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An Updated Definitive List of the Bodega Boy's Aliases — Part 4!
Shout out to u/Misanthropia for the original post — the hive needed more updated art! This list is current as of episode 234 (2/10/21) Desus goes by numerous aliases on the Bodega Boys Podcast. These aliases are based on references to pop culture, sports, and hip-hop. The long and ever-changing list of aliases or "AKAs" are one of the many running gags on the show. During an interview with Method Man on Desus and Mero, Desus explained that the idea for aliases was based on the alter-egos of the rappers in the song "Wu-Gambinos" on the album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... by Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. (info via Wikipedia) Desus & Mero no longer record from Milk Studios (moved indefinitely) and have been recording the podcast remotely from home due to the pandemic. Most of the AKA’s now mention social distancing, hot takes on covid and store closures.
Desus
Desus is extremely consistent with his aliases, almost always presenting them in the exact same order and without any exclusions: Desus Nice — In a Hot 97 interview on April 13th 2017, Desus explains that people started calling him Desus as a play on his government name, "Daniel", and "Jesus", because he worked miracles with people's computers Young Chipotle — Desus’ original alias, he explains in one podcast that it originates from when he was broke and buying Chipotle was a genuine treat Pockets stay fat like Terio (Pockets stay fat like 'here we go') — A reference to viral star Terio, a young, obese African American boy whose videos of him dancing launched him to very brief viral fame. Recently, Desus added the more politically correct and kid friendly “here we go” Eli Litby — A play on Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin Boutros Boutros Gully — A play on Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the UN, “Gully” being Jamaican Patois for an impoverished area Slobodan Might-know-ya-bitch — A play on Slobodan Milosevic, former President of Serbia and important player in the Bosnian War Young Day Party — I believe this was adopted in the summer of 2016 after Desus recounted the story of a day party in D.C., which seemed to invigorate his love for partying during the day Young Hot Take — He has hot takes, pretty obvious here Desus H. Fuego — Another moniker to describe his hot (“fuego”) takes on topics Mr. Nandos with a rando — Nandos is a portuguese chicken restaurant chain which originated in South Africa and is big in the UK and Australia. Rando is slang for random person. Having Nandos with a rando is eating chicken with a random person (credit to u/deweez) Mr. Mil Novecientos Noventa Y Cuatro en Nueva York — In later episodes Desus rarely adds the “en Nueva York” bit, but it translates to “Mr. 1994 in New York”. "The Knicks team in 1994 made the finals and is a legendary team amongst all Knicks fans who were around at the time. That team got to game 7 of the finals against the Rockets. NYC rallied around that team hard body because that team absolutely embodied NYC to a T with guys like Ewing, Charles Oakley, Mason, Starks, and Derek Harper." (credit to u/Okieant33) Mikhail Goin-off — derived from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (credit to u/GhettoFob) converged with an allusion to losing ones temper in an act of random violence. The Jouvert Boss — “Jouvert” is a carnival held in Caribbean/West Indian culture, involving a lot of partying MC Likkle Gungo Pea — Gungo pea is a type of peas (also known as pigeon peas) often used in Jamaican dishes. Reference to his Jamaican heritage (credit to u/hopelessromcom) "Pullin' up from 40 with your shorty" — Desus will “pull up”, or make a pass at, your girl even when the odds are slim or unlikely, much like a 40 foot shot in basketball "Don’t talk to me in the Uber Pool, I don’t know you" — Uber introduced a service where you can share rides with other Uber users for a discounted rate. Desus has expressed his reluctance to engage with strangers when he is using it The original “my plus one got a plus one so don’t make a fuss son” — When Desus shows up to an event with a girl, he brings two, and he's intimating that the host shouldn’t have a problem with that Desus Rothstein, the Jamaican Jew — Originated around when Mero began his house search in Bergen County, NJ where a number of wealthy people of Jewish descent live. Desus envisions a version of himself who would fit in there Jermaine Avocado Toast — Desus has gotten more cultured as a result of their success, and as such he has been able to indulge in things usually enjoyed by privileged white people, a stereotypical example of that being avocado toast. This is Desus’ gentrified, hipster persona Young PA — Possible reference to the sound of small amount of air being expelled from a loose butthole, which is an impression Mero occasionally does (credit to u/jimsternub). This is also a reference to Brooklyn rapper Young MA. The Ghost of Mufasa — A reference to Lion King, but beyond that I have no idea why he adopted it. Still hilarious though, and the nickname that most often makes Mero laugh Young Charcuterie without the coonery — Charcuterie is considered very hip and trendy right now, and Desus is again saying he has a taste for the finer things, but is no longer interested in “coonery”, a derogatory term used to describe stereotypical African American behavior Chile Limon, the left handed reliever for the Yankee’s (Que lo que?) — A fictional persona that seems to be a Latino version of Dock Ellis, who famously threw a no hitter while high on Acid. Chile Limon is also a popular seasoning/flavor with the Latino community 3 Phone Jones — Desus originally adopted "2 Phone Jones" after he reluctantly bought an iPhone to go with his Samsung Galaxy. He then received a Google Pixel, making it 3 Phone Jones (credit to u/ArtSorr0w) Desus Ex Machina — A play on the common plot device “deus ex machina”, or “god from the machine” in which an unsolvable problem is suddenly resolved by some unexpected intervention. Desus also used to have a tumblr entitled "Desus Ex Machina" (credit to u/hardcore9) Jay Chuckles — Revealed in episode 55 to be a reference to a now-defunct shoe store in NYC. Did Desus read this thread? Stanley Cups — Desus' former rap alias, as revealed in episode 53. The Human Dr. Bronner’s Label (Dilute! Dilute! Dilute!) — A reference to the concentrated soap Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap, which needs to be diluted. I didn’t quite understand how Desus applied this to himself, but it came from a joke in Episode 51 or 52 about Sean Spicer trying to defray controversy surrounding President Trump's decisions Dionardo DiTrappio — A play on “Leonardo DiCaprio”, the actor, but referencing “trapping”, a slang for selling drugs. Mr. 240p because I like my Pino blurry — Desus longs for the days of very low resolution pornography. 240p refers to the resolution, which is extremely low by modern standards DJ Woolite AKA You're listening to Washed FM up next we got 24 hours of — The host of the fictional station “Washed FM”, a fictional radio station that is sometimes referenced along with “WSMK, Smack City Radio”. Woolite is a brand of fabric softener. Desus said multiple times on the podcast that now that he's single and living alone, he washes his clothes with extra fabric softener. As a kid, his clothes would get washed and be hard as nails. Again, he's got a taste for the finer things in life. (credit to u/Okieant33) The Curried G.O.A.T. — A double reference to Desus’s Jamaican heritage, where Curried Goat is a popular culinary item, as well as referencing the phrase “G.O.A.T”, short for “greatest of all time” Desus Spicer — A play on the former White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, who is often referenced on Desus & Mero as “spicing up” or “adding spice” to his takes Jamal Hashburn — A play on Jamal Mashburn, a former NBA player, about Hash The Bronx Celine Dion — Refers to the fact that Celine Dion is very popular in the Jamaican community, and so Desus is like Celine, but from the Bronx. (credit to u/chefboyardu) This is especially present with foreign and immigrant culture which means he is of mogul or iconic status for the Bronx (credit to u/courtofdacrimsonking) Wray and Nephew's Nephew — A play on J. Wray and Nephew rum, which has its origins in Jamaica like Desus. Also, Desus drinks a lot, which you probably should have figured out by now. Introduced in episode 58 The Moreno you can't contain-o — A play on "moreno", a Spanish term for someone with dark skin The Human Meme, Word to Ja — A play on Ja Rule's infamous mistake of believing that the word "meme" is pronounced "may-may" Young Erewhon — A reference to a bourgeois health food store in LA, which makes this nickname in the vein of "Jermaine Avocado Toast", demonstrating Desus' taste for finer things now. (credit to u/a-1-since-day-1) The Racist Provocateur — Desus flipped an angry tweet from April 28th 2017, in which someone called him a "racist provocateur" into a new alias Henrik Bud-qvist — A play on NHL goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who currently plays for the New York Rangers Nelson Bang-dela — An old alias resurrected in episode 65, a play on South African civil right's icon Nelson Mandela Sergio Can't-see-me — A play on Sergio Tacchini, an Italian fashion designer and former Tennis player Vladimir Boofin' — A play on Russian president Vladimir Putin, "boofin" being a reference to smuggling something by sticking it inside one's rectum The Human Werther's, melting in your mouth — A reference to Werther's Originals, a brand of caramel hard candies favored by old people. Not really sure what this one means otherwise. Mr. Becks on Deckington — The first time Desus introduced this one, he accidentally said "Mr. Becky's on Deckington" which was an incredible Freudian slip since Desus has been accused of not being into black women, and "Becky" is the stereotypical white woman name in pop culture. This is a reference to Desus always drinking Beck's, a cheap beer he favors along with Heineken. Adding "-ington" to words is New York slang, as Mero explains at some point. Rikki-Tikki-Squad-bi — A play on Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a character from the Jungle Book Greg "Paaa"-povitch — A very meta play on San Antonio Spur's head coach Greg Popovich and the onomatopoeia of spreading butt cheeks apart (according to Mero) Morris "Say it with your chest"-nut — A play on actor Morris Chestnut Mahatma Gone-B — A play on famed pacifist Mahatma Gandi Not Macka B but I got the cucumber — A reference to a viral video in which Reggae artist Macka B raps about healthy food in his "medical monday" series, Desus is unsurprisingly referencing his penis The juices are pressed but your boy never is — Being "pressed" means someone is applying pressure to you, and no one would do that to Desus. The juices he is talking about are probably the morning drink he has with lemongrass and cayenne pepper that he makes reference to many times in recent episodes of the podcast. I am the Art, dammit! — Not sure if this is a reference to anything specific or just a Kanye-esque line a crazed creative might yell out at some point The Don Dada Ganoush — I believe this is a reference to the Meditteranean dish Baba Ganoush, "Don Dada" is Jamaican Patois slang (I believe) for “top pimp” or “big player” and a sort-of homophone for "baba" No more Cup of Noodles — I don't know if this is a reference beyond the fact that Cup of Noodles is a struggle meal and Desus is no longer struggling The Prince of Peckham — A reference to Peckham, a diverse neighborhood in London The Fashion Nova Casanova — Fashion Nova is an online clothing retailer that specifically targets curvy women that Desus and Mero reference pejoratively (saying it's for bottle waitresses), Desus is saying here that he excels at seducing these kind of women ("Casanova" is a term of a man who excels at seducing women derived from the name of Italian Giacomo Casanova) "William H. 5 Cent, 10 Cent, Dolla... Forget the small change, give me the the big money wine" — A reference to Soca Boys song "Dollar Wine (one cent, five cent, ten cent, dollar)" which apparently was super popular in the West Indies. "William H Holla is something Jay-Z used to call himself back in his hey day. It comes from the fact that Bill Gates' full name is William Henry Gates. Jay-Z used to give himself nicknames back in the day. J-Hova caught on but he used the term William H Holla because Jay-Z also coined the phrase "Holla At Me" and "Holla Back" and just shortened it to "Holla". So put the two together and you have William H Holla. He first said it on the song "Stick to the Script" off the Dynasty album. So Desus took it and made it his own." (credit to u/Okieant33) The only anthem I salute is Dipset — A reference to the ongoing national anthem protests in the NFL, Desus is saying the only anthem he salutes is "Dipset Anthem" by Harlem rap legends The Diplomats Mister Sauga, Catch me at Square One Top