Summer Challenge – Ambridge Rose
For the
summer of 2015
Sponsored
by Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Beginning
on May 24, 2015 with an end-date of August 15, 2015 ie: they have to be in my
hot little hands by then. While you’re waiting for your alcohol to mature, go
ahead and create your formula.
The Prize
to be sent out by the end of Aug 2015. A 5 ml Atomizer of Ambridge Rose by Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes.
This is a rose soliflore perfume with a specific nature.
I want to give you the chance to try your hand at a specialty
alcohols, which are softened and fixed. They add something different that
cannot necessarily be achieved with essences in alcohol alone. Your new
creation needs to be in this alcohol base.
Floral
Alcohol Blend 100 ml
94 ml alcohol
5 ml Spring water
1 tsp
Orris Root powder*
and a 1 ml or 20 drop essential oil blend in the
floral category, in this case rose.
*Orris Root Powder is the fixative.
Guidelines:
o There are four natural perfumers signed up for this challenge.
o Please send the following information to me at LynAyre@telus.net
your full name
mailing address
phone number
recent photo
your full name
mailing address
phone number
recent photo
website URL
permission to post your entry on my face book pages
permission to post your entry on my face book pages
permission
to add your fragrance entry to the glam-bag give-away
Please ensure you follow all the 'guidelines':
1. Create
your alcohol, as above, first then allow it to age until July 15th.
Shake it up every time you think of it. Leave it in a cool dark place.
2. The
ingredients in play are these and only these:
fir absolute
vanilla
patchouli
clove bud absolute
lavender absolute
geranium Rose
Rose de Mai
Rosewood
Bergamot FCF
‘Peach notes’ – this is the
wild card and however you do that, as long as it’s natural and not a synthetic
note, that’s fine. Perhaps you’ve come up with an essential oil blend that
portrays peach; maybe you have a peach melange (from John Steele conference) or
peach isolate; apricot has even better peach notes, so maybe you have an
apricot essence from John Steele.
Here’s an interesting link to
White Lotus for more info on the melange.
Here’s one about the apricot
essence at Perfumers’ Apprentice
And, the peach isolate:
The number of drops of each
essential oil you use and the end strength is up to you.
All four of you will be doing
the same thing. But you all bring to it your own experience, intuition, and
spiritual guidance. It will be so interesting to smell these
creations.
This is a good exercise, which shows us we can let people know
about every note in our perfume creations because they will never be able to
duplicate it. We don’t need to be coy and mysterious. Heck, they can have the
whole formula and it will never be the same as what we do. It helps us loosen
up and relax our grip and relax into the process more.
Here are the attributes that should be a part of your scent profile
for the finished perfume:
Fruity, jammy, baby powder,
baby’s breath, light Rose scent. Seductive, intoxicating, alluring, intimate.
Create the formula in whatever is your way and
leave by the alcohol giving it a shake, too. Again, leave until July 15th.
Ensure both are labeled so nobody drinks them.
Add your formula to the
alcohol drop by drop until you have the strength you want. You’ll then have two
weeks to tweak it before you need to mail it to me. I need it in my hands by
Aug 15th.
3. A Data Tag must be attached ie: name of the perfume,
list of the ingredients, name the solvent (ie: oil, alcohol), 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 photo for an idea of what a Data Tag looks like). Affix a label to
the vial.
4. Please follow these directions
Submit the perfume and the following to me by 15Aug15. Please send
it out in time to reach me by that date. Send it earlier, if you like, and it
can sit here to mature.
o send two 1 ml sample vials of perfume for evaluation via the
postal mail
o sign off for the Glam Bag Giveaway
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 complete list of the notes in your creation
o email me your photo
Each perfumer is graded 1-10 on the following categories: how well they
followed the above instructions; a short five-sentence about his or her vision
of the perfume’s creation; a short five-sentence bio; a recent photo; two Data
Tags 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? 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
Have fun!
The
Challengers
Vision: As I pondered the notes given for this challenge, along with the picture
of the rose itself, I started thinking about the book, Secret Garden. I
loved reading it as a girl, and often wished I had my own secret garden to
dream and play in. I decided to focus on the concept of finding the
Ambridge Rose in a hidden glade of a forest. The sweet juiciness, and
light floral mingling in with the scents of warm earth, and lush forest on a
summer morning. My hope is that this secret discovery will bring you joy
and delight!
