One Hand Washes the Other (OHWTO) is an Etsy shop based in South Carolina. TAT is under a month, and I didn't have to contact customer service about this order. The store has both stock and hand blended fragrances available.Price
A full size 5mL bottle of fragrance costs 11$, bitsy vials which are 2mL typically run 4.75$, but can be as much as 5$, and solid scents are mostly 6$ but can go as low as 5.50$ when not on sale. Basically, its a very affordable brand but sample purchasing in the way I like to do for reviews is rather expensive.Shipping and Packaging
This is what came in the order when I got it which was a little before Easter (I am a slow blogger). Becca gave me candy and tea and everything looked nice and was packed pretty securely. Not the most secure, but nothing broke during shipping, so its all good.
Aesthetically speaking, this is one of the prettier packaging jobs I have seen.
The perfumes came packed nicely in a plastic bag which was then placed in this pretty organza bag.
Keys are a common motif for this brand, I had a vintage key stamped on both my packing envelope and my sample envelope (pictured here).
I thought it was very pretty to pack the free samples and business card in tiny envelopes.
This is the contents of the envelope. I'm never brave enough to commit to putting stickers anywhere, but I adore getting them.
In the end my only complaint about the packaging is that drama leaked a little bit because it looks like the cap didn't get screwed on quite right. There wasn't a significant loss but it was messy and then the bottle was really hard to open. I pulled off the label in the process.
Scent Reviews
Just about all of the liquid perfumes start out really lovely, but then they dry down to a sad incensey smell. Not like a good one but like after you have put out your incense and the lingering smell is a little old and stale. I took this into account when I grade the lasting time because stale incense is not what I consider to be a lingering of the perfume, I like to reapply before then.
Ravensblood ★★★☆☆
This was a scent from the Halloween line from like 2013 which I got in a swap. Its pretty old and no longer in stores but I'm reviewing it anyway because if you buy a full size perfume you could potentially have it for years and never use it up. Me getting this sample was also actually what got me to place an order with the company in the first place so I thought it deserved a spot.
Company Description: The last blackberries of the year, dark musk, licorice spiked with clove, guiacwood, labdanum, sandalwood, patchouli, and a bright twist of lemon.
In the Bottle: There is something else there, but mostly it smells like a fruit roll-up. This is promising because processed artificially flavored and dyed pears are my true love.
On the skin: I am disappointed. It is a combination of fruit and what I think is sandalwood. I LOVE incense smells, I adore smelling like a hippy, and I adore smelling like fruit and other sweet things, apparently I do not enjoy smelling like both.
On the dry down I am less disappointed. It still doesn't smell like a fruit roll-up, not that it was supposed to, but it does smell like faintly sweet incense. It isn't my cup of tea for a personal fragrance but I can definitely see how people would like it, especially as a Halloween scent because it has that dark autumnal witchy feeling, but also a sweetness that reminds me of candy.
Sillage: ✦✦✦✧✧
Lasting Time: 5-6 hours safely
On the dry down I am less disappointed. It still doesn't smell like a fruit roll-up, not that it was supposed to, but it does smell like faintly sweet incense. It isn't my cup of tea for a personal fragrance but I can definitely see how people would like it, especially as a Halloween scent because it has that dark autumnal witchy feeling, but also a sweetness that reminds me of candy.
Honestly, if I hadn't looked up the information about this fragrance I never would have thought it was just under a year and a half old, which bodes very well for aged perfumes.
Haterade ★★★☆☆
I kept associating this with deodorant, and then I realized it was because my mother had a huge thing for cucumber and melon scented things and thus wore Dove's cucumber and melon deodorant for two years. When I think of Gatorade I automatically think of lemon lime flavor (because that is actually the best flavor), so this wasn't what I expected but that is 100% my fault because the company description is pretty on-point.
Company Description: Inspired by the BEST Gatorade flavor of all time, Limon Pepino, this fragrance features Lime and Cucumber prominently. Rather than leave you smelling like a sports beverage, however, I have added light floral and musk notes to help ground the fragrance and elevate it to more of a "perfumey" scent than a delicious drink scent. Light, green, and perfect for Spring!
In the Bottle: Cucumber melon, like the kind you find in candles.
