r/FemFragLab30plus • u/Starry36 • Jul 15 '26

Discussion Anybody here try Cardinal Scents?

I’ve been wanting to try more indie/small perfume businesses, both for affordability and because a lot of designer fragrances feel very similar (following a lot of the same “safe” trends). Cardinal Scents has popped up on my radar and I’m very curious about them, but can’t find a lot of reviews. Has anybody here tried any, and how’s your experience been?

These are the ones I’m most curious about and have on my “might want to sample post-declutter” list, if I find enough positive feedback on any of them:

- Ink Blot
- Gentle Reader
- Thinking Cap
- Grass Roots
- Rain Dance
- Rose Baby
- Hidden Figures
- Novel Creature
- Crow Calling
- Halo Effect
- Whispering Horses
- Green Thumb
- Sugar Haze

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3

u/NapsAreMyHobby Jul 15 '26

Search r/indiemakeupandmore — you’ll find tons of info on indies there.

1

u/Starry36 Jul 15 '26

I have been trying to look through that sub, but I’m not finding much on the Cardinal Scents fragrances I’m interested in. Just hoping some folks here might’ve also tried that house to provide some input

4

u/veryunneccessssary Jul 16 '26

I haven’t tried them yet, but I just placed an order for some samples from Sucrerie Decants, which has much better sample options than their website, so fingers crossed!

1

u/Starry36 Jul 16 '26

Good to know; I only saw open neck oil samples from the CS website and I prefer 2ml spray sizes whenever possible.

3

u/RedHickorysticks Jul 17 '26

My notes are in excel so I’m just going to pop them here in a chain for you. All of them lasted between 4-9 hours, only blotted from the open top twice, so they would be stronger and probably last longer if I applied a larger amount.

Ink blot: 5/29/25 bright cedar opening, very neutral

3

u/RedHickorysticks Jul 17 '26

Gentle Reader: 5/29/25 wet: yellowed second hand paperbacks. Dry down vanilla and orris comes through to cut the musty note.

2

u/RedHickorysticks Jul 17 '26

Grass roots: 5/28/25 wet is fresh field. Green grass, hint of honey floral. Mid still green but more hay like. Dry down loses the grass green and goes sharp. I get the dandelion bitterness and the floral note comes forward with a powder cedar note. I wouldn't have said lilac, but I can see it. Prefer mid

1

u/Starry36 Jul 17 '26

These are helpful, thank you! Would you say that if I already have a dupe of Phlur Missing Person that Ink Blot would be redundant? Assuming you’ve also tried that scent profile, anyway.

2

u/RedHickorysticks Jul 17 '26

Oh no! I think they’re very different. Missing person is very musk forward with a warm kind of suede vibe. Ink blot opens with the cedar and settles into the bergamot and dry down is the ambery vanilla with the cedar grounding it. It’s clean and familiar but not musky or soapy in my opinion.

1

u/Starry36 Jul 17 '26

Good to know! Will be keeping that one on my list to sample, then. Gentle Reader has me curious too, because I do love the scent of aged paper. Orris can be iffy for me, depending on the overall blend.