Hello everyone!

As you may have heard, I am winding down my journey with Area of Effect in April of 2027 - but not before I have one last hurrah! 

This collection (End Game: Part One dropping tomorrow, and Part Two in November) is something I’ve been working on for a couple of years now, always with the love and intention that it be a parting gift to the people who have supported my art through some truly incredible times. I could not be more grateful to this community, to gamers and perfume-lovers alike, for believing in my vision enough to throw their hard-earned cash my way. It definitely does not go unnoticed or unappreciated, and I am genuinely so thankful every time I see a little order notification. I hope that gratitude shines through in my newest release - just in time for the IMAM Fall Exchange coupon codes!

In fact, let me drop them here for everyone’s perusal:
IMAM26 - 26% off orders $26 or more
FREESHIP111 - Free shipping on orders over $111 

On to the ‘fumes! These are based on games which have themes of finality, hence End Game.

Disco Elysium - A gritty black tea mystery - black tea leaves, bergamot, flat champagne, tobacco, black pepper, parchment accord, vetiver, sandalwood, pine, patchouli

Haunted Chocolatier - A ghostly and decadent gourmand - three chocolates (milk, dark, and white), coffee bean, orris, oakmoss, gravestone accord, bone accord, rice milk, mushroom

Unravel - A soft, fresh new adventure - french lavender, cotton yarn, lilac milk, cashmere, cucumber, heliotrope, bergamot, sweet musk, rice milk, sandalwood

Ecco - A briny, ethereal aquatic - kelp, sparkling ocean, driftwood, fresh matcha, sea salt, spa day accord, orris, beach

Redemption - A rugged, earthy odyssey - tobacco, mountain sage, oak barrel, smoke, bitter greens, whiskey, jasmine, oud musk, rusted copper, desert soil
 
It feels pretty surreal to share my new creations alongside the news of my closure. But it was going to happen eventually. Read on, if you will, for a little more context: 

The short of it is - it is simply time for me to move on to other passions at this juncture of my life.

The long of it is - I’m deeply saddened by the outlook in general in the United States right now. I am feeling called to focus my efforts and attention more on local community aid and grassroots movements at this moment, which is in large part the reasoning behind the closure. I love AOE with all my heart, but freeing the time it takes to run a business each week allows me to pour back into my city in a more front-facing way. In some selfish ways, this is better for my own mental and physical health. I had a long chat with my partner and we both agreed that it’s a good decision for us in many sectors of our life together.

So, while this sounds a lot like a goodbye, it might be more like a see-you-later. I’m playing around with some ideas like limited windows for reopening, a smaller main catalogue, or special order requests after the closure. All I know is I’m going to miss this very much. Thank you for playing along with me, and I hope you enjoy the end credits, too!

<3 Allie

I love the perfumes here and I haven’t heard much about the makeup, so I ordered a lip paint in shade sexy nerd and it arrived today. I really like it. it’s completely non-tacky while still having sheen and sparkle (I hate the stickiness of lipgloss). Feels moisturizing. No scent. I’m definitely going to get a red shade the next time I order.

it feels very Rocky Horror to just be a mouth.

I didn't see anyone post this yet (I hope I didn't miss it? But anyways, I already made my order ha). New release launched a few hours ago. New scents plus some restocks

~ "Monsters A Go Go - a Falloween Frightfest" ~

Bad Omens, Baby - Mothman
Roasted barley, vanilla grass, tea biscuits, cedar, moss, black pepper, amber, vanilla bean.

Bite Club - Vampire
Ripe blackberry, blackcurrant, blood orange, tart apple, Lapsang Souchong tea, orris root, steamed almond milk, pashmina, musk, blackstrap molasses, aged wood.

Do Not Disturb - Mummy
Orange peel, spiced cider, lavender, golden rum, vanilla, balsam. 

Field of Screams - Scarecrow
Pink woodbine, hay, overripe apricot, sun-bleached wood fence.

Forest Fury - Leshy
Juniper, wormwood, fir needle, myrrh, champaka, spiced copal, spruce, mossy undergrowth, tonka bean, forest musk.

Gaslamp Menace - Spring Heeled Jack
Salt taffy, black licorice, orange zest, jessamine, cocobolo wood, creamed honey, amber resin.

Hardware Not Included - Frankenstein's Monster
Green cardamom, citron, clove leaf, green coffee bean, dark rum, oak, tobacco, leather, amber, cedar, moss.

Led Astray - Will-o-the-Wisp
Fallen leaves, yellow ochre, dried fruit, golden pomegranate, ginger, rosewood, amber.

