FAQ
1. How long will it take to receive my order?
Please reference the banner at the top of the website for our current order processing time. Processing time is the period between when we receive your order and when it is mailed, and does not include time spent in transit. We fulfill all of our orders in the order they are received.
Although the processing time is always fluctuating since it is affected by order volume, the time that is listed on the top banner of our website when you place your order is the time frame in which your order will ship. You can always reference this processing time in your order confirmation email. You can also check the status of your order through the website, either through our chat box or by creating an account. Any orders tied to the email address you used should automatically appear in your order history.
For orders within the United States where we are based, all orders ship via USPS Ground Advantage. After an order is shipped, you can expect to receive it within 2-9 business days if you are in the contiguous United States. Hawaii, Alaska, and the US Territories will take a bit longer. Please note that during the holidays shipping times may increase. We will always email you a tracking number, although it may take a full business day for your tracking information to become visible.
International orders ship via USPS to the countries that are fully tracked with this service (we do not ship to EU countries due to their cosmetics regulations). All orders ship via First Class (7-21 business days) or Priority/Priority Express (3-10 business days), based on the overall package weight. Actual delivery times may vary based on destination country and/or customs delays and are not guaranteed. Please note that during the holidays shipping times may increase. We will always email you a tracking number, although it may take a full business day for your tracking information to become visible.
2. Can I change my order after I have placed it? Can I combine two or more orders?
We always fulfill orders in the order they are received out of fairness to all customers waiting on packages, so if you would like to add onto your order after 24 hours of placing your original order, you will need to place a new one. Feel free to request for your orders to be combined (with shipping charges being refunded where applicable), but please note that they'll all go out when the newest order is up in the queue.
As long as your order hasn't already been packaged, we are able to swap out a different scent in the same size/for the same price, or remove a product from your order.
3. Can I cancel my order?
If you need to cancel your order, please notify us ASAP. We will be able to cancel it as long as it hasn't already been prepared for shipment.
4. What is your return policy?
For hygienic reasons, we are unable to accept returns. All sales are considered final. Preference in perfume is subjective, and we recommend purchasing our 1.5 ml sample size (available individually or in sample packs) to try a scent.
5. Why can't I check out with a Great Britain or EU address?
GB: We will no longer be able to mail orders to Great Britain that are under $185 due to the VAT laws requiring all sellers outside Great Britain to collect and remit VAT on orders under £135. Please note that we do not deliver to Northern Ireland because it follows EU cosmetics regulations (see below).
EU: We are currently unable to devote the time and resources necessary to enter the EU market due to the cosmetics regulations there and the requirements to comply with them. It is extremely difficult for a micro business with as many products as we have to do so, especially without having a domain there (we are based in the United States). We apologize for any inconvenience.
6. I have had reactions to perfume in the past. Should I order your products?
Although we take every safety precaution when crafting our perfume, we cannot guarantee that our fragrances will not cause irritation due to personal sensitivities or allergies. It is always advisable to test a small amount of any new perfume on the sensitive skin of your inner elbow before use. If signs of irritation develop such as burning, redness/rash, or itching then discontinue use immediately and wash the perfume off with soap and warm water.
7. What is in your perfumes?
Our perfumes oils contain fractionated coconut oil and a combination of high quality natural and synthetic fragrance components.
Our extrait de parfums are made with 200 proof denatured perfumers alcohol (unless you are an international customer, then IPM [isopropyl myristate] is used) and a combination of high quality natural and synthetic fragrance components.
Both our oils and extraits are made with 30-40% pure fragrance compounds. This concentration is known as extrait de parfum, which translates from the French as "perfume extract," and is known in perfumery as the highest concentration of scent available.
8. What is the difference between EDP and oil perfume?
Please take a look at our EDP and oil perfume pages for more in-depth information on each format. In short, however, there is no difference beyond the carrier. Alcohol-based perfumes (EDPs) are slightly more diffusive and give more lift to the top notes, while oils wear closer to the skin and may be perceived as less volatile as the fragrance warms with wear. How one experiences the notes between EDP and oil has a lot to do with the environment and application, however in a controlled side-by-side-comparison they are nearly indistinguishable in wear after a few minutes on a scent blotter and on the skin.
9. Are your perfumes all natural?
Our perfumes contain a combination of both perfume-grade natural and synthetic fragrance components, unless stated as "all botanical" in the case of Gnome and Rochester. We believe that high-quality botanical components are the cornerstone of almost all great fragrances (with a few notable exceptions, of course) and utilize synthetics in more of a supporting role that helps the natural components bloom when possible.
For example, Bulgarian rose absolute is the star of the show in our fragrance Finist the Falcon, and the other natural and synthetic components are used in this case to add and prolong the rose absolute. But Namba, one of our more conceptual fragrances (saltwater canals, ice cream, neon, and motor oil), necessitates the use of synthetic components to capture those man-made city smells.
