Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfume

Eau de Cologne Challenge for the Winter of 2012

2012-01-24T23:24:00.000-08:00

Sponsored by Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Beginning on Feb 1, 2012 with an end-date of March 31, 2012

The Prize to be sent out by April 30th.

Parfum Eau de Cologne – a new twist on an olde idea

The original “Eau de Cologne” (as it was dubbed by the French) was created by an Italian man named Gian Paolo Feminis, a barber, who moved to Köln, Germany and then created “Aqua Admirabilis” using Grape Spirits, Neroli, Bergamot, Lavender, and Rosemary. It was released in 1709 and soon became known as Eau de Cologne (Köln).

Over the years, there have been many ingredients used to make this simple citrus/herbal scent: bergamot, lemon, orange, tangerine, lime, grapefruit, neroli, lavender, rosemary, thyme, petitgrain orange, and jasmine.

So we’re going to take a deeper perspective on the idea of “Eau de Cologne”.

Usually, cologne strength is 3-5 %; we are making ours at a strength of 22% and paying attention to fixation, hence one (and only one) animal ingredient is allowable within the fifteen ingredients. Our end product will smell like “Eau de Cologne” but behave like a perfume.

What does that mean? The scent profile for this aromatic is typically bracing, refreshing, and light, with a heart of sparkling citrus. So now, three hundred years later, our composition will reflect this as we honour Gian Paolo Feminis and his idea of light-hearted fragrance that should be available to all.

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 do so now and send an email to me with the following information: LynAyre@telus.net

your full name

mailing address

phone number

recent photo

Website URL

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 first challenge, 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 or oil, 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 your final bottle.

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.

2. For the Eau de Cologne challenge you are allowed 15 ingredients all together, not including the alcohol or oil. This includes 1 (one) animal ingredient, if you like.

3. 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'. (See first two challenges for an idea of what a Data Tag looks like).

4. Please follow these directions

Submit the perfume and the following to me by March 31st (You are not disqualified for being late but you do lose some points.)

o send two 1 ml sample vials of perfume for evaluation via the postal mail

o base can be clear alcohol or oil (these do not count as part of the 15)

o If you use a scented tincture or maceration as your base, that will count as an ingredient.

o write 5 sentences that tell the vision behind your new creation and submit via email

o write 5 sentences about who you are in relation to Natural Perfumery and submit via email

o email me the notes in your perfume

o email me your photo

We hope that perfumers from all over the world will participate in this challenge.

Each perfumer is graded 1-10 on the following categories: how well they followed the above instructions; their vision of the perfume’s creation; a short five-sentence bio; a recent photo; a Data Tag with pertinent information about their perfume; the balance, character, diffusion, tenacity, and structure of their creation.

A Natural Perfume has the following qualities:

o Balance – so that no single component can be detected, unless it is a Soliflore

o 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? How do the layers unfold? Who would this perfume appeal to?

o Diffusion – does it surround the wearer with an aura of scent?

o 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? Is there cohesion? Does it have dimension?

o Tenacity – staying power is the ability of a perfume to last on the wearer for more than just a couple of hours

The Prize

A beautiful 5 ml Atomizer of “Eau d’Espirt” by Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfume;

perfect to carry with you.

You can read about this perfume on my ‘Perfume Creations’ page at

http://www.scentofnature.net/

Autumn Chypre Challenge Winner

2011-12-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

All of the perfumes submitted are in the Fruity Chypre category. There are three challengers from the US and So. Africa. I've done my usual rounds of sniff test, blotter test, and skin test and they are all wonderful perfumes. Each person followed all of the directions well, so it all came down to the actual perfume they designed.

Here are the Challengers along with my review.

“Skyscraper”

by Janet Teas, USA

Ferncliffe Perfumes FerncliffePerfumes.etsy.com

Bio: A number of years ago, I began to notice that when I cleaned the home with commercially-produced cleaners or wore synthetically-created fragrances, I consistently felt ill and developed migraine-like headaches that lasted for several days. Thus began a series of experiments to find an alternative source for my home cleaning needs and bath and body products, which ultimately led me to the study of aromatherapy. And, of course, aromatherapy then led me to natural perfumery. When creating perfume, I combine my interest in the glamour and luxury of the 1920s and 1930s Art Deco Jazz Age with my own sensibilities of natural, chemical-free perfumery. My goal is to create perfume products that are not only aromatically sumptuous and fitting of that bygone era, but also wearable for people with chemical sensitivities.

Vision: The Art Deco period was not only an age of joy and frivolity, but one of innovation and exploration. From transportation to architecture, both men and women strove to reach new heights. For the first time, onlookers looked skyward with awe and wonder as newly constructed monuments of the Art Deco era, such as the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, pierced the heavens.

For my fragrance, “Skyscraper”, I designed a perfume created to capture the essence of late 1920s and early 1930s skyscrapers. To represent the wonder of the technological expansion and upwardness of the Art Deco, I employed a light Chypre base to accentuate a carefree fruity tier and open the doors to skyscraper verticality.

Notes: Oakmoss absolute, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Angelica Root, Ambrette Seed, Cistus, Blue Cypress, Davana, German Blue Chamomile, Blue Tansy, Bergamot fcf, Distilled Lime, in a base of Fractionated Coconut oil.

Review: Skyscraper opens with a fresh clean uplifting chord of Lime, Bergamot, and Blue Cypress, which quickly evolves to the fruity accord between Davana, Blue Chamomile, and Blue Tansy. This fruity note stays throughout the drydown, which is resinous and lasts a good while on my skin. The blend warms and mingles with my own scent beautifully. This perfume goes through a minty/ozonic phase, a fresh/appley phase, and dries out with a wonderful labdanum phase. It does have some good lift and diffusion. It is a gorgeous blue/green that shines clear. The colour reminds me of the deep water in any tropical ocean. The data tag and packaging are quite beautiful with a lovely pearl broach adorning the organza pouch. Janet has found her niche in the early years of the 20th Century. I love the concept and the application. Janet shows a good attention to detail.

“Coiue Nero”

by Bruce Bolmes, USA

SMK-Fragrance sales@smk-fragrance.com

Bio: My interest for scents started many years ago. During the 1960’s and early 1970’s my fascination with scents exploded with the opening of the incense shops loaded with all kinds of new aromas and limited essential oils of that era. Later, during my years as a chef and owner of a European cuisine restaurant, I began to experiment with various essential oils and extracts in developing new and creative recipes. I also have produced various tinctures and extracts for the lure business. My natural perfuming interest is a way I can express my love for nature.

Vision: My fascination with animal scents was my inspiration for this entry. I imagined during the Ottoman Empire in Cyprus the air was filled with layered scents of various leathers and imagined a soft, feminine leather accord that would remind one of their wives while away from home. Aged Castoruem tincture was my choice to achieve the leather layer. I then thought the powdery dry down from civet tincture would be a perfect compliment to the dry leather and provide the soft feminine notes. The sweetness from the tonka bean tincture and Tahitian vanilla bean tincture balance out the feminine profile.

Notes: Oakmoss, Patchouli, Deertongue tincture, Tonka bean tincture, Orris butter, Labdanum, Benzoin tincture, Tahitian Vanilla bean tincture, Castoreum Tincture, Civet tincture, Ambergris tincture.

Review: Coiue Nero (Black Leather) opens with an overt and honest animalic aroma with lots of fruity notes dotted about but not featured. They are ‘as a result of’ not as an ‘intention to’. Five minutes later, it’s warming up and settling in. I’m detecting some smoky notes, at this point. An hour later, it is much softer and cohesive. Several hours later, the drydown is a wonderful accord between Oakmoss, Tonka bean, and Vanilla bean tincture. This perfume is a complex mix of the base notes that would be great to wear in the winter months when one is hunkering down and the lights are low; quite sexy and alluring.

“De Hoop”

by Sophia Shuttleworth’s, South Africa

African Aromatics http://africanaromatics.com/wordpress/

Bio: The first time I was stung by a bee was when I was busy brewing a perfume from the local vegetation at six years old; I took it as a sign that the bee liked my perfume. Ever since then I have been exploring the scents of nature. Through my research into ancient anointing oils and early perfumes and aromatics, I discovered the art of natural perfumes. After many years of self-study I started to market my perfumes and founded African Aromatics. All my perfumes contain African elements in them as nature continues to serve as my inspiration and Africa is the environment in which I live and breathe in, and where I hope to continue to blossom for many more years.

Vision: I like to include in all my perfumes some elements that reflect my environment and at least one extract that I have made myself. The Cape, where I was born and live, with its Mediterranean climate, has a strong fusion of European Mediterranean and African culture. In spring the breeze often carries the fragrance of grape blossoms (much like neroli) from the vineyards, mingled with the scents of lavender, rose, jasmine, and the herbaceous green floral scents of the local fynbos (environment/area). This fragrance was something I always wanted to capture in a perfume. I was inspired to compose an African Chypre base which was for me the perfect medium to base my scent interpretation of the unique Cape fusion on, and so De Hoop was born.

Notes: Oakmoss, Labdanum, Vetiver, Patchouli, Muhuhu, Hyraceum, Fossilized amber, Ambergris, Orris root tincture, Morroccan rose, Egyptian jasmine, Tunisian Neroli, Omumbiri (myrrh-like resin), Cedar atlas, Buddleja salviifolia/auriculata (lilac-like) enfleurage, Ginger lily enfleurage, Marigold concrete, Clary sage, Cape snowbush, Cape rose geranium, Cape lavender, Cape May (sweet floral aroma), Orange bigarde, Lemon, African wormwood, in a base of Sugar Cane Alcohol.

Review: High fruity winey notes open this perfume. Grapes! Luscious, purple, lip-smackin’, tongue-staining grapes! This is a truly dazzling aroma. It’s straight up and honest like getting your face mooshed into a bowl of sun-kissed grapes or standing next to a vat of people stomping around on grapes. This scent is very joyous and free while still being contained within the structure of this perfume. After a while, it becomes very warm with floral highlights coming forth, underpinned by the lovely purple-pleaser. The drydown is a glowing combination of resins that go on and on. I loved the packages – very earthy; and the name “African Aromatics”. Everything about this suits me to a tee. Here I am, writing this the next day and thinking – what is that lovely smell. That’s right! It’s De Hoop, still going strong.

And the winner is:

All three perfumers captured the essence of the Fruity Chypre, though perhaps none intended to. They are each wonderful in their own way. So, it comes down to me, then. I would wear them all at certain times but which one would I wear most often? Skyscraper would be perfect for an afternoon tea. Coiue Nero would be the obvious choice for a sensual encounter with my partner. Which one would cover both bases? De Hoop. It starts out light and friendly, and moves ever-deeper into the radiant warmth of a Lover.

My appreciation and gratitude go out to Bruce, Janet, and Sophia for their fine work as Natural Perfumers, and for their lovely creations. I’m so happy you decided to come and play with me.

The grand prize winner is

South African Perfumer: Sophia Shuttleworth

Comment from Sophia:

Hi Lyn

Thank you so much for the opportunity and the time you invested in making the challenge possible. It is much appreciated. There are so few opportunities for independent perfumers to partake in such a challenge. I am thrilled that you enjoyed De Hoop; it is my first perfume I have sent for a review! Thank you so much for your lovely review, that in itself means so much to me. I did not expect to win, I just so enjoy any opportunity to let the creative juices flow through my favourite medium and the opportunity to get feedback. To top it, I am so pleased to make your acquaintance.

The other entries sound delightful too, which makes me even more surprised to have been selected as a winner. I enjoyed reading how everyone interpreted the same theme. Truly each vision gives a new window of insight into the scented universe.

I certainly will enter again, and will like to stay in contact with you.

Warm Regards and scented blessings,

Sophia

Comment from Janet:

Hi Lyn,

Thank you very much for holding the Autumn Chypre Challenge. I loved reading all of your reviews and enjoyed the experience very much. Thank you so much for your kind words about Skyscraper. The other two perfumes sound absolutely wonderful. Your positive words really brightened my day! I'm excited to learn more about natural perfumery and create more fragrances.

Thank you, Lyn.

Janet

Comment from Bruce:

Hi Lyn,

Thanks for this, this was a fun challenge.

If I do not speak with you before the holidays, Merry Christmas to you and you family !

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and a fantastic New Years!!

All the best,

Bruce

Chypre Perfume Challenge

2011-09-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

for the Autumn of 2011

Broom

Hyacinth

Rockrose

Sponsored by Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Beginning on Oct 1, 2011 with an end-date of Nov 30, 2011

The Prize to be sent out by the end of Dec.

The Mediterranean

What defines a Chypre (pronounced "sheeprrra") perfume? Chypre is the French word for Cyprus, which is a Eurasian Island Country, and is East of Greece, South of Turkey, West of Syria, and North of Egypt [thanks to wiki for this information]. The name harkens back almost a century to 1917 and perfumer Francois Coty who created a perfume of the same name.

This perfume has an aroma that is very rich and base with notes oakmoss, patchouli, labdanum woody/animalic, heavy florals, and bright citrus.

The flora of the Mediterranean include: Broom, Cedar, Cypress, Hyacinth, Labdanum (Rock Rose), Lavender, Oakmoss, Olive leaf, Pine, and Sour Seville Orange (Bitter Orange) so the Chypre perfume will have these contrasts of deep woodsy notes juxtaposed to heavy florals and lively citrus. Often, Patchouli is added as an element of the design.

Oakmoss has fallen out of favour in some circles but not with perfumers. It is one of our beloved components. If we use the low-atranol version, our perfumes will not only smell awesome, they will be safe.

Guidelines:

Anyone who wishes to Register, please do so now and send an email to me with the following information: LynAyre@telus.net

your full name
mailing address
phone number
recent photo
Website URL
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 first challenge, 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 or oil, 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 your final bottle.

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.

2. For the Chypre challenge you are allowed 25 ingredients all together, not including the alcohol or oil.

3. 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'. (See first two challenges for an idea of what a Data Tag looks like).

4. Please follow these directions

Submit the perfume and the following to me by November 30th (You are not disqualified for being late but you do lose points.)

o send two 1 ml sample vials of perfume for evaluation via the postal mail

o base can be clear alcohol or oil (these do not count as part of the 25)

o If you use a scented tincture or maceration as your base, that will count as an ingredient.

o write 5 sentences that tell the vision behind your new creation and submit via email

o write 5 sentences about who you are in relation to Natural Perfumery and submit via email

o email me the notes in your perfume

o email me your photo

We hope that perfumers from all over the world will participate in this challenge.

Each perfumer is graded 1-10 on the following categories: how well they followed the above instructions; their vision of the perfume’s creation; a short five-sentence bio; a recent photo; a Data Tag with pertinent information about their perfume; the balance, character, diffusion, tenacity, and structure of their creation.

A Natural Perfume has the following qualities:

o Balance – so that no single component can be detected, unless it is a Soliflore

o 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? How do the layers unfold? Who would this perfume appeal to?

o Diffusion – does it surround the wearer with an aura of scent?

o 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? Is there cohesion? Does it have dimension?

o Tenacity – staying power is the ability of a perfume to last on the wearer for more than just a couple of hours

The Prize A beautiful 7.5 ml solid of Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfume in a lovely enamel pot, suitable for wearing in the Winter; perfect to carry with you.

Soliflore Perfume Challenge

2011-09-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

for the Summer of 2011

The contest AND the Results

Sponsored by Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Beginning on July 1, 2011 with an end-date of Aug 31, 2011

The Prize to be sent out by the end of September

What defines a Soliflore perfume? In this case, Natural Perfumers focus on the overall impression of the chosen flower; those ethereal notes that make up the whole. What are the subtle nuances being expressed? I’ve read that Rose oil has over 300 identifiable chemical components and many more that have not been identified. One could choose to zero in on the spiciness of it and juice that up by adding more spice notes to the blend. There are several ways to go. As well, the different natures of the scent can be explored. Is it shy and in the background? Self-assured, up front and centre? Complicated and convoluted? Delicate and wispy? What is the Perfumers’ Vision of the whole orchestra of smells that add up to the overall symphony of the flower?

Guidelines:

o 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 do so now and send an email to me with the following information: LynAyre@telus.net

your full name

mailing address

phone number

recent photo

Website URL

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 first challenge, people 'lost points' for not including a data tag, using an incorrect amount of ingredients, not sending a photo, and so on.

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.

2. For the Soliflore, you are allowed to use up to 22 ingredients.

3. 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'. (See last two challenges for an idea of what a Data Tag looks like).

4. Please follow these directions

Submit the perfume and the following to me by August 31st

o send two 1 ml sample vials of perfume for evaluation via the postal mail

o base can be clear alcohol or oil (these do not count as part of the 22)

o If you use a scented tincture or maceration as your base, that will count as an ingredient.

o write 5 sentences that tell the vision behind your new creation and submit via email

o write 5 sentences about who you are in relation to Natural Perfumery and submit via email

o email me the notes in your perfume

o email me your photo

We hope that perfumers from all over the world will participate in this challenge.

A Natural Perfume has the following qualities:

o Balance – so that no single component can be detected, unless it is a Soliflore, as is the case this time.

o Diffusion – does it surround the wearer with an aura of scent?

o Tenacity – staying power is the ability of a perfume to last on the wearer for more than just a couple of hours

And the Results Are In

We have a range of Soliflores – I’ve sniffed Linden Blossom, Rose, Wild Azalea, Carnation, Jasmine, and Ylang. There are six challengers from five countries. It has been a tough challenge for me as they all smell delicious. Ah, such is the life. What a job, eh; I get to smell perfume for a living.

I’ve had these six perfumes for a while now and have done sniff tests, skin tests and a blotter tests to help me give my evaluation. Keep in mind that this is only one perfume out of, perhaps, many from each of the perfumers, and what I say does not reflect who the perfumer is as a whole, and the scope of his or her range of perfumes. All evaluations are purely subjective. This time, I’m judging to see who made the closest replication of the flower he or she chose.

Everyone was very precise about following the directions to the tee and I was very pleased about that as now, it simply is about the perfume they entered. Here are the Challengers along with my review.

1. Viveca GÖcke – KLÖVEDAL, Sweden

Bio: The older I get, the more I love to learn new things and I know I’m in a hurry. For 50 years I have been working with herbal skin therapy and today I have created skin products for skin therapists. Every other year I visit USA and Wheaton College to their herbal conference; it’s so much to learn and lots of wonderful people. Over two years ago I signed up for Lyn’s perfume course and I’m hooked. The perfume course has been a wonderful way to further educate me as an aromatheraput and a perfumer.

Vision: I woke up and know right away that I had found the perfect couple, to whom I would see married, the earthy Mr. Oakmoss and the soft, sweet Miss Linden blossom. There was love at first sight and the connection between them was sparkling and joining. The nice, lasting friend Ambrette was there at their wedding, together with fresh and hot Juniper berry, and beautiful Boise de rose and of course, good looking lavender abs, with her green dress. They had their wedding all the way till the next morning. I was there and I could feel between them the Sweet Contact.

Creation: “Sweet Contact” Linden Blossom Soliflore

Notes: Ambrette seed Co2, vintage Oak moss, Linden blossom, Lavender abs, Juniper berry, Bois de rose

Review: This blend is very grounding and centering. I get a short hit of Rosewood but it soon merges with the herby Juniper/Lavender accord, which is very pleasant. There is spiciness to the aroma at the 20 minute mark. At the half-hour mark, on the skin, it is warm and very subtle with Linden and Oakmoss are showing up now. Still very strong on the blotter. At the one-hour mark on the blotter, it has warm, honeyed notes but has completely gone from the skin. Four hours, still on the blotter.

2. Rachel Owens – Madrid, Spain

Bio: A newcomer to the study of natural perfumery, Rachel has “jumped into the deep end” and decided to participate in the Soliflore challenge. She has been interested in herbs and aromatics since the age of 12, when she made her first attempts at creating perfumes. She has studied and used essential oils for years, as well as studying other healing modalities such as reflexology, Reiki and Bach flower remedies. The world of natural perfumery is a point where these various areas of interest converge, and it is especially satisfying for her to be able to make her own tinctures from plants and flowers in her garden and the surrounding countryside. She is currently studying perfumery with Lyn Ayre.

