Preamble

Possets is a perfumer which makes two kinds of exceptionally original perfumes: Classic Possets and 100% Natural Possets. All Possets are oil based fragrances. Possets perfume oils are made from time honored man made and natural components. Our Naturals are entirely made of pure and natural ingredients without so much as one drop of man made components in them. Naturals are more expensive but they are made from more costly materials and take a good deal of skill to pull off, that is why they are more expensive than the Classics.

All the Possets are hand blended from scratch by Fabienne Christenson. Not one of them is just a perfume oil, or accord, or essential oil, or perfuming chemical dumped in a bottle and given a fancy name. I sweat over each and every recipe I come up with, try and err, improve and take a risk, try again and *bing* it becomes perfume.

My preference in perfume is to the thoroughly hedonistic blends. I am not very fond of anything astringent and bracing. I love to explore the newer ideas in perfumery. Sometimes I do go back in time and resurrect an ancient formula and pull it into 21st century form and I pay very careful attention when I do that. So I have been known to produce somewhat dry formulae as well as sweet and foody!

I come out with new blends very frequently and try to start off each season with a long offering of "Seasonal Blends" which are perfect for the time. So I will come up with Spring Blends which might disappear when summer occurs (June 21). I try to give a lot of warning that the Seasonals will go away before they are gone so you can stock up. Some of the Seasonals turn into Permanent Collection blends because they get such a warm welcome.

I want to produce a product which is absolutely first class and yet is affordable to the average perfume lover. I want you to afford to have an entire fragrance wardrobe. Possets are either $10 or $20 for 6ml of oil based perfume. That is a steal in this age!

All of the Permanent Collection of Possets (Classic and Natural) are available in sample sizes. Alas, I cannot make sample sizes of the Seasonal Possets, but there are decant circles which will decant Seasonals for you, or sometimes you can buy them outright, just ask on the forum.

Shipping can be chosen by the customer. I have provided all kinds of shipping options for you including the cheapest possible way which is usually the United States Postal Service. All parcels overseas which are First Class International (the least expensive way to ship) will be taken to the Post Office by me in order to be stamped and sent.

All orders over $50 are shipped for free to anywhere. That means that overseas parcels will go for free to anywhere on the planet, as well as American shipments. All free parcels will be sent First Class either Domestic (for the Americans) or International First Class (for everyone in a foreign country).

I hope you try Possets. There has been infinite care given to each and every one.

Fondly,
Fabienne from Possets

Possets' Position on Phthalates

Since starting Possets^® as a new business two years ago, I've been committed to keeping my perfumes free of known harmful ingredients such as toxic phthalates. Over a year ago I surveyed my suppliers to find out if any of their products contained those substances; I got no reports back that they did.

You may have seen news articles about phthalates in products and please know I read them with great interest. I want to continue creating my perfumes free of known toxic ingredients. Here are steps I have undertaken to that end, and hope you will support me in these efforts:

First, I have once again written my suppliers of essential oils and ingredients that I use in making my perfumes to let me know whether these are toxic phthalate-free in light of industry wide concerns.

Second, if any of my suppliers respond that their ingredients cannot be presented as toxic phthalate free, then I will not use their products in my perfumes and will either replace the offending ingredients with harmless substitutes or take the blend off my list of product offerings.

Third, while I continue to believe all my lines are safe, I constantly review their formulas and will remove from my product line any blend that contains any substances known to be harmful.

I have always maintained that perfume is meant to be pleasure, and Possets^® is committed to remaining Bottled Happiness.

Fondly,
Fabienne from Possets^®

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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

What are Possets^®?

A "posset" is an archaic English term which originally meant a sweet smelling "sop" or palliative which was concocted only to make you feel better, but not to cure anything. Later it came to mean something you treated yourself to, a small personal indulgence. It rhymes with "cosset" because the two words could be used interchangeably. But, alas, the word "posset" fell out of fashion, until now.

Possets are perfumes made to be pure pleasure, without worrying about the rules or what you "should" have in them. I frequently have found commercial perfumes to be too sharp and medicinal, and often just hinting at the more beautiful parts rather than presenting unabashed loveliness without limit. I wanted things which were not ashamed to be: pretty, unusual, and even witty.

