This is the most rewarding workshop. After my first viewing I got a couple of books, the one you recommend here is very exy, it's on my wish list. On a waiting list for the kit (thanks for the link) stated getting some basic Essential Oils. Little by little. You are an inspirer. Thank you. M
Your video is FANTASTIC! I absolutely loved it! You let me know how completely ignorant I was to this information. I think you did an incredible job of sharing this information with us. You are definitely to be congratulated for being inquisitive and bold enough to delve into such an arcane subject. Yes, you've blown me away and I so appreciate it. Now, I'm truly less ignorant about a subject I have so appreciated "on the surface". I will do further investigation on my own for sure. You have definitely pointed me in a direction that I didn't know that I needed to go. Thanks SO much. Great job and beautiful video.
okay you are nailing the youtube game!! I don't watch youtube much, mostly just the same few songs again and again when I have had one too many glasses of wine. Today I was watching Dr. Whitney Bowe and ended up here with you. What you and Dr. WB both have is a crazy ability to pull the viewer into you, where you are with you. I feel like you are talking TO ME, with me. I'm in advertising and this skill you have impresses me. Winning UA-cam! In a world of loneliness (especially now) you do an amazing job of making people feel accompanied.
Great video Peter. Took a side tour in St. Marteen, DWI (French side), to a fragrance boutique called Tijon. They gave a three hour interactive class for perfumery. You do find that the more you learn, you find out how much you don't know. But it was an awesome experience. The instructor was great. After a short class you formulated four fragrances. You could pick one to take home and if you wanted any additional frags that you formulated you had to pay extra.You also received a gift bag worth about $40-50. The price was about $138 (US). The oils really smell different than the finished products we are used to.
You have no idea how much I enjoyed this, hilarious and informative. Love the inside information. Maybe you can talk about the price of all these bottles you have. More of this 👍
I did a sample swap maybe 3-4 years ago, and it had iso e super. I had troubles really smelling it, and didn't think too much about it. Amazing video, always learn something when you drop something.
Pure inspiration, i can almost smell your descriptions. Again an all inspiring relaxing entertaining educative piece of the finest youtube poetry. And ending with Beth Gibons master! you made my day. Thanks.
This is the most informative fragrance channel out there. I really appreciate you giving the websites, book titles, sources, etc. As someone who is interested in creating their own fragrances this has become my new go to resource. Can't thank you enough. Keep up the great work!! 👍👍👍
I really enjoyed this, Peter! I'd be curious to see a video where you explore just two or three "notes" in depth. For example, as I understand it, some materials (like civet, I think) smell very different depending upon their concentration. So it would be interesting to see your take on, e.g., civet at 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, or something like that. And then also, for example, different kinds of vetiver or vanilla or whatever, from different parts of the world (which you did a little bit in this video, but I'd be interested to see a more in-depth and systematic exploration of a few notes). I don't often get to watch fragrance-related videos anymore and I've largely given up watching reviews -- I've un-subbed from a lot of channels -- but I always really enjoy your videos, and this kind of video is especially interesting to me. I'm actually planning to start messing with my own fragrances, too.
That was an awesome video Peter - very relaxing, well presented and very informative (when are they not though? haha :)). Very interesting topic. How are your fragrance creations coming along?
Loved this video and its great to see your work space set-up! I definitely agree with all of the others that enjoy these educational videos. It’s fun to geek out! It also looks like you are developing quite a collection of component oils! As you suggested, please do some additional videos on how you are attempting to make fragrances and how you build a blend…that would be very cool to watch! Hope your week is going well and take care!
Loved the video Peter. You should save the Matriarch test for a video and do it for the first time as an unboxing/opening and full video of taking the test. I would love to see a video on that! Oh just got to the end. :p
Great video. I like how your doing your own thing and focusing more on the actual art and foundation of perfumery and not the more popular... tell me what girls love so I can wear it.
Love your vids Peter! Keep producing them! Any content from you will always be a enjoyable to watch. What do you think about getting a fragrance recipe from a fan/subscriber and then you film the creation and finish off with a review? That would be cool! lol Also, Do you work with mainly absolutes or essentials? Synthetics don't count since they will always be present in most cases. Thanks buddy!
I have a pretty even mixture of absolutes and essential oils! also Co2 extracts, and tinctures! Nice idea by the way! Maybe after I can give a decant away as a prize...
Hey Pete! You did it brother! I'm excited to see this idea fully excecuted. Sucks i missed the deadline for entering the challenge. lol maybe next time. I have a nice edt blend/leather accord.
This is a brilliant video and very informative with regards to perfume ingredients. I have just started to make my own fragrances and it is a challenge. I would like to make something that smells similar to Chanel No 19 which is quite a green and grassy scent so I would assume it has things like vetiver and oak moss in it. Thanks for all your great info Peter it has been a big help!
Great video, my friend! So far, I really enjoy Oud27 and Labdanum 18, Al-Khatt, Leather Oud (Dior), Amouage Gold Man, Roja´s Musk Aoud and Diaghilev. Dzing is also nice, as APLS (Maison FK). Really anxious to test Zafar.
ISOeSuper...I make my own Molecule01 by mixing 12-15% Iso..per volume w/Isopropyl Myristate (IPM) its a perfumers alcohol ...these ingredients are very cheap and accessible online.........dont use over 20% pure ISOeSuper in the mix..its irritating to skin above that 20%..I love the scent of ISOeSuper..softly woody/sandlewoody/soft cedar. Wear it on its own or added to other frags to round out or warm up fragrances............Thank you so much for your fine video as always.............Bob
These days I take the pure timber silk or Iso E Super and put a little behind my ears. Great combination with Sunday Cologne by Byredo which is a sophisticated gentleman sort of scent or Hinoki by Comme des Garcons which is a bolder sappy and woody type of scent.
It is the gamma isomer in Iso E Super that is the desired aroma chemical in Molecule 01. Molecule 01 uses Iso E Gamma Super which contains 18% of the gamma isomer as opposed to 8% of the gamma isomer in standard Iso E Super.
I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference in the smell to be honest, 10% more isomer is like 10% more oxygen in a room, you'd have no idea anything was different
Ha! One of my faves is Hyrax by Zoologist. Others in that line are some degree of animalic, except perhaps Hummingbird and Dragonfly. I have a lifelong fondness of faint whif of skunk, so love the slightly pissy-sourness of Zoologist's inventions.🐅💨 Wearing Panda right now. 🐼🌿
Found the Scent and Chemistry book on Amazon for $70 US plus shipping. Very interested in fragrance and hope to create a few of my own with having to buy $100 plus dollar bottles. Thanks for the info.
I figured Chemistry and Math... Well above average in Math. Not so much in Chemistry. I also watched your vid on making a fragrance. I am sure this will test my will but I don't expect miracles lol.
I'd save your money to be honesty buddy.. I've not taken much from it, other than a few % of different things in well known perfumes... that's about it!
Peter, please, could you make a top 10 designer of all time, because niche perfumes are a bit expensive and unavailable in some countries, and in this way I haven't tried many of them. I can see that you have a pretty solid knowledge about ingredients used, restrictions, brands, bottle presentations, packaging; and everything included in the process of making a perfume. Based on all this knowledge and experience, I think that you are able to know which are the best designer houses and perfumes in terms of quality/price ratios, and which are your top 10 designer perfumes of all time except narciso rodriguez for him. I think that it would be really wonderful if you would make a top 10 designer of all time list!
