[Review] Smelly Yeti perfume oils

• Shop name: Smelly Yeti
• Location: Western Hills, Utah, United States
• Known for: Quirky and fun product descriptions, pop-culture references, and small-batch, handmade perfumes that are vegan and cruelty-free

 

TL;DR: While I didn't fall in love with any of these, I think the shop is super cool and would absolutely try more scents in alternate circumstances! Overall, I do recommend this brand.

As always, you can read more about how I review scents here.

Scents

🖤Broody Guy

(Dark, masculine leathers with hair gel and self-loathing...aw, who am I kidding. Angel likes to play the dark avenger card, but we're not fooled. This one smells like cake. Sweet, delicious cake with buttercream frosting. Unisex, because who doesn't like a guy who smells like a bakery?)

This is inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I'm pretty sure.

Despite the notes listed, I get a floral vanilla from this, no cake. No further thoughts! I'm not sure where those gourmand notes went on me.

 

🖤Cinnamon Bun

(Simple, warm, and possibly a teeeeeeny bit underbaked - who doesn't love a good cinnamon bun?)

Yep, I think the notes are accurate - it's a very strong cinnamon but somehow a little bit like gooey bread. I don't know how she did that! Since cinnamon is an irritating note to a lot of people (me included), I'd approach this one with caution... That said, it didn't bother my skin initially but did on another wear.

Testing again, this definitely smells like a true-to-life cinnamon bun, in the way that it smells heavily of cinnamon but is also a little bit sweet alongside the gooey bread with icing. That said, it's not as sweet as it could be; the icing is definitely not overpowering here.

 

🖤Hey, McFly!

(Inspired by old 50s ice cream parlors, this scent mixes fizzy cola and root beer with sweetshop vanilla to create a surprisingly unisex/masculine end result. Slather some on, go to the big dance. It's your density.)

This is inspired by Back to the Future.

The only review I can find of this is that I felt it was very accurate to the smell of root beer. Wow, self. That sure is helpful. I remember getting rid of this one a long time ago, presumably because I simply did not wish to smell like root beer as I originally thought. Anyway, I recommend this if you're looking for a realistic and specific cola scent.

 

🖤Not the Bees

(It might actually be more accurate to call this "Yes The Bees" because this perfume is a lovely sweet confection of candied honey and honeysuckle, punctuated by citrus and underscored with smooth vanilla. Nicolas Cage screams not included.)

An internet search has informed me that this is inspired by The Wicker Man. 

A little bit sweet but mostly powdery, presumably from the honey. Unfortunately, honey does this on my skin sometimes - I think it's a vegan honey thing. There wasn't much more to this for me.

 

🖤THE ILLUMINATI IS REAL AND YES I AM IN IT

(Blackcurrant scones dusted lightly with cinnamon and sugar, teacakes spread with raspberry jam...what, did you think it was going to be reptilian skin and sulfur? How déclassé! How gauche! Power smells like a well catered luncheon.)*

*Note: This is only the short description. Full description is at the bottom of the post, and I highly recommend reading it!

I do know a little bit of how this should smell, so the power of suggestion should be noted here. I am also trying this in the hair oil, though the scent is formulated in the same way. Anyway! I get a clear impression of fluffy pastry, sweet cream, and a lemon note that smells like Play-Doh. Unfortunately, the lemon note comes out as I sniff and then overpowers the other things. In the morning, there is a light impression of what smells like blackberry jam. I don't think it's for me, but the vibe was definitely close to the intended!

Longevity: ~7.5 hours

🖤Veronica

(Whether it's a simple stakeout at the Camelot or mass murder, there's only one detective to call. Well, I guess you could call Keith, but we all know who's going to do the heavy lifting in the investigation: Veronica. Yup, she's a marshmallow. A big, sugared pink marshmallow, with just a hint of blood...orange, that is. Pixie spy magic in every drop. Feminine!)

I'm pretty sure this is inspired by Veronica Mars.

Huh. I didn't get the listed notes at all. I smelled moist yellow cake, which I think is my nose's interpretation of marshmallow, followed by what I thought was rum (probably the pink sugar) and nondescript spices. I guess that's how my body is treating the orange?? Not sure why that is. My skin decided that it was not going to follow the perfumer's intent with this one, and that was that.

