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Showing posts from 2008

A Happy Naturally Perfumed New Year!

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I'm trying to take a few days off from the perfume business, but you know how it is. Artisans are workaholics and devoted to the art, so I'm still fiddling with mods, packaging up the boronia for the Guild members, fielding questions, etc. It's been a great year, but what I wouldn't give for some truly carefree days. My mother is doing incredibly well for 89, friends are, for the most part, hale and hearty, family is cruising along pretty well, and the cats are being their same old catty silly selves. I will now have three perfumes released early next year, well, at least by spring, I hope. Also, the Prima Aroma line will launch. Stay tuned for updates, and some more specials for the Guild members. Take care everyone, and remember to reflect and use your wisdom in moving forward. Most of all, take care of yourself.

Organic White Rose hydrosol from Anya's Garden Perfumes - limited supply

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Shhhh --- a quick, limited offer from Anya's Garden - a glorious organic white rose hydrosol! This sale starts December 25th, 2008 Notice: Anya's Garden of Perfumes regular store is closed for a lovely holiday until Monday January 5, 2009 But , due to popular demand, the Organic Bulgarian White Rose Hydrosol will be sold during this time - get it while you can! Supplies are limited and it is expected to sell out quickly. Click here to purchase. Rosa damascena var. Alba is a descendant of the ancient apothecary rose, Rosa gallica. Used for centuries for skin care, it is lovely just sprayed on the face and body after a shower, or sniffed to be enjoyed anytime to refresh and lighten your spirit. It blends beautifuly into lotions and creams during the "water phase". Mix with some clay for a facial mask, and spritz some hydrosol on after you remove the mask because it's a wonderful toner for your skin, balancing the sebum production. I love to spray it on

Happy Holiday Wishes from Anya's Garden of Perfumes

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Wishing you lovely perfume this holiday time of year Check back tomorrow for another giveaway

Please don't vote for my blogs on fragrantica.com ;-)

It's very sweet some readers nominated me for this blog and also the Natural Perfumers Guild blog - but I have no use for the prize, which is a gift certificate to a store that sells only perfumes containing synthetics. It's sort of like a vegetarian winning a prize hunk of meat. It's nice that they're gathering all the blogs and are going to put them into a common area, but please - save your votes where I'm concerned.

I Want a Secretary of Agriculture that Supports Organic Ideals - Do You?

I've been writing about organic gardening since 1972 (admittedly for a school paper, but it was a start!) and organic agriculture since the mid 70's. In the 1990's I wrote Organic Gardening magazine asking why they didn't have a "Zone 10" (South Florida) writer and they asked me to write for them. I've started several community gardens that asked for (we couldn't demand) the gardeners to use only organic methods. The first was in 1976 in Riverside, California, at the married student housing center. So you can say I really have a decent resume in promoting organic gardening and farming methods, but this is the first time I've ever been fired up about the United States Secretary of Agriculture. Too often, we've only had tools of the ag chemical industry in that position, but hopefully this time we might get a voice for organic agriculture and hopefully (because I never stop hoping) sustainable agriculture. A fellow on Facebook posted a link to th

20% off Natural Perfumers Guild membership Fee Offered Through December 31, 2008

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We welcome you to celebrate December is Natural Perfume Month and we invite you to visit the Natural Perfumers Guild site to learn more about us. We welcome you to join the Guild, and a 20% discount on the membership fee is being offered throughout December in celebration of Natural Perfume month. Fill out the form on the Guild site this month and you will be refunded the difference of the discount. Help us celebrate natural aromatics and work with us as we promote natural fragrances and educate the public as to the beauty of fragrance from a plant, not a test tube. The Natural Perfumers Guild supports artisanal distillers, works to lobby for fair business practices for artisan business owners, provides business support services and best of all - a network of like-minded people.

