Charity Roses

Charity Roses is a collection of four very special roses with $1/ml sold going to the International Rescue Committee, San Jose office.I started working on this a few months ago, and finally have everything up and listed on Etsy. 

Afghan Rose

Forbidden Rose

French Rose

Rose Bourbonia

Choose 2 Samples

Each rose is available as a 1ml sample or 4ml full size roll on, diluted in organic jojoba at 5-10%. These roses are unique and hard to come by, and I might not be able to get more when I run out.

Pictured are the sampler tins, with two oils of your choice of two samples in a tin decorated with a vintage Japanese cabochon.

I decided on a refugee charity, because in addition to losing their homes and facing all the obstacles associated with that, refugees are likely to experience hate and other difficulties for being different. While I try to avoid politics in my business, I feel that is un-American to turn our backs on refugees, and I feel that this is one way I can show my support.

One Dozen Roses Sale & Update

First, the exciting news (for those who want to buy some rose oils, at least): I am selling the 4ml roll-ons at 50% off while supplies last. I will be switching from plastic to glass roll-ons, so all plastic roll-ons are on sale. Quite a few are gone already (4, 5, 9, 11, and 12), and some are low stock, so if you've been waiting to buy any of the scents, now is the time.

My last complete set of One Dozen Roses sold in December, and while looking to restock some of the oils, I noticed a few were no longer available for purchase. The following 5 scents will no longer be included in the set:

1. Ruh Gulab Monsoon- Rosa Damascena- India- Ruh

2. White Rose Otto- Rosa Alba- Bulgaria Essential Oil

3. Rose Enfleurage- South America- Enfleurage

4. Russian Rose Otto- Rosa Damascena- Russia- Essential Oil

6. Chinese Tea Rose- Rosa Odorata- China- Essential Oil

I personally love some of these, and hope to bring them on as additions so those who haven't experienced them yet will get a chance to in the future. I also have my eye on some rare and precious roses that might not work for the set, but would be available separately as limited editions.

These will be making a return in the set, along with sample vials and 4ml roll-ons available to purchase separately.
5. Rose Gallica- Rosa Gallica- Moldova- Essential Oil

7. Rose Apothecary- Rosa Gallica- Russia Absolute

8. Rose de Mai- Rosa Centifolia- Egypt- Organic Extract

9. Rose de Mai Absolute- Rosa Centifolia- Egypt- Absolute

10. White Rose- Rosa Alba- Bulgaria- CO2

11. Moroccan Rose- Rosa Damascena- Morocco- Absolute

12. Rose Anatolian- Rosa Damascena- Turkey- Absolute

I will be adding the following to the One Dozen Roses set:
Rose Damascena - Bulgaria - CO2
Rosa Alba - Bulgaria - Absolute
Rosa Damascena - Bulgaria - Essential Oil
Rosa Rugosa - China - Essential Oil
Rosa Centifolia - Russia - Absolute

I hope to have new sets available within a few weeks, so you can treat yourself or someone you love to One Dozen Roses for Valentine's Day.

The ABCs of Essential Oils: Orange Blossom

Citrus aurantium

The orange tree is one of the most amazing suppliers of essential oils, supplying us with unique fragrances from its many parts. In addition to orange oil and petitgrain, we have the flowers, which create one of the most divine scents. When distilled, we call the oil neroli, which also creates orange flower water. When solvent extracted, we call it orange blossom absolute. There is also orange flower CO2 extract, which is more similar to neroli in scent, and probably the truest to nature.

As with many other florals, the different types of orange blossom are expensive, and quality can vary. If you can't afford them, look for a high quality petitgrain or perhaps petitgrain sur fleurs, which includes the flowers in the distillation. If you see orange blossom water absolute, beware, this might not be your oil. It has a very dirty scent, which has it's uses in tiny quantities, but out of the bottle it is rather gross.

Where to use neroli or orange flower absolute? Besides blending it with other florals or citrus oils, you can use it in oriental, chypre, amber and colognes.

