Clandestine Laboratories

[Mick B]

Are your perfumes already available via a seller in Europe?

 

[Deleted member 26364523]

Thank you Chad, that really helps me to know. Possibly I’ll re-release it next after Orpheus, as it’s a cosy fragrance that’s good in the cooler weather, though I also enjoy it in the summer. Possibly I will add a bit more of the AAA Assam oud oil to give it just a touch more funk and warmth.

That would be wonderful Mark, you'll never hear the words "there's too much funk in here" coming out of my mouth!!!! 🤣

 

[johnnyangel]

Likewise, I've been sampling the new Assam, but can't compare to the first batch. For me, the opening was bright bergamot and a little aldehydic sparkle and soap. The citrus is brassy, not sweet. The oud comes in as secondary to the wood, more leathery than funky. The wood has a rosewood quality, only slightly amber. It's somewhat high in pitch and dry in texture (maybe the saffron or tea effects). There's a white oud note I'm familiar with that is highly mentholated and somewhat honey-like. That's the strongest association for me. I enjoy it a lot, and I'm curious how it will age.

 

[clandestine laboratories]

Are your perfumes already available via a seller in Europe?

No and so far I have no plans to place them with stores or distributors in any country. I’m sorry it’s difficult to try then there.. Next step for me is figuring out international shipping starting with Canada. I was lazy this summer tbh.

 

[clandestine laboratories]

My big problem right now in terms of moving forward is that I work full time and can’t yet see depending on perfumery for my income. NYC is expensive, so it’s a higher bar than for indie perfumers living most other places in the US. To do this as a full-on business would require taking on significant overhead in order to do legitimately at a larger scale. Which would be fine, if I were confident I was at the point where I could really scale up and have the demand to justify it. So far, however, sales have been pretty uneven, they seem very affected by seasonality and the economy, despite the insanely positive response I’ve received overall since becoming somewhat known on Basenotes beginning last winter. There are also issues with being able to produce some of my signature fragrances consistently- for example, I’ve been working on a new, larger batch of Film Noir but am unable to get some of the materials that are essential to the quality of the original. Fortunately there’s quite a bit of the current batch left, which is probably the best batch so far, so I have some time to deal with the problems. This ain’t easy and I’d be freaking out if I depended on it for my income.

In the meantime, thank you everyone for your interest and your patience while I figure out how to make all this work going forward. There will be growing pains, already are - and I don’t want the quality of my fragrances to suffer.

 

[clandestine laboratories]

Oh, btw: I should mention that the newest limited release, Orpheus, will drop on October 29th at noon EST. It’s a slightly smoky, boozy citrus-incense-tobacco-amber-hawthorn thing with a lot going on. My GF described the drydown as smelling “classic” and there’s already a review on this site by @Brooks Otterlake.

 

[Brooks Otterlake]

Oh, btw: I should mention that the newest limited release, Orpheus, will drop on October 29th at noon EST. It’s a slightly smoky, boozy citrus-incense-tobacco-amber-hawthorn thing with a lot going on. My GF described the drydown as smelling “classic” and there’s already a review on this site by @Brooks Otterlake.

I wore it just last night! Lovely stuff.

 

[clandestine laboratories]

Likewise, I've been sampling the new Assam, but can't compare to the first batch. For me, the opening was bright bergamot and a little aldehydic sparkle and soap. The citrus is brassy, not sweet. The oud comes in as secondary to the wood, more leathery than funky. The wood has a rosewood quality, only slightly amber. It's somewhat high in pitch and dry in texture (maybe the saffron or tea effects). There's a white oud note I'm familiar with that is highly mentholated and somewhat honey-like. That's the strongest association for me. I enjoy it a lot, and I'm curious how it will age.

I think that’s an excellent description of the new version. The rosewood quality is from a combination of ho wood and guaiacwood, To me it’s brilliantly white where the previous batch at ten years old, is more of an amber, with vanilla (autocorrect made that Camilla at first) more prominent in the mix of woods and balsams and more woods and green peppercorn eo, which was incredible material that was discontinued in 2012 just before I tried to buy more, after using it in several fragrances (Silver, Assam, Certo, and Vert). I’ve since made two bases that work well as replacers.

I’m also realizing that the cypriol oil I used in the new version contributes to the mentholated quality - this is my favorite one I’ve come across, it’s fresher than the others and had a more herbal topnote. But it’s not the same as the White Lotus stuff I used in the original, which was more musky.