Vision: My goal was to create a rose perfume which gives the impression of a rose garden on an early summer’s day. I wanted to highlight the lemony, green and fresh scents. The term Al-Andalus refers to the areas of the Iberian Peninsula, which were governed by the Muslims in the Middle Ages and the inspiration for the perfume of the same name is the gardens of the Generalife, the Moorish summer pleasure palace in the Alhambra complex in Granada, Spain. In this near-paradise-like-retreat, roses grow in a long alleyway between green hedges and are interspersed with arching fountains that catch the light. Bright flowers and orange trees complement the scene, and the woodsy, balsamic scents of the surrounding hills waft down in the soft breeze.

Creation: “Al-Andalus” Rose Soliflore

Notes: Oakmoss absolute, Hay absolute, Wild-crafted Rock Rose tincture, Vetiver, Rose maroc, Rose otto, Rose de Mai, Neroli, Ginger Lily, Ylang Ylang, Rose Geranium, Wild-crafted Violet Flower tincture, Wild-crafted Lemon Thyme tincture, Lavender, Rosewood, Bergamot, in a base of Rose water, Vegetable, Glycerine, and Alcohol.

Review: Geranium, Lavender, and Lemon Thyme waft up to my nose and I remember Al-Andalus is covering my wrist, so I lean closer to have a little sniff. Herbal bliss – like sitting in the garden on a warm day after the rain. My next impressions are of a bright, lemony Rose full of sunshine; Yellow Roses climbing on the vine on the lattice outside a large veranda, which offers shade from the summer heat. A few hours later, it has settled down, on my skin, to a steady green rose with lemon accents. Four hours later on the blotter, it is still a lovely lemony green rose aroma. It stayed close to my skin for a few hours. Very refreshing.

3. Anita Kalnay – Comox, BC, Canada

Flying Colours Natural Perfume at http://www.genieinabottle.ca where you can purchase samples and full bottles of Anita’s inspired perfumed designs.

Bio: I love to design ‘concept’ perfumes – like Kokoro – to see if I can put the whole process ‘in a bottle’ for the wearer to experience. As an artist, perfuming allows me to cross-pollinate my skills and talents in a functional form that is both imaginative and restorative. As an Aromatherapist and Healer, much of my focus is using essential oils and massage to support the ‘soul alignment’ process. I am one of only a handful of graduates to have completed training in Spiritual Phyto-Essencing - the art of blending constitutional portraits in fragrance. Creating Botanical Perfumes seems like a natural offshoot and one that I hope will help us to rekindle our own rhythms with those of nature.

Vision: The highly fragrant rhododendron occidentale grows most prolifically along the Oregon/California border. I first encountered these Western Azaleas in the Stewart Mineral Springs area of Mount Shasta where we had gathered for a yoga retreat. I was very moved by our theme of ‘kokoro’ – heart in mind – mind in heart - and these wonderful fragrant azaleas added to the magic of the moment which I promised to capture in a perfume. The wild azaleas are pink in color and smell much like frangipani with an orange woody undertone and a delicate sweet heart note. The fine balance between too much and not enough required a delicate hand in blending Kokoro and its light scent is teaching me the gift of ‘dancing with the universe.’

Creation: “Kokoro” Wild Azalia Soliflore

Notes: Frangipani, Rhododendron, Blood Orange, Ylang Ylang extra, Neroli, Ylang Ylang absolute, Cassie, Orange Blossom flower water absolute, Himalayan Cedarwood, Orange Blossom absolute, Amyris, Benzoin, and additional oils used in the Kokoro orange flower accord including: Peru balsam, Oud in sandalwood, Tolu balsam, Honey absolute, Rosewood, Jasmine, Rose Geranium, Red Mandarin, Tagetes, and White Champaca.

Review: It’s interesting to judge a Soliflore whose flower I’ve not smelled for many years. I did some research on what it is supposed to smell like and read words like ‘intoxicating’, ‘heavenly’, ‘heavy sweet smell’, and ‘the scent carries a long way’. All of these words apply to this aroma. There is an ylang-note, a floral bouquet, and a sharp spicy note, which are expertly blended to evolve over time on the skin. It was the effect on my psyche that was most noticeable, though. I felt very moved by this perfume… like shifting into a state of love. It has a lovely diffusion that is subtle but there. I appreciate this perfume.

4. Bruce Bolmes – Burlington, WI, USA

Bruce is in the process of launching his website so please stay tuned for this very talented perfumer: SMK Fragrance at http://smk-fragrance.com/ For sales please email: sales at smk-fragrance.com

Bio: My interest for scents started many years ago. During the 1960’s and early 1970’s, my fascination with scents exploded with the opening of the incense shops loaded with all kids of new aromas and limited essential oils of that era. Later, during my years as a Chef and the Owner of a European Cuisine Restaurant, I began to experiment with various essential oils and extracts in developing new and creative recipes. I also have produced various tinctures and extracts for the lure business. My Natural Perfuming interest is a way I can express my love for nature.

Vision: My passion for fragrant flowers was my inspiration for my entry. Years ago, the original owner of my first home had planted dozens of carnations around a clump birch planting, next to the garage. Every summer morning, I would stop and smell the carnations before I left for work. Sadly, when I moved, I forgot to dig up the carnations and I’ve not been able to find this type again. In this memory, I have created a Carnation Soliflore

Creation: “Garofano Nero” Carnation Soliflore

Notes: Carnation absolute, Carnation concrete, Wild Rose absolute, Black Pepper, Clove Bud extra, Clove Leaf, Cinnamon Leaf, Jasmine flexile, Pimento berry, Bay, Holy Basil, Benzoin tincture, Myrrh tincture, Vanilla tincture, Civet tincture, and Ambergris tincture.

Review: Bruce has created a beautiful perfume full of character and balance. The Carnations shine through very quickly and are surrounded by a lovely bouquet of earthiness and grass. Even though this perfume does contain some of the heavier perfume components, it smells very light and ethereal. It lasts quite a while on the skin and has good diffusion. On the blotter, it lasted from 8 am to 11 pm, likely due to the careful dosing of civet and ambergris – two of the best friends a natural perfumer could have.

Note: I did some research on the civet and found that no longer is the animal tortured as was the case in days gone by. The spray is now collected from the area in which the animal lives and the animal is not hurt or even bothered.

5. Patsy Kuo – Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Patsy is in the process of creating her website: www.BotanicalScent.com Stay tuned for more from this wonderful perfumer artist. For sales call: 410-363-8008

Bio: A native of the subtropical island of Taiwan, Patsy immigrated to the USA more than 20 years ago. She studied graphic design & arts in New York during the 1980’s and now devotes her life to natural healing arts, including yoga, herbs, and aromatherapy. Her natural perfume is the coming together of art and healing. She currently works as a yoga teacher, organic tea maker, and perfume artist in Baltimore, Maryland.

Vision:

Imagine a light-filled, lush, natural environment, overflowing with the magic of the plant kingdom: woods, herbs, spices, flowers, and the hidden sweetness of ripe fruits. This sensuous soliflore natural perfume expresses the elegance of Arabian Jasmine, playfully enhanced with ten other natural essences. Let yourself be enchanted by these timeless Diva spirits, and let your soul soar with their art.

Creation: “Enchanted” Jasmine Soliflore

Notes: W. India Sandalwood, E. India Sandalwood, Australian Sandalwood, Vetiver, Oak Moss, Arabian Jasmine, Sweet Basil, Coriander, Rosemary, Nutmeg, Mandarin Orange, and Lemongrass.

Review: The opening refrains of Lemongrass and Mandarin Orange are ‘to live for’! I could smell this accord all day long. I imagine a warm tropical setting in which I’m being shamelessly pampered. All too quickly, it evolves to a sexy jasmine, which then shows up in the blend. An hour later, it settles down to the base accord of sandal, moss, and grass. A lovely perfume that wears close to the skin and makes one wish it would last longer. But alas, the dreams is over too quickly and I have to come back to my normal like.

6. Karen Maniapoto – New Zealand

Karen’s website is: www.karomatics.com Karen is an experienced Professional Aromatherapist and Healing worker.

Bio: In the early nineties I became intrigued with the substances extracted from herbs and plants. This led me to study Aromatherapy. When asked why I wanted to study Aromatherapy, all I wrote was because “I loved the smell of the oils”. So a number of years later, with that fascination still there, I realised that Natural Perfume was the next step. The beautiful essences are just so wonderfully exciting to create with and share the passion with others.

Vision: This Soliflore is based around the beautiful sweet essence of Ylang Ylang Super Extra. While studying Aromatherapy I would always take a bath in Ylang Ylang each night (or early hours of the morning!). The Ylang Ylang enabled me to ‘switch the mind off’, creating a calm, relaxed, peaceful space before sleep and I would wake up refreshed for the next day. Hence Poised Elegance has evolved. It’s a little spicy awakening before the rich sweet Ylang Ylang brings in that softly focused balance to sustain the day with the soft lingering sweetness drifting into the fresh sweet pine needle and tarragon base.

Creation: “Poised Elegance” Ylang Ylang Soliflore

Notes: Encapsulating scents of (Top notes) Cardamom and Black Pepper soaked in Petitgrain and Cape Chamomile to awaken the senses in this perfume with a fresh, lively bounce before flowing into the sophisticated sweetness of (Middle Notes) Ylang Ylang Super Extra and Honey Absolute melted together with Pimento Berry and Palmarosa before mellowing out to a sweet oozing dry down of (Base notes) Absolutes of Pine Needle and Tarragon embedded in Owhyee, Vetiver and Africa Stone.

Review: This blend opens very spicy and warm. The Cape Chamomile is quite dominant all the way down to dry-down then allows the Pimento Berry to have a say. Honey absolute adds warmth and rounds off the sharper spicy notes of Black Pepper and Cardamom. Ylang makes a brief appearance at the fifteen minute mark and stays for around half an hour. The dry-down is quite bright and persistent lasting for about three hours on the blotter. Nicely done, Karen.

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

The Grand Prize Winner is Canadian Perfumer: Anita Kalnay

Close runners-up: Bruce Bolmes and Patsy Kuo, who were only a couple of points behind.

Honourable mention: Rachel Owens, Viveca Gocke, and Karen Maniapoto, who were a few points behind that; it was a very close contest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You all did so well and I appreciated every one of your designs. It was an interesting and

in-depth journey into what makes a Soliflore live up to its name:

an orchestra of notes to create the song of one flower.

Summer of Patchouli Love finale

2011-08-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Grammy-Award Winning Vocalist Patti Austin picked my

Patchouli Paisley Perfume

as her #1 choice in the

Summer of Patchouli Love Challenge.

Patti took the 13 perfume vials on the road with her and wore each one for a few days.
In the end, though she loved them all, she chose mine as her first pick. (#8 Patchouli Paisley)
Her other picks were Bodhi Sativa by DSH perfume and Wild Child by Opus Oils.
Thank you, Patti. I'm so happy you enjoyed it.

This challenge has been one of best experiences of my life. The sense of community that has sprung up amongst the perfume bloggers, natural perfumers, perfume poets, perfumistas, perfume magazine editors, and all who made comments on each of the Interviews, Stories, Poetry, hurts, and successes, has been quite heartening.

We have run the gamut of emotions here. There was nail-biting tension; wonderful elation; honourable mention; and much instigation.

Monica Miller of the Perfume Pharmer http://perfumepharmer.com/organic-perfume-skincare-remedies/index.php/summer-of-patchouli-love-2011-perfume-pharmer-and-the-patch-test-bunnies-2/ has done a great service for each of us who played a part in the unfoldment of this summertime drama. I love and appreciate her un-ending support, mentoring, sharing, and great poems.

Meant to be a simple challenge to make a 15% eau de parfum with 25% patchouli in the base, with a few ribs and kinds words floating about from the perfume bloggers, it turned into a huge triumph for the winners, eye-opener for some, and friend-fest for all.

Would I do it again? YES! In a heartbeat.

Onward and Upward.

Right in the middle of all of this, I turned 60, which was a very huge deal for me.

Love Lyn

Summertime Launch

2011-07-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

Introducing

Purple Iris

This fragrance opens with a bright spicy note that soon gives way to the

heady floral accord of iris, jasmine, mimosa, cananga,

linden blossom, and rose.

There are some edible coconutty notes created in this blend,

which are perfect for summer.

A base of Sandalwood, Ambrette, and Ambergris

hold the scent and make it last a long time on the skin.

Formulated in Perfumers' alcohol. Floral 2009

to order, please email me at LynAyre@telus.net

or visit me at http://www.scentofnature.net/perfume_Creations.htm

“Summer of Patchouli Love” – For The Record

2011-07-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Challenge: We were to create an EDP of only 15% strength, in an alcohol base, with at least 25% Patchouli and submit it to Monica Miller of the PerfumePharmer by June the 1^st. Monica then decanted into small numbered bottles and sent off samples to several Perfume Bloggers and Celebrities. None of the perfumers knew which number they were. None of the Reveiwers knew either. It was a double-blind contest – nail-biting, sit on the edge of your seat type of thing. “Are they commenting on my creation?” “Gosh, I hope that isn’t my perfume they’re talking about.” Back and forth; very exciting. Here’s what happened with me:

Until this challenge, I had no idea just how much of a 60’s gal I am. I began to notice things around the house… a Peace Poster over our bed – it’s always just been there; all of my night attire – two pair of pj’s with the Peace sign on the front as well as a caftan, which is purple and paisley! Sigh… Am I becoming my Mother, as I turn 60. She was a peace-lovin’ gal, too. With her blond Afro, ‘flower child’ clothes, granny glasses, and peaceful nature, she had it all going on. I think it’s in-bred.

When I was a teen-ager, I loved tie-dying, and batiking. Creating my own clothes, such as scarves, tops, slacks, and shifts, as well as book jackets, wall posters, and head bands, was no different from other work I’ve done in the Arts. I began by blocking or sectioning off various areas of the cloth with ties or wax then I sunk the cloth into a big vat of dye laying down the first layer of colour. I used string to tie off areas or I applied wax and did it again, modifying what I’d already done. I always left tiny areas where I could add sparkling pale yellow highlights to give the illusion of brilliant light.

I have sung all my life – 18 of it years professionally, some of it ‘on the road’. Writing songs with a bass line, melody, harmony, and chorus, creating the whole thing through inspiration, then orchestrating it, is truly an honour and an amazing process to me. At the end of it, I sometimes found myself wondering how I came up with it in the first place because the end result was so natural, like it had always been in this world. Nothing was contrived; everything flowed.

Everything I’ve learned and done has gone towards working and experimenting with plant essences to make Natural Perfumes. First, I must be inspired by something; then I must daydream about it. I sit and make notes as things come to me – combinations, accents, fixatives – all floating around me. I pick and choose then go to my Atelier and begin the trials. I use scent strips to get an idea of what the combinations or accords smell like. I may make up a dilution of the base, heart, or head chord and wear it for a while, seeing how it smells on my skin.

The point of the last three paragraphs is to detail that, no matter what the genre is, I have to ‘get my hands dirty’ and do it myself from scratch. Years ago, my husband and I decided to have only original art on the walls and on the shelves; we’ve honoured that ideal and our home is an expression of who we are, as artists. Nowadays, I create my own bath and beauty products, herbal remedies, and so on… you get the picture.

Loving and creating Natural Perfumes is an true extension of Flower Power, of working with colour, and of working with sound, isn’t it? To lay down the bass line with Patchouli, Musk Accord, Vetiver, and Oakmoss then modify that with a melody of Jasmine, Neroli, and Orange Blossom, finally highlighting with Sweet Orange, Petitgrain orange, and Black Pepper, and various other accords, is like painting a symphony of aromas that dance and sing across the stage of our nasal palette. I really love and enjoy creating natural perfumes.

The perfumes back in the 60’s were basically Patchouli and Musk so that is where I began my journey this time. These were sold at the Incense and Bead stores in the downtown area of New Westminster. Walking into one of those dark and scary places, with half-naked men and clouds of smoke, was very rattling to a person of my young years. It made my head spin. However, I needed some beads to put on the clothes I was creating so I took a deep breath and walked quickly, not speaking rather gathering my supplies and making a hasty get-away.

Natural Perfumes of today are quite different. There are now hundreds of essences to choose from and this number increases daily as more of us move into doing our own tinctures and macerations.

I’d originally thought to go with a powdery accord in the heart by using Lavender absolute, Geranium absolute, and Tonka Bean. My first ‘round of trials’ were too powdery and soft; no Patchouli Punch; and no way they would cover up anything, if you get my drift. LOL I called these three “Patchouli Peace” 1, 2, and 3.

Okay, back to the drawing board, so to speak. I created an accord between Jasmine grandiflorum, Rose absolute, and Ylang Ylang extra. The second trials were sweet, bright, and rosey. This was far too cheery for the task at hand. Where’s the Patch? I could smell the Jasmine and knew that I was thinking in the right direction. These test runs were called “Patchouli Posey” 1, 2, and 3. All of these six are perfectly lovely perfumes, just not the one I was looking for at the time.

I was getting closer but not quite there. I created a white flower accord with elements high in indole such as Jasmine, Neroli, and Orange Flower. I combined this with a tiny amount of my musk accord, which is called “Essential Musk Fixative”. I felt the indole components of these chosen florals, combined with the Musk accord, really brought to mind those times, back in the 60’s – a sexy, raunchy riot; Bohemian nights, and bloodshot days. There were five trials using these combinations. Then, I felt I had a lovely floral bouquet that lasted a long time (9 hours on my skin, which is normal), smelled like Patchouli was in there, reminded me a bit of the 60’s (in a nice way), represented the florals of the flower children, and met all the criteria of the challenge.

Given all the paisley I had in the house, and all the products I’d made with patchouli (my deodorant and shower powder for example). It was only natural, then to call this final creation “Patchouli Paisley”. There are 24 ingredients (15 of which are in my musk accord) in my perfume entry. I hope you enjoy it. It is now for sale on my website at http://www.scentofnature.net/

“The Summer of Patchouli Love” Challenge has been a wonderful adventure for me as I’ve sorted out all the details, applied myself to the discipline of ‘perfume creation from a brief’, begun relationships with people I’d not encountered before and strengthened the ones I’d already started. What a joy and a privilege it has been to be a part of this wonderful venture set about by Monica Miller and Friends. I am grateful to you all.
Some lovely comments have been made about my creation and I appreciate all of the kind words. My "Patchouli Paisley", which was created for this challenge and was entry #8, was chosen as a top three for Marina Geigert, Davika Weston of Weston's Gallery, and Nava Brahe of the Perfume Possee, with a favourable mention from Lucy Raubertas of Indie Perfumes. Virginia Carmichael from Marth's Vineyard chose my perfume as her #1. Many thanks to all who enjoyed and commented on Patchouli Paisley perfume.

In closing this post, I would like to Congratulate all the Winners of this Challenge: Kedra Hart, Rodney Hughes, and Dawn Spencer Hurwitz. I was in talented company with the following challengers: Dupetit, Liz Zorn, Shelley Waddington, Jane Cate, Tanya Bochnig, Ambrosia Jones, JoAnne Bassett, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Amanda Feeley, Kedra Hart, and Rodney Hughes.

Pop over to Monica Miller's site for more breaking news: http://perfumepharmer.com/organic-perfume-skincare-remedies

Batik drying in the Sun; photo credit http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nveM6DDbvc4/TfnGm9u0syI/AAAAAAAAAlw/iYFWPO9Zixo/s1600/LION%252BBATIK%252Bdrying%252Bin%252Bthe%252Bsun2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://batikartist.blogspot.com/2011/06/lion-batik-big-challenge.html&usg=__nC9yNVi4fcKCcKzHp1_yLGTcgwU=&h=675&w=900&sz=313&hl=en&start=219&zoom=1&tbnid=sGkXzqWY09XQ6M:&tbnh=138&tbnw=209&ei=7n4QTuWwJO7_sQLE4_WiCg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbatiking%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4ACAW_en___CA418%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D457%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=703&vpy=109&dur=2536&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=153&ty=167&page=25&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:219&biw=1024&bih=457
Orange blossoms; photo credithttp://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flowers/images/orange_blossoms.jpg
Jasmine flowers; photo credithttp://flowersnamess.com/2011/06/11/jasmine-flower/
Smoky incense store; photo credithttp://autumnearthsong.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/pa170511.jpg

Soliflore Perfume Challenge for the Summer of 2011

2011-07-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Results for the Spring 2011 Fougère Challenge

2011-06-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

The Results are in and here they are:

Fougère Perfume Challenge for the Spring of 2011

Sponsored by Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Posted on March 22, 2011 with an end-date of May 31, 2011 and

The Prize to be sent out by the end of June.

