Introduction

[Guest guest]

W. Bourbonais wrote:

>

>

>

>

> An example...I am not a fan of tuberose abs, or the concrete, for that

> matter...Other folks think it's divine, but I can't stand the

> stuff...And I've experienced a number...My reptilian just doesn't care

> for it...It evokes a I've smelled this stuff before/unpleasant things

> associated with it...though I cannot say exactly what those are...

>

I'm with you on tuberose, grin! Really don't like it! But then I also

detest Rose Geranium which so many love...don't like ravensara, hate

Clary sage...all of which others seem to use in perfume with great

delight....

As the saying goes: " Mileage may vary.... "

Ambrosia

[Guest guest]

I didn't like tuberose until I added other florals and some nice base notes, the

woody, earthy, resin type notes . The clary sages and geraniums and stuff like

that? NOOOOOOOOOO.

When I added aloeswood to my blend, magic. I think so. I'm still working on it.

But I like Tuberose with Rose de mai, jasmine sambac/ grandi and a drop of ylang

1 and then kick it with neroli and some other citrus notes. the base being more

balsam and varied are what I think brought that to where I could really enjoy

it. So now, I have enough of this blend to begin to create OTHER scents and

doing that the tuberose can be downplayed to the point you dont notice it at

all.

evie

or I'm delluded.

[Guest guest]

evie

or I'm delluded.

Or diluted! ;0)

Sonsa XXOO

[Guest guest]

thank you so much for your reply, and please forgive my

tardiness in acknowledging your email - I was swatted down by a nasty

bug that kept me in bed for a couple of days.

The foothills of Boulder are spectacular - today we woke up to a

little more snow with misty skies that indicate we will get more of

the white stuff - and yet - one never knows, the sun might break

through and surprise us. We have to be ready for everything up here.

Mother nature rules and we know our place. LOL. We don't dare feed

anything around here because feeding one critter leads to bigger

critters thinking it is " restaurant " and before we know it we have

created havoc. I have had to learn to keep my instincts under

control. Read a fabulous book called " The Beast in the Garden " by

Baron, which really made me snap to attention.

But back to the fascinating topic of natural perfume making. Before I

got the big nasty cold I checked our library and they do have Mandy's

book, which I instantly put a hold on. Depending on the weather, road

conditions and my head cold I hope to be able to trek down and

retrieve it. I imagine that I will be loathed to give it back to the

library and will eventually get my own copy. Your description of her

book sounds like it will fit me to a T.

Gratefully,

TAS

PS - This past summer we had so many bear sightings in all of

Colorado. A lovely woman from Ohio sent me some bear tallow and I

made some soap with it. My husband asked me " are you trying to

attract or appease them? " I replied: I am telling them that I am one

of them and they can just pass on by. My middle name is Ursaline (of

the little bear). Well, I don't know if they got the message or not

but the soap was one of the best I have ever made.

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi ,

>

> Great to see you here. We already know each other from The Dish! I am

CiaoBella over there.

>

> Welcome!!!

>

>

> My Skin Soap Studio

> www.myskinsoapstudio.com

>

Hi ,

Nice to be welcomed by someone " I know. " I have admired your soap pictures and

been inspired by your scent combinations.

Hopefully, I will be able to reclaim my " sniffer " once this cold departs and I

can get to work soon.

For some strange reason I did not get two of the digests from Natural Perfumery

(#'s4471 and #4472) so I am replying via Yahoo.

TAS

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi Tasita - It's good to see my 'sister' here. This is a great group. You

will love it.

>

> Deb

>

Hey Deb!

So happy to be here -especially when I get such nice, warm welcomes from the

membership. I got 's cold and have been in a world of misery (not being

able to breath sucks). And to add to my misery cyberspace has lost two of my NP

digests so I am slowly chipping away.

It is snowing, but our snow plow, " Jerome " has had his Wheaties and is ready to

go - this is only important because I have Mandy's book on reserve at the

library and want to go and retrieve it!

Have you decided to come to Boulder in June? The mountain gods have promised

they will get all the snow out of their system now and make nice weather in June

just for you!

TAS

[Guest guest]

Hi Evie,

If you don't mind me asking - where do you buy your aloeswood? I have

head such marvelous things about it and would like to consider adding

it to my eo family.