If I’d just made this for the first time, I’d be very happy with it and I’ve been clear that this is not a new batch but a new version. The labels for this version have the name in a different position to distinguish them from the original. But I’m really hoping to get it closer to the original before calling it done and releasing it.

 

[hopefullawguy]

... incredible material that was discontinued in 2012 just before I tried to buy more, after using it in several fragrances (Silver, Assam, Certo, and Vert). I’ve since made two bases that work well as replacers.
...
I’ve been clear that this is not a new batch but a new version.

Hi Mark, does this mean there is a Silver reformulation in the works, too? Are the bottles currently on sale the original version or the new one?

 

[clandestine laboratories]

Hi Mark, does this mean there is a Silver reformulation in the works, too? Are the bottles currently on sale the original version or the new one?

Fortunately I’d had to substitute for the green peppercorn in Silver because by the time I completed it in 2019 I was completely out of the g.p.(I’d used the last of it making up a big batch of the base that’s in Certo). New batches going forward should be a pretty close match to the current one, which is actually a little better than the original imo. Vert also used it and the current batch contains the replacer (and btw there are still two bottles of the original batch left but all samples since this spring have been the new stuff, which is very similar despite the substitution).

 

[hopefullawguy]

Is that two og bottles of Vert, or of Silver?

 

[clandestine laboratories]

Two OG bottles of Vert that contain the original green peppercorn eo and a different Hatian Vetiver oil. Vert hasn’t proven particularly popular, though with all my fragrances there are people who absolutely love it. I've worn it for years and find it's not something that's going to offend people, even if it is pretty different - partly because it doesn't always register as a fragrance. For anyone who hasn’t smelled it, you really have to love galbanum (dry, green, fresh, resinous) and natural vetiver (which is godliness in rooty form, basically) to enjoy wearing it, it's very outdoors. I’d give the old batch a slight edge but that may just be due to age and the differences are not dramatic. The overall impression is green, salty, fresh and a little powdery-animalic.

 

[dysect]

Finally pulled the trigger on a discovery set, which would include the new release that is scheduled this month I believe. Looking forward to sharing my impressions on them.

 

[clandestine laboratories]

34 down: Clandestine Laboratories scent!

Basenotes Weekend Crossword #4

It's the weekend, so it's time for the Basenotes Perfume Crossword. You can either download and print a pdf or try it online at crosswordplayground.com. Answers next week. Clues Across 1 Where sandalwood comes from 5 ___ One Ajmal 9...

basenotes.com

 

[clandestine laboratories]

Just a reminder: Orpheus drops at noon EST tomorrow! It will be on the "limited releases" page on ze website.

 

[clandestine laboratories]

Just announced on Insta, will send out email soon: the first eight bottles of the new Assam will be released on Saturday December 10 at noon EST. Will be slightly tweaked/improved vs the samples so far; more AAA Assam oud oil for a little more presence and more saffron absolute to warm the topnote slightly.

 

[Deleted member 26367777]

Just announced on Insta, will send out email soon: the first eight bottles of the new Assam will be released on Saturday December 10 at noon EST. Will be slightly tweaked/improved vs the samples so far; more AAA Assam oud oil for a little more presence and more saffron absolute to warm the topnote slightly.

Looking forward to purchasing a bottle of this Mark.

 

[TNBLUEMIKE]

Original Assam was awesome!

 

[Proust_Madeleine]

I finally took the plunge and did a full overspray wearing of the OG Assam and I’m in love. Smelling the sillage vs sniffing the arm up close revealed the scent to me and now I get the tea notes and an almost piney freshness. I love it. Now that it’s long gone of course. How different will the new one be, I wonder.

 

[clandestine laboratories]

I finally took the plunge and did a full overspray wearing of the OG Assam and I’m in love. Smelling the sillage vs sniffing the arm up close revealed the scent to me and now I get the tea notes and an almost piney freshness. I love it. Now that it’s long gone of course. How different will the new one be, I wonder.

Funny you should wonder - I’ve been testing the final modified version this weekend and loving it, I think it’s finally very close to the original; wearing it feels identical. Unfortunately I don’t have enough of the original left to wear it for a direct comparison but everything seems balanced now and the bergamot has regained its sweetness. The “white” quality I was attributing to the aldehydes not having settled in is nowhere in evidence, at least when wearing it vs smelling directly on skin, and it creates a warm, sweet-ambery, lasting aura especially when worn on cloth.