Tulips in the garden. 2000

What defines a Fougère perfume? A chord of Oak moss, Lavender, and Bergamot, certainly; fresh citrus coupled with lively florals and base notes that are animalic and coumarin; delicious treks into Amber Fougère, Woodsy Fougère, or Spicy Fougère, give this family many paths to travel.

There is a great deal of variety in what can be done, as you can see. This is what makes this challenge so interesting. Each perfumer has gone a different way with his or her creation. So, what I’ve done is determined how good it is in its own category, in my opinion. Is it the best green & fresh Fougère? Or, the

best floral Fougère?

There are five perfumers from Canada and the US participating.

They were graded from 1-10 on the following categories: how well they followed instructions; their vision of the perfume’s creation; a short five-sentence bio; a recent photo; a Data Tag with pertinent information about their perfume; the balance, character, diffusion, tenacity, and structure of their creation.

A Natural Perfume has the following qualities:

o Balance – so that no single component can be detected (unless it is a soliflore)

o 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? How do the layers unfold? Who would this perfume appeal to?

o Diffusion – does it surround the wearer with an aura of scent?

o Tenacity – staying power is the ability of a perfume to last on the wearer for more than just a couple of hours

They were asked to create a data tag to accompany their perfumes. It should list:

o The Name of your perfume

o Your contact information – your company name, website, and email address

o Size of the container – is it 10 ml or 2 oz? This should go on the first page

o Ingredients – including essential oils, absolute, concretes, waxes, tinctures, macerations, and bases

o How to use – share where to dab or spray and info about natural perfumes in general

o Precautions – follow your own heart. For me, I list them, as an informed consumer is a safe and happy – and a repeat consumer. I do not use photo toxic citrus oils.

o Best before date (mm-dd-yy) – I make my product fresh for each person, so I do small batches that do not age-out before they leave here. For cream-based, it is dated 6 months out; for wax-based, it is dated 9-12 months out; for oil-based (fractionated coconut and jojoba is dated 2 years out) (sunflower, sweet almond, and grape seed are dated 6 months out); for alcohol-based, it is dated 2 years out (although I have some I made 6 years ago and they are still great). This is a rule of thumb. Citrus perfumes will age-out in about 6-8 months.

I spent a whole day with each fragrance and made my notes as I went along. This group of perfumes were wonderful to inhale. The aromas all made me smile. Each perfumer has done a superlative job crafting his or her Fougère Accord, which support the various avenues of adventure.

The Entries below were logged as they came in:

1. Anita Kalnay – Comox, BC, Canada

Flying Colours Natural Perfume at http://www.genieinabottle.ca

Vision: “I’ve been having a love affair with olive leaf – combined with a deep yearning to go to Italy and find my family roots. I wanted to keep the woody nuance and intriguing vitality and depth of olive – yet still make it perfumery.

As the design unfolded, I imagined bright citrus orchards, enduring familial roots, and new leather shoes … and a plane ticket!

Olive absolute lent itself to working with lemony notes, lavender and dry woodsy elements. Himalayan cedarwood and valerian turned the tide for me on this one and carnation added subtle sweetness.”

Bio: “As an Aromatherapist and energetic healer, I am keenly aware that scent seeps into the cracks of the psyche and fills in the gaps of the rejected self with qualities of grace and beauty.

I have always been artistic and imaginative and blending for others brings out the best in me. The challenge as a Perfumer is to create the grace intended and ‘step away from the table’. The high vibrational frequency is there and you either love it or hate it. Either way, something happens.”

Creation: “Tuscan Olive”; Fresh Fougère

Notes: Fougère accord (proprietary blend); bergamot, lemon, lemon myrtle, lavender, olive leaf abs, litsea cubeba, carnation, black currant bud, valerian, Himalayan cedarwood, and black spruce abs.

Review: Opens with a bright, lemony, candy that is so cheerful and edible that all I can say is a big YUM! This is truly mouth watering. After a while, the spicy notes begin to pop out and the diffusion of lemon and spice takes over the scene. The warm glow of olive, spice, and citrus waft up to my nose as I sit here typing. Every once in a while I think, what is that I’m smelling, then I remember and take a closer sniff. This perfume is lovely, light, and bright. Four and a half hours later, the dry down of Olive and Cedarwood are smooth and comforting. There is still a citrus note coming through, too. This scent lasts all morning.

2. Bruce Bolmes – Burlington, WI, USA

Bruce is in the process of launching his website so please stay tuned for this very talented perfumer: SMK Fragrance at http://smk-fragrance.com/

Vision: “My inspiration for the Fougère creation comes from years of exploring and enjoying nature. I have been an avid nature lover ever since I can remember. Spring in Wisconsin is one of my favourite seasons to explore all the wonders of a new beginning. From my 40 years as an amateur mycologist (note: this is a branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi) exploring the hard woods forests during the Spring, one is reminded of the fresh scents that build a classic Fougère accord.”

Bio: “My interest in scents started many years ago. During the 1960’s and early 1970’s, my fascination with scents exploded with the opening of the incense shops loaded with all kinds of new aromas and limited essential oils of that era. Later, during my years as a chef and the owner of a European cuisine restaurant, I began to experiment with various essential oils and extracts in developing new and creative recipes. I have also produced various tinctures and extracts for the ‘lure’ business. My natural perfuming interest is a way I can express my love for nature.”

Creation: “Fougère No. 7”; Unisex Fougère

Notes: Fougère accord (proprietary blend); rose, sandalwood, cedar atlas, cedar Himalayan, orange sweet, lemon, carnation, anise, basil, neroli, ambergris tincture.

Review: the opening refrains are mysterious and captivating. There is an overall earthy floral that I want to crawl into and explore in depth. The diffusion is amazing and, at the 1 hour mark, the scent goes powdery on me. At this point, there are some soft spice note. Two hours later, this scent is persistent and has not lost its strength. Four hour mark shows a bit of a tapering off and has settled into a bright floral Fougère. At 10 pm (I’d applied it at 6 am) it is still going strong. This perfume has a bright floral/fruity dry down and the next day it was a lovely soft powdery scent as I applied my warm breath to the area. You’ll be set for scent all day with this perfume.

3. Maggie Mahboubian – Hollywood, CA, USA

Lalun Naturals at http://www.lalunnaturals.com/

Vision: “Light florals are crowned by an exquisite gardenia enfleurage extracted from the flower of our own shrubs. These are layered onto a classic Fougère base. The effect is that of a fragrant tea that opens with a creamy white note. As the perfume unfolds it reveals sunlit flowers that give way to a shaded earth. A luscious aromatic journey.”

Bio: Maggie Mahboubian studied Natural Perfumery with Lyn Ayre. She is an architect by profession. With her knowledge of aesthetics, she explores the intersection between architecture and perfumery. Fundamental to her work as a perfumer is her garden where she grows many of the plants she extracts. Maggie recently formed her company Lalun Naturals Inc, which will offer her natural perfumes as well as her seasonal skincare line.

Creation: “Fougère Blanche”; Floral Fougère

Notes: Fougère accord (proprietary blend); galbanum eo, clary sage eo, pink grapefruit eo, gardenia enfleurage, jasmine grandiflorum abs, ylang ylang, vanilla abs, beeswax absolute superior, cocoa abs, tobacco abs, and ethyl decadienoate (natural isolate).

Review: Allow this perfume to settle on your skin for 20-30 seconds as it is startling, right out of the bottle, immediately awakening all your senses. This is likely due to the gardenia and galbanum notes, which are both noted for their very green floral scent. After the initial hit, it settles down to become very soft and pretty. At the one hour mark, it is a beautiful diffusive floral Fougère. Two and a half hours later, I get a soft tobac/cocoa dry down with light floral overtones. At the four hour mark it can be lovingly revived with the warmth of your breath. Throughout this process, I was constantly sniffing my arm as this scent was multi-layered and I didn’t want to miss anything. This very sexy perfume will take you through the evening.

4. Deborah Carol – Seaside, CA, USA

Paisley Sky Perfumes (no website yet). If you are interested in connecting with Deborah, please email me at lynayre@telus.net

Vision: “I wanted a verdant Fougère blend of ‘crushed green’ fragrant leaves and resinous woods. I also was inspired to play with the classic bergamot note and decided to explore another citrus – perhaps something to impart a smoky spice. Therefore, ‘Green Fire’ has an up-front but lengthy citrus tone, which on the skin insinuates into the layered green profile. I find my personal preferences tend toward the masculine keys, and indeed Green Fire reveals background edges of mineral woods and sweet charcoal. Green Fire does not have Lavender essential oil, only the absolute to provide a softer, rounder floral sweetness, that I feel emerges in the dry down.”

Bio: Natural Perfumery is the artistic star that I must follow. It is both a fulfillment of my lifelong fascination with plants and an opportunity to work in the complex and compelling science-art of scent design. The sensuality of scents and the crafting with the incredible gifts of nature are utterly irresistible. Everyday I engage in this profession, I am grateful to be able to work with such sensuous, inspiring materials. The tremendous pleasure I feel in developing scent-experiences provides the impetus to strive to understand the craft at deeper and greater levels.

Creation: “Green Fire” a green-wood/citrus Fougère

Notes: Fougère accord (proprietary blend); opopanex, frankincense, Immortelle abs, vetiver, agarwood abs, liquidambar, cistus, beeswax abs, spikenard, yellow mandarin, and tarragon.

Review: This scent opens very green with light citrus notes. There are some twists and turns as I worm my nose under, around, and through this perfume; may enticing routes along the way via agarwood, cistus, spike, and vetiver. The citrus notes come through then disappear only to reappear an hour later. The perfume is well-crafted and stays true to its vision. At the 4.5 hour mark the scent is lovely and sweet. The dry down is smoky and lemony with the final presence of spikenard, angelica, and litsea.

5. Justine Crane – Fresno, CA, USA

http://thescenteddjinn.blogspot.com/ http://www.etsy.com/shop/sapobubbles

Vision: “My goal in creating this fragrance was to utilize the sylvan qualities of Fougère and expand them to include robust florals and unusual foresty components to create a unique Fougère experience. I didn’t want a straight Fougère for this project, but something a little more delicate, with more of the watery aspects of moss and the richness of a floral parfum. I attempted to achieve the mossy aspects by using a California native plant, chamaebatia folioloso, also know as mountain misery or kit kit dizzee, which grows in and around the forests of Yosemite National Park. Mountain misery has distinctively clean, water, breathtaking mossy essence, which one never forgets. The floral aspect was created using tuberose absolute and gardenia blossom tincture, which I attempted to make more rich and creamy through the use of cocoa absolute.”

Bio: My name is Justine Crane and I have been seriously studying and creating Natural Botanical Perfumes since 2003. My business in natural fragrance began with my soap company, Sierra Soapourri, now closed, which I started in 1996; next came Delicia, a live storefront in Fresno, CA, that I opened with my then business partner in 2004. I currently own and operate The Scented Djinn, a Natural Botanical Perfumery, as well as write for several blogs (Oh, True Apothecary!, Le Parfumeur Rebelle, and Perfume Pharmer), and I tutor, and wrote, the curriculum for NBP (Natural Botanical Perfume) online course at Nature’s Nexus Academy of Perfuming Arts. My aspirations in this art form are to create beautiful perfume and life-long bonds of friendship and camaraderie with my fellow perfumers.

Creation: “Wawona” fresh/green Fougère

Notes: Fougère accord (proprietary blend); wheat grass tincture, chamaebatia foliolosa tincture (mountain misery), cassia, santalum album, vetyver mitti, bergamot, tuberose, cocoa abs, pinion pine resin tincture, and gardenia blossom tincture.

Review: Wawona opens with a fresh green Fougère accord and soon settles down, grounding itself to Mother Earth. It is ethereal, soft, and subtle, not startling the senses but gently stirring them to come in closer for a deeper inhalation. There is a dance of notes coming on the scene then fading away. The scent wears for a few hours on me but very gently and very close to my skin. For this reason, I would describe it as an intimate scent where someone needs to come in for a nuzzle thereby being delighted by the aroma. The lovely sweet soft dry down reminds me of the Sweet Woodruff in my garden, with notes of vanilla, lavender, and tonka bean.

The Results Are In

The Grand Prize Winner is

Bruce Bolmes

Maggie Mahboubian is the runner-up, with just one point behind. The other three challengers were only one point behind Maggie. It was very close. I am sending this to you in advance and will be making a Blog Post by the end of the week.

You all did so well and I appreciated every one of your compositions. It was an interesting and in-depth journey into what makes a Fougère live up to its name: verdant, open, sylvan, and outwardly mobile.

Congratulations to each and every one of you with my heartfelt gratitude for making this journey an olfactory adventure that was frolicking fun.

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.

For Bruce, I’m sending along “Fougère Pour Homme”, a wonderful Men’s Cologne that was developed last year. I hope you enjoy it, Bruce.

Memories of...

2011-05-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Summer of Love 1967

It was July 8, 1967, my 16th Birthday. Times were simpler, then, and less was definitely more: less deodorant, more BO, less dating and more sex, less fighting and more peace, less sobriety and more booze, less school and more skipping out to the park to hang out with friends.

Canada’s 100th Birthday was the day before on July 7th (also my sister’s 15th Birthday) so we, as a country, were celebrating our Centennial.

Punch Buggies were all the rage. These uncomfortable squishy Beetles soon became the centre of a game in which we stuffed as many smelly teenagers as we could into the belly of the beast – arms and legs sticking out of the windows and faces smooshed up against the windows.

The mini skirt and hot pants were in vogue. This is when ‘quack skirts’ came into being; I won’t say any more lest young people be reading this post.

Round-rimmed granny glasses and granny dresses with their plain lines and paisley patterns were at the other end of the scale.

Placards, with psychedelic scrawl, bearing the words “Free Love”, “Peace, Brothers & Sisters”, and my all-time favourite, “Make Love Not War” were plastered all over the news and TV media.

The music was great that summer… ‘We’re happy together’ was ‘our song’ as was ‘Brown-eyed Girl’. Of course my boy-friend changed that to ‘green-eyed girl’ just for me. No wonder I loved him so much…

‘If you’re going to San Francisco…’. I really wanted to go; it sounded free and romantic. Still haven’t been there.

Memories of the acrid smell of maryjane, unwashed bodies, and cheap Patchouli Oil has lingered for years in the minds of many.

The Summer of Patchouli Love 2011

And now another beautiful summer coming, loving the warmth, the smells, the sounds, the sights, and turning sixty; being fully matured and participating in a challenge such as this; doing what I love and am passionate about – Natural Perfumery.

I found Patchouli again, years ago, when I took my first Aromatherapy course. I loved it. It is an amazing aroma of deep complexity with notes of green leaves, depths of the forest floor, over-ripe fruit, and robust floral scents.

Patchouli is steam-distilled from the leaves and can come from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Sumatra and Java. The colour of the essential oil is tan to brown. It has a strong, earthy, smoky, spicy, leathery, and musky scent with a persistent and tenacious odour. The viscosity is medium, the Odour Intensity is 5/10, and the Evaporation Rate is 100 (along with Sandalwood). Patchouli is a base note and in some cases, you can still detect the scent for months to come.

Therapeutically, it’s indicated for nervous exhaustion and stress. It’s great for skin issues such as dandruff, eczema, fungal infections, wounds, aging skin, and wrinkles. It is from the ‘woody’ or, as I put it, ‘woodsy’ Aroma Group. Found as a base note in many Chypre and Oriental formulae, it can be use in many other formulae where you want a strong, earthy base note.

Spiritually, the key words are, “Heal the Past” as it stimulates vigor, reasonableness, and farsightedness. This beautiful essential oil helps us connect to Mother Earth Gaia and heal past issues. Patchouli ages beautifully and anyone who uses it in their skin-care routine will, as well.

Spring Perfume Challenge – Fougère

2011-02-27T13:46:00.001-08:00

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.

Spring Perfume Challenge

2011-02-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for the up-coming Spring Perfume Challenge for a Fougere Perfume.

The guidelines will be posted on March 1st and you are asked to submit by April 30th. This competition will be open to the first ten Registrants who email me after March 1st.

More to follow then.

Five-Day Natural Perfume Intensive

2010-12-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

"Pyramid of Olfactory Pleasure"

October 17-21, 2011
9:30 am - 5 pm each day
30 hours of training

Pre-requisite: This course would best suit someone with a firm foundation in Natural Perfumery. You should have a good grasp of the basics of perfume creation: how to formulate, create accords, and tinctures; note classification; perfumery terms; methods of extraction; shelf-life and storage; scent profiling; working in a safe atelier; where to purchase supplies; and so on.

Join us for a week of fun during this hands-on experiential event as we create five perfumes and gather a wealth of knowledge for you to take home.

This course expands on some of the concepts presented in the Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfume Course, "A Path to the Heart of Spirit", I'm currently teaching through correspondence, as well as offers several new topics to explore and a new base of information from which to create.

Each day we will begin the creation of one perfume from five fragrance families (it will need to mature under your nurture for several months before you can use it): Chypre, Citrus, Fougere, Floral, and Oriental.

We will create deviations into compositions featuring Woodsy, Herbaceous, Leathery, Soliflore, and Gourmand/Fruity.

We will be working solely with Perfumers’ Alcohol making Pure Perfume Extraits only.

Some of our topics, lectures, and experiments include:
o Creating various kinds of alcohol for specific Perfume Families
o Exotic Accords from my personal work – leather, hyacinth, stargazer lily, violet, oceanic, amber, lily of the valley, and others
o Working with the Natural Perfume Pyramid
o Advanced sniffing and evaluation techniques
o How to do a Perfume Consultation
o Sharing and smelling Natural Isolates

You will also have the opportunity to experience some of the rarest perfume components in use today. ie: Hyacinth, Narcissus, Ambergris, and Ambrette Seed and many others; all in 20% dilution ready to smell.

Workshop includes all products used in class, supplies, a detailed manual, and a Certificate of Completion during the Graduation Ceremony & Celebration on Friday evening after our cold buffet meal (spouses and significant others are welcome).

Due to the size of my teaching room, this event is open to the first eight people who Register and make their deposit. Since this is the case, I sweetly ask you to please be fair to others by ensuring it is your full intention to come and taking the appropriate action steps to accomplish that task. Thank you.

Registation Form for Five Day Perfume Intensive.doc

Financial Investment is: $975.00 and the deposit is $300.00, $150.00 of which is non-refundable. Balance of $675.00 is due three weeks prior to workshop. Please pay your tuition through PayPal at http://www.scentofnature.net/five-day_natural_perfume_intensive.htm Thank you.

Email: LynAyre@telus.net for further infomation.

Honey beesWax Tincture

2010-12-01T06:57:00.000-08:00

I purchased some honeybees wax from Summit Farms in Alberta, Canada.

I gathered the supplies I would need to make the tincture: a scale, waxed paper, the sticky honey comb, the solidified beeswax, a sterile jar/knife/spoon, and 190 proof alcohol.

I scraped the comb wax away from the honey and placed it on the waxed paper, and then onto the scale. The aroma is sweet, honeyed, and slightly floral. It weighed 3.8 oz. I shaved enough beeswax off the block to bring the amount up to 4.05 oz.

I placed both the comb wax and the shaved bits from the bees wax block (the only difference is the comb wax is fresh so it is white and the bees wax is golden as it has been around for a short while and also shaped into a block) into a sterile jar. Both of these are highly fragrant.

I added 8 oz of 190 proof alcohol and will leave it to tincture for a few months, shaking it frequently.

One of my thoughts is: I wonder if the end product will be sticky and so not useable as a perfume component. I’m not sure what will happen but will keep you all posted. Life is a big experiment.

... a week later, I'm thinking of adding more beeswax from the block and maybe some of the honey...

The Results are in for the 2010 Oriental Perfume Challenge

2010-11-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

Oriental Perfume Challenge for the Autumn of 2010
Sponsored by Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Posted on August 21, 2010 with an end-date of October 31, 2010

rose, star anise, frankincense, ambrette, oakmoss, citrus, ambar

Defining an “Oriental Perfume”
I left it to each participant to research what an Oriental Perfume is and they have done a fine job. This fragrance family definitely calls for notes that are deep, enduring, and delicious such as the exotic, heady florals, ambery or earthy base notes, and spicy or citrus top notes… so, sweet and spicy fits the bill. Orientals are elegant and luxurious; they draw you in and are impossible to resist.

