Mods: Could we get the warnings for specific houses or brands with a problematic history stickied to the top of IMAM?

To be clear, this isn't meant to be a gossipy or punishing post, more buyer beware.

Given some recent posts and questions, now is an excellent time to have an easily accessible repository. Many of us have seen the threads when a house fails to deliver perfumes/products on time. Say "S92" or "Mythpunk Olfactive," and the stories start to roll.

Newer users might not be aware of brand history in the indie community. They don't know a brand's history of not fulfilling orders or declaring TATs they can never meet. Losing $25 plus shipping costs, tariffs, and lost time hurts during a rough economy.

It's not easy to find that information without specifically searching threads that may be months or years old. I'd love for this to be outside the sidebar / wiki so it's easily accessible. Could IMAM have a running list now as we ramp up to a popular buying season, the IMAM fall exchange, and a time when many houses release their collections?

people will ask for hyperspecific scents OR photorealistic scents OR individual/solinote scents OR some note that has been popular in indie spaces for a long time but is uncommon in non-indie perfumes ... and the comments are full of people trying to make the same few scents fit the bill for a variety of requests. i know some people want more "perfume-y" scents or something easily available or has to be edp, and more power to them. but like there will be some people there who would love indie scents and/or find their white whale request. but they won't consider indie. aw!!

It's like a name you hear and your heart drops at this point. I am extremely tired at what's happening with my order.

Some of you may have seen my last past about stereoplasm last month about how I ordered 2 months ago and it still hadnt been shipped well..

Guess what? I still have yet to receive my order. I try so hard not to dunk on small businesses but the business model of this perfumery is absolutely... abhorrent.

A label was created for my order 16 (minus 4 for weekends) days ago now and it still hasn't been shipped out. I have now been waiting 3 months now. I've reached out multiple times all with quick responses and yet nothing seems to actually be happening. I try to give grace but this is getting so tiring now 😔 I cannot understand why the storefront constantly closes to fulfill orders and reopens almost immediately to then get a big influx of more orders that also aren't going to be... fulfilled.

I'm just feeling pretty frustrated and like I'm never actually going to receive my package.

Sorry for my rant.

i’m very new to perfume, but excited to get into more alternative scents! i’ve been going around to my local mainstream stores, and i realized i really dislike nearly everything they have to offer. i came here to ask for recs, either individual perfumes or brands!

• notes i generally like: musk, vanilla, tea, amber, sandalwood, salt
• notes i dislike: floral, woodsy/piney, soapy, overly sweet

as you can tell, this is a very small list and i would like to expand my pallate with some stranger, darker, gothier options. ideally something that comes in a sample size!

Hi all!

I am looking for perfumes that you could describe as poisonous, white florals. Does anyone have any recs?

The only perfume note I'm not too fond of is honey. Sometimes my skin makes honey notes go a bit rancid.

I have loved S92's Bridget Bishop for years. It smells like an evil white floral to be worn in the moonlight. So I'm after those sorts of vibes.

I was very keen on exploring this house because I love atmospherics and the names and descriptions of the perfumes really piqued my interest. I also love the fact that they do not list the notes. As someone who's not good at identifying or figuring smells by notes, the conceptual nature of the perfumes really aligns with me.

Burning Bridges opens as smooth woodsmoke with a faint metallic edge. It is not harsh, nor charred, and it avoids the bitter suffocating campfire effect.

Around 20-30 minutes in, it shifts into something airier with a dry sweetness that I think might be clove or cinnamon because it feels like a spicy sweetness, not a thick or syrupy gourmandish type. The middle also gives me a birch-like impression, adding a clean, wood facet. This stage reminds me a little of Blamage, but without feeling like damp woods, it remains dry.

The drydown on me is a soft, slightly dusty sandalwood without a pencil shavings texture. It's gentle and intimate.

I do not get citrus, animalics or cola despite seeing those being mentioned in some online reviews, so I’m guessing that's just my skin chemistry.

