Frequently Asked Questions
Perfumes
WHAT DOES "ARTISAN" STAND FOR?
All Dark Tales perfumes and other items in our boutique are handmade. We work with small batches to ensure the end product's highest quality, correctness, and safety. We make our fragrances from scratch, mixing and blending essential oils and other aroma molecules, creating accords that are added to the purest carrier base. Everything is made with careful attention to the smallest detail. Many ingredients are handpicked and studio-produced: some plants are distilled, and others are made as infusions* or tinctures**, which often take months.
Then, it also comes to the story and philosophy behind every product and every scent. Each fragrance is a tale we want to tell you; therefore, the narrative and the idea are another significant aspect of our work, making your olfactory journey with us truly remarkable - your Dark Tales.
* Infusion (Maceration) - a fragrance extraction from a plant by placing it in the carrier oil in a certain way.
** Tincture - to extract components from plants, its materials are placed in a jar of high-strength alcohol.
WHAT IS THE CONCENTRATION OF THE PERFUMES?
All perfume oils are PARFUM (also known as Pure Perfume or Extrait de Parfum), which means that the fragrance contains between 30-35% aromatic compounds and is also the highest concentration.
ARE YOUR PERFUMES GENDER AIMED?
Our line of perfumes is unisex, meaning anyone can wear them. However, the scent’s performance may vary for different individuals depending on their body chemistry. The fragrances tend to have a woody undertone on male skin, while they will remain more floral and powdery on females. It's important to note that perfumes can vary for each person.
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU USE IN YOUR PERFUMES?
We use a combination of natural ingredients (essential oils, absolutes, concretes, CO2s, and floral waxes of the highest quality) and professional aroma molecules. Jojoba oil with a drop of Vitamin E as perfume oil base and candelilla (plant) wax with jojoba oil for solid perfumes.
CAN I GET ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO FRAGRANCES?
In rare cases, you may experience a slight allergy reaction when getting our fragrances on your skin, as they are based on pure essential oils (cinnamon oil can cause slight irritation, for example). Some people may also be sensitive to certain aroma molecules. However, this is very individual and varies from person to person. If any allergic reaction occurs, immediately discontinue the use of the product, wash the affected area thoroughly, and consult with your physician.
Do not use any of the fragrances while pregnant or nursing.
Do not consume internally.
Always keep fragrances away from children and pets.
IMPORTANT:
Notes of the fragrances are not their chemical ingredients. If you have allergies to certain chemical ingredients that you know of, please contact us to double-check if a product contains it. For example, linalool, limonene, eugenol, citronellol, and similar are the most known allergens in organic essential oils.
The full INCI list is provided for every product.
WHAT ARE YOUR SOLID PERFUMES MADE OF?
Most solids consist of the following ingredients:
Base: Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Tocopherol (Vitamin E).
Fragrance: organic essential oils, absolutes, CO2s & perfume aroma molecules.
They are vegan.
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Some solid perfumes may have a base of natural beeswax and shea butter. Those are not vegan, and it will always say clearly in the description of the product.
ARE YOUR PERFUMES TESTED ON ANIMALS?
No, we love animals and do not perform any tests on them. Moreover, we do not support when others do, and we do not use any ingredients that were tested on animals.
ARE YOUR PERFUMES CRUELTY-FREE?
Yes. We do not use natural animal scents - only an organic imitation of it (for example, musk).
Ambergris is a cruelty-free ingredient.
HOW LONG DO YOUR PERFUMES LAST ON THE SHELF?
Three years. But it all depends on the storage. If you keep our perfumes away from direct sun and heat exposure, they will last up to 5+ years and longer. All of them are self-preserving.
WHY DOESN'T THE PERFUME SMELL STRONG ON ME?
First, it comes to the nature of perfumes containing organic ingredients - they do not smell overwhelmingly strong. Perfume oil will never create a cloud around you. Natural perfumes are, by default, a lot more delicate than spray-applied purely synthetic fragrances. Solid perfumes are even more discrete (intimate).