Left. Mans is marved. (Dont cheese me bro) — Finally a Canadian-centric reference, which makes sense given that the Bodega Boys have performed there multiple times. This is a reference to the Square One Shopping Center in Mississauga, Canada (where Desus alleges his mysterious wife and kids live), and "top left" is Greater Toronto Area slang for "truthful" or "seriously". "Mans is marved", means "I'm hungry" in Toronto slang (credit to u/Fortehlulz33) Trill Rizzuto, holy cow! — A reference to former Yankees player Phil Rizzuto who would later go on to be a commentator, where his trademark expression was "holy cow!" Mister Soft Palms because all I do is count checks and jerk off — I don't know if this is a reference to anything except Desus bragging about his lifestyle "We got OJ, uh purple stuff, soda, and it's me! Sunny D!" — A reference to an old Sunny D commercial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQE3jWYuGiw), and a play on the fact that people likely used to called Desus by the nickname "D", so "it's me! Sunny D" would be like saying "it's me, Desus!". Also kind of ironic since Desus is not a particularly sunny person (cue Dark Desus). David Yerp-man — A play on David Yurman, an expensive jewelry company, and NYC slang exclamation "yerp" Desus-expensive, Desus-Red Bottoms, Desus-bloody shoes — A play on a lyric from fellow Bronx native Cardi B taken from her song "Bodak Yellow" Smo-a-kim Noah — A play on NBA player Joaquim Noah who played for the Knicks Andrew Coooooool-nanan — A reference to serial killer (most notable for killing Gianni Versace) Andrew Cunanan The Junior Energy God, come sit down 'pon me charger — Originally just the "Energy God" until Desus realized that that was fellow Jamaican Elephant Man's aliases. I thiiiink this is referring to the phrase "bring the same energy", the idea that if one is saying something behind someone's back, when confronted by the individual they should stick to their original statements. This alias started after the infamous Desus & Mero visit to the Breakfast Club, in which DJ Envy accosted the boys about a joke they made about his wife. Desus & Mero didn't punk out and therefore "brought the same energy". Someone tell me if I'm reaching here. Call me PetCo cause I got your bitch-on-freeze — A play on words for the dog breed Bichon Frise The Topic of Gossip in Syosset (Shout out to 11791 ah ah ah) — Syosset (zip code 11791) is a town in Long Island, NY. it's real bougie and suburban so Desus is saying basically he's got reach and is known not just in the hood but in the wealthy burbs too (credit to u/terminal-chillness) Grandpa Joe, When you see Charlie you see me don't touch that golden ticket — A direct reference to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Grandpa Joe) and Desus's cats name (Charlie) Dead Eye Desus (Mornin’ Sherrif) — Dead Eye Desus refers to the 2018 video game Red Dead Redemption 2. The game features a gameplay mechanic called "Dead Eye" that allows the player to slow time to achieve easy head shots and kills. The game is also set in the late 1800's, early 1900's in the old West, which is why Desus typically references a Sheriff after saying Dead Eye Desus. (credit to u/biggak) Mr. Shopping at StreetEasy with a bad breezy like I'm Yeezy, please believe me — Another one of Desus' tongue twisters, this one is in reference to shopping at StreetEasy, a NYC real estate website with an attractive woman like Kanye West might do The Black Asiatic who will crack your back like an automatic craftmatic — Added in episode 54 after Desus' continuing gag about "big Black Asiatic men" (often referencing their penises). Here Desus is implying that sex with him (a Black Asiatic man) is very vigorous by saying he will change your posture like a Craftmatic mattress, which is a brand of mattress whose shape and orientation can be controlled electronically Mr. La Marina in a mesh Merina with a fresh misdemeanor and a cold demeanor — This one is a doozy, but was adopted after Desus mentioned his frequent trips to La Marina (a bar on the water in Manhattan) in episodes released in the summer of 2016. A mesh Merina is a a mesh tank top (I think). The other two parts are self explanatory. Not sure how he always gets this one right without mixing up the words. The Sheet-Mask Killer (No one could be iller) — A reference to Sheet Masks, a skin care routine some might find to be bougie. "No one could be iller" is a reference to how ODB introduces Ghostface Killah on "Da Mystery of Chessboxin" by Wu Tang Clan (credit to u/atorMMM) The Black Zack Morris of Port Morris — A take on Zack Morris for his problematic schemes on Saved by the Bell. (credit to u/justic3bon3r) Port Morris is a neighborhood in the Bronx (credit to u/m9rockstar) home of The Bronx Brewery and Bodega Boys Beer Young KPI — More than likely a reference to the various random office jobs Desus had (KPI = key performance indicator) (credit to u/atorMMM) Your Personal Desus — Desus sometimes will recite lyrics by Depeche Mode “Personal Jesus” (1989) More than likely this is a play off his main alias (credit to u/justic3bon3r) The Pelé of Peleton — Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) was a former Brazilian soccer player and considered one of the greats. Desus is an avid Peleton user so much he deems himself the greatest of all time Your problematic bae — Desus occasionally says problematic things, but you still love him, hence him being your “bae”. He always ends with this one, followed by an exaggerated kissing sound. *After Desus's last aka he gives some sort of problematic advice sometimes followed by explosions*
Mero
Mero (u/THE_KID_MERO) is far less consistent with his aliases. Depending upon how smacked he is, he will often exclude or repeat some of his aliases. He also adds them far less frequently than Desus. The Kid Mero — In a Hot 97 interview on April 13th 2017, Mero explained that this alias comes from the fact that his father and uncle wanted to name him "Ramiro", but his mother vetoed it and named him "Joel". His father and uncle continued to call him "Ramiro", which was shortened to "Miro" as a nickname. When Mero started tagging, he changed Miro to Mero because he found E to be a nicer letter to write (credit to u/atorMMM) as well as he just didn't like how the "i" looked. Also tagging the name "Ramiro" that long would get you arrested The Human Durag Flap — Mero’s original nickname, and a reference to how hood he is and his uncircumcised status, something that gets referenced very often (credit u/ZeddyG2 and u/chandlersokay) Curve Gotti — A play on “Irv Gotti”, former boss of Murder, Inc. records Donovan Mcdabb — A play on former NFL player Donovan Mcnabb, in reference to dabbing, which could have two meanings (smoking THC oil or the dance move created by the Migos) Trizz Khalifa — A play on “Wiz Khalifa”, but substituting the first part of the name with the slang “Trizz”. Usually said in a fake patois, imitating Popcaan's cry of "Fuck Wiz Khalifa!" at a Mixpak event SKKRRRT Loder — A play on “Kurt Loder” former host on MTV News and editor at Rolling Stone James St. Fatdick, I'll Ghost on you shorty — Originated right around the premiere of season 4 of Starz hit show "Power", here referencing the main character James St. Patrick, whose street alias is "Ghost" Tiger Backwoods — A reference to pro golfer Tiger Woods and Mero’s love for smoking backwoods “I no fucking baby, I fucking man!” — A reference to the viral video that sent friend of the brand Pioladitingancia to fame “Check the guest list again because my name is definitely on it, and no I’m not stepping to the side while you check! ” — Not so much a nickname but something Mero might have said back in the day when he was broke and had to lie about being on guest lists to get into clubs CC Dab-bathia — A play on Yankees Starting Pitchers name, CC Sabathia (and close friend of the brand) Goldman Shm-achs — A variation of the phrase made popular by Bobby Shmurda and a reference to Goldman Sachs. Mensch Montana — An alias borrowed from French Montana (who is from South Bronx) and popular artist with the Bodega Boys. They have mentioned his classic Mac and Cheese mixtapes numerous times on the podcast. Also this is a nod to his Jewish family connection; Mensch is Yiddish for "good guy." (credit to u/chefboyardu) TheDa-da-da Dad of the year — A play on a lyric from ScHoolboy Qs song "Man of The Year" (credit u/ZeddyG2). Mero already has three Mero Jr’s and the bodega princess, and as far as we can tell is an awesome dad, thus earning such a title. Confirmed to be a ScHoolboy Q reference in episode 56 Been-Smacked Biyombo — A play on “Bismack Biyombo”, a professional basketball player on the Charlotte Hornets Di-Yayo Maradona — Reference to Argentinean soccer legend Diego Maradona and slang for coke (credit to u/terminal-chillness) Dick-in-ya-bae Mutombo — A play on Dikembe Mutombo, former NBA player. Mero now respects the woman’s agency and asks for permission first before entering Barlos Santana — A play on famed guitarist Carlos Santana and Xanax bars The Dominican Don Dada — Jamaican Patois slang (I believe) for “top pimp” or “big player”, and as we know Mero is of Dominican descent, hence “Dominican Don Dada”. The phrase "Jamaican Don Dada" is used by the character Lennox in the movie "Belly", which is a classic in hip hop culture (credit to u/a-1-since-day-1) He follows this up with "catch me at Locksmith throwing up on myself". Locksmith is a bar on 192nd & Broadway in Inwood, which is a REALLY Dominican NYC neighborhood (credit to u/terminal-chillness) Some variation of "swipe my card again, put the bag over it, there's definitely money on it!" — A reference to a familiar experience for anyone who has been broke, in which you lie and act like it's the store's fault when your card gets declined Romeo Xantos — A reference to famed Bachata artist and Xanax, Bachata being a dance and music style originating in the Dominican Republic. Also the added "Sooo xanny, lemme black out" is a play on Romeo's adlib "sooo nasty, lemme find out" (credit to u/terminal-chillness) Light-an-L Dutchie "Hello? Is it weed you're looking for?" — Another weed double entendre referencing Lionel Richie and his famous song "Hello" Papa Sushi, The Dyckman Don — A reference to often-referenced MamaSushi, a fusion sushi restaurant on Dyckman Street in Manhattan Tom Brazy, your girl got my balls deflated — A boastful play on the Deflategate controversy surrounding Tom Brady and the New England Patriots after the 2014-2015 AFL Championship game Feel-da-ass Tyson (CONSENSUALLY WITH YOUR PERMISSION) — A play on “Neil DeGrasse Tyson”, a well known physicist Lil’ Snoozie Vert— A play on the name Lil Uzi Vert. This is also in reference for when Mero actually ‘tapped out’ on Instagram Live Fry-an-L Messi — A play on Lionel Messi, a famous Argentinian soccer player of Italian descent, and smoking an "L", slang for blunt Joe Hookah "I dare you! To smoke with me! At MamaSushi!" — A reference to rapper Black Rob's song "I Dare You" that features Joe Hooker on the hook. MamaSushi is a high-end restaurant chain located in New York Ben Barson my hands are gifted — During the 2016 election cycle, famed neurosurgeon Ben Carson engaged in a brief campaign for the Republican nomination. Mero took to doing impressions of him, exaggerating Carson’s urban upbringing by saying he was “Ben Barson”, in which the “C” was replaced with a “B”, as a Blood gang member would. Unlike Desus, who almost never fumbles his nicknames, Mero has maybe said this one correctly one time Xaniel Bedingfield — A play on Daniel Bedingfield followed by Mero playing "I Gotta Get Through This" a popular song by the artist Daniel Bedingfield with lyrics that are about Xanax (credit to u/KTTeal) Some variation of “I’ll open your medicine cabinet and take all of your Benzos” — This is self-referential in two ways: 1. The earlier reference here is to when Mero admitted to Desus that he will unashamedly go through people’s medicine cabinets in order to snoop on their lives and 2. After the boat party story in which Mero got drunk and took some Xanax’s, he added “I’ll take all of your benzos” bit to express how much he enjoys the feeling Benzodiazepines create The Xandman — This is a play on the musical artist “Scatman John” who was most known for his song “Scatman’s World”, the chorus of which Mero imitates with this name and the accompanying vocalization Rico Sabroso — Spanish for “Rich Tasty”, but I’m not sure what the reference here is beyond that Baby Newport — I assume a reference to Newport brand cigarettes, stereotypically popular in urban areas Niño Brown — A reference to the main character of the film “New Jack City”, in which Wesley Snipes plays a crack dealer named Nino Brown, but pronounced like the Spanish word for "kid", giving it some Latino flavor (credit to u/Okieant33) The East Tremont Stevie B — East Tremont is a predominately Hispanic area of the Bronx, while Stevie B was a recording artist from the 80’s with some incredible Jheri Curls. Sometimes sings "I want to be the one your Titi is fucking" after I met Mike Francesca im never gon’ fail — A direct