Similar:
Honeysuckle
Jasmine
Mandarin Petitgrain
Petitgrain

Previously:
Nutmeg
Mandarin
Lavender
Kewda
Jasmine
Immortelle
Ho Wood
Ginger
Frankincense

Eucalyptus

Davana

Coffee

Bergamot

Anise

What's New and Why I Haven't Updated

I've been trying to write this off and on for awhile, but it's hard for me to write. However, it has effected my business, and where it's going, so I would like to write about it. Last year I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I had been experiencing a lot of pain off and on for about a year before the diagnosis. I'm not sure if it is really fibromyalgia or something else, but for lack of a better diagnosis, that's what it is. I am receiving treatment for it, which has helped, but I still have many days where I'm exhausted or in too much pain to do much. I have various other ailments, so work hasn't always been easy.

So basically I haven't been always up to making perfumes and such. I've gotten to be rather droppy and spilly, so mixing something up can be messy and wasteful. And you really don't want to spill those expensive essential oils, which are the ones I adore the most.

Going forward, I will be focusing on perfume making, and phasing out the bath and body products. Most of the products for sale now are perfumes, with the other products already phased out. I will be working on some new perfumes on days I feel up to blending, and I will be bringing back the solid single notes.

I will begin selling some perfumery materials, including essential oils, floral waxes, and absolutes. I am also thinking of adding perfume bottles, pipettes, etc. I want people to enjoy these materials, and I feel this is a good way to share them with those who might not be interested in the scents I make. I currently do offer several single notes diluted in fractionated coconut oil through my Etsy store, including 12 different natural rose oils.

I do intend to continue making bath and body products for myself, and I hope to blog about my various experiments. I have all sorts of crazy ingredients on hand in small amounts that I've wanted to test, but haven't gotten around to yet, so I hope to work on those soon. I will also continue my alphabetical essential oil profiles, with nutmeg next.

On my Ivre de Fleurs website, I have started adding a few different product categories. One is vintage, since I started collecting small perfume pendants and lockets with the hopes of using them for my products. I have decided not to do that, so I will be adding some of these to that website. I have also started adding a few jewelry pieces and some housewares I have made. Jewelry making has been a hobby of mine off and on throughout my life, and I most recently started it up again last summer after several years of avoiding it. I've found that jewelry making is something I can handle on all but my worst days. If I drop a bead, I don't have to throw it out (I do have to find it though, which can be tricky). And if working on something is hurting my arms, I can generally put it aside and come back to it as desired. It has made the last year bearable by providing me with a creative outlet on days that I couldn't bring myself to work on the perfumes swirling through my mind.

The ABCs of Essential Oils: Mandarin

Citrus reticulata

Red, yellow, green...this is not a stop light, but a list of mandarin essential oils available to you. If you love citrus fragrances, you should add some mandarin essential oils to your collection. The mandarin oils are my favorite of the citruses, with a depth and uniqueness that stand out in this field of fruity oils.

Like other citruses, the essential oil is expressed from the peel. It is inexpensive for an essential oil, though more costly than some of the other citruses. While I think of it primarily in terms of perfumery, it's cost allows you to add some to bath and body products. Mandarin oil is GRAS (generally recognized as safe), so you can add it to lip balms. According to Tisserand (Essential Oil Safety, 2nd ed) mandarin essential oil from the fruit isn't phototoxic, so it is safe for use in products that will stay on the skin, like lotions and balms. However, mandarin leaf (mandarin petitgrain) essential oil is phototoxic.

The different varieties offer you a chance to fine tune your fragrance, since each one is a bit different. Sweet, tart, and a bit floral, mandarin will provide a fine top note to your perfumes. Mandarin allows you to add citrus that isn't immediately recognizable, while also smoothing the way between the citrus notes and your floral notes. Per Arctander, mandarin essential oils contain methyl-n-methyl anthranilate, which is what gives the oil it's neroli-like floral note.

Similar:
Mandarin Petitgrain
Tangerine
Neroli

Previously:
Lavender
Kewda
Jasmine
Immortelle
Ho Wood
Ginger
Frankincense

Eucalyptus

Davana
Coffee
Bergamot
Anise

ABCs of Essential Oils - Kewda

I started this entry forever ago, or really the end of September, but that feels so long ago, doesn't it? Anyway, life gets in the way, and I suppose I might write about that some day, but for now, here is kewda.

Pandanus odoratissimus

"K" was a little difficult to fill, since while there are some oils that begin with "k," I either haven't sniffed them or they're used primarily for aromatherapy. But then I remembered kewda (sometimes called kewra), a rare essential oil with an odd odor. And by odd odor, I mean it's like someone punched you in the nose.