This an endless ride but I think I'd like to stay on. This I'm sure is like playing guitar for 50 years. I've finally arrived after all these years at the beginning.
Really interesting video Pete, As a beginner to maybe making my own perfumes for the enjoyment where would u start? did u get all the different oils in one go? I noticed you didnt have tobabcco there..or did i miss it?
I do have tobacco... It's back row, far right.. I buy little bits at a time, not all at once.. it would be crazy expensive if you did that. Best place to start is just getting a couple of your favourite notes and seeing what happens, if you enjoy it or not
Cool thanks for the quick reply. I will follow that template and see what i can do. just been watching your "how to make perfume basics" very helpfull! definetley a hobbie id like to do.
I had the same reaction when I've smelled Civet for the first time... and I think that it smells like cheese (old spanish cheese smell exactly like that). This video was fun!
Great that you've sourced primary materials to share with readers. FYI, civet is never killed for the paste exuded from its anal glands. The animals are usually kept in cages and frightened (poked with sticks, etc.) so they emit that paste which is then scraped from their backsides. So the question of ethically sourced civet is moot. It might have to do with one's definition of cruelty.
I do agree! I didn't want to upset people too much with that through.. it's a sensitive subject. I just thought it was important to experience a little of the real, just to understand it. If I ever use the note, I would be using only ever the synthetic.. but the question of cruelty to animals to me, extends far beyond poking a civet cat with a stick.. we keep wild animals in cages in zoos all over the world. While children point and laugh at them behind sheets of glass, deprived of their natural rights. We have Orcas in tanks and train them to jump through hoops for the pleasure of a crowd. We breed cattle by the millions, only to slaughter them by slinging them up by their feet and putting a steel bolt through their brain, as their friend next in line watches it happen. We breed chickens and alter their genes so they are bald, so they have less feathers to pick, they are constantly feed grain, until they are too fat to support the weight of their own body, their legs break beneath them... but it doesn't stop people buying beef, and it doesn't stop people buying chicken.. Humans are inherently cruel, we just choose to skip over what suits us, and what we choose to define as acceptable.. We watch and applaud Circus animals that are kept in tiny cages, and transported all over the country, to be trained by punishment for bad behaviour in the background, for the amusement of the crowd who never see that. You might wear a leather belt or a pair of leather shoes... an animal had to die for that. People go to sea food restaurants and point to the Lobster that they want for dinner, then it's boiled in a pan alive while it screams to death. People are like a cancer to the planet, and fuelled mostly by ignorance to the world around them, it's easier to not accept reality, because reality is so ridiculously horrible.
You are missing out on Iso E on skin. In the silage of others, it's an amazing velvety, ambery, cedar-like smell. Natural and almost hypnotic smelling. It became used in fragrances to this extent for a reason. Ambroxan on the other side is just to my nose a giant chemical waste of a smell.
great video… just wanted to point out that “white oud” is not really considered to be agarwood… it is distilled from aetoxylon ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aetoxylon )… it is often called crocodile wood or boya oud… it may have few similar notes with the real agarwood oil , however it is highly lacking in depth, complexity and diversity of notes when compared to a real, good or high quality pure agarwood oil...
Cheers, I was told that also by someone else, same tree but different part.. I like how it smells though, so that's all I mind! Funny that Synthetic Oud smells like it though..
actually it is a completely different specie… you are right it smell quite nice… just wanted to make it clear that real oud is much more pleasant… of course only if distilled gently, wisely and from a good quality agarwood…
Hi Peter, that would be also interesting if you could add reactions to synthetics that are supposed to mimic pheromones, like hedion, androstenone, androstenol etc.
Love your videos! 😍 You are really soothing and nice to listen to, this was really interesting. Very late comment but I also smell nothing with Iso e super and just feel it as a heavy indescribable gripping cloud. The strangest thing happened to me with a Jane Ormond perfume set of samples where I could smell very little and they all ended up smelling the same to me after 5 minutes. Also though I could not smell them, I could feel them in my palate and gave me a headache... really strange. All reviews I read are rave for that brand. I put it down to the iso-e super but wondered if it happened to anyone else.
Glad you did the skanky ones. I usually stay away from civet. By the look on your face it’s a good idea! Why would they even begin to put that in fragrance? I know some people like fecal dirty in their fragrance but not myself. Maybe the synthetic has a place. Thanks for the information. It’s amazing that humans found and used these animalic things and used them in fragrance. Am I correct in thinking that oud is a wood?
From my understanding, Iso E Super is a very large molecule so not all noses have the ability to pick it up. After wearing it for a long time I've noticed a lot more women being able to pick it up strongly and men getting zero. Women, in general, have a better sense of smell than men. You are kind of missing out on not being able to smell it. It has something of a hypnotic velvety cedar/sandalwood quality to it. It's one of those smells that is impossible to dislike, I thought, till I met a woman who really disliked it. When you are wearing it yourself the smell goes away but can come back in whiffs throughout the day. It's not something you wear for yourself in that sense. When I was trying to capture the smell of a myr (mire), a type of bogland you find in the Northern hemisphere filled with moss, Labrador tea, myrica gale, conifers, and cloudberry I tried to extract essential oils or tinctures out of the raw materials but when that turned out unsuccessful, Labrador tea is too strong and aromatically headache inducing for example, Iso E Super turned out o be reasonably close, only smoother, velvety and without the dirt notes of the moss.
Hey peter! Where do you purchase your oils from? Also I would like to see a video on how you mix and make your own scents. Great video and thanks for sharing.
Hermitage Oils is the best place in the UK for independent people! If you're in the USA you can use Perfumers Apprentice... I'll try to do an updated video on mixing, I did one a while back, but I've learned more since then..
I use them less often, Chris is a bit rude to me in emails, or just completely ignores them.. but I do buy oils from him regardless, because I need them.. I just don't get on with him personally.
wonder if you have watched the movie perfume? Love all your input on scents you are researching. I am only trying to create a simple scent which is a shampoo essential oil scent. I have yet to test and apply my findings. I am not in any hurry to create fragrances no time at all just enjoy what I can add to keep the smell for a longer period of time. You should try mausoleums these have interesting scents to try to figure out on scents. I know its sad for me to say this but some are ok scents once around for a certain time. Not sure if its all the corpses or the floral or maybe both. Interesting you are talking about horrid scents I can not stand urine of a cat at all but once the horrid scents added to other scents one can only imagine the great combinations. All scents smell different on any individual. All fragrances age as we age so scents will all change over time as they sit.
Enjoyed this video very much but I can't help saying I believe one should never leave anything on the weighing pan of your scale when you are not actively measuring.
The book really sounds interesting, doy ou know any more books about perfumery? Also, I think you should do a similar comparison between natural and synthetic with other common notes, like different woods, citruses, tabacco and the like.
I've got a few... nothing particularly helpful for the basics of making perfume though, Mandy Aftel is ok, but extremely basic, seems more for a hobby.. I don't think one exists that tells you properly..... Yeah I can do a naturals / synthetic video sometime, sure!
