Rose Chyprée by Tauer Perfumes

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Image shows the samples of Rose Chyprée and comes from Andy's blog

Rose Chyprée is a running title of a new fragrance from Andy Tauer created in 2008. In December he presented it at his Apéro devoted to the Rose. Samples of this fragrance were available during the Advent-lottery for readers of Andy’s blog. Rose Chyprée doesn’t not have its name yet and her future is a bit unclear. Probably Andy will launch this new fragrance, but when and in what form?

The signature of Andy is recognizable from the first notes – the Rose is presented to the world by no other than His Excellency Incense. I suspect, that the dynamic of the relationship between Rose and Incense is the major source of inspiration (and probably for investigation) for Andy. Started in Incense Extreme and continued in Incense Rosé it’s clearly recognizable in Rose Chyprée as well. I will not be surprised if a drop of Rose and a drop of Incense could be found in each of creations by Tauer Perfume.

Meeting Rose Chyprée you should abandon the classic image of chypre rose known, for example, from Knowing (Estee Lauder) or Rose de Nuit (Serge Lutens). Andy surprises us with an abstract version of the chypre rose (as he did with Incense in his Incense Extreme). I can’t recognize an image of dark red rose petals slowly sinking in ambery honey, but I see sharp angles and shiny light reflecting edges.

The rose fragrance here is very close to its ancestor, the Rose Oil, but is presented in surprisingly unusual dress of the lemon candy. Like making a candied rose with crystalline petals from the real flower by drenching it in sugar syrup. Other rose components can be recognized by a thorough investigation. Like greenness of the fresh rose petals that comes jusr for a moment. Or the warmth of the spices gently merging with the background. The honey here is not a thick syrup anymore, but a placer of shiny golden crystals making a bed for the candied roses. Incense disappears quickly making place for the Oak moss that comes as a fine powder softening the sharp edges. This powdery note of Oak moss reminds me a bit of Rêverie au jardin.

It’s not the first time that I put this fragrance on my skin. And each times it opens slightly differently showing me its new facetted as if it doesn’t know yet which form to take on my skin. I am really curious what form it takes on someone else’s skin.

Who could be the face of the Tauer Perfumes?

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In his blog Andy Tauer was asking himself how perfumery brands could allow themselves to make expensive commercials and invite the celebrities to be the faces of their fragrances and at the same time to sell their products for about $50 per bottle. Well – I don’t feel like analysing the perfumery brands financial plans (although there is much to say and to think about). But I was asking myself – who could become a face of Tauer perfumes? Without thinking a lot about it I was just browsing through the google image gallery and let my intuition to pick up some faces.

Here is a list I come up with:

Le Maroc pour Elle - Aishwarya Rai (http://hot-celebrity-wallpaper.blogspot.com/2008/08/aishwarya-rai-sexy-bollywood-actress.html )

L'Air du Désert Marocain - Sting (http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/2007/12/23-End%20of%20Month/Sting-jackman-kidman.jpg )

Lonestar Memories – a nice duo from the Brokeback Mountain - Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger. Unfortunately Heath is not able to fulfil this roll anymore, but his face would look nice on the bottle of Lonestar Memories. (http://images.allmoviephoto.com/2005_Brokeback_Mountain/2005_brokeback_mountain_004.jpg)

Incense Extreme - Al Pacino (http://www.italymob.com/uploads/posts/1175269249_alpacino_foto3.jpg ) or Keanu Reeves (http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z90/seenitall666/keanu%20reeves/KeanuReeves6.jpg )

Incense Rosé – for example, Marion Cotillard (http://www.celebrities.pl/marion_cotillard/marion4.jpg )

Rêverie au Jardin - Catherine De Sève (http://catfou.com/wp-content/uploads/page2_photo.jpg )

Vetiver Dance – I can’t connect it to a certain person as in my imagination it should be an Indian warrior – someone like those (http://www.firstpeople.us/pictures/art/odd-sizes/pt/Young-Oglala-Sioux-846x1175.jpg) or (http://www.rozanehmagazine.com/NoveDec05/Pic20-indianTurk.gif )

I am very curious if there are also other suggestions.

