Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, August 21, 2011 - until 10 PM EST
Slept late, but I'm here now to answer your perfumery questions. Today my cohort in the most exciting project I've ever worked on is coming by later to, well, work on the project. We may be able to blog about it, with photos and links, in a few days. I predict that within one month or so we will see aromatherapists, perfumers, soapers, bath and body manufacturers and allied arts using this "thing", this great discovery. I'm soooo excited, and you will be, too! Can't let a word of this slip out yet, but just subscribe, or check me on Facebook, or in the natural perfumery yahoo group, and you, too, will be in on the ground floor. Oh, did I mention, I have no financial interest in this, and I won't make a dime from anybody on this? But if you have a business mentioned above, you will be able to upgrade your business to the next level, with something you dreamed about but could never find. Stay tuned.
Stay tuned, are you kidding! I don't even have an active business
ReplyDeleteyet and I can't wait.
I bought grape alcohol many moons ago and have never used it. Do you
ever use it?
Lol, Denise, I think this discovery is so exciting that it will encourage you to get the business going!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I linked to your lovely blog post about how the Guild community in our private chat group inspired you to fill your homestead in S. Cal with fragrant plants. You're in the best climate, and good luck.
Yes, I use grape alcohol, it lends a fruity character to the perfume, so you have to make sure it suits the fragrance family and aromatics that you've chosen for your perfume. Have you advanced to the Fragrance Family studies yet?
To an extent, I am drawn to the
ReplyDeletespice family. I find it a challange
to balance the blend between some
thing that I would love to eat and
something I would love to wear. Another challange is the tincture
of my stallions "chestnuts". They
have a very horsey smell.
Thank you for the blog post, and for all you and the Guild do.
Anya, I just want to leave a note of support and gratitude for all you do for the people in natural perfumery. Speaking from experience, many of the NP community tend to be very neurotic and defensive. That isn't a criticism. That's just fact. The obvious attempt at a lynching of you and the Guild was anger and pettiness. I am glad the story of Mandy starting all the pettiness has come out. You handled it very well, and you know the Guild supports you because we appreciate all you do.
ReplyDeleteYour pal
Rodney
Anya!
ReplyDeleteMy jar of rose tincture is divine!!!! thank you so much for your assistance. please remind me of the gizmo that i need to filter it. Oh, I'm in rosy heaven.
Margaret
Bienvenidos Ms. Anya. Do you remember me, Tom from the World Music/Afro Pop tours? I'm situated in Costa Rica now. Leyla turned me on to your perfume gig. I hope all is well and I may be in Miami in September, let's get together. How do I get in touch with you, because I couldn't find an email here.
ReplyDeleteTom G.
Hi Rodney:
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. What should have been an internal matter was made a public debate, with wild contentions and such. All I care about is that the Guild is behind me, almost 100%. One perfumer quit because she said the "mess and drama" caused by the Internet uproar was horrible, not the Guild actions themselves. One friend of the Guild asked her membership not be renewed.
Other than that, when I asked for feedback in our private group, only four responded publicly, and they were supportive. They ignored it for days. I got private emails, and some public support, such as Denise, but most want to stay under the radar of such vindictive people.
You didn't even bother to post in the group :-) It's a non-issue with us, and I suppose that outweighs the public being manipulated into a frenzy.
PS I predict that even the most spiteful posters will, in a month, be using the discovery I'll be blogging about in the next day or two. And it will be public, LOL. And every time they use it, they'll have to think of me. Isn't that ironic?
Tom, honey, Mr. Licorice! Contact me via my website http://anyasgarden.com and I'll write back with my phone number, etc.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see you and reminisce about the music days.
Hugs,
Anya
Anya, each time I go to NP yahoo list, I feel so grateful for all what you give to all NP lovers! I did not post some special comment on the guild list because I did not understood at all what happened, just some elements, from posts to posts. Any comment would have been only inappropriate. I'm really happy that Rod put the "foot in the ants nest". Now, I begin to be able to evaluate more or less what did happpened on the other part of the Atlantic... Seems to be at least as messy as the Stupid Witch. Hopefully, the Wicked Witches from...any part of the globe never win^^
ReplyDeleteXXX
000
Claire
Claire, the truth is coming out about the history of the Guild, and how she is actively trying to discredit me. You see in the Guild chat group that the suspension of last week is a non-issue. Mandy and Dawn writing to bloggers urging them to smear the Guild for its decision will bear witness to their agenda, not the Guild's action. The blog posts actually brought out haters of naturals, and that will set all NP back.