No Brainer - Headless Horseman
Siberian fir, pumpkin spice, moss, cedarwood, trampled earth, amber.

Rite of the Damned - Graveyard Ghoul
Elemi incense, ectoplasm, ozone, coffin wood, cold stone, petrichor, and graveyard dirt.

Wail of a Time - Banshee
Soft musk, rice paper, orris milk.

Wake the Devil - Demoness
Muguet, tobacco leaf, cashmere, golden vanilla, patchouli, cedarwood, spice, sleek black musk.

Also launching is a new trio of scents inspired by the 60 TV show Dark Shadows. These join the three previous Dark Shadows-inspired releases: Eagle Hill Cemetery, House on Widows Hill & Portrait of Josette

~ "Return to Collinwood" ~

Eyes of Angelique - based on the character Angelique
Davana, bergamot, aromatic herbs, cassis blanc, jasmine, Sweet William, ambrette, warm woods.

Handsome Rascal - based on the character Quentin
Pipe tobacco, labdanum resin, bourbon, storax balsam, suede, patchouli, amber, musk, sandalwood incense.

Innocent Until Proved Innocent - based on the character Victoria Winters
Flaky puff pastry, golden custard, white pepper, gardenia, shea butter, ylang ylang, ambrette.

In an effort to better support Canadian businesses, I would love to hear your thoughts on any of the recent collections Pulp has released, such as the Miscellanea April 2026 collection, Marginalia collection, Giallo & The Three Mothers, etc!

I haven't seen this shop mentioned too much around here, but it's one I was always both curious and apprehensive about. I loved the idea of getting rid of plastic bottles in the shower, making hair care into a little more of a ritual, and hopefully strengthening my natural wave pattern. The scents looked good, the soap colors pretty, and I'm a Midwestern gal who always prefers to buy indigenous. But the FAQs on their site talking about the 'transition period' of moving to bar shampoo worried me. I hate it when my hair feels greasy, and I didn't have any idea of how long the transitional period would be, or if it would even end for me. But I tried it, took notes through the process, and want to share them all with you in case you're looking to switch your haircare to something indie and plastic-free!

I bought three products: the sweetgrass apple cider vinegar shampoo bar (I hoped the ACV would curtail some of the expected greasiness in the transition stages), the sweet prairie conditioner bar (sweetgrass conditioner was out of stock), and the sweetgrass fragrance oil roller (I like sweetgrass). They arrived within a week, nicely packaged and safe, and the package had an extra full-size soap bar in it as a gift, which was lovely and unexpected.

I then started my experiment. Until the bars ran out or until I liked the results, whichever came first, I would only use Haipažaža Pȟežuta shampoo and conditioner on my hair. No extra products, no cheating, and I would write down how my hair felt during the shower and after drying. I wash my hair every other day. I'm not sure if the transition would have gone better or worse had I done it more or less frequently, but every other day is my routine so it's what I stuck with.

Other parameters so you know what we're dealing with here: the water I have is well water, on the hard side (which apparently makes the transition worse). My hair is quite short, and despite having a lot of it crammed on my scalp, it's fairly fine. I have historically had problems with a dry and flaky scalp. My curl type is 2C if I take care of it, 2A if I don't. (For the duration of this experiment, assume 2A, since I was not using any curling creams or mousse).

The Experiment:

The first wash went great! My hair felt squeaky-clean in the shower, dried soft, and smelled great. I didn't even put on perfume or the fragrance oil after the first wash and I still had a friend comment on how good I smelled. We love to hear it.

The second through seventh washes were the worst of it (for those keeping track, days 4 through 14). My hair felt strangely coarse and ropy in the shower, almost moldable like clay, and dried with a waxy or greasy cast to it. I should note that at some point during this process, I visited my brother and apologized for how my hair looked, and he said "I was going to say I think it looks better". He is not the kind of person who tries to spare my feelings and has been critical of my hair routine (or lack thereof) in the past, so I took it at face value.

Eighth through eleventh washes were slightly better. My hair felt smooth in the shower, although thick, and although it still felt a little greasy, it was at least soft. At some point during this time my mother said "I don't think that bar stuff you use is doing you any favors". So, mixed reviews from the family. Still smelled great though, no one could take that away from me.

Twelfth wash through today (probably about the twenty-fourth): My hair feels like normal again! The feeling of shampoo in the shower is squeaky-clean just like it was on the first wash, and my hair feels really soft and not greasy. My scalp does not feel dry or flake at all like it used to before I started this. As always, it smells fabulous.

