2009-09-27

Don't let the lot to choose your fragrance...

... as it has weird sense of humor sometimes.

I'd like to share my story about how I let the lot to choose my fragrance to wear for today. Actually I didn't wont to make any decision. You probably know those lazy days when even making a decision is already too much work. So, you probably stay in pyjamas the whole day and become just a witness of events running through a timeline.

I wanted to wear a fragrance, but didn't know which one. So, I did say loudly - "I don't want to make any decision today, so let it be. Let the lot choose it for me". Oh, be careful in what you say...

This morning I dropped a box full of miniatures. Fortunately it fell on the carpet and everything seemed to be unbroken. But I didn't see that a corner of one miniature was broken and there was a small whole in it. The miniature remained full as the air pressure worked against the gravity. So, I put the box back to where it belonged. Later I started to wondering - when and on what way the lot will decide the perfume for me. So, I decided to help by browsing through the miniatures. And... I took the broken one and opened to sniff (totally unconsciously). At the moment I took off the lid the pressure couldn't work anymore and the whole content came on me. The lot had spoken (and done) - all 3 ml of this perfume are on me now.

So, the perfume I am wearing today is Vent Vert by Balmain (an old formulation). I smell like one giant green narcotic and even poisonous narcissus. And I don't mind - it's a funny joke of the lot and I can laugh on it. I am just curious of its effect on people I'll meet today walking with my dog and shopping. There is another funny thing here. The Narcissus note was not easy for me to recognize in fragrances. But I do recognize it now very well.

And can you also remember the story when the lot has decided a fragrance for you and has shown its sense of humor?

10 opmerkingen:

Andy zei

wow. that's like bathing in a sea of hyacinths, ain't it?
I sometimes pick my stuff blindly. trying to cheat nevertheless ;-)

AromaX zei

Well Andy, this time the Narcissus note was the most prominent...

Picking your stuff blindly? How can you manage that? I mean - it's difficult to take randomly when you have several places for your bottles and know the way they are situated in the closet... I am seriously thinking about Fragrant Oracle Cards with the names of perfumes from your wardrobe on it :o)

Le Gnou zei

Hello Max,

I hope you enjoy your 3ml of Vent Vert, and your trip to France last month.
I thank you for linking my blog in your bloglist.

AromaX zei

Hello Gnou (sorry, don't know your name). Well, thank you too for linking my blog too. Your blog is very interesting, but I am not good in French (fortunately google translator gives pretty good idea on what are you writing about). By the way - I have finished a tincture project too. I hope you don't mind if I leave a comment in English on your blog, do you? By the way - do we know each other from Basenotes or yahoo perfumemaking group?

andy zei

oh...that is quite easy. Picking blind usually means going for the non-tauer stuff and this is organized mostly in drawers (mostly) , and ther you pick first the drawer and then you point to x.
And then you cheat and grab Knize ten. ;-)

Le Gnou zei

Max, I don't think we know each other from the internet community.
I'm not a member of the perfumemaking yahoo group, but i think i will join it very soon !
I have found your blog by chance with a Google search, and as you give interesting informations about perfume making, I put a link to your blog.
You can leave comments in english on my blog, there is no problem !

R.P. Dario zei

ciao Max,
very interesting little story...i join your blog as soon i create my profile on blogger; i found your blog interesting expecially for the raw material description and the chemistry.. i am a chemist and passionate in fragrances..
i read that your tell to le Gnou (i follow his blog too, very original way to blog in the fragrance sfera) about tinctures..have you references (web, bokks etc.) where i can find infos on this subject?
thanks
Roberto

AromaX zei

Oh, Andy, that one is for sure. Good method when you pick up the fragrance randomly and than... do it again if it was a "wrong choice" :o)

AromaX zei

Nice to hear about English comments. LeGnou. Thanks!

AromaX zei

Ciao Roberto, me piace and welcome to the blog. And thanks for the comments.

Well, probably you can find a lot of practical information at Yahoo natural perfumers group and Botanical perfumery group

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalPerfumery/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Botanical_Perfumery/
You need to apply for a memebrship (free and mostly granted to everyone interested, but restricted by subject on natural perfumery only).
Look at the file section there to find the guidelines.
I used Fenner's Complete Formulary book as a guideline for proportions (there is a chapter on extraction).