Spring Perfume Challenge – Fougère

Sponsored through Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfume, Coquitlam, BC, Canada.

This challenge asks that you follow the parametres set out below.

Beginning today March 22nd and ending on May 31; Prize will be awarded by the end of June 2011

Category: from the olfactory family called Fougère

I'm leaving it up to each of you to do your own research about what a Natural Fougère Fragrance is all about.
Some typical descriptors are: ferny, green, grassy, herbal, freshly mown grass, sharp, mossy. There are certain traditional notes such as Oakmoss or Vanilla (as OM is sometimes very difficult to get), Lavender absolute, and Bergamot fcf that must be included to achieve this effect and these can be noted in your confidential Fougère Accord. Have fun.

Guidelines:

Please be fair to others and ensure that, when you sign up, you intend to follow through with this project as only the first ten (10) Registrants will be taken then the registering process will be closed.
Anyone who wishes to Register, please send an email to LynAyre@telus.net with
-your full name
-mailing address

-phone number
-recent photo
-permission to post your entry on my

Blog at http://coeurdespritnaturalperfume.blogspot.com/ and

Website at http://www.scentofnature.net/

Please ensure you follow all the 'guidelines'. In the last contest, people 'lost points' for not including a data tag, using an incorrect amount of ingredients, not sending a photo, and so on.

1. No matter if your perfume is based in alcohol, oil, or wax, the end product should be clear and free from imperfections. The way to do this is to refrigerate, filter, and/or use a pipette to suck up all but the floating/sunken bits into another container. If your perfume has had a chance to sit for a month or so, and you have shaken it periodically, the more dense particulates will have diluted themselves into the alcohol or oil. Leave it sit again for a few days then draw off the clear part and put it in another bottle or, if it is the perfumed oil that you have drawn off, now's the time to add it to your melted wax to make a solid perfume or glace.

Imagine you are doing all of this for a high-end client and really want to impress him or her. This is very good practice for when this happens for you. I will make a comment in your Review about your packaging, which is a good drawing point for you, when the time comes.

For the Fougère, you are allowed to use up to 8 ingredients as a Fougère family accord. Then you can branch out, and expand by 11 other essential oils and/or absolutes, to create an Amber Fougère, Woodsy Fougère, Floral Fougère, Spice Fougère and so on. You must name all the components that make up your Fougère accord. The ingredients of your Fougère accord will not be revealed to anyone but me. On your Data Tag list: Fougère Accord (eight ingredients), then list your other perfume components. The most ingredients you may have in this composition is 19.

2. A Data Tag must be attached ie: name of the perfume, list of the ingredients, name the base, your company information (even if it's simply your name and contact information), the size of the end product ie: 5 ml; precautions, how to use, and the 'best before date'.

3. Please follow these directions

-submit the perfume and the following to me by May 31 (if you email me on May 15th, I will let you know where to send it)
- send two 1 ml sample vials of perfume for assessment
- over and above the 8 possible ingredients in your Fougère Accord, you may use only 11 (not 10; not 12; I'm sure you get the picture) Natural Perfume components including: absolutes, CO2's, concretes, essential oils, tinctures, and waxes.
- base can be oil, alcohol, or wax (these do not count as part of the 11)
- write five sentences that tell the story behind your new creation
- write five sentences about who you are in relation to Natural Perfumery

4. Natural Perfume Qualities
We are building a 'perfume pyramid', which is well supported in the base and that has enough interest to capture the imagination. A natural perfume has the following qualities:

- Balance – so that no single component can be detected (unless it is a Soliflore)
- Character – The twists and turns of a perfume as it evolves on the skin. What kind of a perfume is this? Is it a raunchy riot? Is it soft and gentle? Where does it take you? What's at the heart of it? Does it have personality? Who would this perfume appeal to?
- Diffusion – to surround the wearer with an aura of scent
- Tenacity – staying power is the ability of a perfume to last on the wearer for more than just a couple of hours
- Structure – Is there harmony in the mix? Have the base, heart, and head notes been properly addressed? Are the proportions correct for these ingredients so that there is balance, character, diffusion, and tenacity? Does it have dimension?

This, then, becomes our goal and the benchmark we shall strive for in all the perfumes we create.

The Prize

A beautiful 5 ml atomizer of Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfume surrounded by an elegant gold sleeve, suitable for wearing in the Springtime; perfect to carry with you in your purse.

This Challenge was postponed for a month due to the sudden death of one of the participants, Gabriella Berran (one of my first NP students who became a dear friend). I'm am moving forward with this now to celebrate and honour her Spirt.