SURRENDER TO CHANCE HAUL AND REVIEW

I compared three decant websites in my birthday haul: Lucky Scent, The Perfumed Court, and Surrender to Chance. You should read the post for more info about the other websites, pricing, and for my review of The Perfumed Court. 

Surrender to Chance (STC) was one of the first decant websites I learned about, yet it's the last one I've tried. Out of the three, it has the best selection of Indie fragrances. Not indie like ELDO, Gritti, and other brands. I sell my wares on Etsy indie. 

I placed my order on June 16th and got it on the 23rd. Fast turnaround! The perfumes came in the same decant bottles with pixelated letters on white labels. The decants were packed into tiny plastic resealable bags in a white, square box. No tiny treat... And no rice packing peanuts because it came in a bubble mailer envelope. 

What I like about each website:

• Decants look cleaner from TPC. 
• Better indie and vintage selections on STC. 
• LS has an extensive collection for each brand and offers free shipping after purchasing a certain amount.

In the future, I will primarily shop from LS. There are a few perfumes on STC that I want to try and aren't offered anywhere else, but I won't be making a purchase anytime soon. This is a big haul!

What I Purchased:

1. Juliette Has a Gun - Not a Perfume. Excited to try Ambrox/Cetalox. I remember sampling it in Sephora a long time ago and not liking it, but I'm willing to give it another try. 
2. Born to Stand Out - Dirty Rice. I learned about this new perfume brand when it was showcased on Lucky Scent and STC. I went to Scent Bar and wanted to try it, but the sample was empty, along with Nishane's A Hundred Silent Ways... Sad. It has notes of almond, bergamot, *basmati rice, *milk, *peony, musk, cedar, vetiver, Cetalox, and sandalwood. 
3. MCM - Mode Creation Munich. Per my All the Members of MAMAMOO'S Perfumes post, Moonbyul calls this "the crème de la crème of perfumes." People constantly ask what she's wearing because of this perfume. SOLD! Notes: raspberry, apricot, peony, violet leaf, jasmine, Ambrox, sandalwood, moss, and vanilla. 
4. Vilhelm Parfumerie - Basilico & Fellini. Notes: basil, pitahaya, fig, violet, green grass, hay, and vetiver. I love basil, and I'm interested in how the pitahaya note will play out because, in my experience, dragonfruit doesn't have a smell or taste.
5. L'Artisan - Iris de Gris. Instagram and L'Artisan exposed me to a realm outside of designer perfumes. The note of green peas is unique, and I can't wait to try it. It makes me nostalgic for Crabtree & Evelyn's Gardener lotion.
6. Paranormal Perfumes - Kitchen Witch. Notes of freshly baked bread, soft spices, melted butter, honey, and almond cookies topped with flowers to celebrate the changing seasons. I've noticed Indie brands love making gourmand and atmospheric scents.
7. Alkemia - Ammil. Wet snow, melting ice, and warm skin. Does snow smell? I've experienced snow multiple times, and it smells like nothing. Excited to discover what snow and melting ice smell like/how the perfumer interprets it. Indie perfumes have the whimsy and imagination that some brands lack.
8. Death and Floral - The People You Love Become Ghosts Inside You. Notes of Heavenly musk, lingering funeral flowers, cold scent of vanilla in an empty corridor, handprints on a foggy window. The notes don't intrigue me. It's the notice! Petty bitch activated.
• A heavy atmospheric that has been reported to cause feelings of intense emotion and is sometimes unpleasant in its vulnerability. Not for the faint-hearted!
9.  Death and Floral - The Sweater We Buried You With is Hanging in My Closet. A luscious blend of three different vanillas, resinous amber, Arabian sandalwood, and a soft cashmere sweater. I enjoyed Kayali 28, so I want to find more vanilla perfumes and then write a post compiling my favorites. 
10. Fantome - Kinmokusei. The brand and this fragrance were featured in my first wishlist post. Fruity, floral, resinous. Ripe apricot, juicy peach, tree sap, golden blossoms with a hint of citrus, and deep, resinous amber.
11. Frederic Malle - Carnal Flower. Notes: tuberose, bergamot, *melon, *eucalyptus, ylang-ylang, jasmine, white musk cocktail, coconut, and orange blossom absolute. Slightly terrified of this perfume because of the reviews on STC. I thought I disliked Rose after smelling Delina, but I loved Rose of No Man's Land, so I'm testing my tastes. I tried Musc Ravageur from the brand early this year and wasn't the biggest fan. I still have the sample and stand by the fact it smells the way Post Malone looks. 
12. Thierry Mugler - Womanity. This is Lady Gaga's favorite and discontinued perfume. I went to the Mugler exhibit in the Brooklyn Museum and thought the perfume portion's crystal bottles were stunning. One of my favorites, as well as Mugler's gorgeous photography. The striking blues, the glaciers, and the other-worldly beauty of Iman. Chefs kiss! Notes: fig, caviar, and fig wood.
13. Serge Lutens Bourreau des Fleurs - Section d'Or. Emo AF.
• A unisex oriental fragrance with notes of caramel, sap, and resin and contains NO floral notes. Serge's symbolism of his relationship with his mother - both love and hate, the executioner. -STC
14. Serge Lutens - Un Bois Vanille.
• A smoky oriental vanilla-inspired scent. It is simply one of the best vanilla fragrances that exist. Not so over the top with vanilla sweetness as some, tempered with woods, made interesting with some of the other notes, and just creamy smooth and elegant. -STC
15. Serge Lutens - Rose de Nuit. 
• An animalic, smoldering, dark rose fragrance. This rose belongs in the night, slightly hidden, thornier, while it seduces you through its dry-down into something that promises much more. -STC
16. Ormonde Jayne - Champaca. Neroli, *bamboo, *rice, *green tea, and champaca. 
17. Guerlain - Shalimar. People commonly compare fragrances to Shalimar, so I wanted to know what it smells like to add to my "basic fragrance knowledge." Top notes of lemon and bergamot; middle notes of jasmine and May rose; and base notes of iris, incense, opoponax, tonka bean, and vanilla.
18. Byredo - Mojave Ghost. Wrapping up my Byredo testing chapter. Top notes of Ambrette and Nesberry; middle notes of  Magnolia, Sandalwood, and Violet; and base notes of Cedarwood, Musks, and Vetiver. One of the popular scents from the brand. 
19. Byredo - La Tulipe. Notes: Cyclamen, Freesia, Rhubarb. Tulip. Blonde Woods, Vetiver