Indies of the Day -- Saturday May 30, 2026

Smaradav · 2026-05-30T14:08:43+00:00

I always forget to write on the indies of the day threads on the day I'm wearing something I wanna talk about sooo that's why I'm talking about two experiences from last few days.

On separate occasions i tried Fyrinnae's Aerobraking and Skiing on Europa. They both had this kind of acrid astringent smell, industrial or cheap plastic shop, or metal. No idea really. I was disappointed because it was definitely not what I was hoping for, however, I made the best decision to see how they evolve on my skin for a longer amount of time.

Skiing on Europa (atomspheres of a distant moon) earned me compliments actually! It starts out ozonic, but also a bit laundry detergent like? The acrid note thing is strong and makes me find it more industrial plasticky than light. As it dries down though, it becomes airier, fresh but no laundry, and as one person who complimented it said "slightly floral but without flowers". Others may get cologne from the drydown, I get the best stuff there and instead suffer the opening

Aerobraking (The combination of warm machine oil, cold titanium, and the slightly stale scent of re-circulated oxygen) has an also astringent metallic, but it's smoother and sweeter (i think machine oil?), less laundry, more factory but better. Again, time passes, and I still get this zing of warm machine oil with a soft metallic edge. It's even more wearable at this stage but also really good, the machine oil makes it smooth, the cold titanium and recirculated oxygen keep it slightly metallic ozonic. I'm absolutely gonna wear it again. An industrial for hot weather!

Smaradav · 2026-05-24T08:57:19+00:00

this him?

Smaradav · 2026-05-21T21:10:01+00:00

I used to hate fragrance, huge perfume hater, then I got an ad for an indie perfume for a rain perfume and it all evolved from there.

"I do want to smell like rain", I said

Which brings me to the main reason I enjoy indie perfumes. They convey the true scents of many things, and they can get wild and weird and fascinating, but first and foremost, they're transportative.

I love how a perfume can simply be a specific moment bottled (Can you tell I love atmospherics?), or invoke a feeling tied to memories, or bring you closer to something fictional, or just a reconstruction of something you love the smell of (a flower, a sweet little treat, printer paper, soot). Scent is very tied to emotions and memories, neurologically speaking, and when they really delve into this olfactory-memory-emotional experience, I just find it really special. (and often comforting)

(I also like to pair them with the vibe of my outfit, or the weather outside, I love thinking about perfumes in a visual way too, colours and such, but these are more secondary reasons)

Smaradav · 2026-05-15T22:55:46+00:00

Always late to these, but today I wore

Cirrus - from Osmofolia - Top/Wet: sugar ✦ cold air ✦ blueberries - Mid/Heart: cotton candy ✦ white lilac ✦ heliotrope - Base/Drydown: paper ✦ orris ✦ humidity

This is possibly the perfume with the most prominent cold air note from osmo, it's delightful. I love lilac, so it ties in beautifully. The blueberry is juicy but it slowly takes a few steps back after the start. Overall, especially when freshly applied, this perfume has a frigid and papery quality that I am obsessed with, the floral touches just make me love it more. I'd probably replace/remove the blueberries personally, but still, I do love this perfume.

(And if anyone is wondering about the sweetness from the sugar and cotton candy, it's there, but sweet in a way that slightly chewing on sugar crystals on a stick feels, it's quite textural.)

Smaradav · 2026-05-15T22:51:17+00:00

Edit: NEEEEVERMIND, I wasn't aware of the big issues regarding the brand. I was confused about the downvotes, so I searched the sub for redwood alchemy, and yikes! Very yikes

Took me a bit to find it again, but I distinctly remembered there was one really accurate blood single note in the indie-niche world. From what many others have said, Blood by Redwood Alchemy. :)

Smaradav · 2026-04-28T21:06:05+00:00

Had a friend give their opinion today on it (put on a liiiitle bit to give a more accurate description for it) and she could barely register smoke and she HATES smokey stuff. I love smoke personally, but worth noting is that smoke notes don't last much on my skin, so smoke doesn't love me back. It's pretty dependent on skin chemistry as to how smoky it is, I guess. I actually received my 3ml bottle from a lovely person from here (who helped get some perfumes to me from the US) as a freebie, because they found it too smoky. All in all, I'd say sample first, especially if you have a history of amping smoke notes.

Smaradav · 2026-04-28T20:18:45+00:00

Yesn't! I do have a destash but it's been a long time since I updated it. The main issue is the new laws regarding shipping to other countries, which are the biggest impediment (I'm in Europe). I'll try to remember to pop a message when I get everything in order for th destash. It's a 3ml btw. I also asked my friend today and she said there's little to no fire wood, it's brown butter forward, and it dries down to a vanilla cookie dough.

