Sometimes finding the quiet time I need to focus on my perfumery work is the greatest challenge of all. This afternoon that perfect time presented itself and I eased myself into it. I opened my notebook and found my finished perfume design for Róisín (meaning little rose) from 2008. The day before I'd made sure I had everything I would need. I had to buy fresh bergamot essential oil and jojoba oil and clean my droppers so I would be all set. As I was placing the bottles of required essences on my desk the night before I was certain I got a whiff of the finished Róisín and realised that the tiniest amounts of the essences must be escaping and combining together in the air around me.
In the morning I decided that first I would test all the essences for quality before I used them, in case I needed to make any last-minute modifications. I tested the two coriander's I had selected first and made an easy choice. One was sharp and the other beautiful, warm and smooth. Then I tested the rosewoods. There were two possibles, both seemed identical and equally lovely so I chose the one I bought from Ane* Walsh in Brazil as opposed to one that came through the US. I tested the vanillas, that was easy also. One vanilla was soft, sweet and creamy and the other was darker and had a strong tobacco note. I chose the sweeter softer type for Róisín. The sandalwood was a little more difficult. One was deep and resinous and the other was dry, light and powdery. I chose the lighter, powdery Mysore version from Anatolian Treasures.
The tough part was when it came to choosing the right jasmine grandiflorum. One seemed a more refined, lighter creamier floral and the other was deeper and headier. I couldn't make up my mind for ages and became lost in the different notes I was smelling. I felt intoxicated by the fumes. My head was dancing. In the end, I chose the lighter, creamier and more refined jasmine from Aftelier which is very beautiful. Choosing between the two lavenders wasn't difficult. One was thick, dark green and surprisingly light, smooth and floral. Clean without being sharp. The other was a lighter colour and not as thick, it was very clean but it had a sharp green overtone. I picked the first, the thick dark lavender absolute from Aftelier.
I set to work counting out the drops into the golden jojoba oil, slowly and patiently. Watching them as they built up in the bottle. Watching the darker absolutes sitting in blobs at the bottom and the lighter essential oils swirling on top. With the clear glass bottle nearly filled to the top, I replaced the cap. I gently turned it on its end and watched as the dark blobs swirled like the liquid in a lava lamp. The vanilla broke up into hundreds of tiny dark brown globules. The lumps of Bulgarian rose concrete tried to resist coming apart in the oil as I turned it over slowly again. The dark green lavender absolute blended in completely and the liquid took on a golden-green opalescent glow. I turned it over and over, mesmerized, watching as the last traces of black vanilla absolute lifted off the bottom of the glass bottle to mingle into the happy blend of oils. Part of me wanted to rush it, shake it, hurry it on, but I knew that it needed time to happen slowly and gently. I held it for a while in the palm of my hand, warming the bottle. Now it had it's own life. I dared not smell it yet. I put it aside and will come back every hour or so and swirl it again to help the infusion. When it is ready I will add it to melted wax and create my solid perfume.
Until then I must wait.
Roisín has top notes of Italian bergamot, coriander, and rosewood, middle notes of Turkish and Bulgarian rose, otto of rosa centifolia, Bulgarian lavender and jasmine grandiflorum. It finishes with base notes of bourbon vanilla from Madagascar, Mysore sandalwood and rare ambergris.
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