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Jasmine: another couple of formulae

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This is a practical illustration of a previous entry

I found a couple of jasmine base formulas (N1032 and N1033) and also a jasmine perfumes made from those bases (jasmine N1034). Unfortunately I don’t have all of the listed compounds. But improvising in perfumery is something you have to learn from very beginning.

Forlmula 1032. Colourless jasmine (bye-bye indole).

The core is amyl cinammic aldehyde and benzyl acetate (the jasmine radish) is diluted with linalool (making jasmine more fresh), phenyl ethyl alcohol (making it softer) and hydroxycitronellal (making the jasmine whiter and more watery). Diluted jasmine was smelling more lily or muguet like. But fortunately there is geranyl acetate (strong rosy pear) that can restore the strength of jasmine. A couple of drops of creamy fruitiness from peach aldehyde makes a modest sweet fruity jasmine with lack for indolic narcotic depth. But no indole in this formula – it should stay colourless. Ylang and cresol ethers should give some narcotic nuances. But para-cresyl phenyl acetate is used in the formula while I have only para-cresyl methyl ether. They are not really interchangeable and the aromachemical I have doesn’t posses the phenolic honey note, but I can compensate it with a drop of pehnylacetic acid – a famous phenolic honey note in perfumery. Ylang-ylang oil and para-cresyl methyl ether gave narcotic depth, but I still prefer the way indole would have done that. A finishing touch is a spiciness from ethyl cinnamate. I don’t have it, so I’ll use methyl cinnamate. That’s all.

As a result I get a clear almost colourless liquid (as it was promissed). This jasmine scent has striking fruity nuances and some lily-muguet elements. This jasmine posseses some fresh nuances, but in general it’s really heady and intensive. A drop of vanilla and amber and another floriental is born. There is a narcotic note, but less obvious as in live flower. I do miss indole here. The fruitiness of benzyl acetate is not sharp, but very sultry – it enfolds you like a doft warm shawl that can almost suffocate you. Let’s call it oriental lily of the jasmine.

Jasmine 1033.
I do have even less compounds or alternatives for this one. Improvising again. Or better say – always improvising. This formula uses some expensive naturals such as orris concrete and jasmine absolute.
The core is again a mixture of amyl cinnamic aldehyde and benzyl acetate. The jasmine radish it is. To dilute it the phenylethyl alcohol is used together with hydroxycitronellal. No linalool this time. And I’d say that without linalool this jasmine at this stage is much more muguet than the previous one. Methylionone is used here. Wow – adding a violet-iris component to jasmine sounds like something add and forbidden. And the result is also strange – meet the jasmine violet. Orris concrete does not help. But I remember, that the oil of ylang is very good in taming of ionones. And yes, after a couple of drops of ylang-ylang oil it finally smells jasmine. This formula uses indole that I have added with pleasure enjoying its narcotic depth. But than I had to use benzyl phenylacetate. I don’t have it and neither have heard about it nor smelled it. A book told me that it possesses a faint floral aromat and is used as a fixative. The only more or less close alternative I can think is benzyl alcohol. And may be a drop of honey again in form of phenyl aceteic acid. As a spicy component this formula suggests a carnation base. Well, eugenol with iso-eugenol would do the job. And unfortunately I did put too much of them – needed a better calculation work. Sorry, jasmine, you’ll become a spicy one.

The result is a spicy (be careful with eugenol next time) jasmine with a striking fruity note again and some lily and muguet elements. The deep indolic narcotic nuances are present, but they can’t compete with the strength of jasmine fruitiness.

Both of those jasmine formulas are suggested to be used to make a jasmine perfume 1034 by adding some naturals like absolutes of jasmine, rose and orange blossom. Natural tinctures of musk, amber and a drop of civet are used to create the base for this perfume. Unfortunately I don’t have the last naturals – only synthetic substitutes.