Longevity: 8+ hours (yes, I only remembered to track longevity for the last two) 

 

Thoughts

I vaguely remember buying each of these over the years; I always have purchased Smelly Yeti secondhand, and I seem to have chosen scents with no focus beyond trying a few things from the brand. They have quite a few more scents I'd potentially be interested in trying, but I have so much perfume at this point that it doesn't seem sensible. I've chosen to get rid of all of these, as most did not work as desired on my skin, and that's another part of the reason that I'm not jumping to complete my Smelly Yeti wish list. It is a bummer, though! I adore the company's branding, and the owner (or whoever writes the website copy) is absolutely hilarious. Their site is one I could scroll for hours (and have) simply because the voice of the company is so charming. I was also excited to pair this review with a real food photo (though no shade to my collection of minis), because it really does evoke exactly how the perfume smells. I'm proud of this one.

Regarding the pop-culture references that inspired these perfumes, I cannot say anything about accuracy, as I have seen none of the related media. I might watch Buffy or Back to the Future one day, and I'll try to remember to update this review. That said, I don't get the impression that the owner is the type to make a shallow reference. She seems like a big fan of these things.

My consensus on Smelly Yeti is mixed. Above all, I'm influenced by the fact that the shop is closing by the end of this year. You can read that announcement here. I don't want to take away from people who may be waiting to repurchase a favorite scent or who have always wanted a perfume inspired by a certain character. That said, if her final sale comes around, and there are a few fruity scents in stock, then I am quite likely to buy a few full-sized bottles outright. The owner seems like a rad person, and I'd be happy to support an indie brand closing up with adequate notice. Too often, it seems, shops will close suddenly or take a break that never ends. In the meantime, I am cheering on Smelly Yeti in its final days and recommend checking them out!

Tried: 6
Kept: 0 (but enjoyed two)
Success rate: 1/6 or ~17% (counting Cinnamon Bun and Hey, McFly! each as 0.5)

Now, for the bonus content:

Here is the regular page for the scent 'THE ILLUMINATI IS REAL AND YES I AM IN IT'. 

 Please also note the other options available...

  

 Lastly, here is my favorite size option! 

 

Incredible. I am so entertained by this. But wait; there's more! I noticed a strange texture on the site, so I clicked to see what it was. There is an EVEN LONGER, SECRET DESCRIPTION hidden on the product page! Behold.

 

Since the alternate text for the image will be ridiculous, and it's a lot to read, here it is, spelled out:

"Wake up, sheeple.

Looking for a blend that subtly evokes respect, physical attraction, and a sensual sort of POWER OVER THE MASSES OF THIS WEAK AND FRAGILE EARTH, SHEEP IN NEeD OF SHEPheRdING would you like a cup of tea, Alfred? No thank you, makes me nervous. And scaly.

Blackcurrant scones dusted lightly with cinnamon and sugar, teacakes spread with raspberry jam...what, did you think it was going to be reptilian skin and sulfur? How déclassé! How gauche! Power smells like a well catered luncheon. THEY WANT YOU MALLEABLE THEY WANT YOU AMUSED DO NOT LAUGH WHEN THE ONLY LOGICAL RESPONSE IN THIS WORLD IS TO CRY IN TERROR JUST LOOOK AT THEPYRAMIDZZZWAKE UP AND TAKE HOLD OF DESTINY YOU WORTHLESSe

Feminine, leaning unisex.  More like leaning REPTILIAN

Vegan! or is it? trust no one Trust No One TRUST NO ONE NoT EEEVeN YouRSELFFFFFFFF THEY CAN CHANGE MEMORIES 1999 NEVER EVEN HAPPENED IT'S ALL JUST A COVERUP

Ingredients: Rice Bran Oil, Jojoba Oil, Fragrance Oil, Essential Oil, Blackcurrant absolute, human souls, alien energy, pyramids, love, nightmares 

Full sizes come in 7.4 ml bottles (with a glass wand applicator) featuring the label artwork pictured. Remember, you saw nothing. It's safer that way. 

Samples are in adorable 1.3 ml bottles. YET YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REDEEM THIS FOOLISH WORLD ALSO BACK WHEN I ORIGINALLY WROTE THIS DESCRIPTION THE WORLD WAS MUCH LESS INSANE SO LIKE, USE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER ANYONE WHO SAYS THAT THERE'S SECRET CABALS BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME IT'S LIKE AN ANTISEMITIC THING AND LET ME TELL YOU THERE'S NOTHING MORE DISAPPOINTING THAN GROWING UP AND FINDING OUT THAT CONSPIRACY THEORISTS  JUST HATE MINORITIES AND IT WAS NEVER ABOUT LITERAL LIZARD PEOPLE."

 

Not only is the last point an excellent one, but I am cracking up at the dedication to hide this incredible description within the site page. This is why I speak so highly of Smelly Yeti as a brand - they are truly unmatched. Give this brand some support if anything speaks to you! At the worst, I imagine that their site will provide some entertainment.

 

*Updated April 28 with correct location after talking to brand