indie fragrances

pixel perfume art from bitmapdreams!Most people are very surprised that I care about fragrances at all - I don't seem like the "type" (whatever that is, good smells are for all the people). I got really into them during the pandemic and early sobriety. My sense of smell was essentially fried from alcohol, so as it came back it opened new worlds. I think I was probably too online and ended up in the r/indiemakeupandmore subreddit somehow (???) and hearing about the absolute magic people were ordering in the mail and learning the difference between oils vs EDPs.

Here are some favorites! Scroll for more info on sourcing fragrance oils at the bottom. To the right, you'll find links to a few active fragrance houses.

the velveteen stranger stereoplasm
Notes: Stolen peaches, yellow marshmallow, chopped cedar, blackberry aftershave, and cigar smoke.

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my note: this one is my absolute favorite. It's not gendered, it's complex, it stays around for a few hours, and it's not obviously peachy at all. It's a 2018 scent and this fragrance house is hanging on by a thread but you can pick it up at destashes.

your girlfriend is a badass sorce
This scent opens with a rich fudge frosting, which gives way to decadent yellow cake and grounding forest floor notes. It smells like the path through dark woods that leads to a delicious end. Notes: Yellow cake with a rich fudge frosting, Himalayan cedarwood, oakmoss, and forest floor.

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my note: I'm not normally a gourmand fan but this one is so, so good. Will make you feel like a literal snack.

desert rain hexennacht
Sweetgrass, cactus flower, summer rain, ozonic accord, black sage, cedar, sandalwood, pink pepper.

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Like a brightly spicy petrichor/rain scent - a daily driver for me

pieces of october death & floral
Fresh blue corn tortillas, ancient spices, chili peppers, oakwood, autumn apples falling on a frozen ground

loup garou hexennacht
Silver amber, fur, lunar musk.

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my note: This is an r/IMAM favorite and I remember reading these scents like ???? but it's so good I full-sized it. It doesn't last long on me, so it's one where I bring the bottle to reapply. It's worth the extra effort of reapplying.

golden hour stereoplasm
Golden Hour: Tatarian honeysuckle, lemon basil, crab grass, garden tomato leaf, sunset musk, cilantro, peeled rhubarb, sun shower, pink carnation, daisy stems

pixel perfume art from bitmapdreams! Indie fragrance oils aren't too expensive and you can order small samples of different scents for around $3USD at Ajevie, or check out r/indiemakeupandmore's Sunday post to buy samples or full size perfumes second-hand. There are a lot of people who purchase hundreds of bottles - which seems excessive but maybe that's their thing - and are happy to destash. R/IMAM has also started to address stress buying within the sub and I think that's a good thing.

Buying or swapping from other users is also helpful because the indie perfume world is a bit volatile (I know, I know). Houses pop up and disappear overnight. Some are notoriously unreliable about shipping things. There is drama in facebook groups that will cause the r/IMAM universe to boycott a fragrance house. If a seller goes on hiatus (Stereoplasm and Death & Floral have, for example) or you choose not to do business with a seller, you can still buy from the community. Community sellers have spreadsheets of perfumes that they use in those posts, and prismaticpink's post in 32-bit Cafe made me feel like I should keep a log.

I have taken a break from actively collecting while my sinuses recover, so all of these were purchased 6 months or longer ago.

credits:

perfume pixel art: bitmap dreams

layout: xixxii!

active houses