Amber and Boronia

Just right for summer.
I know I know a floral amber...how safe.

I started off with the base and used a blend I have used before but I left out the benzoin as I think it holds down the scent a lot and with an oil based perfume that can't be afforded.
I sound like I really know what I am taking about don't I!
Well whatever...
For the base, I used Labdanum, beeswax absolute, vanilla absolute and ambrette seed Co2. I love the result. It is well balanced and perfect for the floral notes I am planning to use in the heart of the perfume. I did use dilutions and I may have to go back and redo it as I don't know what the longevity of the perfume will be like at this point. Without the benzoin to hold it down it might not last though the labdanum is a very good quality absolute and even when it was diluted down to 20% it was still very thick.

The formula I used for the base notes are thus:

• Labdanum absolute 20% dilution 10 drops
• Beeswax absolute 20% dilution 3 drops
• Vanilla absolute 20% dilution 10drops
• Ambrette seed Co2 10% dilution 6 drops

As I say I may have to redo the base.

The heart was the part I was really looking forward to. I had a feeling about rose and boronia and wanted to try them together. The bornia is fresh and floral and wickedly summerish and the rose is warm and soft and sweet. My main challenge was keeping them separate and not having them make a buble gum sort of a thing.

I started with the rose, rose de mai, I added and tested and then added a little more to the base. I wanted to smell the rose over the base notes. Once I had accomplished this I added the boronia. Again I wanted to smell the boronia over the rose and I added a little and then I added some more until I could just smell the brightness of the boronia over the softness of the rose.
I added a tiny amount of jasmine grandiflorum to add another floral layer that had a note in common with both the rose and the boronia.

• Rose de mai 10% dilution 20drops
• Boronia 20% dilution 10 drops
• Jasmine grandiflorum 10 dilution 2 drops

I always seem to get stumped at the top notes. It's as if the only thing I can see to use are citrus oils and there is something about the sharpness of citrus that just doesn't say perfume to me.

I used a blend of corriander, bergamot, rosewood with a tichy bit of violet leaf.

When blending with oil it is not possible to get that lift that happens when alcohol based perfume is applied to the skin or a scent strip. So there needs to be a higher concentration of top notes. I had corriander diluted to 5% and so I added what was equivelant to a half a drop and then I upped it to a full drop. The corriander would hopefully show off the rose in the heart of the perfume.
Then I added bergamot and used a 50% dilution. I added 10 drops in the end after testing and testing. However when applied to my skin the blend had that citrus sharpness that I hate. I added then two drops of violet leaf absolute which was diluted to 10% and that tool away from the sharpness and added an unusual twist that need some sort of modification.
I decided that cardamom would really make the boronia shine and I added 1 drop of full strength cardamom absolute. It really helped to calm the citrus and calm the violet leaf. Then I added one drop of full strength rosewood oil and this seemed to round it all off and there was no more rough edges.
The blend will need some reworking. I would guess that the base will need to be stronger and I know that will change everything. The top notes will definitely need some modifications as well. But I am very happy. What I like the most is that I can pick out the boronia after about 5 minutes and it shines very clearly apart from the rose. It gives the impression of a garden in which boronia flourishes against a backdrop of roses.
I thoughroughly enjoyed the experience and I also enjoyed the way my confidence in blending has increased. I liked knowing what to add to take away the edges and what to add to compliment and add sparkle.

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.