I'm honestly not sure if anyone else feels that way about kewda, since most of the descriptions are much more polite, calling it "strong" or "penetrating." It's not a bad odor, but it is intense. Calling it ethereal is rather apt- according to Arctander, it is around 75% Methyl-beta-phenylethyl Ether. Interpret that as you will. Arctander describes it as "...intensely sharp, very powerful and diffusive, but also very sweet, hyacinth-honeylike..." and recommends evaluating it at 1% or less.

You may also find kewda attar, which includes sandalwood. The soft scent of sandalwood may help you appreciate the scent of kewda better, provided that you appreciate sandalwood to begin with (I love it, but not everyone does).

Distilled or extracted from the large flower spikes of a small tree in India, kewda is a rare essence, but is worth seeking out for those interested in composing unique floral fragrances.

Previously:
Jasmine
Immortelle
Ho Wood
Ginger
Frankincense

Eucalyptus

Davana
Coffee
Bergamot
Anise

The ABCs of Essential Oils: Jasmine

Jasmine or juniper, juniper or jasmine? I've been going back and forth on the issue, and while juniper berry is an awesome oil, and I recommend that you buy some, I will write about jasmine, since that's what "j" is really all about. As Arctander writes, jasmine is "one of the most important, if not the most important natural perfume raw material."

One of the main reasons for writing about jasmine is that I get to write about indole, a molecule present in jasmine absolute that is also found in your poop. Indole adds a dirtiness to jasmine, along with other white flowers. It might sound gross, but don't let it scare you off. It's part of what makes jasmine complex and beautiful. Indole is also available as an aromachemical, and if too much is used, it could make your perfume gross. But the small amount in jasmine makes it interesting.

You will usually find jasmine in the form of an absolute, though jasmine wax and concrete are also available. The absolute is extracted from the concrete, leaving the wax behind. Carbon dioxide extractions are becoming more readily available, and are very lovely. I have not tried any, but jasmine ruhs are available, and these are hydrodistilled instead of solvent extracted. While rare, jasmine enfleurage oil is still produced, but it is very pricy. Each extraction method results in a different odor profile, and you may wish to try a different form if the one you're using isn't quite right for your blend.

Oh, and if you want jasmine and sandalwood in one bottle, look into attars.

If you're already overwhelmed enough by these options, you might want to stop reading. There are different varieties of jasmine available, though grandiflorum and sambac are the two most common. You can also find jasmine auriculatum in some of the above extractions, and I have also see flexile as an absolute and polyanthum enfleurage.

Country of origin can also impact an oil's odor, along with factors like the weather that year. Some oils are better than others, and you also need to be on the lookout for places that might sell adulterated oils (the adulteration can happen before they receive it).

So where to start? Buy samples of grandiflorum and sambac absolutes from a few places, pacing yourself if need be due to the expense. The samples might even be large enough for you to try them out in your blends, since you don't necessarily need much. Some places offer dilutions in jojoba or fractionated coconut oil, and these can be a great way to try jasmine for less money. If you make your perfumes in alcohol though, buy the pure stuff. Jasmine blends well with many essential oils, so don't be afraid to add a little to a fragrance you're working on. Jasmine with rose is a classic, and will add a beautiful floral note to your middle.

While nothing can replace jasmine, if you're looking for other white florals, consider ylang ylang, champaca, tuberose, and orange flower absolute.

Previously:
Immortelle
Ho Wood
Ginger
Frankincense

Eucalyptus

Davana
Coffee
Bergamot
Anise

ABCs of Essential Oils: Immortelle

Helichrysum italicum

Helichrysum is another one of those amazing and healing aromatherapy essential oils. There are different species besides Helichrysum italcum, and you should also consider the country of origin when purchasing an oil. This post is about the absolute, which is for perfumery, not aromatherapy. Absolutes are solvent extracted, so they're generally not used for aromatherapeutic applications. While you can use the essential oil in perfumes, the absolute is usually cheaper. If you have the essential oil and want to use it for its fragrance, keep in mind that other species can have different odor profiles.