What I specialize in is superbly blended perfumes with an edge of gorgeous originality. Some of the ingredients I use are unexpected, some are classics of the art, some combinations are a surprise, and some are new twists on old favorites. As you may have suspected, I adore creativity and I bet you will, too.

What kind of skills do you have that allow you to be a perfumer?

There are quite a few seemingly unrelated skills I have which are exceptionally useful in being a perfumer. I have loved horticulture for all my life and have grown a great many of the plants I use in my perfuming work: various roses and jasmines, osmanthus (Sweet Olive which I grow on my windowsill), mints, herbs, patchouli (smells just the same as a plant as it does as an oil), tuberose, petunias (only the dark purple ones have a scent nowadays), vegetables of all kinds. So I know very well what plants should smell like and how the essences I get compare.

I am also a good cook, that is important. You have to have an inkling of how different combinations will smell, and you can transfer what you know about smell from cooking.

I am also lucky in that I have been exposed to some of the great perfumes from the time I was a child. My mother loved good perfume and bought a lot of it in France. I know what a really good chypre should smell like, what Arpege and Femme smelled like when they were new and made with the best ingredients, what Joy is like, the difference between the various grades of some famous scents (there are import grades, domestic, perfume, cologne, etc.). I have also lived through some really peculiar days in perfuming (the '80's with their loud "musks" and the current "foody" scents which I love). So my "scent palette" is pretty varied.

The rest is: practice, trial and error, and hard work.

How long have you been making perfume?

I started trying to make perfume when I was six years old. We had a farm in Southern Maryland and I would gather rose petals from a beautifully scented old rose bush we had and crush them with clover blossoms, magnolias, crepe myrtle or whatever was scented and blooming at the time. My infant efforts didn't yield perfume, but it did make me anxious to learn more. Alas, there was no place to go and no one else knew anything about this esoteric practice.

In 1992 I met a woman who owned the local Caswell and Massey in Cincinnati where I was living. She was the only person who had a big array of perfume ingredients and gorgeous scented products. We became good friends and would meet frequently and make blends. She taught me about suppliers of perfume oils of all types. I made a line of aromatheraputic oils and perfumes. By the way, the name of that little company was "Possets".

Time passed and my friend moved away and I was pursuing other things in my life. Years later my interest in making perfume revived, and since the internet became popular, the world of scent opened up for me in ways which it had not before.

Sometimes I laugh when I make perfume because what I produced was so good that no other response will do. Sometimes I laugh because there are so many connections between our delightfully primitive scent appreciation centers and our experiences.

I have made a great many wonderful friends through perfumery and it's a pursuit which seems to spread happiness like no other endeavor.

I hear a rumor that you were going to bring out new scents every month, is this true?

At least! I bring out new scents more frequently than once a month, if my track record is to be extrapolated from. Since I run Possets, I can do as I like (what relief) so I end up bringing out new scents all of the time. I will let you know when they retire in enough time for you to stock up, or make them permanent so you don't have to. The only exception to that rule is Cambienne (tm), when that one changes, it's not announced so there is an element of risk with Cambienne (tm).

Cambienne (tm), what is that?

Cambienne (tm) is THE innovative perfume which you can only find at Possets. It is a perfume which I start every year to smell like January however, as the year progresses Cambienne (tm) changes. I add things to Cambienne (tm) which changes the scent and it gets sunnier, warmer, greener more floral as the year progresses! So in June, if you bought a bottle of Cambienne (tm) it would be very rosy and flowery. If you bought a bottle in October, it would be more apple like and smelling of fallen leaves. So I make Cambienne (tm) fit in with different times of the year and no two bottles are ever the same. I may very well mix in things which reflect the holidays as they occur, things which go on in my neighborhood (I have a neighbor who grows a gardenia tree in the summer in his front yard and that scent finds its way into the blend around July). It's great fun and it's totally unique to Possets.

How can I be added to the mailing list so I am sure to get notice of your the latest scent offerings?

Please send me an e-mail and tell me you want on the newsletter. Copy and paste this address: info@possets.com I try to make it good looking, packed with significant information, not too frequent, and something to look forward to.

How can you make and sell these scents so reasonably? I'm used to paying a great deal more for a great deal less.