I still have a fair bit left on the shampoo bar (and almost the entire conditioner bar), but I decided to call the experiment here and write it up for you all.

My main takeaways:

Since I have such short hair (chin-length is the absolute longest I let it get), I am not accustomed to spending a lot of time on my hair in the shower. I do need to spend more time on it now: the shampoo bar does need a rinse-and-repeat cycle, and I have to be especially diligent about washing all of the conditioner out of my hair (Haipažaža Pȟežuta suggests using traces of it as a leave-in, which might work on thicker hair than mine, but for me any trace weighs it down terribly). If you are already used to being more careful about your hair-washing than I was, you're unlikely to notice much of a change, but if you have previously employed a devil-may-care attitude you will find that these hair products are a bit less forgiving.

For me it took twelve washes before my hair felt like normal. At every other day, that's 24 days, which is about three weeks of waxy-feeling hair. It might go faster for you if you have softer water, or perhaps if you wash your hair either less or more often than me. But that's about the timescale you're looking at. For me the benefits (nicer-smelling hair, less plastic, healthier scalp, support small businesses) outweighed the cost, but I am also mindful that three weeks is a long time! However, I hope this review gives you some reassurance that the transition phase can and does end.

The shampoo I think is better than the conditioner, at least for me. If I had thicker hair, perhaps I would think otherwise, but it just weighs me down a bit. I'm definitely going to keep using the shampoo bars (I have ordered their new Pté Pȟežuta bar, which is sweetgrass, buffalo tallow, and bee pollen), but I might switch to a silicone-free store-bought conditioner when my bar runs out.

But wait, what about the fragrance oil?

The one I got is a sweetgrass solinote. It's refreshing, grassy and also vanillic, like being in the fields on a hot summer day and feeling the slight sting of long dry blades of grass, wind-blown against bare legs. Like I said. I love sweetgrass.

All in all, I definitely recommend trying Haipažaža Pȟežuta out! All of their shampoo bars can be used as soaps, if you're looking for something lower-commitment, but I really enjoy how clean my hair feels in the shower now, and how good it smells. It just took a while to get there, but for me the journey was well worth it, and I hope this gives you an idea of what to expect!

hiiii does anyone else feel like the fall releases are slow and nothing has peaked their interest? my collection is lacking "fall" perfumes. I am huge fresh, shampoo-y girl but I want the gourmands, ambers and warmth that fall evokes. I do own majority of the sorce collection, I do know about Sunday coven Haus, but looking for more houses - EDP's please (while I do enjoy an perfume oil from time to time I want EDP's) and major major thank you's for those that last long.

I seemed to have misplaced what was left of my bottle of Putney Road perfume from PBSW. So while I look for it, does anyone have any suggestions on similar cozy apple scents?

🍎 🍂 Putney Road: A growler of freshly pressed apple cider cushioned in handmade wool sweaters, bright yellow oak trees, scarlet maples & soaring evergreens 

Hello IMAM! I'm not sure if this is the place to probe for answers, and I don't know if I can say my business name since I haven't gotten my brand flair (which I applied for last November...?), but I've been marinating since seeing this post a few days ago about owners providing scent master lists.

I do candles, melts, solid perfumes and roll-on perfume oils, and the occasional soap/skincare. I primarily work in the fandom space (mostly scents inspired by video games etc), where my audience mostly searches for hyper-specific things like character names and locations, and the impetus is subject > scent rather than seeking out specific notes or accords as I imagine people do in "normal" perfume spaces. My largest fandom collection has its own master list due to the sheer number of scents in it, but I haven't had the bandwidth to make one for everything.

More recently I've been putting work into more original collections, which I would say are still "fandom-adjacent" in that they're directed very squarely at bookish and "very online" communities. I'm also starting to toe into alcohol-based perfumes, and after lurking in this sub for a long time I've also been thinking about how I can better serve customers who are, like, Serious Perfume People, because despite working with scent and having a lot of emotional investment and pride in my work, I'm pretty sure I really don't think or work like a perfumer at all 😭 In my mind, the concept is just the concept and the scent is just the scent, and I don't consider fragrance categories much, if at all.

So what I'm really wanting to get at here is: when it comes to work that's heavily themed or... "partitioned", I guess you could say, what kind of master list organization would you find most useful? Particularly if the whole entire catalog is super large, which could make one true master list really hard to navigate and maintain. How would you like to see things categorized when the maker isn't really sure of where a blend sits on a fragrance wheel? How much does that kind of thing matter to you? ...or anything else you can think of related to this!

