Posts

Brave New Scents - A Natural Perfumers Guild Project - Royal Lotus Perfume from Anya's Garden

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  The Outlaw Perfumers are honoring the aromatics of the 21st Century Nothing says innovation like using materials that are cutting edge. We realized that many new aromatics had been brought to market since the year 2000 - things like lilac CO2, gardenia absolute, aglaia flower and many more.  Also appearing were previously-unknown to the artisan niche community of perfumers fragrant beauties like linden flower CO2, wild rose absolute and yuzu essential oil.   Many of the perfumers in the Guild, myself included, were making fragrant tinctures of rare and stunning aromatic materials, from freeze-dried strawberries to obscure jasmines. So, what's an Outlaw Perfumer to do? Gather those lovelies, and include materials like lotus absolutes, which weren't used by traditional perfumers, but were in use in India for many years, and create some Brave New Scents, unfettered by IFRA. My muse was ancient India, brought into the present, once again (remember Kewdra from the Mystery of

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, September 25, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

Yesterday I was on the phone with a Guild member in Ohio, talking gardening.  I gave him a tip about compost tea - to spray on the plants, not drink!  You never know where a question may take you, and the answer might surprise you.  The compost tea was the result of him asking if I use Miracle Gro to spray on my tomato plants.  You may want to ask about tinctures and we'll segue into ultrasonics. 

Some Vintage fragrant fun! Count Fanny's Nuptials

"Of course they visited the parfumeries and indulged in all manner of mingled fragrances, cunning fards, and rare oils. Some of the scents were made from real flowers, others from mysterious unnatural blossoms, whose odours were full of th e intoxications of desire. There was Jasmine, full of intangible charm, refined and delicate as a Schubert melody; Geranium, curiously reminiscent of withered loves; unblended Ambergris, that had the power to excite the most anaemic virgins; Civet; Saffron; Benzoin; Stephanotis; Kiss-me-quick; Frangipanni; Cul-me-to-you; Bouquet des Amours; Peau d'Espagne; Fleur d'Amour; Jicky; Bouquet Largillerie; Jardin de mon Curé; and Bosom-Caresser." from Count Fanny's Nuptials by Simon Arrow, 1907

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, September 18, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

It's been a fragrant week in my garden, with Miami's hot and humid summer providing a richness of blooms that are almost - almost - overwhelming.  The dozen or more blooming trees and shrubs have provided a lot of materials for tinctures and enfleurages.  It's very satisfying being an alchemist perfumer, transforming the botanical fragrance into a liquid, usable fragrance.  Then there's the next step in alchemy, the synergy of artfully blending those liquids into a beautiful perfume.  If you have any questions about any of these steps, leave a comment.

Stunning Scent Strip Fan Created for Francis Kurkdjian Perfume

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   Click to view larger image I love perfume, and I love design and I love fierce, and they all come together in this fan.  It was created by artist Sylvain le Guen for the Anniversary crystal edition of perfumer Francis Kurkdjian's perfume.  The fan was, of course, scented with the perfume.  It may be viewed at the The Fan Museum in London. 12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8ER. Of course Lond has a fan museum!  Wouldn't you love one of these?  Do you think it's inspiring you to make a similar one, of your own design?

There is no "Ask the Perfumer" today - Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ask the Perfumer will return next week.  Today is a day spent remembering 9/11.

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, September 4, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

I hope everyone is enjoying the long Labor Day holiday weekend in the USA.  I'm relaxing and working in my garden, which isn't really work at all, especially when I'm harvesting a variety of fragrant flowers.  Enfleurage and tincturing are my methods to capture the scent, and nothing could be easier. I'll be checking in to see your questions throughout the day, so drop me a line and let me know what's going on in your fragrant garden, or whatever is on your mind.

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, August 28, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

The Internet is very quiet this morning. Hurricane Irene is impacting tens of millions of people in the mid-Atlantic to NE USA.  I'm watching the minute-by-minute coverage on TV and feeling the stress of those in the path of the hurricane.  Here in Florida, we have PTSD two ways: pre-traumatic stress disorder (the wait for the storm to hit) and post-traumatic stress disorder, which is the emotional hangover. My thoughts and prayers go out to the folks up north.  If we can find some fragrant levity today to alleviate the mood, let's go for it.

Boxgasm - for perfumers, aromatherapists, bath and body manufacturers, chandlers. What the heck is a boxgasm? Well, read below and you may have one.

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Project Boxgasm Announcement: If you are an artisan who makes perfume, bath & body products, aromatherapy products, candles - you can now make your own custom boxes! The Natural Perfumers Guild wishes to share this discovery with everyone, so please share the link to this blog with other groups, forums and chat places you may frequent.  The more the merrier - let's upgrade our products to the next level, with lovely, custom boxes!  I am the President of the Guild, and I like to roam social media sites and check out, and "like" the various projects and announcements of the Guild members.  Little did I dream when I visited a Facebook page of one of our members, a page that only had 21 followers, since it's new, that I'd discover something that can help all artisan small business owners. But there it was, an iconic image out of South Africa - custom perfume boxes! When I called some members of the Natural Perfumers Guild and told them about the discovery th

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.