Jasmine: meet ACA

The further development of jasmine formula with amyl cinnamic aldehyde

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Creating of jasmine scent in perfumery was no longer an attempt to recreate a natural jasmine absolute since the new aromachemicals were found. Most of them were purely synthetic and not found in nature.

In 1922 amylcinnamic aldehyde (ACA) was synthesized. At first it was not recognized as aromachemical. Its smell was not unpleasant, but it was not really a pure jasmine. Later someone found that the smell of diluted ACA has a jasmine character. Under the name of Flosal amylcinammic aldehyde entered the perfumery. It’s also known as Jasmonal or jasmine aldehyde. Its other names are Buxine (Givuadan) and Mahonia (Firmenich).

The smell of ACA is described as oily-herbal with floral nuances of jasmine, gardenia or tuberose. In its pure form it reminds me of a soap because of its waxy aldehydic smell with a kind of mushroom nuance (oh yes, there are also mushroom nuances known among the jasmine-gardenia-tuberose family). I do recognize its floral character, but rather the one of gardenia than of jasmine (may be because of mushrooms on the background).

Amyl cinnamic aldehyde has a smaller brother – hexyl cinnamic aldehyde (HCA, Jasmonal H). They have a similar smell, but HCA has more prominent floral nuances and is more pleasant than ACA.

Amyl and hexylcinnamic aldehydes are considered to be safe for use in perfumery as they didn’t cause any problems by a skin application on volunteers in the concentrations of 6% and 12%.

The combination of amylcinnamic aldehyde with benzyl acetate (the highly concentrated jasmine fruitiness) is used as a core of numerous formulas of jasmine compositions. ACA is not only taming the sharpness of benzyl acetate, but also fixing the jasmine smell. But the jasmine character of ACA comes out only in a diluted aldehyde. That is why it should make not more than 10% of the formula. In its pure form the mixture of benzyl acetate and ACA smells like a kind of jasmine radish.

To “dilute” the jasmine core the “all floral extenders” like linalool and linalyl acetate are used together with hydroxycitronellal (“all white floral extender”) and phenyl ethyl alcohol (a rose smelling aromachemical that reminds of dried rose petals). Modern muguets like Lyral and Lilial are used now instead of hydroxycitronellal.

Methyl ionone (violet-iris) may also be used to tame the sharpness of benzyl acetate. It sounds a bit strange to use the violet within the jasmine formula. Eugenol or Carnation base are used to give some spiciness. Either peach or strawberry aldehydes are used to give some creamy fruitiness to jasmine. Indole or methyl anthranilate are giving a narcotic note to jasmine, but they are not easy to use. First of all, because they are relatively active compounds and because of the possibility of discoloration. Cresols might be used as alternative. Ylang-ylang is the most popular and almost irreplaceable natural component of jasmine scent.

Those are know-how to create jasmine scent in perfumery in the middle of XX century. Before the times of Hedione when jasmones were still too expensive. But this is just theoretical knowledge. But perfumery is an art of creation. I am very curious what kind of jasmine scent can be made following those guidelines. Tomorrow I'll tell you what it was to make a jasmine following the formilae based on those recommendations.

Jasmine: another reference jasmine

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Image from L'Artisan Parfumeur

While being completely obsessed with Jasmine I have almost forgotten about a decant of La Haie Fleurie du Hameau by L'Artisan that was on my desk all the time. But it could be another reference jasmine together with A la Nuit by Serge Lutens. Made by Jean Claude Ellena it supposed to “pay distant homage to jasmine’s glory” as mentioned on the website of L’Artisan. Taking a sniff from a bottle now and than I found it an interesting fragrance worth to be a reference jasmine.

The name La Haie Fleurie du Hameau is supposed to remind us on the hedge of white flowers decorating the arches, fences and houses somewhere in a hamlet. Well – may be it’s a common scenery for the provinces somewhere in the South of France, but for me it’s a pure fantasy as my memory doesn’t have any references pictures. But imagination is a good thing, especially when it’s completed with a right fragrance.

