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Weekend Update, and a note on the word “chemical”

First I wanted to say thank you to Ida for her lovely review of Ambre Noir on Fragrantica yesterday! I’ve heard from a number of people over the years that they like to use Ambre Noir as a layering fragrance, which makes sense to me. I’m still testing the new floral scent and tinkering a…

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New sample swapping site, and checking in…

I saw an announcement today for a new beauty product sample swap site, Edivv. Makeup Alley used to be a popular place for swapping, and then when blogs sprang up the swapping seemed to move from MUA to friendships made through interaction on blogs. This new site Edivv is aimed at beauty products in general…

Interview with Dabney Rose: artisan perfumer, expert distiller and plantswoman
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Interview with Dabney Rose: artisan perfumer, expert distiller and plantswoman

Today I’m talking with Dabney Rose, a fellow perfumer, a gardener/distiller extraordinaire, and a wonderful example of an indie artisan staying true to her vision and ideals. She is a life-long plant lover and currently has a custom greenhouse at her home that holds an amazing array of beautiful flowering plants from which she extracts…

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Study Finds 30% Difference in People’s Scent Receptors

I’ve been talking about this for years on my blog based on my experiences with testers during the process of creating scents, and the studies keep coming in to support what we perfumistas have suspected for ages: our different sets of scent receptors in our noses make us smell scents differently. A study by Monell…

Talking fragrance design and more with Miriam Vareldzis of 40 Notes Perfumes
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Talking fragrance design and more with Miriam Vareldzis of 40 Notes Perfumes

Today I’m talking with someone who has worked in many segments of the fragrance industry: Miriam Vareldzis of 40 Notes Perfume. She has worked as a fragrance evaluator for major companies, has started her own indie perfume line, and currently also works for an outstanding natural ingredient supplier. Miriam has been interviewed by Cafleurebon and…

Brave New World: ingredients synthesized by micro-organisms

Several articles have been published recently about a relatively new technology for creating perfumery ingredients (as well as flavorings and some drugs); yeast, fungi, and bacteria can be genetically altered so that they synthesize perfumery ingredients such as vanillin. Although the yeast is a GMO substance, the ingredient it synthesizes is not GMO and is…

Some interesting links this week

Testing for Alzheimer’s by sniffing peanut butter: Researchers have noticed a correlation between Alzheimer’s disease and deterioration in the ability to smell odors, and now they have documented a difference between the left and right nostrils in Alzheimer’s patients. The patients have much poorer sense of smell in their left nostrils than in their right…

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Mention in October P&F Magazine

Sonoma Scent Studio had a mention in the October issue of Perfumer & Flavorist Magazine in an article by Amy Marks-McGee titled “Forward Thinking: Crafting Beauty With Nature’s Resources.” The article discusses the trend toward using more naturals in fine fragrance and skincare, with a surge in indie brands that place an emphasis on naturals….

Update/Checking In

I’m still on break but wanted to check in. My left arm is not back into action yet. That will teach me not to try to get large items down from over my head in the supply closet… I do feel progress, but it’s slow. I needed a lightweight laptop and a back-up to my…

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Checking in, and some perfume industry links

I’m sorry I’ve been scarce lately. I’ve been busy getting ready for next week’s event at Jessup Cellars in Napa as well as keeping up with orders. The photo above shows the making of carded sample sets for the Jessup event (before sorting into sets of five). I’ve seen a few interesting reads in the…