For Gnome and Rochester, for us to classify it as an entirely botanical perfume, we chose to use only "raw" fragrance components, including absolutes, essential oils, and resins. Often in perfumery, the line between natural and synthetic components can easily become blurred since many heavily-utilized fragrance chemicals are found in nature, then isolated and synthesized in labs. For example, Methyl Nonyl Acetaldehyde, the aldehyde that famously gives Chanel No. 5 that synthetic, fresh quality, is found naturally in kumquat peels. Linalool, a vital component in modern perfumery, is found in nearly 200 aromatic plant species and can be quite concentrated in sweet orange, lavender, and clary sage. Whether these are synthetically reproduced in labs, or naturally isolated via fractional distillation, their chemical compositions are the same as their naturally occurring forms.
However, we chose not to include any of these isolates for Gnome and Rochester to stay true to our idea of an entirely botanical fragrance, and instead use only the numerous gorgeous natural botanicals available.
We also find synthetics indispensable in the creation of accords when their botanical/natural counterparts are not widely available or difficult to harvest sustainably, like sandalwood, ambergris, or palo santo.
When given a choice, however, we will always pick jasmine absolute over a purely synthetic accord or a real resinoid over its synthetic counterpart whenever available.
10. Do you test on animals?
We do not test on animals nor do we buy from suppliers that do. We strive to use high quality, ethically-sourced ingredients.
11. Are your perfumes vegan?
All of our perfumes are vegan unless we indicate otherwise in the product description. If they are not vegan, it is because they contain a natural butter or beeswax component.
12. Do your perfumes contain phthalates or parabens?
We can say with confidence that we do not use or add parabens or phthalates to our perfumes at any step in the creation process, however the in-depth answer can be a bit more complicated than that.
Parabens are typically added to skincare and other cosmetics as preservatives, which luckily fragrance does not require these as there is no water content in which to allow bacteria to grow. However, methyl paraben can be found in trace amounts in nature, including certain kinds of berries (not used in perfume) and in real vanilla, specifically found in Madagascar and Tahitian vanilla. It is worth noting, however, that we do use both of these varieties of vanilla in many of our fragrances, however always in small quantities due to the tremendous cost of real vanilla absolute. Additionally, our vanilla vendors state that their vanilla absolute is paraben-free.
As for phthalates, to our knowledge, none of our components or vendors utilize phthalates, which have been largely phased out of the perfume industry in recent years. The only phthalate that can really be found in trace amounts in modern fragrance formulas in the industry is diethyl phthalate (DEP). DEP was widely used as a solvent and fixative, however non-phthalate alternatives have become the universal standard instead. In rare cases, DEP can sometimes still be used during the extraction process of resins or similar difficult to extract natural materials, albeit rarely. DEP is considered to be a high molecular weight phthalate, and has not been found to pose the same health risks as smaller molecular weight phthalates. Despite this, DEP and all other phthalates, to our knowledge, are not used at any step in the extraction or creation of our components.
13. Is it safe to use perfume if I am pregnant or nursing, or if I have _____ health condition?
Please always consult with your doctor before using fragrances (including natural perfumes) if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you have a health condition which can be affected by the use of fragrances.
Perfume is for topical use only – do not ingest, no matter how good it smells! Please keep all perfume out of reach of children and pets.
14. Do you do seasonal releases? When is your next collection coming out?
No, our collections are permanent and we don't have a seasonal release schedule. Instead, we aim to create themed collections that are focused around representing a story, place, etc. We like to devote as much time as possible to researching these themes and stories in order to give them the spotlight they deserve, to the best of our abilities.
Creating unique accords (like tuberose, blood, a chypre base, or desert air) takes time and they are often created anew for specific fragrances. For example, the honey accords in Lycanthrope, Vasilisa, and Luna di Miele are all unique and tailored to the fragrance as a whole. Creating a complex perfume by traditional methods takes a lot of tweaking, resting, and testing.
We are always working on the next collection or two, and simultaneously formulating several prototypes at once. We don't want to cut corners in creating a fragrance that we are proud of, and so we usually only have one or two releases a year.
We are always so grateful when someone reaches out to us because they are excited for details about any upcoming releases, but we cannot disclose theme details or release dates before they are officially announced.
15. Do you send out perfume samples in exchange for reviews? What about promotional materials?
It is our policy that we do not pay for reviews or send out free press samples/other promotional items in exchange for reviews.
16. Do you ever reformulate your fragrances?
Yes, as we learn and grow as a business and as perfumers, we enjoy revisiting our formulas to seek areas of improvement, always with the aim of increasing quality and staying true to the notes of the fragrance. Over the course of the years there have been a few changes made to our components as a result of shortages or discontinuations on our suppliers' ends. We always see these hiccups as opportunities to learn and make our products better, however we do try to keep any changes true to the original and reformulate as infrequently as possible. We list any reformulation dates on the bottom of the product page.
17. Where are you located?
The United States.