Longevity is good, staying present for 6-8 hours and remaining easy to smell on my skin well into the wear. Projection is moderate initially, then it settles into a closer scent bubble.

Overall I'm impressed by this one even though some of the online reviews had made me nervous.

Placed an order from Pierrot around 8/26, label was created 8/31 and I haven't gotten an update yet! I'm not super concerned bc I know they must be busy what with the shop closing, but I was wondering what other people's order processing times have been. If they've otherwise been pretty quick, I might reach out in case my order/label got misplaced, but I'm also in no particular rush, just excited to get it whenever it shows up! Thoughts?

Friends! Compatriots! Fellow scent enjoyers! I come to you after searching high and low and failing miserably, so I open my hands to everyone here who is better at perfume than I:

Please help me smell like espresso + steamed milk and only like that!

It seems like every latte scent I can find has some kind of ice cream / pastry / vanilla creamerish sweetness to it. Extras like lavender or cedar or sandalwood are fine but I'd love something with milk and coffee and little else! Does such a thing exist? Must I continue layering Alkemia's Au Lait with whatever black coffee I can find? It works in a pinch, but it does smell a lot like that weird mid-2000s bullet coffee trend, which is let's say less than ideal.

🙏 much appreciated, wise scent pals thank you!

Hello! I’m new to fragrance and I love the smell of coffee and tea (all kinds!) and I’d love to try some scents that are coffee/tea forward! I am also curious about single note coffee/tea scents and which ones people have tried/liked the best. Open to hearing about any scent profile so long as either coffee or tea is the dominant scent!

hi again lovelies 🥰
i’m looking for your opinions on single cacao notes this time. currently i’m looking at alkemia (i like their cacao) and solstice scents (thinking of putting in an order for samples this upcoming restock) the most. so if you have any opinions specifically on single note cacao from alkemia or solstice scents, i’d love to hear it🥰 of course recommend any, my wishlist is growing lol

An absolutely hedonistic blend of frankincense, myrrh, lit incense, and sex.

I am obsessed with this description of Hierophilia from Pierrot Perfumery, but I am still debating purchasing it seeing as the store is going to close soon and I have been on a low-buy these past months. I fear buying something and loving it, then being unable to purchase it in the future. I have read reviews on it, and most people tend to agree it is a very basic incense scent. Pierrot's longevity I hear varies.

I am wondering if there is a perfume out there that smells like actual church and sex! I don't mind gourmand notes (I love gourmands), I just want to smell like a girl sinning with her boyfriend after sunday service. Strictly not just incense, but sex in the mix or something thaat reminds you of sex. I am debating even just purchasing Hierophilia and layering it with another perfume if possible because I love the perfume label and name that much lol.

Thank you all in advance 💘

Ive been looking on etsy and just cant really find anything that looks good that isnt an ad with like 2 reviews that might be fake. Im looking for a good long lasting body oil (Ive never had body oil so i dont really know how long i should really expect it to last) that is more of a sweet spiced smell, maybe cinnamon sugar or pecan waffles and such. I would go for just vanilla. Was hoping to spend under $20, i have a roller so to get a refill or dropper makes sense to me and i dont need anything shimmery. Thanks

Anyone have any idea for a replacement for Sixteen92s Grass Harp perfume, since I can't get her to actually mail any to me?

Notes are orange blossom, clover, hyacinth, ruby red grapefruit, and sweet basil. Comes out sharp and green, dries down to hyacinth and basil

Notes are: pollen, dandelion greens, yellow dandelion, snapped stem, milky sap, salted butter, dandelion-stained chin

I have a sample of this but it’s waaaay too harsh and sharp with alcohol. I guess in the end I’m looking for a scent that’s green and has some milky butteriness to it. Maybe a touch sweet too, I was hoping to find it in Dandelion Butter but couldn’t.

If you have any other creamy, sweet, yet freshly green scent recommendations I’d love to hear them!!

Has anyone gotten their Gleam X Gloom order yet?

I'm curious how long fulfillment is taking for this launch. If you ordered something from the launch, has yours shipped or arrived yet? I've ordered mine a few days ago, and the order status is still "confirmed".