Peter, have you ever heard or noticed skunk aroma in a fragrance, I mean, if perfumers use civet and other kind of animal "aromas" and or "dung", why not skunk. Where I live, we get plenty of skunk and I know it's going to sound gross, but I do like the smell of skunk, it reminds me of a fresh pot of coffee (go figure). What exactly is ISO E Super made of of? Also what do you think of Pachouli? I personally like the scent but some people roll their eyes and say "another hippie" or fix the scent to cheap. What other notes could you recommend to blend to keep the Pachouli but at the same time confuse the scent to make it soft, elegant and perhaps turn heads, and say good-bye to "another hippie". Bye the way that's a great name for the perfume "Another Hippie". I learn so much from you, Thanks again, Until next time, be safe.
I can't imagine too many people wanting to work with Skunk liquid.. There's probably certain chemicals in it which stop it from being able to be used in perfumery though. Can't answer you on Iso E Super sorry.. searching google might provide an answer though. I never looked in to that. Patchouli typically I don't like, I am not a fan of the earthy dark green smell. I'd mix it with other herbs, rosemary, thyme, things of that nature, try to balance it between them all.
Love these perfumery videos!! Keep doing them from time to time, please :) Btw, regarding those concentrations of ISO E SUPER, are they over the perfume mix or entire bottle's liquid? I mean, are we considering the amount of alcohol?
I enjoyed that video and as you were explaining I realised that you did not have any brake after each smell session , some people say its good to have some coffee beans with you to smell as you test different oils is that true ?
so, the key learning here - take some rotten gone off cheese and some of your faeces. Dissolve it in some ethanol - then filter. Dilute to 0.01% (really important bit) Hey, it might become vanilla & musky sweet like !!!
I have natural civet absolute from Charabot/Robertet, and I use a 10% dilution of it (yes, THAT high :D ). To me, when it arrived it had a certain sweetness but with a prominent kind of vomit note, among the fecal aspects. Smells much less musky than Civettone.(which I use little drops of a 1% dilution). The absolute matured well and over time became a bit sweeter. Civet can have kind of pissy facets, especially when mixed with sweeter materials. Honey is often said to make urinous notes in perfume, but while I find my honey absolute to be pretty animalic, I don't find it urinous. But I can imagine how honey notes can lead to such an image. Castoreum absolute on the other hand smelled moth more shitty fecal when I opened the undiluted material. It has musky facets to me, too, while the leather note only came to live in dilution. I also have Castoreum Oliffac from IFF, which is more focused on the leather aspect. When I got my hyraceum absolute (supposedly by Firmenich) it smelled much different than expected, much less odor impact than the other animal materials (well, sounds logical as it's semi fossilised material). Has much in common with castoreum to me. I ordered raw hyraceum from Somalia, which waits for me at home (still at work). I'm curious how this material will smell and how a tincture of it will compare to the absolute. White oud, like you probably already know, as it's an older video, is no real oud. It comes from another genus of trees. Combodian oud to me smells very barnyardy fecal, and while I usually really like the dirty stuff, this is not for me. I have a couple of samples from other real ouds, but they smell so different that one would have a hard time to imagine these comming from the same genus of trees. I also have Oud Synthetic, Agarwood synthetic and Agarwood Fireco (all Firmenich I think, but not sure about the first one). Oud synthetic has a prominent Kephalis note and does not smell oudy, actually, the other two smell very similar, both have much more oud odor and the latter is a touch more animalic-leathery. Could be worn on their own, if they would have better diffusion.
Jesus fucking Christ! The hyraceum stone pieces are definitely less old then those from South Africa used for the absolute. Very much like going to a zoo where the enclosures haven't been cleaned for some days, the urine is there, fecal notes, barnyard, some musk but less than I hoped for. And SO intense, I couldn't smell the other resins I ordered after sniffing the container. And this is used to burn as incense? What the actual fuck?! I will need a mask to wear while grinding some smaller pieces to prepare a tincture. And while I diluted the absolute to 10% I feel like 2% is more than enough for this Somalian hyraceum tincture. Of which I#m unsure I will ever use 0.ô
I've no idea why you think that... Iso E Super is a standardised synthetic used by the whole perfume industry, mine is the same, there's a slightly different version used for Molecule 01 called Gamma Iso E Super.. But Jean Claude Ellena for Hermes uses regular Iso E Super, I have his diary book where he talks about it.
Wow! Nice video and awesome collection. I want you to do what crazy me would do.. mix 1-3 drops of everything you have!! Dilute it to 20-25is% parfum concentration and see what you end up with!! I think it would be a great and interesting experiment.. and if it sux.. at least later on you can add it in tiny amounts to fragrances that you want to have "infinite complexity". Take care and God bless!
PS when you finish make sure you use the alcohol for washing the pipette to dilute the scent, because that way there will be no wasted molecules of fragrances when you finish up!! Everything you took out of the bottles will end up in that one MEGAscent! I truly think it would make an interesting and entertaining video.. :)
Super video! Very, very informative! Question: The synthetic ambergris you have, is it Ambroxan? I keep seeing it mentioned and I read Molecule 02 is just mostly ambroxan.
No it's just synthetic Ambergris...but not Ambroxan, that's a more specific thing, I've never smelled it though so I can't comment on the difference! Yeah you're right 02 is made up of mostly that and 03 is made up of Vetiveryl Acetate
Great intro vid to the mechanics to notes. Quick question...having bought and researched fragrance notes how do you now view the perfumer's statement when they say they have 'sourced the best and rarest ingredients in the world' like Roja Dove? When almost all fragrances use synthetics, is there such a hierarchy that justifies such high(er) prices? Thanks.
Well.. I'd say an average in the EU that around 80% + of the Niche perfume is synthetic, depending on the formula... Just because Naturals are the ones that are heavily restricted in use, like Rose Absolute is only 0.07% of a final perfume before it's illegal... then you have to use a synthetic rose base instead. In the case of Roger, you can't trust him at all... he doesn't make perfume, he pays a company called Robertet to make them for him, they're made in a lab by chemists, and Roger just picks which ones he likes. I'd say in terms of smelling notes though, you just need a bit of a bull shit detector in your nose, you can start to smell what is "cheap" and what isn't... better quality naturals, tend to smell better quality ( not all the time ) it's difficult, perfumes in the US and Arabic countries don't have the restrictions like the EU, that's where you'll find the best quality perfumes... in terms of natural ingredients. - Most of the time price goes on what the bottle and box looks like, and the history of the branding.. real or fake in the case of Roja. Robertet do use quality naturals in his blends too, but you're just limited to what you can use, so think of the naturals as icing on a cake, the bulk of the cake is synthetic. That's how the whole industry is in the EU.