Anya's Garden Giveaway - the winners

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Winners of the natural perfume samples and ambergris giveaway are - Stephanie (general public) - and Keri (from the Natural Perfumers Guild applicants.) Each giveaway will have two prizes - one for the general public and one for the members of the Guild. Stephanie and Keri: please send me your mail address privately by visiting the contact page on my website: http://anyasgarden.com/contact.htm Everyone else - a new giveaway will be announced in a few hours so check back!

Pass me the oakmoss and a crooked banana I'm going to live dangerously - Fight the FDA Global Harmonization Act of 2008

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I was noodling around the Internet this morning and found this: "Until recently, the EU banned the sale of ugly carrots with knobby protrusions, cucumbers that were grossly curved, and equally unaesthetic specimens of 24 other fruits and vegetables. "It makes no sense to throw perfectly good products away, just because they are the 'wrong' shape," said the EU's commissioner for agriculture." I've often related to disbelieving friends and colleagues that the EU is so out of hand with their Draconian, bad-science, big brother is watching you (and forcing you out of business) mentality that they regulated the curve in bananas. Too much curve, can't be sold in the EU. My particular peeve with them is the bad science and horrid fees they impose on perfumers both artisanal and corporate alike. They've been partly to blame for the reformulation of many perfume classics, deeming oakmoss and orange oil alike too dangerous for us poor silly une

The First Anya's Garden of Perfume Podcast - Perfumery Terms

Confused about chypre, ambergris, ylang ylang, absolute or concrete? Well, let my New York/Philly accented voice clue you in and I hope, help you out ;-) I originally recorded a version of this for my online perfumery course and I've seen over the years how often these terms are the subject of concern on my yahoo perfumery group , so have a listen - it's short and sweet ;-) PS: Is this the first-ever perfumery podcast by a perfumer? I've searched and never found one. Let me know if you know of any, otherwise I'm laying claim to being the first perfumer to podcast. Beauty blogs where they pod about the latest perfume releases don't count, LOL. Click below to play:

Anya's Garden Giveaway - Win a set of perfume samples and ambergris tincture

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Anya's Garden is Celebrating the Redesigned Website with a Giveaway Celebrate the Natural Perfumers Guild-designated "December is Natural Perfume Month" With Us! Click on the graceful photo of Anya's Garden perfumes with a fabulous clereodendron flower and wander down the fragrant garden path to discover the new aromatherapy and potpourri line that I'll be launching next year. Post here with the name of the new line and you will be entered in a giveaway. The winner will receive a set of samples of Pan, Kaffir, Fairchild, RiverCali, Temple and a 2ml tincture of the legendary rare and gorgeous ambergris. These samples retail for $30 and the ambergris is very hard to find, and I know a lot of perfumistas would love to experience my private stash aged, glorious tincture. This contest closes in five days on Dec 7th at midnight, so check back here after visiting my new site, and post. This offer is open to anyone anywhere in the world with the exception of Germany an

20% off all Allured Publishing Media books through December 31, 2008

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All Allured Publishing Media books on sale for 20% off through 12/31/08 The image above is of the Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin volume - generously offered separately by Allured when they realized the demand for it among natural perfumers. Previously it was bundled in a three-volume set and cost $900 dollars. When Guild member David Mark contacted them, and their Book Manager and I talked, they realized that the natural perfumery group on Yahoo and the Natural Perfumers Guild were signs that this book was needed as a solo item. We will forever be grateful to Allured Business Media for this. For several months now Allured has made a very generous discount offer on all the books they publish. Now, through December 31, 2008 just use the code anyaperfume at checkout. The Steffen Arctander book Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin is widely regarded as the natural perfumers bible. Click here for the Arctander book on Allured.com - but don't limit yourself t

December is Natural Perfume Month

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The Natural Perfumers Guild Celebrates "December is Natural Perfume Month" December is Natural Perfume Month - When Fragrant Trees and Wreaths Bring the Outdoors In, and Natural Perfume is the Gift of Choice for Many For a limited time only - in celebration of Natural Perfume Month - join the Natural Perfumers Guild and receive 20% off your membership fee. In 2006 The Natural Perfumers Guild named December Natural Perfume Month in recognition of the growing interest in natural fragrances. The first naturally-perfumed gifts associated with the month of December were frankincense and myrrh which we use in their pure form in our perfumes. Click below to see a picture of rare Hojari Frankincense incense, one of the most beautiful fragrances in the world: Ancient traditions called for a fragrant conifer tree, wreaths and boughs decorating the home during this time of year. Today, the wonderful aroma of cooking with sweet spices like cinnamon and clove adds to the ambiance, creatin