 

[PStoller]

Unfortunately I don’t have enough of the original left to wear it for a direct comparison

I can sell you some at a good price.

 

[clandestine laboratories]

At the risk of sounding like a complete windbag and complicating what I said above, I'm currently doing a side-by-side comparison up close on skin and want to share some insights. There are some fairly significant differences and they're not what I'd thought at first. Keep in mind, this doesn't translate directly to wearing; fragrances change in diffusion because fragrance materials vary wildly in their diffusiveness.

The topnote of the original is better up close and on skin, more rich-woody, and has more body. The tea is sweeter, richer and more present. I'd say this advantage lasts through the beginning of the midnote.

There's also a more aggressive woody-peppery-musky quality in the original that I'm realizing may be due not just to the substitution for the green peppercorn eo but also because I switched out the frankincense absolute (another no-longer-available and very specific material) for an extract I made from a beautiful green B. Sacra resin. I'd assumed my "extract" would be less concentrated (it's the pure resin at 33% in a combination of skin-safe solvents that completely dissolve it) vs the absolute (a concentrated extract minus the resins) but I'm finding that the resin I extracted was of a higher odor quality, ie fresher, brighter and less crude-woody, than the absolute. It's more "fine" in the literal, textural sense. I find with smells this often translates to less impact but more diffusion. Long story short, the new version is more obviously an incense fragrance, at least up close.

Here's where things get interesting: I think the new starts to overtake the original in the drydown and may actually be better in diffusion. Compared to the new version, the original gets slightly dull and slightly coarse as it dries whereas the new develops an edge in smoothness and transparency.

I do think the differences are fairly subtle when worn, however. If you've only smelled the (now-unfinished) new version, none of this matters - I'm confident that the finished version is even better.

 

[clandestine laboratories]

Hi all, just thought I'd tease a major development which I hope to announce within the next month or so. This weekend I connected with - and really clicked with - someone in the US whose retail business promotes indie perfumers. Although I've been resistant to doing retail, this is a really great fit and a great opportunity in so many ways; when I was researching their business I quickly realized I'd be a fool to pass on this possible opportunity. Assuming they like my work after evaluating it, my fragrances will soon be available as individual samples (without me having to fill and mail them, hallelujah!) and I'll be doing a limited edition collaboration, which is something I'm really looking forward to doing.

Also, the new Assam launches tomorrow with the first eight bottles up for sale at noon EST. Samples are currently unavailable because I had to use most of those I'd filled to finish filling the eighth bottle and because I've been unable to complete the final modifications to the concentrate because I ran out of the Super AA Assam oil. I've now ordered a much larger quantity of that oil and am optimistic it will be the same quality, ie wonderfully stinky.

While it's unfortunate that I didn't have the final version of the new Assam all figured out last spring before I began sending out samples of what I thought would be the finished fragrance, I really don't think anyone who has received samples will be at all disappointed with the final result, which a couple people have already told me they prefer to the original. It's not radically different from the unfinished new version most people have tried, just warmer and more substantive, with the bergamot more prominent and richer. On skin I found the pre-modification a bit "white" and less amber than the original and also a bit peppery, whereas this feels like a slightly smoother version of the original. I think I've been clear that this version was still in progress. I try to err on the side of too much information because I see a lot of justified cynicism/skepticism about indie fragrance brands and I really don't want to disappoint anyone who takes an interest in my fragrances if I can help it.

I've also decided not to send out an email to my subscribers because it seems there's probably already more interest than the limited amount I have currently available. When it becomes available, people on the waitlist will be emailed and I know there are many people already who would like to buy a bottle. Assam has proven so popular that I'm hoping to be able to produce it consistently enough that I can add it to the main line in the future; I'm really not trying to provoke a FOMO frenzy and if you miss out, rest assured I'm trying to make more available within the next couple months and hope to be able to make it fairly consistently going forward.

 

[Proust_Madeleine]

Quick on the draw, I got a bottle! They are live now. Anyone who’s loving this one, THEY ARE UP!

Had to grab Silver while I was at it. And thank God summer is over or I might’ve had to get Belem!

 

[Paddington]

o ive guessed who it is already

 

[Proust_Madeleine]

o ive guessed who it is already

Who it is?

 

[Paddington]

Who it is?

