Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Fragrance DIY › Fleuressences, Bases and Aroma chemicals: insight please?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Fleuressences, Bases and Aroma chemicals: insight please?

post #1 of 8
1/12/13 at 12:14pm
Thread Starter 
I am currently gathering supplies for my perfumer's organ, it's a lengthy business as I'm not rolling in cash!
I've been looking at accords on here and the yahoo group and I realise it takes a lot of chemicals to create a 'base' such as raspberry/rose/sandalwood etc.

So I was toying with two options for my next materials order:

The first option would be to order in some fleuressences from perfumers world, which would restrict the 'feels' I could create from the notes but would mean I wouldn't have to splash out on quite so many materials at this early stage but perhaps buy a few more aroma chems (some more musks, cedrambre etc).

The second option would be to hold out and just buy single aromachemicals. This of course would be immediately more expensive but may have a better pay off in the end.


Would you mind offering me some advice on this matter?



Just for reference here is my current meagre list of materials:

Aroma Chems

Linalool
Gerinol
Iso E Super
Aldehyde C10
Aldehyde C11 Enic
Aldehyde C12 Lauric
Aldehyde C12 MNA
Aldehyde C14
Aldehyde C 16
Civet
Suederal
Exaltolide
Ethylene Brassylate
Vanillin
Coumarin
Methyl Ionone Alpha
Ionone Beta

EO/Absolutes

Cocoa Essence
Lemon
Lime
Sweet Orange
Grapefruit
Mandarin
Bergamot
Petitgrain
Vetyver
Cedarwood
Silver Fir
Black Spruce
Pine
Cypress
Sandalwood
Black Pepper
Cinnamon
Clove
Ginger
Rose
Jasmine
Ylang Ylang
Benzoin
Frankincense
Patchouli
Reply
Reply

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
post #2 of 8
1/12/13 at 12:32pm
I am doing the same as you, i.e. assembling my beginner's organ & worrying about the best way to start. I can offer you my experience with Perfumer's World's beginner's kit, I bought it a few years ago. While perhaps it was of some use to introducing olfactory training, I wasn't too thrilled with the kit. Some scents were *not very complex* - though this not entirely satisfactory experience may have been due to my utter lack of knowledge. From what I've read, they are a good supplier of small quantities of aroma chemicals, so I WILL keep them in mind when I enter into that daunting world whilst assembling my organ.

Also, I am keeping an eye to the future, as you are, and if I continue studying perfumery, I think you or I or any other beginner will be better off teaching ourselves with the actual materials we would work with rather than wasting money/olfactory training/time on 'study' materials.

If you wish, pm me, and we can compare notes on what each of us are doing as we seem to both be on the same step.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 8
1/12/13 at 2:33pm
Chris has a blog entry with a very comprehensive list of materials recommended for starters:

http://pellwall-perfumes.blogspot.co...me-making.html
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 8
1/12/13 at 3:10pm
Thread Starter 
Oops I missed oakmoss abs. I have that too.

Thanks, I've read Chris' blog, and it's really helpful, the issue I have is that if I decide I would like to make a say...mango accord it would be tricky if I'd only got the beginner list he states. I guess I should just order as I decide what I'd like to make, I'm too impatient with this whole up-to-six-weeks-postage.

I've been looking at scientific papers of headspace analyses too, although it's been interesting its actually made me MORE daunted as a lot of the chemicals listed are not available commercially (at least not in small amounts).
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 8
1/12/13 at 6:29pm
I really can't recommend you buy any proprietary mixture where you don't know the contents. What if they stop selling it? There are standard industry bases from the main manufacturers that everyone uses of course but those are both designed by some of the best perfumers in the world and have great longevity: some have been in continuous production for longer than I've been alive.

In addition although the bases from these sources can sometimes be excellent they are often disappointing and if you don't know how it was made it is near impossible to improve.

A shortcut I can recommend is accords where you are given full disclosure of the formula, such as many of those on the Perfumers Apprentice site.

Where there is something you need a little of that isn't generally sold I will help if I can: I have some of the odd ingredients that come up on headspace analysis though by no means all: not all are practical to use either. See my blog post about hyacinth flower scents for more on that.

Hope that helps.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 8
1/12/13 at 7:00pm
Polecat, in watching BBC's Perfume episode 2, about 3/4 of the way through, there is a part where the Givaudan instructor is guiding students in olfactory training. In the interview, it shows that he has earlier students identifying single notes/chems and more developed students identifying notes in accords (as well as their concentration!). So it may work out best to start with single notes to get familiar with them, to train your nose for them, and move on accords later.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 8
1/13/13 at 3:36am
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys, having thought about it I think I'm going to go for a mix and match, I'll buy mainly single note aromachems but also a few accords (That's what I meant I just got my working mixed up).

Scarletj - I'll reply to your PM shortly! I'm from the UK so the timezones resulted in me falling asleep before I could reply last night.

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry for the double post but I'm going to buy several aromachems associated with floral accords; would anyone be able to recommend a list of aromachemicals vital for fruity accords?

I'm going to revisit the list I've made of chems I plan to buy (the list above is what I have already) and then post it, I'd love some feedback from all your veterans of the craft!
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 8
1/14/13 at 11:18pm
My Experience with the Fleuressences has been less than optimal. I decided to not worry about them...
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Fragrance DIY

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Fragrance DIY › Fleuressences, Bases and Aroma chemicals: insight please?