Essence and Alchemy (15 page)
Read Essence and Alchemy Online
Authors: Mandy Aftel
Narcotic
essences have a hypnotic quality to them that is sultry and calming. I include among them jasmine concrete, jasmine absolute, tuberose, ylang ylang absolute, and ylang ylang concrete.
essences have a hypnotic quality to them that is sultry and calming. I include among them jasmine concrete, jasmine absolute, tuberose, ylang ylang absolute, and ylang ylang concrete.
Jasmine
is probably the most important perfume material. Its blossoms
exhale a scent so peculiar as to be incomparable. Synthetics do not even come close to approximating it. Rich and warm, heavy and fruity, intensely floral, it is nearly narcotic in its ability to seize the senses and the imagination. Its almost cloying sweetness gives way to a drier note as it evolves, but it has considerable tenacity, and it retains its warmth and depth all the way down to the dryout.
is probably the most important perfume material. Its blossoms
exhale a scent so peculiar as to be incomparable. Synthetics do not even come close to approximating it. Rich and warm, heavy and fruity, intensely floral, it is nearly narcotic in its ability to seize the senses and the imagination. Its almost cloying sweetness gives way to a drier note as it evolves, but it has considerable tenacity, and it retains its warmth and depth all the way down to the dryout.
There is almost no essence with which jasmine does not blend beautifully, and no perfume that is not improved by its presence. As Edmond Roudnitska puts it, “It is the natural product par excellence”âpliable, versatile, universal. “Despite all the crises
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, all the economic challenges, all the competition from synthetic products,” echoes Grasse chemist Jean Garnero, “the perfume of the jasmine flower remains one of the essential elements, and sometimes the main pillar in the structure of the greatest perfumes.”
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, all the economic challenges, all the competition from synthetic products,” echoes Grasse chemist Jean Garnero, “the perfume of the jasmine flower remains one of the essential elements, and sometimes the main pillar in the structure of the greatest perfumes.”
As with many flowers, jasmine blossoms continue to emit scent after they have been detached from the plant, and its character continues to develop until the blossoms fade and deteriorate. It takes more
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than two thousand pounds of flowers to produce a little over three pounds of jasmine absolute. I prefer jasmine concrete, a solid reddish-orange wax whose sweet, mellow tone lends a particular smoothness to any blend. My favorite is grandiflorum jasmine concrete. I use a tiny bamboo scoop that I buy in San Francisco's Chinatown to add jasmine concrete to my perfumes. (Its designated purpose is to clean ears.) I have used jasmine absolute as well, but I miss the rich sweetness and complexity of the concrete, and many of the absolutes I have smelled still carry the scent of the chemicals used in processing them. Another variety is jasmine sambac, which is spicier, deeper, and more tenacious.
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than two thousand pounds of flowers to produce a little over three pounds of jasmine absolute. I prefer jasmine concrete, a solid reddish-orange wax whose sweet, mellow tone lends a particular smoothness to any blend. My favorite is grandiflorum jasmine concrete. I use a tiny bamboo scoop that I buy in San Francisco's Chinatown to add jasmine concrete to my perfumes. (Its designated purpose is to clean ears.) I have used jasmine absolute as well, but I miss the rich sweetness and complexity of the concrete, and many of the absolutes I have smelled still carry the scent of the chemicals used in processing them. Another variety is jasmine sambac, which is spicier, deeper, and more tenacious.
Jasmine
Powerful as it is, jasmine refreshes rather than oppresses, possessing both antidepressant and aphrodisiacal properties.
Ylang ylang
“flower of flowers,” has been dubbed a poor man's jasmine. To me it is the definition of a good buy, inexpensive and beautiful. The blossoms are distilled when they are freshly gathered. As with olive oil, there are first, second, and third renderings of the oil, with the first labeled “extra,” connoting the highest grade, and a creamy, sweet note that is suave, soft, and persistent. Ylang ylang absolute is readily available and a joy to work with, being slightly more tenacious than the extra. My personal favorite is ylang ylang concrete, which is so multilayered it is perfume on its own.
“flower of flowers,” has been dubbed a poor man's jasmine. To me it is the definition of a good buy, inexpensive and beautiful. The blossoms are distilled when they are freshly gathered. As with olive oil, there are first, second, and third renderings of the oil, with the first labeled “extra,” connoting the highest grade, and a creamy, sweet note that is suave, soft, and persistent. Ylang ylang absolute is readily available and a joy to work with, being slightly more tenacious than the extra. My personal favorite is ylang ylang concrete, which is so multilayered it is perfume on its own.
Ylang ylang
Ylang ylang is one of the most important raw materials used in perfume. Dosed with discretion, it produces remarkable effects, imparting floral top notes as well as middle notes. It blends well with jasmine and rose, bergamot and vanilla. Ylang ylang is an aphrodisiac that relieves tension and imparts joy.
