So here is something new!! I have finally delved into the world of Indie perfumes and holy crap was it the best idea ever!
I chose to start with Possets Perfumes because they have an insanely huge selection and received great reviews from the Indie community.
I've learned from this that I'm not the greatest at picking up on scent notes so I don't think my reviews are going to be as great as the perfume connoisseurs out there. However I'm going to try my best and will attempt to use pictures and imagery as much as possible to help with my inability to describe what I smell.
This will be very text and image heavy!
Out of this sample haul I was hoping to find my holy grail lavender and/or lilac and vanilla scent. I threw in some outliers as well just to try something different. I decided on Arcturus, The Great Psychiatrist of Babylon, Lavender Corset, Silver Lavender, Dance With Me, and The Temptress. The two free samples I will also be reviewing include 301 and Gelato: Vaniglia. I'll review them in alphabetical order just for organizations sake. Here we go!
301
This was one of the
free samples chosen for me! I
received 4 total but because I split the order with my friend we each took two.
This is the one I chose to keep. I let
my friend pick two from the remaining 3.
"Named for the number which has been following me
around my entire life, 301 combines a multiplicity of my favorite musks and
cashmeran, and It turns out to be a bright light and insidious mix with great
staying power and insinuates itself very easily. It will not knock the room
over when you walk in, even if you are drenched in it. Lovely and slightly
melancholy because it suggests the passage of time to me."
Initial sniff: It
invokes the feeling of fresh clean linen.
Very mild and pleasant. I really
wanted this one as it is starkly different from all the others I chose in
my sample six pack.
After a few hours: This scent is still very subtle. The musk notes come out a bit more as it wears. I do not know what cashmeran smells like so I can't comment on the strength of that part. This is still very light and pleasant to smell, a good anytime perfume.
Wear Time: 3-4 hours
Invoked Imagery: Playing under the warm fresh from the dryer sheets while my mom and dad take extra long to fold them above my head.
Verdict: While this is quite nice and pleasant I do not think it appeals to me enough to warrant a full size purchase.
Arcturus
I picked this one up because I am currently on the hunt for
my holy grail vanilla scent. I love vanilla, I'm obsessed with it. I love the smell the taste...just
everything. I add vanilla extract to everything I can.
" Arc to Arcturus is a common saying in the
astrological world. In this case Arcturus is a blend of the blackest of all
vanillas in a swirl in dead space. It's a beautiful dark foodie blend which is
a true hybrid between the wearable vanillas and those which you just wish to
put your tongue on. Madagascar, two Mexican vanilla, and a dry and almost
earthy Tahitian vanilla blend together to make a superb concoction for
seduction. Intensely sophisticated and very up to date."
Initial sniff: Sweet dessert. Unfortunately not quite what I was hoping for. I think I am still on my quest for the perfect vanilla. I'm looking for pure vanilla extract, no sugary cakey sweetness. Honestly it doesn't really smell like vanilla to me. Do I just not know what vanilla smells like? I bought all these vanilla perfumes and nothing smells as I thought it would.
After a few hours: The scent definitely mellows down to more of a pleasant sweetness. It is comforting and nice, not overpowering, but still when I smell it vanilla is still not what comes to mind. At the very end of its life however the pure vanilla minus the sweet starts to come out. I wish it was like that from the start because its exactly what I'm looking for!
Wear Time: 3-4 hours
Invoked Image: Eagerly awaiting my grandmother's sugar cookies to come out of the oven so that I can begin the icing process and eventually devour them.
Verdict: This isn't bad but it isn't outstanding to me either because it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I don't think I'll be ordering a full size.
Dance With Me
I almost didn't get this one because I was afraid the
grapefruit notes would make it too girly.
However I was convinced otherwise by a /r/indiemakeupandmore user who
swore to me that this scent would be amazing.
I decided to go with her recommendation because I thought worst case scenario it
would be fun to go dancing wearing this if only because of the name.
" A classy variation of everyone's favorite lavender
vanilla but substituting grapefruit for lavender and under-girding it with
white musk. Enchantingly innocent but with loads of guile."
Initial Sniff: Fun, fruity, feminine. That is definitely what I get from this perfume. Right from the bottle the fruit scent is very strong and honestly pretty overwhelming. Fortunately I love grapefruit so that doesn't really bother me at all. I think it smells divine.
