What is the Perfume Project?

This blog is a constantly evolving forum for thoughts on perfume, perfume-making, plants (especially orchids and flora of the Pacific Northwest) and life in general. It started out chronicling the adventures of Olympic Orchids Perfumes, established in July 2010, and has expanded in other directions. A big part of the blog is thinking about the ongoing process of learning and experimentation that leads to new perfumes, the exploration of perfumery materials, the theory and practice of perfume making, the challenges of marketing perfumes and other fragrance products, and random observations on philosophy and society. Spam comments will be marked as such and deleted; any comments that go beyond the boundaries of civil discourse will also be deleted. I am grateful to all of you, the readers, who contribute to the blog by commenting and making this a truly interactive perfume project.

Monday, December 28, 2015

SCENTS OF THE SEASON: WINTER 2015


It’s that time again when I have been putting together a seasonal collection for my Scents of the Season subscribers, and it’s always a challenge to pick a group of fragrances that I haven’t sent out before. At some point I suppose I’ll have to start recycling some of them, but so far I haven’t yet reached that point. My color printer stopped working when the internet went down after the last big rain- and windstorm, and I haven't gotten it back up and running so won't have the nice color box labels this time. Oh well, maybe by spring. 

This winter’s collection is mostly centered around resinous and balsamic scents, partly because of an experience I had the other day when I was mixing up a batch of concentrate that used some balsamic notes and was struck by what a subtly rich smell they had. As a limited edition extrait for the winter collection I mixed up a balsamic fragrance that I’ve been enjoying for the past few days, showcasing these types of materials. Some of the main ingredients are benzoin, tolu balsam, and liquidambar. These would typically be base notes, but they are beautiful alone.

Most people who are into perfume have probably at least heard of benzoin and tolu balsam, but Liquidambar styraciflua is the American sweetgum tree, an ancient species that has been around for at least 50 million years and is often planted as an ornamental. It grows fast, puts on a gorgeous show of orange, red, and purple leaves in the fall and drops those pesky, spiky “gumballs” that fall on the roads and sidewalk like a scattering of ball-bearings, creating a hazard for unsuspecting runners. Although not generally thought of as a source of perfume, the sweetgum tree exudes a sweet-smelling gummy resin when wounded. The resin has a unique balsamic smell and has been burned like frankincense and chewed like gum. On its own, I find that it contains an odd note that’s not entirely pleasant, but combined with other resins it enhances and deepens the richness and sweetness of the mix.

Tomorrow I’m going on a local “adventure” trip on Whidbey Island, and will be out of electronic contact for a couple of days. Before I go, I’d like to share the fact that two of my perfumes have made the 2015 “best-of” lists: White Cattleya on Cafleurebon, and Zoologist Bat on Now Smell This (NST). A big thank-you to Michelyn and Erin!

Leave a comment here on your favorite perfumes to wear in 2015 (they don’t need to have been released in 2015) and be entered to win a Scents of the Season Winter 2015 sample pack (including Bat), plus a sample of White Cattleya. The drawing will occur on Saturday, January 9. Please share info about the drawing with your perfume-loving friends and family.

[The top photo was grabbed from the local ski area webcam, the bat graphic is the one that's on the label of Zoologist Perfumes Bat, and the other two are adapted from Wikimedia. The lowest one shows Deception Pass, the gateway to Whidbey Island.]

18 comments:

  1. I'm looking forward to trying Bat! My dearly beloved cat who went missing in August was named Bat so I'm anticipating your new creation with extra excitement.
    My latest new-release favorite is Iris Cendre, but I've been wearing Equistris (not new, but I finally sprung for a bottle) and Nanban a fair bit lately.

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    1. So sorry to hear about your missing cat, Bat. What a cool name for a cat.

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  2. I got a tiny bottle of Aftelier Vanilla Smoke which I have been wearing a lot recently. Very good fragrance for a cozy night indoors. Congratulations on making the end of the year "best of" lists!

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  3. Liz K and Anne, you are entered in the drawing!

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  4. I've put my bottle away for now, but in late spring/early summer I wore Ineke Field Notes from Paris almost every day. Thanks and Happy New Year!

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    1. Triniti, Ineke's perfumes are great. You're in the drawing.

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  5. I only found out about your line when I stopped by Tigerlily in the fall, and I ended up with four (DEV01, DEV04, Ballets Rouges and Blackbird) that I've been rotating pretty much every day since I got them. I'm very nearly done with my bottle Ballets Rouge (so perfect for work!), so I'm hoarding the last 7ish mLs that I have left. Can't wait to try Bat (I'm hoping I can actually find it at one of the Zoologist stockists in Toronto). My other new discovery for this year was Arquiste. I adore Nanban, and Aleksandr shall be mine soon!

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    1. Poormina, Tigerlily is great and so is the owner, Antonia! I understand Bat is for sale at Niche Essence, 2651 Yonge St, Toronto. You're in the drawing.

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  6. Hiya, two favourites i have been wearing recently are Ginestet 'Botrytis'. I just love it so much and always get wonderful comments about it. Another favourite is Jeffrey Dame's Mexican Black Flower Vanilla. Rich and spicy and very affordable. I'm in the UK but hope to try some of your scents soon. Thanks.

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    1. Pats, I still haven't tried Jeffrey's Mexican Black Flower Vanilla. I know a lot of people love it. You're in the drawing!

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  7. My favourite perfume I wore in 2015 was Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Rome. Thanks for the giveaway and I hope this is open to Canada. Bat sounds intriguing. They're one of my most favourite animals.

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    1. Iris, The draw is indeed open to Canada. You're in!

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  8. My best olfactory souvenirs of 2015 are the discovery of Panorama from Olfactive Studio (my summer lovestory)and the re-discovery of Dev2 (the autumn one). I should also add my affair (I'm so flighty) with Safran Nobile from the Belgian perfumer Libertin Louison.

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    1. Frederic, Panorama and Safran Nobile are two that I haven't tried. You're in the drawing!

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  9. 2015 was a HUGE year me, fragrance wise...I discovered the world of fragrance sampling! My favorite scents of 2015 were Black Jade and Poopoo Pidoo, along with Voleur de Roses....So many scents, so little time!

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    1. Jada, you're right - too many scents to try! You're in the drawing.

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  10. I didn't wear perfume as much this year as in previous years. This spring and summer I mostly wore Silences and Olympic Rainforest. Crepe de Chine and Mitsouko in the fall. This winter, nothing seems to feel right, maybe it's time for a new perfume. ;)

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    1. Drummagick, you're in the drawing. Maybe you can find a new perfume for the rest of the winter!

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