Scent Trunk Box Review!

A fellow smelly had done a review of what they got from the baby company (May 2014!) Scent Trunk in a Youtube video a few weeks back, so I decided I’d try it out! I’m a sucker for the niche and the indie, and I was excited when the box got here so quickly after only about a week’s time. My referral code is 8522, or you can click here to sign up.

I did have a few technical difficulties regarding the site, but their customer service (aka Will Yin, who is also CEO; love that entrepreneurship) cleaned that up quickly, and I can see that they’re still going through a few design transitions, which doesn’t bother me at all. I kind of feel like they sent me the regular starter pack though; two of the fragrances sent to me were on their back-to-school blog post, and while that is admittedly my demographic, it’s not as though this was my first foray into niche fragrance. (I’m about to get to reviewing the glut of Imaginary Authors samples I have by the way!) But I mean, it’s not as if they knew that, and I haven’t tried any of the brands they sent, so that’s definitely a plus.

They did send Mr. Chokkattu almost explicitly feminine and floral scents though he ordered unisex and I helped him move his sliders to where we thought we’d get something in his ballpark of woody and oriental, so that was rather strange.

However, I’m holding on until the next box at least! Hopefully it works out a little better. On to the reviews!

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Budlet’s Florida Water review and NYC rent hikes

Review’s at the bottom! I got a little carried away with the opinion part.

Florida was a fun find while browsing NYC’s famous (opened in 1971) Pearl River Mart before its depressing brick and mortar close in December because of a giant rent hike at the end of this year’s lease. Pearl River Mart houses tons of Asian/Chinese clothing, plateware, mugs, teapots, cooking utensils, chopstick designs, a small selection of instant noodles, various sauces, and Asian snacks, as well as a tea balcony, a bunch of random knick-knacks downstairs, and plants.

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Twisted Lily Haul: My Favorites

Before I begin, I will say that these are probably my current favorite fragrances, and thank you Twisted Lily for introducing me to Apoketer Tepe (though I wish I could stroll into Harlem and talk to the source, but perhaps that’s an ambition for another day) Apoketer Tepe’s After the Flood is a new darling, but I have no idea what took me so long to write about L’Artisan’s Tea for Two. They remind me of the best quiet emotions of spring and autumn. Having one on each wrist brings me some odd solace that only makes sense if you’re as obsessed as I am about the physical portrayals of transitions as a literary motif.

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Twisted Lily Haul: Unum Reviews

The other week, I bought a custom mix off of Twisted Lily, fragrance boutique and apothecary located online and in Brooklyn. I actually bungled it up a bit since I was supposed to put what I wanted in the order description, and while I had created a list indicating as much in Notepad, I forgot to put the list into the description. I didn’t know I had forgotten either so I delayed the whole process a few days by being a terrible customer, but I did finally reply with my choices, and they sent my choices on over (thanks Stamatis!) In fact, they included two more Tauer samples: Incense Extreme and Incense Rose, and I’m really excited to open those up too!

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Histoires de Parfum

image Sylvie Jourdet, professor of olfaction and perfumery accords at the ISIPCA in Versailles, vice president of the French Society of Perfumers, crafter of most of the HdP juices, just made me groan out loud on the train because I am not her and not likely to ever be her. She makes me hate my life a little.