I should say.. it is possible to make a fragrance with all naturals... even in the EU, but you just have to pick ones that are not restricted, and use smaller amounts of the restricted materials.. Like Sandalwood... you can use as much as you like, so it's possible, you just need know which are banned and what the limits are for each, most of the "dangerous" stuff is floral
So I've watched some of Robert Pappas work, (and I enjoy his materials a great deal), but he insists that the synthetic equivalent is the same, because "there is no separation in nature." I found that statement fascinating, being a person who has always been anti-synthetics (but enjoying them in moderation), since if we think about it, it's correct at least in one sense. So he presents a strong argument "for" synthetics in that regard. When the chemical is constructed from a petroleum starter, he explains that the difference between it and the natural chemical found in nature is that the left/right "spin" of (what I'm assuming are specific atoms in the construction of the molecule, bear with me, that part is just a bit over my head from a physics standpoint) it is exactly 50/50 in the synthesized version, but never exactly 50/50 in the chemical found in nature. The "spin" I refer to can be seen in the amino acid profile of many protein supplements for reference, the "L" meaning "left" before the amino acid listed, and left and right reacting differently in the body. My counter argument, which i wanted to pose to him sometime, is that we don't understand anything below the sub-atomic structure (or even smaller) really, so how can we legitimately compare something that the sun ultimately makes through natural construction, to something that we made in a lab though a different method of construction. They just can't be the same. And the way they interact with the body seems to be provably different, making the case that they are *not* the same. What you're proving out here is that indeed, they are NOT chemical-identical compounds. They DO smell different. Even if the claim is that they are somehow identical, the same exact molecular construction, how would that explain them smelling differently. Unless, of course, we are dealing with concentrations or accords in the synthetics, which in turn may just ruin my whole point. BUT, you noted some really substantial differences. From an ethical standpoint, I would of course much rather anything that involves animals simply revert to synthetic if that option is there. It would take that whole issue out of the perfumery realm if no one had to be challenged with it any longer (I am not vegan, but it is important to me, I personally don't want animal-anything used in luxury items like perfumery, especially since there is so much to explore in the plant realm...never mind preferring to not smell like cat or beaver balls as a definite life-long objective). There are also concerns about health issues with the synthetics, as has been reported a great deal. I absolutely love fragrances, but have always explored them only lightly and sparingly in our synthetic age due to past severe health issues...so I have to be careful. I know someone in the community who actually suffers from severe health issues, and I've been meaning to approach him and suggest he lay off the fragrances for a little while to see if his symptoms can improve. Great vid as always. I was NOT expecting you to have such differing opinions on the synthetic vs natural scents, so all of the above came up for me. Plenty of controversial issues abound. Oh and "awesome" on the test kit, I will definitely pick one up sometime this year. P.S. I can smell Molecule 01. First I don't. Then I do. Then I don't. Then I do. You just about nailed it with your description...for me, it is, very simply...pencil shavings. But really nice pencil shavings. Better than the fourth grade pencil sharpener at school.
Interesting topic... I agree with your logic, how can something created by natural creation, by the same as an artificially created replacement in a different environment... We're not that smart to do that yet. Not fully and efficiently.. so of course there is differences between natural and synthetic.. Every single synthetic I have, that I have a natural version to, smells different to the natural... so I don't think there's an argument there. I think personally naturals are always better, but they're more expensive, more restricted, and more difficult to work with.. that's why natural perfumers are a lot more talented. Iso E Super is a funny old thing....
Exactly. And I too am eager to continue to explore the natural perfumery, and great news is, it seems to be becoming more and more in demand. The price points are indeed a struggle, some unfortunately just out of most people's reach, but I *am* willing to pay *some amount more* for a natural that I like...without hesitation I will...as long as I do like the scent. And there are def naturals that I like, or at least very close to 100% natural (DSH has a few great ones that are in the upper 90% range natural, and altho I'd prefer they were completely natural, I'm ok with them as they are). Another advantage to naturals is that they are not beastly bombs, which I personally prefer. I am one of the few who does NOT want relentlessly persistent scents around me. I'm more than happy to reapply something that leaves after a few hours compared to being stuck with it for a whole day or more. I know I'm in the minority. Forgot to mention your Iso E Super percentages in fragrances completely shocked me. I was not expecting absolutely gargantuan amounts used. That of course brings up where/how they decide on their price points considering its cost. Look at the cost of Molecule 01 for shit's sake; I think they MAY add a hint of lime and a couple other tiny and quickly-oxidized notes? And they sell it for THAT?!?!? We have some whacky perfume companies out there making truckloads of warm, wet, smelly cash... Cheers my friend.
the most important video ever on actual fragrance making, thanks
This was a very informative and enjoyable video! Thanks!
Cheers Dan
"The more you learn, the more you realize the more complicated it gets." My precise experience!! Great video. Thanks!
Just trying to be honest! Cheers!
This is the most rewarding workshop. After my first viewing I got a couple of books, the one you recommend here is very exy, it's on my wish list. On a waiting list for the kit (thanks for the link) stated getting some basic Essential Oils. Little by little. You are an inspirer. Thank you. M
Cheers, I've filmed an updated one... but it won't be live until next month
Your video is FANTASTIC! I absolutely loved it! You let me know how completely ignorant I was to this information. I think you did an incredible job of sharing this information with us. You are definitely to be congratulated for being inquisitive and bold enough to delve into such an arcane subject. Yes, you've blown me away and I so appreciate it. Now, I'm truly less ignorant about a subject I have so appreciated "on the surface". I will do further investigation on my own for sure. You have definitely pointed me in a direction that I didn't know that I needed to go. Thanks SO much. Great job and beautiful video.
Thanks!
okay you are nailing the youtube game!! I don't watch youtube much, mostly just the same few songs again and again when I have had one too many glasses of wine. Today I was watching Dr. Whitney Bowe and ended up here with you. What you and Dr. WB both have is a crazy ability to pull the viewer into you, where you are with you. I feel like you are talking TO ME, with me. I'm in advertising and this skill you have impresses me. Winning UA-cam! In a world of loneliness (especially now) you do an amazing job of making people feel accompanied.
I appreciate the kindness, thank you, I try to speak to the camera just like I am chatting with a friend
Great video Peter. Took a side tour in St. Marteen, DWI (French side), to a fragrance boutique called Tijon. They gave a three hour interactive class for perfumery. You do find that the more you learn, you find out how much you don't know. But it was an awesome experience. The instructor was great. After a short class you formulated four fragrances. You could pick one to take home and if you wanted any additional frags that you formulated you had to pay extra.You also received a gift bag worth about $40-50. The price was about $138 (US). The oils really smell different than the finished products we are used to.
I can imagine! Sounds fun though!
Awesome vid brother. Your fragrant i.q is amazing. Thank you for the tutorial.
Cheers
You have no idea how much I enjoyed this, hilarious and informative. Love the inside information. Maybe you can talk about the price of all these bottles you have. More of this 👍
Sure I guess I can talk about prices of naturals in perfume compared with synthetic! People might find that interesting...
I did a sample swap maybe 3-4 years ago, and it had iso e super. I had troubles really smelling it, and didn't think too much about it.
Amazing video, always learn something when you drop something.
It's a hard note to sense for a lot of people I think... some people find it quite strong though
Pure inspiration, i can almost smell your descriptions. Again an all inspiring relaxing entertaining educative piece of the finest youtube poetry. And ending with Beth Gibons master! you made my day. Thanks.
That's far too kind.. but thank you!
Excellent! Thanks, Peter for all the knowledge that you have given us.
Cheers
Always enjoy how you verbalize scents. Great video. I learned a lot!
Thanks!
Nothing like this that I can find on the internet. thank you
Excellent video bro! I learned quite a bit and I wish there was more content like this available. Keep them coming please!
Cheers! I'll do some more videos, maybe a little shorter next time!