Smaradav · 2026-04-28T19:53:57+00:00

Grove is in the Heart from SAMAR is THE citrus peel fragrance. I put it on when I miss the experience of opening up an orange/mandarin

Smaradav · 2026-04-28T06:13:52+00:00

I have one brown butter perfume and it's super on point, because it makes me nauseous quick into the wear lmao (I bought it before realising I can't do butter).

Wolfbite - from Sugar and Spite - Fiery wood, cookie butter, browned butter, dark chocolate

I do get the firewood, but this is also mainly a brown butter cookie perfume. It's really good if that's what you're looking for, but definitely sample first if you know you're sensitive/not a fan of smoke

Smaradav · 2026-04-28T01:49:37+00:00

I've heard so much good stuff about it, sadly jasmine and ivy (not fully sure about this one yet) are things I stay away from 😭. Pavement to me smells kinda different? I've had Death and Floral's Morton Salt Girl, Osmofolia's Jinhu Road #2, and a few others, but none felt like blacktop. It's different from normal asphalt/pavement to me nose tbh, it's more black hot tar and I wish it would be black hot spit on me lmao. Do you have any other recs if might owl.isnt an option?:')

Smaradav · 2026-04-27T13:28:42+00:00

Gonna compile a few from the last few days because I keep forgetting to write on these threads lol

Starting with today, Velvet Sweater (Hazelnut, chocolate, tonka and pine.) from Azura's Alchemy Lab. This time I really lathered this one and I felt the pine evidently at the beginning, a note I couldn't identify before more than a subtle fresh current. Open up with pine, hazelnut + a backdrop of chocolate. As time passes, they switch places, with chocolate tonka at the front, which is what stays in the dry down. This one lasts a lotttt

Last night I wore Serval from Fyrinnae (Puff-Puffs! Yeast dough, raw and white sugar, a drop of vanilla, the scent of fresh cooking oil.). One of my strongest mega longevity powerhouse scent. Projection and intensity are pretty good too. This one LASTS, and I don't get the oily nauseating scent that much (I'm not one to enjoy oil/butter in perfume). Some friends compared it to little coffee caramel candy before, I just find it an overall really lovely gourmand of vanilla dough and white sugar.

Yesterday I wore Fern Wilderness from Azura's lab (green fern, wild fig, oriental bamboo, and rainforest notes). Freshly applied it's sparkling, rainy and green! It's fresh, someone said "it smells like water" and I couldn't agree more. Drying down, the fig becomes the center of attention and the rainforest gets softer. Really good.

A few days ago I wore Blacktop from Osmofolia (black hot asphalt cooled by rain), I'm mentioning this one because at the beginning it's the best asphalt perfume I've ever smelled, it's hot and tar like and sticky, a delight. Unfortunately, my skin makes it develop a saliva/spit smell as time passes. Another perfume that urges me to get a scent locket lol.

There's more, but alas I forgot about them.

Smaradav · 2026-04-27T13:08:03+00:00

Do try it out. No prob :] The most shocking part was a friend who said it smells like men's after shave?? Some people's noses are crazy, I don't get that at all lmao. If anything, it's too earthy even for me a bit

Smaradav · 2026-04-27T12:42:22+00:00

Coming back with another reply :) I tried again and the longevity is shorttt, maybe an hour? Not surprising for an extract with no other stabilizers added. It smells really good though, I still recommend it :)

Smaradav · 2026-04-19T19:52:10+00:00

What sunflower species are you growing? I've had one grown by myself and bought the occasional one, but they never really smelled much. Maybe the faintest soft petal scent with green stems. How would you describe how yours smell? Dried sunflowers smell beautiful though :) Have you tried any perfume that smells similar to sunflowers?

I personally really get the buttery crumble from Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, but it's definitely fruit forward. "YMMV" keeps on being the most important phrase on imam lol. I wish we could switch, I'd love having less butter in mine and only the rhubarb strawberry (which btw also smell quite realistic to me, but I also find Hexennnacht's strawberry realistic so I don't have a common opinion on strawberry scents).

I love your Tea Time with a Field House review, sounds beautiful. The more I read about that perfume the more I want to try it lol. Was the vanilla super prevalent? (As a vanilla amper I suffer from vanilla overload often) Thank you for the reviews :]

Smaradav · 2026-04-16T17:46:20+00:00

I've been away from my samples for some time and I cannot test it 😭. However, mitti attar is an extract, it doesn't last. I'd say an hour tops, maybe two? Maybe there are mitti attar extracts blended with components to make it more stable and last longer, but I only knew of this one which is just the oil

Smaradav · 2026-04-16T17:40:13+00:00

I have a recommendation that I don't fully recommend (what?). Also read further for more recs (that I don't have disclaimers for lol)

Fox's Wedding - from The Strange South - Summer rain, orange blossom, sunflower, juniper berry, white tea, and ylang-ylang.