Known as immortelle or everlasting, the absolute catches your attention with it's poetic name before you even open the bottle.  The scent is sweet and honey-like, with tobacco and hay nuances. Arctander mentions it's fixative effect (though also mentioning you're unlikely to use it enough to really work as a fixative), as well as it's value in "rounding off and 'bouquetting' a fragrance which may need life and naturalness."

Consider adding immortelle to bring some sweetness to a blend. I can picture using it in a meadow-type fragrance, along with some herbal and floral essences. I would reserve this material for perfumery, since it might not mix into whatever else it is you make. When you do use it for perfumes, you might need to heat it up gently (warm/hot water bath) before and/or after adding it to your alcohol or oil. This method is useful to keep in mind with other thick materials. The essential oil will blend easier into different bases, so if you have the money for a helichrysum soap or want to add it to a lotion, the EO is a better choice.

Similar odors (per Arctander):
Broom or Genet Absolute (Spartium junceum)
German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
Flouve Absolute (Anthoxanthum Odoratum)
Hay Absolute (Foin coupe)

Previously:
Ho Wood
Ginger
Frankincense

Eucalyptus

Davana
Coffee
Bergamot
Anise

The ABCs of Essential Oils: Ginger

Zingiber officinale

Geranium or ginger, geranium or ginger. I've had such a hard time time deciding between the two. My head says go with geranium, since it's so incredibly useful in perfumery, but my heart says go with ginger. Ginger is useful in natural perfumery as well, but you can't use it to boost your rose scent.

The most important thing about ginger essential oil: buy fresh ginger oil. If it doesn't say fresh, it probably won't have that sparkling brightness you want. I think CO2s might be okay, but sample first to make sure it's nice enough.

Ginger pairs well with many essential oils. For bath and body products, start by thinking of how you eat it, and try combining it with chocolate or vanilla, plus any of the sweet spices. Add it to a chai fragrance. And it is wonderful paired with lemon or lime, and the combination produces a dazzling brightness. When working on a perfume, consider the above, but go beyond the food notes and use ginger as a top note for various fragrances. Ginger pairs nicely with florals, and you can use it to lighten up earthier scents, like patchouli. It could also work in any fresh or spicy fragrances, such as colognes and oriental perfumes.

In addition to the essential oil and CO2, ginger is also available as an absolute and oleoresin, though these are less common.

Other gingery notes:
Curcuma (Curcuma longa) Note: This might also be sold as turmeric oil, but curcuma should be distilled from the dried rhizome, per Arctander.
Fingerroot (Boesenbergia pandurata)
Galangal (Alpinia officinarum, Alpinia galanga, Kaempferia galanga)
Zedoaria (Curcuma zedoaria)

Previously:
Frankincense

Eucalyptus

Davana
Coffee
Bergamot
Anise

The ABCs of Essential Oils: Davana

D:

Davana (Artemisia pallens)

Davana is an odd bird. There aren't many choices for the letter "D" though, so davana it will be. Douglas fir feels kind of like cheating, and deertongue is impossible to find (no deer were harmed, it comes from a plant). I'm not sure if I've sniffed dill essential oil (the seed or weed), but I worry it would remind me too much of pickles.

Davana has a strong odor, described as fruity, herbal, wine-like, sweet. Arctander describes it as "...sharp, penetrating,  bitter-green, foliage-like and powerfully herbaceous with a sweet-balsamic, tenacious undertone," in Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin. It is usually steam distilled from the aerial parts of the plant (as opposed to the roots). It was a fairly new material at that time, and he doesn't write much about it.

Arctander recommends using it in a chypre or fougere, partly because those already have dark colors, so the a dark davana oil won't matter. It would be a nice modifier in a chypre, connecting the loamy oakmoss to the sparkling bergamot. I picture the green and sweet aspects blending well into a fougere scent as well.

Other forms of davana you might find include a CO2 extract or perhaps an attar. I have listed a few other artemisia varieties below- please look into safety issues when using any of these (including davana).

Owyhee/White Sagebrush- Artemisia ludoviciana
White wormwood- Artemisia alba 
Wormwood- Artemisia absinthium 
Sweet Wormwood/Sweet Annie- Artemisia annua
Tarragon/Estragon- Artemisia dracunculus 

Previously:
Coffee
Bergamot
Anise

The ABCs of Essential Oils: Coffee

C:

Coffee (Coffea arabica L.)