Hi all, just thought I'd tease a major development which I hope to announce within the next month or so. This weekend I connected with - and really clicked with - someone in the US whose retail business promotes indie perfumers. Although I've been resistant to doing retail, this is a really great fit and a great opportunity in so many ways; when I was researching his business I quickly realized I'd be a fool to pass on this possible opportunity. Assuming he likes my work when he receives the samples, my fragrances will soon be available as individual samples (without me having to fill and mail them, hallelujah!) and I'll be doing a limited edition fragrance with him, which is something I'm really looking forward to doing.

Spoiler: my guess

American perfumer

 

[Proust_Madeleine]

Spoiler: my guess

American perfumer

Ohhhhhhh word! I think that’s a really good guess. Especially when you factor the samples.

 

[PStoller]

Quick on the draw, I got a bottle! They are live now. Anyone who’s loving this one, THEY ARE UP!

I’m set with the OG Assam, but I encourage anyone who missed that to go for this.

 

[Proust_Madeleine]

I’m set with the OG Assam, but I encourage anyone who missed that to go for this.

I hope it compares favorably! I really like the freshness of the original.

 

[Brooks Otterlake]

I hope it compares favorably! I really like the freshness of the original.

I was sent a sample like the new batch better than the OG. It's very close, but is a touch zestier!

 

[FullCollapse]

Received my bottle of Orpheus recently as well as some amazing samples of Ashes, Certo, Wendover and Assam.

All of the samples are amazing and full bottle worthy but I am especially blown away by Wendover. Coal smoke, peat, moss and a tiny bit of sweet spice. It is the darkest and smokiest scent I've tried but my new favorite of the genre now.

 

[Deleted member 26367777]

Missed out on Assam today unfortunately, will have to make my sample last a little longer.

 

[Proust_Madeleine]

Received my bottle of Orpheus recently as well as some amazing samples of Ashes, Certo, Wendover and Assam.

All of the samples are amazing and full bottle worthy but I am especially blown away by Wendover. Coal smoke, peat, moss and a tiny bit of sweet spice. It is the darkest and smokiest scent I've tried but my new favorite of the genre now.

Oh wow! I asked for a sample of that with my Assam order. Now I’m excited. Should be there when I get home from tour.

 

[Brooks Otterlake]

Received my bottle of Orpheus recently as well as some amazing samples of Ashes, Certo, Wendover and Assam.

All of the samples are amazing and full bottle worthy but I am especially blown away by Wendover. Coal smoke, peat, moss and a tiny bit of sweet spice. It is the darkest and smokiest scent I've tried but my new favorite of the genre now.

Wendover is incredible.

 

[FullCollapse]

Oh wow! I asked for a sample of that with my Assam order. Now I’m excited. Should be there when I get home from tour.

You won't be disappointed. It's like trying a Lagavulin or Laphroaig scotch for the first time. Intensely shocking and smoky but it warms you. Hope the tour is going well!

 

[Tonyprince]

Spoiler: my guess

American perfumer

That is almost certainly the case. I haven't explored the entire line but of the ones I have tried, I definitely have three favorites. Since I don't have a clear order of preference yet, I'll just list them in alphabetical order:

Certo - I get some kind of orange in the top but it sounds like nobody else does.
Film Noir - This really changes a lot over time. I like it best in the far dry down.
Master - I think is a really good leather.

 

[TNBLUEMIKE]

Wendover is incredible.

My next purchase when ready.

 

[Proust_Madeleine]

That is almost certainly the case. I haven't explored the entire line but of the ones I have tried, I definitely have three favorites. Since I don't have a clear order of preference yet, I'll just list them in alphabetical order:

Certo - I get some kind of orange in the top but it sounds like nobody else does.
Film Noir - This really changes a lot over time. I like it best in the far dry down.
Master - I think is a really good leather.

I get orange in Certo!

 

[clandestine laboratories]

Certo - I get some kind of orange in the top but it sounds like nobody else does.

Now that you mention it, I totally smell it, but it wasn't intended, nor are there any orange materials in it. In fact it's kind of a miracle that it has the topnote it does, considering it's almost all mid and base notes. I'm guessing the orange effect is from a combination of the frankincense oil topnotes (in this case a-pinene and an uncommon terpene that's in this specific variety), mace oil, and a really obscure orris material I used to boost and round out the spicy leather accord, which has a weird and vaguely orange quality.