The Natural Perfumers Guild will soon share a discovery that will revolutionize the businesses of artisan perfumers and bath and body folks

I discovered this by accident, just because of my natural curiosity, on August 6th.  Historic day.  My jaw dropped, I was totally stunned by the simplicity and availability of a "thing" that will take all of our small businesses to the next level.  Everyone I've shared this secret with either yells or moans with excitement. When I teased one of the recipients of this good news that everyone sounds like they're either a screamer or moaner orgasmic type (she was a moaner), she said well, yes, it's "-------gasmic".  And it certainly is. So a few of the Natural Perfumers Guild members are in R&D right now, myself included.  We're holding off a little blogging event until we've got some good stuff to present to everyone.  I already have semi-good stuff, but there's tweaking that needs to be done.  I'll provide links, tips and more to get you on your way.  I have no financial interest in this, and I know it'll be affordable to most fo

The Natural Perfumers Guild and the Enforcement of the Guild Code

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The Natural Perfumers Guild is dedicated to protecting the identity of what a natural perfume is in the eyes of the public. On Friday August 12, 2011 the Guild review committee met and voted to terminate  suspend the membership of DSH Perfumes. This action was necessary because of complaints received about the website. It was found that several pages and declarations were in direct non-compliance with Guild code. This was a difficult decision, but we wish Dawn well and continued success. The public can now be assured that all Professional Perfumers on the Guild website use only 100% natural ingredients in their perfumes. To read the Guild Code, please visit http://naturalperfumers.com/code.htm An international Guild committee was recently formed to review and revise the terms of the Code to make it more stringent in the definition of natural aromatics and natural perfumes, application requirements to join the Guild and other important factors that will allow us to be self-regulatin

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, August 14, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

Hi Everyone - it's a lazy, hazy, hot Sunday. A fragrant scent cloud hugs the ground in Anya's Garden. I'll admit I'm intoxicated by the fragrances blooming all around me and I hope I can answer your questions in a timely manner. Have you ever been overwhelmed, in a good way, but the fragrance of summer blooms? Magnify that in the Miami summer, blessed with a Full Moon radiance. Yawn. Stretch. I think the narcotic blooms are taking me over!

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, August 7, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

I had blender's block really bad last week. Just one comment from a perfume editor (Michelyn Camen of Cafleurebon) that wasn't even related to my block, since I hadn't told her about it, turned me around, and the new mods I created are gorgeous!!! Have you ever had blender's block? My problem was I let my ego get ahold of me. You can't fit a square peg into a round hole, and you can't make an aromatic be diffusive if the other aromatics are dampening it. Any blending problems? Let my bruised, yet happy, ego be your guide.

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, July 31, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

July is over! Here at Ask the Perfumer headquarters we all wonder if there is a place of endless summer, without the severe heatwaves and droughts, where the jasmines bloom all year. Oh, wait, we're living here. It's like summer here 11 months of the year, so we're going to stop and smell the frangipani today. And the Chinese perfume tree, and the Costa Rican mint, etc. Hope your gardens are doing well and that you are harvesting some of the fragrant beauty for scent extraction, potpourri or some other alchemic delight.

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

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.

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, July 17, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

A question that frequently comes up is: how long do I have to age my compound before mixing with alcohol to create the juice, and then how long do I have to age the juice? Or, do I mix the compound with the alcohol and then age? Let's discuss.

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

It's over 90F this morning in Miami, and my flowers are blooming wildly, with total abandon. The Jasmine auriculatum vine, which I posed with by my front door, is threatening to take over the entry area - and I'm not complaining! The Aglaia odorata - Chinese perfume tree - is on my front path, fragrancing the entire end of the street. What's blooming where you are? Are you being an alchemist and harvesting the fragrance and transforming it into a usable form for your perfume making, such as tincture or enfleurage? In the past week, the Clereodendron lutea and Tahitian jasmine were blooming, so I captured their rare and gorgeous beauty in a tincture. Life is good.

The Natural Perfumers Guild is pleased to announce new and renewing members for June, 2011

It's been a very busy summer, between celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Natural Perfumers Guild on June 1st with a group blogging event, and now welcoming all the new members! We're also very happy at all of the renewing members, the professional perfumers, the associates, the suppliers and the friends. With a strong history of defending our business rights in the face of restrictive legislation, promoting the Guild members on various media, and moving forward as the only trade association devoted to real natural aromatics, the Guild is now a magnet for both established companies and non-commercial devotees of pure and natural fragrance products. In the true spirit of the Medieval Guilds, the enhancement of professional products by peer evaluation and the protection of our rights to have standards for our businesses and to defend them, the Natural Perfumers Guild is staying the true course of the Guild concept. In the past, we had an apprentice program, and we m