There are so many good essential oils that begin with C, it's hard to choose just one. Cinnamon, cardamom, and clove are wonderful spice notes. Cedarwood, be it Virginian, Atlas, or Himalayan, is a great addition to any perfumer's tool box. And then there are cocoa absolute, cypress, and clary sage (or would that be under S, for sage, clary?). I would recommend most of these to a beginning perfumer over coffee.

So why coffee?

Because it demonstrates the importance of sampling oils.

Chances are you know the scent of coffee, whether you like to drink it or not. And many people who don't like to drink it do like the scent. For me, coffee has many positive associations and memories. Getting my first coffee in high school (and by coffee I mean something with a bit of coffee and a lot of calories) and going to Starbucks somewhat regularly by the time I graduated. In college I spent some time volunteering at a late night coffee bar, where I learned to make a few drinks. On my honeymoon, my husband and I visited Seattle and tried coffee from as many places as we could. I eventually learned to drink my coffee black, and now I enjoy all its subtle nuances. And trying all the fussy coffee machines at my previous job, and learning which floors had better coffee.

The day before my wedding I got coffee with my friends. Coffee=Happy Memories

The problem with coffee essential oil? It's often pretty lousy. Essential oils often don't smell exactly like plant, but the problem with coffee EO is that it smells kind of like coffee, just not coffee that you'd want to drink. Sometimes I'll see it sold as coffee oil, a fixed (or carrier) oil pressed from green or roasted coffee beans.  Fortunately, coffee is also available as an absolute and CO2 extract, which gives you more options.

While I recommend sampling before buying large amounts of any essential oil, sometimes the difference in cost between a sample and an ounce is small, it seems worth it to buy the larger size. But with coffee, it is important to sample, because having a bottle of unusable essential oil is sad. Try purchasing samples of each type (essential oil, CO2, absolute) so you can compare how they smell. Buy the one you like best, or that best suits your needs.

What do you do with coffee? It's great in bath and body products, including lip balms. Add it to a soap or body scrub with some coffee grounds. It's easy to blend it with other foody scents, but experiment with other essential oils as well. Before mixing it in the bottle with something unusual, take a blotter with your coffee and one with the other scent and smell them together. Some oils are stronger than others, so build up the notes slowly. In perfumery you can use small amounts to modify the perfume without creating a coffee fragrance. A drop of coffee can dirty up a blend and add some interest to an otherwise bland floral.

And if you do end up with a bad coffee oil? Mix it with a few other essential oils and make a big batch of soap.

Previously:
Bergamot
Anise

The ABCs of Essential Oils: Bergamot

B:

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)

It's convenient how the Latin names for most citrus notes start Citrus. Think of them as a good place to start learning binomial nomenclature.

Bergamot is a very common perfumery ingredient, and it's a note in an absurd number of both male and female fragrances. That's because it goes with just about everything. Not sure what to put at the top? Bergamot to the rescue!

You might be familiar with the odor from Earl Grey tea. You won't find bergamot at the store to eat, but the essence of the peel is used as a flavor. The scent won't overpower your blends, and will add a nice citrus note. I find it has a light floral aspect to it. Arctander describes its top notes as sweet and fresh, with an oily-herbaceous and slightly balsamic body. This is an exciting oil, and it won't cost you hundreds of dollars.

Like many citrus oils, the essential oil is produced via cold pressing of the peel. I have found a steam-distilled bergamot at Stillpoint Aromatics, but I haven't tried it myself. I'm mostly curious as to whether the steam distillation removes the photo-sensitizing elements of bergamot oil, like it does for lemon and lime. While I said in the first post that I wouldn't write about safety, bergamot oil is strong photo-sensitizer, and should be used with caution in leave on products. If you would like to use it in a leave on product, either dilute heavily or look into bergaptene free or FCF (furanocoumarin free) oils.

Fresh bergamot oil should be green or greenish-yellow. Bergamot doesn't get better with age, so unless you know you need a lot, start with small bottles so you know that you have a fresh oil.

