My First Love - JASMINE!

 

Providence Perfume Co. is an all natural perfume company.

I'm mad for Jasmine.  Simply infatuated.

I can't recall the first time I smelled the lush aroma of Jasmine.  I grew up in New England, a region not exactly famous for it's jasmine cultivation.  I believe my first contact with Jasmine would be as a teenager working the perfume counter at Macy's.  I went wild with smelling every perfume I could.  I sniffed every exotic gorgeously packaged mainstream perfume I had missed out on growing up in a small rural town.  The perfume counter at Macy's was glamour and glitz and sophistication.  I found myself drawn to a variety of scents and they all had one note in common: jasmine.

Now I realize what I was huffing was most likely synthetic jasmine.  It wasn't until I was a bit older that I actually smelled real jasmine absolute.  Jasmine absolute is so incredible, so creamy and full and plump; in my opinion it's aroma is unable to be wholly duplicated by aroma chemicals.  In Jean-Claude Ellena's book Perfume, the Alchemy of Scent he comprised a pared down list of essences he uses for perfumery he calls "The Collection."  The list is smaller than you might expect.  I found it interesting that along with Jasmal, Jasmolacton and Jasmonal H (synthetic jasmines) Ellena also lists Jasmin absolute and Jasmin Sambac absolute.  It's also interesting to note that Jasmine is the only aroma included in the collection in five different compilations.  From this we learn that Jasmine is IMPORTANT to perfumery and that real Jasmine absolute is UNDUPLICATABLE.

Fast forward a few years and I find myself working for Aveda surrounded by real Jasmine.  I was in jasmine heaven.  During this time I found that jasmine possesses universal appeal.  While many customers wrinkled their noses at the scent of patchouli and even rose, they smiled when sniffing the sweet aroma of jasmine.  I learned my lesson well.  Even now, when blending a custom scent for a more err  . . . challenging client I reach for the jasmine.  When all else fails, jasmine triumphs!

There is a jasmine for every preference.  Sweet jasmine, musky jasmine, dirty jasmine, filthy jasmine.  When teaching Introductory Natural Perfume classes, I'll often pass around a bottle of unlabeled jasmine grandiflorum for everyone to smell.  When I ask the class what essence they think they're sniffing many will guess correctly it's jasmine.  I'll then pass around bottles of jasmine sambac, jasmine flexile, jasmine auriculatum.  Silence.  Many haven't smelled these jasmines.  Many are surprised that jasmine can vary so wildly in aroma.  We talk of indole and jasmine.  We laugh.

- Jasmine is present in many of my perfumes.
- Jamine's beauty beckons me.
- Jasmine blends well with all essences.
- Jasmine is a team player. In perfumery jasmine is happy to take a supporting role or be a star.
- Jasmine is indispensable and important.

If you have any Jasmine absolute, go grab it and take a deep long sniff.  See what I mean?  It's just that good.

In celebration of the Natural Perfumers Guild sixth anniversary blog event, the following perfumers are participating by sharing stories of their first love.  From sandalwood to rose, be sure to check these articles out (see below.)

http://perfumebynature.blogspot.com

http://anyasgarden.blogspot.com

http://www.matriarch.biz/blog.html

bellyflowers.blogspot.com

http://www.roseenbos.com/category/blog

www.lesparfumsisabelle.co.uk

http://joannebassett.com/natural_perfumes

www.oneseedcompany.com

http://ellenoire.blogspot.ca

http://africanaromatics.com/int/

Visit our website to learn more about natural perfumes or contact Charna at providenceperfume@gmail.com.

Citrus Showdown

Providence Perfume Co. specializes in natural perfume.

 

I love the scent of citrus.  Bring on the blood orange, the yuzu the red mandarin! Recently I ordered a slew of citrus oils to restock my supply.  Ordering citrus oils in smaller quantities is important as citrus essential oils can loose their fresh aroma quickly.  Cold pressed citrus oils have the most incredible aroma (important for perfumery use) but also the shortest shelf life due to the high proportion of terpenes which promote oxidation.  Best to purchase these citrus oils in small quantities and replace more frequently.  Another tip to keep citrus oils vibrant?  Store in the refrigerator to help preserve freshness.

As a citrus loving perfumer, one conundrum I face is the photosensitizing nature of cold pressed citrus oils.  Use too much cold pressed lime essential oil in a perfume and you may find the area where you spritzed darkened and irritated after sun exposure.  Bergaptene free bergamot oil is essential to any perfumers palette as the photosensitizing bergaptene has been removed.  Steam distilled citrus oils do not photosensitize, but I find the aroma dull.  Cold pressed citrus oils sing, whereas steam distilled citrus oils hum . . . quietly . . . off-key.  You get the idea.  Always utilize caution when blending with cold pressed citrus oils. 

