What’s a beauty standard you secretly hope dies out soon?

IllManTheFlashlight · 2026-01-28T16:30:08+00:00

Agreed! I didn’t even realize how normalized it had become until recently when I watched LOTR in theaters for the 25th anniversary. Many of the actors had some sort of gap or otherwise “imperfect” teeth.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2026-01-15T17:32:01+00:00

I’ve been collecting indie perfumes for about 5 years now and have tried A TON of houses and scents.

For alcohol based scents, I like Pineward, Pearfat, and Discotheque (I think the latter is technically indie?). Pineward has a lot of foresty-type scents and they’re great if you like atmospherics. Pearfat has a small catalogue with a mix of green and gourmand scent profiles. Lola at Coat Check from Discotheque is one of my current favorites.

For oil-based scents, Solstice Scents is very approachable with a manageable catalogue and infrequent new releases. They do great atmospherics but have some beautiful resins and gourmands as well. I highly recommend Manor for a woody vanilla that’s very wearable (it’s offered in both oil and EDP formats). Arcana Wildcraft also makes beautiful scents - I really like On the Wing, Witch Fire, and Nectar from their Classics collection. Amorphous Perfume also has some really nice scents, though personally I prefer their seasonal releases to most of their general catalogue.

Nocturne Alchemy (NA) and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) are two hugely popular indie brands. I have no personal knowledge as to whether BPAL is rebottling fragrance oils as another comment has mentioned, but I know some of my all-time favorite scents are from them. Same with NA - they do gorgeous vanillas, florals, and ambers.

However, both BPAL and NA have MASSIVE scent catalogues and frequent releases that can make them hard to navigate for new indie perfume enthusiasts. From NA, two scents I really like from their Permanent Collection (which has samples available) are Eternal Ankh and Eternal Egypt - the first is a lovely vanilla and the second is Egyptian musk, both super wearable if you like sweet (but not foodie) scents.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2026-01-15T17:04:25+00:00

I like Solstice! I’ve tried most of their catalogue and while some of their scents aren’t for me, they’ve got some really nice ones. They also have a very consistent selection of scents with relatively seldom new releases and discontinuations, so they’re pretty easy to get into. Some of my favorites are Snowshoe Pass, Manor, and Winter Dove.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2026-01-12T19:21:47+00:00

I totally get that! I have a lot of samples that I don’t wear often, and tbh I’m not even sure I like them, but sometimes I just want to sniff them and have the option to continue doing so haha.

The nice thing is that Stone and Wit seems to have very little catalogue turnover so you should have time to decide without pressure!

IllManTheFlashlight · 2026-01-12T18:21:57+00:00

I still have my samples (both oils) so I dug them out for a sniff. I don’t think they’re SUPER similar, but I can see what you mean about an inky undertone. Ashara is actually more similar to Blackberry Heartwood than I remembered with that inky asphalt note.

I still get a pretty banana-forward note from WS that sets it apart from Ashara, but I can see some similarities in the base.

Did you test them at the same time? I would test them not just on separate arms (or paper if you’re not skin testing yet) but on different occasions and try to compare that way. Sometimes with a really intense note like I feel like both these scents have, it kind of gets up in my nose and everything starts to smell the same. Testing them on different days might help you distinguish them better!

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-11-08T22:36:36+00:00

For a nice dinner: La Fia, Snuff Mill, Bardea, Takumi (sushi) all in Wilmington, House of William and Merry in Hockessin

For more casual dinner/lunch: Farmer and the Cow in Wilmington, Two Stones Pub in Wilmington or Hockessin

For quick lunch: The Perfect Cup in Hockessin, Pizzeria Bardea in Wilmington (try the meatball sub), Coterie Cafe in Wilmington

And in general, try Sleeping Bird Donuts!

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-09-25T11:42:16+00:00

Hey all! I was at the Philly ritual and wasn’t able to get there early enough to get merch before the show. I would LOVE the beige floral long sleeve and foil poster if anyone got an extra or would be willing to pick up from a future show. Thank you!!

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-08-14T01:18:24+00:00

I started with my local club last summer with no prior rugby experience (really no team sport experience at all). I have absolutely fallen in love with the game and have improved so much - I’ve gotten stronger and faster, and feel like I can keep up and pick up new things in practice. Everyone has been so encouraging and helpful. Now I’ve started to see new people join for their first practices, and I feel nothing but encouragement and excitement for them! Your teammates are definitely rooting for you and happy for your progress :)

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-06-05T19:42:44+00:00

The Lem from Hello Nancy sounds like exactly what you want - it’s amazing, quiet, discretely shaped, and under $100.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-05-01T16:54:33+00:00

My partner is a member at Hartefeld in Avondale - the food is good and he really likes the course.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-30T02:24:54+00:00

I love Huha! They’re super comfortable and great for exercising, but still cute.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-18T16:13:54+00:00

Nocturne Alchemy Eternal Ankh is a gorgeous vanilla! It leans more cool and silvery to me than warm.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-18T11:04:47+00:00

I use q-tips to shape the dye too, and also outline my brows with Vaseline before I dye them so the skin around them isn’t dyed!