Jasmine of La Haie Fleurie du Hameau is less indolic and more spicy than in A la Nuit by Lutens. Its fruity sweetness is enhanced with the notes of honeysuckle and narcissus. There is also a touch of green note of hyacinth. There is still enough indole here, but compared to A la Nuit it´s an angel. If I compare both fragrances they start to strike with there differences. Jasmine smelts away and La Haie Fleurie du Hameau turns into something floral sweet and A la Nuit into something chemically indolic. They don’t like competition, so keep them apart.

La Haie Fleurie du Hameau reminds me of sweet lemon tea with pieces of cake in a garden of a provincial house under the hedges of jasmine and honeysuckle at the warm noon in May. When it’s so pleasant to doze off under the wind rustle, being worn out from the heady floral scents and warmth. Listening to the zoom of bees and bumblebees or the flutter and cheep of small birds encroaching the cake.

Luca Turin gives La Haie Fleurie du Hameau three stars and calls it “jasmine soliflore” describing it as a “nice jasmine”. Compared with it I can understand why jasmine in A la Nuit is called a “death by jasmine”. So, if you are scared off by indolic depth of A la Nuit, you can try more sweet and spicy La Haie Fleurie du Hameau.

Jasmine: chemistry of smell II

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Image - illustrates that indole is found in jasmine buds in a binded form releasing after the opening of the flowers.

Of course I was joking when promising to describe all of more than 300 constituents of the jasmine fragrance in detail. Nobody would be interested in a boring list of chemicals. Only experienced perfumers might find some fun in going through all those materials searching for some new solutions for the jasmine formulas. But the components I have described previously are already giving a good view on the chemistry of the jasmine fragrance. But perfumery didn’t stay still since 1912 and it might be interesting to mention some more compounds of jasmine absolute discovered since than.

First of all it’s interesting to notice that the chromatographic analyse data vary and sometimes show the significant dispersion. For example, the content of benzyl acetate may vary from 2% to 30% (and never reaches the 65% mentioned in a formula from 1912); linalool varies from traces to 9%. Other compounds may also vary depending on the variety of jasmine, place of growth, harvest, method of yielding etc. It’s amazing that nature can play with the different formulas and still make the variety of the same jasmine fragrance.

The presence of indole in jasmie was questioned for awhile as it couldn’t be always found by analytical methods. Finally it was found that indole in jasmine flower is present in a binded form and is released after the buds are open. This process continues also after the flower is picked. That means that you can’t find free indole in the jasmine buds, but you can smell it when the flower is open. It also means, that the jasmine absolute yielded by mean of enfleurage would be the richest in indole as the flowers are releasing it for the whole 24 hours period while placed in a frame. But when extraction is applied, the flowers stop to release indole as soon as they are covered with solvent.

Phytols (phytol, isophytol and their esthers) are another interesting compounds. As benzyl alcohol, they are odourless, but found to work as fixatives in jasmne fragrance. Experienced perfumers are aware of this property and use it in their creations sometimes.

Another interesting component is a phenylacetic acid. It’s content varies from 0% to 16%. This aromachemical is also widely used in the honey accords. In a diluted form it possesses a warm honey note with animalic nuances of civet.

A spicy clove smelling eugenol (common compound of clove oil) and fresh green grass smelling cis-3-hexenol (leaf alcohol) and its ethers are also found in the jasmine absolute.

It’s also interesting to mention the presence of cresol – a compound with a chemical smell of phenol. Its ethers are used in perfumery in narcotic tropical flowers accords. There are also quinolines found in jasmine. Famous as a components of leathery accords they are also used in some floral formulations.

Well – those are another components of jasmine absolute and they all might be used in the modern jasmine formula to give nuances or to achieve desired properties. But the perfumery is an art and not the science. Perfumery didn’t follow the way of chemical reconstruction of absolute. But the were some aromachemicals made that possessed the jasmine odour but were not found in nature. Those chemicals are now used in jasmine formula next to the ones found in jasmine absolute.