Anya's Garden Perfumes + The Natural Perfumery Institute

Well, maybe Gaia of The Non Blonde blog goes a step further - she notes that Kewdra is " An all-natural and botanical dirty musk, as carnal as it gets and then some"  My online store is closed until Jan. 5, 2011, but you can place an order now and it'll be shipped Jan 6th or so.  Use the code "holiday" (without the quote marks) for 10% off. 

This is a wonderful article, from a Dragoco Report circa 1986.  Some of the parts of the article are a bit dated, yet much of it still has a lot of relevance to perfumers in 2010.  The title is The World of French Perfume. How did we get where we are? Where do we go from here? The link will take you to a page where other, previous articles are available for download, along with this latest one. I had a bit of trouble scanning this article.  If I scanned it in color, to capture the beautiful illustrations, the text suffered.  I'm not an Adobe expert, and if anyone would like to help me rescan this, please contact me.  In color, it was 116MB, and in black and white, under 3MB.  The only problem is that the photos are very distracting in black and white, and will use a lot of black ink. The article is scanned in landscape format, due to the size and orientation of the pages.  It will print out very nicely in portrait format. Many thanks to Michel Roudnitska, who entrusted me wit

Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute is the only perfumery course that allows offline students the chance to take part in daily chats with other students and the Instructor!  Anya has many years experience hosting lively perfumery chat groups and has extended this to her offline students. Nobody left out in the cold! Earning a living as a perfume artist is the goal of every hobbyist, and it must start with well-made perfumes! This year has been a very rewarding one for me, and I have a higher income now than when I was working at a very well-paying corporate job.  It may take years to build up your hobby into a real career, but it can be done. Several of the perfumers who were in the two Guild projects this year have reported to me that they have had great sales as a result. The economy is definitely improving, and you may wish to gift yourself with an investment in your future as a perfumer by studying with me. I have spent years mentoring folks in this group, and more re

Bulgarian Aromatics Supplier Ecomaat Joins the Natural Perfumers Guild Certified Organic products that include those used in perfumery, aromatherapy, medicine, and the flavorings industries. In early summer, 2009, I contacted a Bulgarian aromatics supplier , asking for samples of some of their very exotic raw materials.  I was particularly interested in the lilac CO2, and some SCO2 extracts of rose alba, linden blossom and others.  I blogged about the lilac here .  I gave them feedback, and started a correspondence with them, as they were astounded they had gotten feedback - they say people either buy or they never hear from them again.  I felt they were innovative and taking chances, and I support any supplier in the industry who does that.  I do believe the lilac CO2 has a place in aromatherapy - the fleeting nature of the top note wouldn't matter too much if the psychological effect for a jolt of scent memory was all that was needed. During the evaluation session noted

Earning a living as a perfume artist is the goal of every hobbyist, and it must start with well-made perfumes! http://PerfumeClasses.com Be sure to check out the entire site to fully appreciate what is offered. I can share my skills of perfume creation with you with in perfumery course I offer.  So far, just the basic course is offered, but next year the Intermediate course, which delves into refining your blending knowledge, along with scientific approaches, will be held at my studio, and also perhaps online. Then there will be a Graduate level that will also address the details of marketing and sales. You can sign up now and start your studies immediately.  In February, there will be another semester sign-up for students who wish to study in a group, and any student can enter that group and move through the study modules with them. I am available to the online students at any time to help with their studies. The basic course online enrollment includes lifetime access to the

I am posting this ad for Stratus Insurance. I was in negotiations with them for both the Natural Perfumers Guild and the Yahoo Natural Perfumery group and the natural perfumery community at large. They're offering great rates to the Guild, and some folks might want to join to save over non-Guild rates. Coverage: For Guild members $1/M/$475 non-Guild: $1M/$525   BTW, if you have a business that is not 100% natural perfumery, you can still join in the Stratus deal. I did negotiate on behalf of the NP community, but I realize many here may use fragrance oils or aromachemicals. You can still get this insurance. Just make sure you use this page to apply: http://www.stratusins.info/perfumers_app.php At the bottom of the page, if you're not a member of the Guild, check off if you are a member of the Yahoo NP group. I will work with Natasaha Gray to confirm Guild members at this time, since we've had about a dozen new members in the past week and they're not liste

Got the blending blues?  Can't figure out what the filter is going on? Ask away.  I'll see if I can be of assistance with your perfumery questions.

Avery Gilbert, Guild Associate and general raconteur on all things olfactory, finds a book that confirms his theory that the hoo-ha over human pheromones is just bunk. 

I'm a little late getting this started today, but I will be here the rest of the day.  Post away!

