Dior J'adore edt - spray on sunshine

 I long for travel, the delirious joy of standing in a foreign land, eyes wide as I take in an unfamiliar landscape, nose braced for the scent of warm sand or the aromatic sap of a sun baked forest.

But I’m marooned in wintry Yorkshire, in full Covid lockdown yet again. I leave the house only for work or a chilly walk in the hills. A trip to the supermarket has become the week’s adventure as I don my mask and brave humanity to make the heroic feeling mission for a loaf of sourdough and something sweet to feed my hungry stress hormones. 

Having sold some of my lesser worn scents, I decided to cheer myself with the purchase of a newcomer. I’d been craving a whiff of J’adore for some time, but with the shops closed I was unable to take a good sniff of the different formulations. I knew it was a choice between the fulsome heady edp or the perkier citrus laced edt. So taking a blind(ish) chance, I ordered the edt, figuring it would zest me out of the doldrums. 

It was the right choice. 

J’adore edt is everything you’d expect from Dior’s fragrant family of Jasmin fuelled blockbusters. A glance at Fragrantica reveals that it may be a re-name of the previous incarnation of J’adore Lumiere, a title much more fitting to this light saturated scent. 

It’s unapologetically feminine, with a grand heart of white flowers and a (just audible) whisper of lush Rose Centifolia. In its current form, it’s only been around for ten years, but it feels like good old fashioned perfume, that which existed before trend making buffoons decided to drown every new release in a bucket of sugary notes.

Not that it lacks sweetness, but the sugar in J’adore edt stems from buoyant citrus notes, with sweet juicy mandarin and bracing lemon that exist not only in the opening, but well into its wear. There’s a hefty dose of Neroli in here too, but the overall impression is that it draws from every aspect of the orange tree, woody bark, green leaves and sharp sap adding a distinctly Mediterranean nuance. There is an airy quality to the fragrance, not in an aldehyde manner, more like an ozonic musk. I’m reminded of the time I sniffed Galaxolide at one of Sarah McCartney’s perfumery workshops. I can’t recall what this synthetic creation actually smelt like, nor how it interacted with other ingredients, but I was enamoured with the name ‘Galaxolide’. It suggested a scent that could send you skywards, a molecule soaring into space

J’adore edt is all about sparkling brightness, a decadent floral that bursts with blue skies. The same concept was attempted by Chanel with the release of Gabrielle, an attempt to capture a younger audience that surprised lovers of the brand with its high pitched nose battering screech. J’adore manages to capture that energetic optimism in a thoroughly wearable scent. There are no screeches here. It’s as vivacious as the much celebrated Clementine California by Atelier Cologne, as ripe and sweet as Arancia di Capri from Aqua di Parma, and as decadently Jasmine rich as our historic scent memory of the original J’adore. 

I’ve worn it every miserable morning as the sky spilt a barrage of sleet onto my endless commute. I drove through the stark leafless countryside, mired in a wintery gloom, knowing that it would barely get light that day. Yet my nose smelt a different landscape, one peppered with fragrant orange trees, fruit ripening under luminous cobalt skies. Whilst I can’t physically travel right now, my spirit has jumped on a plane with the joyful company of this gold tipped bottle of sunshine.  

On Perfume Promiscuity - The Great Solo Scent Adventure, Part 4 - The Final Results

Last week I announced the launch of ‘The Great Solo Scent Adventure’, an experiment designed to discover how we promiscuous perfume lovers fared when restricted to wearing just one scent over a period of three days and nights. I intended to write a single post featuring our results but the responses from the participants were so intriguing that I posted two of them as stand alone articles. You can read Tresor’s story of Clinique Aromatics Elixir here and Nancy’s tale of Armani Privee Ambre Soie (and some extraordinary memories of Hurricane Katrina) here.

Read them? Best get the kettle on as it’s going to be a long one!

