People over at Indie Makeup and More have been talking raves about Kheimistrii, especially since Tyr, the owner of Fyrinnae, often recommends them. An awesome bath and body shop? Of course I had to take a look.
I actually had a bit of a problem getting to the shop in the first place. I'll admit that my spelling is atrocious and I tried things like Khemistri and Kehmistry (I knew that it started with a K and ended with the -ry sound) but even Google wasn't being very helpful.
But I made it eventually.
Packaging:
When I opened the box, this a big red flower greeted me. The presentation is super cute and from what I've seen of other orders, this is how orders are consistently packed. Personally, I could have done without the packing peanuts but at least they look like the eco-friendly kind.
Things in jars and my bar of soap were wrapped individually in tissue paper à la Haus of Gloi's wrapping style. I also ordered a couple of these interesting Marshmallow Bath Cubes which came in individual plastic bags.
Jars came plastic sealed and the soap bar was wrapped in a waxy paper.
Labels on the jars are plastic and I haven't had any problems with them peeling off or bleeding though I don't store any of my products in the shower.
Most of the labels are nice and legible except for this one which I still have problems with even though I actually know what it says. In this case though, it's the result of the color of the label just being the right tint to be hard to read against the product. The rest of the labels were fine.
Things in jars and my bar of soap were wrapped individually in tissue paper à la Haus of Gloi's wrapping style. I also ordered a couple of these interesting Marshmallow Bath Cubes which came in individual plastic bags.Jars came plastic sealed and the soap bar was wrapped in a waxy paper.
Labels on the jars are plastic and I haven't had any problems with them peeling off or bleeding though I don't store any of my products in the shower.
Most of the labels are nice and legible except for this one which I still have problems with even though I actually know what it says. In this case though, it's the result of the color of the label just being the right tint to be hard to read against the product. The rest of the labels were fine.
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| It says Countryside Cooler |
Selection:
One of the draws to Kheimistrii is that they make all of their products from scratch. That said, they have a pretty impressive selection.
In the artisan soap section, they have both bar soaps and the bath cubes that I mentioned earlier. (Full review on the bath cube coming up soon.) As of this writing, there are only seven kinds of bar soap but a couple are listed a few times in varying sizes. They state that the soaps are "cured at least three weeks to ensure a solid, a long-lasting bar." The whip'd body wash is their version of a whipped soap.
For scrubs, they have three kinds: bubbling scrubs, sugarcreme scrubs (similar to sugar scrubs of other brands), and a more costly Honey Butter Body Polish which I haven't tried but is made with mango butter, honey, and sea salts.
They have a bunch of different moisturizing products.
They have a lot of stuff basically. Though looking over the ingredients listings, I'm not sure how different each of the different moisturizers are and perhaps there's just a naming inconsistency?
In the artisan soap section, they have both bar soaps and the bath cubes that I mentioned earlier. (Full review on the bath cube coming up soon.) As of this writing, there are only seven kinds of bar soap but a couple are listed a few times in varying sizes. They state that the soaps are "cured at least three weeks to ensure a solid, a long-lasting bar." The whip'd body wash is their version of a whipped soap.
For scrubs, they have three kinds: bubbling scrubs, sugarcreme scrubs (similar to sugar scrubs of other brands), and a more costly Honey Butter Body Polish which I haven't tried but is made with mango butter, honey, and sea salts.
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| Bath Cube |
They have a bunch of different moisturizing products.
- The Multi-Purpose Moisturizing Body Butter is the most interesting on this list to me since it was designed as a hair product but apparently testers loved it on dry areas. It's made up of moisturizing butters and oils so I can definitely understand that but it also has Tea Tree Oil in it which can be really drying in large amounts. Make sure to patch test!
- The Body Buttercreme is soy butter-based with moisturizing oils and aloe juice.
- The Body Moisturizer is listed in the souffle section of the shop but it doesn't seem similar to the other product that it's categorized with, the Body Custard which is also called a Shea Souffle in the description. The Body Custard is pretty nifty looking though. There's a layer of shea butter and cocoa butter based product for a bottom layer but then it's topped with aloe vera juice mixed with blueberry extract (for a "jelly" consistency). The overall effect is pretty cool looking.
- Finally, the Body Lotion is a lighter moisturizer - lighter than the Buttercreme at least - and comes in a plastic bottle with a squeeze top (the others come in jars).
Kheimistrii does have a dedicated hair product which seems more oil based than butter based and they also have a selection of perfumes in both perfume oil form and body spray form.
They have a lot of stuff basically. Though looking over the ingredients listings, I'm not sure how different each of the different moisturizers are and perhaps there's just a naming inconsistency?
Samples:
Kheimistrii offers 2oz mini sizes of their whip'd body wash, sugarcreme scrub, bubbling scrub, Honey Body Polish, Multi-Purpose Moisturizing Body Butter, body buttercreme, and body lotion. Perfume oils come in sample vial size and seem to be more for scent sampling purpose than to serve as perfumes themselves.
Quality:
This shop has pretty nice stuff. The soaps and scrubs are really creamy feeling and well-made though I've gotten a couple of scents that smell a little not-quite-finished. But from what I've tried, I'm definitely interested in exploring more of their catalog. Some of the products are really interesting - looking at you, bath cube - and the variety is even more appealing when the products are quality.Cost:
The price is slightly higher than Haus of Gloi though the Haus has the benefit of having a pretty large scale production whereas I don't get that impression from Kheimistrii. They do offer promotions pretty often which they announce on their Twitter (@getMOISTnow - nope, not kidding. Am I the only one who finds that username a little awkward?). The most recent was last Memorial Day at 25% off though I've seen as high as 40% off.
Customer Service:
No personal experience here though I've heard around the internet that the owner is very nice.
TAT:
Currently listed on the Etsy page as 3-5 days. I received a shipping notice 3 days after I placed my order and it was in my hands 3 days after.
Shipping:
Shipping is calculated through Etsy but it's a little on the higher side. The shop does refund any overages over $1 though.Personal Thoughts:
If not for all of the rave reviews on IMAM, I can't imagine that I ever would have tried this shop. I can definitely see myself passing on Kheimistrii as just another small fish Etsy shop among all the others. Unlike some of the other shops though, Kheimistrii stands out with their entirely handmade line though I can't help but feel like they'd have a better chance if the photos were a little brighter.My shopping experience with this shop was quick and easy and the products have a great feel to them. I recommend trying them out! I recommend trying them out even more if you can catch one of the sales.
Readers, have you ever been skeptical of a shop but tried it anyway? Have you found any hidden gems?
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