Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, July 24, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

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It was 100F at 9 a.m. here in Miami today. Most of the USA is in the midst of a terrible, long scorching heat wave. I hope everyone's gardens are surviving. Luckily, we started to get rain, after a drought of two months, starting July 1st. The flowers in my garden are blooming in overdrive! I feel very fortunate. If you need to vent about your toasted garden, or loss of flowers, leave a message. Of course, perfumery-related posts are much appreciated, too ;-) I'm just offering a sympathetic ear to readers who are having their summer hijacked by this heat wave.

Comments

  1. Anonymous7/24/2011 5:43 PM

    Hijacked by the heat is exactly how I feel today. I am staring at a desk full of papers waiting to be organized and zero desire to do anything with them.
    On my adjacent work table, I am also staring at a possible perfume blend with no desire to blend that either. I have been looking at the bottles and my notes for two weeks. That is bad!
    I am in need of motivation, encouragement, delight!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnyasGardenPerfumes7/24/2011 6:00 PM

    Hi Anon:

    If you don't have air conditioning, conditions are probably impossible for you to blend. I find I have to be in a temperature and humidity "sweet zone" to be able to interact with the aromatics.

    Sometimes you just have to wait things out - like the heat wave covering most of the USA.

    Anya

    ReplyDelete
  3. Michael7/24/2011 9:38 PM

    Hi Anya!

    I know I am sneaking in at the end of the day again with my question, sorry for that. I get home from work just at the end of Ask the Perfumer.

    I have gotten some really good info off of the Yahoo Natural Perfumery group about tincturing resins, but wondering if you have a specific ratio that you find really workable for perfumes? Frankincense and Omumbiri in particular, as I just received some beautiful Frankincenses from Katlyn and have some Omumbiri en route from Sophia.

    Thanks!
    Michael

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnyasGardenPerfumes7/24/2011 9:57 PM

    Hi Michael:

    Tincturing resins can be tricky - and sticky. I don't have any ratios. Here's what I do suggest once you have a tincture you like, scent- and strength-wise. Filter it through lab paper, not coffee filter - toss that amateur coffee filter paper away - unless you're using it for coffee. I know you didn't mention it, but I know lots of folks still use it.

    It's late, and I can't remember which lab filter paper. You can contact a lab supplier and ask about the different grades of either oil or alcohol paper. Then you use it with a glass funnel. You'll get a lot of the gunk caught in the paper, and a lovely tincture.

    HTH,
    Anya

    ReplyDelete
  5. Michael7/25/2011 1:19 AM

    Thank you so much Anya!

    ReplyDelete

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