Perfume is a Luxury that is a Necessity and Timing is Everything

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The dreamy, sensual image above is the chosen graphic for one of my two new perfumes, MoonDance . It's one of the few images I've used that aren't either a collage piece of art that I created or a photograph I took. I just fell in love with it when I saw it, and it snapped me right out of the mindset I was in, with rather literal images of people dancing under a full moon. I also believe that the image helps a person imagine the gossamer beauty of a perfume, wafting and swirling up off their skin, an item of delight - and don't we all need a little delight right now? As my friend Chris said "I refuse to participate in this recession." You might not be able to buy a new car, or you're worried about your job, but a recent article - or two or three - have pointed out that perfume and lipstick are two luxuries women refuse to give up when the economy tanks. I've decided to push back the launch of MoonDance, and it's accompanying launch partner, StarFlo

Happy Herbal Perfumed Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving always is the day when I give thanks for living in the subtropics because the weather has cooled down from steam bath to cool and breezy. It's also the real beginning of our growing season. This year I regret not getting tomatoes or veggies in the ground yet because I've been so busy, but my herbs are always booming at this time of year and ready to go into the holiday dishes. I harvested bay leaf, sweet marjoram, oregano, lemon balm and lemongrass today, and I just love the slight fragrance they leave on my fingers throughout the day. The meal is in various stages of preparation, and I'm feeling very relaxed, fulfilled and happy. What more could you ask for on a Thanksgiving day? I'm thankful for everything in my life, it's all wonderful and prosperous. I'm especially thankful for natural perfumery, because the gorgeous botanical essences compliment a meal, and a gathering of people because of their understated scent - you won't have to "s

What type of perfume blogger are you?

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Actually, this test can analyze your blog personality, perfumer or not. I found this fun bit of time-wasting silliness floating around the 'net . Supposedly based on the Myers-Briggs Personality system (which has classified me as a Field Marshal in lengthy tests I took a few years ago.) Maybe I'm mellowing with age. Probably not, but truthfully I guess I have little patience for time wasting, although my silliness meter is often set pretty high. So I'm a "Doer" aka an ESTP. The image of a teenage dribbler for the Doer is pretty silly, actually, but I'm game. Get it - game? OK, so here's my profile: The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities. The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it throug

The demise of natural perfume ingredients from Grasse? Perhaps the rest of World should take up the slack.

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I blogged a few days ago about the decline of the rose-de-mai farmland in Grasse and a French Perfumer, Isabelle Gelle commented on the Natural Perfumery group listing the reasons she perceived to be at fault, and offering her prediction as to the future of rose (and other natural aromatics) production. Reprinted here with permission: To me, there are 2 main guilty ones: 1) the consumers who will not pay for pure rose products because as mentioned in the article 'rose is not rose' any longer - I actually browsed the latest website of Scents of Time in which I saw that the great idea of reproducing various Scents of Time has been once again transformed into another 'chemical' venture, using the now widely spread HEADSPACE technique (which is still leading to reproducing scents in a laboratory). 2) the European Union who by trying to place every citizen in a sterilised bubble and create a Federal Europe is slowly killing national identities and regional specialties.

My Fairchild perfume as a food flavoring? Two perfumistas surprise me!

