Blog 2 – In pursuit of the Right Note

I enter the atelier at the far end

Tint of scents up in the air

I gaze at the treasure there

I immerse in it with due care

Patchouli, Sandal, Cedar,

agar, oakmoss, amber,

musk, labdanum, coriander,

cinnamon, ambergis, tuberose,

lemon grass, costa, yellow vine,

coumarin, clove, bergamot,

vanilla, lavender, civet,

jasmine, and rose.

Like a child left to play unattended

Abandoning all rules of the game

Pondering over unsolved puzzles, I blended portions

Until I embraced the right accord

                        Excerpts from my book, The Lady Perfumer, chapter “The Right Note”.

Every perfumer dreams to make a perfume which will be the elixir of life, the scent that evoke memories, the fragrance that is everlasting and that can transcend boundaries and take one to an alter universe. Last week, I embarked on a journey to test my Nose skills. Someone special gifted me a Make Your Own Perfume, Apprentice Perfume Kit from Vetiver Aromatics. The kit comes with some of the finest fragrance notes, blotter strips, a funnel, carrier agent, vials for storing formulas, formula cards for keeping track of concoctions, roll-ons for capping your perfume bottle and an instruction booklet. So far, I have mixed two perfumes with Amber as the base note, musk and rose as heart notes. I also did some experimentation by mixing teakwood as heart note which I got from another purchase, though I must confess, teakwood blends better with woody fragrances than floral ones like rose.

Wait. Did the world just discover the next King of Nose in me? I wish it were true, but I must warn the readers you need to take my words with a pinch of salt. All in all, it was a sheer blissful experience to make your own perfume and every moment spent was engaging.