This is the most informative fragrance channel out there. I really appreciate you giving the websites, book titles, sources, etc. As someone who is interested in creating their own fragrances this has become my new go to resource. Can't thank you enough. Keep up the great work!! 👍👍👍
Thank you!
I'm so happy I found you!!! I'm learning a lot from your videos, thank you!!!
That's nice, thank you!
So bummed that test kit is no longer available! Great video!
Very informative, and thanks for sharing. It's like an introduction to fragrance notes. I winced at your reaction to natural civit. Wow.
It's pretty wild..
I really enjoyed this, Peter! I'd be curious to see a video where you explore just two or three "notes" in depth. For example, as I understand it, some materials (like civet, I think) smell very different depending upon their concentration. So it would be interesting to see your take on, e.g., civet at 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, or something like that. And then also, for example, different kinds of vetiver or vanilla or whatever, from different parts of the world (which you did a little bit in this video, but I'd be interested to see a more in-depth and systematic exploration of a few notes). I don't often get to watch fragrance-related videos anymore and I've largely given up watching reviews -- I've un-subbed from a lot of channels -- but I always really enjoy your videos, and this kind of video is especially interesting to me. I'm actually planning to start messing with my own fragrances, too.
That's a great idea, thanks, I'll try to do something more specific like that next time! Cheers!
A minute in and I'm already very interested. Been wanting to familiarise myself with isolated notes for a while
Cheers! I'll try to do more shorter videos on specific things
That was an awesome video Peter - very relaxing, well presented and very informative (when are they not though? haha :)). Very interesting topic. How are your fragrance creations coming along?
Pretty good! I sent samples out to a few reviewers and friends to get feedback, and I know which parts I will change.. working on new versions now
awesome! Sounds like a rewarding pastime. I'd be happy to post a review ;)
Loved this video and its great to see your work space set-up! I definitely agree with all of the others that enjoy these educational videos. It’s fun to geek out! It also looks like you are developing quite a collection of component oils! As you suggested, please do some additional videos on how you are attempting to make fragrances and how you build a blend…that would be very cool to watch! Hope your week is going well and take care!
Thank you!
this was sooo interesting! Keep making more videos like this one!!
Thanks buddy
Excellent Peter.
thank you
Brilliant video Peter. I can't wait to see you create your very own fragrances!! I'm watching your other ones! :)
What an interesting, awesome video! Thank you. Such great information. I learned so much. Again, thank you.
Cheers!
Nice video. Really interesting. Make more on specific notes
Excellent video Peter!
Thanks!
Appreciate the heads up. Great idea how to go about it.
Amazing video Peter!
Thanks Steven!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video! So interesting!
Thank you! :)
I would love to see a lot more videos like this. Very interesting and informative. Thank you so much.
Welcome
Loved the video Peter. You should save the Matriarch test for a video and do it for the first time as an unboxing/opening and full video of taking the test. I would love to see a video on that! Oh just got to the end. :p
I will do that!
You are so knowledgeable about the origins of these components. Did you study formally? Or just read a lot. I find it so interesting. Thanks.
Just read a lot and talk to perfumers!
Great video. I like how your doing your own thing and focusing more on the actual art and foundation of perfumery and not the more popular... tell me what girls love so I can wear it.
Cheers!
More videos like this! I've watched this twice now
Really enjoyed this video. Please show us your perfume making techniques.
Thanks, no problem
dude...great video and info. thank you Peter!
Thanks!
Please more of this
I'll try to cover some more ideas.. just knowing which subjects people are interested in!
Loved it! Great information and looking forward to more :) . Thanks for sharing!
Thanks buddy!
Fantastic as always 👍🏼
Wow, you had to pay a lot of money for all of those tiny bottles...especially real civet, oud and ambergris! Love this video...subscribed!!
Cheers!
seriously, I enjoy every second of your videos :) Big hug
Thank you!!
I love your channel...great info...look forward to hearing more from you.
Cheers
Love your vids Peter! Keep producing them! Any content from you will always be a enjoyable to watch. What do you think about getting a fragrance recipe from a fan/subscriber and then you film the creation and finish off with a review? That would be cool! lol Also, Do you work with mainly absolutes or essentials? Synthetics don't count since they will always be present in most cases. Thanks buddy!
I have a pretty even mixture of absolutes and essential oils! also Co2 extracts, and tinctures!
Nice idea by the way! Maybe after I can give a decant away as a prize...
Hey Pete! You did it brother! I'm excited to see this idea fully excecuted. Sucks i missed the deadline for entering the challenge. lol maybe next time. I have a nice edt blend/leather accord.
This is a brilliant video and very informative with regards to perfume ingredients. I have just started to make my own fragrances and it is a challenge. I would like to make something that smells similar to Chanel No 19 which is quite a green and grassy scent so I would assume it has things like vetiver and oak moss in it. Thanks for all your great info Peter it has been a big help!
thanks
Great video, my friend! So far, I really enjoy Oud27 and Labdanum 18, Al-Khatt, Leather Oud (Dior), Amouage Gold Man, Roja´s Musk Aoud and Diaghilev. Dzing is also nice, as APLS (Maison FK). Really anxious to test Zafar.
Cheers!
ISOeSuper...I make my own Molecule01 by mixing 12-15% Iso..per volume w/Isopropyl Myristate (IPM) its a perfumers alcohol ...these ingredients are very cheap and accessible online.........dont use over 20% pure ISOeSuper in the mix..its irritating to skin above that 20%..I love the scent of ISOeSuper..softly woody/sandlewoody/soft cedar. Wear it on its own or added to other frags to round out or warm up fragrances............Thank you so much for your fine video as always.............Bob
Sure thing
interesting, i would like to make my own Molecule O1 too. cann you tell me more, how to make it
These days I take the pure timber silk or Iso E Super and put a little behind my ears. Great combination with Sunday Cologne by Byredo which is a sophisticated gentleman sort of scent or Hinoki by Comme des Garcons which is a bolder sappy and woody type of scent.
It is the gamma isomer in Iso E Super that is the desired aroma chemical in Molecule 01. Molecule 01 uses Iso E Gamma Super which contains 18% of the gamma isomer as opposed to 8% of the gamma isomer in standard Iso E Super.
I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference in the smell to be honest, 10% more isomer is like 10% more oxygen in a room, you'd have no idea anything was different
Im interested in making an oceon, Mediterranean sea smell. How and what would you blend to have that strong beachy salty smell?
You can buy seaweed essential oil I think, mix it with woods and citrus
FragranceView Thank you.
Girl: Nice smelling cologne, what is it?
Me: Hyrax piss.
who doesn't love a bit of that ?
Ha! One of my faves is Hyrax by Zoologist. Others in that line are some degree of animalic, except perhaps Hummingbird and Dragonfly. I have a lifelong fondness of faint whif of skunk, so love the slightly pissy-sourness of Zoologist's inventions.🐅💨 Wearing Panda right now. 🐼🌿
hahahah!
Hyrax would do. It sounds super cool!
Awesome! Very enjoyable!
Thank you very much!
Found the Scent and Chemistry book on Amazon for $70 US plus shipping. Very interested in fragrance and hope to create a few of my own with having to buy $100 plus dollar bottles. Thanks for the info.
It might be a bit confusing... it's a LOT of chemistry..
I figured Chemistry and Math... Well above average in Math. Not so much in Chemistry. I also watched your vid on making a fragrance. I am sure this will test my will but I don't expect miracles lol.
