Shop Policies


Thank you so much for choosing baubles and brews from Traveling Vardo... There is no greater compliment for me as a designer than to have someone choose my creations.

 

Returns and exchange details

Due to the nature of perfume oils I cannot accept returns or exchanges. I do my very best to describe my scents as accurately as possible, but scent is very subjective and perfumes can smell quite differently on one person than they do on another due to our own unique body chemistry. This is why I offer sample sizes in my shop so that you can try-before-you-buy. I highly recommend that you take advantage of this.

If you receive a package with damaged materials (such as a broken bottle), please contact me right away. I always strive to pack items securely, but occasionally accidents do happen in transit and a package arrives damaged. I may ask that you send me a photo of the damaged / broken items for postal service insurance claims. Thanks for understanding!

DISCLAIMER: I formulate all my products to be as gentle as possible on the skin (I have very sensitive skin myself), but as with all products applied to the skin, please discontinue use if irritation occurs. By purchasing my products, you agree that there is always the possibility that topically applied products could cause irritation or an allergic reaction due to individual sensitivities, and as such I am not liable should such reactions occur.

Shipping

Current turn-around time is 6-8 business days BEFORE your item actually leaves my hands. This is due to my order volume. In many cases items ship MUCH more quickly - but depending upon current order volume, stock on hand, etc. this can vary.

 All shipping methods are via the United States Postal Service. I ship Tuesday through Friday and all domestic packages include tracking.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: I'm happy to ship internationally, but please allow up to 4-6 weeks for your package to arrive due to possible delays with customs.

Every international package has a tracking number generated via USPS when I print your mailing label, but in general I find that once international packages leave US borders they are no longer trackable beyond that point. This does seem to vary from country-to-country, however.

Additional policies and FAQs

VERY IMPORTANT: Some essential oils, absolutes, resins, and other materials used in my blends may not be safe for use by women who are pregnant or nursing, or those who have certain types of medical conditions. As such, if you're pregnant, nursing, under a physician's care, or taking medication for any condition, please do not use without consulting your doctor first.

Now - I am frequently asked if my perfumes are all-natural... in a nutshell, no. I do have some scents (and my entire line of aromatherapy blends) that are created from pure essential oils or combination of essential oils, absolutes, extracts, resins, etc., but the majority are a blending of both naturals and safe synthetics. Any perfumes that are 100% natural are marked as such in the shop.

One of the most frustrating things for me is that there is a strong notion among some that natural is always better. I'm sorry, but that is simply not always the case. There are plenty of "natural" substances that will irritate, inflame, aggravate, poison, and even KILL us. Not all naturals are inherently safer or better than their synthetic counterparts. As such, if there are safe synthetic alternatives to natural materials that are potential (or known) irritants that will achieve the same fragrance profile, of course we should go that route. There is also an an argument for how "environmentally friendly" many naturals actually are. An example of this would be Mysore sandalwood and the environmental impact of wiping out old-growth stands of this precious tree that must be cut down as a mature specimen so that the roots may be harvested, from which the essential oil is extracted. There are numerous examples of this with various natural materials throughout the scent industry. Since I've tried and tried to explain this to folks on many occasions, I'll refer you to the following article found in the San Francisco Chronicle that certainly sums it up much more concisely than I can:

~ Industry insider Carol Maa, a classically trained perfumer and CEO of luxury advisory group ofLeisure, weighs in: "Is natural really the same thing as safe?" she asks. And is natural always environmentally friendly? "Something as basic to perfumery as musk comes from endangered deer," which are poached relentlessly in China and Russia, says Maa. "That's not humane. Yet there are now amazing molecular re-creations of musk, the next generation of musk" - hyper-precise synthetics - "that are not only humane, but sustainable and biodegradable and let perfumers play on specific elements. Molecular geeks can geek out on citrusy musks, say, or smoky musks. Hyper-precise faux ambergris without a touch of real whale? Bring on the atomizers."

None of this is to say that I don't like all-natural perfumes - I absolutely DO as is evidenced by the fact that I offer many all-natural blends. I also take no issue with those who choose to either wear or work with only all-natural materials. It's absolutely personal preference. I just like to put this information out there to give people a different perspective than what they may have begun with.