Sort of a rant, but related to artistic perfumery, I think!

[Guest guest]

>>

> Good point. I think it's all subjective, except in the case where an

> industry needs a predictable, replicable scent or flavor, and they'll test

> it with machines, too, and tweak it, as necessary to insure that bag of

> Cheez-its tastes like every other bag of Cheez-its, and that bottle of

> J'Adore matches every other.

>

Yes! This kind of cheeze-it-uniformity doctrine is a sure sign of the

apocolypse. It is

seriously degrading the quality of my life. It must be stopped. [stepping onto

my soap-

box]

> We natural perfumers, like wine makers take into account seasonal and other

> variables in our raw materials, and go with the flow....literally ;-)

>

Yep... and embrace it, highlight it, bask in it! It is really sad that the

whole(?) commercial

perfume industry has been kind of whipped into catering to some kind of " chicken

mcnugget " vision of reality (in which a chicken mcnugget in Brooklyn is

precisely as nasty

as a mcnugget in, say, Fairbanks).

How did this country every get so far down the franchise/mall-mentality path?

You know,

where a business or product is created to be uniform, predictable, identical,

mediocre and

soul-less, and all the local, flavorful businesses get stamped out.

I blame stupid consumers (I should know, I am one) business school, business

majors, and

venture capitalists, but I don't know what I'm talking about. It's easy to find

a scapegoat

when you are ignorant!

Going out on a limb here... on my soap-box (can a soap-box have a limb?) all

opinion, so

worthy of being ignored...

My ideal perfume (dammit!!) should NOT be identical from year to year or batch

to batch...

it should be some funky, quirky, home-made delicacy that reflects the natural

variation of

the materials it was made with. I don't mean just random, of course it is nice

to be able

to find something in the future that you enjoyed in the past, but it doesn't

have to be like

a mcnugget.

I mean, I make tomato sauce using a recipe that has been in my family since...

well I have

deep European roots... since the first tomatoes arrived in Spain or Sicily, for

all I know.

Like my imaginary ideal perfume, it is always a little different since each

batch of

tomatoes, basil, olive oil is a little different. But I can always recognize my

family recipe -

other folks' tomato sauces are different.

Those " always exactly the same " canned sauces suck. Every one of them. I won't

go so far

as to say this is true for manufactured perfumes... but as a rule I'd bet it's

true.

I will offer a suggestion: that the very act of committing oneself to

industrial-styled

cheeze-it consistency in perfume is in fact the act of abandoning artistic

perfumery.

How's that for an overgeneralization? But it has to have some truth to it.

I'll put my money behind a creative, tinkering, home-made-style perfumer anyday

(provided they can make something that smells better than I can) over a

corporation with a

board of directors and a bunch of profit-oriented share holders.

Finally, (and now for something completely random): now that natural perfumes

seem to

be getting some big attention (like Turin, and who knows who else) I question

the ability

of people who have been conditioned their whole lives to the aromas of

mathematical,

commecial mega-perfumes (with their hundreds of ingredients blended into a

cheeze-it

like consistency) to make any kind of rational assessment of natural, home-made,

artistic

perfumes.

[retreating from the limb of, and now stepping off of my soap-box]

> Glad to see you back, and I'm sure

> everyone is enjoying your questions and crazy experiments.

>

>

Hey... you keep making reference to my " crazy experiments " . You know, I am

beginning

to take this kind of personally!!

I particularly resent the use of the word " experiments " .

)

[Guest guest]

At 03:10 PM 8/6/2006, you wrote:

> > We natural perfumers, like wine makers take into account seasonal and other

> > variables in our raw materials, and go with the flow....literally ;-)

> >

>

>Yep... and embrace it, highlight it, bask in it! It is really sad that

>the whole(?) commercial

>perfume industry has been kind of whipped into catering to some kind of

> " chicken

>mcnugget " vision of reality (in which a chicken mcnugget in Brooklyn is

>precisely as nasty

>as a mcnugget in, say, Fairbanks).

It seems the sillage of practically every other woman here in miami is

fruity/floral/musk. It also seems that practically every perfume on the

dept. store counters is like that, too.

>My ideal perfume (dammit!!) should NOT be identical from year to year or

>batch to batch...

