From Ireland with Love

Sometimes things just happen...

My Father-in-law came to stay with us. It was a special time, especially so because he came all the way from Kelowna in Canada. I have never met my husbands Aunt's but they always make beautiful gestures that connect our families even though we are on opposite sides of the world. I wanted to show them how much these gestures mean to me. I was thinking that I would make some solid perfume to send back with Sean's Dad. Then I remembered I was waiting for an order of beeswax and was totally out. I recalled an ungent sent to me by Nathaniel Musselman. It had a solid base of whipped coco butter (I think it was coco butter, perhaps it was mango butter but anyhow...) his one had a delectable lemony scent. I found a basic recipe online for something similar and then I made a perfume for it. Being in a hurry, my FIL was already packing his suitcase when I started, I wanted to hit on a winner first time. I knew I had to keep things simple or it could all go horribly wrong. I chose the jasmine concretes I have, jasmine sambac and jasmine grandiflorum. The sambac has a spring-like narcissi note and the grandiflorum is creamy and multi-layered and like a perfume by itself. The base needed something that would make enough of a statement on it's own but that would be liked by all. I steered away from patchouli even though it is such a great base note for it's longevity, and the jasmines begged a base at least as potent as themselves. In the end I used a coco base. I was going to try a lighter and maybe even citrus addition for the head but I decided against it, loving the light floral notes that were already filling the studio.
I put it together and the results were immediately good. I wasn't even worried how it would turn out over time, because I knew it could only get better. Everyone loves it, no, everyone adores it. My son wears it, my daughter is addicted to it. Even my fussy friend thinks it is smashing. I wish there was such a thing as smelly-net because I would love to let you smell it. In fact if you want to email me at ruth@whitewitch.ie I will send you a sample of "From Ireland with Love".

Archway of roses and jasmines

Phytonic rose extract - South Africa (damascena): Gorgeous toffee caramel sweet rose with spicy green undertones.

Phytonic rose extract from musk rose- South Africa: Deep sultry rose, moody and luscious.

Rose leaf absolute -South Africa: Sweet green hay-like, tobacco leaf undertones. Arctander says about rose leaf absolute, 'When creating a rose perfume or a rose base, the perfumer is often interested in notes that will give him the reproduction of the leaves, the fragrance of the foliage which forms such an important part of the rose gamut; the bouquet of roses is not complete without it.' P.556 Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin by Steffan Arctander.

Jasmine grandiflorum C02 from concrete France: Light fruity floral, fresh sweet smoothness, has candy like notes.

Jasmine auriculatum hydro-distilled essence (distilled from concrete): Spicy heady floral with green undertones.

Jasmine sambac hydro-distilled essence from concrete: Sweet clean floral, with intense ethereal notes.

Jasmine grandiflorum hydro-distilled essence: Super-sweet clean floral, much stronger and more tenacious than either of the other jasmines.