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This is a graphic collage I created for the launch of Fairchild, the first perfume in the Anya's Garden line. The image is meant to show the wild and exuberant nature of the perfume, where citrus and powerful tropical flowers mix with seaweed and clamshells - yes, toasted clamshells. The levels of drydown are many - some joke over a dozen according to their nose. It's such a strong perfume I can only wear it at night, because if I wear it during the day I become woozy, it's that narcotic and demands that much of your attention. Imagine my surprise when I checked back into the comments section on Perfume Shrine today and saw that both Helg of PS and Maria of the BitterGrace blog are asking I create some food that contains Fairchild. The blog topic was cooking with animal essences, so I suppose the ambergris, dosed generously in Fairchild, was the jumping-off point for the request. It did get me to thinking - perhaps a drop in vodka? A drop in some honey? It would certainly

Cross Cultural Differences - Scent Memory and Continental/Cultural Perfume Learning Experiences

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A student in my online perfumery course stopped me short during our live chat the other day: she had no scent memory connections with the aromatics in the study kit supplied with the course. She's from Nigeria, and rose, jasmine, lemon, etc. - many of the common scents we know and associate with people or places in our past have no reference point for her. I'm just guessing here, but I suppose they just aren't used in the home and environment as they are here. I'll have to ask if there are any lemon-based dishes or lemon-accented food in Nigeria. I have a book on perfumes made for regions of Africa based on the travels of several French perfumers. Perhaps that will assist me in helping her. There are, of course, many aromatics produced for perfumery in Africa: rose geranium, jasmine and rose, frankincense, grapefruit, clove, vanilla, etc. Since we were in the middle of class, I didn't have time to question her in depth, but I did promise to look further into how to

The Obama Natural Perfume project moves forward

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Members of the Yahoo Natural Perfumery group are moving forward with the plans I wrote about earlier. We wish to create a series of perfumes in honor of the election of Barack Obama, unifying the perfumes under one theme yet to be decided. The project is less than a week old, and many ideas have been submitted on the NP group, but we felt to be able to sort through participating members ideas and lists, we needed to create a smaller group for the project. Above is the photo just uploaded to the new group's webpage, and below is the draft description: This is a cooperative worldwide project of natural perfumers wishing to create a perfume honoring the spirit of unity and progressiveness we feel because of the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. We are going to create a list of natural aromatics that have relevance to the new President: oils from Africa, Indonesia, America and perhaps all the continents will be considered. We will refine the list and each per

On the critically endangered list: Rose de Mai from Grasse, one of the most beloved perfume ingredients

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Rosa centifolia harvested in Grasse, France Natural perfumer Haley Alexander van Oosten visited the rose fields of Grasse, France for the harvest and reports on some sad, inevitable news in the Huffington Post. She reports that the general public is so used to the scent of fake rose that they choose it in a sniff comparison. The price difference, declining demand and land development pressures may soon make this lovely oil a thing of the past.

Just got my review copy of Roja Dove's book "The Essence of Perfume

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 .

So nice to see my works and methods copied, but please give me credit

When I discovered, a few years ago that Justine Crane, a very ambitious and gregarious perfumer, was happily taking ideas I posted in my Natural Perfumery group on Yahoo and posting them on her Yahoo group (as her own ideas), I contacted her and asked nicely that she credit me. Emails were exchanged, and in a telephone conversation she agreed, but nothing happened, so I let it slide - there are probably tens of thousands of words written by me over the years on the group, and if one person decides that the stuff is just too good to pass up, I decided I have to learn to live with it. In fact, I even sent her an early release of another Primer I did on the IFRA issue regarding regulation of aromatics to show there was no bad blood. After all, isn't it just the idea that knowledge and ideas have to be shared? Unless it's taken and passed off as one's own works with no credit. I wrote previously how Ruth Ruane violated copyright and posted my Primer contents on her blog (since

Celebrating Obama's Election - the Natural Perfumery Group on Yahoo is Blending up a Celebratory Perfume - Naturally!