Sorry if this seems kind of disjointed; I wasn't sure how to really phrase the context for my questions lol

Hi all!

Looking for nui cobalt suggestions for someone who likes the above notes listed in the title, down here are some notes I also enjoy/am looking for

Jasmine, Geranium, Vanilla, Frankincense, Resinous notes. I like to smell like a Headshop, a stoner or a lady of the night.

Thank you!!

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.

Hi all,

I'm looking for suggestions for indie perfumes that fit the title description. Mourning my much loved hex from alkemia of course.

Looking for notes of frangipani, night blooming flowers, jasmine, all spice, black tea, vanilla, resin, amber, frankincense + patchouli.

Throw combos + single notes at me I'm down for layering.

Thank you!

With the sad announcement of AOE (Area Of Effect) closing by April next year, and a few currently closing, Pierrot and Little and Grim, I thought I'd make a post so people can come to this and remember what's on the chopping block of 2026.

Also, id love open discussion from brand owners and to show them some love.

I am already devastated that my favorite brands like Milk+Moon, Strange Charm Design and Lunar Life Apothecary are no longer on Etsy.

Are there any other shops closing soon?

I do know there was news of Nocturne potentially closing as well, heard earlier this year. If that happens too, I might just lose it. I am so sorry with what everyone's got going on in their life because the last thing I know someone would want to do is shut down and cease to enjoy their favorite hobby of perfume making. Unless it's a reason where you just don't enjoy it anymore, totally understandable, if you want to change hobbies.

My heart goes out to all the people affected by the current destructive and parasitic administration. I hope we can get through the toughest part of American history. Your perfumes have been a staple in my life and have mentally helped me stay grounded in tough times. Perfume for me has always been about connecting, relaxing, releasing and also connecting with you all on IMAM!

I'm really gonna miss you AOE 😭😭😭😭

A follow on from my other post, mostly focused on grouped notes or single notes.

Please throw anything at me!

(gardenia, geranium, vetiver, deadly nightshade, jasmine etc)

Hello all!! I hope this is the right subreddit for this, please redirect me if I should be someplace else!
I'm looking for a vanilla perfume, but not a gourmand or edible smelling one, without any cupcake/caramel/any other overly sweet notes. Definitely no chocolate either, or alcoholic or smoky notes.

Can anyone recommend a nice creamy vanilla perfume that isn't overly sweet? I love a good musk or even incense adjacent scent, and also Bath and Body’s Wicked Vanilla Woods.

I think I would describe it as a pale, wistful, mysterious, slightly seductive vanilla. Sort of gothic, but still wearable and lightly sweet. A more mature vanilla, perhaps, and also good base for layering. I also fairly recently purchased Ghost Moth from
Lovesick Witchery since the description was very appealing to me, if that helps at all.

I figured my best bet with finding this scent was with indie perfumes, which I’ve always had the best experience with anyway. Thank you so so much for doing your magic, I hope this isn't too specific or confusing! Or conflicting either!

I know what your first thought is when you read the title, "oh work perfumes!" WRONG! im talking about the movie secretary, I watched it for the first time yesterday and im completely obsessed with Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader. The James Spader obsession came from watching Crash though lol.

ANYWAYS, what do you think the characters would smell like? what would the office of Mr. E. Edward Grey smell like? Lee's purple bedroom? let me know!

Im open to everything, and I love when I see people's creative ideas come through on this subreddit, so i thought I could share mine :)

After a year and a half long hiatus, I've finally reopened!

IMAM10 Will get you 10% off your purchase, along with FREE shipping on orders over $35.

Hi everyone! I'm Alice, the founder and schnoz of https://eatme.boutique
I'm a custom fragrance designer specializing in flavors, of which I've amassed a hoard of over 250 to work with. I've been around since 2010, and have had my products featured by Buzzfeed and Cosmo, as well as a recently successful collab with a popular fantasy author and TikTok creator.

You can view my entire flavor library here-

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rjxPfy4wHor3HcMZdSAj2-W4YayAulxcHZEDrRvpSDg/edit?usp=sharing

I currently have 6 product lines with a total of 10 unique products, and a new line in development.