ReplyDeleteThe Guild, like all other trade organizations, have a set of committee written and approved rules and procedures, which are publicly posted, that we must follow. The rules that The Guild currently has in place were drafted with major influence from the Guild founder, Mandy Aftel, and was approved by a committee of guild members. We are bound to these rules, as an organization of many members, until a new set of rules is drafted and properly approved through committee voting. In the letter that we wrote to Dawn, she had every opportunity to reply, and in fact told us she was going to, and she would have been able to stay in the Guild if she complied.
ReplyDeleteMany trade organizations have very strict rules and immediate termination policies. Off the top of my head, Donna Maria's Indie Beauty Network, which is a fabulous and highly respected organization, has the following listed as their "Core Principle Policy" #6 for members who are cosmetic manufacturers:
"I understand that compliance with the Fair Labeling & Packaging Act and the US Food, Drug & Cosmetics Act is my responsibility, and that I can find information about both at the FDA's website at this link. I understand and agree that failure to comply with these laws may result in termination of my IBN membership and/or insurance without any refund. "
Some may say it is "heavy handed" that if the IBN doesn't approve of your label you can be terminated, but it is spelled out very clearly for all potential members to read and understand that if you violate this rule, like it or not, that is the rule, you may be kicked out.
As a member of the Guild since it's resurrection, and a current committee member that was involved in this very tough vote, I was saddened (and a tad irritated, to be honest) over the whole brouhaha that has ensued since Dawn took her anger public. Then Mandy chimed in and made it worse. Meanwhile, Guild members have practically had no negative response. It seems to be a non-issue for them as they know the rules.
When I read the back and forth of the DSH issue, I was flabbergasted. Wow! For the most part I decided to not get involved in this very dis-tasteful "he say, she said!" I find it all extremely scarring to the spirit of Natural Perfumery. For what ever we think, we are in the business of healing and should tie our tongues when we know damage will be done to others and the reputation of what we are trying to accomplish in this movement. Personally, I love Dawn's work and had said on occasion she is an fragrance scholar and perfumery royal. If she doesn't meet the guilds criteria, so find, there are kindly ways to handle such a matter. Then just leave it alone! When running any business people come, people go, its all in the natural process of doing business. When handled properly, it should not be a public debacle. Especially one that does more harm than good to the entire Natural Perfumery movement. I'll bet the "commercial" world watched in glee! Natural Perfumery is an art of spirit and healing, you may or may not agree, however just be mindful. Let us send love and light in through this very important work.
ReplyDeleteDear Rodney:
ReplyDeleteI just found your comment in the messages folder. Somehow I did not get an email notification and thus missed it.
I hope you realize that the angry, destructive words came from Dawn, not the Guild. We sent her a suspension letter, she edited out her reply to us the next day, and instead posted a very inflammatory, one-sided post on Facebook a few days later. Not satisfied with that, she personally contacted a number of bloggers to spread her story. A number of ethical bloggers turned her down.
You are right, it should not have been a public debacle. I lay that at Dawn's feet, with assistance from Mandy. Dawns only problem was the confusing webpages. The process for suspension was from Mandy's old days. We're rewriting the code now.
So Dawn's temper tantrum - there is no other word for it, since she wasn't having her business harmed, she was merely suspended - caused great harm to natural perfumery.
1. It brought out the natural perfume haters in full force. NP was based right back to 2005, the dawn of perfume blogs.
2. Bloggers and buyers were whipped into a mob rule sort of frenzy, and stated they're boycotting the Guild and the Guild perfumers. That's right, the perfumers. They don't need to suffer because of Dawn's actions! How destructive she's been.
Rodney, I don't see if you saw I did leave it alone. I tried to make a few comments, but was drowned out by Dawn's sarcastic, untruthful replies. You saw in the Guild Yahoo group, when I posted links to all this, and asked Guild members for feedback, only three replied. It's a non-issue to them, and they're horrified by her public spectacle (private communications).
I will be posting what she edited out - and it will shock people. It showed she knew she could stay in the Guild, and she wanted to speak with us about lifting the suspension. This was two days before her public ranting. She should be ashamed of herself. The Guild will be around long after she and everyone involved no longer is, and, along with Mandy's as part of this destructive campaign, will be part of their legacy.
I forgot to add that I posted the above on Sept. 10, several weeks after Rodney's post was lost in the blogger folder.
ReplyDelete