Thanks,

TAS

[Guest guest]

actually it was gifted to me. oob? I wasnt so sure I wanted to use it LOL.....in

the blend? NITE and DAY in results....they dont call this alchemy for

nothing.....Anya has the hook ups as do several of the list members. I need one

more little vial and I'm done. Also, I blend using 'extended' versions of oils.

I've had some lovley oils that were ten percent and I was so pleased with the

result.s

[Guest guest]

Dear people,

Very glad to be here!

I have always had a preternatural appreciation for scents, both those considered

good or beautiful (baking bread, my mother's Chanel No. 5) and those considered

distasteful (as a child I inhaled gasoline fumes with great enthusiasm).

Like most people, I have strong emotional associations with scent. I trace

memories by the perfumes I wore: early adolescence comes back when I smell

Cacherel's Anais Anais and Diane Von Furstenberg's Tatiana, my " worldly "

twenties are marked by floral orientals such as Poison and Obsession.

I first encountered natural perfumery in Aveda's Earth blend, which I sought out

after becoming acutely sensitized by Estee Lauder's otherwise luscious Tuscany

Per Donna perfume. After this sensitization, it was years before I could smell

synthetic perfumes without triggering an asthma attack, no matter how much I

loved the scent.

After this experience, I studied individual essential oils for years in the

context of aromatherapy. When I began to make soy candles with essential oils, I

knew nothing about blending and my results were disappointing. Also

disappointing were the soy candles made with essential oils that I encountered

in stores at the time. Reluctantly concluding that only " stronger " synthetic

fragrances could hold up in candles, I switched to the loveliest synthetic

fragrances I could find and began selling my soy candles.

Now as I expand my product line into bath and body products, I find I cannot

bring myself to use synthetic fragrances in, for example, bath salts. Users may

enjoy the scent, but they would be missing all the therapeutic benefits of

bathing in natural plant essences. Same with shampoos, shower gels, and soaps. I

am also exercising extreme care in my selection of other ingredients, so it

makes sense to choose the least harmful fragrance ingredients.

It is this urge that has me interested in learning how to create complex,

multilayered, natural and cruelty-free fragrances using traditional perfumery

methods. I plan to replace the fragrance line with naturals in the soy candles

as well.

Of great interest to me is how natural perfumers navigate different issues, such

as sustainability of botanicals and ethics surrounding use of animalic naturals.

I imagine folks resolve these issues in many different ways, and I hope to learn

more.

Just a few weeks ago, I started researching natural perfumery from a creation

standpoint, first encountering Mandy Aftel's Essence and Alchemy. I've just

invested almost $300 in absolutes, concretes and resins for beginning palette to

supplement my existing essential oil collection. I would love to make up for

lost time by avoiding the more common " beginner mistakes. " Any suggestions…or

dire warnings to save me from myself? ;-)

Most sincerely,

P.S. I appreciate the thread about the potential hazards of cats inhaling EOs.

If asked I can provide anecdotal evidence that feline livers are significantly

more sensitive than many other species. In addition to other safety measures,

I'll be exploring natural perfumery in a room with the windows wide open and the

cats kept out.

[Guest guest]

very glad you are here too!

 

 

i am curious: when you say aveda

s 'earth blend' i assume you mean their personal blends. do you know the number?

i can help you recreate that if you're interested.

 

much light;einsof

[Guest guest]

To: NaturalPerfumery

Sent: Mon, April 12, 2010 2:56:05 PM

Subject: Re: Introduction

> i am curious: when you say aveda's 'earth blend' i assume you mean their

personal blends. do you know the number? i can help you recreate that if you're

interested.

einsof,

Thanks for the warm welcome! Yes, it was one of the personal blends. I **think**

it was either Earth 2 (or maybe 4). It had a distinct candy-sweet note. I'd be

very interested in re-creating it; I can't find it anymore!

Cheers!

Hi ,

Not sure if this helps at all, but I worked for Aveda for many years. I made so

many personal blends for customers I had the listed ingredients memorized . . .

I believe Earth 4 was made to mimic the scent of the " Brilliant "

shampoo/conditioner line. It smelled somewhat similar. The ingredients Aveda

listed on the back of the personal blends bottle were rose and jasmine. I

remember it being quite sweet.