By far the most interesting outcome of the experiment was the fraught process of selecting ‘the chosen one’. My own priority was to choose a fragrance that would feel comfortable throughout the period. This was tricky as I am very much governed by an AM/PM feeling. During the evenings I douse myself in something rich and decadent, an opulent oozy oriental such the original Gucci EDP or Olfactive Studio's  Chambre Noire. If I applied these whilst dressing for work in the morning I’d most probably vomit up my cereal. Mornings find me reaching for the brightest sparks of my collection, Clinique Wrappings often assists in my awakening with it’s crisp woody aldehydes and citrus Prozac. At nighttime, it feels just too darn perky.

The chosen one needed to fit both criteria, a sparkle in the morning and some evening sumptuousness. It must not shout at my senses at either end of day. Which is why I selected Guerlain’s lush floral - Idylle. You can read about my adoration for Idylle by clicking here.

It struck me that we all need an ‘Idylle’ i.e that which can safely offer us enjoyment without being over demanding, a source of comfort and a reliable ally. One that will elicit a gentle sigh rather than a fearsome growl upon application. Whilst perusing my collection, I realized that I have only a couple of bottles of this type of best friend scent. The diversity of genre is vast, meaning that I pick scents for really specific moods and times.  Most of them are inappropriate for at least 75% of my sensitive brain’s day.

I surmise that the next bottle I buy will be another best friend scent. The trouble with keeping all of these ‘special mooders’ is that although it is fabulous to have an atmospheric drawer of wonders, they are ultimately going to go off. With cool dark storage there’ll be no problem whilst they are reasonably full, but as the bottles empty over the years the oxygen is most likely going to give the dregs a severe kicking. With this in mind, I sniffed at my beloved bottle of special mooder - Serge Lutens’ Fille En Aiguilles. The sorry looking final 10 mls still thankfully smelt as it should. Did this count as breaking the rules? I didn’t spray any but I felt a little concerned that something that wasn’t Idylle had sneaked up my nose. Perhaps we perfume lovers could benefit from anti-depressants to stabilize our moods to the point where we only feel a pleasant blandness. Then all we’ll need will be just one bottle of best friend?

Andrew said of his chosen scent:

“I’m choosing Dior Privée Patchouli Imperiale because of the private collection that I’ve tried so far, this may be one of my least favorites so I want a chance to get to know it better, especially since I think it would be appropriate for Fall.”

And of his general perfume choice habits:

“Mood, outside temperature, activity, proximity to others, clothing choice, and general curiosity about new scents all factor into why I choose a scent.  There’s a level of appropriateness which I generally try to follow, but as I primarily wear fragrance for myself, I find myself breaking the rules ever so slightly just because I can.  For instance, I’ll wear Etat Libre d’Orange Rien or Comme des Garçons Black in the Summer but maybe not applied as heavily.  So even though seasonality does have something to do with the decision, I mostly wear whatever I want whenever I want.”

Similarly, Charlotte was not restricted by seasonality:

“I think my mood is the predominant factor in selecting my fragrance.  I don't wear any of my scents as being for cold weather, or those that are for warm weather.  I have found that some scents that are deemed cold weather scents such as orientals and some that are deemed warm weather such as florals are even more beautiful when worn in the opposite season.  Florals take on a new character in the winter and orientals or heavier scents literally bloom in hot weather.  I never allow season to dictate my choice of fragrance.”

One factor that linked all of the participants was a passion for a wide range of fragrance genres which could be worn at any time we feel like it. Perhaps this scattergun style appreciation is a contributing factor to the sizable mass of scents that we own?

On her selection process, Charlotte said:

“I chose Prada "Infusion d' Iris" because I think it can be worn by both women and men and during any season.  It is one of my favorites, but will I tire of it after 3 days?  Only time will tell.”

I think that Charlotte’s choice represents a ‘best friend’ scent in that (alike my Idylle) it is beautiful but not challenging. Was Charlotte adopting a similar approach to me for the adventure?