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The photo that has graced the main page of the Yahoo Natural Perfumery Group for six years The Natural Perfumery Group on Yahoo that I host has a fun project just beginning. Some of us were posting today about how elated we are about Obama's election, and we decided to do something to celebrate - create a perfume in honor of the new era his presidency will usher in. Not sure how many will participate, since we just started posting about it a few hours ago, but I'm sure it will be international in scope, since the members - almost 1700 of them at this time - come from countries all over the globe. Evie - Selkie - posted a deliriously happy note about the election to the group that Adam picked up on, and I said something to the effect that this would be a wonderful extension of our artistic and emotional response to the election if we created a perfume. Here are the suggestions I threw out to get us started: Why don't we turn this into a group project? We could have worldwid

Redesigning my Anya's Garden Perfumes Website

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Anya's Garden Perfumes website due to relaunch with redesign in a few days. The photo above was taken by me two years ago on the spur of the moment with the only flower I could find blooming in my garden that day. It's a clereodendron and it's fragrant, and it's just "right." Paul Kiler, the photographer, cleaned up the photo and brightened it, and I am thankful for his help and his skills (see photo below.) The photo will be the "splash" page for the new website. Click on the photos to see them full size. You know how it is - artists always need to redesign, tweak, reevaluate and just plain fix everything. I was increasingly unhappy with my old website , despite lovely people telling me it was beautiful. It's still up there for now, but over time I have fiddled with the code and just found it blah. My webguy didn't respond to my request (probably sick of the templates I had sent his way, they were too complicated) and I found I had to do it

Vetiver - soil microbes create the scent and create healing properties, too

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Photo of soil microbe Rhizobium beneficially infecting the root of black eyed peas. The swollen nodules are the little "houses" the Rhizobium built by tunneling into the root. The Rhizobium supplies nitrogen to the plant, thus lessening the need for nitrogen fertilizer, cutting down on water pollution and costs . I love looking at the cycle of nature and how it relates to perfumery. Taste and scent are closely related, soil health and plants are a given equation, and how the world of insects and microbes interact with all of the above is fascinating. I have a background of study in agriculture, plant science and economic botany. I took courses in plant physiology, plant ecology, soil science and various other related subjects. It always is a wonder and a delight to read of yet another secret unlocked by plant scientists. The latest bit of information added to our knowledge database involves the symbiotic relationship between soil microbes and the roots of vetiver plants. Veti

Tagged! Surprised there's no perfume by that name

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Lucy of Indie Perfumes has tagged me - it a way to open up the rolodex of perfume bloggers out there. Here's the scoop on how to participate. 1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Lucy, above, in a fantasy pic with me, festooned with birds - why not?) 2. Post the rules on your blog. (here they are) 3. Write six random things about yourself. (below) 4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. (below) 5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. (makes sense) 6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up. (OK) Six random things about me: 1. I've always wanted to live in an "underground" earthship type house. A Bucky Fuller dome would be second. 2. For as much as I'm in the car, I've never had road rage, and that's saying something in Miami, voted the worst city in the USA for bad drivers. I just shine them on - they have guns! 3. My fingernails and hair grow like they're on steroids - long and lush a

Patchouli Panties

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Photo of patchouli plant in Anya's Garden This is an genderless post, men and women can play patchouli panties/bras/undies/boxers/tighty whities! I've written here before I don't use scented laundry detergent. Think it's unnecessary, plus I try to keep my nose as "clean" as possible from extraneous scents. I keep large folded stacks of cotton washcloths in my bathroom for drying hands. Very sanitary, better than towels. About 10 days ago I had a patchouli spill in my perfumery studio. It was minor (thank goodness, with the price of patchouli, and this was gorgeous aged patchouli) and the spill tray caught it. After I poured the bulk of it back into the bottle, I grabbed one of the washcloths (had it nearby for a reason I forget now) splashed some alcohol on it, and wiped the tray clean. Even though only a teaspoon or so, the cloth reeked. Strong stuff. Tossed it into the hamper. Forgot about it. I wash my undies and washcloths together. Opened the garage door

Perfumer? Body Care Business? Own a Small Business? Oppose the "bailout" proposal for the US. Fight the FDA Globalization Act of 2008!

