Just a quick update. For those testing Reves, I’ve chosen #22 and have tweaked it to increase the violet/iris note with a more floral ionone that is longer lasting, and it’s not too sweet as I had feared it might be; this is much better. I hope to work on it more tonight [...]

• Eagle Valley Golf Course, Carson City, NV Eagle Valley Golf Course is located in: Carson City, NV Phone: 775-887-2380 Website: http://www.eaglevalleygolf.com Course History: This is a truly great course that is actually two courses in one. You'll have your pick of two, and the West Course is by far the most challenging. We'll be focusing on this......
• Dolphin Isle Marina, Fort Bragg, CA Dolphin Isle Marina is located in: Fort Bragg, CA Phone: 707.964.4113 Average Water Depth: The average water depth here is around 14 feet, but this is subject to change due to weather conditions. We recommend calling ahead to check the current levels before you arrive. Marine Standby Channel: Yes, the......

Continue reading → Progress…

I’ve been busily trying to squeeze in some ingredient sourcing today; I have some lovely naturals I’ve been researching and then nine samples from an aroma chem supplier arrived yesterday with new releases that are very interesting. I’ve fallen hard for one and want to order a kilo. They were sneaky and didn’t [...]

Continue reading → More Kilo Lust…

Several things have put IFRA in my mind the last few days: a blog post I saw recently reviewing the room spray Massoia by Geodesis, an article in Perfumer & Flavorist online magazine, and the new low-atranol oakmoss now available. I’ll touch on all three briefly.
Here’s a link to the article “Special Report: IFRA Workshop—Allergy [...]

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Continue reading → Some misc IFRA info and comment on room sprays

I had a chance to work on Lieu de Reves this weekend and am pleased with the progress. I took out a sandalwood ingredient that was interacting with some of the ionones to cause an odd musty note that I didn’t like. I also took out a sweet musk and added a drier [...]

Continue reading → Lieu de Reves

I’ve found it very interesting to see the variation in how people perceive a scent, and part of the reason for the variation seems to be that for any given note or ingredient people have different sensitivities and tolerances to it. What is often called “skin chemistry” also plays a role, but even if [...]

Continue reading → Our own scent truth

Sometimes people assume that they don’t like something in the perfume base if they dislike a fragrance; that may be a likely possibility with oil perfumes since the oil base can often contain solvents that may have off odors to a subset of people, but it’s less likely with alcohol perfumes. The base of [...]

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Continue reading → Back to Bases

I had a chance to test the latest rounds of Gardenia Musk and Reves, though I’m looking forward to trying the samples of Amouage Lyric that arrived in the mail yesterday (need to make time tomorrow!). 
I’ve been looking at ways to extend the heliotrope note in Reves because heliotropin lasts well through the heart but fades [...]

Continue reading → Scent testing

I spent the day with dabs of various Gardenia Musk trials on my arms, working on other things while waiting for them to dry down so I could compare lasting power.  They all smell great in the first couple hours, but it’s hard to keep the interest going in the late stages of a soft floral musk.  I’ve had the [...]

• Myrtle Creek Golf Course, Myrtle Creek, OR Myrtle Creek Golf Course is located in: Myrtle Creek, OR Phone: 888-T-MYRTLE Website: http://www.myrtlecreekgolf.com/ Course History: This is a terrific course that offers a wonderful traditional experience with just the right mix of challenge and fun. The course was first opened with 9 holes in 1997, and the back nine......
• Ventura Isle Marina, Channel Islands, CA Ventura Isle Marina is located in the Channel Islands, CA Phone: 805.644.5858 Average water depth: The marina did not report their average depth. We highly recommend calling ahead before you arrive. Is there a marine standby channel? They do monitor several channels. We recommend calling the harbormaster to get information......

Continue reading → Obsessing on details

There’s a new natural gardenia product on the market that is an enfleurage of Gardenia fragrans, but it’s currently selling for $50 for 2 ml. It is made in Colombia and sold at http://www.enfleurage.com. I think we’ll see more progress in this area with other natural gardenia essences coming on the market (most you see [...]

Continue reading → Natural Gardenia

Someone suggested I do a blog post to explain from the perfumer’s point of view how the decision is made whether to create a perfume in oil or alcohol form.  I thought it was a great idea because I receive questions about this issue quite frequently.  Why does a perfumer pick one base or the [...]

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Continue reading → How do perfumer’s choose between alcohol or oil format?

Today Now Smell This featured an article about five recent rose releases and included Vintage Rose in the reviews:
http://nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/8/1/3818369.html
I was really happy to see Vintage included there!  Miller et Bertaux Shanti and Red Flower Guaiac sound fun to try too.
You’ve probably heard about the two new Serge Lutens scents from all the press about them.  Serge Noire sounds most [...]