Linda’s choice was:

“David Yurman’s Exotic Essence (I will be calling it EE here)

It had to be safe for all times of day/night, not too heavy or too light (skin levels bore me fast). Something I really liked that wouldn’t kill me if I could no longer stand to wear it. I looked for one where I had a full bottle and a purse size or samples to take with me, and hopefully a lotion also.  It would be a versatile, semi generic, sweet, vanilla, floral or fruity”

Prior to the adventure we experienced mixed feelings. Personally, I felt some excitement in the idea that I would be returning to the days of not obsessing about perfume (I know I write about the stuff prolifically, but it can often be overwhelming in it’s intrusion of my life). Here’s how the others felt:

“Frightened, I know I will be bored within the first day and what if I ruin that scent for me. What the heck have gotten myself into?!?!?!” Linda

“I think it will present a real challenge because I like to change my scent at least twice a day if not more.” Charlotte

“I could do it but it would be a bit challenging.  We’re not exactly the same people for three days at a time.  Life isn’t static and neither are our perfume choices.” Andrew

The Diaries:

Andrew

Monday: 

9:00AM - I nearly forgot this was the week I was wearing the same fragrance for three days straight!  Nearly…well, after three spritz and hitting the road, I’ve unfortunately come to the conclusion that that was two spritzes too many.  Yikes!  The projection on this thing!  Tonight, I’ll have to tone it down and stick with just one tiny spritz.

I chose Christian Dior Collection Privée Patchouli Imperiale because of the other Dior Privées that I have or have had, vintage Bois d’Argent, Cologne Blanche, Ambre Nuit, Eau Noire, Leather Oud, and Oud Ispahan, this one gets the least amount of use and I’m not sure why because I love patchouli.  There’s also something Dior has going on with all those I’ve mentioned; I’ll call it the Diorade, à la Guerlainade.  It’s something that’s common about all of these, a similar base that tells me without a doubt, this is Dior Collection Privée, and I recognize and welcome that in Patchouli Imperiale.  Still, there’s something in PI that I’m not naturally gravitating toward as often as the others, outside of the Dior house as well.  Maybe I just need to apply it more sparingly and get to know it more slowly.

6:30PM - One conservative spritz in the evening and my suspicions were proven correct.  I’m enjoying this far more, able to explore more distinct notes without the intensity of the beastly projection I afflicted myself with earlier this morning.  It’s a creamy patchouli, coupled with that recognizable Diorade I mentioned earlier. 

Qu’est-ce que c’est, ce Diorade?  Hmm…let me try to describe it.  It’s a clean heart or middle note, a little marine, slightly ozonic in a neutral kind of way, sweet, nutty, a little powdery but not too powdery.  Depending on what gets added to it, for example, turn it into a Cologne Blanche and you get more powder, but go the any of the other directions and, though it remains a common element, it’s not as pronounced.

Tuesday:

8:30AM – Just one spritz.  Okay, probably just half a regular spritz.  Interesting…I find that the less I use, the more I like this Dior Privée.  Rather than overwhelm, it plays out sort of a salted caramel note and I can explore the slightly powdery patchouli without being distracted by the sweetness.  In fact, it actually takes on a nuttier vibe.  I even think I’m getting something slightly animalic.  And no, I did not check out any of the accords or note classifications prior to or during this experiment as I want to be certain what I’m perceiving is actual and not merely by suggestion. 

7:30PM – Caramel corn…with peanuts.  Maybe, I don’t know anymore.  With an additional mini-reapplication, I’m getting really different notes, maybe as it’s mixing with my chemistry more and more.  This isn’t that far off from that O’Driu Peety perfume that encourages you to add a little of “yourself” to personalize it.  We do that with our own sweat, don’t we?  And yes, we all sweat, so there’s no use getting grossed out there. 

10:30PM – Slightly spicy, earthy, caramel corn – on account of the sweetness accompanied with a butteryness.  Today has convinced me that where Patchouli Imperiale is concerned, less is certainly more.  And to be perfectly honest, though it’s been tough not trying on or wearing other fragrances, I’m determined to stick to this three day challenge.  It’s actually rather nice not spending the excess time pondering what fragrance to wear, not that this took up an enormous amount of time usually, but just that that part of my life was instantly simplified at least for three days. 

Wednesday:

7:30AM – Okay, I feel like I may need to do this with all fragrances I’m unsure about and even with those that I am because I really feel that by the third day of this mini-adventure, I’ve really gotten to know Dior Patchouli Imperiale. 