Andrea Butje of The Aromahead Institute recently published an informative article on citrus oils that don't photosensitize such as green mandarin and sweet orange. Great info!  To read her blog post in it's entirety, click here: http://www.aromahead.com/blog/2010/03/22/citrus-essential-oils-avoiding-phototoxicity/

I recently ordered yuzu, blood orange, bitter orange, green bitter orange, bergamot and 10-fold orange essential oils.  I've never experienced any of the folded citrus oils.  I was curious about the usage of folded oils in candles and possibly perfume application.  Folded citrus oils are concentrated and lower in d-Limonene terpenes. The higher the number of the folded oil, the more times it's been folded, or concentrated. I must admit I was disappointed by the 10x orange essential oil.  Despite it's strength, it lacked the fresh quality cold pressed essential oils possess.  Smelled from the bottle the 10 fold orange oil smells strongly of the bitter white pith of the orange rind.  When diluted and applied to the skin, the bitter pithy aroma eventually dissipates leaving a long lasting orange aroma.  

Further experimentation is needed to discern if folded citrus oils will suit my perfume palette.  

While I've been a fan of Liberty Natural Products cold pressed Dominican Bitter Orange oil, my new bottle arrived smelling dull.  A disappointment.  Happily I ordered Bitter Green Orange from Eden Botanicals which was fresh and green and much more to my liking.  Similar in aroma to a sharp yuzu it adds a crisp clean top note aroma I adore.

With the low cost of citrus oils, sampling from a variety of suppliers is always preferential as quality varies wildly.  Have a citrus gem or dud to share?  Feel free to leave a comment.

 

Coming soon,  see our blog explaining about organic perfume.

For more information on our natural perfumes please contact Charna at providenceperfume@gmail.com.

 

Providence Perfume Now Available at Beauty Habit!

We are thrilled to announce that Providence Perfume Co.'s full line of natural perfumes have been picked up by the major beauty etailer Beauty Habit!

It's incredibly exciting to be offered the opportunity to highlight natural perfumery and introduce our fine botanical fragrances to a wider audience.  

Check us out here:   http://www.beautyhabit.com/providenceperfumeco.html

Look for a new launch promotion special to be running soon!

Tincture Madness

A new blog post on my new blog discussing the merits of using handcrafted tinctures in perfumery.  Check it out at: http://www.providenceperfume.com/blogs/news/5820806-tincture-madness

New Blog, New Joy, New Year

Hello All, Please visit my new blog at www.providenceperfume.com/blogs/news

 I am participating in a Natural Perfumers Guild Project titled "Joy in January" where we will be doing a three day giveaway of cheerful uplifting scents to help banish the winter blues. Yesterday's giveaway included our Divine perfume, an uplifting blend of bitter orange, orange blossom, rose, vanilla and botanical musk seed on an amber base AND a sample of the most incredible bitter orange essential oil I've ever sampled--pure sunshine in a bottle. 

Enter for a chance to win scented goodies from all participating perfumers.  For a complete list of participants and to enter for a chance to win, visit our new blog at:
http://www.providenceperfume.com/blogs/news/5210812-joy-in-january-giveaway

Happy Holidays and Free Shipping from Providence Perfume Co.!

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'Tis The Giving Season Happy Holidays from Providence Perfume Co! Providence perfume Co. - all natural perfume The Holiday Season is upon us!  Our gift to you fragrance fans?  Free Shipping! We would like to offer free U.S. shipping to our valued customers until Dec. 20th.  Enter Code: FREEHOLIDAYSHIP at checkout and your entire order ships for free! Our travel atomizers make perfect stocking stuffers, hint-hint. And speaking of gifts, our Amber Cream body oil has made Ca Fleure Bon's 2011 Holiday Gift Guide!  They are offering a fantastic giveaway of luxurious covetable holiday gifts (including our body oil) online at:  http://www.cafleurebon.com/cafleurebon-holiday-gift-guide-think-outside-the-bottle-draw/ Hurry--the giveaway ends Dec.8th! We recently received two fantastic reviews of our perfumes Eva Luna and Jazmina.  Both are pretty feminine florals created from premier tuberose and the finest jasmine sambac we've ever sourced.  An excerpt from the review of Eva Luna reads: " . . . The natural tuberose note is creamy and gentle, not dramatic in a Fracas-like way, and it emerges softly through the slight mossiness of the fragrance’s heart. I enjoy this transformation from foliage to florals in Eva Luna. It feels like walking from a garden (a vegetable garden!) into a forest of moss-hung trees, and then encountering a single white (magical?) flower growing in a dusky clearing." -Jessica, Now Smell This http://www.nstperfume.com/2011/12/02/providence-perfume-co-eva-luna-fragrance-review/ Of Jazmina solid perfume, Victoria at Eau MG writes: "Jasmine is the star here . . . the florals used in Jazmina are top-notch. The solid perfume blooms with time. It's elegant, but very impassioned . . ." Victoria, Eau MG http://www.eaumg.net/providence-perfume-co-jazmina-solid-perfume-review/ Attention Local Fans:  Our perfumer Charna will be at the East Side Unversity Heights Whole Foods this Saturday from 2-4 as part of the "Buy Local Holiday Gifts" event.  Stop by to meet, greet and receive free samples of our fine natural perfumes. Over and out.  Happy Holidays to all and may your celebrations be merry and fragrant!