Continue reading → Some fragrant news of the day

I worked on the new gardenia musk Sunday.  The floral accord is a pretty gardenia/jasmine that’s had good feedback, but I’d like the scent to have just a bit more oomph. I added a touch of very light cedar and some soft salicylate to give a little more volume and it seems to help quite [...]

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Continue reading → Gardenia Musk and other updates

I’m trying Andy Tauer’s new Vetiver Dance this afternoon and am enjoying it; the lily of the valley comes out prominently on me the first few hours and makes this a very different vetiver scent than any other I’ve tried, much more floral but still unisex. I like the green notes in here too, and [...]

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Continue reading → A new vetiver to love, and more scent work

Ambre Noir is getting closer. I put the frankincense and myrrh back in, removed one cedary component, enhanced the sandalwood, and added a touch of castoreum. It’s dark and rich but has the touch of incense back. I need to live with it for a bit and make sure I’m happy with it, [...]

Continue reading → Quick Update

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to try a sample of Onda from a very generous person, and it got me thinking about some of the leathery skanky notes I like in very small amounts: castoreum and the para cresyls. Onda is very bold and probably the most animalic scent I’ve ever tried, including [...]

Continue reading → The Skanky Notes

If you think it’s bad to lust after bottles of perfume, it is worse lusting after ingredients that only come in 25 kilo minimum purchases.  :)   A 25 kilo purchase all of one ingredient is too much for me at this stage.  So when I sample an item like this and fall in love with it, I [...]

Continue reading → Kilo lust and update on new scents

I’ve been working on some product photos in Photoshop to remove the backgrounds; it’s a challenge to get the edges smooth and is going slower than I’d hoped.  I’ve not done much blending this week so hope to do that this weekend.
I did get to try a sample of Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel today and enjoyed it.  [...]

Continue reading → Checking in briefly…

Sienna Musk is on the site and ready to go, though it’s probably nicest when the weather cools a bit more.  It’s a spiced woodsy musk scent that is warm and cozy, but not what I’d crave with the temperature reaching 110 degrees F today.  We’re having a very intense heat wave.  The smoke has become much worse again from the [...]

Continue reading → Sienna Musk is on the site now

I finally got to work a bit on Ambre Noir again today.  I still like the last tester version I did better than the experiments after that, so I retreated to that formula and am taking another path with it.  I like the drydown but not the start, and I’m thinking that instead of adding more [...]

Continue reading → Back to work on ambre

I thought this was an interesting blurb in Perfumer and Flavorist about how natural ingredients are being tweaked to de-color them or remove allergens or change the scent profile in some way (such as removing the dirtiest part of patchouli).   Jean Claude Ellena has discussed doing this to design custom natural components in his perfumes; [...]

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Continue reading → Custom tweaks of nature

I’ll send out two identical traveling musk packages Tuesday the 24th.  The first two people can sniff, report back their results via email to info@sonomascentstudio.com or to my personal email (given in the package), and then send on to the next two people.  We have the first six or so in line already.
Here are the questions [...]

Continue reading → Sending Out Traveling Musk Packages

The picture above shows tonka beans, orris root, a jar of labdanum absolute, and lavender blossoms.  Photo copyright SonomaScentStudio.com.
When I made Ambre Noir, I wanted a very dark labdanum-rich amber scent with a little leather and rose and very little vanilla.  I also wanted woods, moss, and incense.  I like the way it turned out, but I [...]

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• A sweet patchouli kind of day Sometimes only patchouli will do, but not the strong, sour kind of headshop patchouli left over from the 60's. I'm talkin' about sweet patchouli. I've already been sidetracked a couple of times today trying to write up my impressions, so this might be the short version just to get it......
• Scent impressions on a hot day The Different Company Part 3 Between L'artisan and Serge Lutens were testers from The Different Company. Since I love Bois d’Iris, I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to at least try one of them. Bois d'Iris notes iris (iris pallida aka “the Fastuous” or iris florentina), vetiver, bergamot, cedar wood, narcissus, geranium, musk......

Continue reading → Labdanum and amber

I’ve found a great deal of variation in how well people smell different musk ingredients that I use, and I thought it might be interesting to try to see if there are any patterns to the musks that each individual can and can’t smell.  I could make samples of ten or so musk ingredients diluted to a very low skin safe [...]

Continue reading → Possible Musk Anosmia Experiment

I’m getting back to some blending now in between other things.  Hope people enjoy the samples and orders that are going out.  I try to pick extras people might like and always include a note with each package.  I think the personal touch is one thing that’s special about being a small company, and I really do enjoy the contact [...]

Continue reading → Back to some blending

I’m still catching up on orders and have the contest winner packages to ship, so no time for working on scents right now. 
I saw the new Escentric Molecules 02 scents are based on ambroxan, and although I love that aroma chem I find it hard to imagine a scent made with it as a main ingredient.  Ambroxan has a [...]

Continue reading → Just a quick note on ambroxan