There are quick, cursory judgments in so many things we do in life, like what we instantly think of that person on the road cuts us off and who also happens to have an inspirational bumper sticker expressing their view on life, or when you take the time to open the door for someone who glides through, their nose stuck to their smart phone, not even acknowledging your existence or courtesy…I think perfume suffers the same kind of mishap.  It’s a two way street, how the perfume performs, expresses itself, and how it performs and expresses itself when combined with you; it’s really a chemistry experiment and sometimes there’s a connection, sometimes it takes time, like dating.  And everyone’s chemistry is so unique so there are more factors at play than what the sales associate at a fragrance counter can tell you or what a fragrance blogger’s opinion may be.  Those are all subjective assessment and you’ll never really know until you go down that road for yourself. 

I actually had one sales associate do a very unique fragrance consultation on me, asking me about my diet and nutrition.  He said that your body’s PH levels also greatly affect how a fragrance performs on you.  I forget the particulars of our discourse, but I recall that at that very time, I was exploring Veganism, which, even excluding carbs, would make me more alkaline than usual.  Apparently, that matters.  Great, you’re thinking; now I have to worry about how my diet is affecting my fragrance and not just my waistline.  But if you think about it, next time you wrinkle your nose at a fragrance you’re trying, don’t take it all out on the fragrance because you actually have a contributing factor as well.  And don’t take other people’s word for it either. 

And now, back to Patchouli Imperiale…I get an almondy note this morning with a smooth patchouli that evokes polish and clean lines, not crunchy and hippy-dippy vibes.  Worn lightly, this might even be appropriate for work.

2:04PM – Butterscotch/floral something?

4:57PM – Sweet, earthy floral.  A very clean patch.  If anything, these three days have taught me to slow down, take time, and really appreciate the fragrance I put on and not merely spritz and go, or to keep a wandering eye as to what’s new or next in the search.  Knowing what I now know, I’d wear this more.  But then again, I feel like giving more of my fragrances this kind of a field trip to really get to know them one on one.

7:38PM – Re-spritzed after the gym and shower and no, I didn’t overwhelm anybody at the gym previously.  I just had on what I put on from the morning, which had settled in and mellowed nicely into that non-descript Diorade.  Now, if I could smell my own neck, I could probably tell it was Dior Patchouli Imperiale, but otherwise just a cozy, slightly warm, close skin scent.

Right now though, post-gym, my body temperature is still a little elevated so even the tiniest spritz is projecting right up to my nostrils but by now, it’s a familiar scent, one that reminds me that this is what fragrance is all about, enjoying the composition bit by bit, having it play a part, like a soundtrack in the things you do day in – day out, but most importantly, how it makes you feel; inspired, nostalgic, adventurous, somber, mysterious, sexy, beguiling, safe, comfortable, or just natural. 

I feel like I’ve really gotten to know my Dior Collection Privée Patchouli Imperiale or better yet, it’s gotten to know me better, and together, we’ve reached a mutual understanding.

Almost tempted...

Charlotte:

Monday

After my shower this morning, I liberally sprayed on my Infusion d' Iris.  I love the clean notes of this fragrance.  I am anxious to see how tomorrow will be as I apply the same fragrance.

Tuesday

The Infusion d' Iris is beckoning me to apply it for a second day.  My other bottles are gazing longingly at me though, saying "pick me".  This evening after a warm shower, a manicure of my nails and general pampering, I felt a strong urge to try something new, but I resisted the impulse.

Wednesday

I will stick with this 3 day project, I told myself as I applied Infusion d'Iris for the third day.  My new bottle of Amouage "Sunshine" was calling my name though because it is a cool dreary day here in the Tundra.  I wore my committed fragrance all day and it is evening.  I have taken my shower and will apply one last spray of the Prada, but my heart longs for just a spritz of the "Sunshine".

My conclusion, I am a confirmed and dedicated fragrance whore, who would find it impossible to be faithful to just one fragrance!

Exotic Essence

Linda

"Weekend before:  EXTREME panic, worry, stress!!!!

Monday

AM: Loving the scent as usual, a lot less panic.. Maybe this will work out okay, going to the San Francisco coast, a different weather there, windy salt air, should be okay.