Nine women from four countries submitted their perfume creations for evaluation, and it has been a real joy to indulge in this personal sniffarama.
They were graded from 1-10 on the following categories: how well they followed instructions; their story of the perfume’s creation; a short five-sentence bio; a recent photo; a Data Tag with pertinent information about their perfume; the balance, character, diffusion, tenacity, and structure of their creation.

A Natural Perfume has the following qualities:
o Balance – so that no single component can be detected (unless it is a soliflore)
o 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?
o Diffusion – to surround the wearer with an aura of scent
o Tenacity – staying power is the ability of a perfume to last on the wearer for more than just a couple of hours
o 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?

Green Chi data tagFire Dance data tag

They were asked to create a data tag to accompany their perfumes. It should list:
o The Name of your perfume
o Your contact information – your company name, website, and email address
o Size of the container – is it 10 ml or 2 oz? This should go on the first page
o Ingredients – including essential oils, absolute, concretes, waxes, tinctures, macerations, and bases
o How to use – share where to dab or spray and info about natural perfumes in general
o Precautions – follow your own heart. For me, I list them, as an informed consumer is a safe and happy – and a repeat consumer. I do not use phototoxic citrus oils.
o Best before date (mm-dd-yy) – I make my product fresh for each person, so I do small batches that do not age-out before they leave here. For cream-based, it is dated 6 months out; for wax-based, it is dated 9-12 months out; for oil-based (fractionated coconut and jojoba is dated 2 years out) (sunflower, sweet almond, and grape seed are dated 6 months out); for alcohol-based, it is dated 2 years out (although I have some I made 6 years ago and they are still great). This is a rule of thumb. Citrus perfumes will age-out in about 6-8 months.

A bowl full of entries

The Entries below were logged as they came in:

1. Lorraine Scott, Canada
“Zen Dynasty” is in an alcohol base.
Notes: Frankincense • Peru Balsam • Ylang Ylang • Neroli • Cinnamon leaf • Petitgrain • Rosewood • Black Pepper • Grapefruit • Bergamot • Aniseed
Vision: I created the base notes with four of my favourite essential oils that blended into a visionary of thick fragrance, promising exotic adventure. As the top notes blended easily into a fruity spice that captured a vision of the mysterious orient, the test would be to bring the base and top notes together for a feast of the senses. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of blending essence and spicy aromas with a hint of exotic flowers to create harmony in all the notes. As the final creation matures, the scent reminds me of sweet Asian cuisine wafting from a bustling kitchen, a cornucopia of exotic and tantalizing flavours. Personally, I feel perfume often clashes with the fragrance of food, however, just as wine has a pairing with cuisine, this scent blends beautifully and would enhance a culinary adventure of heady flavours and aromas.
Bio: They say ignorance is bliss yet if I didn’t’ step up and explore the adventures of natural perfumery by way of this perfume challenge, I would have missed out on this creative and scent-sory opportunity. This is my very first experience with perfume making and I enjoyed the entire process, from deciding on the essential oils to buying new ones, to observing as my creation matures and changes over days and weeks. Now that I have experienced the fun and creative outlet in blending my own signature scent, merely smelling a fragrance is not gratifying enough. Although I don’t know much about perfume and how to make it, this has opened up a new interest especially since commercial perfumes are not that appealing to me. My goal with this contest entry is to chalk up my inaugural experience, then learn the proper process so I can infuse my creations with care and confident energy.
Review: “Zen Dynasty perfume opens with a fruity peppery accord, which mellows into a slightly spicy floral and down to a soft and airy floral bouquet with a light spice edge to it. A Data Tag was attached to her perfume samples. This is Lorraine’s first foray into the creation of a natural perfume. Her entry is lovely and lasts overnight. For a debutant in the perfume arena, this is quite an opening stanza: entering an Oriental Perfume Challenge, creating one’s first perfume, having a review of it, and being mentioned as a runner-up in a Blog post. ‘And, she’s outta the gate!’ I admire your courage and your creativity, Lorraine.”

2. Karen Maniapoto, New Zealand
“Roulette” is in a solid wax base.
Notes: Valerian • Mushroom absolute • Fossilized Amber • Peru Balsam • Benzoin • Ylang Ylang super extra • Tuberose absolute • Jasmine sambac absolute • Wild Sweet Orange • Cardamom • Nutmeg
Vision: Sitting in thought about the Oriental creations, a visual picture conjured in my mind of a curvy mature woman, robed and stretched out by the fire; sensual, feminine, maturity, sublime. So here lay the lines describing ingredients to create a risqué encounter.
Sassy lady with mystique; mature in her way
Intriguing vulnerability, captivating feminine play.
Subtle hint of spice awakening ecstatic sweet delight
Alluring soft warm pout, like a flower in the night.
A powdery puff encapsulates the air
Igniting twinkle in the eye, as stiletto shadow climbs the stair.
Bio: Aromatherapy began for me in 1993 after I discovered some essential oils and bought Maggie Tisserand’s book “Aromatherapy for Women”. I was intrigued by what they offered for well-being, especially on the mental/emotional levels and so my studies began! As well, as personal use I have incorporated Aromatherapy into my Massage, Reflexology, and Healing Practice. The years 1998-2009 saw me evaluate where my passion was and that was when I decided, after 3 years of considering various Perfume courses available, to extend my knowledge and create products for deeper self-healing that were passionately enjoyable and totally natural. I chose to enrol in Mandy Aftel’s classes in San Francisco and have now completed Levels 1 and 2.
Review: “Roulette is created in a soft waxy base and opens with a dark and somewhat mysterious aroma, which evolves into a more floral bouquet, then deepens into the earth. This scent is completely appropriate to the autumn into which we are entering where the leaves lay upon the moist ground, willing to become part of the earth once again. A well-balanced composition.”

3. Rachel Fentiman, Australia
“Winter’s Embrace” is in a base of Fractionated Coconut Oil
Notes: Labdanum • Ambrette Seed • Patchouli • Vanilla • Rose moroc • Neroli • Jasmine • Cinnamon leaf • Clary Sage • Palma rosa • Coriander
Vision: Living by a rainforest makes for a very inspirational backdrop for creating perfumes as every season comes with its own abundance of fragrances.
It’s the middle of spring yet the air still holds the icy freshness from the still-abundant snow fields down south so that crisp artic breeze combined with the dense sodden forest and the heady Jasmine vine in my garden was a perfume begging for creation!
On a whim, I mixed Jasmine with Clary Sage and Coriander and found just the right bouquet to represent that icy air with a fun floral spin and to top it off, Palma Rosa and Rose Moroc added a subdued softness so the perfume doesn’t remain “sharp” for too long.
Once the head notes of Clary Sage, Coriander and Palma Rosa dissipate, in roll more heart and base notes that portray the forest element and for this aspect of the perfume I chose Neroli, Ambrette Seed, Labdanum and Patchouli with a hint of Cinnamon for extra spice and intrigue.
I was content with the manifestation of these ten essences but there was something missing; one last essence that would hold everything in place and make “Winter’s Embrace” a more graceful journey for the olfactory sense and for that I chose the humble and inviting Vanilla bean.
Bio: I’ve always had a keen and curious nose and to me every essence has the potential to be teamed with other ingredients to create something scrumptious for the olfactory sense.
I also find the psychology behind fragrances compelling with how they can bring forth memories of childhood, of grandma’s kitchen, of your first boyfriends aftershave, or just remind you of something intriguing that you can’t quite put your finger on.
Every day has the potential to bring forth another tantalizing concoction and the abundance of essences available makes for a truly blessed and often overwhelming experience. Isn’t it fascinating how fragrance alone can make us smile, laugh, cry, remember, crave for more and beg for less? How they can induce physical enjoyment or even instigate sickness or make us feel emotions or think of colours, certain places, things or even specific people and the best part of all is that every body’s reactions to every different fragrance is utterly unique, just like each and every one of us.
Review: “Winter’s Embrace opens with a green floral note, inviting me to sniff closer. A few minutes later it has evolved into a spicy affair then dries down to an earthy, ambery floral. Rachel has created a scent which stays with you overnight. It speaks to sitting in front of the fireplace, wrapped in a shawl, and sipping a hot drink. Rachel is new to this arena, as well, and I am inspired by her courage to compete. You have created a lovely aroma.”

4. Gabriella Berran, Canada
“Fire Dance” is in an alcohol base.
Notes: Himalyan Cedarwood • Patchouli • Litsea • Rose Maroc • Jasmine Sambac • Pink Lotus Osmanthus • Golden Champa • Howood • Star Anise • Yuzu
Vision: An Oriental perfume is my favourite type of perfume and the one I tend to automatically create. “Fire Dance” is a sensual scent that evokes the mood of the autumn season. Its dark amber colour is reminiscent of the blaze of jewel-like colours on the trees and on the ground during this time. Fire Dance is a vibrant scent of earthy woods, luscious florals and just a hint of citrus and spice that provides nourishment for the soul and illuminates the spirit during this time of darkness. A voluptuous fragrance that wraps you in warmth and luxury like a beautiful cashmere sweater on chilly Autumn days is the vision I had in mind when I created Fire Dance.
Bio: I believe that essential oils embody the soul of each plant. Perfumery to me is more than just blending oils, it is a spiritual practice not unlike the art of alchemy. The creation of natural perfumes is how I express my vision of beauty. This artistic expression allows me to get into a calm and meditative state where I can access my intuition to create beautiful scents from Nature. Each radiant bottle of HeartNotes perfume is created drop by drop with intention, love and gratitude and is lovingly blended by hand to ensure the highest quality natural perfume in both character and sophistication.
Review: “Fire Dance opens with a zingy note likely due to the Star Anise. The general overall impression is of Cotton Candy with a lemon fizz to it; very amazing to my nose. The scent is consistent for four hours then dries down to a very sweet floral. Gabriella’s close attention to detail played out in this competition. She sent a beautiful rusty leaf Data Tag (shown above) with her perfume sample attached inside. This was enclosed in a natural tan craft box complete with see-through labels and tied together with a lovely green ribbon. I was impressed when I opened the envelope. This perfume lasted overnight on me.”
5. Janice Van Dijk, Canada
“Green Chi” is in a jojoba base
Notes: Vetiver • Vanilla • Sandalwood • Rose moroc • Ylang Ylang • Litsea• Cardamom • Black Pepper • Lime (distilled) • Rosewood • Galbanum
Vision: The goal was to create a fresh sweet spicy blend that reflects a feeling of fun, freshness and aliveness…yet still being grounded. In my vision there is a gentle breeze. The sun is shining with blue sky and fluffy clouds, flowers and grasses. As the flowers and grasses sway with the breeze, I take in a deep breath. Once again I am filled with gratitude and know that is a great time to be alive.
Bio: As a youth growing up on the family farm, countryside adventures were a real escape from required chores. The adventures involved investigating all the textures, scents and colours of nature. My artwork (painting & photography) reflect my ongoing love of the natural world. With over 30 years in the health care field and more currently in the world of complementary health, I have come to appreciate the important role of the natural world in maintaining our balance and harmony…our health. My interest in natural perfumery and role as a natural perfumer is an extension of the above – to bring the beauty and power (essence) of the natural world to mingle and/or merge with us with the purpose of creating balance and harmony and therefore health in our lives.
Review: “Green Chi was a delight to inhale; it had lift, diffusion, and a great sustain on my wrists. I sniffed it for a whole day then it lasted overnight, too. It opens very light, airy, and green then mellows to a rosy deep heady floral and dries down to a sweet woodsy note. The Data Tag (shown above) features one of her amazing fresh leaf/flower Mandala created from her garden plants; a new one is done for each new perfume and data tag giving the overall impression of freshness and wholesomeness, all good things in a Natural Perfume.”
6. Amanda Feeley, United States
“Gaia” is in an alcohol base.
Notes: Cepes Absolute, *Hyraceum, Tonka Bean, Vinyl Guiacol natural isolate, Styrax, Guiacwood, Clary Sage, Lavender, Nutmeg, Rooibas; *Hyraceum is a natural perfume ingredient that allows one to get a musk smell without hurting any furry friends.
Vision: Gaia Botanical Perfume was created in honor of this small blue ball ALL - humans, animals, plants, fungi, minerals - all life inhabits. It is reflective of Mother Earth during the harvest and evokes all of the bounty of the season. It is a spicy and enticing blend, which brings ‘walks through the forest’, ‘good food’, ‘warmth of the hearth’, to mind. Gaia gives you pause to be mindful that, though full of largesse, the time for sleep and renewal will soon be upon us. There is a hint of the cold to come.
Bio: As a Natural Perfumer, I want to evoke the emotion and spirit in my perfumes. I have just started practicing Intention in my perfumes. I want my perfumes to bring meaning into people’s lives, and their spirits. I hope to lift up emotions and spirits for the highest good. I want to bring spiritual intention back into the larger scope of the human experience, since perfume used to be an offering to the gods.
Review: "This perfume opens with a very spicy note and a smoky heart drying down to an earthy base note, then taking me deeper. It is a lovely green colour. Gaia grounds me and sends my roots deep into Mother Earth. I enjoyed this experience very much. I would use this perfume as a start to my morning meditations.”

7. Maggie Mahboubian, United States
“Saqh’i” is in an alcohol base.
Notes: Gulab (Rose Otto, Iran) • Gulab (Rose Absolute, Bulgaria/Turkey) • Yasaman (Jasmine Sambac Absolute) • Ambar (Amber accord) • Ambar (Ambergris tincture) • Moshk (musk ambrette CO2) • Zafaran (Saffron Absolute) • Tokhme-Geshniz (Coriander Seed EO) • Portaghal (Orange EO) • Hel (Cardamom EO) • Labdanum Absolute
Vision: My vision is to create a light Persian rose oriental perfume using the natural essences of ancient Persia that have been written about in classical literature and poetry. The name “Saqh’i” refers to the women who served wine to the Sufi poets and helped them attain their ecstatic experiences. The essence of rose would have undoubtedly been a part of this ceremony, especially for the washing of hands and ablution perhaps augmented by the sensuous notes of amber, ambergris and musk. Layered would be the gourmand notes of saffron, cardamom and orange, that would have been used to cook a traditional sweet rice made for the winter festival honoring the shortest day of the year, Shab-e-Yalda. I imagine this holiday would be the best time for a Sufi poet to spend the longest night of the year engaged in mystical reverie.
Bio: Maggie Mahboubian has studied natural perfumery with Lyn Ayre and is seeking to complete the course in the coming year. She is an architect by profession, but has decided to pursue her passion of working with natural ingredients to create skincare and perfumes instead. She maintains a blog, The Architecture of Perfume, where she writes about the intersection between her past as an architect and her present work as a perfumer. Fundamental to her work as a perfumer is her garden where she grows many of the plants she tinctures or macerates for their scent and medicinal value. In the coming year, Maggie hopes to launch her company, Lalun Naturals, Inc. which will carry her Natural Perfume line, Parfums Lalun, as well as her Seasonal Skincare.
Review: “Saqh’i opens with a lovely orange note leading the way to sweet rose heart and drying down to an ambery base. This perfume captured my heart as its rosy petals filled my nose. I could feel the heat in the room as the candles flickered and the poets wrote their amazing words of life. Maggie has a wonderful writing style that sets the scene so it is easy to walk into her fantasy.”
8. Dabney Rose, United States
“veil de Violette” in an alcohol base
Notes: tobacco • labdanum • vanilla CO2 • violet leaf absolute • flauve absolute • lavender absolute • ambergris • ylang ylang • petitgrain sur fleur • nutmeg •sweet birch
Vision: Sweet violets have always been a favorite flower of mine. As a quiet person, I am attracted to their humility, simplicity, and unpretentiousness. I wanted a perfume that was soft and companionable. A perfume that would take me to the sun-dappled, mossy woods, even as I worked at my desk. So be with me now, in late February, as the sun, the birds, and the violets warm and rise in their singing.
Bio: Way back in childhood is where the stirrings fro flowers and the Natural World began. At age 11, I made my first ‘fragrant product’; incense from the Wild Plum Blossoms growing in our back yard. Unlike most girls and young women, I had no clue about the commercial perfume counters, bottles, and famous names; they were just no a part of my world. Discovering Aromatherapy in the young 80’s was like switching my life from B&W to color. As a healer and an artist, fragrance is my medium, my palette, and my language.
Review: "veil de Violette startled me with its aroma; like tiny purple violets opening, with trust, on a freezing cold day. The package was tied with a lovely organza violet bow. The perfume itself is a deep green colour. Dabney has done what we all want to do – make a perfume that captures that delicate sweet violet aroma and sends us back into simpler times of faith, home, and family. This was a real treat to evaluate.”

9. Lisa Abdul-Quddus, United states
“Ylang Ginger Lily” is in an alcohol base.
Notes: Amber accord (vanilla bean tincture, labdanum, liquidambar, tonka bean) • Sri Lankan Sandalwood • Clove Bud • Fresh Ginger • Petit grain sur fleur • Clementine • Ginger Lily • Ylang Ylang
Vision: My intention, when formulating this oriental perfume, was to accentuate the spicy note. Having blended several compositions using jasmine, that all seemed to fall short of what I wanted, I decided to change directions, focusing more on florals and less on spice. I also wanted to move away from the heavy sweetness of jasmine and opted for ylang ylang and ginger lily. I wanted a fresh yet delicate scent, still full of warmth. With the headiness of ylang ylang and the sharpness of ginger lily, I think I accomplished that.
Bio: My journey into natural perfumery began with an interest in aromatherapy. As I studied essential oils more in depth and made simple blends, I began to be drawn more to the smell of my blends and away from the therapeutic aspect. At the time, I had no idea what natural perfumery even encompassed. The more I studied, the more I wanted to learn. Today, over 4 years into this journey, I’m still learning and actively seeking out more and more information.
Review: “Ylang Ginger Lily opens with a wonderful spicy/floral accord drying down to an ambery finish. This perfume is very well blended and would be lovely for day wear to pretty much any event. It is not sassy and does not intrude. Lovely.”

The Results Are In

The Grand Prize Winner is: Janice Van Dijk, with 98/100
Close runners-up: Gabriella Berran, Lorraine Scott, Rachel Fentiman, and Dabney Rose, who were only a couple of points behind.
Honourable mention: Maggie Mahboubian, Lisa Abdul Quddus, Amanda Feeley, and Karen Maniapoto, who were a few more points behind that; it was a real contest.

You all did so well and I appreciated every one of your compositions. It was an interesting and in-depth journey into what makes an Oriental Perfume live up to its name: mysterious, captivating, inwardly moving, inspiring, and beckoning us to have some deep and meaningful time with our loved one.

Congratulations to each and every one of you with my heartfelt gratitude for making this journey an olfactory adventure that I will never forget.

I had so much fun this time that I am planning to do three perfume challenges next year, ending every fourth month:
Beginning in March 1; ending on April 30; category Fougere
Beginning in July 1; ending on Aug 31; category Soliflore
Beginning Nov 1; ending on Dec 31; category Chypre

Winner of the 2010 Challenge for best
Oriental PerfumeJanice Van Dijkfor Green Chi

with my thanks and congratulations, Janice.
Your composition captured the essence of what an Oriental Perfume is;
and you excelled in all named categories.

Dated: 18November2010
Signed: Lyn E. Ayre, Natural Perfumer
Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes

you can visit Janice at: http://www.living-in-harmony.ca/index.html

and http://www.jpvandijk.ca/

Oriental Perfume Challenge for the Autumn of 2010.pdf
Oriental Perfume Challenge Autumn 2010.doc
http://coeurdespritnaturalperfume.blogspot.com/2010/11/results-are-in-for-2010-oriental.html
http://www.scentofnature.net/

Perfume Review by Joanna Smith

2010-11-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING FOR YOU
SHARING THE BEST PRODUCTS I KNOW OF WITH YOU!!

http://thebestofeverythingforyou.blogspot.com/2010/10/review-coeur-desprit-natural-perfumes.html

There is nothing more fun to me than finding out about a new product, having the chance to try it out and experience that "wow" factor the first time you use it. I am constantly in pursuit of products that will blow me away, stand out from the ordinary, so I can share them with my readers. I am passionate about reviewing products that are cutting edge and innovative. If you would like me to be wow'd by one of your products, contact me, I'd love to hear about your products and perhaps review them for you right here on my blog.

Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfume Review

~ Empowerment ~ Passion ~ Peace

Monday, November 8, 2010

Located in the French Quarter, in the heart of Coquitlam, BC, Canada (near Vancouver) is the gracious and talented natural perfumer Lyn Ayre, Ph.D. She creates the most heavenly smelling divine natural perfumes I have had the pleasure of experiencing. The scents are so intoxicating to inhale and pleasing to the mind and senses, that I had to include them in my Holiday Glamour & 2010 Holiday Gift Giving Guide. If you enjoy wearing luxurious, enticing scents and want to continue to use perfume and not bother others with it, then you will want to learn more about Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfumes. These delightful fragrances are a natural product that is good for you. They smell delicious to those in your 'scent circle'. You can learn more about how to create your own perfumes by visiting the Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfumes website and also find out how you can have a wonderful perfume made just for you. I feel so honored to be able to introduce Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfumes to you and the glorious woman behind this splendid company. Not only does Lyn create fascinating natural perfumes, but she also is available for Personal Perfume Consultations and teaches a Course in Natural Perfumery:

{Adapted from the Coeur d'Esprit Website}

MEET THE NATURAL PERFUMER Lyn Elizabeth Ayre

"Years ago, my first Aromatherapy teacher told me that my remedial blends smelled more like perfumes than potions. Creating Perfume formulae is now one of my most rewarding passions. I realized I had before me a way to help people feel better about them selves; a way to spread a little cheer; a way to get people to relax and live a little. This created in me a happiness that I’d not experienced before.

The first few sales were made to women who had begun to have severe reactions to other perfumes. They were delighted to know they didn’t have to give up perfume but could switch to a ‘natural’ rather easily. My first group of customers keeps coming back for more five years later.

I am an Independent Natural Perfumer, not affiliated with any guild or organization. My process is simple: Inspired by an idea, I go to the computer and see if the formula complies with the safety guidelines. I consider the essences and how they go together and react with one another. I get the oils out, and begin blending, sniffing, adjusting, and testing. When I’m happy, I stop & label, then set it aside to mature. This process can take many months to accomplish.I am daily filled with the sense of appreciation and awe at the gifts of Gaia, our Mother Earth. Creating perfumes takes me to places of absolute peace, joy, and light, and I am humbled in the presence of these wonderful substances; it is the epitome of excitement, and, for me, the feeling of accomplishment is second to none."

Lyn explains what Natural Perfumes are:

"Natural Perfumes come of age once more… In the realm of Natural Perfumes, one of our first tasks is to suspend the belief that they have much in common with the Commercial Perfumes of today. It is simply not the case. Commercial Perfumers of the well-known houses work with an enormous amount of ingredients. I read somewhere that the number is upwards of 3,000 items. I work with around 200. They are professionally trained. I am self-trained. They create and launch one or two perfumes each year. I create and launch much more than that.I also feel it is important to add that just because something is natural does not mean it is necessarily good or healthy for us. Conversely, just because something is synthesized from a so-called 'man-made chemical' does not mean it is definitely bad for us either. I urge you to consider this issue with a clear head.

A century ago, Perfumers were using all natural ingredients from nature including essential oils, concretes, attars, absolutes, animal essences, floral waters, tinctures, and so on. Today, with all the sensitivities that we have developed due to the overwhelming of our olfactory organs (because everything is now scented) where our sense of smell resides, many of us are choosing to go back to simpler times.

I am one of those. The perfumes I create are made from some of the above mentioned natural ingredients. The exception is that I do not use animal essences that have been obtained using cruel methods. The animal essences I use (Ambergris for the water element, Hyraceum representing our earth, and Honey Beeswax for element of air) have long since dissociated from the animal in question and been rendered pure through eons of the elements of water, wind, earth, and sun."

MY REVIEW

Lyn has spoiled me silly! She sent me 8 different perfumes to sample, two of which are full size! It took me over a month to experiment with each different fragrance that Lyn sent me because each time I tried a new one I wanted to wear it 24/7 and never stop inhaling the enticing aroma that each one delicately left on my skin. So to get through testing out all 8 different scents was the most enjoyable journey for me, and one that is still ongoing! Each day and time I put on one of Lyn's uplifting natural perfumes, I detect a new fragrance note that I had not noticed before. These perfumes are magical, and delightful, and will keep you drawn to wanting to wear them day after day after day!

I also want to comment on the packaging and presentation of each natural perfume. Lyn makes receiving a product from her memorable and special. The full size products come elegantly stores in gold organza gift bags and the bottles and atomizers are glamorous and couture in terms of the finest quality. You are in for a first class, 5 star treat when you order from Lyn, and they make such unique and memorable gifts to present someone with. Using a tiny bit of the product each time you apply it is all you need to reap the benefits of each enchanting scent so this will be a gift that will keep on giving for a very long time! Perfect for those Holidays Gifts that you are looking for, and believe me the recipient will not be disappointed! The perfumes are safe and natural and truly aromas that will bring joy to anyone who has the pleasure of beholding one of Lyn's rare and magical fragrances.

I was trying to figure out how to go about writing about each individual fragrance, and I decided it was easiest to just use Lyn's words to describe each one. So here is a list of Lyn's best selling natural perfumes:

Breath of Gaia

This perfume is based on the story of the Oracle at Delphi. With top notes of citrus, reminders of the scents of the sea, and the flower and herb covered hills of Greece, this perfume has a grounded base of oud, blonde tobacco, hay, labdanum, spikenard, and oakmoss.
...The journey took her through a grove of citrus trees, then down a path overgrown with herbs and flowers, and finally deep into sticky rock rose thickets heavily laden with labdanum resin, which caught on her white robes. She entered the cave and saw the Questers awaiting her presence. Seated upon a tripod above a deeply etched chasm, which exuded the sugary ethylene vapours, she rested, dropping into a deep meditation as the earth exhaled. The sweet Breath of Gaia swept over her inducing a trance-like state. Then she began to answer…” Floral Citrus 2007

Bridge Notes

When creating a perfume formula, we can use notes that are classified as both base and heart or heart and head. These are called Bridge Notes and they smooth the way from one layer of the perfume to the next. Some are: Jasmine, Rose, Vanilla, Ylang, Clary Sage, and Lavender.
The transition through this Citrus Floral is smooth and delicious. Notes of sweet Rose de mai, sexy Jasmine sambac, lovely green-coloured/green-scented Lavender absolute, creamy Vanilla, flow from one refrain to the next. A full fruity/citrus head accord of Tangerine, Palma Rosa, Bergamot, and others, leads the way. Citrus Floral 2007

Chez Noir

If you love the smell of anise then this is the perfume for you. Rich, deep Anise, Tarragon, and Cardamom lead the way into a full floral heart of Rose, Jasmine, and Ylang, drying down to the warm, sensuous tones of Ambergris, Patchouli, Hay, and Labdanum. Not for the faint of heart. Floral 2008

Euphoric

A lovely lift from Lime and Tangerine create a good opening for this perfume, which was inspired by the hypnotic qualities of the botanicals used in this formula: notes of Ylang, Neroli, Jasmine sambac, Petitgrain bigarade, Clary Sage, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon Leaf. Finally, it comes to rest on creamy Vanilla, Sandalwood, ancient Oud, and steam distilled Oakmoss. Oriental 2008

Evolution

Notes include: Vetiver, Frankincense, Ambergris, Oud, Black Current Bud, Spikenard, Lavender absolute, Litsea, Geranium absolute, Neroli, Orange Blossom absolute, Roman Chamomile, Hyacinth, Clary Sage, Bergamot, GalbanumMore than any other I’ve made, this perfume’s evolution is very distinct. The first hit of crisp freshness created by the Clary Sage/Bergamot/Galbanum chord is soon followed by the full floral body of Orange Blossoms, Chamomile, Lavender, Geranium, Neroli, and Hyacinths ... Not clingy or heavy, it feels like you’re standing in a garden in late Spring or early Summer. It is warm and the soft breeze carries the scent to you. Standing tall, sun on your face, you breathe in, smiling at the wonder of it all. In the background, you can detect the earthy smells of Vetiver, Oud, Ambergris, and Spikenard. Herbal Floral 2010

Hedgerow

The light touch of Ambergris, Ambrette, Mate, and Green Tea holds this Citrus Floral together. Herbal flowers of Lavender, Geranium, and Rosemary create a soft powdery scent that softens the edges of the full citrus head notes: Petitgrain lemon, orange & bigarade, Bergamot, and Key Lime ... Reaching the centre of the Maze, you gather up the leaves and herbal flowers tossing them in the air. As they twirl around, you twirl around, a young girl again. The fountain is bubbling, the sky is blue, and you feel uplifted by the aroma of the many fruit trees in the area. Hedgerow takes you back to simpler and more carefree times. Citrus Floral 2010

Pagoda Peace

Notes include: Vanilla, Frankincense, Ambergris, Tonka, Ambrette, Fruit accord, Jasmine, Neroli, Ylang Ylang, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Palma Rosa, Rosewood ... The Jasmine is blooming all around the temple and, as you walk into this sacred space, you catch a whiff of Frankincense, Rosewood, ripe fruit, and sweet aromas like Vanilla, Tonka, Neroli, and Ylang Ylang. This scent centers you. You breathe deeply and you know you are in a place where you can just be peace. Floral Oriental 2010

Souvenir de la Vie

Life is full of colour, texture, music, and aroma. These are captured in Souvenirs de la Vie through the sweet earthy base notes of Vanilla and Patchouli, the floral heart of Jasmine sambac and Neroli, and the spicy notes of Cinnamon Leaf and Black Pepper. Oriental 2009

FINAL THOUGHTS

It is such an enjoyable experience to browse around Lyn's website. Not only can you shop for natural perfumes directly from her website, but you can also learn so much about Lyn and her world of creating these truly exceptional natural perfumes. It is an online experience you won't soon forget. So please CLICK HERE to visit Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfumes and to be allured into Lyn's amazing world!
A very special thank you to Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfumes for providing me with Natural Perfumes to use for this review.

Perfume Review by Bewitchin' Kitchen

2010-11-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfume Review

Empowerment~Passion~Peace

Tuesday November 9, 2010
The review is live! http://www.thebewitchinkitchen.com/2010/11/coeur-desprit-natural-perfumes.html

About Lyn Ayre:
Years ago, my first Aromatherapy teacher told me that my remedial blends smelled more like perfumes than potions. Creating Perfume formulae is now one of my most rewarding passions.

I realized I had before me a way to help people feel better about them selves; a way to spread a little cheer; a way to get people to relax and live a little. This created in me a happiness that I’d not experienced before.

The first few sales were made to women who had begun to have severe reactions to other perfumes. They were delighted to know they didn’t have to give up perfume but could switch to a ‘natural’ rather easily. My first group of customers keeps coming back for more five years later.

I am an Independent Natural Perfumer, not affiliated with any guild or organization. My process is simple: Inspired by an idea, I go to the computer and see if the formula complies with the safety guidelines. I consider the essences and how they go together and react with one another. I get the oils out, and begin blending, sniffing, adjusting, and testing. When I’m happy, I stop & label, then set it aside to mature. This process can take many months to accomplish.

I am daily filled with the sense of appreciation and awe at the gifts of Gaia, our Mother Earth. Creating perfumes takes me to places of absolute peace, joy, and light, and I am humbled in the presence of these wonderful substances; it is the epitome of excitement, and, for me, the feeling of accomplishment is second to none.

I love perfumes. I love how a scent can alter your mood or send you back to another time in your life. That is what I experienced when I sampled Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfumes. I was sent the six pack sampler for a review and in the six pack sampler I received:

a la Rouge: A luxurious fragrance created on a bed of roses, davana, ylang, jasmine, lotus, and honeysuckle accord. With lemongrass and an earthy, woody base of Oud, Ambrette, and sandalwood.

Citrance: Lavender, Chamomile, and Litsea with bergamot, lime, and ginger and supported on a base of Cedarwood and vetiver.

Evening Romance: Jasmine, Rose, and Orange flower on a bed full of Ambers and Oakmoss, with Citrus and Pink Pepper head notes.

May Roses Bloom: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Ambergris, Rose de Mai, Tuberose, and luxurious Orris Root. Bergamot, Palma Rosa, and Rosewood begin the procession to dry down.

Paris Nightlife: Mimosa, Linden, Orange Blossom, Ylang, Tuberose, Mango, Blonde Tobac, Orris, and Ambergris. Tangerines and peppers are also included.

Tantric Notions: Spikenard, Sandalwood, Champa, Champa leaf, Ginger, Lavender, Peppers and oranges.

A la Rouge reminds me of a scent I used to wear when I was young and it took me back to when I was a little girl sitting in my room, painting my nails. It's amazing how a scent can bring you back to an exact moment in your life.

My favorite scent out of the sampler set I was sent is the Paris Nightlife. The only word I can use to explain the scent is sensual. The arrangement of the scents are not only interesting but intriguing where it leaves you guessing. It leaves a little mystery.

Lyn Ayre is a talented perfumer and I enjoyed working with her. She is so sweet and is a BC girl like myself (well, originally anyway). Just with the few emails we sent to one another I could tell that she was passionate about what she does and her passion shows in her art. I would recommend her perfume shop to everyone.

Animal Essences

2010-11-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

Only Supplier of Ambergris & Hyraceum Tinctures located in Canada

Ambergris

Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus

Where does Ambergris come from?

Ambergris is ethically beach-harvested, being found washed up on the beach or floating on the ocean. It is sometimes called flotsam (natural debris that floats on the ocean) and it is lighter than water. The colour is gray (gris), black, and tan, and it is very lightweight, a fact that surprized me. It is a substance that is created by a sperm whale likely due to an irritation within. It is released and floats upon the ocean for eons being washed and cured by sea, salt, time, and wind. It is commercially quite expensive and just a couple of grams will cost about a hundred dollars.

I use Ambergris to add the Water element to my perfumes.

Weights and Measures

I weighed out 5 grams of the Ambergris stone and set it aside. I used a blue bottle and filled it with 95 grams of perfumers’ alcohol. This gave me an end-product at a 5% dilution rate. This product is not edible.

The Process

I used a clean (and dedicated for this use) coffee-bean grinder and ground the stone to a powder. The aroma was divine and very unexpected. I thought it may smell rank and overly-animalic but it was sweet and delicate, though very tenacious and long-lasting. This powder was carefully over-turned onto a wax paper and then gently sent through a funnel and into the bottle of alcohol. All the items used in the process were swirled and washed with 5 ml of alcohol and even that was saved in a dropper bottle.

Maturation

The aging process required is 6-12 months. My precious bottle of Ambergris Tincture was labeled and placed in the top cupboard to mature. It has been maturing since May 2007 and I'm ready to sell it.

What does it do for perfumes?

Ambergris acts as a fixative adding brilliance and lift to a perfume formulation. It has been suggested to me to use a couple of drops in an ounce to get the desired effect.

I've saved a small piece so I can continue to enjoy the sweet aroma as well as use it as an educational tool to show my students. It is wrapped in cotton and stored in a wooden unvarnished box, kept in a cool and dark place.

10 ml bottle of tinctured Ambergris $85.00 plus shipping and handling to your location in Canada or the US. Please inquire via email with your full address. I include a mini pipette for your convenience.

Hyraceum/African Stone

Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis

Where does it come from?
It is created in and excreted by the Rock Hyrax who lives in Africa; the African Stone is used as a traditional medicine for the people in that country. Over millennia, it has been fossilized.

The Process
I received 12 grams of raw hyraceum. It didn’t look like much in the bag but it has created a wonderful product, and I wanted to let you know how that was accomplished.

I used waxed paper on the counter so it is easy to collect any ambient powder. Then I measured this chuck on the scale to ensure proper dilution ratio.

I ground the stone to a medium fine powder and dumped onto the waxed paper then funneled it into a measuring cup.

I measured out 188 g of perfumer's alcohol, into which I put the powder. It immediately went a lovely red/brown colour with the typical elephant patty/wild grassy aroma… very earthy and animalic. This gave me an end-product at a 6% dilution rate. This product is not edible.

It’s only used in perfumery. It adds an animalic zing and zest to perfume that is wonderful. It has been said to have an aroma somewhere between civet and castoreum, neither of which I will use due to the cruelty to the animal. This product has long since been separated from the animal that created it and has been rendered pure over the eons and in the alcohol.

I left this tincture to mature in a cool dark cupboard. Each day, I shake it for a minute or two so the alcohol has an opportunity to touch each grain of hyraceum and ensure that all the qualities of it are precipitated into the alcohol. This product has been aging since May 2007. A few drops in your perfume formula will fix and ground the scent.

I use Hyraceum Tincture to add the Earth element to my perfume creations.

10 ml bottle of tinctured Hyraceum $30.00 plus shipping and handling to your location in Canada or the US. Please inquire via email with your full address. I include a mini pipette for your convenience.

Honeybee Comb Tincture

Honeybees Apis Mellifera

In a few months, I will be offering 10 ml bottles of this product, which adds the Air element to my perfumes.

The element of Fire comes from the Sun, which cures these animal essences and renders them purified.

The Four Elements in a perfume

Water - cohesion - or balance in a perfume

Earth - solidity - or character in a perfume

Air - expansion - or diffusion in a perfume

Fire - heat - or tenacity in a perfume

http://www.scentofnature.net/
LynAyre@telus.net

Natural Isolates

2010-11-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

With the advent of Perfumer Shelley Waddington's new Natural Isolates Course, the topic of isolates is on natural perfumer's minds once again. Here are my thoughts and feelings however, I understand and accept that yours may be different.

I have a very excellent nose, which is great at detecting synthetic material. My dear nose used to get completely clogged when I walked passed the perfume counter in large department stores. My lungs felt heavy and I always got a headache, too. When I signed up for this course, I was sent the set of 18 isolates, which have been extracted from natural sources such as aniseed, cassia, lime, litsea, and sugar, to name a few, and I have not had any bad reactions from them whatsoever. These isolates can be used in natural perfumery and some of them can be used in the desserts I create such as the homemade ice cream (think raspberry ketone), which I make with the grandkids. Natural Isolates come from a 'parent essential oil' or from ‘other natural material'.

If we follow along the processing of plants, essential oils are a steam extraction of herbs, tinctures are an alcohol extraction of herbs, tea is a water extraction of herbs, herbs being the bio-mass or 'other natural material'. When we do these processes, we 'isolate' some of the chemical components that make up the whole herb (ie: Rose oil has at least 400 chemical components). These (essential oils, tinctures, teas, and natural isolates) can all be used in our natural perfumery.

Natural isolates (or natural aroma-chemicals) are a single chemical constituent that have been separated from an essential oil ie: the ones I've named above. For your information, because the creation of our beloved absolutes requires that hexane gas be passed through the plant material to extract the aromatic molecules, these were heartily rejected by Natural Perfumers for years, as well. They are in full use today.

I have attached my piece of prose called 'Explorers' below, as that is what we are; we are on the leading edge of this wonderful frontier called Natural Perfumery and defining what is natural and which lines we will and will not cross is all a part of the process.

I see that others are also having a re-think about all of this. Having visited several other Natural Perfumers’ websites/blogs over these last few months, and seeing that they are including a section on creating natural perfumes using isolates in their courses, and that they are incorporating natural isolates into their perfume creations, I wanted to have a closer look, too.

I have not yet made the shift to include Natural Isolates in my perfumes or write a section for my Natural Perfumery Course as I am taking the next year to get used to them and see how they work before I offer them to the public.

The purpose of this email is to make you aware of some new thinking on my part and to start a discussion on this topic of Natural Isolates. I would love to know what your thoughts and feeling are.

Here is a list of the ones with which I am experimenting:

Acetaldehyde Natural

Benzaldehyde Natural

Butyl Butyrate Natural

Bucco Leaf Natural
Citral Natural

Citronellol Natural

Ethyl Decadienoate Natural

Ethyl Lactate Natural

Eugenol Natural

Geranial

Heliotropine Natural Odor

Limettol Natural

Linalool
Methyl Anthrilate Natural
Methyl Cinnamate Natural
Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol Natural
Raspberry Ketone Natural

Strawberry Furanone Natural

Vanillin Natural

Vinyl Guiacol Natural

I have found some great information about these in Shelley's course and at http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/

Explorers, Each Of Us
© 2004 Lyn E. Ayre, Ph.D.