I'm going to try to find a fragrance-related image for each night.  This dreidel-shaped perfume bottle surely fits the bill, and is a lot of fun, to boot. To be in the running to win a 3.5ml mini of any of my perfumes, or the 10-sample set, please visit my Facebook fanpage and use the "suggest to friends" option.  That is, if you are already a member yourself.  If not, please join - and still use the "suggest to friends" option.  The drawings will be held on Dec. 9th and announced here and on the Facebook fanpage.

Victoria of Bois de Jasmin blog honored me with a surprise review of Temple, a perfume I launched in 2007.  Lovely review, thoughtful and touching on spiritual and timeless threads.  Temple was meant to be a limited edition, due to the cost and rarity of the aromatics, but so many crave it, I decided to keep it in stock.  It's wonderful when a few years later, a review pops up that was expected, and validates my dedication to producing quality, timeless perfumes.

Anya's Garden Perfumes Celebrates the Festival of Lights with an eight-day perfume giveaway. The Jewish tribe of the Macabees regained control of their temple in 167 B.C., and celebrated the event by lighting an oil lamp.  Despite the fact that there was only enough oil for one day, the lamp burned brightly for eight days.  This is the birth of the miracle of the Festival of Lights, known as Hanukkah, or Chanukah, and is commemorated each year.  Typically, foods such as latkes, a potato pancake, are fried in oil in remembrance of the long-lasting oil of the Macabees. I was raised in a "mixed" household, where I was made to attend Catholic school, but where I was allowed to light the Hanukkah candles by my Jewish relatives, while often still wearing the Catholic school uniform, having rushed over after classes to attend the sundown ritual. I'd like to up the ante on Hanukkah gifts, which are often responsible, everyday items like socks and sweaters, by hosting a

Please post your questions, and forgive my slight delay in answering during the morning hours.  I will be available on a timely basis the rest of the day.

You know I can't take an outrageous statement like that lying down.  It comes from this poorly-written and poorly-researched article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/nov/28/not-easy-being-green-perfume-synthetic They don't allow comments there, but I welcome them here, where they will be out on the Internet.  Please post your feelings!

The new sample set from Anya's Garden Perfumes now includes the latest releases, Light and Amberess.  You can read more about the two very different, very beautiful perfumes in my post immediately preceding this one, which is about the Outlaw Perfume project of the Natural Perfumers Guild. Each sample is about a half a milliliter, enough for two applications.  The cost for the 10 is $65, and if you use the voucher code outlaw at checkout, you'll get 10% off the price.  They're included in the new Anya's Garden fabric pouch, so they can be carried in a purse, or stored together.  Each order comes with a card that describes the order in which the perfumes should be sampled.  Think of it as a perfume guide akin to a wine-tasting guide.  You'll want to sample the softer, lighter perfumes before the powerful, full-bodied ones, much like a flight of wines. The samples now come in a satin fabric pouch with Anya's Garden Perfumes embossed on the fabric. Don'

The outlaw is in the house ;-) I hope y'all have been following the Outlaw Perfume project and it's fired you up to be one, too.  Use that rose and jasmine in appropriate amounts.  IFRA and the EU are getting pushed back at by some artisan perfumers! Well, outlaw or not, you're welcome to submit questions on perfumery today from 10 to 10.

  Soon after I started blogging in 2006, I began to write of the incredibly restrictive and unreasonable "guidelines" of the International Fragrance Association, and the resultant laws from the European Union that effectively killed perfumery.  True, they also ranked some synthetics as "dangerous" (brain disruptions), but the list of naturals, which had been used for centuries without major problems, was overwhelming.  I rarely bother to blog about these issues anymore.  I discovered I was the ONLY perfumer doing so at the time, and it cast a bit of a bitter pall over my blog.  I'd rather be blogging about the beauty and luxury of naturals, so here I am. I passed the ball on to other bloggers! Nine bloggers will be participating this week, and you can find their links at the end of this post. They're all insightful, intelligent and passionate about perfumery.  Their readership far outstrips mine, and the Outlaw Perfume project is a great way for them to

Ask the Perfumer is open and I'm waiting for your questions about perfumery, especially natural perfumery and natural raw materials.