On the skin: At first there wasn't much difference, but when it settled it started smelling like if flat sprite contained deodorant. Which isn't entirely unpleasant.
Sillage: ✦✦✧✧✧
Lasting Time: 3 hours
Moth ★★★☆☆
So this was one of the free gift samples I was given, and from the description it sounds like it is modeled after pixies or wood sprites which is super perfect for me because I like to inform everyone that I am a fairy princess when they make remarks about my eccentric behavior or small size.
Company Description: Iridescent wings flutter and flit through the forest night, leaving trails of sparkling pixie dust floating in the air. A veil of sheer freesia and honeysuckle, lily of the valley, dew-laden mint, tree trunks, pine needles, and the forest floor below.
In the Bottle: it smells soapy and fresh and ever so slightly effervescent. It smells translucent and thin and fragile like wings, or how I imagine wings.
On the skin: It smells less wonderful and fantastical, more soapy and clean but by no means unpleasant. I think a lot of people would adore this scent.
Sillage: ✦✦✧✧✧
Lasting Time: 3 hours, at least in solid perfume form. The good news is that it is easy to reapply.
Blackberry Buckle ★★★☆☆
Company Description:
In the Bottle: Berries, leaning blackberry but mostly just a generally berry scent, and some sort of grain or corny scent.
On the skin: Dries down to a very soft fruity scent.
Sillage: ✦✦✧✧✧
Lasting Time: 3 hours
Besos Del Sol ★★☆☆☆
Company Description: a summery floral blend which is best described as the scent of sun-warmed skin, Besos del Sol is a feminine and flirty scent. Creamy coconut and white gardenia star, supported by notes of white grapefruit, resinous amber, jasmine, a touch of deep, smoky vetivert, and a dash of bourbon vanilla
In the Bottle: This hits you in the face with poorly balanced gardenia and jasmine, but in the background there is a faint sweet fruit scent.
On the skin: Still mostly gardenia but I get the occasional whiff of coconut.
So far, this is just really poorly balanced to me, but I also generally speaking don't like the scent of gardenias. If you love gardenias or florals in general this would be the perfect summer perfume for you though.
Sillage: ✦✦✦✦✧
Lasting Time: 3-4 hours? I'm afraid this might not be the most accurate lasting time though because I got really distracted by my crush today.
So far, this is just really poorly balanced to me, but I also generally speaking don't like the scent of gardenias. If you love gardenias or florals in general this would be the perfect summer perfume for you though.
Decadence ★★★☆☆
Company Description: Red Velvet Cake. Need I say more? Well, probably not, but here goes- this is not some stock rendition of everyone's favorite cake; this is my very own unique interpretation, with each note selected carefully to ensure maximum cakeitude. Cream Cheese Frosting, Cake batter heavy with Dark Cocoa powder, Vanilla Beans, and Butter.
In the Bottle: It smells so much like red velvet cake, it is gorgeous and wonderful.
On the skin: Like fake cake, not bad fake cake, just not very real smelling unfortunately.
Sillage: ✦✦✧✧✧
Lasting Time: 4-5 hours
Buttella ★★★☆☆
The perfume in this bottle separates, so if you grab up a full size bottle, remember to shake it before use. Also, because this is how I test my gourmands I actually brought nutella around with me to school in order to compare the fragrance to actual nutella.
If you are die-hard nutella fan and the smell of nutella makes you swoon, this perfume is 100% worth it.
Company Description: Creamy hazelnut spread made with skim milk and cocoa, smoothed out with vanilla notes.
In the Bottle: artificial chocolate, a nutty scent, but not nutella.
On the skin: on the skin it does smell like hazelnut, it really does have the implications of nutella, but it is not nutella. As it dries down it more closely resembles nutella and if you love the smell of nutella, you will probably like this perfume. I am more about the taste of nutella though, so while this smelled good it didn't do too much for me.
Sillage: ✦✦✧✧✧
Lasting Time: 3 hours safely, 4-5 hours with reduced throw.
Serendipity ★★☆☆☆
This perfume smells delicious, it is rated two stars because of its lack of throw and lasting power. This might make a good solid perfume (you can order it as one actually) because you can carry it around and reapply it regularly.