I can do a lot of things myself which other people would charge me a lot of money to do. So, I can keep the price low. For instance, I design my own website, I design and print my own labels, and more. So, I can keep the price down, the quality up and have a good time. Also, I live in a pretty inexpensive city in the Midwest. The prices I pay for rent, utilities, gas, supplies and such are cheap compared to the coasts, so that gets passed on to the consumer. I am always looking for ways to get the same value for less and pass that on. My lag time is low due to planning and planned production schedules. That's not too romantic, but it works and lets you get great scent for less.

Do you use animal products in Possets and can you say you are cruelty free regarding animals?

I do NOT use animal products in Possets and I do NOT support animal testing of perfume ingredients. If I found out that one of my suppliers did engage in animal testing, I would have to stop using them. It's perfume, it's not worth any pain to any creature. It's supposed to spread pleasure.

Who did the artwork on this site?

Some of the Possets bottle label artwork is mine, some are oil paintings and others are digital images. Others were done by Toulouse Lautrec, Edouard Manet, and there will be more. The website is full of the paintings of great Renaissance painters like: Botticelli, Signorelli, and Tiepolo.

Tell me what you can about what goes into your scents.

I sell two separate lines of perfume: Possets and Possets Naturals.

Most "modern" perfumes consist of: essential oils, perfume oils, carrier oils, accords, and aromas. In short, real things and artificial things. With the Possets regular line, I will use just about anything safe to achieve the effect I want. I put them in a plant oil base because the scent stays longer and it has a natural preservative in it which will keep your perfume fresher while allowing the various components to blend and age magnificently.

With Possets Naturals I use pure vegetable oil as a carrier. All of the ingredients are natural, and by that I mean processed as little as possible. I do not use: "nature identical" chemicals, any accords with anything synthetic in them, no synthetics whatsoever. I won't use over-processed naturals, either. If there is a question as to whether a component is natural or not, I error on the side of being too strict in my interpretation of "natural". I use as many organic scented ingredients as I can without sacrificing quality of scent (you cannot get all essential oils certified organic). So I am selling you the most organic and most pure fragrances anyone can possibly produce.

I am so sensitive, can I use your scents without breaking out or having any sort of bad reaction?

Nobody can promise you that you will never have a bad reaction to anything. If you suspect you are allergic or sensitive to scents, I would advise you not to use perfume at all.

What kind of packaging do you use with Possets?

I am a stickler for practicality. I really get annoyed with fancy packaging which ends up not working. I use a plain pharmaceutical/aromatherapy 5 milliliter bottle for my scents. They are called "5ml" bottles, but they hold 6 and that's what I put in them. I chose amber ones because they do a great job in filtering the light and keeping it from deteriorating the perfume. They have black caps which are the most leak proof I can find for sale.

I make the labels and really love the artwork chosen or made for them. The outer wrappings vary. I want them to be pretty as well as stand up in the mail and not weigh too much and look great by the time they get to you.

Do you have a return policy?

Sorry, due to the nature of my product, I cannot accept returns due to the nature of this business. I cannot accept back samples either.

What is that circle "R" behind the word Possets? Why does it appear so often?

Possets is a registered trademark of the Fabienne Christenson LLC Corporation. Any use of the name for commercial purposes without prior permission constitutes trademark infringement (I call it poaching) it means you are not as creative as I am, and I will go after you for that as an act of Socio-Commercial Darwinism and sport.

Shipping Policy---Please Note:

Possets offers a variety of shipping options and we are one of the few retailers to offer you a choice of First Class Domestic or First Class International shipping through the US Postal Service. I've found USPS to be quite reliable and also the cheapest way to ship. We also offer more full-featured and expensive options from the US Postal Service and UPS.

Please note that First Class shipping either domestic or international through the USPS does not include insurance or tracking. Buyer assumes the risk of lost, stolen or damaged packages and Possets will not replace packages shipped by First Class USPS.

Once a package has been picked up from Possets Perfume, it is well & truly on its way. I do not have any control over it from the time it falls into the hands of the Post Office or Private Carrier it now becomes a matter between the client and the Post Office or Private Carrier. I cannot replace shipments which are lost, stolen, destroyed, or tampered with. That is a matter between you and the carrier of your choice.