  How very lovely that two of the four bloggers that grouped together for the Holiday Gift Guide selected my perfumes, Guild, and perfumery courses for inclusion.  I haven't sent any samples to one of the other bloggers ever, and the other in a year or more, so they're not up-to-date on my offerings.  Lucy at Indie Perfumes did make me blush with her praise! I will be offering 10 perfumes come Monday, Nov. 15th, 2010 when I launch Light and Amberess, so that's a little pre-release leak: the 10 will be offered for $65 for the sample size, a wonderful value. Here's links to Lucy and Elena's Holiday Gift Guide picks, so you can read about their choices: http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/2010/11/holiday-gift-guide-2010.html http://indieperfumes.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html#2523908032031520792

The Natural Perfumers Guild is having a membership drive. There are vintage and contemporary perfumery books and article included in the membership, plus many prizes to be awarded in a random drawing of the names of the new members. Fees are marked 20% off the usual rate, and can be found at here . The dozens of books and articles that new members can download are listed here. Deadline to join at the reduced membership rate and be in the drawing is Nov. 30th. Winners may state their choice of prize from the following list: *Five one-year Basenotes Supporters memberships A $59 value* Thinking of starting a perfume business? Take part in the chat on the most active perfume site on the Internet. The Basenotes Plus ( née Basenotes Supporters) is a great way to connect to the community. *One Basic Natural Perfumery textbook A $500 value* This is the textbook for Guild President Anya McCoy's Basic Natural Perfumery course. 349 full-color pages. Winner will be emailed a

Turning the clock back has me up early, and I'll get you are, too, with perfumery questions. Ask away!

Ask the Perfumer is open this stormy Halloween day - don't ask anything spooky of me! I will be blogging later today or tomorrow about the new textbooks arriving for my online basic natural perfumery course - with pictures! After looking at it on a screen, and only printing out sections at a time, I am impressed by the book in its glory. 349 pages, many with color illustrations and photos, the most helpful charts I could design, great evaluation and recording forms, including Excel-based ones that can hold all your info - wow. Sorry for the excitement, but I really am pleased with the book, and four get mailed out tomorrow to new offline option students. Happy, happy.

I'll be here on and off all day to answer your perfumery questions. Hope y'all are enjoying the weather and having fun!

Ask the Perfumer is open for questions. I almost forgot to post today, as I was out early and running most of the day. Sorry about my tardiness, but I'm here now, so ask away.

I'm blending new perfumes today - what are you doing? Ask the Perfumer is open for this cool Sunday in Miami.

I'll be here on and off all day to answer your perfumery questions. Hope y'all are enjoying the weather and having fun!

I have been reseraching on the Internet for years, and I stumbled across an article, in French, on the early Grasse perfumery industry.  I laboriously translated it into English, and copied and pasted the twenty or so illustrations into the English version. What a lot of work, but worth it for my students! This image is just so lovely. It's of the pomade room at Robertet in the 1800's. Here's another image: This image is of the Roure Bertrand plant, and those are orange blossoms on the ground, and people with shovels, scooping them up into the distillation units you see around the wall. Neroli! If you click on the image, you will see it in a larger version.

I have a !signed! first edition (1945) of Edward Sagarin's The Science and Art of Perfumery, and I love the fact that I got a lagniappe when I purchased it. Tucked inside was the business card of a Givaudan employee.  I had high hopes that when I scanned the card, the perfume alchemist image would be clear, but age, and the texture of the card worked against my wishes. However, it is still fun to look at, so I'm sharing it with you.

I hope every perfumer who has ever struggled with a perfume that went "muddy" or was overwhelmed by one or two of the aromatics learns some tricks with this podcast.  The trick is learning to evaluate an aromatic and seeing if it might be an "accessory" note.  Accessory notes can be very wonderful in a perfume due to their uniqueness and ability to add a distinctive scent, but because they are also very intense in nature, they can ruin a blend. I'm posting these podcasts on my perfumery education website , and I'm posting them here until I learn how to create RSS feeds there.  Heck, I hope the RSS feed I'm trying to create here works.  If it doesn't just visit the podcast page on the website. UPDATE:  I have the RSS feed working on the AGNPI website, so you can grab it there.

I posted this on the Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute's blog after I realized the recent list of articles on the Institute's website had never been listed before:   Director and Head Instructor Anya McCoy, natural perfumer of Anya's Garden, just published a list of articles she has authored on the subjects of natural perfumery, perfumery and book reviews since 2004. They are available for download from http://perfumeclasses.com/faculty.htm McCoy, A. - Natural Perfumery:  A Fragrant Evolution (pub. Aromatic Sage.com) McCoy, A. - Steve Earl - Position Paper: Defining Natural Perfumery (pub. self) McCoy, A. - Robert Tisserand, Tony Burfield - IFRA/EU Boycott Primer (pub. self) McCoy, A. - The Beauty of Botanicals Made Liquid: The Passion of Natural Perfumers (pub. Basenotes.net) McCoy, A. - The Stages of Public Acceptance of Natural Perfumery (pub. Basenotes.net) McCoy, A. - Book Review: What the Nose Knows (pub. Basenotes.net) McCoy, A. - Book Review: