#natural perfumery

[angel-inbloom]

magical misty forest incense, spruce & oakmoss bound with makko powder. it was a joy to make this for my Bloom Again Apothecary winter 2023 launch

oakmoss is a rare old world scent note that harkens to wet moss covered faerie-hewn tracks woven through the forest floor. burning this incense invokes the spirit of the woods with a distinct strong almost masculine presence 🖤

[theenbyroiderer]

My collection of Hiram Green perfumes. Slowdive, Arcadia and Arbolé. Makes me think of a traffic light lol.

[julienelson]

Blue Cypress - Air and Water

3 Key Words - Transformation, Renewal, Visionary

Affirmation - I Transform

[plebeiangoth]

Not sponsored or anything but Eden Botanicals is a great place to buy plant stinks. I like my stinks and that's a good place to get them. Just feeling like saying so because I just ordered some fossilized amber oil on a whim at ass o'clock this evening and it's already been picked up by UPS. Damn.

[leebrontide]

Hippies of tumblr, please help!

When I was young there was a big grove of Russian Olive trees out back behind my school. This tree is also called Elaeagnus angustifolia, Oleaster, silverberry, or wild olive I THINK.

Every May they would bloom with these tiny little unobtrusive looking flowers that smelled AMAZING. Heady and woody but not too sweet.

I have always wanted to make that scent into perfume. Candles. Soap. anything. I want to roll myself and everything I love into it.

But although I can find a lot of natural medicine articles about how healthy the essential oil from this plant is I can't find it. The one and only place I've seen it sold in 20 years of looking is this one Arabic-speaking etsy seller in England. Were it not for the goddamn $50 of shipping I would have joyfully bought a ton.

Does ANYONE know where I can get this scent? An absolute would be ideal but I'll take an essential oil if that's all I can get.

I have researched it but I'm just not prepared to do the extraction myself to the level of fidelity and strength I'm hoping for.

I'm getting into perfume making, and this is the one scent I haven't been able to source.

Please let me know if you have a lead. Boosts welcome.

[edenaziraphale]

do any of you use Alkemia perfumes? (or have any other recs for someone getting into the perfumery hobby tbh) I ordered two of their sample sets (gentleman's club and dark academe) I like a couple of the scents- particularly Highwayman from gentleman's club, but I'm finding that it doesn't linger on my skin for even an hour. Is this typical for alkemia scents? I really enjoy leather/smoke notes if anyone has any recommendations for those

[blood-orange-juice]

modern olfactory art and modern natural perfumery were also invented in the US

anyways (I say this as someone who is deeply critical of the united states government, military, unchecked capitalism, police, etc) I am SICK of people treating america as if it has no cultural value or positives so….. I love u 85 million acres (bigger than italy) of national parks. I love u harlem renaissance. I love u groundhogs day. I love u sweet tea and fried chicken and jambalaya. I love u apple cider donuts and maizes on crisp autumn days. I love u 95k miles of coastlines and new england fisherman and hand knitted sweaters. I love u halloween where millions of people dress up and give candy to strangers and carve jack o’lanterns. I love u small talk and small towns and potlucks and bringing over casseroles to your struggling neighbors. I love u cowboys and ranch hands and arizonian cactus. I love u appalachian trail and dirtbikes and divebars. I love u sparklers and fireflies. I love u mark twain and toni morrison and emily dickinson and henry david thoreau. I love u rock n roll i love u bluegrass and hippies i love u jimi hendrix and nirvana and CCR and janis joplin. I love u victorian houses and jonny appleseed and john henry and mothman and bigfoot. I love u foggy days in the pacific northwest and neon signs and roadside attractions. I love u baseball and 1950s diners and soft serve. I love u native american art and pop art and poptarts. I love u blue jeans and barbecues and jazz musicians 

[vietnamagarwoodandherbal]

Vietnam agarwood

With notes of herbs, wood and musk, this agarwood fragrance intrigues. #vietnamagarwood #vietvitality #vietvitalityagarwood #kyara #vietnamoud #agarwoodincense #perfumery #perfume #sweetfragrance #agarwoodoil #oudoil #thehaevenlyhaven #oud #베트남아가우드 #ベトナム沈香 #العودالفيتنامي #boisdagarduVietnam #越南沉香

[twoblueherons]

🌿 Ready to Go Pro with Natural Perfumery? 🌿

We’ve just launched a video on the Natural Perfume Academy (NPA) Certification License Program – designed to recognize true expertise in natural perfumery! Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned perfumer, there’s a path here for you.

Here’s a quick look at what’s inside:

Path 1: NPA Diploma Course 🌸 Perfect for those new to the craft, covering all aspects of natural perfumery and offering lifetime certification.

Path 2: Certification License Program 🌿 Shorter, tailored for experienced perfumers and businesses who want to align with NPA standards. Annual badge licensing and exclusive resources included.

For a limited time, we’re offering a 50% discount on Path 2 – so it’s a great moment to get started!

Check out our video for all the details and see which path feels like the perfect fit. [Link to YouTube video]

#NaturalPerfumery #NPAcertification #EthicalBeauty #PerfumeCertification #BotanicalScent #SustainableBeauty

[integratedheart]

Personal Blog + Mixed Bag Practitioner things. 18+ to Follow!! Resources: Browse Yale's Library Notes To Self: Ancestry Things: Sicilian/Italian (Canicatti, Realmonte, Morra De Sanctis) - German (Mecklenburg-Schwerin) -Greek -Spanish-Taino-Jamaican-Ashkenazi Jewish

[angel-inbloom]

some process photos of me blending my all natural lemon room and linen spray! there is lavender in there too to add a bit of softness to the bright citrus mist. after this tincture has infused for at least 4 weeks it will be ready to bottle 💛💜

i also chose lavender to blend with lemon because they’re both immunity allies, with a penchant for perking people up when they’re feeling blue

this was so much fun to make, and so calming. yesterday i crafted *so* many new medicines and creations for Bloom Again. i prayed over the medicines throughout the whole day and told them how i love them✨ i thanked each of them for the joy of collaborating with their essences to craft blends that can help people 💓

herbal medicines have been a deep part of how i take care of myself for a while now. but there was quite a while when i was studying herbalism where i *knew* what medicines would be so helpful - but i couldn’t afford them. and that taught me why they are so important, what it’s like to need what you don’t have. one of my main missions within Bloom Again is to help that person - whoever they are and however divine need may express itself

it’s the anxiety tinctures that soften my frayed edges and keep me rooted firmly in myself. it’s the hydrosols that center me with fragrant beauty while i take care of my skin. it’s the spoonfuls of lavender honey in my tea. the hawthorn tincture that holds me when i Grieve and feel alone. it’s the herbal ghee that calms me down so i can sleep in true peace.

and sharing these things with others is what brings my heart to life ❤️‍🔥

[twinkleapothecary]

[julienelson]

'I Am Wild and Free'

Honey - Healer, Hedonist

3 Keys Words - Messenger, Enchantress, Healing

[roseseafoam]

The (perfumer’s) conceit that tulips are a mute flower, which is to say, they possess no fragrance of their own and are bestowed one via the imagination of perfumers, seems so out-of-touch. I live in neither Holland nor Kazakhstan, and I’ve put my nose in many a fragrant tulip… some of them florist’s cultivars…

[nakia-perfumers]

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: Fragrance Notes

CITRUS NOTES

In their natural state, are quite volatile and prone to oxidation.

Notes of lemon, bergamot, orange, and mandarin are used in perfumery to impart sharp, sour, and very refreshing top notes to a fragrance.

MINTY NOTES

Follow on from citrus notes as refreshing and clean-smelling top notes used extensively in functional perfumery like household cleaning products.

In addition, notes of peppermint, menthol, and eucalyptus give a cooling effect to many masculine fine fragrances and shower gels.

FRUITY NOTES

With the exception of Osmanthus and blackcurrant bud absolute, the majority of fruity notes used in perfumery are created with synthetic materials.

Gamma undecalactone (C14) - used for a peachy/apricot effect, along with other materials such as Raspberry Ketone, Benzaldehyde (for cherry), and Allyl amyl glycolate (for a sour pineapple note).

The large aromachemical manufacturers produce ready-made compounds, which makes adding fruity notes to a fragrance composition less of a challenge.

Dewfruit, which is a specialty base from the Swiss fragrance manufacturer Givaudan, gives a raspberry and lychee note and is used in a variety of commercial fine fragrances.

GREEN NOTES

Add freshness and naturalness to fragrances, from floral to fruity and chypre.

Cis-3-hexenol - a very powerful material that is reminiscent of freshly cut grass.

Galbanum - a natural material, likened to uncooked green beans.

Should be used sparingly because they can seem harsh if used in large quantities.

HERBAL NOTES

Lavender, rosemary, and clary sage are used in both masculine fragrances and functional products for their cooling and natural effect.

Herbs add naturalness to a fragrance and are usually the steam distillate of the aerial parts of the plant.

Lavender - a key component of the fougére family, with each variety and extraction giving a slightly different effect.

Lavender absolute is said to have a bright green color and warm, hay-like aroma.

ALDEHYDIC NOTES

Aldehydes - a group of materials that are most famous for their use at overdosed levels in Chanel No. 5.

Have a powerful aroma and are perceived as waxy, fatty, soapy, and clean.

On their own, they would be considered too harsh and chemical-ly, but in combination with floral notes of rose, jasmine, and ylang ylang, they impart sparkle and radiance.

C8 Octanol, C10 Decanal, C11 Undecylenic, C12 MNA, and C12 Lauric feature in this group, as do Hydroxycitronellal, Citral, Citronellal, and Benzaldehyde.

FLORAL NOTES

Floral notes make up the heart of most fragrance types.

There are many different types of floral, each with their own characteristics:

Rose Notes. These can include everything from rose absolute and rose otto to geranium and even guaiacwood which, although smoky and woody, has definite rosy undertones. Phenethyl alcohol is used as a blender in fragrances to give a rose note, and the Firmenich base Dorinia is used where a large amount of natural rose would be too costly or restricted. Apart from cost, one of the main issues with using natural rose absolute in a commercial fragrance is that it typically contains 1-1.5% Methyl eugenol, a naturally occurring component that is restricted in the EU and other parts of the world. The maximum amount of rose allowed in a leave-on skincare product is around 0.025%. Low Methyl-eugenol rose is available, but cost and minimal-order quantities are high, meaning it is out of the reach of many fragrance producers. Laboratoire Monique Rémy produce a molecular distillation of rose for this very reason, which enables large quantities to be used in the fragrance Portrait of a Lady (Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle).

Jasmine Notes. As well as jasmine absolute and jasmine sambac, synthetic bases are created with Benzyl acetate and other jasmine-like chemicals such as Hedione, which is used in a huge range of fragrances to impart radiance and diffusion. Unfortunately, although used for centuries, jasmine has been severely restricted in commercial fragrances, due to sensitization, and it is only allowed currently in the EU at a maximum of 0.7% in a finished fragrance for on-skin usage.

Muguet Notes. The name of the lily-of-the-valley notes. There is no natural muguet extract, so all fragrances of this type will contain some synthetic materials. The muguet ingredient, Hydroxycitronellal, which was relied upon for many years, is now restricted to a maximum 5%, due to its potentially sensitizing effect. Other muguet-type replacements are Lyral, Lilial, and Dupical, which are used in combination with other materials.

Violet and Iris Notes. Natural violet absolute is from the leaf, and smells very green, wet, and mulchy. The sweet, powdery violet notes actually come from a group of materials called the ionones—Alpha, Beta, and Methyl ionones—which add a sweet, cosmetic violet note to rosy florals, as well as being a great link to woody notes in the base of a fragrance. Other notes that belong in this category are the orris notes, which are either natural and excruciatingly expensive (orris concrete), or come from a synthetic such Orivone.

Narcotic Floral Notes. Naturals such as ylang ylang, tuberose, and orange blossom are in this category due to their heavy, sweet, almost narcotic effect in a fragrance. With the exception of perhaps ylang ylang, which is available in a variety of grades, these materials offer a low yield and so are quite costly. In commercial fragrances, synthetic materials such as Aurantiol and Methyl anthranilate are used instead. White florals contain traces of the chemical indole, which can be added to a fragrance in trace amounts for effect. Alone, indole has an odor of decay and can be extremely unpleasant, as is the case with many animalic notes.

ANIMALIC NOTES

Indole brings us nicely on to the other animalic and musk notes used in fragrance.

Included here are the leather notes, as there is a fair amount of crossover.

The animalic notes are generally quite strong and often fecal.

