For Strange Women

http://www.forstrangewomen.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ForStrangeWomen

I've had nothing but really good experiences with FSW. I don't remember how much she charges for shipping but I can't remember it being overly high, and she tends to ship pretty quickly. All of the packaging is done with extreme care, and when I purchased one of her perfume amulets the packaging itself was delightful to open and really professional looking. The piece of jewelry itself is really well crafted as well, I'm looking at it right now.

The scents themselves are very unique, I've never smelled perfume oils that match hers. She uses no synthetics and you can really notice (in a good way such as in Astral Projection, and in a not so good way such as in Moss and Ivy which almost smells, to me, like a salve you'd put on burns), but they have no real "throw" to them, and some last while others get absorbed into my skin in under 3 hours. I don't mind this too much, but some people might. There are some scent notes that I haven't seen used in other brands such as valerian root (yes! valerian!) and mushroom, but they are all blended in a very exact way to make the most of any individual scent. A common thing I pick up from the perfumes that I own of hers is a "dustiness", which feels like an artistic signature as opposed to an accident. They evoke feelings and places, to me, and I think that really does have more to do with the lack of synthetics than anything else.

I would recommend Coyote (unisex neroli), November (this smells like a cold forest), Astral Projection (dark, dusty, and comforting), Decadence and Debauchery (this is the exact scent of a cigar), Winter Kitty (I can't really describe it, honestly, it smells like when you open the door and it's snowing outside; it's a bit too sweet and resinous for me to wear but I like sniffing the sample vial I keep), and Horse (were you raised in a barn, missy? no? well now you can smell like you were! hay is for Horse, along with a quiet musk and the smell of an open green field). Ones that let me down are Moss and Ivy (see above, though it's worth noting that I have a friend who adores the way it smells), Bollywood (this smelled absolutely nothing like what I wanted or expected it to, not that it wouldn't be a pretty smell for someone; it's really dusty and exotic, so if old indian antiques sound good to you you may like this but DO NOT expect a "chai" scent), Sand Dollar (eek, musky lime with seaweed, no; this is the only one that I CANNOT stand at all).

The solid perfume is really top notch and there are more scent profiles for different people. My favorite one is one that was limited edition, oops! But the second best to that one for me is Fireside Story. They last forever, are pretty easy to put on, and while you don't need one of the lockets to hold them (a plastic bag or little jar could work) the lockets themselves are really beautiful!

For me these are totally worth the price tag, but I can totally get how some people would be put off by it when there are other perfume oils that smell stronger, last longer, and will make you smell "pretty". These are like comforting nose secrets that are for you alone, and she goes for nostalgic over pretty.

I found For Strange Women long before I found any other indie cosmetic company. (Ah, random Etsy clicking.)

I own a full size of Winter Kitty, and I do love it. The scent is beautiful and lasts about five hours. If your cat came in from climbing a pine tree in the winter and you stuffed your nose into its fur, it would smell like Winter Kitty. As the kitty gets warmer (and the perfume sits on you longer), you end up with a sweet, light, feminine musk. Pretty bang-on. It's also aged beautifully over more than two years now.

I also love that she's made solid contenders for my top indie perfumes out of only natural fragrances.

However, $40 price tag? Now that I've seen what else is out there, I don't know if I could pay that again.

Other things I've smelled:
--Astral Projection. Extremely comforting, with soft herbs that end up as chamomile tea with a hint of sweet lemon. Lives extremely close to the skin and fades after 2 hours or so.
--Moss and Ivy. Agree with poster above. Too medicinally green and harsh for me.
--November in the Temperate Deciduous Forest. Man oh man, I wish this lasted longer. For the first thirty minutes, it's heavenly -- cold woods, exactly as described. But it fades so fast, and the drydown is a simple and warm (if pleasant) wood musk.
-- Decadence and Debauchery. Maybe I have an uneducated nose, but this was all incense and tobacco smoke on me. Lasted much longer than the others. Didn't morph much.

This stuff truly is the bomb. If you like sweet black licorice, you're going to love this. I've ordered it both in the tin and in the tubes. The packaging is adorable (I especially love the tin), the smell is divine, and it has an amazing sweetness to boot. It doesn't go on tacky at all. It's actually a little bit thin, but for me it feels like it sinks right in. She also ships fast! Even to Canada!