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Gee, you smell terrific!

Providence Perfume Co., an all natural perfumes company

In a recent interview, I was asked the question: "How do you know when you've created a remarkable scent?  How do you know when you've hit a proverbial perfume home-run?"  I was perplexed.  I paused, and then realized I had no idea what to say.  I stumbled a bit and then awkwardly fell back on the only truthful answer I could give: "There's no way to tell."

I wish I was constantly stopped and asked by strangers, "What is the incredible scent you are wearing?" or told, "Gee, you smell terrific!"  I'm not.  In all fairness, I wear less perfume than I used to.  I spend so much time blending, and working on perfumes I can't wear fragrance that will interfere with my sense of smell.  I've made the mistake of using a scented lotion or shower gel and then applying a perfume I'm working on.  I'll puzzle over the fact it smells differently than it did the day before, only to realize I've applied a scented lotion that morning.  I've learned to be careful with what I wear when I'll be working.  I do wear fragrances when I go out to dinner or to meet friends for a drink, and sometimes just to run errands especially if I'm feeling slovenly.  As if a spritz or two of perfume will make strangers forget I'm wearing yoga pants and uncombed hair!  I do love perfume, however I'm now careful of when and where I apply it - ah, the classic perfumers dilemma.

On a humorous note, I have had the opposite reaction to being perfumed.  Recently, I was pouring large batches of solid perfumes for a wholesale order.  I had been working on filling the solids all day and was pouring larger quantities than normal.  The hours flew by and before I knew it, it was time to pick my kids up from kindergarten and I was late.  I raced to the car and drove quickly to the school to pick them up.  As I exited the car, the teacher's aide who was waiting with the children physically recoiled from me.  In my rush, I realized I was covered in traces of assorted oils and had spilled some balm on my jeans.  I was an overly scented hot mess.  She smiled weakly and thrust the children towards me who happily hugged me.  They are accustomed to their sometimes malodorous mommy.  As I drove away I tried to imagine what the teacher's aide thought of my disheveled appearance and pungent aroma.  I pictured her walking into the teacher's lounge and stating: "Wow - did you guys meet that mom who wears WAY too much perfume?  She reeks!"

Back to the topic at hand.  How do you know when you've created an amazing, best selling natural perfume?  Despite my initial stumble, the interviewer did pose an interesting question.  Maybe she hoped to hear it was easy for me to recognize when a perfume would be a bestseller.  I would finish the perfume, put away my supplies and spend the rest of the day in a satisfied state.

Maybe some perfumers just know.  Maybe there would be a universal chorus of accolades.  Friends, family, critics would unanimously decide the scent was perfect, remarkable, wonderful!  Nothing could be further from the truth.

When I blended my perfume Gypsy, I really loved it.  I was thrilled it aged well, deepening and becoming richer and smoother.  I only modified the perfume slightly from my initial blend, which is unusual for me.  I usually make many modifications until I get the perfume just the way I want it.  Once the modifications have been aged, even more revisions are made.  It's a process.  With Gypsy, I felt I had created a good perfume that needed little revision.  I was confident it was well blended, and well balanced.  When I had friends and family sample Gypsy their replies were luke-warm.  Nobody disliked it, but no rave reviews were received.  I was puzzled as I found Gypsy really wonderful.  Rich and retro, with a bit of an original modern day spin.  Pink lotus, tonka, lavender  . . . many notes in sum, harmonizing in a smooth velvety manner.  Fast forward a year and Gypsy has become one of my bestselling natural perfumes.

I describe this scenario as it answers the question the interviewer asked.  I answered there was no way to know when I had created a "bestseller."  There was no initial chorus of compliments, no immediate sense of having created a "home-run."  I liked it.  I thought it was lovely.  Did I know it was going to sell well?  No.  Did I know critics and reviewers would like it?  No.  And while I do like getting feedback on my natural perfumes and packaging and promotions, in the end it all comes down to me, and my sense of what I think is good, what I think works.  I'm not always right, but I'm always the most important opinion.