I'd save your money to be honesty buddy.. I've not taken much from it, other than a few % of different things in well known perfumes... that's about it!
get Jean Claude Ellena - Diary of a Nose instead... some useful tips on simple accords
Very nice and informative video!
Thanks!
Now this was GREAT!! AWESOME VID!! Than k you for this:)
Thank you Ryan!
Peter, please, could you make a top 10 designer of all time, because niche perfumes are a bit expensive and unavailable in some countries, and in this way I haven't tried many of them.
I can see that you have a pretty solid knowledge about ingredients used, restrictions, brands, bottle presentations, packaging; and everything included in the process of making a perfume. Based on all this knowledge and experience, I think that you are able to know which are the best designer houses and perfumes in terms of quality/price ratios, and which are your top 10 designer perfumes of all time except narciso rodriguez for him.
I think that it would be really wonderful if you would make a top 10 designer of all time list!
It would only be a list of what I think would be good on other people.... there isn't 10 that I would buy myself!
that would work too :)
Brilliant video, it would be great to see you try to replicate a fragrance.
That would be fun :)
These vids are amazing
Thanks!
Informative and impressive. Looking forward for a video you creating a perfume.
I have on up already.. " how to make perfume start to finish "
This was the video that first made me subscribe 🙂
Cool
Thanks for your excellent tutorial. Would you be willing to recommend by title a Mandy Aftel publication?
This an endless ride but I think I'd like to stay on. This I'm sure is like playing guitar for 50 years. I've finally arrived after all these years at the beginning.
I really love watching your videos like this. I'm learning a lot. Very informative!
Much love from Philippines 🇵🇭
Cristina 💕
Thank you Cristina!
Really interesting video Pete, As a beginner to maybe making my own perfumes for the enjoyment where would u start? did u get all the different oils in one go? I noticed you didnt have tobabcco there..or did i miss it?
I do have tobacco... It's back row, far right.. I buy little bits at a time, not all at once.. it would be crazy expensive if you did that. Best place to start is just getting a couple of your favourite notes and seeing what happens, if you enjoy it or not
Cool thanks for the quick reply. I will follow that template and see what i can do. just been watching your "how to make perfume basics" very helpfull! definetley a hobbie id like to do.
I had the same reaction when I've smelled Civet for the first time... and I think that it smells like cheese (old spanish cheese smell exactly like that). This video was fun!
It wasn't too cheesy?? ;)
Great that you've sourced primary materials to share with readers. FYI, civet is never killed for the paste exuded from its anal glands. The animals are usually kept in cages and frightened (poked with sticks, etc.) so they emit that paste which is then scraped from their backsides. So the question of ethically sourced civet is moot. It might have to do with one's definition of cruelty.
I do agree! I didn't want to upset people too much with that through.. it's a sensitive subject.
I just thought it was important to experience a little of the real, just to understand it.
If I ever use the note, I would be using only ever the synthetic.. but the question of cruelty to animals to me, extends far beyond poking a civet cat with a stick.. we keep wild animals in cages in zoos all over the world. While children point and laugh at them behind sheets of glass, deprived of their natural rights. We have Orcas in tanks and train them to jump through hoops for the pleasure of a crowd. We breed cattle by the millions, only to slaughter them by slinging them up by their feet and putting a steel bolt through their brain, as their friend next in line watches it happen.
We breed chickens and alter their genes so they are bald, so they have less feathers to pick, they are constantly feed grain, until they are too fat to support the weight of their own body, their legs break beneath them... but it doesn't stop people buying beef, and it doesn't stop people buying chicken..
Humans are inherently cruel, we just choose to skip over what suits us, and what we choose to define as acceptable.. We watch and applaud Circus animals that are kept in tiny cages, and transported all over the country, to be trained by punishment for bad behaviour in the background, for the amusement of the crowd who never see that. You might wear a leather belt or a pair of leather shoes... an animal had to die for that. People go to sea food restaurants and point to the Lobster that they want for dinner, then it's boiled in a pan alive while it screams to death. People are like a cancer to the planet, and fuelled mostly by ignorance to the world around them, it's easier to not accept reality, because reality is so ridiculously horrible.
You are missing out on Iso E on skin. In the silage of others, it's an amazing velvety, ambery, cedar-like smell. Natural and almost hypnotic smelling.
It became used in fragrances to this extent for a reason. Ambroxan on the other side is just to my nose a giant chemical waste of a smell.
I am not a fan personally, but each to their own
Again, another friendly, encyclopedic take on scent. What was that wonderful music 15:00 in? It sounded like one of the Sibelius Poems.
Amazing video! Thank you so much Peter for all the information. I trust your nose.
Thank you!
great video…
just wanted to point out that “white oud” is not really considered to be agarwood…
it is distilled from aetoxylon ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aetoxylon )…
it is often called crocodile wood or boya oud…
it may have few similar notes with the real agarwood oil , however it is highly lacking in depth, complexity and diversity of notes when compared to a real, good or high quality pure agarwood oil...
Cheers, I was told that also by someone else, same tree but different part.. I like how it smells though, so that's all I mind! Funny that Synthetic Oud smells like it though..
actually it is a completely different specie…
you are right it smell quite nice…
just wanted to make it clear that real oud is much more pleasant… of course only if distilled gently, wisely and from a good quality agarwood…
I guess the other person telling me didn't quite know fully...
Oud is something I need to learn much more about
yeh… we all are learning… have a look at our channel, perhaps you will find something interesting...
Hi Peter, that would be also interesting if you could add reactions to synthetics that are supposed to mimic pheromones, like hedion, androstenone, androstenol etc.
I don't believe in the pheromone thing working in the slightest...
thank you for answering, I agree, but confuting is still a point
Love your videos! 😍 You are really soothing and nice to listen to, this was really interesting.
Very late comment but I also smell nothing with Iso e super and just feel it as a heavy indescribable gripping cloud. The strangest thing happened to me with a Jane Ormond perfume set of samples where I could smell very little and they all ended up smelling the same to me after 5 minutes. Also though I could not smell them, I could feel them in my palate and gave me a headache... really strange. All reviews I read are rave for that brand. I put it down to the iso-e super but wondered if it happened to anyone else.
Happened to me with Ormonde Jayne too, they have one in particular that that a lot of Iso E, they can give me headaches too, so it's not just you
Glad you did the skanky ones. I usually stay away from civet. By the look on your face it’s a good idea! Why would they even begin to put that in fragrance? I know some people like fecal dirty in their fragrance but not myself. Maybe the synthetic has a place. Thanks for the information. It’s amazing that humans found and used these animalic things and used them in fragrance. Am I correct in thinking that oud is a wood?
thanks for the video, i found it very interesting.
Cheers Darren
From my understanding, Iso E Super is a very large molecule so not all noses have the ability to pick it up. After wearing it for a long time I've noticed a lot more women being able to pick it up strongly and men getting zero. Women, in general, have a better sense of smell than men. You are kind of missing out on not being able to smell it. It has something of a hypnotic velvety cedar/sandalwood quality to it. It's one of those smells that is impossible to dislike, I thought, till I met a woman who really disliked it. When you are wearing it yourself the smell goes away but can come back in whiffs throughout the day. It's not something you wear for yourself in that sense. When I was trying to capture the smell of a myr (mire), a type of bogland you find in the Northern hemisphere filled with moss, Labrador tea, myrica gale, conifers, and cloudberry I tried to extract essential oils or tinctures out of the raw materials but when that turned out unsuccessful, Labrador tea is too strong and aromatically headache inducing for example, Iso E Super turned out o be reasonably close, only smoother, velvety and without the dirt notes of the moss.
