Indigo - mysterious, meditative

Ayala Moriels' perfume samples created by perfumer Ayala Sender came with the postman today. Indigo and Tirzah...... Along with a surprise treat from Salaam it felt like it was my birthday opening packages and placing my nose into the delicious offerings and revelling in the aromatic delights that assailed my senses. Salaams Bergamot oh my... this will be in a post of its own.....

Indigo... mysterious , individual and reflective... The overall feeling is of delicious dark secret green floral. Ayalas unusual and deft touch at the top of Aniseed (spice) Tarragon(herbal) and Neroli (floral) blends together in cool symbiosis... the anise wafting gently over tarragon and neroli not in a dominent way but as a breath... beautiful Boronia, spicy warm Carnation and Orris slip quietly into the heart notes silently and without fuss , refined, unfussy , smooth, silent and silky with a drydown of warm oriental amber, hints of meditative incense and sacred cedar from the Himalayas rising like smoke through the perfumes centre.

A perfume that can be worn seamlessly in life , quietly yet full of individual deferred character..cool, reflective yet quietly making its statement. This is me, this is who I am.....
....

frutti paradisi - a garden of Eden

Salaam from Profumo.it sent me a sample of his Frutti Paradisi when posting some raw materials of perfumery.

A couple of weeks ago we were invited to a wedding. I have been helping Kath and her daughter, Laura for the last six months with singing lessons, as both wanted to surprise Sean with a song that would mean something to them and celebrate their feelings. They chose 'These words' by Natasha Bedingfield .... I thought what a wonderful way to exalt their wedding by wearing a natural perfume. It seemed fitting to choose Frutti Paradisi. It was an amazing day, poured with rain but it didn't matter. The service included a Male Voice Welsh Choir. 'Love is like a rose' was beautifully emotive. The bride and maids looked stunning and Sean ( former Sandhurst man) was resplendent in a Kilt. My daughter took pictures which I am wanting too add but she is still to upload them to the computer... so here are the words for now.

I literally poured most of the sample into my hand and applied to pulse points, wrist, behind ears, back of neck and hair. By anointing this perfumed nectar in my palm gave a feeling of pure unequivical pampered indulgence...

The first instant is a delicious explosion of fruit black currants... this perfume gives a cohesive scent of its own and the blend of the fruity and delicate apricot tea osmanthus, creamy sultry jasmine and vanilla is sublime.... as I entered the church and was greeted with a murmur of what a lovely perfume .......a compliment to Monsieur Dubrana. The perfume lasted well into the afternoon where I applied again to last the rest of the evening. There was not one jarring note... Beautifully balanced as if stepping into the Garden of Eden. Exotic, fabulously fruity and with a touch of sensuality without it being crude or decadent. the drydown smooth and multilayered is without any complexity. In fact an elegance that would quite easily move from Theatre, Ballet or Concert to the bedroom... not cloying or narcotic, too sweet or hedonistic but elegant, full bodied and refined..... with a touch of suggestiveness that draws you in..

great day in london friday 6th july

This is my second year at New Designers in London and once again this proved to be both exhilirating and inspiring exhibition full of new and exciting ideas from some of the new up and coming, rising talent in the UK.

Designers from all the major universities come together to exhibit the very best from their degree final shows. Textiles, jewelry, print, fashion, ceramics,. This is their 22nd year and was opened by our now very own Mr Brown ( our new prime minister) who stamped his approval on the future for UK design.

Lots of 60's retro, ruching, pleating, knotting and knitting.... the jewelry was fantastic .... embroidery on net. I chose this photo from flickr as there was one piece that used photo fingerprints as part of the dress and this reminded me of it and also combined with the netting that I saw.

The building itself is very modern and beautiful to look at and I had a very intensive 2 hours going round everything collecting makers postcards and details to peruse at a later date and gather information for us girls in Bowie & Hulbert, Hay-on-Wye. The glass work was also very beautiful

Independence Day 4th July celebrate

Happy 4th July.........Many of you will be celebrating with fireworks picnics, water fun.......

Here in Wales I celebrated in a different fashion ... Today Ed our drummer from Babe Ruth bought the first test download from our site and it was a joyous exaltant feeling that what we had accomplished all by ourselves. Record companies have alot of power over artists who sometimes end up with a ball and chain around their necks beholden to a company and losing all their artistic freedom... with the evolution of computer downloads , you tube and such , individuals, now, have their say in how to make their music.... so record company roles will drastically change in the future on how they will perform in the music industry..... I think we still need expertise help to get the music out there....but how it is done that is truly changing. There are some great people in the music industry and it is good to see it evolving so positively.

Happy Independence Day.... Happy 4th July. and a big thanks to Tom Paine.......

Red, Yellow and Green Mandarin

It seems that Aniba has at last been able to send out her wonderful oils from Brazil to members of the Guild and Group .... for which in my package of goodies is the mandarins amongst others....I purchased Red and also received yellow sample from her and I recently replenished my green from another source.... I think it will be fun to open these oils and get my immediate reaction .... I will leave space for drydown notes later when I have a bit more time... I have just trotted to the organ and desk and retrieved my carving set to open the green seals that were protecting the cap.... okay which one first.... well I am curious about the red mandarin

Red Mandarin: - whoosh before I had barely taken off the tape a mouthwateringly rich aroma comes to greet me.... ripe luscious mandarin this seems to remind me of juice running down your chin when sinking teeth in to draw the soft pliable flesh and suck its sweet nectared juices.

Yellow Mandarin:- oooh this is different subtler mellow sharpness with an intense top note... delicious I am excited about this one.