In the mid 1400’s, explorers set sail in a state-of-the-art sailing ship, to find a new land. They came to an island paradise and decided to go ashore. A landing party was chosen and the men boarded the rowboats and began to paddle to the golden sandy beach. They looked back and saw their majestic ship, in all its glory, bobbing on the horizon. It was a beautiful sight to see the white sails silhouetted against the blue sky.

Looking forward, they were heartened to see the villagers gathering to greet them. As they ran their boats aground, the Chief approached them with arms open wide in welcome. Though they did not know the language yet, they readily understood the language of the heart that these beautiful people showed them.

The inhabitants circled around the rowboats and seemed to make a great fuss about them. Others were milling about, chatting with each other, as their kids played in the sand.
The landing party was invited to dinner and preparations were made. There was something strange, though. Not one of the folks they’d encountered had said anything at all about the great ship on the horizon.

During supper, the village medicine man came to join the happy group. As he approached the beach, he noticed something different about the ocean. He saw faint, peculiar ripples in the distance. He wondered what was causing this phenomena, as he sat down to eat with his family and friends.

Every day, this Shaman came to the beach and gazed at the ripples. Over the following weeks, things began to come clearer, until, eventually, he saw a great boat on the horizon, such as he had never seen before.

He called to his people and pointed it out to them. Over the next few days, each in his or her own time, were able to see it. They didn’t know why they hadn’t noticed it before. The answer, of course, is they didn’t have a frame of reference in their consciousness and so they could not see.
I’m here to tell you, there is a great ship on the horizon such as you have never seen before. It is full of all your hopes and dreams, wishes and visions for your future. All you have to do is imagine and believe that it is so. Adjust your sight a little. Shift your thinking somewhat. Use courage to walk through the fear that is holding you back. Do the next right thing. Take the next step forward. Take your place in the world and shine your light. Live your life. You’ll never regret it taking a chance on yourself.

‘What do you really want?’ I ask and await their answer. Upon hearing it, I say, ‘Okay, just know that it is already yours. Now, let’s go get it.’

Then the journey begins and we’re on the big ship of dreams.

Lavender Distillation Process

2010-09-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

I've just posted an article about Lavender Distillation Process on my herb blog at http://heartgaia.blogspot.com/, if you'd like to go see.

Love Lyn

Perfume Review by Cheetah

2010-09-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Cheetah reviewed three of my perfumes: Angel Whispers, Ear d'Esprit, and Midnight Blue. Please check out her website at http://canadianfreestuff.com/coeur-desprit-natural-perfume-review-giveaway-canada-only-0920/ Here are her comments:

"Ok, as most of you may or may not know. I am a girly, girl. I love my hair products, makeup and especially love perfume. I usually stick to one or two scents but have recently ventured out to find new and exciting scents. I have to be careful though, some perfumes can give me a wicked headache and others just make me itch I have tried some different perfume scents over the last few years and have discovered that I like more natural scents. Vanilla and Citrus scents have become my new found favourites.

I was recently given the opportunity to try out some new natural perfumes from a company called Coeur D’Esprit Natural Perfume. This is a company that produces all natural perfumes. Since I am sensitive to a lot of other perfume products on the market today I thought this would be a perfect company to explore.

Coeur D’Esprit Natural Perfume is an independently owned company By Lynn Elizabeth Ayre, who resides in B.C Canada. Lynn is an independent natural perfumer with years of experience.

Here is some interesting facts about Lynn.
o Actively involved with the energy of botanicals/herbs since 1972
o Ph. D. in Energy Healing
o Creating and teaching holistic courses since 1972
o Currently (2008) teaching several holistic courses
o Consistently commended on my teaching methods by my students (both in-person and correspondence), and my peers
o Creating botanically-based tinctures and macerations since 2002
o Creating bath & beauty products since 2002
o Creating perfumes since 2003; daily engaged with perfume ingredients and honing my craft

She works with over 200 essential oils, concentrates, absolutes, attars and ethically harvested & cruelty free animal essentials. Her perfumes are all natural and she spends months selecting, formulating and creating new and exciting natural perfumes that not only smell fantastic but are better for you. Because her perfumes are all natural she pays special attention to ingredients that may cause irritation such as rashes. She is constantly sorting out the oils, sniffing, adjusting and testing her products.

I was recently given the opportunity to try out some samples from Coeur D’Esprit Natural Perfumes. I contacted Lynn and told her that I like light, fresh scents and she suggested three different scents I might like.

The first scent is called Angel Whispers - It is described as; “begins with a feathered brushing of bergamot, orange, and black pepper, which leads the way to an open powdery field of lavender and geranium, as well as fruity notes of Davana, caraway, and Osmanthus, Vanilla, Patchouli, and a delightful dash of chocolate.”
Yum! It sounds good enough to eat orange, vanilla and chocolate I am so there! I also love lavender-so this is perfect for me. When I first smelt the perfume I was concerned that it was a little too strong for me. I was pleasantly surprised the first time I wore it. The scent is indeed true and strong but it mellows over time. However I can truly say that a little goes a long way with these all natural perfumes. The vial that I received was only 1 ml but the smallest amount placed on your wrist or neck lasts a long time. Angel Whispers is a nice soft scent that is not too out spoken. I can definitely smell the lavender notes that are present in this one.

The next perfume sample that I received was Midnight Blue it is described as; “a yummy gourmand scent, which dries down to a fruity grassy floral. Notes of Chocolate and Hay lay the foundation for the Heart of fruity Davana, Jasmine, Mimosa, and Rose. The Head notes add to the menu: Sweet Orange, Lemon grass, and Allspice. They’re going to have to create Sniffers Anonymous for this scent.”
I was amazed by this one. It is so different. I can first smell the rose, then sweet orange and than you are left with the scent of Chocolate with a slight floral scent added. This reminds me of something from my childhood. It is almost the scent of sachets I used to place in my dresser drawers as a child. Maybe it is the Lemon grass that has evoked the memory – I am not sure. It is a calming scent full of memories for me.

The third and final perfume sample I received from Coeur D’Esprit Natural Perfume was Eau d’ Esprit. It is described as; “all parts of the Bitter Orange tree in a perfume formula. With a citrus opening of bergamot fcf (in place of bitter orange), which is not part of the bitter orange tree but also does not have the photo-toxicity of an expressed oil), orange, tangerine, and lime, it evolves to the next layer of orange blossom water absolute, Neroli, orange blossom absolute, and petit grain, drying down to patchouli, labdanum, hyraceum, and amber accord to ground this truly wonderful citrus floral perfume.”

With this scent I immediately pick up the scent of cedarwood. It again is a calming scent that is natural and familiar. It is woodsy and warm and reminds me of the fall. The leaves are falling and you are cosy, wrapped up in a blanket near the crackling fireplace. Then you pick up the scent of orange and tangerine a light citrus fragrance that blends well with the cedarwood. This is a very warm and calming scent for sure and in my opinion perfect for fall.

Lynn has created some really amazing, natural scents that take me back to scents that I have long forgotten about. These essential oils are wonderful and warm my senses. I keeps rubbing my wrists together to enhance the aroma. The natural oils seems to release more fragrance the more you have contact with them. I had forgotten how nice “real” perfumes could be.

I usually spray a body mist 2-3 times before I leave the house but with these natural perfumes I just need a dab to last me all day. I rub the area I have applied the perfume on and it seems to come to life again. It must be the natural oils being warmed up and sending out new aromas. Sometimes I think I smell one thing and then like by magic I pickup another scent. The blends are complex but do indeed complement each other.

Discover the Empowerment~Passion~Peace of Coeur D’Esprit Natural Perfume Here"

Thank you, Cheetah, for your kinds words.

If you like what you read and want to try them out for free, hop on over there and enter the Give-Away of a set of three perfume samples, which includes the ones reviewed above. Canadian Residents Only, Please. Canadian Free Stuff Member

Love Lyn

Autumn 2010 Launch

2010-09-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

A perfume for every mood

Bridge Notes
When creating a perfume formula, we can use notes that are classified as both base and heart or heart and head. These are called Bridge Notes and they smooth the way from one layer of the perfume to the next. Some are: Jasmine, Rose, Vanilla, Ylang, Clary Sage, and Lavender.
The transition through this Citrus Floral is smooth and delicious. Notes of sweet Rose de mai, sexy Jasmine sambac, lovely green-coloured/green-scented Lavender absolute, creamy Vanilla, flow from one refrain to the next. A full fruity/citrus head accord of Tangerine, Palma Rosa, Bergamot, and others, leads the way. Citrus Floral 2007

Evolution
Notes include: Vetiver, Frankincense, Ambergris, Oud, Black Current Bud, Spikenard, Lavender absolute, Litsea, Geranium absolute, Neroli, Orange Blossom absolute, Roman Chamomile, Hyacinth, Clary Sage, Bergamot, Galbanum
More than any other I’ve made, this perfume’s evolution is very distinct. The first hit of crisp freshness created by the Clary Sage/Bergamot/Galbanum chord is soon followed by the full floral body of Orange Blossoms, Chamomile, Lavender, Geranium, Neroli, and Hyacinths. Not clingy or heavy, it feels like you’re standing in a garden in late Spring or early Summer. It is warm and the soft breeze carries the scent to you. Standing tall, sun on your face, you breathe in, smiling at the wonder of it all. In the background, you can detect the earthy smells of Vetiver, Oud, Ambergris, and Spikenard. Herbal Floral 2010

Hedgerow
The light touch of Ambergris, Ambrette, Mate, and Green Tea holds this Citrus Floral together. Herbal flowers of Lavender, Geranium, and Rosemary create a soft powdery scent that softens the edges of the full citrus head notes: Petitgrain lemon, orange & bigarade, Bergamot, and Key Lime. Reaching the centre of the Maze, you gather up the leaves and herbal flowers tossing them in the air. As they twirl around, you twirl around, a young girl again. The fountain is bubbling, the sky is blue, and you feel uplifted by the aroma of the many fruit trees in the area. Hedgerow takes you back to simpler and more carefree times. Citrus Floral 2010

Inspiration from the Sea
You’re in an exotic, warm location with turquoise waters and tall palm trees. You can smell the fruit and spice trees on your own private island. The sea is lapping at the shore and the whales and dolphins are within sight. They make you laugh, and as you do you breathe in the deep scent of the white flowers: Jasmine sambac, Neroli, Frangipani, and Lotus. Base notes include Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Seaweed, and Ambergris. This is a wonderful perfume for a mini-vacation in your mind. Spicy/Salty Floral 2010

Pagoda Peace
Notes include: Vanilla, Frankincense, Ambergris, Tonka, Ambrette, Fruit accord, Jasmine, Neroli, Ylang Ylang, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Palma Rosa, Rosewood
The Jasmine is blooming all around the temple and, as you walk into this sacred space, you catch a whiff of Frankincense, Rosewood, ripe fruit, and sweet aromas like Vanilla, Tonka, Neroli, and Ylang Ylang. This scent centers you. You breathe deeply and you know you are in a place where you can just be peace. Floral Oriental Perfume 2010

Souvenirs de la Vie
Life is full of colour, texture, music, and aroma. These are captured in Souvenirs de la Vie through the sweet earthy base notes of Vanilla and Patchouli, the floral heart of Jasmine sambac and Neroli, and the spicy notes of Cinnamon Leaf and Black Pepper. Oriental 2009

Introductory offer BUY ALL SIX in a two ml slim sample bottle with a dipper stick for only $33.00 and enjoy a new fragrance every few months for a year (depending on usage).

Shipping is $5.00 to Canada and the US

Connect to http://www.scentofnature.net/ to purchase.

Fall Perfume Challenge

2010-08-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Time for a little perfume challenge, if you're up for it.

Autumn is on the way and it is a perfect time to make an Oriental Perfume so we can cozy in for a winter of love and intimacy. It can be a floral Oriental, spicy, earthy, whatever you choose. A data tag must be attached ie: name of the perfume, the ingredients, 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, and the 'best before date'.

Please:

o submit to me by October 31st (if you email me on Oct 15th, I will let you know where to send it)
o send two 1 ml sample vials of perfume for assessment
o use only 11 Natural Perfume components (not 10; not 12; I'm sure you get the picture)
o base can be oil, alcohol, or wax (these do not count as part of the 11)
o write five sentences that tell the story behind your new creation
o write five sentences about who you are in relation to Natural Perfumery

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:
o Balance – so that no single component can be detected (unless it is a soliflore)
o 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?
o Diffusion – to surround the wearer with an aura of scent
o Tenacity – staying power is the ability of a perfume to last on the wearer for more than just a couple of hours
o 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 what we create.

The Winner

I will review and evaluate the submissions looking for the above characteristics, rating each on a scale of 1-10. Should your entry 'win', I will publish a review of your perfume along with your perfume story and five-sentence bio on my Blog. I will also gift you with a 2 ml bottle of "Pagoda Peace", my new Oriental Perfume coming out this fall.

Everyone one who submits a perfume will get recognized in a separate post along with my comments and my thanks for participating.

If you've been thinking about it and putting it off for some reason, now might be a good time to get your Blog or web-presence happening because, if you win, what better way to start your first Blog entry than to state, 'I won!'

Please contact me now to Register (send your photo, full name, and address) and let me know your intentions about doing this challenge. I look forward to having my own personal sniffarama very soon.

LynAyre@telus.net

They're here

2010-04-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

I've been shopping and they have arrived and I'm ready to make some amazing scents.

Boronia from Australia... Narcissus and Hyacinth from Israel...

Fresh citrus and spice oils from California including Ruby Red Grapefruit.

and Ambergris from Italy

Stay tuned for this year's frolicky and fun formula. Yum

Sweet Violet

2010-02-23T15:02:00.001-08:00

In November each year, we place our plants under the benches and stairs and protect them with a poly shield so they can over-winter safely. Most of them do survive to bring us joy and health in the Spring and for the rest of the growing season.

Last year, I planted some sweet violets. Though they didn't flower, they did produce a prolific crop of leaves. I did several fresh tinctures of the leaves and was rewarded by my efforts.

The tincture colour is the greenest of greens and the taste is sweet and green all at the same time. It gently develops on my tongue and immediately clears my head and uplifts me. I feel this clearing go all the way through my body.

The fresh leaves are edible in salads. Flowers have been known to be candied and placed on cakes and other confectionary items. Flowers can also be made into a jelly.

This plant's leaves are indicated for respiratory complaints such as coughing, congestion, and sore throat. A soothing syrup can be made that is also good for kids.

The dried root can be decocted for use as a laxative.

Today, Feb 18th, it is blooming. The smell of the Sweet Viola is also a sought-after aroma by Natural Perfumers. Descriptors include: fresh, sweet, gentle, alluring.

Alas, it will remain in our dreams as we relentlessly pursue of a doppleganger of this beloved scent though the creation of myriad scent similars.

This year, I'm going to try my hand at enfleurage of this tiny delicate flower. If I am successful, I will post my notes and photos here.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

These are the essential oils and absolutes presented in our Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfume Course.

Base Notes: Ambrette Seed CO2, Frankincense, Labdanum (Ambriene 1), Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla absolute, and Vetiver

Heart Notes: Cinnamon Leaf, Jasmine grandiflorum absolute, Lavender absolute, Litsea, Neroli, Rose Moroc, and Ylang Ylang extra

Head Notes: Bergamot fcf, Black Pepper, Clary Sage, Coriander, Galbanum, Palma Rosa, and Rosewood

Dozens of perfumes can be formulated from these 21 oils. I'm offering three in this post.

Valentine’s is fast approaching and it is time to celebrate the day of love with a new and natural perfume made right in your own kitchen.

They say the road to a man’s heart is through his stomach so is it any wonder that Vanilla tops the list of Romantic essential oils. A little dab’ll do ya… just behind the ear… and you’ll have him eating out of your hands.

The chart above shows the three main categories of Base, Heart, and Head notes in a perfume.
Base notes last quite a long time and anchor a perfume. Heart notes are generally floral or spicy and give body to the blend. Head notes tend to take flight quite quickly and represent the first burst of scent out of the bottle.

…Bottle – go to the attic, the thrift store, your grandma’s, and beg, borrow, or (well, I can’t tell you to steal, now can I?) something small and really pretty with a tight fitting stopper.

The local Aromatherapy store will have what you need as far as natural essential oils. Go when your sinuses are clear and bring some ground coffee beans in a baggie to sniff in between sniffing sessions. This will clear your nasal palate. Buy the smallest quantity you can. 2 to 5 ml works best. We are going to be doing this by the drop so ensure there is a dropper inserted into the bottle. You will also need a pipette and some scent strips (water colour paper will do).

Let’s make up a few formulas choosing from the oils above.

Is there anything better than the smell of roses? Yum. This perfume features Rose, in all her glory and is an equal blend of Base, Heart, and Head Notes. The end result is a perfume of 22% strength. We will mix this blend into 117 drops of Golden Jojoba Oil.

Rose In All Her Glory
6 drops of Sandalwood
2 drops of Frankincense
3 drops of Vanilla
6 drops of Rose (use your favourite)
2 drops of Ylang Ylang
3 drops of Lavender essential oil
6 drops of Black Pepper
2 drops of Clary Sage
3 drops of Palma Rosa

This perfume is smooth and romantic, with no sharp edges. For loving sensuality, this is the one to use. The vanilla makes this perfume go cloudy. It is something that I don’t concern myself about when I make it for personal use. In an alcohol base, it will be clear and pristine. To the perfumed oil, you could also add a teaspoon of beeswax pellets to make a solid perfume like the one pictured above. The aroma of this perfume lasts for at least 4-5 hours.

Our next perfume is quite spicy with an Oriental Base and some fruity citrus notes. Here we’ve created a perfume with approximately 50% for the Base Notes; 20 % for the Heart; and 30% for the Head Notes. There are 39 drops in this perfume so we want 111 drops of Golden Jojoba to make it up to a 7.5 ml bottle of perfume.

Spice My Life
8 drops of Labdanum (if you cannot find labdanum, you could use steam distilled Oakmoss or steam distilled Peru Balsam instead)
7 drops of Vanilla
4 drops of Frankincense
4 drops of Litsea
1 drops of Cinnamon Leaf
3 drops of Neroli
7 drops of Bergamot fcf
2 drops of Coriander
3 drops of Palma Rosa

This perfume is fun and flirty and full of the spice of life. Again, the labdanum and vanilla made it go cloudy but this can either be overlooked (as it does not affect the aroma), created in alcohol, or made into a solid by mixing your perfumed oil with a teaspoon of beeswax. This perfume lasts for several hours.

Next we’ll try our hand at a floral bouquet featuring Jasmine. This time, we’ll allow our intuition full reign and see what happens. Tune into your higher self and ask how many drops of each essential oil need to go into your perfume. Keep it within the bounds of reason, like the two perfumes above (in other words, don’t use 20 drops of something when making a small amount of perfume). Here are the ideas I received from my perfume divas when I connected to the Spirit of the Plants and respectfully asked for inspiration to create the following perfume.

Patchouli Posey
8 drops of Patchouli
4 drops of Vetiver
2 drops of Sandalwood
5 drops of Jasmine (whichever one you like; I used grandiflorum absolute)
3 drops of Rose (whichever one you like; I used moroc)
1 drops of Ylang Ylang
7 drops of Bergamot fcf
2 drops of Rosewood
2 drops of Black Pepper

There are 34 drops of essential oil in this perfume formula so we need 116 drops of Golden Jojoba Oil to create a 7.5 ml bottle of perfume. This perfume is very sexy, full of aphrodisiac scent molecules, and is sure to create an evening of inner stirrings and passion. This aroma lasts up to eight hours, depending on your skin type. As well, all these essential oils dissolve and the end result is clear and golden.

Alternative to Jojoba, you can use Fractionated Coconut oil, or a 190 proof alcohol, which is always my preference as it thoroughly dissolves all the essential oils so my perfumes turn out crystal clear. Have fun with this.

I hope you have enjoyed your foray into the world of Natural Perfumery. It is full of satisfaction and pride knowing that what you’re wearing, when you’re not wearing anything else (sly grin) is really good for you and your partner. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. I know Norm and I will enjoy ours.

