Small Business Saturday...

...is almost over! Where did you shop? I bought a bunch of (secret gifty) things from OrangeThyme, most of which are gifts for the parents and the husband. I'm also shopping from Innocent+Twisted Alchemy on Tuesday, for the release of the new Battle Royale-inspired collection. Lastly, I purchased a few things from Haus of Gloi. Meanwhile, here's a list of a few indie/small-businesses that offer great products at a great price:

Epically Epic Soap Company
One Hand Washes The Other
Detrivore Cosmetics
Femme Fatale Cosmetics
Fyrinnae Cosmetics
OrangeThyme
Innocent+Twisted Alchemy
Black Rose Minerals
Shiro Cosmetics
Haunt Bath and Body
Haus of Gloi
Darling Clandestine

Each of these companies makes great products and offers friendly, prompt customer service. 1 out of 1 RNs agree!


*as always, all products purchased by me, for me*

Darling Clandestine-ly In Love

Today, I will be reviewing Darling Clandestine, a perfume shop run by the lovely Evonne. (Click the shop name for the link...CLICK IT.) I received Cloudswing solid perfume and a scent to be released soon, Harpy. Darling Clandestine sells both solid scents and perfume oils, and her solid scents are a generous 0.5 oz in a lovely tin, each scent with its own signature picture. The solid scents retail for between $9-10, while oils retail for between $12-17. Turn-around time is quick - each time I've ordered, I've had the scents in my hands within 1-1.5 weeks, which is more than quick enough. OK, enough boring details! Now for the goods: the scents!

Cloudswing is described as "a bright, crisp, golden-green scent with notes of warm hay and vanilla and mowed clover and marigolds and intense lemongrass." I find the lemongrass and hay to be the most intense scents when smelled from the tin, but on the skin, the lemongrass and vanilla really move to the forefront, with the lemongrass taking the lead. However, it isn't overwhelming, and you won't smell like Thai food. Cloudswing is a lovely, bright, green fragrance. It isn't a "type" of fragrance I would have gravitated towards, but, like many of Darling Clandestine's scents, it is quickly becoming a favorite.

Harpy isn't for sale yet, though I'm told it will be for sale in a matter of weeks. Harpy...Harpy is a combination of coconut, lime, salt, and other scents. It is tropical, but dark, all at the same time. It has an absolutely lovely dry-down, and it mellows into a gorgeous, sandy, beach scent. It smells like margaritas at night, and an ocean breeze on a rainy day. I love it!

I also own several other Darling Clandestine scents: Falchion (sexy sex in a sexy tin), Mortardeille Kelah (creamy strawberry sex), Maudlin & Bedlam, Carny Wedding, Big Top Train, Inked (subtle, musky sex on the skin), Summer's Cauldron, Mad As Birds (minty, bright, lovely), and Circassian (coffee sex). So, yeah. I recommend Darling Clandestine fragrances. You'll smell unique, and lovely, and trust me, people will ask you, "what's that amazing scent you're wearing?" They'll ask you that A LOT.

 ***everything mentioned here was purchased by me or provided as a gift, all opinions are my own, I do not review anything for compensation***

Things That Are Awesome, Pt. 2...

...or another post in which I describe more things that are awesome on my face.

Being an indie-shopper, most of my purchases will be from indie/small business. I don't need to go into the whys and wherefores, but I will: small businesses need support, and are awesome. Just sayin'. So here is my list of places I shop from, and what I buy:

1. One Hand Washes The Other: I can't recommend this shop highly enough. Fragrance and bath/body products. So. Good. Holy grail product alert*: Black Magic soap. My skin is suddenly even, with no dry patches, which was not the case prior to Black Magic. Also the perfumes...so many perfumes. My favorites: Festivus, Coven, Burning Times, Oceanside, Frankincense and Mirth. Just perfect. Add top-notch customer service, and it is WIN. http://www.ohwto.com

2. Darling Clandestine: Another indie fragrance shop, run by a lovely woman, who makes some amazing, OOAK scents. Soft, long-lasting solids and amazing oils. My favorites: Falchion, ...Kelah, Inked. Inked smells like your skin, if you were made of magic. *cramazing*

3. Sweet Anthem: Yet another indie fragrance shop, located on Etsy and in my neighborhood. Reasonable prices and complex smells, and her brick and mortar shop sells other small/independent perfumers. My favorites: Elliott and Rebecca. Both spicy, both deep. Elliott smells like pine, musk, and sex. Good sex. Sexy sex.

Honorable mention: The Morbid The Merrier. Unfortunately, no longer in business, but decants and bottles are available through various websites. If you get the chance, pick something up. Anything. Because they were all keepers.

There are many reasons to "support indie," but the best reason is simply that the product you purchase works for you, and you like it. Each of these businesses offer stellar customer service and unique products.