Amber top notes with good diffusivity

[teoteo982]

Hi all, I have an amber musk fragrance I've been workshopping and am struggling with finding the right heart and top notes that will help with diffusivity. The base notes include musks (habanolide, eth. brassylate, muscenone), benzoin, labdanum, vanilla abs and sandalwood oil. It's quite a heavy base but very beautiful. For some lift and diffusivity the blend also contains cedramber, cetalox, and a large dose of iso e super. Right now the top notes are basically just small amounths of alpha methyl ionone and aldehyde c-12 MNA. Any heart to top notes you suggest that would blend with this vanillic amber musk base and increase the fragrance's diffusivity and projection? The fragrance is long-lasting but I wish it projected more. I like herbal notes, spicy notes, but am trying to avoid having a citrusy top for this one.

I also experimented with more ionones and aldehydes, which helped but gave the fragrance a bit too much of a powdery grandma vibe. Thanks in advance.

 

[teoteo982]

alpha *isomethyl ionone

 

[pkiler]

pinenes, Black pepper, other terpenes, Bergamot, touch of Sweet Orange
Dihydro Ambrate (G) https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/p-6048-dihydro-ambrate-givaudan.aspx
Amber Core https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/p-9375-ambercore-kao.aspx
Nutmeg, Tobacco, Vertenex

 

[I.D.Adam]

Hi all, I have an amber musk fragrance I've been workshopping and am struggling with finding the right heart and top notes that will help with diffusivity. The base notes include musks (habanolide, eth. brassylate, muscenone), benzoin, labdanum, vanilla abs and sandalwood oil. It's quite a heavy base but very beautiful. For some lift and diffusivity the blend also contains cedramber, cetalox, and a large dose of iso e super. Right now the top notes are basically just small amounths of alpha methyl ionone and aldehyde c-12 MNA. Any heart to top notes you suggest that would blend with this vanillic amber musk base and increase the fragrance's diffusivity and projection? The fragrance is long-lasting but I wish it projected more. I like herbal notes, spicy notes, but am trying to avoid having a citrusy top for this one.

I also experimented with more ionones and aldehydes, which helped but gave the fragrance a bit too much of a powdery grandma vibe. Thanks in advance.

If you are only adding diffusive top and heart notes the base will remain flat. You'll need diffusive base notes, yes? Patchouli/patchoulol, vetiverol, lyral/lilial, ambroxan, amber extreme, etc.

 

[Culpa Ire]

A really nice natural with a lovely pillowy amber effect is nagarmotha or cypriol oil. It can be quite noticeable in the top, too, though the amber aspects don't really show until much later in the progression. Can't say whether or not it'll work with the other materials but it blends well with spices, woody ACs, sandal materials, tobacco accords and everything vanilla.

 

[teoteo982]

If you are only adding diffusive top and heart notes the base will remain flat. You'll need diffusive base notes, yes? Patchouli/patchoulol, vetiverol, lyral/lilial, ambroxan, amber extreme, etc.

You are right, yes. I have cedramber and cetalox in there but they could be ramped up

 

[I.D.Adam]

I'll give a personal opinion and you'll have to experiment to see how it goes, but based on what you said you liked about the base my feeling is that adding enough cedramber or cetalox to affect diffusivity will tend to "whitewash" the amber possibly diminishing the effect you enjoy but could be enhanced by patchoulol. And personally, I would substitute ambroxan for cetalox but you have to use it in dilution and go slow.

 

[teoteo982]

I'll give a personal opinion and you'll have to experiment to see how it goes, but based on what you said you liked about the base my feeling is that adding enough cedramber or cetalox to affect diffusivity will tend to "whitewash" the amber possibly diminishing the effect you enjoy but could be enhanced by patchoulol. And personally, I would substitute ambroxan for cetalox but you have to use it in dilution and go slow.

I could see that being the case if dosed too liberally. I made a slightly different formula with fewer musks (they also have a flattening effect when dosed too high IMO), and the addition of olibanol. I left out the cetalox altogether but kept the cedramber, which plays nicely with the olibanol and helps bring out a nice smokey incense note. Still struggling to find the right top notes (for this version a took out the aldehydes and added in a little nerolidol for a sharper green top to play off the frankincense), but it's a lot better in terms of clarity and diffusion.