reference from when the Bodega Boys actually met Mike on the last episode on Desus & Mero on Viceland. In translation, this means after finally meeting with the iconic Sports Pope this makes him unstoppable. This is also a reference to Kanye West's song 'Ultralight Beam' where Chance the Rapper says "I met Kanye West, I'm never gonna fail" (credit to u/RemyDWD) The Plantain Supernova in the Sky — A reference to the Oasis hit “Champagne Supernova”, but changed to reflect Mero’s Dominican heritage, which often uses plantains in its cuisine. Occasionally he will sing an extended version, which goes “One day you will find me, smoking weed on Tremont/in the Plantain Supernova in the sky”. How does he hit these melodies so perfectly every time? Tom Petty and the Ball Breakers — A play on the rock band name ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’. Mero sings the chorus from Tom Petty’s solo project “Free Fallin’” as “Free Ballin’” suggesting that he feels free doing his Zoom calls without pants Barmelo Xanthony — An incredible play on the Bodega Boy’s favorite NBA player, Carmelo Xanthony, and Mero’s beloved Xanax’s. (credit to u/terminal-chillness) Most recently, Mero has changed his references to him making sound financial decisions and balancing his portfolio since the interview with Carmelo himself on Desus & Mero on Showtime Some variation of “If you see me in Target approach me like a bear” — Originates from Mero’s love of getting really high and hanging out in Target. Being high sometimes makes him paranoid, so he doesn’t like people just running up on him. Desus suggested people “approach him diagonally, like you would a bear”. Mero interchanges “bear”, “Ursine Mammal”, and “Oso” (Spanish for “bear”) at random Benzo the Clown — A problematic clown for kids that ruins birthday parties and not refunding your $50 deposit. Originated on Episode 96, Desus starts talking about rolling up to Mero Jr’s bar mitzvah smacked. (credit to u/outtaspite) Benzo’s antics are normally cut short by Mr. Fun Fun (voiced by Desus) normally ending with the problematic light I sold fake Lean to your favorite SoundCloud rapper — Not sure this is a specific reference other than the fact that Lean is pretty much a guaranteed accessory for any SoundCloud rapper and Actavis discontinued their codeine/promethazine cough syrup in 2014 due to abuse, so a lot of people are drinking fake Lean. "Llego el hijo de Tito y Fifa papi"/"The son of Tito and Fifa has arrived, papi — In later episodes, Mero began to include some Spanish phrases at the end of his list of aliases, usually beginning with this phrase and building off of it. When Mero does this he also says "Hassan tira me lo pita" which is slang for "Hassan drop me a beat". Mero is making pretend that he's a DJ on NY's Spanish Radio Station 97.9 La Mega. Mero from here goes on to talk all kinds of shit about how hard and gangster he is. (credit to u/bobbuddha and u/Okieant33) Please correct me if you have ideas or see mistakes! Discontinued aliases: Desus
When I woke up from my nap this afternoon, Etsy shop had finally gotten to 1000 sales!
Shop name: Darque Crystal First things first. Etsy.com isn't my primary sales platform. When my wife and I started our goth fashion business in 2018 we were primarily selling at the local farmer's market & vendor events. Eventually we started selling on etsy and discovered that we could synch our in-person sales with our online inventory using the integration with square. This also let us take Credit card payments; which was a nice bonus It cost absolutely nothing up front (square takes a cut of any CC purchases) and really helped making the paperwork of selling online and in person much easier. https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000905467-Etsy-and-Square?segment=selling When we first started, our plan was to focus on screen printing/modified clothing/capes/cloaks/gloves/novelty bags. We never did figure out how to get the screen print machine to work quite right (got the cheap $99 version at walmart) and we quickly discovered that it's actually really hard to sew enough things, fast enough to make money. (and while everyone loves a good handmade cloak, no-one in our area really wants to buy one) We shifted focus from selling fabric based items, and started putting more effort into making simple goth/alternative costume jewelry as an individual piece is made quicker, and sells for a better markup. At first we started purchasing our supplies at places like jo-anne's fabric; Michaels, thrift stores and the like, but eventually we discovered that pandahall.com offered everything we could possibly want for jewelry supplies, and more. It also didn't take us long to notice that a lot of the items for sale for jewelry parts on etsy.com, were also on panahall.com, cheaper, and in larger quantities. For a while, we also sold a lot of vintage goods. We bought out a friend's flea-market stall when he closed up shop, and have made a good chunk of change selling the oil paintings & copper earrings we got from him. We are starting to shift away from doing a lot of vintage resale on ETSY; but when we first opened our shop; selling used books & costume jewelry was an important augment to our shop's offerings. When we first started listing on etsy, our photos, tags and all of that sucked. Eventually we started putting more effort into our photos/descriptions, and I got a paid erank membership. My etsy shop's tags/photos are inconsistent, as we just don't have the time to use all of the knowledge we have effectively, and still have time to craft/market/expand to new venues. That being said, I have written a few words on etsy tagging techniques; which you can read here https://www.reddit.com/Etsy/comments/j9htqz/erank_tagging_basics_tutorial/ and here https://www.reddit.com/Etsy/comments/j4mfzl/advanced_taggingkeyword_technique_for_paid_erank/ Eventually, in addition to doing lots of costume jewelry, we started selling pinback buttons. We bought a really low-end pinback button machine, and initially were printing at the local UPS store. Eventually we sunk down the cash for a high-end consumer photo printer (that's almost as good as a low-end commercial printer) and that's saved us a lot of time running to the UPS store (although it does cost a little more per print) We also got a second printer to print etsy shipping labels; which lets us save money per shipment; and limits our need to run out to the post office constantly. As each trip to the UPS store cost us $4.00 in bus fares, and 2 hours of time; we are overall better off with the printers, than without; especially as it allows us to print just one thing, rather than the large batches needed to justify a trip to the UPS store.(so many failed batches because I made one typo before we got to see what the print looked like :( ) Towards the end of last year, we started renting out a jewelry display at our local flea market. Our jewelry works well there, and it's a great source of income for the farmer's market off-season. At the beginning of 2021; we got the opportunity to get a second; full-sized vendor stall and we've managed to stock it with some good items we got from pandahall.com, such as wigs, collars, cuffs, and some used junk. Around the same time, we got a cricut machine; which has allowed us to start making labels for votive candles, and make custom stickers with our printer. We haven't listed them on etsy.com yet, but our friends/family think our line of tarot major arcana stickers are very exciting. In terms of social media, we run a FB business page, a pinterest, and an instagram. We've done a few paid boosts on FB posts and pinterest posts. Overall, they both seem moderately successful; and one helpful trick we've developed is asking our friends/family to share a FB post before we boost it, as the more organic traffic a boosted post has, the more effective the boost; apparently. FB and pinterest aren't a huge draw to our etsy shop, but they do help. We've also had people buy from us at the local farmer's market and tell us that they discovered us through our FB ad. So it does work. We've also been rather aggressive with courting media. As such we got a small news article written about us in our local newspaper. Amazingly, it was a slow news day when it came out, so we wound up on the front page! https://www.nny360.com/news/business/canton-business-brings-gothic-creations-out-of-the-darque/article_e87c8ef6-1759-5ddf-bcf7-787eb3b76f1c.html A reporter in the UK also found our wedding photos on Instagram, and approached us for an interview. So we wound up having a small slice of life piece on us wind up on a website owned by George Takei and his husband. That one was primarily about our wedding, but we did make sure to plug for our business a bit while we were at it. https://www.comicsands.com/goth-graveyard-engagement-wedding-ceremony-2646415556.html In terms of our business dynamic, my wife is the one who has the fashion sense, and has a good bead on what kinds of items would be smart to make. She also models, offers feedback on prototypes, runs our Instagram page, and we both sell at our local farmer's market/vendor events together. I'm the implementer, meaning I primarily make things, create our etsy listings, take photos, and keep track of our business expenses, earnings, and taxes. We have plans to eventually be running a brick and mortar store locally. Luckily for us, a nearby town won a $10million USD small business development grant, and is going to be using those funds to develop some small business development incubator programs. We also made sure to put the business 51% in my wife's name, so that hopefully when we reach that stage we can get some extra loans/grants by being a woman owned business. We also have plans on eventually running our own sales website. Overall, our strategy is to collaborate effectively, expand onto multiple local & online venues, grab as much publicity and advertising as we can (free or paid) and to use a combination of scrounging, for parts locally and online bulk purchases to supply us with good parts to work with. We haven't quite gotten to the "quit the day job" stage yet, but our business has been expanding from year to year, and we broke even our first year of sales (2018) and have made profits ever since. In general, I would advise new etsy sellers to prioritize mercantile skills over technical crafting skills. In general; you'll get ten times as far by being an competent merchant, and an wannabe crafter (like me) than the other way around. Hopefully, something in there was useful. Thanks for reading!
My Big Recommendations List for the Steam Winter Sale
This has been an absolutely miserable year but finally it’s coming to an end, and even looking up now that Facebook and Google are being sued by Federal and State governments. If you played Cyberpunk I’m sure you’ll also have your fingers crossed that both companies get the sledgehammer into little pieces, with Amazon and the App Store soon to follow. Next year is up in the air right now; it could be the year XR is completely strangled by those soulless corpo’s at Facebook, or it could be the year that OpenXR, anti trust action, and consumer apathy towards VR cut their legs out from under them. Things look completely up in the air at this point. So take the holidays and enjoy VR while you still can, next year we might just be playing Valve’s Citadel while the ship goes down. Well Steam’s Winter Sale is here and it’s a great time to pick up a lot of great games, hidden gems, and so on. This is my list of games to pick up. Some of them are the best prices these games have ever had. I categorized them by price tier, and I put a few standouts in bold either because they’re a great game or a great deal, or both. Merry Christmas [I also made a hardware guide for headsets and PC components, a guide to using steamVR, a guide about how to use the Index for AR, and a master acab list of great VR games, demos, and software] The Sale ends on January 5th at 10AM PT
PAYDAY 2 (-90%, $0.99) Has a full VR mode that makes the whole game VR and lets you play with flatscreen players. It’s a lot more impressive than you would expect, especially at this price (free with the base game). It has two handed guns, full access to all the content and crossplay with non VR players, a UI on your tablet watch, etc
Half-Life 2 (-80%, $1.99) You need to use Garry's Mod to run this in VR but the whole game works.
Naked Sun (-90%, $0.59) Two hand wave shooter style game where you’re being moved through a robot city and fighting ogg enemies with guns and a shield.
Scanner Sombre (-75%, $1.49) Spelunking through echolocation and a great art style. At this price and with this concept I’d say it’s definitely something to experience in VR.
Steady (-50%, $2.49) Like the lockpicking puzzle from Alyx or those boardwalk games were you move a ring over wire without touching them together. 50 levels.
fpsVR (-20%, $3.19) This is a must have utility for SteamVR. My guide to using SteamVR explains why and how to use it.
Windlands (-90%, $1.99) the first windlands game, it’s a grappling hook style adventure exploration game.