After a few hours: The vanilla undertone definitely starts to show once its been sitting on the skin. The fruityness is cut by a nice relaxing and not too sweet vanilla. I actually like this even more on my skin as it smells much more sophisticated and classy than the initial fruit overload. This is a great summer time scent.
Wear Time: 3-4 hours
Invoked Image: This brings me back to spending my childhood vacations in the Bahamas sitting on a beach and drinking a ridiculously colorful fruit drink. Interestingly enough as the scent wears on the image goes from sunlit beach to moonlit beach as the vanilla and musk strengthens and the fruit fades. It makes me really miss that place....
Verdict: I don't really think of dancing when I smell this but I'll still wear it dancing just for the name. I'm not 100% sure if I'm getting a full size of this but I'm seriously considering it.
Gelato: Vaniglia
This is my other free sample, the one my friend didn't want
and unfortunately for good reason....
" ...as only Possets can do it. It is possible to have
vanilla as a top, middle, and bottom note. I just did it. It is just a halo of
vanilla as I have tasted it among the best of gelatos. Mmmmm. Vanilla was never
so concentrated and so pure."
Initial Sniff: Sweet. Way too sweet. I can't smell this without cringing. It doesn't smell like vanilla at all to me. I'm smelling sweet cinnamon cake dessert with lots of syrup.
After a few hours: The bakery sticky bun smell of this perfume becomes even more pronounced with wear. This is nothing like any vanilla I've ever encountered and its supposed to be pure, I'm so confused.
Wear Time: 5-6 hours
Invoked Image: This makes me think of standing in line at the airport when I was little anxiously waiting to get a Cinnabon as that's the only time I was ever able to have one.
Verdict: While I do like cinnamon buns I've never had a desire to smell like one. Definitely not for me.
The Great Psychiatrist of Babylon
I bought this one because basically everyone on the internet
is raving about it so even though the ingredients didn't appeal to me I almost
had no choice but to give it a go. Plus
the name is just really awesome.
" Back in the day, before a formal id, ego, and
super-ego early psychiatrists roamed the land looking for loonies upon whom
they could practice their trade. Babylon was a veritable hot bed of psychiatric
investigation, and practiced by the female inhabitants of the city. The
hypnotic base of the finest Bourbon vanilla shot through with incense smoke and
the auxillary smoke from "punk" fire, caramel, incense, and a small
shot of whiskey on the side (for medicinal purposes only). There, now don't you
feel better?"
Initial sniff: This is pretty overpowering to me. It is hard
for me to smell anything but super sweet caramel but when I really concentrate
I can definitely pick up the whiskey as well. I was hoping the vanilla would be
a bit stronger. Not really feeling this and can't see myself reaching for it
often.
A few hours later: The smell definitely improves with
time! The sweetness dies down and now
the caramel is pleasant rather than obnoxious. Overall the smell becomes much
more sophisticated making it easy to pick up on the whiskey and incense notes,
I'm still not getting the vanilla. Maybe my nose is weird.
Wear time: 4-5 hours
Invoked Image: A warm
and comfy day inside with my family eating caramel cookies while it snows mercilessly outside.
Verdict: The smell is
definitely unique and I can see why it appeals to others but I don't really
feel that it fits with my personality. While I'll enjoy the sample this will
not be a full size purchase for me.
Lavender Corset
Lavender and lilac are my two favorite floral scents so I
was really excited when I came across this one as it sounded like it would be a
very pure and feminine lavender perfume.
" Such a pretty and old fashioned yet bleeding edge
modern scent! Lavender Corset is more lilac than lavender, very feminine, long
lasting and a persistent whisper of a fragrance. Like a corset it creates a
perception about you but one about which others are barely conscious. It is
magical, though. Perfect as a day perfume but not prim, perfect as an evening
perfume but not brash. Characteristics: Lilac, musk, versatile, feminine,
clean, sophisticated, long lasting, cooling, summer scent.."
Initial sniff: AMAZING.
100%. So lovely and so nice. If you want to literally smell like a
lavender and lilac flower you need this.
A few hours later: STILL AMAZING. Seriously, after some time the smell doesn't
change it sticks to its guns and stays pure and amazing and feminine and
sophisticated. I love it!