Vote Down H.R. 3997, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 If you own a small business - and I know this blog is read by a lot of small business owners in the cosmetics and beauty industries - please be aware that the "bailout" bill being proposed by our government can harm your businesses. Donna Maria Coles Johnson of the Indie Beauty Network has blogged about this situation here and I encourage you to go to her site, read the article, and send the letter to your senators and congressional representatives. I have had trouble reaching my representative via email because the site keeps crashing due to high volume, so I called his local and his D.C. office to register my vote against the bill. Act now - this is a very time-sensitive and business-sensitive matter! Fight the FDA Globalization Act of 2008!

The Depth and Breadth of Resources on Learning Perfumery at Anya's Garden Online Course

I have been reviewing and updating the Online Perfumery Course website in anticipation of the new semester starting October 6th. You can read more in-depth about what is offered at my perfume website. The realization that what you'll find on the perfume site is probably one of the most professional, comprehensive offerings in studying perfumery is very evident when you click on the syllabus and/or visit the blog site for the course. The effort of the past 16 months of site-building for content is reflected in the extensive amount of learning materials on the website. I have to say it's full of amazing resources! Lectures: The new student body will find five lectures available for the first Module, just to get them oriented. There's also a pronunciation lecture to help folks know their ylang from their chypre ;-) Each Module is accompanied by at least one recorded lecture, some have more. Primer: The Primer for the course was edited by an aromatherapist who is also

A Time for Charity and Compassion - And Animal Rescue Has Come a Long Way!

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Sad Scene from Hurricane Katrina 2005 - God Bless the Animal Rescue Plans in Place in 2008! We all know the horrifying stories: When Katrina hit in 2005, many people drowned because they refused to leave their beloved family pets behind, and when the waters rose, many of the people and the pets alike drowned. Some animals, perhaps like the dog above, were left behind, or escaped and were left to fend for themselves. Most were never reunited with their people. The mass evacuation of almost two million people in the path of Hurricane Gustav was historic, calm, and for the first time ever, included pets. Pets were given collars with bar codes, loaded onto transport, and in most cases, were able to stay at special shelters with their owners. It was heartwarming and wonderful to see. I donated today to Noah's Wish , and I encourage you to also donate - perhaps to the Humane Society, Noah's Wish, or some other pet rescue operation.

Newbie member of Natural Perfumery group posts message #1000, wins rare aromatics

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Natural Perfumery Group on Yahoo is very active, with over 1600 members, 15 new ones in the past week alone, and over 1000 messages this month! Lucky Linda from Iowa introduced herself as a newbie member of the Yahoo group for Natural Perfumery that I've hosted for over six years. We always welcome newbies, and love to hear from them. Linda bemoaned the fact that she works in a florist shop where she is surrounded by scentless flowers! Breeding for looks and the ability to withstand shipping long distances has resulted in roses with no scent - how sad. The group is very active, with a LOT of dialogue between members on subject as far-ranging as fixatives, sourcing, tincturing plants from their garden, etc. We've had a surge in posts in the past month or two, and I was watching as we approached the 1000th post for the month of August - and it was Linda's intro. This week a sample of rare florals will be in the mail to her in Iowa for her good fortune in posting #1000. She&#

My response to Ruth Ruane - quoting her and her past actions

My Primer for my online natural perfumery course is copyrighted. Ruth Ruane aka White Witch is a former student and former member of the huge NP group I host who has been posting, without permission, and in violation of a copyright notice, excerpts of the original rough draft version of my Natural Perfumery Primer on her various blogs. I don't believe she will cease and desist this action, but perhaps what follows will give a clearer picture of the background on this issue. I have no publisher to back me on this, since I publish the Primer. Not she, or anyone else, has the legal or ethical right to post excerpts, except for small bits, with permission. She has stated her intent to post the entire Primer, over time. Ruth Ruane is, for the record, the only student who had a complaint. My online class for natural perfumery has dozens of great students enrolled, and I have testimonials to prove they find the coursework challenging, educational and that it is helping advance their car

Not perfume, just fun and had to share - Lulu the Lulupalooza kitty

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I submitted this photo to the famous LOLCats site, I can has cheezburger , and it's in the queue, but I just wanted to share it with y'all in a rare non-perfumed post. Lulu is the apple of my eye, the most amazing sweet crazy kitty ever. She'll be four on Sept. 1st, and she still does the mountain goat act of leaping to the top of the door/bookcase/armoire.