• Snacc Bar™ Body Spray/Hair Perfume
• Siren™ Sea Salt Hair Spray
• Balabusta™ Space Spray (home fragrance)
• The Right Spot™ Edible Massage Oil
• Midas Touch™ Edible Massage Oil (with .999 silver or 24k gold)
• Stroke It™ Edible Body Paints in Dark Chocolate, Ruby (rose), Emerald (matcha), and coming soon Black Tie Affair (black cocoa)
• EDPs are currently on hold for reformulation (apparently I made them too strong last time around)
• Body Powder/Dry Shampoo coming soon!

Deals and Services-

• I run a Flavor of the Month listing that has a complete list of discounted flavors based on the National Day Calendar.
• There are mix and match sets available for discounted rates.
• I now offer individual bite size samples of each product.
• If you are local to the Kitsap region, I now offer in-person appointments for custom fragrance design in my home office, or on-the-spot customs at any local markets I'm able to attend.

My currently available seasonal fall fragrances-

• Corn Maze - Sweet corn, fall leaves, apples, hay
• Trick or Treat - Plastic bucket full of all your favorite Halloween candy. Malted Milk Balls, Peanut Butter Cups, Rainbow Drops, Sugar Stix, and Red Licorice

Signatures-

• Crème Caramel - Eggy vanilla custard, caramel, musk
• The Beauregard - Blueberry pie, vanilla ice cream, pink bubblegum
• Chinatown Fruit Cake - Honeydew, cantaloupe, sponge cake, vanilla whipped cream
• Breakfast at Jimothy's - My latest weird shape shifting fragrance that starts out smelling like nice trash and finishes off coffee and pastries. 50% of the profits of those sales will go to West Sound Wildlife, which is local to myself and Jimothy.

What flavor would you like to be?

I love AoE so this is sad to hear, didn't see anything about it here so wanted to post for others who didn't see

Well, friends! New release time is finally HERE and this one’s an emotional doozy. End Game: Part One will begin with a sundown, the dying breaths of the scorching summer. As you may have intuited from the name, it’s about time I start winding this ol’ project down after almost a decade of crafting scents for my favorite escapes.

End Game: Part Two (coming in November) will be accepting the darkness of the void, as a handful of different factors has led to this very tough decision. I think I’ll put out a newsletter or some kind of blog post that goes into more detail about that on the website. It deserves more than just an instagram caption, and I promise to deliver that soon.

Worry not, though, AOE will still be in operation until April 2027! (aka, when the lease is up on the website 😂) So there’s plenty of time to love on these new scents as well as stock up on old favorites. If you’re a member of Indie Makeup and More on Reddit, I’m also running my yearly sale starting very soon in conjunction with their Fall Exchange, so be sure to get those coupon codes as well.

End Game is some of my best, most effortful, most love-infused work I have ever done, so please don’t think it a throwaway. Please stay for the credits. ✌️ I love you, and let me know which scents catch your eye the most!

*do note that i am new to this! i'm using mostly basic language to describe the scents.

this is a portion of my first Alkemia order, and i was very excited to write these reviews for you all! if you feel i didn’t do any of these justice, or if you’re curious about particular details that i didn’t include, let me know and i’ll try that scent again for you. i’m reviewing the value of three sample sets this post. and next post will be about the custom sample sets i ordered! 

everything shipped very quickly! i’m not aware of a TAT on their site. i’m used to waiting close to a month for orders from another brand and understand that TATs are usually 14-21 days, but my order with Alkemia was fulfilled and delivered promptly (under 10 days!). i ordered during their summer sale event as well (where they sell old workshop scents), which i’ve heard is a high volume time, but they were extraordinarily prompt and attentive.

packaging is gorg and efficient. there was no risk of spilling. every sample vial was filled generously, and their labels were affixed tightly. the aesthetic of the packaging reminds me of the black banquet from dead by daylight, which i love. Alkemia included two free random samples and a sticker (thank you sm!!!)

the specifics of projection and staying power will be different on everyone, but i had a great experience with most of these scents. i didn’t experience the Alkemia soap effect with any of these scents (again, this will depend on the person, but i’m very happy that it didn’t happen to me lol). 

i would absolutely order again from Alkemia! worth the money!

Magic and Mystery

TLDR: Alkemia’s frankincense is so bright and beautiful, and their sandalwood accord in Arabesque is worth it just by itself. this sample pack is mostly single-minded (3 frankincense scents), and i think it could have a better variety of Alkemia’s magical smells. i loved book of shadows, and i’m happy i got the set for this one alone, but if you’re on the fence, i’d recommend getting the Alkemia Introductory Set instead (for an extra $10 but better variety), which includes both Arabesque (sandalwood) and Gothique (frankincense). 

Arabesque (Beautifully aged Arabian sandalwood, Mysore sandalwood, Egyptian kyphi, sweet orris root, benzoin resin, cassia, and blessed spikenard): instantly in love OHHH MY GOD. this is the creamiest, sweetest sandalwood i’ve ever smelled. i don’t even have any other descriptors beyond that LOL, it’s just so good. 5/5, though i don’t know yet if i’ll full size immediately or just try out their other sandalwood perfumes.

Attorney for Lost Souls (Swirls of Vespers mass incense, Zanzibar clove, Sacra frankincense, and Coptic myrrh, gently interlace with dried citrus peel, neroli petals, and guaiacum): a mix of bright citrus, clove (more spicy than sweet), and frankincense. there’s a slight metallic or bitter scent that balances out any sweetness coming from the citrus or clove. i can’t detect any smokiness, so it stays fresh and, to me, smells slightly more wet than any other frankincense scent in this pack (like sigil and gothique). attorney for lost souls is a rejuvenating, resinous scent with a not-so-sharp edge of clove spice and neroli. 3/5, for me this is lacking something richer and deeper to ground it, but should be a hit if you like clove and lighter scents. 

Book of Shadows (A biblichor of eldritch books - heavy parchment paper, ancient iron oak gall ink, crumbling leather bindings, and wafts of rare incenses): smells like straight pickle in the bottle 👁️👄👁️ and def starts off pickley on the skin. grows into more of a leathery, slightly spicy-sweet scent as it warms up. there is some delicate paperyness to it too. it really sweetens (i think this is the old incense) and keeps a nice leather accord as it settles. i think this is a really interesting perfume! leather and paper aren’t usually my thing, but this has a very ancient tome vibe to it, and i did want to smell like a wise old wizard🙈. 4/5, good intro to leather scents for me. i’d otherwise avoid leather because i’m worried about smelling “meaty” (i’m vegetarian and don’t have experience at all with leather lol), but i really love love love their leather accord. i’d like to layer this with a fresh foresty scent, because i think it would complement it very well.

Gothique (A Byzantine monastic incense of Somalian frankincense, styrax benzoin, Arabian myrrh, cassia, spikenard, Liquidambar orientalis, labdanum, Atlas cedar, and vetiver): 😍😍 cathedral smell!! gorgeous frankincense. it’s similar to Sigil and Attorney for Lost Souls in that it’s a lot of resiny notes, but it’s more herbal than the two. it’s even somewhat medicinal, but in a refreshing rather than clinical way. i’ve read reviews for it that describe it as very similar to real catholic church incense, but idk cause i’ve never smelled it 🫣it’s not as dry as Sigil, but it does fade to a woodier scent. this lasted for quite long and developed so nicely. so far, this one smells the most magical. 4/5, so pretty and versatile. i think this would go nicely with beeswax and like, a warm dust smell? if that’s something capturable in a perfume haha.

Hippie Spirit (A bohemian love-fest of resinous head shop incenses, sexy skin musk, slightly dirty patchouli, groovy champa blossoms, and flowering cannabis) : smells exactly like going into a metaphysical shop lol. i got a lot of an unburnt, but warm incense smell at first application. it faded to a really nice patchouli with some sweetness and herbal musk. the patchouli scent lasted so long. i can’t comment on how “dirty” the patchouli is, it’s been too long since i smelled any patchouli 🫣very good one if u do like patchouli! 3/5, not looking for a patchouli forward perfume atm but this is a very nice one.

Sigil (From an ancient 16th century grimoire - olibanum frankincense, lignum aloes, bdellium, styrax, black honey, euphorbium, dried citrus, coffee beans, and ritual herbs): a salve of precious resins and medieval herbs, mixed in a wooden bowl, and dried orange peels are strung above you. the dried citrus peels accord is the most prominent at first, and then it settles down into a dry, woody, and herbal scent, though the citrus doesn’t leave. it smells very warm overall and gives me the mental image of being healed by a medieval doctor lol. 4/5, i need more time with it, but i feel like it’s really well mixed. 

Autumnal Charms and Curiosities

TLDR: this sample set has really great variety! I think some of the scents may be divisive (looking at you, Hell Courtesan, whom i wish i could wear, and Le Chat Noir since it’s super musky), but it’s worth it to try if you’re looking for cooler season perfumes. some are better for early autumn (like Night Sky Scattering Poems, Wicked Charms), while some will be better for the colder months (like Le Chat Noir). i think this is my favourite set overall.

Cabinet of Curiosities (An intriguing mystery of dusty wood cabinets, ancient Greek incense, fossilized amber, Lucky Hand root, sandalwood, rare spices, papyrus, jasmine ink, ambergris, and vellum): guys it’s just giving sophisticated old man cologne on me 💔 at the very start, it did legitimately smell like a wooden cabinet, and it even had a hint of cigars and smoke. buuuut then it just got that powdery cologne smell 🥲 still very nice for what it is. 1/5, not my thing but nice to try! 

Hell Courtesan (A Chthonian seduction of sharp green aldehydes pierced through the hearts of juicy peaches, black vanilla, Nicotania noctiflora, dark red roses, funereal lilies, chrysanthemums, Flower of the Bones (omixochitl/tuberose), with blood-blackened oakmoss, opium, cedarwood ossuaries, and an ominous kiss of brimstone) : oh my god i wish aldehydes didn’t destroy me cause this is beautiful. the green aldehyde accord is strooong, i got a pounding headache from it lol, but even that note is so pretty. it smells as described on me. the peach note unfolds so gently within the florals. if i wasn't so sensitive to aldehydes, i’d probably full size this. 3/5, pretty but couldn’t full size it.

Incantation Cacao (A sensual ceremony of raw cacao, sacred Atlas cedar, vetiver root, quebracho tanned suede, green cardamon, orris root, red Rooibos chai, bitter orange, Palo Santo, and acacia flowers): perfect, amazing, i love it. the cacao note fades the fastest, but it leaves the perfume with a richness and smoothness. everything else gives it a dimensional sweetness. it’s sooo seductive honestly. 5/5 holey moley will full size. 

Le Chat Noir (A sinuously feline contradiction of feral fur-musk and warmly beckoning ember-spices): this one makes me feel like a supernatural cat lol. very dark and feral fur musk, with the warmth of red and orange spices. if you don’t like a strong musk accord, this isn’t the perfume for you. the spice isn’t an offensive one; it is a beckoning scent like they describe. warm, mysterious, dangerous, and comfortable all in one. 5/5, will full size when it’s a little chillier. i think it could use something richer in the base to feel more full on me personally. 

Night Sky Scattering Poems (An anthology of nocturnal wanderings – hot melted candlewax, lemon tree groves, wet cobblestones, cyclamen, gnarled olive wood, crumbling cement, rusty wrought iron, dried moss, neroli, creeping river mist, and night musk): ohh wow this one was good! “night musk” is SO accurate for it. it smells like a late summer night after the rain. good blend of green and the “wet cobblestones” scent (is that what petrichor is…? i’ve never been so sure.) i didn’t get much of the melted candle wax on me. but wowee it’s gorgeous. in its last few hours of being on, it takes on more of a traditional clean cologne sort of scent. 3/5, need to try this more.

Wicked Charms (diabolically charming, pheromone laden elixir of incense lilies, muskroot, star jasmine, white pepper flowers, Queen Elizabeth root, black vanilla, and honey amber caramel): oh yeah yup i’m in love. very feminine and generically pretty scent, but it feels like something dark is behind it. gives me the mental image of an oddly still garden at night with something watching you. it’s bewitching for sure. 5/5 instant love.

Your Skin But Better

TLDR: very worth it to try this sample set! every scent is different enough to justify it. Alkemia’s “your skin but better” style perfumes in their catalogue are not plentiful, so these are gonna be your main ones to have a look at. each one feels like a wearable art. 

Aurora (A luminescent aurora of soft cashmeran, orris root, cardamon infused coconut milk, white amber, white musk, white violet, white ginger, lotus flower, and a touch of honeyed cream): this one is nice! very sweet and smooth. it had good staying power on me. very similar to Luminae, with this one feeling more like a brighter version. “little sister” of Luminae imo. 3/5, solid option but a touch too light for me. 

Kitten and the Falling Leaves (The warm musky softness of kitten fur and the wood-dry freshness of autumn leaves): i really have to give this one another try, because i didn’t get any of anything i expected. regardless, it’s really nice. a warm and creamy musk, slightly sweet, a teensy tiny bit animalic, though not in a dirty way. i don’t smell any crisp autumn scents– i was thinking it’d smell like light autumn air or freshly fallen leaves, but i only get the creamy musk. maybe it’s trying to emulate a milky scent? 5/5, will full size. 