Wear time: 4-5 hours
Invoked Image:
Because it is so pure sniffing a lilac is the only thing in my mind when
smelling this.
Verdict: I need this in my life forever.
Silver Lavender
I chose this one because it is literally a vanilla lavender
so I didn't think I could possibly go wrong!
" An instant classic, the unbelievable wonder of a
vanilla like lavender such as this beauty I have found, paired up with the
Silver accord we all love, with a drop or two of sandalwood to mellow it all
out and you have a perfection of fragrance fit for any occasion from seduction
to a family dinner to a tax audit to a declaration of true love. Yes, this is
one of the few really 100% versatile fragrances out there. Always correct,
always beautiful, can be icy and can be hot. I think the secret ingredient is
you, the perfume just conforms to what you want to be."
Initial sniff: Not gonna lie right out of the bottle this
smells gross. I was a bit put off
because it almost seems bitter. Luckily
as soon as it comes in contact with the skin the smell transforms to something a bit nicer. Right on the skin it is kind of a powdery
flower scent. I still can't smell any vanilla.
Apparently my nose sucks at picking it up when it is an undertone.
After a few hours: It
actually makes my throat burn a little bit and my eyes sting.
I'm wondering if I'm just overly sensitive to something in this formula but it is not improving with time for me at all. I'm really not a fan of this.
Wear time: 5-6 hours
Invoked Image: It makes me think of an old couple sitting in
a flower field while watching the sun set.
Verdict: I've never met the queen but this is how I'd imagine she would smell. The powdery smell is too
strong for me. I think I'm a bit too
young to pull this scent off so I won't be buying this in the full size. I want to make it clear that this isn't a bad scent overall, just not a scent that I could ever see myself wearing. However, I'm quite nervous to try any of the other silver scents now....
The Temptress
So this scent purchase was a shot in the dark. The description sounded cool and the idea of
a feminine musk appealed to me even though I've never tried such a thing
before. Plus who doesn't want to feel
like a temptress every now and again?
" This is a dark sparkle like a true temptress. A pink
musk provides the fizz and there is an overlay of sweet musk, a brush of
lavender (Bulgarian), a bit of fern, and finally a slight bit of amber musk to
keep it all going in the desired direction. Very tempting and ripe for falling.
Like getting caught with someone you are slightly ashamed of...emboldening."
Initial sniff: Very
strong, can tell it is musky but at the same time there is a certain light and pleasantness
to it. I was nervous at first to put it
on as I had never worn something like this before but my worries were soon
cleared. I'm not going to do a good job
of describing this as my nose isn't that great at picking apart ingredients.
A few hours later: I am obsessed with this perfume! Its dark, feminine, mysterious, sweet, but yet slightly
masculine all at the same time. Perfect
for evening time, I felt and smelled amazing all through dinner. I swear I even smelled it ever so slightly
the next morning. My boyfriend was laughing at me because I kept sniffing my
wrists at the table. I just can't get enough of this scent!
Wear time: 5-6 hours
Invoked Image: The name might be leading this vision but I
imagine a sexy powerful but dark woman when I smell this. So naturally, Simone Simons (why isn't Epica doing a Quantum Enigma America Tour!?).
Verdict: This is a
definite must buy for me. My mom who hates cute girly scents really liked it as well so I may be
getting two full sizes of this!
It is probably because the olfactory system is so closely tied to the limbic system and hippocampus, but I feel like many of these scents invoked a personal memory, which is pretty awesome.
I've also learned I despise sweet food perfumes.
Overall, I am so glad I chose to delve into the world of Indie
perfumes! I have always loved perfumes
but could never find any I could really get excited about, so I rarely wore
them. Every time I walk by a perfume
counter I sniff as many as I can and they never make me smile. But now I am excited to put on a perfume
every single morning and there are so many more on the Possets site that I want
to try...I'm looking at you Cygnus the Swan! I am so glad that for the first
time ever I can get excited about perfumes! :D
A word of caution...do not store your sample vials on their side! I had a bit of leaking occur after a few days. Oops! At least my window sill smells fabulous now....
Where to buy: Possets.com
Price: $12.50 for a full size or six samples