Plants Hunters and Helpful Hands in Natural Perfumery

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Gardenia flower When I was in school studying Economic Botany, (scroll down) I reveled in tales of the Plant Hunters. These were adventurous botanists who traveled to remote regions looking for plants that would be useful to us. Many focused on medicinal plants, but I was obsessed with fragrant plants - of course! I never did become a Plant Hunter, and was a bit disheartened to learn that for the past decade or so, the Plant Hunters tend to be governed by the headspace machine, which although it captures the scent of the flower, results ultimately in a recreation of the scent with synthetic chemicals. Headspace proponents argue that by doing so, they are ultimately protecting the plant because there is no need to harvest it. Well, I like my essences natural and I like them renewable, and I especially like the idea that there are still Plant Hunters like Trygve Harris of Enfleurage in New York and other entrepreneural souls who strive to establish new plantations and grassroots indust

Anya's Garden of Natural Perfume Launches First-Ever Handmade Recycled Paper Perfume Boxes Embedded With Wildflower Seeds - Flowers for You!

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Anya's Garden Packages with Handmade Boxes Created from Sustainable Nepalese "Daphne" Plant and Recycled USA Fibers mixed with USA Wildflower Seeds *plant and grow a wildflower garden with the box!* ~~~ 15% off everything in Anya's Garden to Celebrate - click here for the sale ~~~ enter the word garden for the discount ~~~ photo of Fairchild box taken in Anya's Garden Aug. 14, 2008, nestled in the branches of a flowering Aglaia odorata tree As a natural perfumer, I searched for years for an ecological, sustainable way to package my fragrances. I wanted to source boxes here in the US to keep the carbon footprint as small as possible, and I wanted the fiber for the boxes to be from a sustainable, renewable source. The fiber source is not from the USA, but I am very happy that the harvest supports wildcrafters in Nepal. The Lokta plant is a relative of the Daphne bush, and it's bark must be harvested to insure the plant survives. No fertilizers or sprays are us

A Perfumer's life can get so busy - with so much great stuff going on!

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A perfumer can sometimes dream - or daydream - of little dots/drops - and the dance of the aromatic molecules. Sometimes, if you're lucky, those drops coalesce into a perfume - a cornucopia of rewards of scent, time and place. They can be imagined as people moving together like the fractal cornucopia, all a different color with a unique beauty, all synchronized to help form a beautiful image. First off - to catch up: I haven't blogged for a few weeks because I've been so busy and caught up in great things. First, I got the perfect boxes and packaging for my perfumes. Finally. It's only been two years, lol. The company will make custom boxes for me in the future, but the regular ones are wonderful in the time being. I'll launch them in the next day or two. One of my webmasters (I have two!) turned out to be a graphic artist of sorts and got my labels fixed. Yay! Then the new Guild site launched last Friday 8.8.08 , and the feedback is fantastic! The Guild members are

About That Clean, Fresh Scent

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What Madison Avenue Touts to the Detriment of Health - from Cigarettes to Plug-In Air "Fresheners" et al Just a quick follow up to the previous blog on chemical sensitivities causing problems for perfumistas. This appeared a few days ago in the Washington Post. A brief quote from the article: "Collectively, the six products gave off nearly 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including acetone, the eye-stinging ingredient in nail-polish remover and paint thinner. (VOCs are compounds that vaporize easily, like fumes from paint and gasoline. Many VOCs are known to be harmful.)" It's very clear to me, and has been very clear for a long time that we are in a state of sensory overload due to savvy Madison Avenue brainwashing. My prediction? In a few years the fragrance fumes of the grocery aisles, the plug-in "air fresheners", the scented candles will all be as rare as cigarette smokers, smoke-filled restaurants and offices and will be viewed as harmful.