If your parcel was delivered according to the US Postal service (by checking the Delivery Confirmation Number) then Possets will consider that parcel delivered and it will be a matter between the client and the Postal Service as to where it is. If the client wants a replacement, they have to reorder. If the parcel does not show delivered, then the client is requested to wait for two weeks from time of shipment to contact Possets in the matter of a replacement. An amazing number of packages do turn up though late.

Possets also cannot promise that a package will arrive at it's destination by a certain time, especially in the case of the client ordering economy postage. Any guaranteed delivery would have to be between the client and the carrier.

In addition to my prompt shipping policy, Possets has an exceptionally generous free shipping policy. If you buy $50 or more Possets, we will send you your order FREE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD using First Class International or First Class Domestic. 

Possets also automatically upgrades your shipping to USPS Priority Mail DOMESTIC if you buy 13 or more 6ml bottles (10 or more 10 ml bottles) AND THAT UPGRADE IS FREE!!! (Sorry, that feature is only for US customers).

About International Shipping--

Possets offers the less expensive First Class International shipping even if you don't qualify for free shipping and have to pay for it yourself. A lot of retailers don't offer that choice.

Please realize that the less expensive First Class International does not include tracking and it does not include insurance. If your parcel is lost in transit, held up by Customs in your country, or delayed by your Post Office, it is up to you to track it down. I have no control over your parcel once it leaves Possets by mail. I have no influence with government customs, post office, or the airlines. If you have chosen First Class International, I will have only a US Customs number, and that is not the same as a tracking number. It may or may not help you. I will be happy to send it to you if you ask me to.

If you want the ability to track your parcel or insure it, then you should choose the more expensive Priority Mail International or higher, or the Priority Mail Domestic, even if you buy more than $50 worth of Possets. Priority Mail International will give you a tracking number and will automatically give you insurance. If your parcel is lost and you have shipped Priority Mail International, then you will have the ability to deal with tracking it and/or collecting insurance for lost packages.

Please note: this is not a definitive list of features for shipping options. For the most current explanation of features, please visit the website of the carrier you choose to deal with (The United States Postal Service or United Postal Service (UPS)).

Once a package leaves Possets, I will have done everything I can to send it on its way to you. The proper postage is affixed and it is properly on its way to you. If there are any: customs fees, tariffs or penalties or any additional fees to be paid the customer must pay them. If your parcel gets to your country and you choose not to pay the fees associated with it in order to obtain it, and the package is sent back to me then you are going to have to order it again if you want it. I am sorry but under those circumstances I have done everything I can to make sure your package gets to you and we have to start over.

Also note that if the package tracking says that the package was delivered to you or to your terminal distribution point (the place where the package is handed to your mail carrier to be delivered to you) Possets will take it that the parcel was delivered. If you still do not have your package, then we suggest that you talk to your post office promptly.

Possets cannot be responsible for the exchange rate between the USA and other countries and how that effects your liability to pay your country's fees. Lost, delayed, destroyed, or stolen packages are no longer my responsibility and we don't replace them regardless of the amount of shipment.

I cannot promise that your package will reach you by a certain date either. That depends solely on the carrier and other conditions over which Possets has no control.

Possets does not offer the flat rate Priority International boxes because they do not include insurance or tracking.

Please give your parcel at least 30 days from the day it ships to get to you before contacting Possets about it being lost. Many is the time when a customer has contacted me to say that their Possets are lost in transit only to write to me the same day and tell me that the postal carrier just brought the package!

Finally, I can only write on the outside of the Customs form what is really in the package and how much it costs (minus the shipping). Telling the truth about the parcel contents insures that your order will get to you with the minimum of delays and trouble for all.

Also Note:

I am delighted when someone wants to do a review of Possets BUT I don't send out free samples to anyone who says they are going to do a review. Possets are very very inexpensive and it is part of the experience to buy them and pay for them and then receive them. That is what your readers will be doing. So please sign up for a Possets account, go shopping for our divinely reasonable samples, enjoy them and write them up and tell the world. If you need a bit of advice on which samples to choose for a review, send me an e-mail and I will be happy to give you my best opinion.

Also, I do not do custom fragrances for individuals.

Anything else you want to know?

E-mail me at info@possets.com (cut and paste that address, it isn't a link) and I will get back with you as soon as possible. If you ask me a profound enough question, I may make it one of the questions asked here in the FAQ! And credit you, of course.