SOAP HOMECOMING 4 - FROM SOAP TO PERFUME

I did have good intentions in setting out to duplicate that magic soap of 30+ years ago. A Copra-olive (olive and coconut), I scented it with Jasmine, Lavender and Sandalwood — gorgeous extracts not affordably available today. I have a very old Jasmine Sambac though, from Bulk Apothecary whose offerings today aren't always what they once were. I have a very new Jasmine Grandiflorum absolute from Perfumer's Apprentice by way of Pan Aromatics. It deserves some kind of award.

In they both went, with my new Liberty Naturals Products Lavender and Mysore Sandalwood from Pan Aromatics. I also had an old Sandalwood from Bulk Apothecary and that went in, too.

Okay, a respectable scent, but to my surprise it didn't delight my now much-more-educated nose. My eyes fell on the natural Oak Moss absolute I bought from Piping Rock, in defiance of the EU—on the gorgeous wild harvest Labdanum absolute from White Lotus Aromatics. And didn't I have Liberty Natural's Bergamot, too? Bergamot-Cistus Labdanum-Oakmoss-Musk are the very definition of a true chypre and I had them all! Also Civet. I know, I know. Naughty me. I sent for a tincture from Ethiopia.

If I'd known about chypre 30+ years ago, wouldn't that have been my magic scent? Wildly I pulled out my pipettes. Shouldn't I measure things? Absolutely, no. After all, I cook by eye. I will scent by nose. Joyfully, I filled successive pipettes with the precious oils and absolutes—no pipette for the Oak Moss though, which is a thick ooze of a thing. I had to let globs drop themselves from the bottle.

In they all went to a 1 oz bottle. I let it sit two nights, mixing and mellowing.

Next morning it smelled good, but not great. More Oak Moss? In went more green ooze. More Labdanum. In went the thick dark liquid. A little more Civet? OMG! Now it smells really diVINE!

On Parfumo I Advance Searched these ingredients to see if they all existed in any perfume. Only two. Heritage Man, which I'd never heard of, and Roja's By Appointment—so named because there's only one bottle and you have to make an appointment to smell it. Well, so? Mine too. I am so proud that Roja Dove, whom I worship, used the same notes I did. Of course he used a tad more than me. I've got some of them—Lemon, Orange, Rose, Geranium, Patchouli, Saffon, Cedar, Ambergris, etc. Sigh. What can you do with genius? Should I go for it?

Well, no. I love my version and don't want to muck it up. True, the bottle may not look as pretty as Roja's does but my nose is in heaven as I sniff.

LATER: Okay I mucked it up. Added: Orange essence, more Ambergris, more mysore Sandalwood, more Lavender, more Labdanum absolute, Sri Lankan Patchouli, Atlas Cedar absolute, Geranium absolute, my old Rose oil, more Jasmine (this one thick as heck), more Oakmoss absolute. OMG, THIS is a perfume. It's concentrated, too, because of the absolutes.

Was I done? Actually, no. inspired by Shalimar extrait, which I wore today, I added lemon, vanilla, orris root, opoponax, vetiver. Egyptian musk. It smells just dreamy, like a great perfume. I've noticed from sniff fests that they usually have at least 20 notes, and sometimes 40 or 50. How many did I end up with?

Ambergris
Cistus Labdanum
Geranium
Jasmine Grandiflorum
Jasmine Sambac
Lavender
Rose
Orris
Opoponax
Cedar
Civet
Lemon
Mysore Sandalwood
Musk
Oak Moss
Orange
Sri Lankan Patchouli
Vanilla
Vetiver

Only 19? Should I add one more? I have some Guaiac wood that's actually a paste. Also real Gardenia oil. Smells intoxicating. Elemi? Hmm, since I have two kinds of sandalwoods, technically I'm already at 20 notes. Good enough.

What will soap do to it? No telling. I'll use it in the stately Castile, I think. No coconut, just tallow and olive. Actually, not just tallow, but a pristine suet bought from ladies who produce it on their farm.

Who puts raw Oak moss, Labdanum, Jasmine Grandiflorum, etc., in soap anymore, I ask you? Nobody. Who uses suet anymore or extra virgin olive oil? Nobody. Is there a chance this could be one of the greatest soaps ever created on this earth, ScentFan? (Who is trying not to go unconscious at the thought) Well, heck yeah. Fingers crossed.

EUREKA!

Now I have too much scent for a batch of soap. I'll turn half of this into a perfume! Technically I don't know how. Must look it up on the Internet. What will I call it? Shalimar By Appointment maybe. Hey, I bet that's why Roja has only one bottle of By Appointment. He went crazy, like me, didn't write amounts down and couldn't duplicate it if he tried.

Next installment: Shalimar By Appointment Soap & Perfume.