Tuberose
, a white, waxy, insignificant-looking bloom, comes to life after dark, when its heady odor intensifies, earning it the nickname “Mistress of the Night.” Its odor has been compared to that of a well-stocked flower garden at evening's close. (There is, however, no rose in tuberose.) The absolute, with its high intensity, is a rich, brown, viscous liquid with a sweet, heavy, sensuous, almost nauseating scent. Among the most expensive perfume ingredients, it imparts an alluring heaviness to any floral blend. I like the way it mixes with a vanilla baseâsweet on top of sweeter, but still very appealing.
, a white, waxy, insignificant-looking bloom, comes to life after dark, when its heady odor intensifies, earning it the nickname “Mistress of the Night.” Its odor has been compared to that of a well-stocked flower garden at evening's close. (There is, however, no rose in tuberose.) The absolute, with its high intensity, is a rich, brown, viscous liquid with a sweet, heavy, sensuous, almost nauseating scent. Among the most expensive perfume ingredients, it imparts an alluring heaviness to any floral blend. I like the way it mixes with a vanilla baseâsweet on top of sweeter, but still very appealing.
Tuberose
Fruity
essences include Roman chamomile, lemon verbena, litsea cubeba, and tagetes, a kind of marigold from South Africa which has an intense herbal and fruity note.
essences include Roman chamomile, lemon verbena, litsea cubeba, and tagetes, a kind of marigold from South Africa which has an intense herbal and fruity note.
Roman chamomile
(
Anthemis nobilis
) yields the tea of which Peter Rabbit was so fond. Its flowers also yield a pale blue oil that turns yellow as it ages. It has a sweet, fruity, applelike top note that grows warmer, drier, and more herbal as it evolves. It gives a perfume a fresh note and natural depth. It is extremely diffusive, and it blends well with bergamot, labdanum, neroli, clary sage, and oakmoss. It has a fairly high odor intensity, and when too enthusiastically dosed, it overpowers.
(
Anthemis nobilis
) yields the tea of which Peter Rabbit was so fond. Its flowers also yield a pale blue oil that turns yellow as it ages. It has a sweet, fruity, applelike top note that grows warmer, drier, and more herbal as it evolves. It gives a perfume a fresh note and natural depth. It is extremely diffusive, and it blends well with bergamot, labdanum, neroli, clary sage, and oakmoss. It has a fairly high odor intensity, and when too enthusiastically dosed, it overpowers.
Chamomile, in all its forms, is one of the most popular scents in aromatherapy. Its uses for skin and body are legion, and its calming and relaxing properties are palpable.
Litsea cubeba
has a fresh, sweet, but intense lemony fragrance as appealing as its name. It is my favorite lemony essence, including expressed lemon peel itself. It comes from the fruits of the may chang tree, a Chinese member of the laurel family known for its fragrant flowers, fruit, and leaves. Its pale yellow (but intensely fragrant) oil is derived from the small, pepperlike fruits. Litsea cubeba blends well with all the citrus oils as well as with petitgrain, rosemary, and lavender. Unlike lemon oil itself, it never goes rancid, and it is particularly useful as a substitute for lemon verbena, which is very expensive and often adulterated. And unlike true lemon oil, which must be a top note, it allows the possibility of introducing a lemon scent in the middle note of a perfume.
has a fresh, sweet, but intense lemony fragrance as appealing as its name. It is my favorite lemony essence, including expressed lemon peel itself. It comes from the fruits of the may chang tree, a Chinese member of the laurel family known for its fragrant flowers, fruit, and leaves. Its pale yellow (but intensely fragrant) oil is derived from the small, pepperlike fruits. Litsea cubeba blends well with all the citrus oils as well as with petitgrain, rosemary, and lavender. Unlike lemon oil itself, it never goes rancid, and it is particularly useful as a substitute for lemon verbena, which is very expensive and often adulterated. And unlike true lemon oil, which must be a top note, it allows the possibility of introducing a lemon scent in the middle note of a perfume.
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Precious
florals possess a depth, harmony, and full-bodied quality, while at the same time their restrained richness lends an elegance and suavity. They are all extremely expensive. They include boronia, orange flower absolute, champa, and orris butter.
florals possess a depth, harmony, and full-bodied quality, while at the same time their restrained richness lends an elegance and suavity. They are all extremely expensive. They include boronia, orange flower absolute, champa, and orris butter.
