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My Alchimia Apothecary package is stuffed--! |
Perfume samples are strikingly similar to boxed chocolates. They're so small! But you can wear it so many times! It's okay if I buy five at once... or fifteen...! I have a really easy time justifying reaching for that fifth chocolate just as I do adding more sample vials into my shopping cart. Alchimia Apothecary's "buy two, get one free" deal seemed made for me, the only tragedy being it took me so long to jump on it!
Alchimia Apothecary
Although Alchimia Apothecary is a relatively new shop (not even six months old at the time of this review), there's a mindbogglingly vast catalog of options to peruse. But don't let the numbers fool you: Alchimia Apothecary focuses both on quantity of options AND quality. From their shop description:
Alchimia Apothecary is an artisan apothecary with emphasis on quality herbal salves and balms. We research the properties of our herbs very carefully, and tailor our recipes for great effectiveness. All of our products are made in small batches, from 100% organic herbs, oils and flavors. Your body absorbs 65% of the chemicals you apply topically, those chemicals go directly into your blood stream. With our salves, balms and serums there are NO chemicals, so only healthy ingredients will ever touch your skin.
Since I only purchased three "sample" packs of vials (fifteen vials total... I swear I put a lot of thought into which fifteen I picked, and since the catalog is so huge I really did have to take the time to sort through what I wanted!) I won't be looking at the toner tabs, salves, etc.
I was shocked when I found out that Alchimia Apothecary had only been on Etsy since the end of June. Considering the vast selection (70 perfume oils alone!), I'd have thought they were long-established. Being a consumer and not a crafter, I imagine that they have to keep a large number of ingredients on-hand for such a large selection, but considering they only make things in small batches this might work in their favor. I'd rather have my choice from a long list of options in small, fresh batches than a small "core" collection. Of course, this is all dependent on the quality - but I'll get to that in a bit.
My sample packs contained five vials each, leaving me with 16 vials total (including a freebie). However, you also have the option of purchasing individual sample vials, or packs of 2, 3, or 5. You're encouraged to include which fragrances you want included in your note when making a purchase.
It's a teeny bit early to be remarking on the quality of what I receive considering I've only sampled five out of the 15 sample vials I received. However, every single one I've tried so far was unique, applied fantastically, and for the most part lasted a long time. I admittedly was a tiny bit skeptical when I was browsing the catalog--"Look at all these options! This is CRAZY! How can they offer so many different fragrances like this? Does the quality suffer in favor of quantity?"
Alchimia Apothecary's prices are fair, and so far I've seen two excellent sales since I started paying attention to their shop.
- Perfume: Varying sample packs, $3.50 for a single 1mL vial, $15 for full-sized 5mL bottle, $4 for a 0.15mL solid tube.
- Salves: All different sizes and prices from $2.75 sample tin to a $14.75 2oz tin
- Toners: $3.50 for a sample tube, $7.50 for a 0.5oz vial
- Lip Balms: $3.50 for a 0.15oz tube
- Facial Masks: $4.00 for a vial (2-3 uses per vial)
I didn't have any direct interactions with Erin, but a quick perusal of the shop's feedback shows that buyers have been consistently pleased with her attention to detail and communication.
I placed my order on a Friday evening and received it the following Saturday. This was impressive because there was a holiday in the middle.
Each Etsy listing has a clear breakdown of the shipping policies. Shipping to the US is $3.50 + 0.50 per item, Canada is $5.00 + 0.50 per item, and international is $8.00 + 0.50 per item. From the breakdown:
I was pleasantly surprised with my order from Alchimia Apothecary. It's not that I was anticipating my samples to be of poor quality... I just didn't expect them to be so GOOD. Between the broad selection (fragrances ranging from the feminine to masculine, floral to foodie and everything in between), the transparency about the ingredients and application to the approachability of the seller, I liked everything about my experience purchasing from Alchimia Apothecary.
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