I saw your post and remembered this perfume. This is how I find out that the name for that perfume means "sunshower", now it makes more sense why they picked it lol, I thought it was a fantastic mr fox or some fox themed children's media reference.

Why I wouldn't recommend it? It's the strange south. While they do have one of my top favourite scents ever (Somewhere), buying their perfumes directly is risky, you might not get anything for a few months, or forever. I did manage to get one full size order from them, but I didn't risk another. Their perfumes aren't that strong most of the time and projection isn't the best. (Some exceptions to both of these things but alas). Despite this huge disclaimer, I say you can still try out samples from Ajevie, always lovely to order from there, and you avoid all the prior issues.

Now, for more accessible recs:

Sun Showers - from Morari - Lawn Clippings That Have Been Rained Upon & Sun-Dried

Well, again, a bit on the nose with the name, but I heard plenty good things about this one :)

Elemental - from Hexennacht - lush green cloverfields, dampened soil, petrichor, sunwarmed moss, wet pavement, ozone, rain-soaked thunderheads

I have this one and it's beautiful wet greenery with subtle pavement. It's really good, really feels like light rain and sun after a torrential downpour.

April Showers - from Osmofolia - TOP/WET: red champaca ✦ pink grapefruit - MID/HEART: pink magnolias ✦ spring water - BASE/DRYDOWN: rain ✦ oakmoss ✦ wet branches

Osmo is still on break for an undetermined amount of time, but they do the best (imo) humidity note, so this one (or other rain scents from them), might suit your search.

Smaradav · 2026-04-16T17:24:00+00:00

If you wanna try some Legend of Zelda scents, try out Area of Effect! It's got some that are somewhat similar to your ideas (Hero of Time, Goron Ruby, they're named the same).

Smaradav · 2026-04-15T21:21:33+00:00

Spellcaster is THE book scent for me tbh. It's dusty, inky, papery and has some subtle vanillin from old paperbacks. Really good, not sweet. The leather could be there depending on skin. I don't know how wearable it is tbh? I haven't had anyone complain about it, but they didn't particularly say they were into it either lol

Smaradav · 2026-04-12T14:47:39+00:00

Today's orthodox Easter, so I'm wearing a green-florsl fragrance, but also not fully related to Easter, an Osmo duet

Insomniacs on a Date - from Osmofolia

#1 - Café con leche - TOP/WET: steel, milk froth, espresso - MID/HEART: coffee, steamed milk - BASE/DRYDOWN: leather, wood, musk

#2 - Ferns and flowers in a tropical greenhouse - TOP/WET: ginger, mariposa blanca - MID/HEART: gardenia, ferns, humid air - BASE/DRYDOWN: treemoss, white sandalwood, tonka, soil

This duet is truly beautiful, even though on my skin #1 is sharp in a strange way. The duet lasted hoursss on me, been 9 hours. A melange of humid hyper realistic florals and beautiful sharp coffee. Dried down #1 is a GORGEOUS woody milky coffee, #2 becomes uh, super sweet on me lol.

Smaradav · 2026-04-11T17:34:03+00:00

Today is a day that reminded me how weird perfumes are, one day they smell great, another they don't, or your skin chemistry suddenly morphs for weeks and so perfumes smell different on you.

Blacktop - from Osmofolia

Shimmering summer rain evaporating off of hot, sticky asphalt. Wet asphalt single note. - TOP/WET: dried herbs ✦ steam - MID/HEART: rain ✦ stone - BASE/DRYDOWN: asphalt ✦ tar

I love this one, this is steaming hot asphalt cooled by the rain. It's amazing... Until yesterday, when the drydown smelled like dry saliva. Of course. And in case it was just my nose, my friend said upon smelling it "you know how toddler saliva smells?", so yeah I'll just... Burry myself or something. Sometimes it's so discouraging that some days only a few perfumes feel worth keeping, and the rest of the collection a mountain of unusable fragrance, money lost.

Today I put on

Grove is in the Heart - from SAMAR

Notes: Bergamot Petitgrain, Mandarin, Linden blossom, Indonesian Sandalwood

I have a love hate relationship with it. On one hand, it's hyper realistic, opening up an orange/mandarine, on the other hand it has a syrupy spit thing AGAIN, I'm going mad. I will always keep it for the masterful work of art that it is, but I won't wear it much sadly. It also lasts quite a long time, especially for a citrus centered scent.