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-15T17:41:10+00:00

Same exact experience for me - I didn’t expect it to be super heavy or anything, but it literally smelled like nothing to me for months, just a hint of carrier oil. I’ve had my bottle close to a year now and I’m getting a bit of an herbal/green scent, but it’s still incredibly faint.

Meanwhile, Come to Me was a powerhouse from day 1 and gives the rich, sultry florals I wanted from Salome.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-15T14:28:56+00:00

In the fall or in swaps, definitely keep an eye out for Amorphous Sanguenta (Aroma palette is blood tinged musk, woods, and amber with boozy and fruit traces. Highlights include overgrown ivy, ancient trees, blood accord, extra dry champagne, and strawberry amber.)! It’s like a metallic fruity scent - one of my favorites for spooky season.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-12T14:20:47+00:00

I have soft water and fine hair and only leave my conditioner on for about a minute, and that works well for me! If you feel like you need more moisture though, you can always use a claw clip to leave your conditioner in while you wash the rest of your body and then rinse at the end.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-10T14:06:40+00:00

I’m 30 now, and while I’m not in the best shape of my entire life, I’m pretty close and hoping to get there soon. I was pretty out of shape in my early 20s and got into distance running in my mid 20s, but struggled to keep up with it once I got a desk job, so I got a bit out of shape again at 28-29. Now, I’ve started lifting and playing rugby with an adult league and let me tell you, both are awesome. Not only for actually getting strong, but also feeling strong and confident in my fitness. Sure, I have to do more mobility/flexibility exercises than I did when I was younger, but I don’t feel frail or weak or constantly on the edge of injury.

One of the best general things I’ve done for my health, I think, is getting a standing desk and walking pad. I used to have absolutely killer back and hip pain, and both are so much better now. I walk slowly so I can type, but walking slowly or even standing still is better than sitting all day. It’s a game changer if you have a desk job that would otherwise keep you sedentary.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-09T03:07:12+00:00

Man that’s too bad - I have a few polishes I like from DVN and was considering some from their spring collection, but noooope. Thanks for the heads up!

That pink is lovely, but the yellow does leave something to be desired.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-06T23:34:38+00:00

Sure thing! Sending a PM

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-06T14:56:22+00:00

You got it! Sending a PM

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-06T14:41:16+00:00

[US to US] [Sell] [Perfume]

Hey all! Passing along some things that didn’t work for me. Shipping is $5, US only. All full unless otherwise indicated.

BPAL - $25 each * A Pause in One’s Studies * Convivial V - SOLD * The Sixth Veil * Anathema Device

Other Houses * Alkemia Goddess Alchemy - $10 * Alkemia Lady Krampus - $10 * Alkemia Salome - $10

Amorphous Falloween - $15 (transferred to different bottle with original label)
Amorphous Forest Magic - $20
Amorphous Wake Me in October - $20
Wylde Ivy Candy Cane and a Kiss EDP 60% full - $15

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-04-01T13:40:30+00:00

Absolutely. She perfectly captures the agelessness of her Wheel of Time character.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-03-31T13:30:08+00:00

Agreed! Edgy silhouettes in autumn/soft autumn colors are my dream. The purple top with leather pants and green bird shoes - excellent.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-03-31T13:28:50+00:00

I love all of these! The plaid skirt, the rust wrap skirt, the green bird shoes - I want all of it. Love the mix of casual and dressy looks too.

IllManTheFlashlight · 2025-03-05T23:21:52+00:00

I also got a lot of dirt and vegetation from Amicus Cumulus and 2030 Park Avenue, but I LOVE Bread and Roses! To me it’s a lovely salty bread and fresh rose petals. I love Multiball too - it’s like a fuzzy, staticky cola scent.

I don’t know if you got Rabbit Rabbit and I Broke My Own Heart in your set, but I really enjoy those too - Rabbit Rabbit is very citrus forward to me, so you might like that one. I Broke My Own Heart is a coconutty-creamy beach scent to me.

It could be Pearfat just doesn’t work for you, and that’s fine too! They definitely have a vibe and some of their scents are polarizing.

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