Say goodbye to Peace on Earth

diary of a playground bully by Zencat

Behaviour of some perfumers in the playground are incongruous considering .. the word......

Both Liz Zorn from Liz Zorn Perfumes and Anya McCoy from Anya's Garden have been subjected to not very nice bullying.

Please read below and also please take the time to read these bulletins on various blogs about this .

http://perfumeoflife.org/index.php?showtopic=22360&st=0

http://www.community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=204231http://www.makeupalley.com/m~70366888

plus http://thenonblonde.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-i-saved-230.html

Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Say Goodbye To Peace On Earth
Dear Customers and Friends:
We have received a letter from the attorney George Gottlieb, of Gottlieb, Rackman & Reishman in New Your City representing, Laurice & Co. Better known as Bond No. 9. Letter dated January 2, 2008
Stating that unless we stop using the word “Peace” as in our “Peace on Earth Natural Perfume, and notify them in writing by January 15, 2008, they will sue us for infringing on their right to the word. As in their fragrance called “Scent of Peace”
Apparently they believe that they have exclusive rights to the word “Peace” . As it is used in any capacity regarding fragrance or any related product.

Here is a quote from their letter.
“Therefore unless we receive your written assurance by January 15, 2008 that your company will discontinue any use and distribution of “PEACE” in any and all capacities in connection with perfume or any other related goods, we will consider all appropriate legal remedies, including legal action against your company seeking injunctive relief, legal fees, and actual punitive damages.”

This would mean any personal care product or product containing fragrance.

I am assuming that we are not the only company getting this letter, since “Peace” is a common and universal word, used by many for many things. And is used in part as the name for several perfumes on the market today. This could end up being a very nasty venture on their part, particularly with Avon launching a new fragrance called “Wish of Peace” Are they going to sue them too.
If it had been something else like the word yellow or flower. I might have considered taking them on. But to go to war over the word “Peace” is to me an abomination. To even think such a thing, is unthinkable. And the bad, karma, Ouch!......gives me the willies.
So I sent along to them by fax today as well as Certified Mail a letter, declining to fight with them, and advising them that we will no longer use the word “Peace” in relation to our scent. I will not raise a hand or word against peace in any fashion. So we have temporarily changed the name of our fragrance to “Solstice”

The truth is, I don’t know these folks. We live in completely different universes. I am one person. An artisan who makes perfumes by hand. I find it odd that anyone would think me a threat, and even more odd that they would want to sue my little company. What do I have that they could possibly want. A stack of bills, A small lab of supplies, A few boxes of unused bottles and caps. My work is not ego driven. I make perfume because I have a love of the art, it means something to me. More than just dollars and I guess in some cases, power.

When will the world learn. Peace cannot be achieved through war. Even if it is a war over the word “Peace”. Any kind of conflict, will only serve to bring about more conflict. So instead of being angry or, lashing out at these people I chose instead to send them (through my letter) a blessing and a wish for peace. It is the only honest thing that I could have done.

As Always, Peace. ZZ...........

a Happy New Year

Wishing a Happy New Year to all readers.

May the year as it develops, bring acceptance, joy, laughter and embracing to all lifes roller coasters.

I am hoping to bury into my beloved essences and project and just be a little less frenetic than I was last year.... So much occurred in 2007 which is life, of course .... a little more time for quiet moments....and fun...... for 2008?
The first hyacinths are blooming in the house and its perfume is intoxicating, heady and delicious... Snowdrops will soon be showing themselves in February... and a little snow in between...

blind test

My perfume created for a client was placed on a blind test against an international fashion designer perfume, a household name.

Thrilled and astounded. The blind test was conducted with a collection of business people. My client I believe was talking about naturals and their beauty and I think they decided to do a blind test to see who would win... synths or naturals...

So this designer perfume was put out and mine..... the blind test was completed with my natural perfume winning hands down.

Goes to show never underestimate the beauty of the naturals....

I hope my skill in composing was there too..LOL..

the muse has come again and off I go

morning meditating
Originally uploaded by rhembein

I can feel the muse pulling me to another part of the trinity.

This last year has found me knee deep in books, blogs blending, tincturing, experimenting, sourcing and thinking ...... I feel the shift in my thought patterns now turning to the project.. I have decided to start in earnest in the new year.

After much thought and working out the processes in my head I know the time is right for me to settle down to some serious work on this...... the perfume and machine embroidery for the piece and wanting to and getting excited. I am pretty sure about where I am going at last with this visual but the final answers will come when I set to.... I'm excited thinking about it. Anything else I dismiss... which for me is a sure sign...that I must follow ....

Focusing and developing what's ahead , mastering all that befalls my fingertips, nose and eyes. humbly asking for divine inspiration.

music chords, perfume accords and memory

image Neil Wharton
http://www.artyimages.co.uk/

Music and Perfume.....so different and at the same time in union with one another.