Love Lyn

http://www.scentofnature.net/

http://coeurdespritnaturalperfume.blogspot.com/

http://heartgaia.blogspot.com/

ALIVE Magazine Interview

2009-08-06T13:51:00.001-07:00

In November 2008, I was contacted by Sonja Zoeller, an intern at ALIVE Magazine, to do an interview about Natural Perfume. Please Pick up your copy to see the beautiful job they did on the layout and graphics. For those of you who are not local, here is the pdf to view: http://www.scentofnature.net/Interviews%20%26%20Reviews.htm#Professional%20Interviews:

Doing an Interview

2009-06-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Lyn E. Ayre, Canadian Natural Perfumer

As is my habit, I always ask for a list of questions beforehand so I can be prepared. These questions are answered below:

These perfumes are created in my beautiful (if small) Atelier.

I have searched the world for beautiful packaging...

... to contain my natural perfumes.

LA - Thanks so much for the opportunity of an interview with your magazine, and for your interest in Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes.

Only natural ingredients go into my Natural Perfumes.

NJ -1. What types of ingredients are found in natural fragrances?
LA - All types of plant material are represented in a Natural Perfumer’s palette, including: roots such as Vetiver, Angelica, and Orris; wood – Agar, Cedarwood, and Muhuhu; seeds – Coriander, Ambrette, and Anise; leaves – Patchouli, Cypress, Cinnamon; pod/bean – Vanilla; fruits – Bergamot, Litsea, and Black Pepper; flowers – Rose, Jasmine, Lavender; and gums/resins – Frankincense, Galbanum, and Labdanum. As well, in my perfumes I employ cruelty-free animal essences: Hyraceum from the Rock Hyrax, which represents the element of Earth; Honey Bees’ Wax, which represents the element of Air; and Ambergris, which represents the element of Water.
I am ethically and morally against the use of Civet, Castoreum, and Animal Musk as the creature is either tortured or killed in order to get the desired product. The animal essences I use add a lovely earthiness, are very grounding, and I can use them with a clear conscience.

NJ -2. Are all of these ingredients considered eco-friendly (including production/ transportation)? How are natural fragrances more sustainable than commercial ones?
LA - Where available (and this is becoming more prevalent), I buy organic essential oils and absolutes and trust that my supplier makes the right choices in transportation and the grower makes the right choices in production.
I'm not sure how, or even if, natural fragrances more sustainable that commercial ones. Certainly, commercial perfumes have a goodly amount of natural essences and so there are commercial productions all over the world that serve the commercial perfume houses. They contain a whole lot of synthetic chemicals, too, which are created in the lab and therefore presumably 'sustainability' is not an issue.

NJ -3. What is a scent circle?
LA - A ‘scent circle’ is generally considered to be a little more than arm’s length from one’s physical body, so that when someone leans in to say something personal to you, give you a hug, or whisper a secret, they will be able to detect your perfume. The perfume scent doesn’t invade the surrounding area and cause a disruption to others.

Essential oils create accords that add variety to Natural Perfumes.

NJ -4. What are the benefits of using natural fragrances? What are some therapeutic benefits of essential oils?
LA - Our bodies more easily recognize natural aromas because they smell of nature and so are made of the same stuff we are – flowers, trees, water, animals, grasses, roots, and fruit. These scents make us feel at home and we don’t fight them. There are therapeutic effects from the essential oils used in Natural Perfumes… for instance both Sandalwood and Lime have an uplifting effect on our mood. Lavender and Chamomile are relaxing and balancing. Rose and Jasmine create feelings of love and sensuality. Fir needle and cypress make us want to go for a walk in the woods. These fragrances bring us back to earth, grounding us into the gifts of Gaia. They are gently mood-altering, not in a druggie way rather in a natural way.

NJ -5. How do commercial fragrances cause olfactory fatigue and allergies?
LA - I’m not sure about commercial perfumes as I have no experience in creating them. Although some did not bother me, most cause me to sneeze and have a feeling of pressure in my forehead. Naturals can cause olfactory fatigue, as well. This is why we keep some freshly ground coffee beans close by so we can refresh our olfactory palette.
Working with essential oils on a regular basis has offered me the opportunity to create a safe work environment in my Atelier. Working with them in a safe manner and limiting my exposure to these highly concentrated essences is key for longevity in this business.
It has been said that one can use Lavender and Tea Tree essential oil ‘neat’ or undiluted. I strongly advise against this practice of using any essential oil ‘neat’. I have read that it takes 2,000 rose petals to yield a drop of Rose oil. I was at a lavender farm and saw the wheelbarrow full of dried lavender going into the alembic for the steam distillation process. It took half a wheelbarrow to yield a few mils of essential oil. These essences are to be respected and used with caution. Each essential oil and absolute has its own set of cautions. Some can cause skin sensitization, some are photo toxic, most should not be used by women who are pregnant or lactating, by people who are very ill, or by people who have some kind of major organ disease or damage.

NJ -6. Where do your ingredients come from?
LA - I buy my essences from trusted suppliers who work hard to ensure their product is of a very high quality and ethically harvested and, as I replace my current oils, I look for organic options.

Shown are the one ounce and two ounce size.

NJ -7. How do you create special perfumes for people? How much does this cost?
LA – When someone is interested in having a perfume made especially for them, the next step is to determine whether they want a mini ($150.00) or the full ($375.00) consultation.
For the mini, you come in and just over an hour later, you leave with an ounce of perfume and are asked to allow it to age in a dark cool place for a month before using it. We work with an idea, for instance, you love Jasmine and want that aroma to be featured in your final perfume.
For the full, we will begin with a 90–minute consultation and create a brief – a set of images and concepts you envision in your final perfume. I will set about formulating a couple of versions and send samples for you to try out for a week. When you decide which one you’d like, we will have another consultation to finalize the formula. Then I will make up two ounces of it for you and keep your formula on file so no one else will have it.

NJ -8. What ingredients do people need to look out (potentially harmful) for with natural fragrances?
LA – There are several plants that are known sensitizers, for instance: Costus and Fig Leaf. They can be dermal and cause skin problems or respiratory and cause breathing problems. There is no law against using any of these oils. The point is to use them in high dilution, do not use them all in the same formula, and do a skin test on your client or yourself. I do not use ingredients that are known sensitizers. There is now a way to extract the offending constituents and it is called spinning cone distillation.
Some essential oils are photo toxic – ie: Bergamot, Lime, Melissa. The offending constituent is the furocourmarins. These are organic chemical compounds that are created by many plants ie: Saint Johns Wort, Ginger, citrus fruits, and others. When the plant material is extracted by cold-expression or is ‘cold-pressed’, the furocourmarins come across into the end product. There are steam-distilled versions of several of these oils and one should use them to limit the possibility of photo-toxicity. As well, one could spray the perfume on the hair or clothing, or only use that perfume in the evening when you won’t be exposed to the sun. It is suggested to stay out of the sun for 24 - 48 hours after using an essential oil that is photo-toxic.

NJ -9. Why were synthetic fragrances introduced in the first place (Chanel No. 5 first 100% synthetic)?
LA - Commercial perfumery has never been that interesting to me as I generally had a bad reaction to them. This is why I love to create naturals, and I love to teach others how to create them, as well.

NJ -10. Do you see the trend in perfumes moving back towards natural fragrances for good (or is this a short-lived trend)?
LA – Everything has a cycle, as you are likely aware – a time for every season, as it were. Right now we are, as a consciousness in the western world, striving to come back into balance both globally and personally. We are becoming acutely aware of our impact on the environment and are looking for ways of minimizing or even eliminating our personal and collective footprint.
Going back to nature and natural products allows us to maintain our personal grooming habits in a more eco-friendly way. It is my hope that this trend will become engraved in our psyche once more and we will go forward with it, ad infinitum. I don’t feel it is likely that we ‘independent natural perfumers’ will put the big commercial houses out of business. We are simply offering an option and when we do that, we empower people with choices. That is always a good thing.

NJ -11. Do people have allergies toward certain essential oils? How severe could the potential reaction be?
LA – People have allergies towards the most innocuous items such as oranges or peanuts. We are all so very different in our chemical make-up, strengths, and weaknesses. Potentially, at least, a person could be allergic to anything. And, it has been shown that, for instance, even if you have been stung by a bee a dozen times, the next time might be the time when you’ll have a bad reaction. It is difficult to make beautiful perfumes and think about this at the same time, just like it would be difficult to carry on making peanut butter sandwiches, and give them to your grandkids, knowing that the smidge they licked from the spoon could kill them. We cannot live that way. Instead, we do our very best to create in a safe environment and leave the rest to Spirit, ensuring that we have a good first aid routine in place, just in case.

NJ -12. Do all synthetic fragrances emulate naturally occurring fragrances? Are there any natural fragrances that can’t be replicated: jasmine?
LA - I'm not sure as I am not into the commercial scene. I do know that naturals cannot produce a peach scent or a pear scent and so commercial perfumers turn to synthetics to add these notes to the perfume.
Nothing can compare to the scent of real Jasmine, Rose, Patchouli, or Orris Root. Real Ambergris cannot be replicated. The gifts from Gaia are unique, sensual, healthy, and authentic. How can they be replicated?

NJ: Lyn, thanks for seeing us today and for giving me a lovely perfume sample to remember you by.
LA: Thank you for a wonderful experience.

Essences and Accords in my Perfumes

2009-02-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

Animal essences impart unrivalled depth, strength, and sensuality to any perfume formula. They have been used since ancient times. I use Ambergris, Hyraceum, Honey Beeswax, and non-animalic leather notes such as blonde tobacco, Muhuhu wood, and a leather accord I created. Please know that no animal was experimented on or injured in any way to produce my perfumes. If you do not wish animal essences (Ambergris (water), Hyraceum (earth), or Honey Beeswax (air) in your perfume, simply let me know. As each batch is made fresh, it is no problem at all to make it just right for you.

Floral essences add a luscious full body to perfumes. Using myriad combinations of Rose, Jasmine, Carnation, Iris Root, Frangipani, Ylang Ylang, Tuberose, Golden Champa, Geranium, Lavender, Orange Blossom, Linden Blossom, Mimosa, Chamomile, Pink Lotus, Ginger Lily, Exotic Osmanthus, Genet, Neroli, and various accords I’ve created to mimic other flowers such as Honeysuckle, Magnolia, Hyacinth, and Heliotrope, the heart of a perfume is created.

Fruity essences lend a yummy juiciness to the perfume formula. I use Davana, Caraway, and various citrus such as Sweet Orange, Tangerine, Bergamot fcf, Lemongrass, Lime, Litsea, and Melissa. The citrus oils used are steam distilled so non-photo toxic and are therefore safe to use on skin that will be exposed to sunlight.

Spices such as Cinnamon Leaf, Pimento Berry, Turmeric, Anise, Mint, Ginger, Cardamom, Coriander, Black Pepper, Green Pepper, Pink Pepper, White Pepper, Rosemary, Sage, Clove Bud, Allspice tincture, and Clary Sage add zest and texture.

Woods, seeds, grasses, lees, gums, and resins, such as Ambrette Seed, Cabreuva, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Green Cognac, Hay absolute, Labdanum, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver make up the bulk of the base, grounding the fruits, florals, and spices into Mother Earth once again. These act as an anchor, along with animal essences, to 'fix' the perfume and keep it close to the body and long-lasting.

Various accords have also been created to give further personality, charm, and character to the formulation – smoky, dry, green, fruity, ambery, spicy, Chypre, powdery – all have their place in the process of creating an aroma that you will love.

Natural Perfume Formulation & Blending

2008-11-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

A one-day workshop is being offered on the topic of formulating and blending pure & natural essences. We will create a natural oil and an alcohol-based perfume that you will take home. Topics include: How we detect aroma, Methods of Extraction, the Essences, Safety, the Bases, Formulation, Scent Profiling, Skin Types, and Fragrance Families. This is an introduction into the fragrant world of Natural Perfumery using essential oils to create perfumes for yourself, friends, and family.

Date: Tuesday 23May2009
Time: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Investment: $150.00 plus supplies
Instructor: Natural Perfumer Lyn E. Ayre, Ph.D.
Location: Coeur d'Esprit in Coquitlam, BC

Please call or email me for the Supplies List and directions to our location.
604-524-8565 or LynAyre@telus.net
You will receive a Certificate of Attendance

Interview about Perfume Course-Le Parfeumer Rebelle

2008-09-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

Le Parfumeur Rebellee
Working the Bench : Interviews With A lternative Perfumers
Lyn Ayre & Tonie Silver take a Rebelle Rendezvous
11September2008

http://www.leparfumeurrebelle.com/working_the_bench.html

Perfume Interview with Sniffapalooza Magazine

2008-08-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Raphaella Brescia Barkley, Editor of Sniffapalooza Magazine asked for an interview and some samples to review on August 12th. I sent it back on August 17th and it came out on August 29th.

Perfume Interview/Reviews: After you go to this link http://www.sniffapaloozamagazine.com/NATURALSPAGE.html go to Edit, then Find on this page, and type in Lyn Ayre. It will take you to the article.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this article. It's not been out for 24 hours and I've already had a few calls and email orders.

Thanks, Raphaella.

Warmly, Lyn

Natural Perfumery Course

2008-05-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

My first order of business is always: DO NO HARM, which is why I include the following statement and I make it up front.

When making natural perfumes, we are dealing with the wondrous, powerful, and generally medicinal plant essences. Please refrain from taking this course if you are: have major internal organ damage, have severe breathing or skin allergies or sensitivities, or your health is otherwise severely compromised.

Those who are pregnant or lactating and those who are waiting for their supplies to arrive, can complete and email the following paper projects for the correspondence course: 1 on Anosmia, 4 on another descriptor for rose oil, 6 on descriptive words or phrases, project 16 on tincture and infusions, project 19 Passion for Perfume, project 25 philosophies; half of the following: 3, 8, 12, 14, and 21 on accords. The reading, gathering of supplies, and preparation of a safe Atelier can also be accomplished while you are waiting to begin the course.

"Attention Professional Registered Aromatherapists"

Work from home to earn your Continuing Education Credits. Achieving a Certificate of Completion for this six-month correspondence course in Natural Perfumery may satisfy the requirements for the 24 CEC's that you need to maintain your professional membership.

Check with your association for more details."

Natural Perfumery Course
~a path to the Heart of Spirit~
Introduction to the art of Natural Perfumery.
We will be covering twenty-one oils/absolutes; various bases;
scent profiling; the language of natural perfumery; formulation;
accords; scent-similars; tinctures; macerations; and many other aspects.
Specific assignments are given for each of the six sections.
In order to attain a Certificate of Completion for this course, you will
need to do these twenty-six assignments and reports, sixteen perfume samples,
and the final proctored written exam, and practical exam. The exam can be taken six months after you begin your studies. This is an in-depth course and there is no need to rush.

Perfumery Course Goals & Objectives
At the end of this perfumery course, you will know how to make perfume in various bases. You’ll be given recipes for all of these bases, and some of my perfume formulations I've created for this course. You will know where to get top quality oils, absolutes, concretes, and attars. You will learn the vocabulary needed to describe the scents you are creating and sniffing.

You will learn how to create vertical and horizontal accords, preparing parts of future perfumes in advance of needing them. Learning about tincturing, infusing, and maceration will be included as part of the course, as well. Some plants do not yield up their scent so you will also learn how to make a doppelganger of the desired scent.

We will not spend much time on the history of perfume though several links are included in the resources section. It has been romanticized and theorized about in books, magazines, and on the internet, and you may read this material at your leisure. It is all very interesting, exciting, and wonderful to know where we’ve come from, as a population of people who have loved perfumes since the dawn of man. However, for my course, I am opting to leave that aspect of writing to those more deeply involved in it. I just love to make perfumes and I want to share that with you.
Creating a natural perfume today is quite different from how it was created a hundred years ago simply due to the myriad botanical ingredients that are now available to us. We live in a time that is ripe for the making of our own household, bath, and beauty products. We are very fortunate, indeed.

In this course, we will simply concern ourselves with the art of making perfume, the science and chemistry behind it will be included in the resource section. Again, there are many great books that one can study about the structure of essential oils, and botanical components. There is a reading list included in the courseware.

The book called: The Scent Trail provides a wonderful olfactory journey into the origins of some of the materials we will be using in this course. It is recommended reading, though there are no projects or exam questions arising from it. See my review for http://www.amazon.ca/ The Scent Trail Review

You will learn how to work with the energy of the substances you are holding: their colour, viscosity, tenacity, scent profile, and how they operate with one another. We will create a Scent Song as we look at the work of Piesse. There are several supporting .pdf files that I can email to you for further learning. We will create a perfume for use in spiritual rituals.

The profiles of the twenty-one oils and absolutes covered in this course are given in three parts: aromatically, therapeutically, and spiritually. This includes safety information, as it is key to a wonderful product. Here are the essential oils and absolutes we will be covering in the course so you can go ahead and begin to order them. It's easier on the budget when you don't have to do it all at once. As well, if you look at my links page, you will see many tried and trusted suppliers to get you started. Make sure none of these essences are diluted in jojoba as they won't mix with alcohol if they are. You want 100% not a 10 or 20 % dilution. Purchase small amounts (2-10 ml) to start. You will be making your own dilutions.

Base Notes: Ambrette Seed CO2, Frankincense, Labdanum (Ambriene 1), Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla absolute, and Vetiver

Heart Notes: Cinnamon Leaf, Jasmine grandiflorum absolute, Lavender absolute, Litsea, Neroli, Rose Moroc, and Ylang Ylang extra

Head Notes: Bergamot fcf, Black Pepper, Clary Sage, Coriander, Galbanum, Palma Rosa, and Rosewood

*****
Registration and Investment
All students must complete a Registration Form, which I will send upon receipt of payment.

The Course: I am offering an in-depth, correspondence course on the basics of natural perfumery, so you can work at your own pace. The manual is well-written, professionally edited, with good photos, tables, and interesting assignments and experiments. I am also available on the phone, at no extra cost, for those students who are more auditory in their learning patterns. There is on-going email support, again at no further cost.

If you would like to order this informative and aromatic course, please email LynAyre@telus.net with any questions you may have. It can be ordered through the PayPal on my website at http://www.scentofnature.net/ There is always a lot of solid information in my courses. You will need to purchase supplies, essential oils, and absolutes, so when you email, request the Supplies/Suppliers List.

The Investment: Going green? Great. The entire manual comes to you via email and we can save a lot of trees by using this method. Just think, very shortly after ordering your course, it will be in your email. Unless we are away, this happens in less than 48 hours. All projects can be sent to me by email and so can the Exam. Investment: $350.00

The Exam: I don't offer the proctored exam until the six-month point as there are 26 projects and 16 samples to complete and send in. This doesn't happen overnight. There should be no rush to complete this course. The exam consists of 57 questions. There are no multiple choice so no option for guessing the right answer. You need to know your material before you write the exam. It takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete this exam and you will need a Proctor to be with you. There is a form they will need to fill out attesting to the fact that you did the exam from memory. When you request the exam, you will need to let me know where to mail it to your Proctor. You will then sit the exam at their home or office.

Return Policy
This is a correspondence course and as such may be started at any time convenient to you. I do not offer a refund once the course has been emailed out as, by that time, you have the full course material hence all that you need, and that I have put my heart into creating, to learn the art of perfumery.

Thank you.

Working with Spirit Energy

2007-11-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

Working with Spirit Energy

Working with Source Energy and grounding to Gaia is a natural way of being for me; it's how I live my life. That, of course, extends to my perfumery. The spirit of the plant is the aromatic aura (fragrance) it releases. The word 'perfume' comes from the Latin per fumum (there seems to be multiple spellings of this phrase), which literally means through smoke. In ancient times, burning botanicals was how our ancestors honored their gods. The church still does this today with their smudge pots and scented candles. Most rituals include flowers, which are soothing in their form, colour, and aroma. When we can't think of anything else, we bring/send flowers. Working with plant material and the gifts they offer is indeed sacred work. It is a privilege to create a perfume that can elevate the Self to Source (you know, that goofy look we get when we smell something that 'just sends us', and is 'just heavenly') while at the same time recognizing the gifts of Gaia and growing in appreciation for our earth.
Honoring the Spirit of Source Energy, the Spirit of Earth/Gaia Energy, and the Spirit of the plants/plant essences you work with each day will add a remarkable dimension to the whatever you create. All the way through the process – from chanting Om while you gather the leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds from the plants in your garden, to saying a prayer while you create the tinctures, that they be for the highest good of those who use them, to activating healing energies through your hands and the tools around you and flowing that into your product – every step of the way offers a new opportunity to add unique energies to the mix. Each person will bring to his or her practice their own way of being in regards to working with Spirit Energy. Whether you pray, chant, use intentions, tone, use crystals or colours, or some other ritual, you will notice the difference in response from your clients when you add Spirit Energy.

