PA's rose, jasmine, sandalwood key accords - realistic/natural? Hermitage oils - rose

I have PA's Sandalwood accord. It smells toxic, just like the strong vinyl smell when you unwrap a new shower curtain. In fairness, that is my impression of it smelled alone. Maybe it would be better used in small doses in a blend. I've had success using Ebanol and Javanol, along with a little New Caladonia sandalwood oil.

It's too bad that you say their rose key accord isn't so good because I have some on the way.

I have their rose accord, and it smells pleasant. It doesn't smell like rose absolute per se, but it's nice. I can't comment on the performance aspect of it, since I haven't experimented with blending it. I've not experienced their Sandalwood key accord, but I very much like their Green Leaf key accord and their Ylang key accord might as well be nature identical, as far as I'm concerned (maybe a touch brighter than natural ylang). I like their Carnation key accord. I've actually had their Arabian Sandalwood fragrance oil before, and it was more floral than I expected. Their Leather accord is nice, if you like a Safraleine-type leather. Their Tobacco accord is pleasant, but I really didn't get that much of a tobacco from it.

I don't know that the key accords are supposed to be -replacements-, however. If you want a rose absolute smell, you're not going to like the Rose key accord. It seems to be more of a perfume idea of a rose, not the absolute, which has a lot of heaviness and doesn't really smell like the flower anyway. But I think even the best bases may not necessarily smell exactly like the natural material--Sampaquita (Givaudan's jasmine sambac base), for example, smells like jasmine sambac but it doesn't smell exactly like the absolute. I like to say that it smells like jasmine sambac "with all the lights turned on." I've actually had more success blending the Sampaquita base than natural jasmine absolute.

But I think anyone who smells PA's rose accord is going to know immediately that it's supposed to be rose. I think it could easily be used to build or boost a rose accord.

I have their rose accord and I don't really like it. I like my rose heavy and vintage. Their rose accord is too bright, too fresh and too fruity. Given the myriad of roses out there, it's possible that they are after the smell of a certain cultivar of rose. But at least the roses in my garden don't smell like that at all...

I have the Sandalwood accord from Olfactik, as a matter of fact. It doesn't smell like natural sandalwood. As a matter of fact, I don't really like it at all. It has a strange minty thing going on, as if they used geranium to try to create the rosy note in it. I don't think it works.

I also think that if you're looking for a direct replacer for an absolute, you're not going to find what you're looking for. I would expect any reconstruction to come out smelling brighter and less dense.

I have a sample of PA's sandalwood key accord and I agree with the others; it just doesn't do it for me. I am comparing to some real Mysore sandalwood oil I have. Javanol by itself however, is much closer IMO...and I love the way it smells.

Others have already commented on the recreations, you have asked about but you don't yet have an answer on the choice between the naturals:

Buy rose otto from Bulgaria and rose absolute from Morocco - what you need to know is that in Bulgaria the otto is made from the best flowers, with the lesser ones being turned into absolute, while in Morocco it is the other way round.

Neither will smell like fresh flowers of any variety of rose - for that you need a good rose recreation and I would recommend something like Dorinia SA E, Rose Givco 217 or Wardia rather than the rose accords you have mentioned.

For a good sandalwood I use a combination of Vanuatu Sandalwood with Ebanol, Javanol and Santaliff.

I hope that helps

They are all three difficult to get hold of in small amounts - what part of the world are you in? I can help with small amounts of Dorinia SA E or if you are in the US and can handle a minimum purchase of 1Kg Vigon sell Dorian SA, which is slightly inferior but still good.

I'm planning to purchase 5Kg of Rose Givco 217 in the next few months so may be able to help with that too in due course. I believe another small perfumer in the US has some Wardia for sale too and I could put you in touch if you send your email.

I'm afraid I don't know of a source for any of those Jasmine replacers that will sell you less than 1Kg at a time. At the moment I don't have any in stock myself either so can't help on those, though at some point I do plan on getting the Sampaquita Givco and when I do I'll happily sell some on, that will be some months away however.

I just got my Rose Bulgarian absolute from Hermitage. I can only compare it to a bulgarian rose otto I also have and a distilled rosewater I have which I am certain is rosa centifolia going by the origin of it. The rose absolute has a cruder character than the rose otto, the otto is all sweet honey notes and very clean smelling. The absolute has an undertone thats quite sharp and smells alternatively like varnish and dried rose petals. Both the absolute and otto smell sweet and honeylike and not really very floral at all. Certainly nothing like any rose FO I've ever smelt. The rosewater I have is greener, more dewy and fresh flower smelling. Its my favourite rose scent. It doesn't have the rounded body of the Bulgarian but it smells truer to rose as a concept. I believe most synthetic rose fragrances I've smelt are more like the centifolia than the damascena rose. Hope that helps.

The PA scents are a version of the type they are representing. There really isn't just ONE type of scent, true to something else, there is always an interpretation/interpolation... That's what being a perfumer is all about, knowing and using the right element appropriate to the vision cast. Rose, Jasmine and Sandalwood all have different aspects and shades which can be emphasized or eliminated. PA's Key accords are formulated to do just that, emphasize / eliminate / interpret / interpolate a portion of the "concept", of the idea, of the original...

Real Perfumery is an art, and is about the command and control, the Shock and Awe, the deftly turning of a phrase into a composition occupying time and space, whilst creating incomparable beauty and grace for all to enjoy and partake, and to also share that state of being and wonderment.

This command of your tools comes after you learn, know, and assess all available options and paths to create the direction you wish to walk down. You may take a few wrong turns along the way, but you may in the end gift the world with extraordinary beauty.