Orange flower absolute
is one of the most expensive perfumery ingredients. It is extracted from the flowers of the bitter orange tree, that veritable cottage industry for the perfumer. (The flowers, when distilled, yield neroli oil, and when extracted with solvents, yield orange flower absolute; bitter orange oil is expressed from the peels; and the leaves and twigs are distilled to yield petitgrain oil.) Dark orange in color and fairly viscous, it has an intensely floral scent that smells at once heavy and delicate, rich and fresh.
is one of the most expensive perfumery ingredients. It is extracted from the flowers of the bitter orange tree, that veritable cottage industry for the perfumer. (The flowers, when distilled, yield neroli oil, and when extracted with solvents, yield orange flower absolute; bitter orange oil is expressed from the peels; and the leaves and twigs are distilled to yield petitgrain oil.) Dark orange in color and fairly viscous, it has an intensely floral scent that smells at once heavy and delicate, rich and fresh.
Orange flower
Despite its cost, finding a beautiful orange flower absolute can be an elusive process. I have sampled many that smelled so rank or medicinal, I wondered what all the fuss and expense were about. But the real thing is a remarkable experience. Cool, elegant, and intense, it imparts a freshness to floral blends along with a great tenacity. It is used in heavy Oriental perfumes as well as in citrus colognes, chypres, and florals. Its suave strength and understated sexuality make it a wonderful heart note for a man's fragrance.
Champa absolute
(or champaca absolute) comes from the flowers of
Michelia champaca,
a slender, medium-size tree related to the magnolia. The flowers range from pale yellow to deep orange and resemble a double narcissus. Indian women on special occasions adorn their heads with the closed buds. Over the course of the evening, the buds open, providing an elegant contrast with the women's black hair and releasing a scent which is reminiscent of tea, orange blossoms, and ylang ylang. The absolute derived from champa is a brownish-orange
liquid with a fresh, grassy top note that evolves into a delicately sweet, tealike fragrance with leafy undertones. It lends a floral, leafy note to perfume compositions and cries out for pairing with rich but weak-smelling oils like sandalwood. A little champa goes a long way.
(or champaca absolute) comes from the flowers of
Michelia champaca,
a slender, medium-size tree related to the magnolia. The flowers range from pale yellow to deep orange and resemble a double narcissus. Indian women on special occasions adorn their heads with the closed buds. Over the course of the evening, the buds open, providing an elegant contrast with the women's black hair and releasing a scent which is reminiscent of tea, orange blossoms, and ylang ylang. The absolute derived from champa is a brownish-orange
liquid with a fresh, grassy top note that evolves into a delicately sweet, tealike fragrance with leafy undertones. It lends a floral, leafy note to perfume compositions and cries out for pairing with rich but weak-smelling oils like sandalwood. A little champa goes a long way.
Boronia absolute
is as close to heaven as we on earth are likely to get. It is derived from the flowers of
Boronia megastigma,
which permeate the air from a great distance with a ravishing aroma of lemon and rose. There are two kinds of boronia absolute available. The green is a viscous liquid with a rich, fresh, fruity but tealike scent. I prefer the bright yellow-orange absolute from Tasmania, which has a powerful, distinctive, lasting odor suggestive of cassis, violet, apricot, and, above all, yellow freesia. It can be procured in bottles of 100 grams (about 3 ounces) for a mere five hundred dollars. Boronia blends well with clary sage, bergamot, costus, and sandalwood.
is as close to heaven as we on earth are likely to get. It is derived from the flowers of
Boronia megastigma,
which permeate the air from a great distance with a ravishing aroma of lemon and rose. There are two kinds of boronia absolute available. The green is a viscous liquid with a rich, fresh, fruity but tealike scent. I prefer the bright yellow-orange absolute from Tasmania, which has a powerful, distinctive, lasting odor suggestive of cassis, violet, apricot, and, above all, yellow freesia. It can be procured in bottles of 100 grams (about 3 ounces) for a mere five hundred dollars. Boronia blends well with clary sage, bergamot, costus, and sandalwood.
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F
ollowing are three sets of middle notes to purchase, the first in order to get started, the others as you wish and can afford to.
Those with an asterisk before them are expensive
.
ollowing are three sets of middle notes to purchase, the first in order to get started, the others as you wish and can afford to.
Those with an asterisk before them are expensive
.
| Basic set of middle notes: | |
| Clary sage | |
| Geranium | The best is “Bourbon.” |
| Ylang ylang | Buy the absolute or the “extra.” |
| Second set of middle notes: | |
| * Jasmine absolute | I love grandiflorum best. Some prefer jasmine sambac. The cheaper concretes are heady and magnificent. |
| * Neroli | Great varietyâlook for one that is sweet but tart and complicated. |
| * Rose absolute | Many varietiesâBulgarian, Turkish, Moroccan, Indian, Russian, Egyptian. Get tiny amounts of each and find your favorite; you can never have too much. The concretes are softer and cheaper than the absolutes but require straining. |
| * Tuberose absolute | Tuberose usually comes from India or France. The French smells a bit better but costs a lot more. |
| Very special third set of middle notes: | |
| * Boronia absolute | |
| * Champa absolute | |
| Lavender absolute | |
| Litsea cubeba | |
| * Orange flower absolute | |
| Styrax |
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