Notes: “Ambridge Rose” - Fir Absolute, Vanilla,
Patchouli, Clove Bud Absolute, Lavender Absolute, Geranium Rose, Rose de Mai,
Rosewood, Bergamot, Peach notes, in a Orris/Rose infused into 190 proof cane
alcohol.
Bio: ‘Esscentual Alchemy’ is the brainchild of owner Amanda Feeley, a
classically trained musician who is driven to create handcrafted all natural
perfumes that are compelling, luxurious and memory-making. After majoring in
music during college, she discovered that her love and knowledge of music
translated into another language, the language of scent. Composition of
music and perfume are created using many of the same terms and concepts.
Amanda often uses great works of art, music, and literature as inspiration for
her perfume creations. The rest, as they say, is scented history.
Review: Amanda’s rendition of Ambridge Rose opens with a refrain of a fruity
melange, pitched high and light. The notes weave in and out and will catch you
by surprize. Just as you think it’s over, a new bar begins. It was just a short
rest before singing the final song of peach pie with rose petals. A sublime
siren of scent.
Jane Cate,
Menlo Park, CA, USA
Vision: I was lounging on my porch, a cold glass of lemonade in hand, my legs
thrown over the wicker chair, contemplating, well really nothing at all. My shitzus, Bailee and Zelda, sleeping on
their mat and enjoying the sunshine. A
bee began buzzing near the lily of the valley flowers, then finding nothing to
his liking flew off. A little
hummingbird began taking nectar from the honeysuckle and then the rose, birds
chirping, music from the radio softly playing what sounded like music from the
Big Band era drifting in and all at once the Henry James quote made sense. A
summer afternoon are two of the most beautiful words in the English language –
and the inspiration behind the perfume - soft, sensuous roses, drifting in and
out like a lovely refrain of a love ballad from long ago.
Notes: “Summer Afternoon” - Fir Absolute, Vanilla,
Patchouli, Clove Bud Absolute, Lavender Absolute, Geranium Rose, Rose de Mai,
Rosewood, Bergamot, Peach Isolate, in a Floral Alcohol Blend.
Bio: A Wing & A Prayer Perfumes is dedicated to
the art of creating natural fragrances using
only pure organic materials. The motto for AWAAPP is “define yourself naturally
by wearing A Wing & A Prayer Perfumes”, and I believe in this and all of my
perfumes stay true to this credo! Wearing a fragrance is a means of
self-expression and I wanted to convey this in each fragrance I create,
including the SUMMER AFTERNOON Perfume.
Even though I have been blending natural perfumes for 15 years, I am
still discovering new natural ingredients and new methods in the creation of
new fragrances. Learning is an essential
in the art of perfumery.
Review: A ‘Summer Afternoon’ with Jane Cate could be as peachy as her perfume. It
is rosy, shiny, bright, and airy. The fruitiness is front and centre and speaks
its mind fully. The dry-down is powdery, lightly rosy, and slightly spicy. It
wears well and dances in and out of my reality all day long and well into the
evening. Jane’s perfume is totally reminiscent of the rose in our garden.
Justine Crane,
CA, USA
Vision: I’ve had experience with those varieties of rose that smell more of
peaches and cream than ‘rose’, so I was excited to see this challenge come
about. I tried to adhere to the attributes of ‘fruity, jammy, baby powder,
baby’s breath, light rose; seductive, intoxicating, alluring, and intimate’,
and I think I came very close. The trial evaluations proved that the fir balsam
absolute is heavily present even in the smallest amounts, so that was a bit of
a challenge getting the right ratio without the formula turning terpenic, but
still maintaining the ‘jammy’ presence ( the apricot essence helped with that
aspect as well). Throughout the process I was envisioning those beautiful
peachy roses I experienced once at a plant nursery in Clovis, CA. I remember
the scent distinctly because I was wandering the nursery with a friend who has
since passed, and that ‘peach rose’ reminds me of him.
Notes: “Ambridge Rose” - Rose geranium, Clove absolute, Lavender absolute, Fir
balsam absolute, Patchouli, Vanilla, Apricot essence, Bois de rose, Bergamot
fcf , and Rose de mai, in a floral alcohol base.
Bio: My name is Justine Crane and I’ve been creating natural perfumes for
over a decade. I teach natural perfume courses online as well as in person.
I’ve written a book or two on the subjects of natural perfumer and other
olfactory arts. I used to edit and author a lot of the articles and stories for
the now defunct online magazine ‘Le Parfumeur Rebelle’. I’m looking forward to
continuing to grow in this art and present beautiful pieces of olfactory art
until my dying day.