Other oils with a bergamot note:
Bergamot Mint (Mentha citrata)
Bee Balm/Monarda/Wild Bergamot (Monarda Fistulosa)

Previously:
Anise

The ABCs of Essential Oils: Anise

I love scrolling through alphabetical lists of essential oils, and have often thought of featuring an essential oil for each letter. This series will include one oil for each letter, and will primarily include information on the scent and aromatic uses of the oil. Please note that I am not an aromatherapist, and don't intend to write about any health benefits or safety precautions. If you are interested in those issues, I recommend reading Robert Tisserand's and Rodney Young's book Essential Oil Safety, 2nd edition.

A:

Anise, including aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) and star anise (Illicium verum)

Star anise in potpourri.

The main constituent of star anise and aniseed (anise seed) is anethole, which gives them their characteristic "black licorice" odor. Interestingly enough, licorice does not smell like anise in its natural state, but it is flavored with anise.

Anise is great for soap- it's inexpensive for an essential oil, and it has high odor intensity, making it a cost effective choice. A high flash point means that it works well in hot process, too. Some use aniseed to make a "fisherman's soap," because it's supposed to hide the human odor so you catch more fish. I cannot personally vouch for that, but it'd be nice if washing with aniseed soap before scuba diving or snorkeling meant that you could get closer to the fishies. Not that I've been scuba diving or snorkeling either.

In Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, Arctander primarily writes about both types of anise in terms of flavor, though he notes anise seed oil is good at masking noxious odors. I like blending anise with lavender, and it also blends well with a variety of citrus oils. I also like it blended with cocoa absolute for a gourmand scent. Small amounts in an amber or fougere fragrances. If you want to try it in a perfume blend, start with just one drop (a good practice with any EO, really).

Other EOs with an anise note:
Aniseed Myrtle (Backhousia anisata)
Sweet Fennel (Foeniculum vulage)
Basil, Methyl Chavicol chemotype (Ocimum basilicum ct methyl chavicol)

An Artist in a Laboratory

Sagarin, Edward, The Science and Art of Perfumery, New York, NY: Greenberg, 1955. 

The post title is the chapter title from The Science and Art of Perfumery, a book that captures how I feel about fragrance. The book was rebound into a blue, dull cover, and when I picked it up from the library, I didn't expect much from it. But it is one of my favorite overviews on the subject, covering a wide array of topics in a short and enjoyable read. I really liked Sagarin's writing style, often beautiful but never flowery, and filled with quote from poetry and prose.

The book starts with the history of fragrance, followed by a few chapters on the materials. When Sagarin discusses musk, it is sounds so tragic. The hunters lure the musk deer out by playing on flutes, leading these poor creatures to their deaths. I don't know if that's how it really worked, but it creates such a sad image to me.

From the natural materials Sagarin moves on to the creation of the early synthetics, first their attempts to duplicate, and then their attempts to create brand new aromachemicals. "An Artist in a Laboratory" is the first chapter on fragrance creation, and that, along with a chapter on flavors, tries to capture the odd nature of this work. On the one hand you're surrounded by the tools of a chemist, but on the other you're exploring the delicate nuances of a scent.

Sagarin breaks down the elements of a sample formula, covering the essential oils and molecules used. There are also chapters on odor description, marketing, business, and medicine. Despite the numerous topics, everything ties together nicely, with the rich history of perfume holding it all together. Even at the end of the book, instead of a bibliography, there is a historical overview of perfumery literature.

On the surface perfumery may seem simple, but a single fragrance can involve millions of considerations. Do you use this jasmine or that one? Even if they're pretty close, at a molecular level, they might have differences that can change the feeling of a scent. Should you use materials from endangered species? For me, it's easy to say I want to avoid the animal ingredients, but what about rosewood and sandalwood? Is it better to use synthetic materials instead with the hope of limiting environmental destruction? You need to consider the toxicity and allergenicity of the materials used, regardless of how they're derived. You need to make sure it smell good in the final product- fragrances used for laundry detergents have different considerations than personal fragrances. 

And then there's what you want to say with the fragrance you're creating. Even with all the science that goes into it, in the end you want a piece of art that speaks not only to you, but hopefully to someone else as well.

Rose Science- The scent and color of rose varies widely depending on the exact species and the type of extraction.

"And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair —
(They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”)
My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,
My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin —
(They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”)
Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time

For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse."