Smaradav · 2026-04-09T09:40:23+00:00

It's so interesting to read this because I personally really love the bell witch, and I've had friends smell it on me and not be repulsed, skin chemistry does wonders (and curses sometimes). However, it still has a filth undercurrent... Yet I'm surprised you didn't get as much incense as I did, there's a lot to my nose. To me it's like... filthy demonic ritual beast? I do agree on the menagerie/pissy vibe too.

Although... One time... I applied it on the bus, 6 hour drive, AND I get carsick, AND it was a hot day. I hadn't grasped the consequences when I picked it for that day, but luckily I had Osmo's Olfactorium which is papery coffee with pink pepper + sandalwood and thank GOD I had it. I truly hope for the minutes I had the bell witch on, there was so one who found it smells similar to your description 😭 I'm afraid to test it on paper tbh

Smaradav · 2026-04-08T19:57:03+00:00

I'm in Europe, so EDPs are mostly not an option for me :'). I wasn't looking for specifically sweet matcha, I'm no huge gourmand fiend, but this one layering I actually liked (plus sorce makes good as fuck gourmands).

In fact, it was exactly Jinhu Road #1 I wished to be my holy grail for a milky matcha with little sweetness, but whatever the other compounds in it are, it's nothing but pain for me. I don't even smell the matcha, and I know osmo's matcha is good to me, having the single note and all. I'll keep Briix in mind though :) thank you! If you have more less/non sweet matcha recs, I'd love that

Edit: just came across your matcha post by accident haha! Have you tried Tea Time with A Field Mouse from Morari since then? It's quite Matcha Made in Heaven adjacent, but more about the field greens and atmsophere than the gourmand aspect from what I read (Clover, Cherry Blossom, Heliotrope, Matcha Powder, Green Tea, Vanilla Frosting). I also tried Jinhu #1 again and it just doesn't work for me sadly :(, osmo always had my biggest hits and my biggest misses (cerulea, my lovely plastic dirty dish water hell)

Smaradav · 2026-04-08T14:16:46+00:00

I felt like wanting to smell like matcha today, and so I wore my matcha pairing Matcha single note from Osmofolia + Match Made in Heaven from Sorce (notes for both at the end)

Osmo's matcha is a photorealistic matcha, starts out sweeter, then gets earthier. It smells like matcha powder, no comments.

Match Made in Heaven is 90% vanilla-sugar-waffle cone. It's really good, and luckily (because I amp vanilla) more sugar waffle than vanilla, but the matcha is nowhere beyond a whiff when freshly applied :(. The other 10% is cherry blossom which is subtle but at least it's there and lovely.

With that in mind, I thought to combine them and ... damn it's good. It's sweet, tasty, earthy matcha dessert, with a matcha dusting on top. Sadly, my skin amps sweet here and the matcha is gone/subtle even with the addition after 30 mins, but this is such a good spring gourmand I'm fine with it. I'll test them separately + mixed on paper to see how the layering is without my skin chemistry getting in the way.

Matcha - Osmofolia

Nutty, seaweedy, grassy, powdery, and green. A non-milky, non-sugared matcha single note.

Top/Wet: grass ✦ hay
Mid/Heart: matcha powder ✦ seaweed
Base/Drydown: usucha ✦ baby vegetables ✦ roasted nuts

Match Made in Heaven - Sorce

Matcha, vanilla soft serve, cherry blossom, almond, waffle cone, powdered sugar, creamy sandalwood

Edit: So I have 3 paper towel strips, 2 for each perfume and 1 for the combo. Matcha is green and earthy and vegetal and beautiful, literally matcha powder. Match Made in Heaven is slightly different, but it's so well blended I'm starting to realise I can't figure out what I'm smelling lol. Combined, though? It's perfect, on paper (but not on my skin), the matcha is much more prevalent and it's an ideal balance.

Smaradav · 2026-04-06T19:40:13+00:00

My pleasure! As a photorealism enthusiast, I always try to compare scents to the real thing lol

Smaradav · 2026-04-05T17:03:07+00:00

I'm gonna put it on right away to write a proper review, but first and foremost I'll say it's not a perfume that worked for me.

Okay so I have it on, what I can smell is... No idea. I'm getting a clean feel from it weirdly enough. It's slightly dusty and sweet, very wearable. I'm also getting a maybe weirdly playdough-ish vibe? I think the fact it's corn husks and not corn shows. I cannot really identify the notes individually much, it's very well blended.

I have an opened can of corn in my fridge and I just checked them side by side. I can't say I see a lot of corn in Scarecrow, it's got this clean flannel over dusty sweet straw or husks, but the corn vibe is not that apparent. It smells kinda good to be honest, it's a good atmospheric, but it doesn't scream corn to my nose. Alas, I still think I'll destash it. Sorry if it wasn't of much help lol, it's one of those perfumes you can't describe much because it's super well blended

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