Company Description: A bushel of berries- strawberries, blackberries, currants, a breath of freesia, light musk, herbal sage, mysore sandalwood, and a bit of dank oakmoss.
In the Bottle: sweet and fruity with a mild floral to it
On the skin: still sweet but there is some sort of musk or other base note that became more prominent upon dry down. There is a touch of cotton candy fragrance as well.
Sillage: ✦✦✧✧✧
Lasting Time: under 2 hours
Company Description: A bushel of berries- strawberries, blackberries, currants, a breath of freesia, light musk, herbal sage, mysore sandalwood, and a bit of dank oakmoss.
In the Bottle: sweet and fruity with a mild floral to it
On the skin: still sweet but there is some sort of musk or other base note that became more prominent upon dry down. There is a touch of cotton candy fragrance as well.
Sillage: ✦✦✧✧✧
The Airing of Grievances ★★★☆☆
This label was handwritten unlike all the other labels I have previously seen. There is nothing wrong with that, I just figured I would mention it. Apparently this was a holiday collection fragrance that I snagged up the last of as I cannot find it anywhere anymore.
Company Description: Fir boughs, musky sandalwood, vanilla, woodland moss, pine needles, ozone, frozen air, and holiday fruits
In the Bottle: It reminds me of if a bounce dryer sheet were a perfume
On the skin: Yep, like a darker, deeper bounce dryer sheet with less throw. At first it was really weak but as it warmed up and settled into my skin it diffused out a lot better.
Sillage: ✦✦✦✧✧
Lasting Time: 3 hours
Final Thoughts
Though not the highest quality indie perfumes I have ever tried (with regards to the fragrance oils used and how it turns out on my skin), these are good affordable perfumes. The lasting times varied quite a lot for me, and the throw of the perfumes are generally pretty weak.
Becca has a great nose though, the blends at least in the bottle are amazing, and I think some people will just have the best skin chemistry for this brand. I really like the idea of solid perfumes, and at 6$ a piece it is very affordable. Though none of the samples I tried left me feeling like I needed a full size bottle immediately, I will be repurchasing from her in the future.
Becca has a great nose though, the blends at least in the bottle are amazing, and I think some people will just have the best skin chemistry for this brand. I really like the idea of solid perfumes, and at 6$ a piece it is very affordable. Though none of the samples I tried left me feeling like I needed a full size bottle immediately, I will be repurchasing from her in the future.
I had a couple solid scents from them that I was crazy over but they were discontinued.
ReplyDeleteYou said these weren't the best indie fragrances you've tried, what would the best be? I could really use some recs. Thanks !
Oh & p.s her black magic soap is fantastic, I have combination skin that is more oily than dry and prone to breakouts. My skin looked/felt great while using it.
That depends what you want, so I'll outline my preferences and some brands you might like. I tend to prefer realistic smelling perfumes, particularly feminine or foodie fragrances, I like moderate throw perfumes because I am often in community spaces working with people and worry about sensitivities, and while I expect a perfume to last at least 3 hours and lasting time is a huge bonus, its not a deal breaker for me.
ReplyDeleteI quite like Haus of Gloi, Firebird Bath & Body, and Cocoa Pink (review in progress) for "my type" of scents, most of their scents appeal to my personal tastes and work with my skin chemistry. Cocoa Pink is an amazing value for perfumes and from the products I have tried does really great bath products, but TAT can be LONG.
Solstice Scents does quality perfumes with a great lasting time and insane throw, but they tend to do more scents that I'm not into than ones I enjoy. Of course, they also happened to be my first full size indie perfume purchase so there's that.
Sixteen92 and Deep Midnight Perfumes do amazingly real scents that are well made and creatively done, but the brands tend to cater towards more unisex, dark, and smokey scents, which aren't up my alley but might be great for you. I do own a full size of one of the Holiday Sixteen92 scents, and have plans to purchase a full size of Miss Sherlock from Deep Midnight Perfumes.
You seem to have the same skin type as me, so I might have to get around to trying that soap. Its cheap and if my face doesn't like it my body acne might.
Try alkemia perfumes. Also, red deer grove. Both on etsy!
ReplyDelete