Evolution VR (-51%, $0.49) This is like that first phase of Spore, where you’re an amoeba eating larger ones and evolving with new limbs. I consider it a steal at this price, although it’s going to become free soon according to the devs.
PROZE: Enlightenment (-85%, $2.99) Puzzle adventure game set in the tundra
Evil Robot Traffic Jam HD (-80%, $0.99) Tower defense
Interkosmos (-33%, $3.34) A space survival game where you’re sitting in a tiny broken space capsule and have to make it back to earth.
Neonwall (-90%, $0.99) Guide a ball through neon obstacle puzzles
Spuds Unearthed (-75%, $2.99) RTS TD type thing. I found its balance super frustrating when I tried it but it has a lot of polish and this price is great.
Squishies (-75%, $2.49) Puzzle game with nice art that looks polished
Zooma VR (-66%, $2.03) Look at the steam page, it’s basically an adaptation of that arcade game where you shoot colored balls at other colored balls to match them up and pop them.
Obstruction : VR (-68%, $3.19)
Fingers: Mini Games (-35%, $1.94) Screw around with finger physics mini games with your index controllers.
Chroma Lab (-40%, $2.99) Particle simulator that’s kind of trippy
Drone Hero (-90%, $0.99) Drone obstacle course game
Defendion (-80%, $$2.19) Laned fantasy strategy game
Bonfire (-50% $2.49) A little story where you’re crash landed on an alien planet with Ali Wong and meet cartoon aliens
Cliffstone Manor (-75%, $1.99) Difficult escape room style game
Moonshot Galaxy (-65%, $1.74) space mini golf game
Protogon VR (-80% $1.99) Combination minigolf pinball game with neon crazy graphics
Power Tools VR (-50%, $0.99) Chip away at a stone block with power tools
Race The Sun (-80%, $1.99) Endless forward obstacle racer with options VR support
SpellPunk VR (-73%, $2.96) Competitive spell casting game
Strings (-90%, $0.99) It’s a smaller, more basic game, basically a shooter with different items you use to fight enemies as you teleport around stages.
SweeperVR (-50%, $1.99) Minesweeper in 3 Dimensions
PolyCube (-50%, $2.49) complex 3D tetris
UNTITLED (-50%, $2.49) 3D surreal puzzle game
Intruders: Hide and Seek (-90%, $1.99) Gamepad horror game
WRG games bundle (-96%, $0.65) Escape room and a non VR game
Apex Construct (-75%, $4.99) This is where the energy battery puzzles come from. It's early VR but really strong on story, progression, and interactions, the combat is mostly archery
FORM (-70%, $4.44) “A surreal adventure where puzzles are built from dreams and memories”
NIGHTSTAR: Alliance (-60%, $3.99) Bullet Hell in space, but with a story and customization
Blasters of the Universe (-75%, $3.74) Bullet Hell with a lot of polish and progression and you unlike new weapon parts
FREEDIVER: Triton Down (-50%, $4.49) Drowning simulator, shorter but high quality
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (-70%, $4.49) This is one of the best VR party games, easy to play remotely or in the same room with other plays holding a printed out or mobile browser manual helping the VR player disarm a bomb.
Out of Ammo Fun Bundle (-78%, $4.48) A bit rough but still getting updates and still low poly fun. First one has multiplayer. They’re both FPS/RTS but the first one is war themed, while the second one is a zombie game.
Orb Labs (-50% $4.49) A stealth puzzle game where you use different orbs to complete puzzles around lasers, turrets, and other hazards.
Thumper (-80%, $3.99) Best selling surreal rhythm game, best with a gamepad. I definitely recommend it if you are fine with the gamepad controls.
Vetrix (-20% $4.79) Tetris inspired. It has a two layer deep grid allowing for lots of 3D shapes that you can stick into place by hand in a twist on the usual formula. It has its own 8bit tunes, special blocks, multiple modes, and a bunch of color profiles based on the gameboy’s aesthetic.
Transpose (-75%, $4.99) A game where you solve puzzles with a recording of yourself. It’s one of the best and more creative puzzle games in VR.
Operation Warcade VR (-75%, $4.99) Old but the concepts work really well. It’s like a 3D light gun game that pulls you in for some moments
Echo Grotto (-50%, $3.99) Echo Grotto is a spelunking game with stylized graphics. You pick your gear and then use a throwing based teleportation system that leaves a trail behind you.
HATCHICK (-75%, $3.74) Like Xortex from the lab, a bullet hell inside a dome
Journey For Elysium (-50%, $4.99) Greek mythology adventure game, a black and white art style
Just In Time Incorporated (-75% $3.74) You appear in slow motion to save people who have Just In Time Insurance. Super basic graphics but the gameplay is fun and for this price it’s a good buy.
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin (-75%, $4.99)
Shooty Skies Overdrive (-50%, $4.99) It’s a bullet Hell with polish and a voxel style.
Portable Farm (-20%, $3.99) It’s a light farming game, but the hook is that this runs on top of other games like an overlay.
Balloonatics (-65%, $3.49) Single and multiplayer hot air balloon combat. A big update is coming.
Axegend VR (-50%, $4.99) Tower Defense mixed with some fantasy combat
Buzludzha VR (-60%, $4.79) If you like VR tourism then this is pretty good.
Carnival Games VR (-75%, $4.99) Party game style game. It crashes unless you turn off the game’s haptics in input bindings
Bandit Point (-50%, $4.99) Renaissance robot shooter where you possess different robots in combat
Downward Spiral: Horus Station (-70%, $5.99) Zero G space thriller
Flotilla 2 (-50%, $4.99) Turn based RTS in 3D between space battleships
VR Furballs - Demolition (-60%, $4.79) Angry birds style game
Townsmen VR (-50%, $4.99) This was barebone and felt like a demo, but it’s going to get a big update that scales it up into a game and should be free for anyone who owns this version.
Starblazer (-75%, $4.99) A 3D space RTS with multiplayer
Skyworld: Kingdom Brawl (-50%, $4.99) This is a classic VR RTS scaled down to a quick 1v1 RTS battle.
RuneSage (-60%, $3.99) Open world puzzle fantasy game
2945VR (-45%, $3.29) Space shoot em up
Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son (-33%, $10.04) Sequel to the movie with a similar idea where you relive the same day over and over and progress
HORIZON VANGUARD (-33%, $10.04) Sega Saturn Style arcade shooter on a hoverbike. Don’t let the graphics fool you, this is a really well made puzzle game in a Sega Saturn style
Fujii (-35%, $9.74) Gardening with a weird forest spirit
Garden of the Sea (-50%, $5.99) Animal Crossing looking zen farming game by the devs behind Budget Cuts 2, early access but steady updates are coming adding features and more mechanics..
GORN (-50%, $9.99) Cartoon melee colosseum game, VR classic that has killed a thousand controllers
Contractors (-50% $9.99) smallest player base of the big shooters but full of good ideas and strong gunplay. Now has mod support, including custom maps, weapons, and modes like world war II, ninja warrior, Halo, etc
1976 - Back to midway (-50%, $7.49) Just came out, it’s a good game, already on sale. This is a good deal. This is a 2.5D shoot em up that has “immersion zones” where you take direct control in first person. It really captures the idea of stepping inside an old arcade machine really well.
Creed (-75%, $7.49) This is a pretty good multiplayer boxing game that goes for a more arcade style, Graphics are good, it’s polished, and obviously it’s licensed from the movie
Bizarre Barber (-50%, $5.99) Arcade game about cutting aliens’ hair as they come by in passing subway cars. It goes for a more surrealist vibe.
Garry's Mod (-33%, $6.69) This needs a community hack to be VR, but it works and even lets you play HL2 in VR
Cubism (-20%, $7.99) A tetronomo style puzzle where you need to figure out how to make the finished shape out of the pieces you’re given, in 3D. Feels like it’s made by Apple.
Gravity Lab (-40%, $8.99) Rube goldberg puzzler where you build machines to get the ball from the start to the finish, sci fi settings.
Pierhead Arcade Bundle (-63%, $7.48) The first one is stronger and a great little VR boardwalk with multiplayer to show off to people with high quality minigames,and with an update this week they made it so if you own both, then the games carry over into 2, which has index support and a ton of its own games too.
Prison Boss (-60%, $7.99) The best crafting game in VR, you play a prisoner who makes and sells contraband, so it’s business sim as well since you buy equipment and supplies to make various products.
Tabletop Simulator (-50%, $9.99) (4-Pack for $29.99) (Most DLC -50%,) Look, the VR support here has issues but since it’s a board game simulation all you need to do is make sure you can sit down, move around, and grab things (just make your own bindings from the desktop SteamVR settings). Since it uses the Steam workshop it’s an insane value with endless excellent quality content. The matchmaking system means you can play all kinds of games at all hours with thousands of people.
Westworld Awakening (-80%, $5.99) If you love the show this is a must have, pretty well received as just a good game overall.
Superfly (-34%, $9.89) This is a super hero sim game in VR. You can have six different types of powers with their own movement and combat mechanics around a cartoon city
Ultrawings (-50%, $7.49) Super user friendly flight sim with VR controls. I definitely recommend it. You complete missions to get money to spend on new planes across several cartoonish islands that you fly between.
Shooty Fruity (-55%, $8.99) One of the best wave shooters in my opinion, but the controls are a little broken for the Index since it doesn’t use SteamVR input.
RUSH (-60%, $7.99) Wing suit skydiving game
Climbey (-31% $6.89) A classic VR climbing game with multiplayer and steam workshop support for courses
Space Pirate Trainer (-40%, $8.99) Everyone’s favorite wave shooter, one of the first wave of room scale VR games that came out with the Vive. There’s no progression but it handles the mechanics of dodging bullets and dealing with growing waves of enemies really well with a lot of modes for your weapons.
Spectro (-50%, $7.49) Ghost hunting game that feels a bit like it’s made for kids but it’s still a good roguelike.
The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets (-50% $7.49) Cutesy puzzler abou finding a bunch of stolen pets on little floating islands you interact with.
ViSP - Virtual Space Port (-50%, $7.49) You build these blocky space stations in third person trying to hold off attacks by aliens.
A Fishermans Tale (-35%, $9.74) A recursive puzzle game where you’re a fisherman in a box messing with a fisherman in a box who has a fisherman in a box…
I Expect You To Die (-60% $9.99) A james bond style escape room game with a ton of polish and a lot of content, one of the best of the genre.
The Forest (-50%, $9.99) Port, has good co op, suniverseurvival with crafting and base building in a forest full of mutants.
The Mage's Tale (-70%, $8.99) I haven’t been able to try this one, but it’s well reviewed and has a nice art style.
2MD: VR Football (-30% $9.09) This is basically quarterbacking in VR. You throw the ball but you don’t run around with it. Also you throw with the trigger by default, for safety reasons. It’s still fun, but it’s definitely not a full football experience.
Deism (-30%, $5.59) This a god game with a low poly art style, it’s in early access with a lot of updates.
Cave Digger (-50%, $9.99) Steampunk mining game with multiple endings
The Thrill of the Fight (-20% $7.99) This is the more realistic boxing game more like a simulation, and it's good as a workout.
Carly and the Reaperman (-50%, $9.99) Escape from the Underworld (-50%, $9.99) One of the best asymmetric games, this is a co op platformer adventure where the VR player helps the gamepad player. Works with Parsec/Remote Play Together
Gun Club VR (-60% $7.99) For a gun sim, get H3. The value in this game are the missions where you have to hit cardboard targets across different themes and weapon types like WWII, modern day, zombies, or carnival style targets.
