Anya's Garden Perfumes + The Natural Perfumery Institute

  How Perfume Got Its Stank On – Five Perfumers Write About Using Animal Essences by  Anya McCoy  |  Nov 14, 2013  |  Anya McCoy  |  0 comments This goat is coated with labdanum resin because he grazes on hillsides covered in the fragrant plant. Photo by Dimitris Nykarsis Basenotes, one of the most popular and longest-lasting perfume forums on the Internet, is hosting a five-part series on Animal Essences in Perfumery. I invited four other perfumers to write about their take on this controversial subject. I think you’ll be surprised, as I was, at the different topics they chose. The series launched on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2013 with my contribution, and I’ll post the links to all of them as they are published. Enjoy! http://www.basenotes.net/content/1718-The-Essence-of-Animals-How-Perfume-Got-Its-Stank-On http://www.basenotes.net/content/1855-Tri-dimensional-and-Spiritual-Perfumes http://www.basenotes.net/content/1856-The-Lure-and-Licensing-of-Using-Natural-Animal-Extracts

Originally published Jan. 3, 2013   Due to personal circumstances, I didn’t release a new perfume last year, the first time this has happened since I launched Anya’s Garden Perfumes in 2006.  Perfumes require much emotional involvement, and after the death of my mother,  I just stayed low and went about what I love most – working with the worldwide members of the natural perfumery community. Part of this outreach was checking the pulse of what natural perfumers around the world were thinking, creating, and predicting.  Not being Guild-centric, I reached out to several acquaintances and included them in the article. Those who participated included Tanja Bochnig of April Aromatics, Elise Pearlstine of Bellyflowers Perfumes, Christian David of Honore des Pres, Alexandra Balahoutis of Strange Invisible Perfumes, Tammy Frazer of Frazer Parfums, Jane Hendler of Ajne Parfumerie, Eleanor Jane of Tallulah Jane Perfumes NYC and myself. Imagine my surprise today when Basenotes, one of the top thr

Several natural perfumers and the owner of a natural perfume company joined me in writing "The State of Natural Perfumery 2012" for Basenotes. It's fascinating and enlightening to see everyone's individual take on our fragrant art. I hope you enjoy this unique, collaborative effort. http://www.basenotes.net/ content/ 1154-The-State-of-Natural-Perfu mery-2012

Please visit here to read Mimi Gardenia's review

This is quite a beautiful book, lots of eye candy which links the mind to the scent candy. I'll be reviewing it soon, but all I can say for now is that I am very happy with it, just glancing through it, as it is a book I know I'll treasure for the photos. Shallow, yes, but eye candy is lovely, isn't it? ;-) I'll post here when the review is up - it will be on Basenotes .

To view the quotes and the context for this blog, please visit my article on Basenotes wherein I trace my take on the evolution of acceptance of natural perfumery in the past few years. What triggered my article was a published account of the closing speech of Jean-Pierre Subrenat, Chairman of the World Perfumery Congress as it appeared in Perfumer and Flavorist magazine. I have to give a lot of credit to Steve Earl of Glen Custom Perfumery in Greenwich Connecticut. He pointed me to the P&F article, and then he provided me with a copy of the succinct, witty and pithy letter that he wrote to the editor of Perfumer and Flavorist in response to the Subrenat speech. Knowing that P&F does not publish letters to the editor, Steve admitted it was just something he felt had to be said. I am very honored that Steve has given me permission to publish it here. Editor Stephen A. Earl Perfumer and Flavorist Glen Custom Perfumery Allured Publishing 26 Applewood Lane

I had a lot of fun writing this article looking back on the past three years that natural perfumery has had a presence on the Internet. I hope you enjoy reading it and look forward, as I do, to the ongoing development and acceptance of our naturally-fragrant art. Later today I'll post a great letter that Steve Earl wrote in response to Mr. Subrenat's caustic comments at the World Perfumery Congress in 2007. Such a big ruckus a one-year-old Natural Perfumers Guild caused for Mr. Subrenat - it's actually quite an honor that we were on his radar with only minor press and even less distribution of our perfumes as we struggle for a corner of the market. The world of perfumery is changing, and thus the concept for my article was born - enjoy!