MAKING CONNECTIONS ~ A review of trusted suppliers

2007-07-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

Dear readers: I have spent years sourcing quality suppliers and have compiled the following list so that you don't have to spend the time and can just enjoy creating perfume. I have tried many suppliers and these are wonderful. Specialty items are often seasonal and may not be in stock at the time of your order. I hope you have found this list helpful. Warmly, Lyn

Personally Recommended
A Review of Suppliers - Perfume Ingredients/Bottles

Accessories for Fragrances
http://store01.prostores.com/servlet/accessoriesforfragrances/Categories?category=ATOMIZERS-PURSE
perfume bottles

A Scents Worth
http://www.ascentsworth.com/accessories.html
display racks for perfume essences

After The Rayne
http://www.atrsupplies.com/
Quality goods & customer service
Sometimes has Ambrette Seeds to tincture; ships to Canada

Alteya

Sells organic Bulgarian Rose Otto http://www.bulgarianroseotto.com/ ships to Canada

Casa de Perfumes
http://www.casadeperfumes.com/atomizers-gold-12.html
perfume bottles; does not ship to Canada; ships only to US

Cranberry Lane
http://cranberrylane.stores.yahoo.net/soapmaking-supplies-solids.html
beeswax, cosmetic ingredients, essential oils, containers; Vancouver based

Creative Packaging
http://www.creativepackaging.ca/
boxes, bags, packaging
Vancouver based

Eden Botanicals
http://www.edenbotanicals.com/
Quality goods & customer service. Wonderful essential oils, absolutes, and CO2 extracts; ships to Canada

Elements Bath and Beauty http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/home.php supplier of bottles, pipettes, waterproof labels, bags, beeswax, containers ships to Canada

Jupiter Essential Oils
http://www.jupitersessentialoils.com/
Quality goods & customer service. Wonderful essential oils; hydrosols; fixed oils;
Vancouver based

Lotion Crafter
http://www.lotioncrafter.com/store/
2 ml spray atomizers for samples to show others.

Mountain Rose http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/aroma/ess.html Quality goods & customer service. Certified Organic oils and absolutes. ships to Canada

Nature’s Gift
http://www.naturesgift.com/
Quality goods & customer service. Wonderful essential oils, absolutes, and CO2 extracts and specialty items like Blue, Pink, and White Lotus
ships to Canada

New Directions
http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/ Toronto based http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/ USA based
Quality goods & customer service. Wonderful essential oils, absolutes, and CO2 extracts; botanicals; containers; ships to Canada

Oshun http://www.oshun.ca/ Quality goods & customer service. Canadian Supplier of essential oils, absolutes, containers and bottles, cosmetic supplies, .9 ml small sample vials, botanicals. Canadian Company

Samara Botane
http://www.wingedseed.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SB&Category_Code=SBEOQuality goods & customer service. Wonderful essential oils, absolutes (such as seaweed), and CO2 extracts; case to contain essential oils; Scent Strip holder; ships to Canada

Snowdrift Farms http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/perfume.html Supplier of Perfumer’s alcohol (couriered to Canada) and other related products

Sunburst Bottle
http://www.sunburstbottle.com/
Quality goods & customer service. Lovely perfume bottles and
.9 ml sample bottles ships to Canada

SunRose Aromatics http://www.sunrosearomatics.com/ Quality goods & customer service. Wonderful essential oils, absolutes, and CO2 extracts; ships to Canada

TAP Aromatherapy Store
http://www.tapstore.ca/index.html
Quality goods & customer service. BC source for quality perfume and cosmetic ingredients

Victorie Inc
http://www.victorie-inc.us/
Quality goods & customer service. Wonderful essential oils, absolutes, and specialty items like Ambrette Seed CO2 extract; ships to Canada

White Lotus Aromatics
http://www.whitelotusaromatics.com/
Quality goods & customer service. Wonderful essential oils, absolutes, and CO2 extracts; ships to Canada

White Witch - Ruth Ruane in Ireland http://www.whitewitch.ie/
Quality goods & customer service. Wonderful concretes, teas, herbs, beeswax, botanicals for tincturing, and many other items for gift-giving. Ships to Canada

"Whole Notes" Has Been Reviewed

2007-07-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

(I created this fractal image named 'Joy' and it resonates to my newest perfume called "Whole Notes")

**The Perfume Bee, Christine Pierce, has reviewed my latest creation called "Whole Notes". I am so pleased Christine enjoyed this fragrance. Here is the review:

"Last Saturday night I attended a festive evening soiree and wanted to wear a suitably dressy fragrance. I chose “Whole Notes,” a floral oriental perfume from Canadian perfumer Lyn Ayre of Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfume.

Whole Notes has notes of: Bergamot, Linden Blossom, Pink Lotus, Mimosa, Black Currant Bud, Oud, Clary Sage absolute, and Labdanum.

This beautiful fragrance turned out to be the perfect choice. Whole Notes is subtly elegant and does not overpower even on the sultriest of summer evenings. It opens with a light kiss of Linden Blossom and then deepens into the sweet, heady Mimosa and Pink Lotus notes. The woody, resinous labdanum pulls it together nicely, and contributes to a fairly long-lasting drydown.

Posted by: Christine at 7:40 pm on Sunday, July 22, 2007
Whole notes is available online at ScentofNature.net.
Cost: 10 ml - $37.50; 33 ml - $65.00; 60 ml - $110.00"

**This is the description from my website at http://www.scentofnature.net/perfumes.htm:

Whole Notes 'Hard to work with!', I hear. 'Not if you know how to talk to them and coax them out to play.', I say. Thick, chunky, and stuck to the lid and sides of the containers, these yummy essences of Linden Blossom, Pink Lotus, Mimosa, Black Current Bud, Oud, Clary Sage absolute, and Labdanum (my favourite) marched in with Bergamot in the lead, are an orchestra worth listening to. I love this perfume. Floriental 2007. Evening wear.

Coastal Rains

2007-07-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Coastal Rains Perfume begins as a fresh shower of Fir, Mimosa, and Galbanum. Soon, a light sprinkling of Genet, Linden Blossom, Rose, Jasmine, Lavender, and Orange Blossom give up their scent to the droplets. Earth notes of Sandalwood, Muhuhu wood, Ambrette, and Hyraceum finish the descent to puddle and leave the air smelling green, clean, and slightly floral with a distinct leather note.

Coastal Rains Meditation

Begin your journey by lightly wafting the scent of Coastal Rains Perfume around you. Then take a few deep breaths into your lower abdomen, and

Imagine…

It’s raining. You gaze at the windowpane, which is covered in drops. Drops of different sizes. Sizes that vary with the intensity of the drop's journey to the glass. You find a drop whose path interests you. You follow it down the pane – slowly or quickly – it takes you deeper into relaxation. As it completes its course, you spot another drop to follow.

And, as you follow each drop down and down, slowly or quickly, you go deeper and deeper. Deeper into forms, deeper into shapes; deeper into aroma, following it down and down; deeper into colour; deeper into reflection. Deeper and deeper you go until your heart slows and your breathing slows and your eyes close. Deeper and deeper you descend into relaxation.

The aroma of the scent creates images in your mind’s eye. The sound of the rain takes over your imagination. You float up and onto this aromatic sound. This sound becomes the background for the sound of your breath. Breathing in and out, slowly, and deeply.

Your body is feeling heavy and grounded. Grounded to Gaia. Your spirit feeling lighter and lighter and flying free; free to go wherever it desires; to fly on this rainy quiet day; a day to enjoy smelling and hearing and watching and listening; free to play.

Play for a while...

And now, the sound of the rain is bringing you back, back to this room and this time, time to awaken refreshed and alert. Become aware of your body and your feet on the floor, and when you are ready, just open your eyes.

Scent Molecules & Perfume Names

2007-05-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Scent Molecules
I love the way my first Aromatherapy teacher explained her concept about how we handle scent molecules. She likened it to a child’s Shape Ball – you know, the one where the kid picks up a block and tries to put it into the matching hole.

When we smell natural aromas, even if they are not pleasant, the nose knows what to do with them and the body can use those molecules for its highest good, or eliminate them.

When we smell a synthetic, it’s like putting the square block into the round hole. :) The Shape Ball doesn’t recognize that square shape in that round hole; meaning, the nose does not recognize that synthetic chemical so doesn’t know what to do with it. So, we begin to sneeze and our body sends out copious amounts of lymph in an effort to escort the invader out. When that doesn't work, it's bad news.

Apparently, our body cannot process synthetic molecules and has a hard time eliminating them. So, the body says, ‘Hey, we can’t use this molecule, so let’s store it over here. Hmmmmm, where? Ahhh, how about in the breast tissue.’ When enough synthetics get stored there, surrounding cells begin to change.

Dr. Bruce Lipton talks about cancer being, not so much about heredity as, about environment. He is an esteemed leader in his field: a cellular biologist, lecturer, and author. He served as an Associate Professor of Anatomy at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine. His DVD, “The Biology of Perception”, is amazing to watch.

Of course, you must remember that the above story is only one woman’s concept and another woman’s agreement with that concept. So, you be the judge.

Language
There is another point I want to make about language and how it may possibly affect us physically. I think of one client who came to me for energy work when she was going through breast cancer treatment. The doctor cured her cancer by removing the tissue and radiating the surrounding cells. Along with chemo, this is standard protocol and thank God it is there.

On the other side of this coin, due to the cancer and the treatment, she was not sleeping well, had no appetite, and felt betrayed by her body. Energy work helped her on all of these issues and she went back to work- cured and healed.

A few years later, she heard I was creating personal perfumes and stopped by for a visit to fill in my forms. One of the questions on the form is, “What is your lifelong favourite perfume?” and her answer was “POISON”. Knowing what she went through with the cancer, it struck me as more than a little interesting.

I have to wonder how much seeing that word POISON and spraying it all over her body every day had to do with the cancer, in the first place. I leave you to ponder.

Creating a bowl of Samplers

2007-05-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Creating Samplers for demonstrations, benefits, and workshops:

I wanted to have a sample prepared for everyone who was going to be in attendance, which amounted to 55 people. I brought out all my perfumes and made full 1 ml samplers. Each were labeled and each of the labels had a piece of scotch tape placed upon it to secure and protect the labels against leaks and dribbles.

I went through several scenarios on how best to distribute these 55 samples of 23 of my formulations. Most of the ideas I came up with were not good as they were too convoluted. In the end, I thought of cards to place the samplers on.

I wanted everything to be in the same place so only one item need be taken. On one side of the sheet, I printed my business card information. On the other side, I had the ingredients for the attached perfume. There was no software program for me to follow along so I created my own thing.

Here, the sheet shows the ten different areas for the perfume formulations to be shown. This is on the reverse side of my business card.

Each card was cut and a single hole was punched in the bottom.

I joined the perfume to the card.

and placed them all in a basket.

Now people can simply choose a card and read the back to see what is in the perfume. They can view the front of the card to see how to get a hold of more, should they find it resonates with them.

Tincturing Vanilla Beans

2007-05-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

At the moment, I'm in a wheelchair, having ruptured my left calf muscle on Sunday. I cannot stand or walk and it may be several weeks until I'm up and about. So, I'm doing everything I can -sitting down. : ,) Fortunately, writing and teaching comprises a lot of what I do during a day. I've also started this blog and that is a form of teaching.

Vanilla Beans

It 's been a neat day today. I received the shipment of Vanilla beans and set about to tincture them into Everclear. I bought 3 oz of each of Planifolia and Tahitian vanilla beans.

I finely cut ten of the Planifolia and placed it into 6 oz of Everclear and did the same for the Tahitian. I'll leave them sit for several weeks and see what I have then.

soaked in Everclear

A few hours later, though, the alcohol was a lovely clear deep brown. Mmm. The smell around here was divine. Even though I did this at 8 o'clock this morning, the house stills smells like vanilla and it is 2:43 pm. I've washed my hands multiple times and they still smell yummy, smells wonderful already.

My great-nephew was visiting today and we went for a ride in my wheelchair. He loved sniffing my fingertips today.

I'll keep you posted as to how it all turns out.

1August07

The final product

The Vanilla Bean tincture has turned out fabulous, smelling delicious, just good enough to eat.

COMMENT

I received a comment on this post almost immediately. It was in Spanish, as follows:
AndrÃ©s Gustavo FernÃ¡ndez has left a new comment on your post "Vanilla Bean tincture": Me parece maravilloso y fresco tu Blog!! Gracias por darle tanta frescura a estos espacios.Te invito a visitar mi pÃ¡gina personal en la que publico mis poemas y mis links (estos pueden interesarte mucho!!).Te envÃo un abrazo y te dejo mi direcciÃ³n: Http://pachakamakinartimago.blogspot.comHasta pronto!!AndrÃ©s G. FernÃ¡ndez

So, I sent it to work for Norm's friend to translate and here is what it says in English:

I think your Blog is fresh and marvelous!! Thank for giving that freshness to these spaces. I invite you to visit my personal page where I publish my poems and links (they could be of great interest for you) I send you a hug and I leave you my address: http://pachakamakinartimago.blogspot.com/

I wasn't able to contact this person via email so, will take the opportunity to say Thank You - Gracias for your kind words.

Lyn Ayre

off to figure out how to get the comments to come in properly : ,)

Sense-ual

2007-05-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

pictured is our grand daughter Cassidy employing her sense of sight, smell, taste, and touch. :)

Sense-ual

Our senses have been divided into five categories: hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching. These are gifts that can be used to centre ourselves and make our lives rich with meaning.

Listening to the sounds of nature, or to other soothing sounds, helps us to ground and relax into our body. If we live in an environment where we are often accosted by harsh noise, we can antidote that by playing the sounds that soothe us within our homes.

Visual arts and crafts give us moments of peace when we scan our surroundings. Our eyes can rest on colour, gentle scenes, contrast, textures, and multiple versions of light. If we have personally made any of these treasures, we are doubly delighted as we recall the experience and satisfaction of our creations.

Scent plays a dominant role in our homes: cooking odors, pet smells, the aroma of our loved ones, perfumes, aftershaves, all a veritable cacophony of memory producing molecules. Perhaps these bring to mind Grandma’s Chili recipe, the first time you held your pet, making love with your partner, or creating a natural perfume for a friend. All of these are powerful memories brought about by stimulation of the olfactory part of the brain.

Tasting that first sip of ‘cuppa’ in the morning is always refreshing. At lunch, we can crunch into a salad made with many colours, textures, aromas, and tastes, contrasting all of that with the sweet, salty, and sour of our favourite dressing. Sinking our teeth into our favourite food, having it burst in our mouth, with the flavors expanding and awakening our little buds, is a glorious event not to be hurried, but to be savored.

There’s something so enlivening about the touch of fabric on the skin: ultra soft cotton, ridged corduroy, crisp linen, satiny silk, and silky satin; the weight of it on our shoulders or hips; and the drape of it around our body and legs. Dressing ourselves for the day can be a time of remembering to love this beautiful body we live in. we can clothe it in gorgeous colours, designs, and symbology that are unique to us.

We are here to enjoy our senses as we come to realize they play a role in bridging our physical form to our spiritual being. Giving due appreciation to each of our five senses, using our sixth sense of intuition, and daily working with our seventh sense of spirituality, will keep us living at an optimal level where we can fulfill our purpose and mission while we thoroughly enjoy our lives.

Ode to Scent

2007-05-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ode to Scent

I know what it smells like when snow is on the way
When summer rains turn into fall, and groundhog goes astray

But springtime always follows in a rainbow of scent
To tell me life’s a cycle and time cannot be spent

I sense the buds, the multitudes, just under wet and white
They will push forth to live once more and make our world shine bright

Smells-hyacinth & genet, and many pretty flowers
Will offer up their essences with all their other powers

And blend in the creation, each and every bloom,
To synergize and energize this stuff we call perfume

Perfumer's Journey…

2007-05-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Perfumers’ Journey…

First, we want to ground to Gaia, our Mother Earth. The base notes of Vetiver Grass, the tree resin from Frankincense, the heartwood of Sandalwood, and the root of Iris are rich and grounding; all of these connecting us to the earth and manifesting the full-bodied notes from the spiritual into physical realm.

Creating the Centre of Being from the floral middle notes of Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Osmanthus, Orange Blossom, and Neroli, we flesh out the aroma and give it heart. One by one, we drop them in to form the whole and find synergy as a group, creating something else, entirely..

Finally, those elusive head notes, which momentarily flicker before leading the way to spirit; teasing, frolicking, promising the Light touch of the Ethereal. Eventually, these are the ones that will make the first fleeting impression on the sniffer.

When the last drop is in, they react to one another forming alliances and taking the traveler to exotic destinations.

What do you want the wearer to feel? Where do you want them to go? … leading the willing deeper and deeper, note by note, into the depths of the scent. Journeying whiff by whiff to bygone and long forgotten times; except by the nose.

Creating Ambergris Tincture

2007-05-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Where does Ambergris come from?
Ambergris is ethically beach-harvested, being found washed up on the beach or floating on the ocean. It is sometimes called flotsam (natural debris that floats on the ocean) and it is lighter than water. The colour is gray (gris), black, and tan, and it is very lightweight, a fact that surprized me. It is a substance that is created by a sperm whale likely due to an irritation within. It is released and floats upon the ocean for eons being washed and cured by sea, salt, time, and wind. It is commercially quite expensive and just a couple of grams will cost about a hundred dollars.

Weights and Measures
I weighed out 5 grams of the Ambergris stone and set it aside. I used a blue bottle and filled it with 95 grams of perfumers’ alcohol. This gave me an end-product at a 5% dilution rate. This product is not edible.

Process
I used a clean (and dedicated for this use) coffee-bean grinder and ground the stone to a powder. The aroma was divine and very unexpected. I thought it may smell rank and over-animalic but it was sweet and delicate, though very tenacious. This powder was carefully over-turned onto a wax paper and then gently sent through a funnel and into the bottle of alcohol. All the items used in the process were swirled and washed with 5 ml of alcohol and that was saved in a dropper bottle.

Maturation
The aging process required is 6-12 months. My precious bottle of Ambergris Tincture was labeled and place in the top cupboard to mature. I look forward to using it in late fall.

What does it do for perfumes?
Ambergris acts as a fixative adding brilliance and lift to a perfume formulation. I have just been generously gifted some Ambergris Tincture by a new friend and I am so very grateful that I can begin to use it now while mine is maturing. It has been suggested to me to use a couple of drops in an ounce to get the desired effect. I will experiment, as usual.

11November2010

This beautiful tincture has been aging since May 2007 and I am now selling it from my website at http://www.scentofnature.net/ambergris_%26_hyraceum.htm

10 ml bottle at a high and lovely 5% strength for $85.00 plus shipping to your location. Please supply your full address when inquiring, so I can get a shipping rate for you.

Natural Perfumes come of age once more…

2007-05-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

In the realm of Natural Perfumery, one of our first tasks is to suspend the belief that they have much in common with the commercial perfumes of today. It is simply not the case.

A century ago, perfumers were using all natural ingredients from nature including essential oils, concretes, attars, absolutes, animal essences, floral waters, tinctures, and so on.

Today, with all the sensitivities that we have developed due to the overwhelming of our olfactory organs, where our sense of smell resides, many of us are choosing to go back to simpler times.

I am one of those. The perfumes I create are made from some of the above mentioned natural ingredients. The exception is that I do not use animal essences that have been obtained using cruel methods. The animal essences have long since dissociated from the animal in question and been rendered pure though eons of sun, ocean, wind, earth, and fire.

Perfume Policy
With Natural Perfumes, you need not worry about polluting the environment with scent or being on the wrong side of a perfume policy. Only those in your scent circle will know you are wearing perfume; it's like having a delicious secret.

A Little Dab'lldoya
These perfumes are created from concentrated essences so there is no need for more than a little dab or spray. Essential oils are volatile and release their fragrance into the air. So, if the scent fades hours later, you can simply re-apply.

I always suggest that the best place to dab or spray natural perfumes is in the cleavage. The body heat will cause the oils to volatize and the scent will rise to the nose. Other good spots are the inner wrists & elbows, and the back of your knees. Some say -put it wherever you want to be kissed- I say use caution in sensitive areas.