Secondly, there is a definition of cold/hot skin. When you have minimal or no physical activity, your skin is also peaceful. But as soon as you start moving, you activate the blood circulation that will wake the scent from its sleep mode, too. So, wearing perfume oils will be an olfactory rollercoaster throughout the day.
Thirdly, perfume wear time is very individual. For some people, it may last over 8+ hours on the skin and 3+ days when applied on hair ends; for others, the same scent may stay only for a few hours. This goes down to body and skin characteristics.
And lastly, perfume oils are not for everybody. Due to individual body chemistry, the wear time for some people can be very short because the skin keeps eating oils. Applying a fixator before perfume oil is the only way to prevent this. It can be a complimentary or a different solid perfume or a fixative pommade that we offer in our boutique.
THE PERFUME I BOUGHT HAS LAYERED. DID IT GO BAD?
No. This is connected to the nature of perfumes containing organic (botanical) ingredients. The molecules of certain materials (essential oils/resins/absolutes) of the perfume are heavier than the others. So, after the perfume has been standing on the shelf unused for a while, some ingredients may layer and cause light sediment or cloudiness. This is normal behavior and does not mean the perfume has gone bad. Just shake it thoroughly before the next application.
This is also explained by the moderate filtering that we use - we purposely leave heavier molecules in perfume so that maturing (aging) is more beautiful and complete.
To know that the perfume has gone bad - you will feel it by the smell change. It will have a distinct scent of old oil. However, this is an exceptional case because we use vitamin E in formulation to prevent any bacteria growth inside bottles.
(!) SAFETY PRECAUTIONS (!)
Do not use any of the fragrances while pregnant or nursing.
Do not consume internally.
Keep away from children and pets.
Do not apply perfumes when attending beaches or spending a significant amount of time exposed to direct sun*.
*Some perfumes contain citrus notes (orange, mandarin, lemon, grapefruit, neroli, bergamot, and similar) that can cause photo-sensitization during prolonged direct sun exposure.
Always test with a small amount of perfume on your skin before using it full-time.
Orders
HOW FAST DO YOU PROCESS ORDERS? / WHEN WILL MY ORDER BE SHIPPED?
Usually, we prepare orders within 1-3 business days (weekends are not counted), unless stated otherwise. But sometimes, during holidays or significant sale events, we may take longer to fulfill the orders due to the high workload.
You can always see our current schedule at the top of our website saying "ORDERS PROCESSING TIME: X-X BUSINESS DAYS".
If you've placed a "preorder" for a product that hasn't been released yet, we will ship it to you as soon as it becomes available. While we do provide estimated timeframes, please be aware that unforeseen launch-related issues may cause delays. Rest assured, we will promptly notify you of any changes or delays in your delivery.
May you have any questions about your order, please get in touch with us via the contact form or send an email to info@bydarktales.com.
DO YOU ACCEPT ITEM RETURNS?
We do not accept returns or exchanges.
If your order arrived damaged, do not hesitate to send us an email with the photos and order number provided, and we will be sure to fix or replace your items.
Please read the full description in the Terms & Conditions.
If you are concerned about anything, please send us a message about it via the contact form or info@bydarktales.com.
HOW DO I GET A DISCOUNT BUNDLE ON MIX & MATCH PALETTES?
ALL MIX & MATCH PALETTES HAVE AUTOMATED BUNDLE DISCOUNTS*:
Buy 3 - get 25% off on the 4th palette
Buy 4 - get 40% off on the 5th palette
Buy 5 - get 60% off on the 6th palette
Buy 6 - get 80% off on the 7th palette
Buy 7 - get one FREE palette
*Examples:
If you would like to proceed with the first offer with three palettes and the fourth at 25% off, you should have all four in the cart for the discount to show.
Same if you would like to get the "buy 5 - get 60% off on the 6th": you should have all six palettes in the cart.
