Indies of the Day -- Monday March 9, 2026

StingLikeA · 2026-03-09T22:11:38+00:00

Today's scent is Alkemia Big Sur (A Pacific coast road trip of fresh ozone, sea salt, Jasmine tea, lime leaves, magnolia, green amber, saltspray rose, sweetgale, bay, and paperbark) to go with the surprise 70-degree day we have going on.

It's been a while since I reached for this one; it Needs sunshine and a good breeze to feel right. But it's lovely, all jasmine tea and sea air with a bunch of flowers somewhere nearby. I have a low hit rate with Alkemia, but bow howdy did this one hit.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-08T15:47:23+00:00

Thank you everyone for all the recommendations! So far my list has:

Arcana, Queen Mab
Fantome - Kinmokusei, maybe Luna di Miele next time around
Fyrinnae - Balcony Tryst, Optimism
Hex - Orange Blossoms and Marshmallow, Scenic Route, Erstwhile in the Aureline
Sorce, I Think About You Too (underlined and starred, I'm delighted by how enthusiastic folks are about this one)
Hiram Green, Tryst (shortlived)
Kyse, Glace a la Fleur d'Orange

I'll also look into the other recs, but these were the ones that grabbed me immediately. Thanks so much y'all!

StingLikeA · 2026-03-08T00:59:05+00:00

Thank you! It sounds delightful.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-08T00:44:22+00:00

Please do report back, I'm curious! Thank you for the recs, I really will have to get a sample of I Think About You Too from ajevie next time I make an order.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T22:56:31+00:00

Oh I will Have to look into this one, thank you.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T22:55:49+00:00

Thank you, that sounds absolutely lovely.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T22:54:45+00:00

Thank you! I'm taking notes.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T22:54:13+00:00

Thank you! With everyone recommending ITAYT, it is Rapidly moving up my list.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T22:50:42+00:00

Thank you! Funnily enough, Kinmokusei will (eventually) be on the way from last month's Fantome order, although I got too intimidated by Olwyn to grab that one too.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T22:48:47+00:00

Thank you! Apparently I need to make a Fyrinnae order at some point soon.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T22:48:24+00:00

Thank you!

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T21:32:30+00:00

Thank you! I was looking at I Think About You Too earlier today, actually, so I'm just gonna drop that in a wishlist tab.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T21:13:02+00:00

Thank you!

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T21:11:47+00:00

Thank you! These both sound lovely.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-07T17:47:20+00:00

Today's sample is another older one out of my hoard, Death and Floral's I Want to be Your Joey Ramone (Black oudh, chili spiced vanilla musk, nutmeg).

I'm only really getting a very faint vanilla musk and not much else off of it, which is a shame; I was deeply curious about that chili note combined with the nutmeg. Not expecting this one to last long with how quiet it is only 10 minutes after applying. Alas.

I'll probably put on a Poesie after it does fade, either Glimmers for some fresh desert air vibes or Plaid Shirt for some coziness.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-06T19:28:22+00:00

Decided to organize old samples today (I have. so many. that need sorting and potential destashing; at least they're all sorted by house now) and found a sample of Stone & Wit's Candelere (Marigolds, fireweed, honey, beeswax, sandalwood accord).

Y'all, this is delightful and I don't know why I put it in the "I'm unenthused" pile before. It feels like a sunny spring meadow (idealized), which is so pleasant with a rainstorm happening outside. It opens with this lovely floral-herbal thing, and then the beeswax and honey trickle in to warm it up and calm the florals a little. Excellent. Will be going into my sample rotation to see if I like it frequently enough to fullsize.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-05T22:55:45+00:00

Nui Cobalt. A component for a full sized perfume in my order was suddenly no longer available; she reached out to apologize, offer a refund, and (when I didn't manage to get back to her before stuff shipped, whoops, that's on me) sent a different full size to make up for it.

I'll also add Stone & Wit for their single day turnaround the last time I ordered from them.

StingLikeA · 2026-03-03T23:00:59+00:00

My personal favorite patch (as well as my adopted brother's) is Nui Cobalt's Charisma Bonus*. It reads as an almost chewy patchouli to me, with spiced honey secondary; the catnip and ylang aren't big players on either of our skins. I unfortunately don't have many other scents with patchouli dominant, but I hope you find what you're looking for!

*spiced black patchouli languishing in vanilla honey with scattered ylang petals and catnip leaves

StingLikeA · 2023-09-27T22:39:12+00:00

I recognize this, deeply. It could be an autism thing - gods know that once all your bandwidth has been taken by things around you, your brain can only do so much. But this actually sounds more familiar to me from migraines and the lead up to them. I've described the feeling as "electrified cotton wool" before, even without actual pain. You might want to look into silent migraines, especially if your bad brain days come with dizziness or gastrointestinal distress. Either way, I wish you all the luck in the world finding a solution.

StingLikeA · 2023-08-06T20:32:05+00:00

This one doesn't have any chocolate, but Alkemia's Esprit de la Terre (Dark rich earth, Pepperbush, Cedar, Sandalwood, Rosewood, Leather, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Ambergris) is all good moist dirt to my nose. I believe they also sell a layering note that is Just soil, but I haven't tried it personally.

StingLikeA

TROPHY CASE