Indie Products

Well, we know about Indie Music.. (short for Independent) but what about Indie Products?  What are they, what is the deal? where do you find them?

One of the oldest, most established sources of indie products is Malin +Goetz, apothecary and lab.  They launched in 2004 and are a family-owned apothecary in NYC. They started out in Chelsea where they kept their bulldogs, Bob and Junior.  Passers-by liked to to photograph them as they sat in the storefront window.  They outgrew the Chelsea shop and in 2007 moved the apothecary, the shipping/warehouse operation, and Bob and Junior over to the Furrier District on 29th, near FIT (Fashion Institute of Design).  Here is what they have to say about themselves..

Matthew and Andrew personally develop each and every formula with a trusted chemist, whether a long time friend or industry specialist for a specific technology or ingredient expertise.  The intent was to create products that supported and served our community from start to finish, and, to offer effective treatments that benefit everyone.

The key to our extraordinary cleansers is our hydration science. Gentle amino acid-based cleansing agents thoroughly purify and hydrate, helping to maintain a natural pH balance. Our advanced moisturizers are rooted in our absorption science to compliment our cleansers; they are oil-free and residue-free, blending nourishing fatty acids instead of traditionally greasy pore-clogging oils, silicones and waxes. Into both our cleansers and moisturizers, we incorporate beneficial botanical extracts that enhance performance and provide fresh natural scents that quickly evaporate - leaving room for personal fragrance choices. Each ingredient is carefully chosen as the least irritating and most advanced for performance

Here are a couple of their most yummy looking products: 

http://www.malinandgoetz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9&Itemid=11

lime tonic. EDT.

12% eau de toilette. men+women.
Paired perfomance system - FL-500-01
1 fl. oz. / 30 ml.

description. 

Our fragrance is synthesized for natural citrus notes of fresh lime to effectively uplift and offer general well being.  Modern and dynamic, our formidable and long lasting lime tonic performs on its own or paired with the soft, subtle warmth of our Synthesized Musk, creating a unique sensory balance tailored to an individual or couple.

notes.

Top notes of lemon, middle notes of lime, dry down of white musk and warm woods.  paired with our innovative synthesized musk.  Natural spray.

Okay, so it's not cheap.  It's $48.00.  

They are currently recommending a candle which is a combination of Geranium and Tobacco.  Actually, you have to buy the two candles separately to achieve this sublime combo. 

My friend Marla brought be a tobacco candle and it is nice, incredibly.  M+G's are $52.. I usually spend around $8 at Target.  They also have a Cannabis candle. Yep, Cannabis.  

Another purveyor of Indie products is Indie Scents. 

http://indiescents.com/

These folks are from Portland Oregon, and they are inspired, as they say, but "urban and street culture, art, film, and music-- especially the new school of hip-hop and graffiti artists"... hmm.  Their fragrance line is called "Slumberhouse"  with exotic names like "Grev", "Jeke", and "Vikt". '

Another supplier is Aftelier Perfumes.. with scents made by hand in Mandy Aftel's studio in .. of course! .. Berkeley, California.  Her stuff looks so yummy!  She makes liquid perfumes, solid perfumes, scents that remind you of cooking aromas such as ginger (Chef's Essences)and perfumer's botanicals.

http://www.aftelier.com/home.php

Mandy's solid perfumes are served up in a base of organic unfiltered beeswax and jojoba oil.  These little cases are of her own design and are sterling silver, fabricated by an artisan in Taxco, Mexico.

If you don't want to go all in, you can try out samples delivered in small 1-2 ml volume, and see what you like best.

http://www.aftelier.com/order-samples.html

My favorite Indie scent??

It's Cherry Bomb, a fragrance with notes of wild rose osmanthus, chocolate (of course) and vetiver.  Cherries?  nope, the combination just smells sort of cherry-ish.  You can buy it in Boone at a little boutique called Gladiola Girls, but you can also buy it, I have discovered, at numerous places on-line.  But make sure you get the real stuff. It looks like this:



Or, we could just go outdoors here in North Carolina and .. inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.