Afternoon: Sprayed. Still nice, enjoying it. EE is going fine in the cool windy SF, in both the salty pier and in the spicy Chinatown areas.

Evening: sprayed, okay & still appreciating the scent but after 10 hrs I am starting to get a bit bored with the peach & wanting a heavier scent as I usually wear a strong floral or heavy  oriental at this time.

Bed 1am – definitely getting tired of but doing okay, it’s sweet enough to what I usually spray on bedding.

Tuesday

AM: sprayed, still like EE but not enjoyed it as much as usual, It didn’t make me do the “smile, & close my eyes while taking a deep inhale and savor”

Afternoon:  I think I cannot smell EE as strongly as usual.  A half hour after spraying I need to sniff right above my skin to smell it.  Mix of feelings, boredom and bit of frustration.  I still like it but not enjoying it.  If I had to rate the scent on parfumo now, which allows rate by increments of 10, I’d only give it a 70 instead of the 90 I usually feel towards it..

Evening:  Sprayed. Canned peaches in heavy syrup?  How did the sweetness get so heavy? Where did those lovely oriental notes go? My eyes keep going to my bottle of Fancy Nights, the heavy, sharp patchouli in it is so calling to me like an old-time siren.. LOL  Nope, I am staying strong..

Bed:  not spraying my linens, think going without is preferable at this time.  Hope changing my habit is not cheating… But I need a break, clear my nose and maybe I will enjoy EE more tomorrow.

Wednesday

AM - delayed until almost noon, hesitation, apprehensive, but once I did spray I liked the scent, and EE is back to her normal yummy self.  So although I’m bored and the excitement is missing, I can pretty much still enjoy her.  Can’t look at my other bottles thou, they are getting just too tempting. My mind is remembering  Gres’ Cabotine Rose and how perfect she’d be right now..

Afternoon – Frustration is really kicking in, I’m getting snippy over little things.  Right after spraying I got a headache.  I’d do anything for a change of scent right now, am going to cut a bunch of the last of my roses to bring indoors.

Evening – Want to bath in Ysatis instead of spraying EE again, but did.. Even LouLou or Chl#5 are looking good to me right now and I can rarely take wearing them..  After an hour I broke down and spray the room with a strong air freshener, Scentsy’s Green Tea and Cactus. I actually feel much better, almost like I’m clean again.  Yeah I probably cheated even if I didn’t put it on me, sorry but even people who have a signitature scent are occasionally surrounded by other smells.

Bed - Sprayed my pillow & sheets with EE, couldn’t take spraying myself again.  The cloying sweetness is starting to make me nauseous. EE is sweet but not nearly as heavy as she seems to be to me right now. I don’t dislike EE but I think it will be a long long before I can wear her again.   My mind is racing with trying to decide what wonderfully different scents I get to wear tomorrow,  think I’ll start with a fresh almost greenish floral in morning, Tigress in the afternoon,  then something really heavy..  O all the possibilities!!"

Back in the UK, two of my fragrance buddies Margaret and Avril decided to join in. Although I didn’t give them the questionnaire that I sent to the others (for fear of the article being too huge, aherm…), they did send me some thoughts on their experiences. In similarity to Linda, Margaret did not enjoy it:

Margaret

“Experiment time was BORING!!  I have discovered that I’m not over impressed by Visa compared to Fracas and it did not last on me, but what’s new there?  I actually got through a full 5ml decant in an attempt to keep myself scented.  My hands were itching to spray something different with more oomph.  It felt wrong somehow and I felt I was being disloyal to all my other babies.  I thought it would be easy and yes I managed but I’m so happy I can wear something else tomorrow as I have discovered I need to change perfume to match mood and weather and I feel out of sorts if I do not.  I honestly did not think I would feel like that and its strange I think in the future I could manage to go without ANY perfume for 3 days rather than wear the same. How crazy is that?”

I can understand Margaret’s point. Although I loved each spritz of Idylle I did not feel the need to spray at my usual frequent intervals. Perhaps the multiple spraying habit tends to be driven by the necessity of ‘newness’?

Avril also had issues with being able to smell her choice of scent:

Avril

“This 3 day thing was amazing!

