by Jim Peterson | Mar 24, 2021 | Uncategorized
In perfumery, the word “oriental” denotes a rich, dense and complex perfume. Shalimar is probably the best-known example. According to J.S. Jellinek, in Perfumery: Practice and Principles, oriental perfumes can be divided into those such as Obsession and...
by Jim Peterson | Mar 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
Pronounced SHEEPra, the word refers to the island of Cypress, known for its oakmoss, but Cypress has little to do with the evolution of the modern chypre. Instead, the classic chypre style was introduced in 1917 by Francois Coty who created a perfume by that name...
by Jim Peterson | Mar 10, 2021 | Uncategorized
As a small boy, I got scared when my mother went out for dinner or to a party and left me alone with my bullying teenage brothers. This angst is forever coupled by the delicious aroma of her 1940s Vol de Nuit. No sooner would she put it on, getting ready to go out,...
by Jim Peterson | Mar 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
When I finished composing Green Iris, I ran over to The Twisted Lily, a perfume boutique just a few blocks from me, to get their opinion. One salesperson exclaimed “Iris!” while another said, “Well, that’s certainly outside the box.” Since, I’ve been thinking about...
by Jim Peterson | Feb 24, 2021 | Uncategorized
No doubt because of the intense labor needed to accumulate enough violet flowers, violet flower absolute disappeared from the market many years ago. Perfumers use violet leaf absolute instead. While violet leaf has a nice green aspect that fits well with the...
by Jim Peterson | Feb 17, 2021 | Uncategorized
For some perfumes, the greatest challenge is getting them to last. Natural floral aromas, especially, evaporate quickly—they last no more than an hour or two on the skin—and need to last longer to be viable. It has long been the supposition of perfumers, master and...
