Work in progress

[Jolieo]

So just playing around, I took some materials that I really liked- put them together
Butter co2 20%
Ganlangal co2 16.5%
Blue Hemlock Abs 13.5%
Jasmine Tea co2 10%
Gurjun Balsam eo 10%
Siam wood eo 7.5%
Guaiac wood eo 6.5%
Petitgrain bergot.eo 6.5%
Vetiver China eo 5%
Nagarmotha eo. 4.5%

this was to see what galangal, blue hemlock abs, and nagarmotha would do
Well the galangal is way overdosed which really surprised me- I thought it was a top note- that it would get buried- but it dominates as a sweet floral well into mid territory. The blue hemlock, which is a smoky sweet balsamic, breaks out at the end ame gives tiny wisps of smoke - probably thanks to guaiac wood. The nagarmotha needs a boost to show. This is not a strong perfume - lasts about 3-4 hours- 2sprays at 10%
the silliage is all at the beginning .
It hasn’t been macerated long enough for me to be sure what it’ll do-
I am playing with some naturals to see which way to play them
What I would like love is some neutral acs to start a backbone-
i very much like the galangal, blue hemlock and absolutely adore this nagarmotha- but I have trouble pairing acs -
especially low odor acs
so any suggestions at all
thank you

 

[pkiler]

Seems like you could use some Iso E Super, given your woods there.
Also seems like you could use some LOTV and Hedione.
A bit of ambroxan, maybe some methyl cedryl ketone/vertofix couer.
Some musks could be good as well.

Moving a little away from milder materials,:
not that you would have it, but some Isoborneol / Dextro-laevo Isoborneol would be OK here,
I also think a tiny bit of Firbest Oakmoss subst type could work here.
Also maybe tiny bits of Vanillin and Ethyl Maltol could work well.
You could also try a little bit of Long Lasting Lemon base.

 

[Jolieo]

Hi Paul ! thanks! Very helpful- I don’t have isoborneol-
what is LOTV?
Also Which musk? I am anosmic to most- but I have 80% of them
i was going to try either ambrette seed cuz I smell that one or a mix with ambrettolide- also because I can smell, I can start small and keep upping it - but what dosage if you suggest one, because I can’t barely perceive them in formula- 😩😀

 

[mnitabach]

I have been very high on Ambercore as a really really useful low-impact ambery woody core structural component that is even more neutral & transparent than IES for floral woody compositions. You can buy it from Pell Wall. Regarding musks, ethylene brassylate seems like the easiest to work with if you are just guessing at this point, being a great combination of transparent, very appealing, very tenacious, and pretty neutral scent. For LOTV I like combining florol with lyral and/or hexyl cinnamic aldehyde.

You do have some quite tenacious materials (balsams, woods, roots) in there, so it is worth inquiring why it only lasts a few hours on skin. I am suspicious that the issue isn't tenacity of these materials, but that in the drydown they are clashing & canceling each other out. Have you tested each of them on their own on skin and/or tested your formula in reduced versions, using only one of this materials category at a time?

Finally, I would get some karanal (available from PSH). It is a very powerful, relatively easy to use, woody-amber note of excellent tenacity. In higher doses it can be the core of a woody drydown & in lower doses it very nicely complements other woody ambery elements. It is quite similar to norlimbanol in my hands, but substantially more tenacious and seems more elegant to me: it is further along towards woody than norlimbanol on the woody-ambery dimension AND it has a subtle but distinct floral facet that is very interesting & useful depending on what else is around it.

For dosing, I think it would be interesting to incorporate the following at these percents (reducing your existing naturals pro rata) and make up at 10% in EtOH.

Ambercore 20%
EB 10%
HCA 5%
Florol 5%
Karanal 0.5%
Lyral 2%

That's about 1/3 of the formula & then keep your naturals in the same relative ratios but filling out the remaining 2/3.

No idea of this will work well, but it's worth a try & giving your naturals some "room to breathe" might be of value. You could even consider upping these molecules to half of the formula & incorporating your naturals as the other half...

 

[Jolieo]

Thanks Mike- I have strip and skin tested the galangal, hemlock and the nagarmotha
I believe you are right about something cancelling out, or perhaps holding down
i threw this together as a starting point-
I wanted to see what happened after maceration
what you have helped me with is the acs- those are much more difficult for me to see
i don’t shop pell well- but I might just to get ambercore
what is lotv?
i am not attached to the formula
I am attached to the 3 materials- Eden botanicals nagarmotha is crazy good - but it is so complex that I just have to throw it in things and see where it goes
galangal from eden again is again a material that is both floral, and sweet - very little ginger, very high - the way Jasmine is high- I didn’t think it would be that strong
and the hermitage blue hemlock has a smokiness that I want to emphasize, it is smoky, green, balsamic in a very different way.
i am going to keep the formula and do some of what you and Paul suggestEd- it’ll take a minute - I’ll report back

 

[steventeddy]

I think LOTV is lily of the valley.

 

[SleepingPhoenixApothecary]

I LOVE Galangal omg, recently got this and WOW what an incredible material, I get a real strong melon vibe with this one, so fresh.

 

[ScentAle]

Im Pretty sure you bought Hemlock from Hermitage. I will try too. Some people love it, and some people say it's weird.
I love Nagarmotha too.
I would like to try to add China+atlas
Hiba wood or Fir wood
Touch of Ambrocenide
Galaxolide

Actually i have covid and I lost 80% olfact, becoming very annoying.
I smell vanille and seems me bitter ingredient.
I smell Violet leaf and I don't feel nothing. Bad bad..

Edit sorry I just saw that you bought from there.

 

[pkiler]

I think LOTV is lily of the valley.

Yes, sorry for the shorthand...

 

[Jolieo]

I am sorry about covid!! Loss of smell is scary!

 

[ScentAle]

I am sorry about covid!! Loss of smell is scary!

Thank you. And unluckyness the worst is that I don't feel improvements day after day. Maybe will need many times for recover, I dont know, but that's scary.

 

[Jolieo]

I have heard getting vaccine can help…idk if true