Swords of Gurrah (-30%, $6.99) Multiplayer sword fighting with a little community.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (-75%, $7.49) Port of third person game, really high quality but gamepad controls.
IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad (-85%, $7.49) A HOTAS based WWII combat flight sim
Marble Land (-60%, $5.99) A physics base puzzle game about getting the marble to the goal
Combat Tested (-69%, $6.19) This is a mixed game, but it’s really creative with the gritty super powers you have while you try to escape from a lab full of people trying to stop you.
Blind (-75%, $6.24) You can only see by making noise (canes, throwing things, etc)
Adapt or Perish (-40%, $5.99) Evolutionary strategy game with a VR mode
Pinball FX2 VR (-60%, $5.99) Made for VR realistic pinball
Assetto Corsa (-90%, $7.93) Racing sim with optional VR
Seeking Dawn (-80%, $5.99) Not great, but super ambitious with story and alien enemies and crafting and base building and just generally more than I expected, and it actually kind of works.
Pavlov VR (-40%, $14.99) Pavlov is basically a game that set out to be Counter Strike VR and became the Garry's Mod of VR and the most creative community outside VRChat. I’ve seen and played everything from roller skate racing, a remake of the entirety of Super Mario 64, TF2 Payload, over a hundred TTT maps, some of the best Battle Royale I’ve seen in VR, Slow-mo zero G modes, SCP, LifeMod and DarkRP, five completely different kinds of zombie modes, and a lot more. It’s been a fixture of SteamVR and pretty soon they’re releasing a World War II update with character models and new guns for the USSR, USA, Germany, and UK, new maps, and multi user tanks that you use in first person. It’s as much a must have as there can be, as long as you like multiplayer shooters.
Vertigo Remastered (-40%, $14.99) A 19 year old genius kid who worked at Valve and Cloudhead games made this on his own. It feels like a scaled down Alyx with nice physics, creative weapons and tools, and great personality across a campaign.
Paper Beast (-30%, $13.99) One of the standout PSVR games. You’re in a surreal papercraft desert with dynamic and lifelike paper animals. It has a story and then a smaller sandbox mode. It’s a surreal style experience that works well in VR.
Jet Island (-35%, $12.99) take on a huge open world with an island of enemies on your hoverboard
Falcon Age (-35%, $12.99) You play a young falconer who uses her whip and bird to fight off colonizing robots that are strip mining her planet. It’s a pretty high quality game and semi open world.
Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency (-50%, $14.99) VR stealth with a portal style teleport gun and a bow. It’s well written and has a lot of polish. Sequel to one of the standout classics of early VR.
Superhot VR (-40% $14.99) This is the game that sold me on VR. It’s basically the Matrix, where time moves when you move. It’s actually not a port of the original superhot, which is why the sequel isn’t coming to VR. I think it’s slightly overrated, there isn’t a ton of content, it just seems more concise than the marketing conveys
Gadgeteer (-20% $11.99) Even more rube goldberg puzzler, but more of a dominos style of gameplay.
Ironwolf VR (-30%, $13.99) Submarine simulator, has destroyer mode now too with coop and some competitive multiplayer. I definitely recommend this as a co op experience.
Hotel RnR (-40% $11.99) You’re a dead rocker who makes a deal with the devil to destroy hotel rooms
Duck Season (-35%, $12.99) Make someone else play this without explaining it to them. Tell them it’s just Duck Hunt.
Down the Rabbit Hole (-40%, $11.99) Third person Alyx in Wonderland game with player choice
3dSen VR (-40%, $11.99) 3D NES emulator that makes them feel like a totally new experience.
The Wizards Bundle (-68%, $15.92) The first one is an okay wave shooter, the second is more of an adventure game with great graphics and more variety.
Thief Simulator VR (-27%, $14.59) A semi open world game where you go around stealing people’s phones, jewelry, and cars.
Vox Machinae (-45%, $13.74) If you like Mech games this is basically a must buy, you control it by hand with all the bits and bobs of the cockpit and the graphics look really good. VR and flatscreen with crossplay multiplayer.
Yupitergrad (-15% $12.74) A grappling hook adventure game set aboard a collapsing soviet space station
Windlands 2 (-60%, $11.99) This is a grappling hook style game with somewhat basic graphics but large worlds and big enemies. Some people have called it the best spiderman game in VR.
Hello Puppets (-30%, $13.99) Cartoon horror with weird humor, your hand is an evil puppet
Moss (-50% $14.99) A third person platformer adventure game about a little mouse
Skytropolis (-55%, $11.24) A vertical citybuilder, which is a rare genre in VR. It’s from 2017 and doesn’t get updates any more but it does work and it’s not a bad game in the genre.
Pixel Ripped 1995 (-30%, $13.99) A love letter to 16 bit gaming. You play video games inside the game and have to avoid getting caught playing in the middle of the night, etc.
ModBox (-25% $11.24) This is a sandbox game creator with steam workshop support. IT has a lot of potential and supports asymmetric play, VR multiplayer, and creation inside and outside of VR.
New Retro Arcade: Neon (-35%, $12.99) This is kind of buggy, and you need to use the unofficial arcade builder, but as a social VR experience for friends it can be pretty cool. Roms aren’t shared online unless the other people are on parsec or something, but a few activities like movies, the built in games, and bowling are actually multiplayer. The arcade is persistent for you and your friends even if you’re doing different things in different rooms.
Phasmophobia (-10%, $12.59) The big new co op horror multiplayer game, but this one also supports VR
Synth Rider (-40% $14.99) This is the closest Beat Saber style game to the original, with a smoother style of gameplay. But the maps feel unbalanced, like every difficulty or gameplay setting is the exact same map just being automatically tweaked. This can make it feel unfair or constricting.
Into the Radius (-30%, $20.99) Basically Stalker VR, kill enemies and complete missions for cash as you progress
Mini Motor Racing X (-50%, $19.99) Racing game that you control with your actual hands which is great but the tracks can be pretty small and with lots of tight turns since it’s a micro car game. Also has a rocket league mode which is fun.
Stride (-25%, $14.99) Basically mirror’s edge in VR. You run and jump and wall run across different environments, with some combat and stealth too. There are two modes out now and another one coming soon with a story.
BattleGroupVR (-30% $17.49) This is probably the most polished RTS in VR, made by one dev but it’s right up there with final assault and works better in singleplayer. Multiplayer is being tested right now. It’s a space real time RTS where you’re on the bridge of one of your ships and you can command the others in holograms, see the battle in third person, and the graphics are great. There’s a story and campaign too
Until You Fall (-20%, $19.99) This is basically Infinity Blade in VR. It does melee by having lines appear in the air and you need to line up your sword with them to block enemy attacks, with some later enemies requiring you to duck off to the side to dodge attacks. It’s a roguelike so you fight through as many enemies you can, small stage by stage, until you die and spend the money you earned on new weapons and abilities.
STAR WARS™: Squadrons (-40%, $23.99) As an experience, Squadrons is exactly what you expect. It’s really immersive and really feels like being in a star wars dogfight
The Talos Principle VR (-60%, $15.99) Croteam are the devs of the classic Serious Sam series, and when the Vive came out they went all in and converted all their games over to VR, including their puzzle game Talos Principle. It was one of the higher quality experiences back then and it still holds up.
Tales Of Glory (-40%, $17.99) First person medieval war RTS. It’s been in early access for a long time but the dev has put in a ton of work and made it a pretty unique experience with some of the best medieval combat outside Blade and Sorcery combined with strategy and base capture.
Universe Sandbox (-33%, $19.99) Just got an update redoing the entire VR UI side of the game.
Automata Break (-15%, $16.99) An asymmetric tower defense game you can play with a friend or alone.
Skyrim VR (-67%, $19.79) Good port, works better than Fallout4VR with a big modding scene. This price is a bit higher than it has been in the past.
Ragnarock (-15%, $16.99) Rhythm game where you beat the drums on a viking ship to metal and celtic rock. This seems like the best beat saber style game I’ve seen alongside Synth Riders, and the music is distinct.
Industrial Petting (-15% $16.99) You farm alien pets to sell them back on earth. It’s an industrial production kind of game, with multiplayer support and VFlatscreen modes
In Death (-50%, $14.99) Roguelike archery game set in Purgatory. Price feels a little steep when it stopped getting updates on PC in early 2019.
Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs (-30%, $10.49) Basically Angry Birds in 3D. You can shoot in room scale and teleport to different spots to get a better angle. There's a fair amount of content too.
Arizona Sunshine (-63%, $14.79) The first big co op zombie game. It shows it's age but it's still popular and has some DLC. I would recommend this one only on sale and mostly if you're planning on playing co op.
L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files (-50%, $14.99) I think the cases are taken from the original game, but it's LA Noire in VR. There's driving, shooting, interrogations, looking for clues, everything from the original game. Seven cases.
Half-Life: Alyx (-25%, $44.99) The best looking VR game and one of the best games of this generation.
Boneworks (20%, $23.99) This game is a must buy, but do not get it if you’re new. This is a game where pushing on a wall with your hand pushes the camera back. It will make you sick if you don’t have VR legs. The combat, melee, physics puzzles, are all extremely strong and it has an 11 hour campaign, along with arena, zombies, and sandbox modes. Another content update is also coming soon.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (-20%, $31.99) This is a great game. It’s less Left for Dead and more realistic in the sense that tension is very high and both humans and zombies are threats. There’s light crafting, upgrades, and collecting supplies, complete with physics and a faction systems and multiple paths to go down.
Vacation Simulator (-20% $23.99) The best minigame collection game with the games integrated into three worlds with a lot to do, across multiple settings with progression and a basic story. Super immersive.
No Man's Sky (-50%, $29.99) All new updates apply to VR too. Performance is spotty but the entire massive experience is carried over into VR, and there’s multiplayer too.
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes, and Hand Grenades ($19.99) This game isn’t on sale but it’s getting an advent calender with daily updates until christmas. This is basically the ultimate “labor of love” game in VR. Detailed physics simulation of lots of guns, big recommendation for those with any interest in sandbox, has game modes like Take and Hold and Team Fortress, single player only.
Pistol Whip (-20%, $19.99) This doesn’t go on sale as often. I would say it’s the first rhythm game that can actually go toe to toe with Beat Saber. It doesn’t have custom maps, but it gets regular content updates and just got a set of five campaign levels.
VTOL VR (-15% $25.49) This is the most advanced made for VR flight sim with full VR controls, tons of customization, and a bunch of modern fighter planes. It’s a community favorite and it’s even getting multiplayer soon.
AGOS - A Game Of Space (-33%, $20.09) This got a super mixed reaction. It’s basically a third person satellite simulator. If you like the movement method you’ll like the game, otherwise you probably won’t. Watch some gameplay on youtube.
Sairento (-35%, $19.79) This is like a ninja version of Superhot. I didn't enjoy it too much but many people like it. It has a lot of different weapons and you can do things like bounce off walls up to an enemy and cutting their head off with a katana.
Gnomes & Goblins (-35%, $19.49) This got a mixed reaction. Basically it’s a game where you visit a community of gnomes and has two parts. In the first part you go on a little adventure meeting the gnomes and hanging out with them. But the rest of the game is doing activities and collecting artifacts around their town to fill your house.
Disassembly VR (-30%, $20.99) Destruction and deconstruction physics sandbox simulator, just added melee combat.
Also worth taking a look at, over at Fanatical they’re doing a “make your own bundle.” 2 games for $6.99, 3 games for $9.99, 5 games for $14.99
Cosmic Trip - A very polished VR base capture RTS in first person where you build and manage drones and mine for crystals on an alien planet.
Sprint Vector - Basically a footrace game you play by swinging your arms, set on an alien gameshow.