Review: I’m in a Farmer’s Market and saying to myself, ‘what is that divine
aroma?’ It’s fresh, fruity, and forthright. I look around me and find I’m
surrounded by roses, apricots, peaches, and evergreen trees. These aromas dance
around me until I’m twirling, dancing, and laughing, inhaling deeply. I love
what Justine’s perfume does for me emotionally – very healing and uplifting –
just what I needed.
Shauna Rudd,
St. Albert, AB, Canada
Vision: It’s 1967, the Summer of Love, and “flower power” has bloomed in the
village of Ambridge. This is a fictional English village, of course, where the
BBC soap opera, The Archers, is set,
but the Ambridge Rose named after this town – a poufy, powdery, fruity rose –
is quite real. Ambridge, 1967 is a
light, fresh Eau de Toilette soliflore that celebrates the Ambridge Rose at a
time when love, and patchouli, prevailed. It’s best when spritzed in a misty
veil, like a shimmering aura that envelopes you, bringing visions of a glowing
hippie-chick sashaying among the rose bushes.
Notes: ‘Ambridge 1967’ - Clove absolute, Fir absolute, Rose geranium, Lavender
absolute, Patchouli absolute, Vanilla absolute, Rose de mai, Rosewood, natural
peach compound, and Bergamot fcf in a floral alcohol.
Bio:
I have been fascinated by little glass bottles filled with coloured liquids
(containing magic potions, obviously), for as long as I can remember – creating
perfumes is a natural extension, and, just you wait, one day I will create a magic potion. Since the
days of “Fresh ’n’ Fancy” – and welcome to the forties club (if you remember
that toy) I have been mixing my own balms, body oils and bath salts with glee.
My latest perfume, Ambridge, 1967,
blended for this year’s Perfume Challenge, had me dreaming of patchouli (I
guess that’s what I get for wearing my mods to bed). I dreamed that I was
dipping a spoon into vanilla custard smothered in a dark rich caramel sauce
flavoured with a hint of patchouli. Now, I’m off to make a caramel sauce…
Review: Shauna’s EDT is calming, familiar, and homey. I found I relaxed into it
as my breathing became deeper. I felt as though I was in the centre of a rose
garden with a peach pie sitting on a nearby window ledge. Thoughts of my mom
comforted me and I felt safe and at peace. This is a very intoxicating scent
that can transform the mind.
The
samples
The
Prize
A beautiful 5 ml atomizer of Coeur d'Esprit Natural Perfume "Ambridge
Rose", surrounded by an elegant gold sleeve, suitable for wearing anytime;
and perfect to carry with you.
“Ambridge Rose” Notes include: Fir absolute, Patchouli, Vanilla absolute, Clove
absolute, Rose geranium, Lavender absolute, Peach melange, Apricot melange, Rose
de mai, Rosewood, and fresh Bergamot fcf from Calibia, in a floral alcohol
blend.
For years I’ve been sniffing and mentally
extracting the notes from our own Ambridge Rose, which is growing among seven
other scented rose bushes in our front yard. Many accords have come and gone as
they were never quite right. This year, I feel I did very well in capturing the
essence of our gorgeous big puffy lightly pink somewhat peach coloured roses.
Hence the challenge. Mine is fruity, powdery, lightly rosy, with defined peach
notes. Friends have said it’s exotic, sexy, and intoxicating. I really love it.
The colour is forest green.
Glam Bag Giveaway
There are
two ‘Glam Bag Giveaways’ to be won by a lucky commenter on this challenge. Please
include the words, ‘I would like to join the ‘Glam Bag Giveaway’ in your
comment along with anything else you’d like to say about the challenge. Let
your friends know to read and make their comments, too.
Participants in the
challenge are not included in this giveaway.
The
winners can contact me privately through my face book page and we’ll connect so
I can get your mailing addresses. The gift consists of a gold organza pouch
with the four 1 ml perfumes I’ve reviewed so you can experience all of the
entries, as I did.
The
Results Are In
The Grand Prize Winner is
Jane Cate
from
California, USA for the Ambridge Rose scent called “Summer Afternoon”.
The
Seal
Thanks so much to
Amanda, Justine, and Shauna for joining in the fun. Your perfumes are all
wonderful and you should feel very proud of your work and your resulting new
scents. I appreciated each of your designs and it was a pleasure to play with
you all again.
Love Lyn
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