To get one for free, you should have all eight palettes in the cart.
CAN I CANCEL MY ORDER?
Yes, you can cancel your order until it is shipped. Preferably, within one hour as sometimes we may prepare and seal your order the same day.
DO YOU MAKE PERSONALIZED ITEMS?
Yes, but with exceptions. Send us an email to info@bydarktales.com or a message in the contact form with your ideas, and we will see what we can do about it.
Loyalty Program
WHERE DO I SEE MY LOYALTY POINTS AND HOW DO I USE THEM?
Your loyalty points are located at the bottom right corner of the screen - find the star in a black circle. Click on it and follow the instructions on how to earn and redeem your points.
Shipping
DO YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY? ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL FEES?
We deliver worldwide from Sweden using FedEx Economy and FedEx Priority. Please be aware that our shop prices, such as taxes and import duties, do not cover extra fees outside the EU. It is the buyer's responsibility to control and be aware of this. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what additional costs may apply to your purchase (if any). We encourage you to check this information before placing an order.
Send us a message at info@bydarktales.com or through the contact form if you are unsure, and we will gladly answer all your questions.
WILL I BE ABLE TO TRACK MY PACKAGE?
Yes, all packages receive an international tracking code, which you will see in "My Orders" as soon as your order is sent. We will also email you with the tracking details.
We send packages from Sweden (Uppsala) with FedEx.
We recommend using official FedEx website to see where your package is: https://www.fedex.com/.
IS MY PACKAGE LOST?
All packages are sent by FedEx and delivered by a courier. When you receive a tracking number from us, you can schedule and adjust delivery yourself (to the door, as a default setting, or to the closest pickup point; also, you can change the delivery date).
The delivery inside the EU is handled very quickly, and the packages arrive within approx. 3-5 working days. Sometimes, it may take longer, but that is an exception.
For orders outside the EU, all packages must go through customs, which can cause delays. We carefully fill in customs declarations for every package from our side to ensure there is no problem with it.
Lastly, please check the order's details if you have provided us with the correct address. Is there anything missing in the details? Is there a house number, or is the name filled incorrectly? If you have spotted a mistake, we recommend contacting FedEx as soon as possible for an update before the package is returned to us.
Send us an email at info@bydarktales.com if you are unsure or if you have any questions.
HOW LONG DOES THE SHIPPING TAKE?
Shipping takes different times depending on the distance. All packages are sent with FedEx from Uppsala (Sweden) with a tracking code, which you will receive in a separate email.
Approximate* shipping times with FedEx ECONOMY (business days):
Domestically, in Sweden - 1-3 days.
Inside EU - 3-5 days.
Other European countries - 3-7 days.
Overseas (USA, Canada, Australia) - 5-10 days.
Approximate* FedEx PRIORITY shipping times (business days):
1-2 business days within the EU.
2-3 business days overseas.
*Note that the delivery estimation may vary.
If you are worried that your package is lost or something happened to it, please let us know, and we will gladly help you.
WHAT ARE THE SHIPPING RATES?
We have fixed shipping rates provided by FedEx based on the delivery distance. The exact price will show during checkout when you provide your full address.
I CANNOT FIND MY COUNTRY IN THE SHIPPING LIST. CAN YOU ADD IT?
Please reach out to us at info@bydarktales.com, and we will look into it.
Retail
DO YOU WORK WITH WHOLESALE/RETAIL?
Yes, sometimes we do consider wholesale and retail offers from Sweden and various other countries. However, it is important to understand that we operate as a small studio, where each item is meticulously handcrafted. Consequently, producing large quantities simultaneously can be challenging. To ensure a smooth process, kindly inform us of your order well in advance, and we'll work collaboratively to devise an optimal solution and timeline that suits both parties.
Additionally, we extend wholesale discounts based on the specific items you wish to order and the quantity involved.
For more detailed discussions and inquiries send us an email to info@bydarktales.com.