Day 1 I was delighted I chose Le Parfum de Therese. I hadn't worn it since I bought it a couple of months back and really enjoyed getting wafts of it. I could pick up on the individual components a lot more than before like the tangerine, melon and slight vetiver… It gets a bad rep for longevity and sillage but on me it lasted a good 4 hours which is a miracle for me. The drydown is beautiful too.

Normally I wear a daytime frag and always wear something else in the evening. I get bored easily and no matter how much I like a scent I need a change of scenery as the day progresses. So I just reapplied and still enjoyed it as much as I had during the day. I was quite taken aback at how lovely it still smelled, as if I had freshly applied. It's rare I get that on reapplication. So day 1 was fab!

 Day 2 I woke up excited to wear it again as I'd enjoyed day 1 so much. I also enjoyed not spending an hour at bedtime deliberating on what fragrance to wear the next day. This is an annoying part of my bedtime routine as I chop and change my mind and get into a panic if I can't make my mind up! It's a bit like the comfort of a school uniform. So day 2 was rather like day 1. Longevity wasn't as good as day 1 though and even when I reapplied I couldn't really smell it.  I reapplied again in the evening and was disappointed I couldn't smell it like before.

 Day 3 I still got up and wore it. Although I couldn't smell it at all and it wore off really quickly. At this stage I had received some perfumes I'd bought with lots of decants and tried one on a jumper. The smell was incredible and I was so dying to try it on my skin!!! So I had a shower, and then I caved in. I couldn't resist.  I had to smell it. I needed some olfactory stimulation! !!

So all in all a very interesting experiment.  I will definitely do it again with another scent but for 2 days I think rather than 3.

As for me?

Well, I’m glad the others contributed so thoroughly to the adventure because my own experience was, from a literary point of view, rather boring! I began with adoring Idylle and ended with adoring Idylle. It was, indeed, ideal.

In the days preceding the adventure I over thought my choice of scent, spending too much time spraying my potentials and pondering which one would be consistently pleasing. This was the only genuine bit of drama in my experience.

On night two, Margaret spoke to me of Visa which initiated my only wobble. Because although she regretted her choice, Visa is one of my most beloved scents. After I left our Facebook conversation I sat by my dressing table and held my miniature bottle of Visa. I managed to resist temptation and left it out ready to apply at the end of the challenge. When the end came I dopily reached for Idylle post morning shower and went off to work smelling exactly the same as I had for the last three days. It was pleasant…

So what have we learnt from this experience?

Several of the participants concluded that it gave them the opportunity to thoroughly get to know their scent which perhaps does not happen when we wear them infrequently. In particular Andrew and Nancy seemed to develop a strong sense of the different facets and subtle changes during the wear of their chosen ones, ultimately deepening their appreciation of them. I personally found that I was more sensitive to the beauty of the dry down of Idylle, a factor I had previously missed due to plastering on a stronger scent as it wore off. 

I have thought for some time that owning a vast collection of scents was somewhat pointless due to the dreaded molecular disintegration that occurs when you can't get through those bottles fast enough. Perhaps it's time to get rid of the lesser loved and cherish only those that would survive a few days of continuous wear? I'm not saying that I'd care to part with my rarely worn wonder - Fille En Aiguilles, but I do believe now that there is only room for a small handful of these exotic occasional scents in my collection.*

* I reserve the right to change my mind about this in the near future and continue to amass a stash of daft scents.

Thank you so much to all of those who took part, your responses were fascinating and I'm enormously grateful. Thank you also to my readers who managed to find time to wade their way through the almighty word count of this adventure. The next one will be brief, I promise.

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Adventures In Scent At 4160 Tuesdays: Day 2, A Chypre Perfume Making Workshop

 The archetype, Coty's long gone Chypre

I was lucky. Not only had I made it to a scent making day, but I’d made without catching a nose immobilizing cold. February half term is often spent with whatever virus has been troubling the students at my school since Christmas. I work with kids who aren’t proficient at the ‘hand over mouth during sneeze’ routine.