Green Mandarin:- I love this one and have used it alot in blends...my nose now picks up the familiar unripe sharpness and clean hespiridic note of the green unripe fruit.....

off to do some drydown tests on these now....which won't take long LOL will post up later..

rose /rosa damascena

Rosa Trigintipetala
Originally uploaded by multiflora.

'Look to the Rose that blows about us - ' Lo,

Laughing ', she says 'into the World I blow:

At once the silken Tassel of my Purse Tear, and its

Treasure on the Garden throw.'

- Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam-

A true rose odour is unique and incomparable, undefinable and best represented by the Rosa Damascena, cultivated in Bulgaria. One of the principal varieties grown in this area is Rosa damascena 'Miller' . The perfume is most powerful when the flowers open. Both single and double varieties are grown. The Damascena Roses with the Gallica roses are some of the oldest varieties known today.

There are ten districts in Bulgaria of which the most important are Kazanlik, Karlova, Brezova, Tchirpan, Nova Zagora and Stara Zagora. The flowers are cultivated in this famous Valley of the Roses, 200 kilometres east of Sofia accessible by road over the Klissoura Pass. The harvest takes place during May and the early part of June, but this depends on atmospheric conditions. Ideal conditions are gentle rain occasionally with a little sun. The roses are collected before they begin to open and while they are covered in dew. Roses gathered later in the day although emitting a more powerful perfume in distilling does not creat such a sweetness in the essence.

Kazanlik another Damascena Rose, originating in the middle east, is a vigorous rose and also grown in the rose fields of Bulgaria as another variety used in the manufacture of 'attar of roses.' The soft pink petals are very fragrant with a colour of warm pink. A dark green foliage and shaggy, double blooms. Height reaches 5' x 4' .

Other varieties of Damascena include...'Belle Amour' , 'Blush Damask' 'Botzaris''Celsiana'. 'Coralie', 'Gloire de Guilan,' 'Ispahan', 'La Ville de Bruxelles,' 'Leda,' 'Marie Louise', ' Mme Hardy', 'Mme Zoetmans', 'Omar khayyam' another rose of antiquity with seeds propogated on plants gathered from Omar Khayyam's tomb. 'Quatre Saisons both the 'Autumn Damask and Blanc Mousseux, 'Rose d' Hivers, 'St Nicholas... Triginpetala also called Kazanlik and described above and picture here and 'York and Lancaster.

Portland Roses including varieties such as 'Jacques Cartier'. 'Rose du Roi' and 'Rose de Rescht among others are included under the heading of Damasks although they have a shorter growing habit.

Different varieties of Rose and different cultivars of the same species can produce quite diverse characteristics and compositions. Below is a table comparing the main components of Bulgarian Rose (R damascena) or 'attar' to the French rose absolute (R centifolia ) from Julia Lawless Rose oil book. The Rose/Rosa Centifolia I shall write about in another post.

citronellol R. damascena 34-55% R.centifolia 18-22%
phenylethanol R. damascena 1.5 - 3% R.centifolia c.63%
geraniol and nerol R. damascena3--40% R. centifolia 10-15%
farnesol R. damascena 0.2 -2% R. centifolia 0.2-2%
stearopten R. damascena 16-22% R. centifolia c.8%

plus traces of: nonanon, linalool, nonanal, phehylacetaldehyde, citral, carvone, citronellyl acetat, 2-phenylmethyl acetate, eugenol, rose oxide.2.

In Persia and Damascus people used to bury jars of unopened rosebuds in the garden and dig them up on special occasions, when exposed to warmth their delicious perfume would suffuse the air.

Today, the perfume of the Bulgarian rose 'attar' is still considered to be the highest quality available.

In future posts I will look at the various methods of extracting the rose perfume , taking a look at Rosa centifolia, its uses in the various categories of perfume, Mythology and its benefits in healing.

References:

Classic Roses by Peter Beales

Perfumes Cosmetics and Soaps Vol 2 by Poucher 8th edition

Rose oil by Julia Lawless

some good places to visit about Rosa damascena miller

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Rosa_dam.html

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/bpc1911/rosa_oleu.html

http://www.ics.trieste.it/MedicinalPlant/_MedicinalPlant.aspx?id=21

alot has happened this month

This has been a month of only 2 posts yet alot has happened.

I have begun tincturing the bluebells in the wood ( s'okay ....my wood well we bought it but I consider myself custodian) I started early as I wasn't sure how it would develop. I finally solved my organic alcohol dilemma and although costing me an arm and a leg in custom duties I at least have what I need. I shall dedicate a complete post with pictures that my beautiful daughter took as I feel it deserves this.. I think Iam pioneering this as if it has been done before it was many many many years ago.

I have been buying and sourcing lots of raw material and buying old books....... one came today a historical reprint from 1857... 'The art of perfumery, and the methods of obtaining the odours of plants; with instructions for the manufacture of..... dentifuces, pomatums, cosmetiques, perfumed soap etc by G.W. Septimus Piesse.

I am so excited to read and browse through this.. I am saving it to the last this evening when I slip between the sheets and savour the cover and its contents. I thought it may have been reprinted in french but it has been translated.

I will be going to the Botanic Gardens tomorrow .. More over on Flowers of Myddfai ... the blog dedicated to this project... I must try and post more next month

Coming up with a few glitches on a perfume I am working on for a client in London....... there is something in there that she finds too sweet...... so I am sending blotters down to see if we can define who the culprit(s) are......

The Natural Perfumery Group is alive and full of interesting information and exchanging of ideas......

Lilacs are blooming, hawthorn blossom, apple blossom, bluebells, milk maids, daisies, roses budding, peonies coming up , hydrangea petiolaris flowers starting to bud up, Wisteria starting to flower.... such a beautiful time of year.