Perfumers, Bath and Body Makers - On July 4, 2011 - the USA government released the Safe Cosmetics Act, which will greatly hinder your small cosmetics business

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The Natural Perfumers Guild is in opposition to the Safe Cosmetics Act in the form released on July 4, 2011   image from Essential Wholesale blog Kayla Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale has been at the forefront of a group of small-business advocates, including Donna Marie Johnson of Indie Beauty and others who have visited Washington, lobbied for appropriate legislation for microbusinesses, and generally, looked out for the rights of owners of small businesses that create soaps, perfumes and body card products.  Early on, I was involved also, and had to drop out of the effort due to burn out, plain and simple.  Thank God for the women who carried on the good cause. Please read about the Opposition to the Small Cosmetics Act here on Kayla's blog and dig deeper, into her well-annotated comments on the bill.

The multi-faceted raspberry - a brief look at the flavor and fragrance revealed

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I was pleasantly surprised to find how enjoyable and educational Flavor Creation by John Wright was.  I didn't know what to expect when I received the book for review from Allured Books , members of the Natural Perfumers Guild .  This blog post isn't the review, because I really want to do the book justice - as a resource for natural perfumers!  It has amazing information that I find valuable, from organoleptic insights to the individual flavor isolate (also a scent isolate). This post is just a jump-off to send you to Elise Pearlstine's blog about raspberry jam.  As I ate (sometimes sipped right out of the jar) the jam I got from Elise, I was astonished by the various flavors/scents that I was picking up on.  I realized that most commercial raspberry jams I've tasted have been "doctored" with natural essences, such as boronia, but I really loved the pure, un-doctored raspberry jam.  I picked up cedar, greens, florals and much more.  It reminded me of when I

Anya's Garden Perfumes featured to kick-off the American Perfumery series on Cafleurebon

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I'm honored to be chosen as the perfumer featured in the kick-off of a series on American Perfumery on Cafleurebon (click on Cafleurebon to read).  Leave a comment before July 5th and you'll be in the running to receive a 3.5ml mini extrait of my RiverCali perfume.

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, July 3, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

Happy Fourth of July to my USA readers!  Any perfumery questions on this lazy, fun weekend? Someone wrote me during the week they want to continue the labdanum discussion.  Short answer:  you can't call your perfume a botanical perfume if it has animal essence in it, including labdanum.  Natural perfume is a recognized, true representation of what you should call your perfume.

Natural Perfumers Guild Associates win Int'l Green Packaging Award at HBA Expo in NYC

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Natural Perfumers Guild Associates Francesca and Kate of Pacific Perfumes were rewarded for making the long trip from New Zealand to NYC because they just won the International Green Packaging award at the HBA Global Expo http://www.hbaexpo.com/ !  The award was for their new Artisan line, which is all natural perfume.  I know Guild member Michelyn Camen the EiC of Cafleurebon loves their perfumes and she's meeting with them on Thursday.  I can't wait for the interview/report! http://www.facebook.com/PacificPerfumes http://pacificperfumes.co.nz to get a look at the packaging.

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, June 26, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

Hi Everyone!  I'm back from a semi-vacation, a staycation I think it's called, but I'm still refreshed and ready to answer your questions.  The growing season is in full bloom in most parts of the world, and if you have any fragrant plants sending out their beautiful scents now, or will soon, and want to extract their scent, ask away. Or, maybe you have another question about perfumery.  I'll be here, on and off, until 10 or so EST.

Ask the Perfumer - On Vacation June 12 and 19th, 2011

Hi Everyone: Taking a vacation for a few weeks, keep those perfume-related questions on hold, and I'll answer them when I get back.

Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, June 5, 2011 - until 10 PM EST

Shall we continue the discussion on isolates?  A few posts came in last week after the forum was closed, and I received some private emails, also.  Of course, feel free to ask anything you wish, I'm just inviting the other folks to post here.

Uncorked! Natural Perfumers Guild Members Blogging Event: Happy 5th Anniversary - and My Path To Natural Perfumery]

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Twenty Guild members are joining me in pulling out the stopper, uncorking the stories of our natural perfumery paths. Like effervescent top notes, our stories are released, ticking our memories and sharing them as they waft out over the Internet.  I hope you love reading all of the fragrant bios as much as I do.  Links to their blogs are at the bottom of this post.  Enjoy! I grew up thinking all fragrances were natural: flowers, gasoline, floor cleaner, deodorant, lightening bugs, hairspray, dirt, and particularly, perfumes. As a child I sniffed everything, and I dabbed myself with perfumes with wild abandon. I was lucky that I grew up two blocks away from the biggest public park in the world, Fairmont Park in Philadelphia.  It gave a bucolic respite from the row houses and tiny yards of the tightly-packed streets where I lived.  The street where I grew up in Philadelphia, two blocks from Fairmont Park. Memories of roses, boxwood, iris flowers flood me as I look at this photo. I