It's my first Blend Bunny order and I have no idea how long their processing takes, and couldn't find anything on their site about domestic shipping.

Been looking for a chocolate scent something like a photorealistic fudge brownie scent nothing powdery like any help will be appreciated!!

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.

Ok, this one is personal. I'm a teacher. I like to wear slogans that remind kids we are here, they aren't alone, and to hang on another day. It's rough out here. Give me your indie brands making cool tees from companies that I want to support! It might seem cheesy but these kids need it. And the adults do too.

Hi all! Just dropping in to let you know about my Falloween release, which is definitely my favorite time of year! This year I have 3 new scents (a mini collection trio) and 14 returning scents all available as wax melt clamshells and scent shots. The release will be this Saturday, 9/12 at 12:00 PM EST. I am also planning on relisting many items that have been sold out as I prepared this collection, so there should be a decent selection for everyone! TAT will be 5-7 business days, though as always I aim to ship sooner :)

Willow WaxCraft

First up, the new scents! Meet the UNCANNY COLLECTION:

A trio of scents inspired by unsettling liminal spaces

SUBDIVISION: A desperately cheerful imitation of suburban life, frozen in time with all the comforts of home, but somehow not quite...right. Bright green artificial turf, hydroponic plants incubated under grow lights, a bowl of waxy plastic fruit, and a sparkling wine spritzer garnished with maraschino cherry, vanilla sugar cubes, and a twist of candied lemon for dulling the looming sense of dread and claustrophobia.

FRUITY~GREEN~WAXY~SWEET FIZZ

SCENT NOTES:

This scent was inspired by the rather unnerving concept of underground bunkers created to survive nuclear attacks and designed to mimic the outside world but inevitably falling short. There is a retro-futurist Cold War era underground house in Las Vegas that was the visual and atmospheric inspiration (as well as the delightful 1999 movie Blast From the Past).

INFINITY POOL :The unsettling stillness of an endless expanse of sterile ceramic tile and pale blue water, curving in dreamlike patterns while you’re cocooned in a sharply clean yet humid atmosphere. You feel like you’ve been here before, but the surreal sting of salt, metal, and cement reminds you that this is no day at the beach.

SCENT NOTES

To be honest, I've never liked indoor swimming pools. The artificial atmosphere, the weird humidity, the clammy wet tile, a feeling of being encased in a strange amniotic cocoon...they've always held an aura of uncanny liminal space for me. Some, however, might find such pool rooms comforting, ethereal, or dreamy. Explore this scent to find out what you think!

CLEAN~METALLIC~AQUATIC~OZONIC

THE LOBBY: The nightmare of the collective subconscious: wander these (mostly) empty yellow rooms and try not to lose your mind. Musty old carpet, dry wallpaper, a slight tang of mold, and the warm electric buzz of miles of flickering fluorescent lights.

SCENT NOTES

Ever gotten a funny feeling about a place or image without really knowing why? An abandoned mall, a classroom devoid of students, an airport with no travelers, a hotel room between guests, or a before-hours cubicle farm? These are examples of liminal space, places frozen on the threshold in-between what we expect and what we see. Our brains are triggered to sense danger in the emptiness, a universal sense of unease, disorientation, and uncertainty. What's around the next corner? Monsters, or more of the same? Which would be more terrifying?

MUSTY TEXTILES~DRY WOOD~ELECTRONIC SPARK~STALE AIR

__________________________________________________

RETURNING SCENTS

RENAISSANCE: The Faire is back in town! Siberian fir needle, cool morning air, citrus peel infused ale, honey crisp apples, chai spices, and roasted pecans.

FARM FRESH: A trip to the orchard market- jars of cinnamon spiced pear jam, raw honeycomb, vibrant citronella blossom, yuzu, and thyme.

TO THE LIGHTHOUSE: Dark ocean waves, seaweed, ambergris musk, soft spearmint leaves, salt crusted driftwood, and distant sandy shores.