Hey, how come you never did the anosmia test video...looked for it to no avail. I think that would be a great video still.
I'm with you on the ISO E Super, I can't smell it. Same with Hedione but I can smell it a little.
Hey peter! Where do you purchase your oils from? Also I would like to see a video on how you mix and make your own scents. Great video and thanks for sharing.
Hermitage Oils is the best place in the UK for independent people! If you're in the USA you can use Perfumers Apprentice... I'll try to do an updated video on mixing, I did one a while back, but I've learned more since then..
FragranceView what about Pell Wall?
I use them less often, Chris is a bit rude to me in emails, or just completely ignores them.. but I do buy oils from him regardless, because I need them.. I just don't get on with him personally.
This is outstanding.
Cheers John
wonder if you have watched the movie perfume? Love all your input on scents you are researching. I am only trying to create a simple scent which is a shampoo essential oil scent. I have yet to test and apply my findings. I am not in any hurry to create fragrances no time at all just enjoy what I can add to keep the smell for a longer period of time. You should try mausoleums these have interesting scents to try to figure out on scents. I know its sad for me to say this but some are ok scents once around for a certain time. Not sure if its all the corpses or the floral or maybe both. Interesting you are talking about horrid scents I can not stand urine of a cat at all but once the horrid scents added to other scents one can only imagine the great combinations. All scents smell different on any individual. All fragrances age as we age so scents will all change over time as they sit.
I've heard about it.. not seen it! I should really watch it!
Enjoyed this video very much but I can't help saying I believe one should never leave anything on the weighing pan of your scale when you are not actively measuring.
It is good practise to not leave anything on it when it's not in use yes
The book really sounds interesting, doy ou know any more books about perfumery?
Also, I think you should do a similar comparison between natural and synthetic with other common notes, like different woods, citruses, tabacco and the like.
I've got a few... nothing particularly helpful for the basics of making perfume though, Mandy Aftel is ok, but extremely basic, seems more for a hobby.. I don't think one exists that tells you properly.....
Yeah I can do a naturals / synthetic video sometime, sure!
Peter, have you ever heard or noticed skunk aroma in a fragrance, I mean, if perfumers use civet and other kind of animal "aromas" and or "dung", why not skunk. Where I live, we get plenty of skunk and I know it's going to sound gross, but I do like the smell of skunk, it reminds me of a fresh pot of coffee (go figure). What exactly is ISO E Super made of of? Also what do you think of Pachouli? I personally like the scent but some people roll their eyes and say "another hippie" or fix the scent to cheap. What other notes could you recommend to blend to keep the Pachouli but at the same time confuse the scent to make it soft, elegant and perhaps turn heads, and say good-bye to "another hippie". Bye the way that's a great name for the perfume "Another Hippie". I learn so much from you, Thanks again, Until next time, be safe.
I can't imagine too many people wanting to work with Skunk liquid.. There's probably certain chemicals in it which stop it from being able to be used in perfumery though. Can't answer you on Iso E Super sorry.. searching google might provide an answer though. I never looked in to that.
Patchouli typically I don't like, I am not a fan of the earthy dark green smell. I'd mix it with other herbs, rosemary, thyme, things of that nature, try to balance it between them all.
Thank you :)
Love these perfumery videos!! Keep doing them from time to time, please :) Btw, regarding those concentrations of ISO E SUPER, are they over the perfume mix or entire bottle's liquid? I mean, are we considering the amount of alcohol?
In the forumla concentrate, sorry I should have stated that... then it's diluted to strength in alcohol.
2:30 is absolute UA-cam gold lmao
I enjoyed that video and as you were explaining I realised that you did not have any brake after each smell session , some people say its good to have some coffee beans with you to smell as you test different oils is that true ?
Coffee beans don’t work, it just replaces one smell with another...
better to smell clean skin
so, the key learning here - take some rotten gone off cheese and some of your faeces.
Dissolve it in some ethanol - then filter.
Dilute to 0.01% (really important bit)
Hey, it might become vanilla & musky sweet like !!!
so sad that anosmia test kit isn't available anymore
Love Ouhd.....would love to get my hands on a large quantity without breaking the bank!
I have natural civet absolute from Charabot/Robertet, and I use a 10% dilution of it (yes, THAT high :D ). To me, when it arrived it had a certain sweetness but with a prominent kind of vomit note, among the fecal aspects. Smells much less musky than Civettone.(which I use little drops of a 1% dilution). The absolute matured well and over time became a bit sweeter. Civet can have kind of pissy facets, especially when mixed with sweeter materials.
Honey is often said to make urinous notes in perfume, but while I find my honey absolute to be pretty animalic, I don't find it urinous. But I can imagine how honey notes can lead to such an image.
Castoreum absolute on the other hand smelled moth more shitty fecal when I opened the undiluted material. It has musky facets to me, too, while the leather note only came to live in dilution. I also have Castoreum Oliffac from IFF, which is more focused on the leather aspect.
When I got my hyraceum absolute (supposedly by Firmenich) it smelled much different than expected, much less odor impact than the other animal materials (well, sounds logical as it's semi fossilised material). Has much in common with castoreum to me. I ordered raw hyraceum from Somalia, which waits for me at home (still at work). I'm curious how this material will smell and how a tincture of it will compare to the absolute.
White oud, like you probably already know, as it's an older video, is no real oud. It comes from another genus of trees. Combodian oud to me smells very barnyardy fecal, and while I usually really like the dirty stuff, this is not for me.
I have a couple of samples from other real ouds, but they smell so different that one would have a hard time to imagine these comming from the same genus of trees.
I also have Oud Synthetic, Agarwood synthetic and Agarwood Fireco (all Firmenich I think, but not sure about the first one). Oud synthetic has a prominent Kephalis note and does not smell oudy, actually, the other two smell very similar, both have much more oud odor and the latter is a touch more animalic-leathery. Could be worn on their own, if they would have better diffusion.
Jesus fucking Christ! The hyraceum stone pieces are definitely less old then those from South Africa used for the absolute. Very much like going to a zoo where the enclosures haven't been cleaned for some days, the urine is there, fecal notes, barnyard, some musk but less than I hoped for. And SO intense, I couldn't smell the other resins I ordered after sniffing the container. And this is used to burn as incense? What the actual fuck?!
I will need a mask to wear while grinding some smaller pieces to prepare a tincture. And while I diluted the absolute to 10% I feel like 2% is more than enough for this Somalian hyraceum tincture. Of which I#m unsure I will ever use 0.ô
Great video; very informative. But I guess, the ISO E Super which used in TdH has a better quality than the ISO E Super you own.
I've no idea why you think that... Iso E Super is a standardised synthetic used by the whole perfume industry, mine is the same, there's a slightly different version used for Molecule 01 called Gamma Iso E Super.. But Jean Claude Ellena for Hermes uses regular Iso E Super, I have his diary book where he talks about it.