The following are main animalic notes used:

Civet. This is the main material used and is extracted from the anal gland of the civet cat. Strange and unpleasant as it may seem, civet, when used in trace amounts, is said to give a sweet, exotic, and sexy edge to a fragrance and is reminiscent of the indoles present in white flowers.

Castoreum. Comes from the glands of the beaver or a synthetic reproduction, which is slightly less alarming. It can have quite urine-like notes, which at low levels give a honey aroma. It is used in chypre and leather fragrances, along with woods, mosses, and labdanum or birch tar and Isobutyl quinoline (leather notes).

Ambergris. Comes from the sperm whale; the most gentle of the animalic notes. Often found washed up on beaches, mainly in New Zealand. It has an aromatic, almost marine-like note that can be soft, musty, and musky. The synthetic versions are most often used. It works well with sandalwood for a soft skin-like accord.

Natural musk. Use of this is now completely outlawed due to the near-extinction of the musk deer from which it was historically collected. The musk notes we experience today are all synthetic and, in fact, are perceived as much cleaner than you would expect considering their origin. This is due to their extensive use in laundry detergent fragrances, hence the term “laundry musk.” Nitro musks such as Galaxolide by IFF are used due to their substantive and long-lasting effects through a wash at high temperatures. They are not very soluble in water, which means that they will stay on the fabric through the wash cycle. Of course, this means that many are not biodegradeable or very environmentally friendly. Musk notes are used in most fragrances for their fixative properties and for the soft, comforting effect they give to a fragrance. Many people, including perfumers, are anosmic to different musks and so they are often used in combination with each other.

BALSAMIC AND VANILLA NOTES

Balsamic refers to the sweet, warm, and resinous notes of Peru balsam, benzoin, and oppoponax, which also have slightly vanilla and caramel undertones.

Vanilla absolute does not smell anything like the vanilla notes used in food or commercial bath products, which are more “ice-cream-like” and foodie.

These are usually created with Ethyl vanillin and vanillin, rather than the more costly vanilla absolute, which is actually less sweet and more woody. Vanilla absolute is difficult to work with in products due to its insolubility in alcohol.

It can also cause extreme discoloration in some products, turning lotions and soaps a dark brown to black.

HAY NOTES

Another sweet, powdery note is coumarin, which is a key component of the fougére family and works well with both vanilla and lavender.

Coumarin - a white, crystalline powder that occurs naturally in tonka beans.

It is created synthetically for perfumery use, but tonka absolute has a similar smell, which is that of powdery, newly mown hay.

WOODY NOTES

A key part of oriental fragrances, the woody notes can be soft and creamy, such as sandalwood, or cool and earthy, such as patchouli and vetiver.

Although patchouli is a distillation of the leaves rather than a wood, it does have some woody aspects.

Vetiver - rooty and has rich caramel undertones, and an earthy woodiness.

Cedarwood Virginian has a sharp, dry, pencil-shavings aroma.

Iso E Super is a lovely, transparent, woody ingredient to add to a fragrance as a blender and is even used alone as a fragrance in its own right.

MOSSY AND MARINE NOTES

Have a slightly yeasty, fungal, and pungent aroma.

Mossy notes - important in both the chypre and fougére fragrance families and, although oakmoss is being restricted, there are synthetic variants that will give similar effects.

Seaweed absolute - can be used for a natural marine note but the most widely used in fine fragrance is Calone, which was prolific in perfumes of the 1990s.

Calone - has a sweet, melon, ozone-like fragrance, which many people find extremely cloying. This is often used with other fruity, melon, and marine notes.

SPICY NOTES

Spice notes play a huge part in perfumery as accessory notes for floral and oriental fragrances.

Spices can be overpowering, and notes such as cumin can take on a slightly sweaty odor that may smell unpleasant on skin.

There are warm spices such as clove (or Eugenol), which can give a carnation effect to florals, and cooler, dry-spice notes like black pepper.

Shinus molle, or pink pepper, has been used extensively over the last few years in floral fragrances.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and coriander can also be used, as can other foodie spices like cardamom in the form of distilled essential oils.

Source: Perfume: The Art and Craft of Fragrance by Karen Gilbert More: Word Lists ⚜ Notes & References ⚜ Perfumery ⚜ Fragrance Writing Resources PDFs