Anya's Garden Perfumes + The Natural Perfumery Institute

  How to Make Perfume – Excerpts from my textbook by  Anya McCoy  |  Aug 9, 2015  |  How to Make Perfume ,  natural perfume ,  natural perfumery course ,  Natural Perfumery Institute ,  study perfumery  |  5 comments Slow Study Making perfume takes time and lots of thinking and introspection. As I work through adapting my textbook for my new website, I am finding many passages that are very helpful for anyone who wants to make perfume, or is already making perfume, whether you stick to 100% natural ingredients like I do, or if you use aroma chemicals. I’ve decided to excerpt some passages on a regular basis because I believe they can inspire and help others on this path. My first excerpt deals with the fear and indecision that every perfumer faces. If you don’t face it, I challenge you to challenge yourself, you’re too complacent. Springtime image from the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, my hometown. I grew up knowing and loving this statue. So, it’s springtime, and you’re evaluating the

Making Perfume with a Shorthand Key of Descriptors by  Anya McCoy  |  Mar 30, 2015  |  natural perfumery course ,  Natural Perfumery Institute ,  study perfumery  |  1 comment In 2007, when I launched  my perfumery course   on the Internet, I put together an expansive, detailed series of forms, charts, and educational materials to assist my students in their studies. There are organoleptic evaluation forms, an aromatic lexicon, several Excel worksheets, and much more. One way to help students quickly and easily jot down scent impressions was a reference sheet I call the Shorthand Key to Comprehensive Descriptors for Organoleptic Evaluations. The Key is designed to allow the perfumer to use three-letter references for scent properties. Some “full terms” the perfumer is familiar with, and some “shorthand” key terms: The inspiration for the Key came from a similar resource in the book  An Introduction to Perfumery  by Tony Curtis and David. G. Williams. I wrote to the publishers, Micelle

  The Secret World of Ambrette Seeds by  Anya McCoy  |  Mar 8, 2015  |  Anya's Garden Perfumes ,  natural aromatics ,  raw materials of perfumery  |  1 comment Oh, the incredible beauty of the inner chambers of ripe ambrette seeds! I have been growing a patch of them for several months, chronicled  here  and  here . Last night I sat down for another session removing the seeds from the hairy, prickly pod – ouch! The pod is made up of five segments, or locules, and I discovered the easiest way to “open” them was to pull them apart from the pointed non-stem end. I’ve taken some photos of the inside of the locules before, but last night I was determined to get a photo or two with most of the seeds lined up. Sounds easy? Not. When you pull the fully-ripened pod apart, no matter how gently, many of the seeds tend to drop down into the bowl or make a leap for freedom, flying about. Interior of ambrette seed locule, showing funiculus still attached to ripe seeds. Right-click the image and

  Best Lemongrass Oil for Making Perfume by  Anya McCoy  |  Mar 1, 2015  |  natural aromatics ,  raw materials of perfumery  |  2 comments I grow both of the most common types of lemongrass in my garden: the bulbous stalk type we’re most familiar with,  Cymbopogon citratus, known as West Indian lemongrass.  This is the one used in stirfrys, Asian marinade pastes, and many savory dishes. I also grow  Cymbopogon flexuosus, known as East Indian lemongrass , which grows much taller than the citratus, and has a skinny stalk, no swelling at the base. Earlier research showed me that the flexuosus is used in sweet recipes in the Far East, such as sodas, syrups, candies, and such. Cymbopogon flexuosus aka East Indian lemongrass. Notice the base of the stalks is not swollen, it’s a slender stem. Love this old photo, it’s from 2003 when I first got my C. flexuosus plant. Here’s a shot of the planted flexuosus in my garden today, it’s a bit beaten down by rain, but notice the tall, rangy growth ha

  Attar of Roses Geranium Perfume Plant by  Anya McCoy  |  Feb 4, 2015  |  Anya's Garden Perfumes ,  natural aromatics ,  raw materials of perfumery  |  3 comments And they say scented geraniums can’t be grown in Miami! The beautifully-scented Pelargonium geraniums are native to the high, dry desert of South Africa. With minimal rainfall, low humidity, and far from the equator, they flourish there and in many Mediterranian climates around the world. Mine struggled but survived their first summer (2014) in Miami, and they are flourishing now, and their perfume is divine. In Miami, we have hot, humid summers and we’re close to the Equator. I babied the various scented geraniums, and about 50% of them survived. The Attar of Roses variety, Pelargonium captiatum is thriving, and I intend to harvest the leaves for distilling in late Spring. The deeper pink venation on the two upper petals is a sure sign of Attar of Roses scented geranium 3 Comments Michelle Martin   on February 5, 2015 a