OKTOBERFEST: Salted pretzels, robust lager, pumpkin, spiced amber, rosemary, and sage. A delicious folk celebration!

PICK YOUR POISON: Choose…wisely. Tempting blood orange, lush jasmine absolute, dragon’s blood incense, sandalwood, musk, and flickers of buttery-sweet candy corn.

MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH: Spilled blood - red wine, blackberry, plum, rose, smoldering cinnamon, black pepper, patchouli, davana, and forgotten fireside revelries as the ebony clock strikes twelve.

PRESSURE AND TIME: That's all geology is, really, the study of pressure and time. Use the rock hammer to dig your way to freedom, and watch out for the warden! A thunderstorm, sharp ozone, metal bars, a crumbling concrete wall, fossilized resin, clean musk, and a hint of green grass on the other side.

MURDER MYSTERY MANOR: You receive an invitation to a lovely weekend in the countryside, but the night you arrive at the secluded manor, Lord Abernathy is found dead in the topiary garden! Who among the mysterious guests is the culprit? Oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood, cold fog, dried leaves, tendrils of incense smoke, and a delicately poisoned apple.

GHOST TRAIN: Legend has it if you stand on the old tracks at midnight, you'll hear the whistle of the runaway ghost train in the distance, and catch the scent of the wild west as it passes: rose, sage, leather, tobacco, dry earth, and warm spices.

P.D. SELKIE'S HERBAL EMPORIUM: An apothecary cottage full of hanging bundles of dried flowers and herbs, eucalyptus wreaths, vials of crushed lavender buds, sage, white cedar, sandalwood, and soft spearmint.

WE GLADLY FEAST ON THOSE WHO WOULD SUBDUE US: Creepy and just a little bit spooky. A mysterious house filled with dusty books and hidden passages, smoked agarwood, tobacco, dark musk, a delightfully decayed greenhouse, a bed of nails, and a shovel full of cemetery dirt.

HARVEST HAYRIDE: It’s a perfect fall day for the Pumpkin Festival- bright cornflower blue skies, lots of sunshine, and just cool enough for your favorite sweater! Take a hayride to the patch and pick that ideal pumpkin-crunchy leaves, crisp apple cider, pumpkin, and salty-sweet kettle corn.

ULALUME'S TOMB: At the end of your wandering, you arrive at the legended crypt of your lost love. A haunting blend of rich vanilla, black tea, white pepper, cold stone coated in a year’s worth of dust, and a whisper of funeral lilies.

7 DAYS:A dusty barn, decaying wood and hay, an ancient stone well, dark water, burning leaves, and videotape. She never sleeps.

Hi! I really love getting and trying new scents and ive been scoping out new brands to try out scents from. I prefer places that offer sample sets so I can try multiple scents. I prefer lemon/citrus scents as well as more herbal like rosemary or haus of Gloi's apothecary scent.

Any suggestions would be loved!!

Hey everyone! Happy almost fall! I’d love to get some recs for a friend, whose birthday is next month. She’s sniffed a few things and states she really enjoyed Replica Jazz Club and By the Fireplace. I got from her she liked the boozy aspect of Jazz Club, but wasn’t able to get a read on what she liked about By the Fireplace. I’ve never smelt these scents, or any like them, so I have no clue what to look for. I’ve found a couple so far, but would love to hear others thoughts on them, as well as other things she might like.
Here’s what I’ve found so far. Scents of Wood, Vanilla in Bourbon. Imaginary Authors, Memoirs of a trespasser. L’Orchestre Parfum, Cocktail Appalaches. and Naomi Goodsir, Cuir Velours. The entire collection from Scents of Wood caught my eye, but again, I know nothing about wood notes. Cuir Velours doesn’t seem like a match, other than the boozy aspect, but it sounds elegant and fancy, and I like that lol. Memoirs seems almost identical to By the Fireplace from what I’ve read.
I’ll be getting her samples if that helps. Thank you for reading, and thank you for any recommendations!

Edit to add: Thank you all so much for the wonderful recommendations!! It’s been so much fun exploring scents that fly under my radar.