Polybius - A trippy tunnel shooter with surreal pixel graphics, based on the haunted arcade game.
Rainbow Reactor- Kind of like a sac toss arcade puzzle game.
Conductor - An escape room style adventure game with a physics gun.
Battlewake - This was a really hyped game that kind of flopped. Basically it looks really great graphically but the gameplay loop feels really repetitive and kind of shallow. For co op at this price it's a good buy.
Raw Data - Early polished VR wave shooter, but it shows its age. It has multiplayer but the index support is pretty bad.
Dungeons & Treasure VR - A small voxel fantasy roguelike with multiplayer support.
Assuming you're reading this because you would like to wear rings and currently don't, here's a quick FAQ.
Materials?
Most common precious metals used in jewelry are silver, gold, platium and variations thereof. You will rarely find pure metal jewelry, reason being that 100% silvegold is actually soft and will warp and become damaged with little effort. The most common alloys for jewelry are:
Stainless Steel: what your kitchen cutlery is made of. Marketed as a cheap alternative to silver.
Sterling Silver / .925 silver: 92.5% pure silver mixed with another metal, commonly copper.
Yellow Gold: (usually) an alloy of gold and some other material, preserving the yellow colour of the gold.
Rose Gold: An alloy of gold, copper and some white metal e.g. silver. The copper gives the metal a rosy tint.
White Gold: An alloy of gold and a white metal e.g. silver. Personally I don't see the appeal when silver is 1/10th the price.
Karats?
When buying jewelry it's important to know what the precious metal content is (or whether it's made of precious metal at all) as this plays a huge part in the quality of the jewelry and how much you should expect to pay. Sterling silver is the benchmark for quality silver. Sometimes referred to as .925 silver, sterling silver is 92.5% silver by weight. The vast majority of silver jewelry is made of sterling silver - anything new that doesn't specify the quality (.925 / sterling, .999 / fine / pure) is of dubious quality and should be avoided. Gold content is measured in karats. The scale goes from 0 to 24, with 1 karat being 1 part gold to 23 parts other material. Therefore, 16K gold is 50% pure gold and 24K gold is pure gold. The karat rating for white gold or rose gold is the same - 18K gold and 18K white gold contain the same amount of gold but the gold is alloyed with different materials to change the colour of the resulting alloy. Metal alloys are generally much harder and resistant to wear. A higher percentage of pure precious metal is not necessarily better or more desirable.
Plating?
Plated jewelry is made from a material coated with a very thin layer of the specified metal. Plated metal is much cheaper than pure metal or an alloy. The material beneath the plating is usually copper, nickel, brass or silver. Jewelry from fast-fashion stores like H&M are generally made of copper or nickel plated with silver or gold. Vermeil is a restricted term for a specific kind of plating. Whilst plating can be done to any metal with any plate thickness, vermeil is always silver plated with a layer of gold at least 2.5 microns thick. Be cautious with plated jewelry. The price makes it very attractive but there are down-sides:
The plating has a tendency to rub off over time, ruining the appearance of your formerly-gold/silver jewelry.
The exposed metal may cause side effects:
Some people are allergic to nickel and will develop a rash.
Copper has a tendency to turn your skin green for a few days.
What should I buy?
Only buy pieces that speak to you. Think of jewelry like a tattoo. It's expensive, you're likely to keep it for a long time and wear it regardless of the rest of your outfit. If you're not sure whether you like a given piece your money would be better spent on something else. If you're not comfortable wearing it that's a lot of money left sat on your dresser.
Start simple. When making a big change in your wardrobe it's good to take it easy. Try a few small, simple pieces first e.g. a couple of stacking bands or a plain signet ring.
More is more. A single piece of jewelry will stand out in a bad way. The consenus from the jewelry thread was that it takes a few pieces to appear intentional and blend into an outfit. The sweet spot is 3-5 pieces total - less if you're wearing only one type, e.g. max. 3 rings, more if you're mixing it up e.g. 2 rings, a bracelet and a chain.
Sterling silver is king. IMO stainless steel does not look good in real life. It may look exactly like silver in the photos but trust me, when you place it side-by-side with silver it looks cheap. Stainless steel is duller, has a gray-tone and brushed-metal surface. It's a hardy material that's very resistant to scratches and wear. Sterling silver on the other hand is much brighter, can be polished smooth or oxidized to add detail and develops a patina over time. Gold is nice but it's very expensive. Mixing metals is hard to pull off so if you buy gold you may feel limited in terms of choice and price when buying future pieces.
Feel free to ignore this advice. If you want gold jewelry, go for it. If you want to wear more rings than you have fingers don't let me stop you. There are no rules - this is just advice for those who are dipping their toes into jewelry for the first time.
Sizing?
It can be difficult to size jewelry, particulary if you're doing it yourself. Here's some methods you can use ordered by ease/accuracy:
Use a ring sizer at home. Nowadays they make plastic ring sizers and many online brands will ship you one for free or low-cost. IMO this is the best way to take your ring size but watch a guide or two on YouTube to make sure you get it right.
Use a cloth tape measure. Take a measurement of your finger in mm using a flexible tape measure and use a size chart to convert to your desired scale.
Use your existing rings as a guide. If you know the size of your current rings (or you're sizing for a friend or partner who knows theirs) you're pretty set. I bought a thumb ring for my girlfriend for Christmas and compared her current thumb ring to one of mine to get an idea of size. When it turned up it was slightly smaller than expected but still fit.
Have a professional jeweler size you. You can ask a jeweler to measure your fingers in-store though you may be uncomfortable doing this if you don't intend to purchase anything. Alternatively, try some pieces on and note what size they are if they're a good fit.
Go to the showroom and let them measure you or try the pieces in-store. The most accurate if you're buying a specific brand. Obviously only an option if you live or travel nearby.
Pay to have the ring resized. If the ring is too large any jeweler will be able to resize it for you. It's more difficult/expensive to size a ring up, especially if it has details the whole way round. If in either doubt size up, make sure they have a good returns policy or don't buy.
Sizing Tips
Remember that each of your fingers is a different ring size. The fingers on your dominant hand will be thicker than the fingers on your non-dominant hand. The size of your fingers changes depending on the temperature so rings that are loose when it's warm may fall off when it's cold or vice-versa. When measuring at home take a few measurements in different rooms, inside / outside or at different times of day to get an accurate measurement. If you're not fussed about which finger the ring will sit on, measure a few candidate fingers of similar size (±1) and order a ring in the size between. If the ring arrives and it's too large / small then wear it on the larger / smaller finger.
Where to buy?
Online: I buy most of my jewelry online. Most designers have an instagram presence and online store. Check the tagged photos on their instagram accounts for inspiration. The more mass-produced brands will have sales on holidays e.g. Christmas or Black Friday.
Independent retailers: Your city may have an area with lots of independent designers / craftspeople / markets - you're likely to find a lot of unique pieces here and physical locations for the designers listed below.
Thrift: You may have some luck at thrift stores or second-hand / charity / pawn shops. In some cities there are second-hand stores that only sell jewelry.
Grailed et al.: The more popular brands (e.g. The Great Frog) will appear on places like grailed or eBay.
On the high street: You're unlikely to find men's jewelry in high street retail / department stores. Most of the jewelry is very delicate and targeted toward women or married couples (wedding bands). The stuff you do find will be relatively inoffensive bands and signet rings.
Designers
So you want a ring but you don't know where to look. Great! See the gallery for general inspo and check out the list of designers below. I've tried to categorize the list to make it easier to find the kind of rings you're interested in. If you have suggestions for more designers please let me know in the comments. Most designers will produce other types of jewelry e.g. chains, bracelets, necklaces, pendants in a similar style.
Simple Rings
Small-to-medium size rings with plain or very simple designs. Stacking bands, signet rings, rings with a single motif like a chain, feather, nail etc.
Silver-plated brass rings with unique designs offering a cheap entry point into jewelry. Occasionally do sterling-silver variants of popular designs. Bit of a weird "community" drop-based Instagram presence.
Huge. Impractical. Outrageously large, really, gigantic. Some of the most unique jewelry I've seen, for better or worse.
Natural Rings
Various-sized rings with designs or textures inspired by nature. Think flowing water, rock formations, gemstones, emphasis on natural wear and tear. The counterpoint to industrial's man-made aesthetic.
Not a designer per se, but a reseller of other designers similar to ssense. Grungy, big industrial/nature inspired rings. A good place to follow to get inspiration; stocks many of the designers on this list.
.999 fine silver / gold rings in simple designs. Due to the softness of fine / pure metals the ring will tarnish and warp creating a unique, highly personal piece of jewelry.
"Inspired by the elements, the human body, rock and roll, techno music, a theatrical lifestyle and deep personal emotions. Her designs feature unique organic forms of .925 silver, in heavily textured freehand surfaces. Each piece bares luxurious weight and significant stature."
Wild sci-fi designs often contrasting clean, melting chrome-like sections with heavily oxidized, distressed parts. Distribution outside Japan extremely limited.
Biker Rings
Big fuck-off rings for letting everyone know you ride a Harley Davidson, play in a rock band and do a lot of drugs.
Detailed, medium-sized rings under various themes - western, nautical, nature. I find a lot of their designs to be tacky but they have some simpler pieces I've considered purchasing.
Lots of unique designs, although some of them seem to be lifted from The Silver Stone or vice-versa (particularly the goat and branch rings). Not sure what to think but I grabbed this from the streetwear list.
Big rings made of marble with some silver / gold elements. Design inspired by the macabre - lots of skulls, skeletons and dead things. Infamous for their dick ring. I have yet to any of their pieces pulled off outside of their lookbooks. Please share any everyday fits you find with me so I can justify buying one of their pieces.
A bit of a bizarre one. While most designers focus on traditional jewelry, Good Art makes a lot of... things. Chapstick caps, AirPod cases, corkscrews and smoking pipes.
Probably the most famous jewelry designer in the world. You may be tempted to write them off as over-priced and over-hyped but (as a biased Tiffany-bracelet owner) I have to admit that the quality is incredibly high. Their silver pieces are rhodium-plated and there is a noticeable difference in the durability and brightness of my Tiffany bracelet vs. other silver jewelry I own. Edit: I can't actually find any evidence that their silver is rhodium-plated. It's important to do your research before buying things!
Big rings inspired by Asia. Lots of small stones and inlays. One of the more successful designers with physical locations in tons of major cities / malls.
I suppose you might consider these to be rings for classic menswear. Signet rings with marble or some other opaque stone, elegant bands. Some outrageously intricate signets with fuckton of stones and sky-high prices to match.
All sorts of vintage jewelry from across the spectrum.
Custom Signet Rings
Signet rings were traditionally engraved with a design and worn on the pinky finger. You would use the signet to stamp and seal letters with your personal insignia in wax.
I really hope you're still reading because Castro Smith does some incredible work. Hand-engraved, incredibly detailed signet rings in multiple tones. Ready-to-order one-of-a-kind pieces and the opportunity to order bespoke.
Thanks to danhakimi and everyone else who left nice comments in the jewelry thread and encouraging me to make this post. Note: my only qualifications for creating this post are owning a few rings, enjoying wearing them and having access to Google. Please read the comments and take everything with a pinch of salt. Thanks x
Quarantine date ideas and phone games to play with your girlfriend or boyfriend
Continuation to LDR Activities you can do with your partner. Quarantine dates
Go to supercook.com which lets you put any ingredients that you have in your house. Once your boyfriend or girlfriend have selected all the ingredients, you basically look through this list of all the dishes that you can make and you can each select one. Both of you select a recipe, make it together and then see who has the better dish.