-T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Intoxication- Walking Under the Influence (of Jasmine)

I haven't enjoyed moving to Mountain View, but when I'm walking here and there, I can at least enjoy the abundance of flowers here. For a few moments, the fragrance takes me away from where I am. Long stretches of jasmine, large and fragrant roses, and the blossoming trees stop me in my tracks, and all is right and beautiful. I move on sadly, looking forward to the next moment when the scent of flowers fills the air.

I spent several years trying to figure out what to do with my life. I knew I wanted to start my own business at some point, but it took awhile to figure it out. When I started studying perfumery, I knew that I wanted to work with these captivating materials. I feel intoxicated after spending a day in a room full of essential oils, absolutes, and other aromatics. Sometimes it will make me giddy, excited, and just happier. Other times it's so intense and I need to step out for fresh air.

When I started Ivre de Fleurs, I knew I wanted to focus on natural fragrance. Knowing that not everyone likes or wears perfumes, I decided to include bath and body products, like lip balms, hair oils, etc. These would let me share the fragrances with a wider group of people, and allow me to work with different mediums as well.

As time went by and I developed the brand, my mind was pulled this way and that. The products I made and the direction of my brand have led me to a point where I look at what I have, and I'm not excited by it. I've barely blogged the past few months, and without Instagram, I would have barely done anything with social media. I'm not a real fan of social media - I'm more of a keep to myself kind of person - but I keep hearing how important it is for business.

I've spent the time experimenting and studying the past few months, and also figuring out where I want my brand to head. Along the way I pondered so many possibilities, each tempting, but they would take away from what I really want to do. And that is create beautiful and strange fragrances. I'm going to refocus my creative energies on scent creation. I'm going to make lip balms, hair oils, and a few other products, but for now at least, I won't be making soap.

Ivre de Fleurs translates to "drunk with flowers," but so far I've aimed for a more restrained, quiet brand. I hope to breathe life into it with the passion I feel for the materials, and the wild beauty I strive to capture.

"In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes,
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

And indeed there will be time
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.

In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo."

-T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Book Reviews

I can't wait to review the book I'm reading now. Oh, I love it so much.

But for now, I'll write a bit about two other books I recently finished reading.

Ellena, Jean-Claude, Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent, New York, NY: Arcade Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 9781611453300

Burr, Chandler, The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York, New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2007. ISBN: 9780805080377 HD9999.P932B87 2008

I included the LoC call number on the second citation because it was in the book, and I used to add those to a list of books we had collected at my old job. It can help you learn what a book is about by looking at those, and while it might seem obvious for many books, that isn't always the case.

I would definitely recommend The Perfect Scent to anyone interested in fragrances and the perfume industry. It covers many of the aspects of fragrance creation, from the scent itself to the bottles and marketing. Naturals vs. synthetics comes up, and most fragrance companies don't want you to realize their scents aren't all natural. All natural fragrance is really a niche, though some of the larger companies do use large amount of naturals in their perfumes.

I also thought it funny that fashion designers want the public to believe they make the scents themselves. It never occurred to me that they would have, though I didn't know much about who did create them until a few years ago. The Perfect Scent delves even deeper into this, revealing how much goes into one single scent.

I don't really recommend Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent unless you're obsessed with Jean-Claude Ellena. It's not that it's a bad book per se, but it covers a lot of the same ground as the The Perfect Scent. One of the two fragrances featured by Burr was created by Ellena, and he does a better job of capturing Ellena's thoughts and creative process better than Ellena does. Of course Burr is primarily a writer and Ellena primarily a perfumer, so it's probably proper that Burr would write the better book. Ellena does have another book that I haven't read yet, so perhaps that one will prove better.

Cocoa Absolute

Cocoa absolute has a great scent- rich and chocolatey. You can use a little to modify a fragrance, making it a little dirty and a little sweet, without going full out gourmand. With The Lab #7 Cocoa, I didn't add just a little, I added a lot.

I spent a long time figuring out this fragrance. Starting with the base notes, I added patchouli and vetiver for their earthiness. And then let it sit. Added some labdanum to complete the base notes- I love labdanum and its ambery odor. I added some ylang ylang for the middle, and went uh oh- the chocolate brought out the banana notes in ylang ylang. I did not want to create a chocolate covered banana fragrance, though I'm sure there's a market for that.

I let it sit again. Then, to adjust the chocolate-banana middle, I added some clary sage and pimento berry (aka- allspice). I finished it up with spice up at the top, with a good blast of fresh ginger, and dash of woodsy petitgrain.

