by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
While I admit to deep skepticism about this whole odor effects thing (see last week’s post), as I’ve been experimenting, it seems to pan out. I want to make Black Iris work in the same way as Coty’s Chypre. I don’t mean to make it smell the same way, but I want it to...
by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
The perfume style referred to as “chypre,” was first embodied in Coty’s Chypre de Coty at the beginning of the 20th century. Deconstructing this perfume provides a good illustration of how to use the Odor Effects Diagram from my last post, which I included again...
by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
When I was a toddler, things smelled very strong. Vegetables were revolting–cauliflower smelled like vomit, Brussel sprouts like something long dead. It wasn’t until my twenties, that I began to use this sensitivity for more pleasurable effect. In the 1970s,...
by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
I’ve got an old nose. I’m sure it isn’t what it was during the 1970s when I was training it on bottles of old Lafitte, but it’s still there and working. I worry, that as I get even older, I’ll lose more of it. While this isn’t something I relish, working with wine and...
by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
Para cresols smell like the creosote painted on pier supports. While this sounds weird, cresols are essential for some flower scents, especially narcissus and lily. I sometimes use para cresols along with another funky compound, indole, which in many flower fragrances...
by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
I’ve been going to various perfume and beauty product events and have found that people, primarily women, want a floral. I’ve been letting people smell rose otto and they go nuts. So, to the drawing board it is. I’m starting out using Jellinek’s notes (see earlier...
by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
There are two main kinds of musk: natural and synthetic. Natural musk comes from a small Himalayan deer which is now endangered. I remember my mother reeking of it, but that was the 1950s. It may be the most delectable smell that exists. In later decades, natural...
by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
I’ve always wanted to smell like the beach, not a crowded beach with its overtones of suntan lotion and saltwater on the skin, but a solitary beach with a scent like steamed mussels and freshly cracked oysters. On top of this irresistible sea-fresh quality, I would...
by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
Much has been made of a perfume’s ability to induce sexual feelings and even to draw us to the person wearing it. While these claims have been made, few people I’ve spoken with seem to share this view and perfumes, while they can be delightful, are rarely thought of...
by Jim Peterson | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
My oud source has again run out—there seems to be no more aku akira—so I’ve had to reformulate using new ouds. I ordered 14 different oud samples and tested them all for balance and longevity. I’m now using Malaysian oud, a Hindi, and another one of uncertain origin....