And so, nose on top form, I joined my fellow (and significantly more sophisticated) students to be taught about the form of chypres by the highly engaging Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays. Our mixed cohort included a keen novice fumie, two long term fumies, an admirable obsessive with a vast collection and myself (insert your assessment of compulsion here).

We began with an introduction to the structure of the chypre. The chypre genre is widely acknowledged to be ‘perfumey perfume’, characterised by a distinctly classic French feel and a slightly snooty dry temperament. I love them, possibly because I’m not snooty. Possessing a more ‘dappy spaniel’ character, I like the fact that a chypre transforms me into a  ‘graceful greyhound’. They are the polar opposite of a warm-hearted oriental or a cheerful fruity floral.

Sarah delves into a vintage Eau Sauvage for our sniffing pleasure

The Queens of the genre could be said to be Guerlain’s Mitsouko and Dior’s Diorella. Both of which Sarah proffered for a sniffing from astoundingly well preserved vintage bottles. As we sat around the grand desk together, we amassed hoards of smelling strips, studiously comparing variations on the theme. With the majority of the examples dating from a time pre- IFRA regulations, we smelt the real thing. My favourite of which was The Edmond Roudnitska creation for Rochas – Mousseline. I’d never heard of it before, but this heart breakingly cool madame was the mossiest thing I’d ever smelt, aside from actual moss, which doesn’t smell of much unless it’s been raining and you have stuck your face to the ground in a wood (I have of course done this, as I imagine have some of you). To add to it’s appeal, it was packaged in a beautifully minimal and art deco reminiscent yellow box. Although it was created later than the deco period (in 1946), it both smelt of and looked like the liberated masculine habits of those women lucky enough to be wealthy and socially mobile in the 1930s. A round of golf chaps?

The marvelous Mousseline

Another Roudnitska marvel was passed around, the citrusy classic Dior masculine – Eau Sauvage. Chypres marketed at men tend to incorporate abundant citrus and herbal notes, making them hugely appealing to my personal taste. I successfully wore Chanel’s Pour Monsieur, another classic citrus chypre with a soapy accord, for some years without growing a moustache or a fondness for football.

After sampling some classic chypres came the table-top scientist part, about which I was wobbly with excitement.  Time to smell some ingredients.

Sarah’s first offer was oakmoss, the ‘bones’ of the chypre, which we smelt at a 20% dilution. It was symphonic. By this, I mean that there was a multitude of sensations to associate with it’s scent. As I look back to my notes, I see that I wrote; multifaceted, woody, earthy, whole. It was utterly whole, indeed I wish I’d have ‘made’ a perfume containing solely oakmoss, such was it’s complexity. I’d imagined it to be an olfactory challenge as natural notes often are (white birch on it’s own can tear my nose to broken pieces) but it wasn’t. It was everything I love about the outdoors bottled, delivered with sensitivity and gentleness.

We went on to sample the other natural chypre bones; patchouli, cistus labdanum and bergamot, each familiar to anyone who’s dabbled in aromatherapy and regularly haunts the isles of Holland and Barret. This was followed by less familiar synthetic smells, a real treat for hardcore fumies; Exaltolide and Fixolide (two musks, the first of which smelt like Body Shop - White Musk), ISO E Super (wood for wizards), Hedione (used to bring radiance to florals and citrus, used heavily in Van Cleef & Arpels – First, smells to me disgustingly like Cystitis salts – Cystopurin-a-go-go), Suederal (a beautiful soft leather) and several others including a peculiar crème brulee plus strawberry note used to great effect in Sarah’s own ‘The Great Randello’. I was most bewitched by two synthetic violet notes – Alpha Ionone and Ionone Beta, the first of which radiated the rubbery tyres and sugar side of violets that was instantly recognisable in BVLGARI Black and Midnight In Paris. The second presented a more woody interpretation.

Brilliant stuff to play with in bottles

The final smell of the morning was Sarah’s curious ‘seaside’ accord, a mixture of Calone (melon/cucumber/water) and Verimoss (moss, akin to seaweed) which smelt unerringly like the beaches of my childhood holidays in North Wales.

Tired noses headed off to a local café for lunchtime resuscitation.

