Frequently asked questions
Will your perfumes cause allergic reactions?
Verdant Faerie perfumes are composed of all natural ingredients, which sounds harmless enough, right? But it is important to acknowledge that "all natural" does not mean "never allergic." Every body reacts differently and perfumery materials are powerful. I have listed all the materials in my perfume so that you can use your understanding of your body to decide if they will be a good fit for you.
That said, all Verdant Faerie perfumes are diluted essential oils, tinctures, and absolutes in either fractionated coconut oil or 190 proof grape alcohol diluents. Diluting them in this way may help to reduce the possibility of an allergic reaction. Essential oils and other raw perfumery materials should not be applied directly to the skin, but diluted, as they are in Verdant Faerie perfumes.
So the short answer is, we cannot guarantee that Verdant Faerie perfumes will not cause an allegic reaction.
Also, these perfumes are for external use only, they are not for internal use. Do not ingest Verdant Faerie products.
Please reach out to me with concerns about particular ingredients or anything really.
How do I decide on a perfume?
The Faeries encourage you to take advantage of our 1 ml perfume sample size and try several different perfumes before commiting to a larger bottle! Follow your instincts and try a couple! If you'd like guidance, please let me know. I'm always happy to talk scent.
Have you ever seen a faerie for real, Doreen?
Let's have tea ;-)))
What's the difference between Verdant Faerie Perfumes in Oil and Eau de Parfums?
Our Perfumes in Oil tend to be casual and playful. Some are complex in their formulations, some are very simple. I initially created the Perfumes in Oil line for people who wanted very straightforward scent compositions and do not enjoy minus the scent of alcohol. Perfumes in Oil will generally have lighter sillage. (Sillage is defined as "the degree to which a perfume's fragrance lingers in the air when worn.") Additionally, our perfumes in oil tend to require less time to age, although they do mature and evolve with time.
Our Eau de Parfums, or EDP's, are more complex compositions. They are measured exactingly, containing from 8%-12% raw material per 190 proof organic grape alcohol diluent. The faeries and I have invested countless hours tinkering and teasing these complexities into creation. The compositions are rich expressions composed in traditional French perfumery methods. EDP's are aged for a minumum of 4 months (usually longer) before passing Faerie muster and being released into the wilds. They are sumptous artistic creations.
Why do you prefer to use natural aromatic materials?
A personal health challenge initially lead me to all natural perfumery.
I have been a lifelong hippie, crunchy person, preferring MOSTLY natural foods and beauty products. But my health challenge urged me to reassess what I was putting IN my body as well as ON my body.
Always a perfume lover, I began searching for options to my beloved perfumes. There were not a lot of true, complex, natural perfumes at that time. (Now I am happy to be part of a burgening natural perfumery movement). Although I did not initially find a lot of natural perfumes, I did find natural perfumery schools and books. I was thrilled! I never imagined I could become a perfumer myself, and it seemed a way to bring the beautiful world of nature inside with me.
The seed was planted.
Now I prefer the scents of natural aromatic materials for the sheer beauty and wonder of them. It's comforting to know they have not been tested on animals.
There are still some non-naturals in my personal perfume collection. I will occasionally spray them into the air and dance through them, rather than applying directly to my skin. But I found as my nose moved away from synthetics, I lost interest in many of those perfumes.
Are your perfumes for men or women?
The answer is BOTH! We consider all of our perfumes spectacular for men and/or women.
The back story. After smelling perfumes I thought very feminine on men, and then smelling traditionally masculine scents on women, I decided they are interchangeable. So, I scraped the out-of-date notion that men and women should be wearing specific sniffs. Let's leave these outdated models in the past.
People Creatures should wear what turns them on and smells good with their personal body chemistry.
This said, if you would like guidance on this matter, please don't hesitate to reach out.
You may also see my Blog
"Rose is the Navy Blue of India" in which I discuss this.
What do you mean by "Imaginal?"
It's a very rich subject, and this is a very short answer! But here goes...
First, Imaginal differs from imaginary. The word Imaginal does not mean imagination. Although imagination can be a part of the Imaginal. (I know, so complicated!) Sometimes we can use imagination to access the Imaginal, as in guided meditation journeys, or stories.
When I speak of the Imaginal Realm I refer to the plane of dreams & visions - a world where creatures and spirits not readily visible on the material plane may be found. It is a place in which we reach towards the higher planes with our hearts and mind's eye. A middle ground so to speak.
Why even go there?
Many spritual traditions say experiences in the Imaginal are just as real as our experiences in the material/physical world. It is believed that experiences in the Imaginal Realm affect our material life. Our Imaginal experiences affect our personal evolution and also the shape of our lives on the physical plane.
We can touch on Alchemy here. The ancient tradition of alchemy is more than a chemistry experiment aimed at turning base metals into gold. Alchemists also concern themselves with the transmutation of the soul. After all, here is where true riches lie. In alchemy we may combine the material with the Imaginal to grow "gold" in our soul.
That is why we go there.
Are your perfumes available in stores?
At this time my perfumes are only availble on this website.
The Perfumes in Oil will be available Spring or summer 2021 at Creative Sage Cottage in Union Pier, Michigan.