Musical notes ie notes in a chord. C, E G , first, third or 5th notes for example...or in Piesse associated odour could be from the lowest base note of the musical scale and corresponding resinous note of Patchouli, moving to lowest of the treble notes and corresponding floral notes of Acacia and orange flower.

Moving up the treble scale on the staves of a musical manuscript we look to Piesse too associate botanicals of Camphor, Portugal and Syringa, ... Jasmin, Cedrat and Magnolia, Pineapple and Verbena.... on the bass clef including patchouli again, then Wallflower and Frangipani, Santal, Calamus and Pergaloria, Geranium, Orris and Sweetpea. Rose which is higher on the base scale... relates to other perfume terminology of middle middle to base middle to top etc.... all examples here are associated with the simple 3 note chord and associated aromatic 3 notes surrounding C, E & G according to Piesse. These will change according to the notes used and corresponding floral notes.... in any chord/accord.

These notes also can be interchanged to create different intensities.... higher and lower resonences of the same chord with music or accords with botanicals by changing positions of the notes/botanicals on the stave.

Sometimes in music the lyric gives the listener an opportunity to relate to the music on a deeper sub-conscious level.... ie personally relate to it by an experience for which the music and lyric brings up memory and emotion.....

While perfume when inhaling the aroma ... if memory recognises the odour, will transport recognition of time, space and personal emotion.

House Martin

The room is redolent with beautiful floral bouquets. The perfume welcomes you as you enter. Julias room is 'house martin' and looks out onto freshly furrowed fields and hills beyond. There is a little balcony with a wooden seat, again full of flowers in vases and a bird feeder where the birds of sparrow and blue tit come to feed and all can be seen from Julias bed. In late afternoon the sunlight pours in filling the room with light. It is serene and calm.

From the outset Julia wanted no fuss, but just to get on with it accepting it as bad luck and part of life. No tears but to carry on (if that was possible) In front of her we maintain normality talking and joking and shed our tears in private. Just 45 and within 6 weeks, cancer of the liver, pulmonary artery, spine, bones, and now the brain is taking our beautiful, intelligent , witty, funny lovely Julia away from us. She is my daughters much loved Aunt , Headmistress of a prestigious Elementary School in Eastnor Herefordshire and loved by all who know her.

She is slowly slipping away . At St Michaels Hospice in Hereford she is so tenderly taken care of. The bouquets of flowers have poured in from the schools she has worked with, Governors, old school friends and people who hardly knew her. It is very touching. Every day brings fresh bouquets. Five one day and on and on the flowers and cards come

I sat with her yesterday. On the CD player I put on piano music, English Suites by Bach played by Murray Perahia and Grieg Lyric pieces which is calming and beautiful. A foot and hand massage with some rose lotion and drinks of milk, juice and water whenever she needs it. ....tenderly applied with a straw to her lips. The pain relief administered is effective .........the professional staff there are very very special. The environment is caring, considerate and nothing is too much trouble. Many are volunteers.

Julia said to me yesterday ' I am going to have to go.... this is all I am going to say' Today she spoke to her sister and said 'it won't be long'..... Helen says she is calm and serene and drifts in and out of consciousness.

This will be my only post.

Julia Frances Morris November 5 1962 - October 22 2007

up close and intimate with clary sage

I am making a deeper acquaintance with botanicals that I have been a little shy of.... liked them and have applied them but held off knowing them.....

So, Clary Sage....distillation from the plant Salvia Sclarea. As per lavender the flowers distilled alone give an oil richer in ethers than a whole plant distilled on the same day...

It is a middle to top note in perfumery with a high odor intensity and good fixative and can give 'green' nuances to blends. The aroma is warm and relaxing, but can also be heady and uplifting. A fine odour which some say reminiscent of a mixture of ambergris, musk, neroli and lavender. which certainly is detected in the body of the notes just before the drydown.

To help with a relaxing effect add cedarwood. It has incredible tenacity and the odour intensity still imparts warmth well over 24 hours... the aroma by then assimilates itself with lavender.. The initial impression when you first smell this sweetheart is fruity and dry, complex ,cognac like with notes of hay. After 15minutes tobaccoey notes emerge with a clean top end. Within 45 minutes one perceives a sweetness and a floral tea and still cognaccy with tobaccoey undertone....After an hour there is a warm cohesiveness to the notes that lingers on well into the next day..

The plant is robust and comely with downy leaves and tall flowered spikes. The crinkly and downy heart shaped leaves when touched has the sensation of crushed velvet. The flowers give off their bitter, musky and balsamic fragrance. In Germany, flowering tops and elderflowers were infused together with the liquid and added to Rhine wine to create the muscatel wine.

It is indispensable in the creation of ambers, chypres and in eau de colognes where it imparts its mellow sweetness and persistence which cannot be duplicated even with ambergris.