Upon our return we had about four hours in which to become perfumers. You’d think this would be a laughable amount of time in which to create our personal desires but one of the students was markedly thrilled by his creation which he deemed complete in far less time. For me, it was more difficult.

Wrists soaked, I move progressively up my arm for a skin test

Before the day I vowed to keep an open mind about my ingredients, and focus upon the never before smelt synthetics which are really hard to get access to if you’re an amateur enthusiast. The studio at 4160 Tuesdays was chock full of bottles to play with but I found myself drawn back to the leather and violet notes that I sampled in the morning. My initial mixture contained oakmoss, both violets, Exaltolide musk and Suederol (which dominated the blend). This excited me. I planned to later brighten it with citrus in a kind of homage to Cartier’s Eau de Cartier Essence du Bois. The studio however was filled with scent and a ‘used smelling strip mountain’ so upon Sarah’s advice I took it outside to experience it in the open air. It smelt overtly powdery and smothering. A rethink was required.

Whilst I’d been outside Sarah had produced refreshments of delicious blackcurrant and coffee cordial. This aromatic drink spurred me into pursuit of another of my favourite themes – the hedgerow. Sarah talked me through a few relevant ingredients, this time three picturesque natural accords – raspberry leaf absolute (curiously jammy and tart), cassis (astringent green blackcurrant, bordering on cat pee but unfeasibly beautiful) and buchu (a heady and herbal feeling blackcurrant). With just five students, she had plentiful time to assist each of us, helpfully delving into the stash of materials to find potential interpretations of our olfactory ideas.

Notes a-plenty

I combined my berries with small amounts of other naturals (see the photo of recipe), a great mass of oakmoss and ISO E Super. The unscientific measurement is listed on my recipe as ‘shed loads’ of ISO E Super. Roudnitska would have been appalled.

The process of creation involved using tiny drops of our selected notes and building it up judging quantity by nose alone, an intuitive process that required methodical recording and a fair bit of maths. My records were (typically for me) a little slapdash and I found myself losing count. Care is required. As I peruse my notes tonight I can still smell the lovely patches of accidental drips, a souvenir of the day.

My final creation is without doubt, a hedgerow bordering on a forest. Only six days old, it still needs time to continue to mature but I like it. It’s hints at a drier, leafier version of YSL’s In Love Again (although obviously nowhere near as professional). The 4160 Tuesday’s brand is all about conjuring places and memories, olfactory experiences rather than perfumey perfume. With this in mind, I’m pleased that I made something that echoes the character of the brand. I am unlikely to wear my perfume regularly but I am sure that I will lie in bed on drizzly urban nights and let it transport me to the countryside of my youth.

My finished creation, entitled "Could It Be Mossier?"

What I gained from the event was more than just the creation of a bespoke perfume. It was more significantly about the fun and camaraderie of the day. As you’d expect, we fumies talked each other to death and eagerly absorbed Sarah’s chypre education with delight. As a true perfume geek, I already knew a lot about the genre but I learnt a great deal of fresh information, with the exploration of ingredients being of particular interest to me. This combined with the opportunity to smelt unknown pleasures such as the Mousseline and Miss Dior as it was intended to be, was in itself worth the trip to London. Sarah is an enigmatic teacher. Warm, witty and hugely knowledgeable. She manages to pull off a serious olfactory presentation with a friendly informal atmosphere. Instruction is personally tailored and given frequently or you can withdraw into your own world of pipette heaven and suit yourself. It would be unlikely for a newbie to feel out of place.

The day closed with a sprawl on the sofas with lemon cake and champagne. A chance for us to ponder our creations and a much needed rest for our exhausted conks.

Sarah’s perfume making workshops run once a month throughout the year. Upcoming genre themes include such treats as florals, citrus, watercolours (think Jean Claude Ellena for Hermes) ambers and abstracts (the last of which I imagine it will be tres Comme De Garcons). For more information, take a look here: http://www.4160tuesdays.com/4160tuesdaysscentshop/prod_2846362-Perfume-Days.html

Thank you Sarah for a truly wonderful couple of days at the perfumery. In suitably Northern style I can only say – It was bloomin brilliant!