Perfumes are one of my most valued make-up arsenals, because it’s not superficial, like lipstick or blush. Its use is a lot deeper, it’s emotive, personal, and connected to the mind and spirit.   I’ve always loved ancient Egypt for it’s advanced culture and sophistication. Perfume began there, where it was highly prized, only the highest of society wore it, and it could bring you closer to the gods. And what a luxury it was. Fast-forward to today and all the heaps of designer fragrances out there, it’s easy to be disillusioned. Perfumes today appear to be over-marketed cosmetic junk (try to find a celeb that doesn’t have their own scent). But in reality they are the best way to complete a look for the day/night.

I myself tend to use indie labeled scents. What are indie labeled scents? It’s basically scents that are not mass marketed, and not commercially endorsed. They are not always, but usually eco/animal friendly (yay!) and they are not heavy, or strong, to the point of making you sneeze at a close whiff. There are some great indie perfumeries, such as Lollia, Love and Toast, Tokyo Milk, but the ones I am focusing on today are a bit less expensive, but equally as delightful.

Pacifica:

The price point of this company is to die for. I get mine from a local shop in my city and it is less than $10 for a roll-on travel size. But be careful, not all scents in this line are made the same. The coconut one is really faint to detect, and some of the other ones are too strong and not refined enough. You don’t want to smell like bathroom air freshener.  My current Pacifica fave is “Tahitian Gardenia”.  It has a warm floral scent with a lingering ginger spiciness.

Skeem:

More recently I picked up Skeem, a slightly higher price point perfume roll on, but definitely more light.  It is harder to notice, and you have to wear more of it, so the bang for your buck is not as great.  “Sweet Pea Vanilla” had a sweet candy tone to it, with a mild floral note.  It was very subtle and pretty. My current scent in this line is the “Night Jasmine”.  It is a bit heavier, a powdery musky floral base with hints of jasmine.  It’s romantic and soft. I don’t usually go for musks, but this one does it right.

The best thing about these less known perfumes are their originality.  No one knows these scents, they are lovely, and when they compliment you and ask you what perfume you have on, you can give a mysterious, less heard of answer to give them!  And most experiments with new scents are successful. My favourite places to roll these on?  The wrists, behind the ears, top of your cleavage and on your collar bone. My suggestion is to not wear so much that they smell you coming, but enough that they feel you going!