Get a shot glass and your favorite alcohol. Find a list on Google to ask your girlfriend or boyfriend. Once you find the list, you take turns asking questions. And if you don't want to answer it, you take a shot.
Pick an event or a date night. Look through your closer together and find a matching outfit, and make matching outfits together.
Get a Chrome extension called Scener. Click on the extension in the Google Chrome bar and follow prompts. Create a private theatre and choose a streaming service, and if you want to video chat, you can enable your camera. Pick something to watch and share the invite link with your girlfriend or boyfriend.
Pick a category (e.g. Jewelry) and budget (e.g. 15 dollars), Set a time limit (e.g. 5 minutes). Find an item within the time limit. You can basically browse Amazon or any shops over the Internet and find a gift to find them under 5 minutes, with the same category and budget.
Play phone games together: Brawl Stars (arena game where you can team up with your significant other), Spaceteam (a puzzle game that requires a ton of communication), QuizUp (has quizzes on a ton of different topics)
Go to drunkpirate.co.uk. Add players. Drink if the card tells you to. Preferable to do this over video chat.
Pick a song you like and give it to your boyfriend/girlfriend. Go on Spotify to search the song and make a playlist out of it. Go to the playlist and add some of the recommended songs. At the end, you should have a playlist for each other with the music that they like.
skribbl.io - one person draws and everyone else guesses
Go to Spotify. Click the device icon on the bottom left. Click "Start Session". Send an invite. Once they get the same invite, they'll be on the same listening session as you. So you can listen to the same music or Podcast together.
Get the Google Chrome extension "Scener". Go to Netflix and search "Black Mirror Bandersnatch". This is essentially an interactive movie that you and your girlfriend/boyfriend can watch together.
Best phone games to play with your girlfriend or boyfriend (all online)
Spaceteam - A puzzle game that you can play with your boyfriend/girlfriend or up to 7 other people. The whole point of this game is to try to get out of the space shuttle alive, so you get instructions and then you have to give to the other player playing the game. You have to give the instructions in a certain time limit. Play the game until you damage the ship completely or pass through all the levels.
Bunch - You can play a bunch of different games with your boyfriend/girlfriend all while videochatting with them
We're back again for 2020! Thank you to everyone who contributed last year, it was a lot of fun! Posting this a little earlier this year so people can plan ahead.
If you have something new to share, please check to see if it's already on the list, then submit it using the survey and it'll go in the spreadsheet for everyone to see. Brand owners are welcome to submit their own info!
If you have an update for something already on the list, please comment below and tag me (u/theyellingcat) and I'll update it on the sheet/list.
New this year, by request: filters! Now you can browse just makeup, perfume, nail polish or "and more"! You can switch between filters on Google Sheets under Data>Filter Views, or find them linked below for your convenience.
Text list is included below for easy skimming. I plan to update that at least once per day through 11/21, and then more frequently 11/22-11/28 (week of US Thanksgiving). The spreadsheet is directly populated by the survey and will always be most up-to-date!
Last year's post can be found here if you'd like to get an idea of past sales/releases.
Finally, as much as this is an exciting time for indies I realize this can be a financially (and generally) stressful time of year, especially this year. My hope is that this list will help people make informed, planned purchasing decisions, but if you'd prefer not to see this post at all, you can hide it using the option in menu below the post on desktop or in the menu to the right on mobile.
Winter Collection release 11/30 1pm EST. Holiday three pack gift bags for $25 containing 3 "gourmandy" scents. All December orders over $50 receive free GWP Winter Solstice Alchemy 2020, all December orders over $35 receive free GWP Yuletide Blessing if you let them know you are a member of a forum (such as IMAM!) in the notes at checkout.
New Winter collection out now, plus rerelease of past scents. FREE SHIPPING: Shipping is FREE for all domestic orders now through December 5. As always, international orders of $40 or more will ship for only $8. FREE LAYERING NOTE: Now through December 1, you can get a free Layering Note when you spend $60 or more. (And the Layering Notes have been restocked!) No code is needed, but you will need to place your free LN(s) in your cart.
Wintertime collection now available. GWP: Purchases of $25 will receive a 1.8ml vial of the Black Friday Cyber Monday blend of the customer’s choice. Purchases of $50 will receive a 1.8ml vial of the BFCM blend of the customer’s choice and one vial of my choice. For every $75 spent, the customer will receive one full bottle of the BFCM blend of choice. Details of GWP on sheet.
30% off excluding AEngland new releases, pre-orders, prior purchases and no combined shipping. Use code BFCM20
Black Baccara 11/27 at 8pm EST - 11/30 at 11:00pm EST
Save 20% off everything on the website, including jewelry, with code SNOW20 excluding purchases of gift cards. GWP tiers @$100 and $200, see sheet for details.
Black Friday all month long, 15% off entire site with coupon code BLKheartedFRI. Can't be combined with any other offer. UPDATE: Buy three 10 mls and get one free! (Includes any combo of perfume oil rollers, layering notes, and EDPs)
15% off all orders over $25 with code SHOPSMALL15, 25% off all orders over $100 with code SHOPSMALL25 Orders that are still over $100 after discounts will also receive free domestic shipping (and $10 flat rate to Canada.) AND, every single order placed will receive a free sample of one of our loose leaf tea blends. New product releases, details on sheet.
Save 15% on orders of $25+ with code GRAVY15, Save 20% on orders of $75+ with code: CRANBERRIES20, Save 25% on orders of $125+ with code: TOFURKY25, Save 30% on orders of $200+ with code: CASSEROLE30
15% off everything except sample vials (limit 3 sets per person)
Color 4 Nails Now - 2nd December 2020 (no timezone listed)
25% off almost everything excluding KBShimmer (15%) and final sale with code BLFR2020
Color Spectrum 11/27 @ 12pm (possibly am/midnight?)EST - 11:59pm EST 11/30
25% OFF shop wide (excluding new releases), 3 for $10 Mystery Bags, FREE US SHIPPING with all orders over $35 (after discounts). FREE MINI polish with every order, no minimum, FREE EXCLUSIVE BLACK FRIDAY FREEBIE POLISH with every order over $45, while supplies last
20% off and Exclusive GWP for orders $20 and up. UPDATE: GWP is Capitalist Figs: Black figs, blackened honey wine, and swirling black sugar on a bed of black patch
$25 - 10% off, $50 - 15% off, $75 - 20% + samples of The Nice List & The Naughty List, $100+ - 25% off + 5ml bottles of The Nice List and The Naughty List. BF exclusive scents + Winter Releases. More details on sheet and here
Free shipping on all orders over $20, with different daily deals. Friday: For every $10 you spend, receive $5 worth of free mystery items. Saturday: For every $20 you spend, receive $5 of store credit to use on a future order! Sunday: GWP @ $50 and $100. Monday: For every $25 you spend, get 1 month free in our exclusive Nail Polish of the Month Club! More details on spreadhsheet
Free gifts with purchase, must add to cart and then use code to get it for free. Does not stack with any other promos, including Nov. promo. GWP @$40, $65, $115, $160, $200, all details on sheet! UPDATE: EDP + rollerball gift sets available through 11/30
Use code BF2020 for 20% off storewide. 20 random orders receive a free gift valued up to $20. First 20 orders over $20 receive free Black Friday exclusive polish ($20 must be order total before tax/shipping). Other restocks/releases on sheet
25% off site wide, orders over $70 get a hair bow, orders over $180 get a face towel, small suitcase, and original version of Mars Melter. 40% off lips, 40% off Cyber Bronze palette.
35% off from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM CST, 25% off from 12:01 PM to 4:00 PM CST, 15% off from 4:01 PM to 8:00 PM, 5% off from 8:01 PM to 11:59 PM CST. No coupon code required
New Winter collection of 36 flavors releasing 11/27 (they appear to be available now, the full collection set will be available in limited numbers Nov 27- Dec 1 (or until it sells out)
30% off with code LOVELOVE30 through 11/26. UPDATE: looks like the code has a minimum purchase of around $25, unsure of exact amount. New release out now: Kinfolk collection. 40% off $60 purchase with code WEKIN40. Free shipping over $90 (before discount, so $54 after discount). Adding new products/restocking throughout sale. Givaway: 1 winner per day from those who sign up for the newsletter during the sale. More details on sheet and here
20% off all LVNEA products with coupon code ‘firbalsam’ at checkout. Excludes boutique items by other brands or makers. Free 2 oz pouch of Rose & Bois coconut milk bath soak with any purchase over $100.
Half off most everything with the code THANKS. New 6 piece Victorian Christmas collection just 30 dollars with the THANKS code. Various GWP and mystery bags, see sheet for details.
Discounts up to 25% off: code 202015OFF - 15% off any amount, 202020OFF - 20% off orders of $20+, 202025OFF - 25% off orders of $40+. Orders of $60+(after discounts & before shipping) get free domestic or discounted international shipping. Doorbuster, restock, new releases, details on sheet
25% with code NMBF25, excludes Haunted AF palette + coupon set. All orders placed during sale receive GWP. No coupon stacking except rewards, various daily specials to be announced. Please see full BF exclusives/release details on the spreadsheet, hover over the cell to view!
Nui Cobalt 11/26-11/30, new release @11/27 at 11:11 am Pacific
10% off any order with code BlackFriday10, 15% off orders $75+ with code Black Friday15, 20% off orders of $125+ with code BlackFriday20, 25% off any order $200+ with code BlackFriday25 Yuletide collection release 11/27, details of scents to be announced in newsletter
Oden's Eye November 27th at 0:00 European Time to November 29th at 24:00
40% off all products, free shipping over €50, some countries and regions excepted
New Studio Ghibli collection + various other items on sale. GWP @ $50 and $100, details on sheet. Free US shipping at $50, Canada at $80, all other international at $120.
$6 door buster polish, 10-30% off throughout site with no code needed, free nail buffer with any order while supplies last, free polish with $50 order while supplies last, 10% off new releases through 11/27 12 PM EST.
Up to 60% off makeup combos. 40% off mini sets of makeup brushes. 20% off site wide on top. Orders over $150 receive free full-size Medium Shimmer. No code necessary
Code HOLIDAY10 for 10% off all orders; Code HOLIDAY15 for 15% off orders over $75; Code HOLIDAY20 for 20% off orders over $150. Discount applies to regular priced merchandise only. Free random fandom jewelry bag with every purchase over $30 while supplies last. (Value $20-40)
15% off with code BLACKFRIDAY2020 from Black Friday through Cyber Monday. Additional products will also be available starting on BF, see sheet for details.
All orders save 10% with code MISTLETOE, Spend $60 and save 20% with code YULETIDE, Spend $125 and save 30% with code SNOWFALL Orders $50 & up (after discounts & before shipping) receive a FREE exclusive Black Friday 6ml fragrance Turtle Doves. NEW COLLECTION RELEASES: Holiday 2020 Collection, Black Friday Exclusive Trio, Holiday Layering Sets, Holiday Bath/Body More details on spreadsheet
Winter Collection Release begins 11/27 10pm EST and runs until November 30th at 10pm EST. 10% off all orders with code GIFT10, 20% of orders $50+ with code GIFT20, 30% off orders $100+ with code GIFT30, excludes Krampus gift set + gift cards.
Freebies (all calculated in CAD, and all stack) every $25 ($@ $25, $50, $75, etc), all details on sheet. Possibly must be added to cart? Cabinet of Curiosity (discontinued scents) available during sale: 7.5mls high-concentration only, 30% off of usual unlisted scent prices. List of some on sheet, will try and update if more are released. Collections being discontinued (though still available as "unlisted scents"): DECLASSIFIED, The Secret of Time and Heaven, Halloween: In the Darkness. These will be leaving the site @ 12pm EST on Saturday 11/28
20% off, discount is automatic so you can layer it (much like our scrubs) with discount codes from your Candy Coins balance or your Candy Cluster sub. Double Candy Coins on Cyber Monday.