>it should be some funky, quirky, home-made delicacy that reflects the

>natural variation of

>the materials it was made with. I don't mean just random, of course it

>is nice to be able

>to find something in the future that you enjoyed in the past, but it

>doesn't have to be like

>a mcnugget.

On the perfume forums, there is renewed interest in chypres, of all things,

a perfume genre that hasn't been in vogue since the 50's or 60's. Must say,

however, the rumblings are of a peach note over the chypre (a la Femme

parfum) so the fruity McNugget Cheez-it chypre may be in your stores soon, lol.

I get to sample many different natural perfumes, in the course of my work

with the Guild. They are all so wonderfully different, artisanal, and

suited to the Nose's take on the art. This often can't happen in mainstream

perfumery today, ruled by the corporate mind. Yes, there are some

exceptions, some niche houses, but that homogeneity is the rule, it seems.

>I will offer a suggestion: that the very act of committing oneself to

>industrial-styled

>cheeze-it consistency in perfume is in fact the act of abandoning artistic

>perfumery.

>How's that for an overgeneralization? But it has to have some truth to it.

The perfumers who labor for the corps can't be blamed. They do regard

themselves as artists, and a few do get to compose from unique or

ground-breaking briefs. I wonder how many keep home studios to create juice

for themselves and friends? ;-)

>Finally, (and now for something completely random): now that natural

>perfumes seem to

>be getting some big attention (like Turin, and who knows who else) I

>question the ability

>of people who have been conditioned their whole lives to the aromas of

>mathematical,

>commecial mega-perfumes (with their hundreds of ingredients blended into a

>cheeze-it

>like consistency) to make any kind of rational assessment of natural,

>home-made, artistic

>perfumes.

I think there's hope, through education and distribution of the natural

juice. Look how organic food and natural fiber clothing and ethnic foods

have caught on in the recent years.

> > Glad to see you back, and I'm sure

> > everyone is enjoying your questions and crazy experiments.

>

>Hey... you keep making reference to my " crazy experiments " . You know, I

>am beginning

>to take this kind of personally!!

>

>I particularly resent the use of the word " experiments " .

What are they, then, " lifestyle choices " , lol?

Anya

http://anyasgarden.com Parfums Natural

http://artisannaturalperfumers.com The Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild

http://.com The premier site on Natural Perfume

/

Biggest, most dynamic natural perfumery chat group

[Guest guest]

I will say on this, that in my perfumery, I do think

about batch to batch consistency. Keeping to the

formula, and using the same ingredients. In my

formulas I note exactly which particular oils were

used and mark all of those bottles. Even keep them

grouped together. I realize that natural oils will

have changes from harvest to harvest, and I am not too

overly concerned with that.

When purchasing oils I always look for quality first,

and often create my own standardized house blend of

absolutes such as Rose, Jasmine g. and others that I

use often.

Just as the public expects a consistency in a perfume,

I do see the point.

I would not want to create a perfume that people

loved, and enjoyed, and not try to keep it as

consistent over time as possible. Even with the

changes in harvest and subtle aspects of scent varying

over time. I doubt that most people would notice much

of a change anyway..

I do however, feel completely free to create whatever

my artistic mind, heart and spirit lead me to create.

I feel no pressure to conform to a culture trap, that

ells me what to do, and how to do it. As such, I will

dive head first into a strange exotic creation with

just as much passion, as a more traditional blend, and

feel equally satisfied..

I spent about an hour yesterday talking to a customer

who loves Shalimar and has worn it for years, and at

the same time is also open to new and interesting

perfumes, particularly naturals. So, yes the natural

perfume energy trail is reaching out and touching

people, probably more than we actually realize, right

now. As long as it stays positive , life filled and

energetic, I t will be a lasting and wonderful thing

in the years to come.

As I grow my business, I think of all the things that

factor in to a fine perfume, and try to implement them

the best I can. Because for me it is all about the

perfume, the craft, and creating the most wonderful

things imaginable.

Beautiful, personal, sensual things that can be

enjoyed by many.

Peace, Z.........

Peace Angel Farm

http://www.peaceangelfarm.com

Zz's Petals, Natural Perfumery....

http://www.zzspetals.com

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