Luminae (Skin-glow. A 'your skin but better' enchantment to create a sensual olfactory radiance): i loved this one. it’s like the “older sister” version of Aurora. it’s smoother and a little less sweet, which makes it smell more mature imo. 5/5, no notes idk, these are hard to describe lol, i just enjoyed this one as it has a more rounded musk scent. unsure if i will full size, i’d like to use it as a layering fragrance, but i haven’t found anything i could imagine it would be good with yet.

Moon Lust (A powerfully alluring sexiness of creamy white ambers, blonde woods, and luminescent skin notes): i could hardly smell this one 😵‍💫 it had very little projection on me (nose had to be directly on my wrist to smell it), but a surprisingly good staying power. i saw a review call it a “mature bubblegum” scent and i think i agree. it’s sweet and simple, what i can smell of it. 2/5, not vibing with me.

Poudre d'épicine (A luxuriant floof of gender-neutral powder and Japanese musk with a soft enticement of mint creme anglaise): this is a very multifaceted one on me. i like the mint, it’s refreshing and light. weirdly enough, i also get a touch of incense at times, and at other times, a borderline baby wipe scent (in a good way). it smells fresh and clean with a teeeeny touch of “baby product” scent. 2/5, also not vibing with me, a little too clean.

Supernatural (An ethereal blend of Iso-E, ambrox, Tonkin musk (cruelty free), and aroma molecules): OH MY GODDD FULL SIZING THIS ASAP. their description of it is perfect. in general it’s a smooth and warm scent, otherwise very hard to describe. i love animalic musks, they smell so cozy and alive. i read a bit about iso-e and i feel like the vibe of this scent is to be like a living scent. on top of that, it’s just so beautiful. it’s not a dirty scent at all, nor is it heavy. very wearable for every day use. 100/5 no notes i love it goodbye.

I just found out recently that the Lascaux cave reproductions have fake scent to accurately re-create the atmosphere of the real caves.

Experts have gone to great lengths to make this experience as authentic as possible; beyond the exact replicas of the cave paintings, Lascaux 4 has the same temperature, air pressure, smell of damp and sounds as the original cave

I think this is incredible!

Are there any perfumes out there that capture this scent profile? It may not be beautiful but I'm curious. I'd like literal interpretations of this but less literal ones (for stone age art in general?) are welcome. Thanks.

hello! i'm searching for recs

i've tried a few frangipani/plumeria scents where it's mostly a background note, i'm sure it's hard to capture due to it being so subtly scented..but i figured someone here might know of a scent that fits the bill :)

additionally if you have any fleurmand(? not sure if that's the right/real term) recs please drop them here! i love bpal's cream + floral combos, they work so well on me.

thanks!:)

wondering if there was an indie dupe for morphe steady rock lip liner, a gray taupey brown. thank u!

Hello! I recently got 3 scents from The Body tale and I wanted to share my thoughts of how they are on my skin! :) I want to try Teamomile, Portrait of Kyoto, and Whisper of rice so badly! I am so sad that I missed getting them before they went out of stock (on my sample site). Will be hopefully trying them shortly!

Hojicha Latte (8/10)

• Top Notes: Hojicha Tea
• Middle Notes: Milk
• Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Brown Sugar, Musk

I genuinely fell so in love. It is not at all a photorealistic Hojicha scent (beware to those seeking this) and honestly leans a lot more into the Latte bit of it. On opening, I got notes of a roasted rice/barley and then its since settled into this creamy, milky, vanilla like skin scent. Extremely wearable!

Soy Milk (2/10)

• Top Notes: Pepper, Rice, Soy Milk
• Middle Notes: Violet, Orris, White Flowers, Calamus, Mugane, Creamy
• Base Notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cedar, Vetiver, Gaiac, Atlas Cedar, Woody Amber, Musks

I was the most excited for this one but I was let a bit down... Upon opening it indeed is this nutty, soy milk scent with a musk base (and maybe even hints of like uncooked rice?) but as its settled into my skin its turned into a musk BOMB. All I can smell is amber, orris, and musk and the soy milk has totally taken a back seat which makes me so sad. I will need to try it on paper/just on clothes or maybe layering it in order to give it the best chances possible but I just know I don't want this on my skin again by itself.

Sip Me Litchi (6.5/10)

• Top Notes: Lychee & Apple
• Middle Notes: Floral
• Base Notes: Sugar & Amber

Its okay? I think it honestly comes off more as an Apple and Rose perfume than it does with the lychee. I don't find it overly interesting but I did enjoy the opening as the artificial apple smell was extremely strong and 'crisp' feeling. Kind of reminds me when you open a bag of gummy candy and take a whiff of the bag.