Best,

Charna Ethier

Providence Perfume Co.

http://www.providenceperfume.com

info@...

[Guest guest]

> Just a few weeks ago, I started researching natural perfumery from a creation

standpoint, first encountering Mandy Aftel's Essence and Alchemy. I've just

invested almost $300 in absolutes, concretes and resins for beginning palette to

supplement my existing essential oil collection. I would love to make up for

lost time by avoiding the more common " beginner mistakes. " Any suggestions…or

dire warnings to save me from myself? ;-)

>

> Most sincerely,

>

>

>

Hi ,

Welcome to the group! I know I've said this a few times...but it is such a big

deal to me along the lines of money saving. I highly recommend purchasing some

small dropper bottles (I use dram size) and diluting a small amount of all your

aromatics down to 10% and the very strong ones to 1%. I use a precison scale to

dilute, but you could do by volume also, so long as you are able to replicate

your methods. This way you can experiment with your blends with less fear of

throwing out your precious oils, you don't have to worry about diluting them

after the fact, and you have a better idea of how the finished blend will smell

as you go along. Also, there are many thick oils and absolutes that have to be

diluted down to work with them, so this takes care of that issue at the same

time.

Also, purchase samples of expensive oils and absolutes before you buy a large

amount. You can buy samples from Eden Botanicals, Liberty Natural, and White

Lotus Aromatics...all very fine companies that many of us here use.

Happy blending!

Amy Hartsfield

HartBlends

www.hartblends.com

[Guest guest]

Amy,

I like this idea of diluting the essences beforehand. I probably would hesitate

to experiment with a precious oil otherwise.

I am always up for a money-saving tip.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

please remember that mistakes are learning tools. and you might discover

something you would want to use in a different blend. art is messy. art is full

of so called mistakes.

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

I just have to tell you that reading your introduction was like looking in the

mirror.

In my grade 2 " autobiography " my favorite smell was gasoline.

I too have been spending my rainy day funds on assorted absolutes and exotic

smell candies.

Sometimes it feels overwhelming reading posts and feeling like everyone out

there knows so much and it reminds me of how much I still need to learn.

It was nice to see that I'm not alone at the beginning of this journey and it

reminded me of satisfying and enjoyable the learning process is.

I wish you much luck, happiness and success!

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi and

That's so funny. I'm another newbie and childhood gasoline-sniffer!!

(Actually we call it petrol here in New Zealand.) I have repeated memories

of my mother telling me to pull my head back in the car and wind up the

window at petrol stations.

I still like essential oils that smell a bit gasoliney when you sniff them

in the bottle (although they never seem to once they're out of the bottle!

hrmph.)

And I'm also overwhelmed and thrilled by all the knowledge here - and the

amazing people who can mix 39 perfume ingredients without it smelling like a

dogs breakfast!!

Best wishes

Johanna

http://wildpicnic.blogspot.com/

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi and

>

> That's so funny. I'm another newbie and childhood gasoline-sniffer!!

> (Actually we call it petrol here in New Zealand.) I have repeated

> memories of my mother telling me to pull my head back in the car

> and wind up the window at petrol stations.

> I still like essential oils that smell a bit gasoliney when you

> sniff them in the bottle (although they never seem to once they're

> out of the bottle! hrmph.)

>

> And I'm also overwhelmed and thrilled by all the knowledge here -

> and the amazing people who can mix 39 perfume ingredients without

> it smelling like a dogs breakfast!!

Johanna and ,

I am so relieved not to be alone in this olfactory taboo. ;-) And I'm glad I'm

not the only person new to NP!

Cheers!

[Guest guest]

Hi

I've just joined this list and my previous introduction, which I thought went to the mods only, seemed a bit rude. Ididn't even say who I was. Sorry about that.

My name is and I am married to Alan who is also my carer. We have 2 grown kids and 5 grandchildren. We live in Aldinga Beach which is a suburb of Adelaide the capital of South Australia.

Nearly 10 years ago I was hit with Transverse Myelitis and life has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride since then.

I was wondering if there was anyone else from Australia on the list?

Aldinga Beach SA