20% Off (almost) site wide, $3 mystery protos, $5 overpours, $6 mystery bags, 5 new fragrances in hair oil, milk bath, mango body butter, sugar scrub, new collection (excluded from 20% off sale) and more.
All 15ml base and topcoats are $0.05 with code GOBBLEGOBBLEDOO (limit 3 per item, per customer). Mystery grab bags of 3 for $10 (limited quantities; sorted by color group). 50% off discontinued and last chance items (no code needed). Free shipping on orders $50+
Free gift with purchase (1 currently unreleased holiday sticker on all orders under $25 CAD, pack of 3 unreleased stickers on orders over $25 CAD, free pin of your choice (or random if not chosen) + sticker pack orders over $50 CAD. Before shipping)
BOGO on all regular shadows, highlighters, and loose pigments (buy any single qualifying product and get the second product of equal of lesser value for free) with code discounted from BOGOTM50. Various discounts on other products, see sheet for details.
Starting Thursday, use coupon code BLFR2020 and save 20% on all orders.Winter collection just arrived based on The Dark Side of the Rainbow and Company of Wolves
Untitled_Co 11/27 12 AM - 11/30 midnight (no timezones given)
20% off all orders. This Friday (11/27), keep an eye on instagram for our last sample sale of the year! Free shipping with code YOULUCKYDOG, or local pickup with code LOCALPHILLY
Sales TBA across social media channels. Two new general catalogue collections, two limited seasonal collections, and a limited birthday collection, 12-day Advent Calendar release. More info on sheet. New options for ordering perfumes, including 5ml bottles and Create Your Own Full-Size Sets at a discount. UPDATE: Tiered discounts, 15/20/25/30% off, see sheet for details. GWP every $30 spent, unsure if they stack or not.
Use code BF2020 for 15% off at wertherandgray.com. Etsy shop is also marked down 15%. Both shops are now offering free shipping on orders over $75, no code required.
25% off storewide through December 1. Discount automatically applied at checkout, no coupon code needed. Free US shipping on Etsy @$35, however not all products are available on Etsy
15% off all orders with code MERRY, 25% off orders over $60.00 with code MERRIER. Free domestic shipping on orders over $35.00. Limited number of discounted, pre-made mystery scent shot samplers available (3 per set for $8.00). GWP tiers @ $25, $50, see sheet for details!
Shop Local This Christmas! (r/NorthernIreland's list of local shops and businesses)
Thanks for all the awards! And shout out to u/davidc535 who mapped a lot of these on Google maps. Also, this ran on too long, more places in the comments.
Dustie Roo sell prints of floral arrangements that are really beautiful (From u/hm8g10) Noop designs have some really great Northern Irish themed prints (From u/hm8g10) Camlake Canvas - Fermanagh based artist with some amazing stuff. Also takes commission - painted our doggo and it was brilliant. Aly Harte also does prints and paintings (From u/hm8g10) I love Doghouse Gallery in Comber and Kingfisher Gallery in Killyleagh for local art, prints, jewellery, decorations etc. (From u/isotala) John Robinson Art - Belfast. He does the art on Boundary Brewing cans, based in Belfast. (From u/TunaFish88) Le Petit Pois Gallery abstract paintings and prints (From u/redditor930530) A Work of Heart bespoke and personalised prints based in Tandragee (From u/redditor930530) Armagh Damsons - Does commissions of your favourite landscape, cityscape, your home, your pet, whatever really. From u/tartanbornandred Horner Gallery - Castledawson, @ liamhornerart (instagram) and has a gallery in Castledawson, has lots of original landscape paintings and prints- also does Seamus Heaney themed work. From u/Carbsandmayo Studio Cole is a Scottish artist living locally and makes custom abstract paintings and prints. (From u/TheTyphoonteabag) Terry Bradley Art galleries - Belfast and Bangor. Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) One of Ireland's best known artists, recognised worldwide. (From u/SCOdoubleT16) Kaela Elliot Gifts - Derry. Derry based, hand designed cards, prints, mugs. Takes custom orders. (From u/pettydavis) Born and Bred (from u/oldfilmjanitor) - This site actually looks amazing. Based in Belfast they've a pile of really great gifts, all sourced from local artists and designers. little heart -Belfast. Personalised paintings, greetings cards /tree decorations, &some cute gifts on the website. Has some Harry Potter things, Disney ornaments, and teddy’s she sells in her store in queens arcade. Always get compliments when I buy people a gift from there. u/Mearbhail
Bath / Body / Candle Gifts
Mermaid Cove - Richmond Centre, Derry. (bath, body and home products...bath bombs, soaps, wax melts, all cruelty free & vegan, owner is an absolutely lovely woman!) Hex Bomb - Belfast. (Another Northern Irish bath bomb company, though I believe are Belfast based) Bubba's Meltys (And a wax melt company) The Scented Scullery - Lurgan is fantastic. From u/RiverPondlife Serenity Beauty - Maybe not local crafts but let's face it,the beauty industry is dying here and I know for a fact the owner of this place goes above and beyond for her clients. She has her own skin care range if you're thinking of gifts for the missus. From u/RiverPondlife Plumpy Balms - Plumpy is a beautiful little Vegan brand with the greatest lip balms. Check out their Lemon Pop - it's a miracle cold sore treatment. They also do tinted lip balms and face and body balms too. (From u/eimcca80) Sweet Scentsations - Derry and Belfast. They sell hand made wax melts. Bearded Candle Makers - Belfast. Candle from Bearded Candle Makers just arrived, not only is the packaging really nicely done (including a handwritten note on a postcard), the candle smells unreal. Highly recommend. (From u/Crimsai and u/hm8g10) Legenderry Candle Co. - Derry. Handmade soya wax melts, candles and other scented products (car air fresheners, reed diffusers, etc.) (From u/djfrfc) Belfast Beard Company - Been using their stuff for years, the lads running it are all great. From u/Wind_Yer_Neck_In Plumpy Balms - Beautiful little Vegan brand with the greatest lip balms. Check out their Lemon Pop - it's a miracle cold sore treatment. They also do tinted lip balms and face and body balms too. u/eimcca80
Book Shops
No Alibis probably best known local book shop. Books Papers Scissors also in Belfast Little Acorns Bookstore in Derry (girl who runs this place seems like a legend!) Bookends in Bangor Bridge Books in Dromore The Secret Bookshop - in Carrick. It’s a lovely wee place that’s just opened this year and can order the books in for you if they don’t have it in stock. From u/kittenmish (Comic stores in 'Games / Nerdy stuff / Models category)
Harland Homesyle - Etsy store from u/PM-me-Gophers &his wife, selling handcrafted herbs &spices. Perfect smaller gifts for friends / stocking fillers. Update: Now with expanded range, including two Christmas specific offerings (Winter Spice and a Mulled Wine Mix). https://www.rockadoodledo.com/products/ - Redditor u/rockadoodledobelfast sells some amazing hot sauces online and at St. George's Market. Started out years ago by giving away samples to 50 redditors for feedback! Erne Larder Preserves - Fermanagh. For delicious jams& chutneys (From u/fermango) Layer Cake - Lisburn. does great cupcakes. It was the one place that made me actually venture to Lisburn when I’d be back home for a visit) (From u/ambivert1902) Mike’s Fancy Cheeses - Belfast. Locally sourced and produced. Has a wee shop in Belfast and also does deliveries including breads etc. Great idea for social distancing Xmas pressie (From u/RedLouStar) Ebron's Enterprise - Portadown. (family run bakery - flipping delicious and Christmas range coming out soon!) (From u/redditor930530) HollieBerrie cakes and treat boxes (From u/redditor930530) Lily Pink Bakery incredible cakes and currently doing treat boxes too! (From u/redditor930530) Nearynógs do all things chocolate, based in Newry but have stockists all over. (From u/Louthgirl) Enrich & Endure make gorgeous linen aprons and have also started making face coverings. Online shop but you've probably seen their aprons in your favourite café (From u/Louthgirl) 387 Ormeau Road (that's the cafe name & address) does great food and it's all vegan friendly. Brownies, cake slices, hot food, independent soft drinks and coffee blends, and groceries. They even post what they have available on their FB page, with the ability to reserve items u/Irockz The Nutmeg - lovely health food store on Lombard Street in Belfast. Stocks all sorts of healthy, organic, &vegan things, from supplements to frozen food to crisps to chocolate to homemade sandwiches and sausage rolls. LocalBoxNI.com - Deliver all kinds of local food - nice cheeses, breads, meats, hampers etc. They're delivering food right up to Christmas Eve and are run by reddit u/justin344. MooToYou - Deliver to Belfast area and surrounding, food is sourced from local suppliers. From u/mlmxp Two Sisters - Belfast. Independent Belfast based food shop, also selling arts & crafts and good coffee. Highly recommended! (From u/chrissedoff55) Madame Macs - Redditor u/PsychopathicMunchkin makes incredibly good French macarons. Definitely worth a wee purchase! (me) graze2u - Derry. Grazing platters & artisan foods, delivered in and around Derry. Burren Balsamics Armagh - really good flavoured balsamic vinegar, I like the Armagh Apple Ristretto Coffee Roasters Banbridge - really high quality coffee Hannan Meats Moira - for the turkey. Can be ordered in advance (this &2above from u/fjleish)
UseLess Shop (Society Street in Derry....environmentally friendly shop, sells reusable items, restock of grains/pasta) Whiskey Woodcraft for handmade gifts from Irish whiskey barrels (Personal note - this is class). From u/fermango
Games / Nerdy stuff / Models
Replay Games in Bangor from u/mangokid555 Angry Cherry (Foyle Street, Derry....comics/geeky shop, also sell the likes of Nemises Now/Alchemy England) Modeller's Corner - Enniskillen. From u/Scrabo - Radio Controlled Cars/Aircraft, Plastic Model Kits (Airfix etc), Model Railway, Collectors Models, Terrain and Paint, Board Games and puzzles. Small family run business. Coffee and Heroes - Belfast, Smithfield Market. Huge range of comics & comic related goodness. If they don't have it they can usually source it quite quickly for you, well worth a visit :) From u/CaptainGurrash Comic Book Guys - Belfast. Great comic book shop in Belfast. Great selection of comics, gifts, tshirts etc. Would be a great addition to the games/nerdy stuff category. From u/DogLor Football Fortunes - Football management tabletop and computer game you can play with friends and family, created by u/Creative-Ad3337 On Table Top - Coleraine. Table top based company in Coleraine that does miniatures etc. (From u/Old_Gregg97)
Cool Discs - Derry for CD's / Vinyl (mostly vinyl cause who the fuck buys CD's anymore) (From u/CMadden1) Voodoo Soup - Across from Smithfield Market. Does a mad variety of CDs & Vinyl for good prices (£3 a pop for almost every CD (From u/Irockz) Matchetts - Belfast. Well known local instrument store. (From u/made-in-china-)
PhotomonkeyNI - Personalised photo gifts, custom framing, photo printing, t-shirts, photo canvas Any thing image orientated. Even does cine and video to DVD (From u/HarrysDa)
Sports Wear
Topping Leisure - Comber. Always recommend. Website not great, but the kind of place you visit. Only shop here(and maybe all of Ireland) which will custom fit, heat molded ski boots. From u/SomewhatIrishfellow Galibier - Craigavon. Pretty niche but Galibier sells premium cycling clothes. I was gifted one of their coats and it's by far the best one I have. (From u/rocketship92) See the rest of the list here.
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