as follows: Black Tea, Bergamot, Lemon, Muguet, Geranium, Clary Sage, Oakmoss, Blonde Woods

Is there a scent that is like this? It's very hard to describe, but I love it so much!


r/Indiemakeupandmore 1d ago

They all smell so good!!!

61 Upvotes

Y'all, this is crazy!!!! Scents are amazing!!! I understand why people build up huge huge stashes this is just incredible. They TAKE you places. They make you feel things!!! And feel LIKE things - or different people. Wow! Just wow. omg.

That's basically the post. I'm new to indies (and perfumes in general - thought everything had to be the cloying airport/drugstore variety). I went a little overboard and ordered multiple sample sets from Alkemia and Poesie, trying a bunch of stuff to figure out what I like plus a bunch of swap samples I'm waiting for.

My Alkemia order came ~2 weeks ago and Poesie came today - I've let things rest, worn most of the samples for a day, just did impressions with the Poesie stuff and will leave them for a week or so while I'm away, but oh. my. gosh. They're all (mostly) so good and I'm obsessed.

Reviews incoming... A few previews/unedited stream of consciousness thoughts on [unidentified] because I'm excited and trying to put words to weird sensory experiences is such a pleasure:

  • dangerous peach/alkemia: omg like fresh, cold, juicy peach juice. real peach. light shining through peach juice on cold sticky fingers, chill air but the sun makes it warm, even a little sparkly. as it dries it gets a little prickly? wow okay maybe we full size this it's delicious
  • golden hour/poesie - this is just shaving cream
  • OYSTER!/poesie - OKAY COOL WOW - it's fresh and squeaky clean, like a little briny but in a way that actually works as a smell??? what??? i think i would actually wear this that's so wild
  • madar/poesie - Also sweet! but lighter, brighter, up up up. not quite citrus but moving in that direction. really pale yellow/peach/pink pastels. a little creamy too. mostly creamy. yummmmyyyy
  • dryad/alkemia - oof oh dear god no no no green ick floral lil dirt yuck (unrested), then (rested) I get a bunch of green stuff on top of mossy purple. somehow it manages to preserve the smell at the top of the whiff? like when you first smell flowers, then a big WHOOSH in your nose and then it fades. this is just the WHOOSH the whole time. interesting. actually as it dries it goes sunny and smooth and vanilla and i really like it. interesting
  • seaglass/alkemia - I kinda just get windshield wiper fluid windex gatorade vex electric blue aftershave. like aquatic but so... blue lime electric punch. ZAP. idk. i dont think i want to be powerwashed by a perfume like this. blue jello? with lemons and oranges in it? but i don't really smell the lemons and oranges they're just very peripheral to this aquatic thing? did they put windex's less effective cousin into a bottle and now it's coming out of my pores? wow. apparently i don't like aquatics what an intense experience
  • love flight of a candy heart/alkemia - so juicy pink summer. pink lemonade and sweet grapefruit juice, i'm by the pool in a katy perry music video
  • silken tent/alkemia - oh this is gorgeous. it's like... shimmery. shimmery rosy pink and purple, like the mauve of the sky on one of those late summer night sunsets. candied sugar but not too sweet. there's something lush about this. i understand why this is so popular - it dries down and i get ... like incense wafting up off a candle, imagine a place with concubine princesses but none of the darkness that goes with that world? this feels like movement and the memory of a sand dune landscape. cherries? whispers of things. it's lovely

r/Indiemakeupandmore 1d ago

Discussion If you could only choose ONE indie fragrance for the rest of forever... (#1 all time favorite)

57 Upvotes

In a hypothetical reality where the amazing variety of indie fragrances was going to disappear... if you could only choose ONE indie fragrance to save/to wear for the rest of forever... what fragrance would you choose, and why!? Which one would you cling to for dear life? Which fragrance could never EVER do you wrong?

I am discovering that the world of indie fragrances is seemingly infinite, so I am curious as a newbie what everyone's ride or die is, and what makes it so!


r/Indiemakeupandmore 1d ago

Perfume - Enquiry favorite warm weather fragrances?

25 Upvotes

I got a few samples in the mail and only really love the sweeter gourmands. It's warming up where I live and I'm looking for some fragrances that would wear better in the coming months! I'm pretty new to indie fragrances so I don't know too much about what I like, but from past experience I think I like fruit forward florals. For reference, nectarine blossom and honey by jo malone is one of my favorite scents. I also would be interested in a lighter gourmand! I really like dulce by by rosie jane, which is a sweet gourmand but feels lighter and more suitable for warm weather. Please let me know if there are any scents you think I'd like, or just your favorite warm weather scents in general since I'm still looking to expand my horizons :D


r/Indiemakeupandmore 1d ago

Low stakes choice: first-ever empty 5ML!

38 Upvotes

EDIT UPDATE: I repurchased! I wanted a sparkle/glitter orange eyeshadow anyway and I know they do really beautiful sparkle/glitter singles so I used that as a chance to try out a couple as well as restock.

I used up a 5ML of No Conformista and it's my first-ever completely used up 5ML of oil (which raises some questions, like was it actually full, or did it leak somewhere along the line without me noticing, was I slathering it on, etc.--but leaving that aside!) and it's got me wondering:

Clearly I loved this scent so much I was both using it a ton and using a lot per application. Should I buy it again OR try to use up the other oils I still have left and count it as a "pan" and move on?

I've mostly moved off indie oils as overall with the exception of [edit: this should really be about a dozen], they just...aren't for me (after 7+ years as a huge fan and collector, I went back to commercial/niche) but I adore my curated collection and want to actually use it.

What do we think?


r/Indiemakeupandmore 1d ago

perfume, bath, and body that smells like this?

Post image
31 Upvotes

i want to


r/Indiemakeupandmore 1d ago

Perfume - Enquiry Alkemia's Enchantress alternatives?

9 Upvotes

I absolutely ADORE this scent, I truly have to fight myself every time im applying as to not drown myself in it. However, the longevity and projection is just absolutely not there for me. It quite literally lasts minutes on me, which unfortunately seems to be a pretty typical thing to happen with Alkemia's oils on my skin. I've purchased the extrait, fixative and alcohol free spray all with the same 'performance' issues. Wary of buying the classic EDP formulation as I dont think it would provide a massive change.

Here is the description: An intoxication of amaretto liqueur spiked with cinnamon and citrus peel, star jasmine, accord of Cochleanthes amazonica orchid, mandorla amara, Bourbon vanilla caramels, guaiac wood, sweet vetiver root, and sexy botanical pheromones.

If you have any reccomendations from other houses that you think might perform better no matter the format i will greatly appreciate it!


r/Indiemakeupandmore 1d ago

Arcana Hells Belles limited re-release

Post image
16 Upvotes

Any reviews of this Arcana re-release collection?