One problem with chocolate absolute- it does not work well in oils. I let this fragrance sit around for awhile so the chocolate scent could permeate it, and then filtered it before bottling. A lot of the thick brown absolute still made it's way into many of the bottles, and it would be best to shake them to disperse it before applying. I pulled aside the one with the most cocoa absolute hanging around, and it didn't stain or color my pale skin, so that shouldn't worry you. I wouldn't rub the fragrance into your clothes though, since it might stain those. Plus you shouldn't be covering your clothes in oil.

The Lab #7 Cocoa is available from Ivre de Fleurs and Etsy for $10 for a 4ml roller ball.

KPFA, Soap, and Dusk

Ivre de Fleurs will be selling at the KPFA Crafts Fair this year! I went to this show when I first moved out to the SF Bay Area, and I've been there a few times since, including last year. My husband and I bought so many presents there last year. I'm a bit sad it won't be 3 blocks from where I live this year, but crossing the bay is worth it.

I've just poured some soap- it smells great, and it has so many amazing things in it- blueberry, cranberry, and acai powders, but I have to admit, it's not looking so pretty now. I do intend to sell it, since if it all works out well it should be a nice bar of soap, but it won't be a looker. Which isn't so bad when you think about it- soap washes away to nothing, leaving no trace of its beauty or lack there of.

And it's not like it's the ugliest soap I've ever made.

On to dusk. I don't even really know how to describe how I made it- it just kind of guided itself, in a way that I don't normally make scents. Oftentimes I have an idea, and I just add a little here and there to complete the idea. With this one, I just kind of went with the flow, and the result is a fragrance that reminds me most of dusk- the darkest stage of twilight. There's a good dose of patchouli in the base notes, which probably gives it that feeling. There's a heavy dose of florals and some spice, but no overwhelming note. This scent is really more of a feeling than an idea, with things of beauty barely visible, awaiting the darkness to come.

The Lab #6 Dusk is available from Ivre de Fleurs and Etsy for $20.

The Lab # 5 Lavender

This started out as an idea for a lip balm flavor- lavender, anise, and vanilla. When I did my flavor tester (I made a zillion of those), I wasn't impressed. I took the scent blend and put it in some soap, which was rather lovely. It did make the soap turn dark due to the vanilla in it, so it wasn't the prettiest soap, but it did smell nice.

This scent is an expansion of that idea- vanilla at the base, lavender at the middle and top (lavender absolute and essential oil), and anise at the top. Vetiver, patchouli, and clary sage bring some earthiness to it, and black pepper spices up the top. I also added some yuzu absolute to brighten it up- that stuff is hard to find and rather pricy for a citrus note, so once this fragrance is sold out, there will be no more of it. Perhaps a slightly different version, but unless I can get my hands on some more yuzu absolute, I won't be able to make any more.

The Lab #5 Lavender is available at Ivre de Fleurs and Etsy for $15.

Davana

Davana is an odd scent. Kind of fruity, and to me, kind of boozy. It reminds me a bit of cough syrup sometimes. It is also a bit of a chameleon, and can smell differently on different people. Of course that's true of all (or at least many) fragrances, but when creating this scent, I couldn't stand it in the bottle, but liked it on my skin.

I wanted to emphasize the fruitiness of davana, so I added Roman chamomile. Frankincense and Peru balsam at the base added additional sweetness and some citrus. At this point, it seemed like it could be a sugarbomb of a fragrance, and while there is a market for that, I don't want that to be the end result.

Back to the middle notes, I added rose geranium and ylang ylang. This probably didn't help with the sweetness, but adds a small touch of floral. For the top notes I went with spice (black pepper and juniper berry) and some floral woods- petitgrain and rosewood. The scent definitely isn't a fruity floral- the floral aspect is pretty quiet.

Lab #4 Davana is available from Etsy and Ivre de Fleurs for $10.

Also new on Etsy are blended floral balms. There are currently three different blends- Trio Blend, which leans towards jasmine but with hints of rose and tuberose; White Flowers, a blend with jasmine, neroli, and tuberose; and Mimosa Neroli, a honeyed scent with an orange flower twist. These are $10 for each .15 ounce jar.