Great great video
Thank you
Great video!
Thanks
Wow! Nice video and awesome collection. I want you to do what crazy me would do.. mix 1-3 drops of everything you have!! Dilute it to 20-25is% parfum concentration and see what you end up with!! I think it would be a great and interesting experiment.. and if it sux.. at least later on you can add it in tiny amounts to fragrances that you want to have "infinite complexity". Take care and God bless!
PS when you finish make sure you use the alcohol for washing the pipette to dilute the scent, because that way there will be no wasted molecules of fragrances when you finish up!! Everything you took out of the bottles will end up in that one MEGAscent! I truly think it would make an interesting and entertaining video.. :)
an interesting idea...
Super video! Very, very informative!
Question: The synthetic ambergris you have, is it Ambroxan? I keep seeing it mentioned and I read Molecule 02 is just mostly ambroxan.
No it's just synthetic Ambergris...but not Ambroxan, that's a more specific thing, I've never smelled it though so I can't comment on the difference! Yeah you're right 02 is made up of mostly that and 03 is made up of Vetiveryl Acetate
Great intro vid to the mechanics to notes. Quick question...having bought and researched fragrance notes how do you now view the perfumer's statement when they say they have 'sourced the best and rarest ingredients in the world' like Roja Dove? When almost all fragrances use synthetics, is there such a hierarchy that justifies such high(er) prices? Thanks.
Well.. I'd say an average in the EU that around 80% + of the Niche perfume is synthetic, depending on the formula... Just because Naturals are the ones that are heavily restricted in use, like Rose Absolute is only 0.07% of a final perfume before it's illegal... then you have to use a synthetic rose base instead.
In the case of Roger, you can't trust him at all... he doesn't make perfume, he pays a company called Robertet to make them for him, they're made in a lab by chemists, and Roger just picks which ones he likes. I'd say in terms of smelling notes though, you just need a bit of a bull shit detector in your nose, you can start to smell what is "cheap" and what isn't... better quality naturals, tend to smell better quality ( not all the time ) it's difficult, perfumes in the US and Arabic countries don't have the restrictions like the EU, that's where you'll find the best quality perfumes... in terms of natural ingredients. - Most of the time price goes on what the bottle and box looks like, and the history of the branding.. real or fake in the case of Roja.
Robertet do use quality naturals in his blends too, but you're just limited to what you can use, so think of the naturals as icing on a cake, the bulk of the cake is synthetic. That's how the whole industry is in the EU.
I should say.. it is possible to make a fragrance with all naturals... even in the EU, but you just have to pick ones that are not restricted, and use smaller amounts of the restricted materials.. Like Sandalwood... you can use as much as you like, so it's possible, you just need know which are banned and what the limits are for each, most of the "dangerous" stuff is floral
Where is the florals section? Are you going to make all oriental fragrances? :D
Thanks!!! Very informative!
welcome
There are very expensive natural leather scents. Ensar has a few oud oils with a strong leather note.
So I've watched some of Robert Pappas work, (and I enjoy his materials a great deal), but he insists that the synthetic equivalent is the same, because "there is no separation in nature." I found that statement fascinating, being a person who has always been anti-synthetics (but enjoying them in moderation), since if we think about it, it's correct at least in one sense. So he presents a strong argument "for" synthetics in that regard.
When the chemical is constructed from a petroleum starter, he explains that the difference between it and the natural chemical found in nature is that the left/right "spin" of (what I'm assuming are specific atoms in the construction of the molecule, bear with me, that part is just a bit over my head from a physics standpoint) it is exactly 50/50 in the synthesized version, but never exactly 50/50 in the chemical found in nature.
The "spin" I refer to can be seen in the amino acid profile of many protein supplements for reference, the "L" meaning "left" before the amino acid listed, and left and right reacting differently in the body.
My counter argument, which i wanted to pose to him sometime, is that we don't understand anything below the sub-atomic structure (or even smaller) really, so how can we legitimately compare something that the sun ultimately makes through natural construction, to something that we made in a lab though a different method of construction.
They just can't be the same. And the way they interact with the body seems to be provably different, making the case that they are *not* the same.
What you're proving out here is that indeed, they are NOT chemical-identical compounds. They DO smell different. Even if the claim is that they are somehow identical, the same exact molecular construction, how would that explain them smelling differently.
Unless, of course, we are dealing with concentrations or accords in the synthetics, which in turn may just ruin my whole point.
BUT, you noted some really substantial differences.
From an ethical standpoint, I would of course much rather anything that involves animals simply revert to synthetic if that option is there. It would take that whole issue out of the perfumery realm if no one had to be challenged with it any longer (I am not vegan, but it is important to me, I personally don't want animal-anything used in luxury items like perfumery, especially since there is so much to explore in the plant realm...never mind preferring to not smell like cat or beaver balls as a definite life-long objective).
There are also concerns about health issues with the synthetics, as has been reported a great deal. I absolutely love fragrances, but have always explored them only lightly and sparingly in our synthetic age due to past severe health issues...so I have to be careful. I know someone in the community who actually suffers from severe health issues, and I've been meaning to approach him and suggest he lay off the fragrances for a little while to see if his symptoms can improve.
Great vid as always. I was NOT expecting you to have such differing opinions on the synthetic vs natural scents, so all of the above came up for me. Plenty of controversial issues abound.
Oh and "awesome" on the test kit, I will definitely pick one up sometime this year.
P.S. I can smell Molecule 01. First I don't. Then I do. Then I don't. Then I do. You just about nailed it with your description...for me, it is, very simply...pencil shavings.
But really nice pencil shavings.
Better than the fourth grade pencil sharpener at school.
Interesting topic... I agree with your logic, how can something created by natural creation, by the same as an artificially created replacement in a different environment... We're not that smart to do that yet. Not fully and efficiently.. so of course there is differences between natural and synthetic.. Every single synthetic I have, that I have a natural version to, smells different to the natural... so I don't think there's an argument there. I think personally naturals are always better, but they're more expensive, more restricted, and more difficult to work with.. that's why natural perfumers are a lot more talented.
Iso E Super is a funny old thing....
Exactly. And I too am eager to continue to explore the natural perfumery, and great news is, it seems to be becoming more and more in demand. The price points are indeed a struggle, some unfortunately just out of most people's reach, but I *am* willing to pay *some amount more* for a natural that I like...without hesitation I will...as long as I do like the scent. And there are def naturals that I like, or at least very close to 100% natural (DSH has a few great ones that are in the upper 90% range natural, and altho I'd prefer they were completely natural, I'm ok with them as they are).
Another advantage to naturals is that they are not beastly bombs, which I personally prefer. I am one of the few who does NOT want relentlessly persistent scents around me. I'm more than happy to reapply something that leaves after a few hours compared to being stuck with it for a whole day or more. I know I'm in the minority.
Forgot to mention your Iso E Super percentages in fragrances completely shocked me. I was not expecting absolutely gargantuan amounts used. That of course brings up where/how they decide on their price points considering its cost. Look at the cost of Molecule 01 for shit's sake; I think they MAY add a hint of lime and a couple other tiny and quickly-oxidized notes? And they sell it for THAT?!?!?
We have some whacky perfume companies out there making truckloads of warm, wet, smelly cash...
Cheers my friend.