Read Essence and Alchemy Online
Authors: Mandy Aftel
Essence and Alchemy (10 page)
Exalting fixatives are the third category, and they are among the most mysterious and magical of all perfume ingredients. They are the animal essences: musk, civet, ambergris, and castoreum. Of the four, only civet is still used, a testimony to the perfumer's capacity to transform the ugly into the beautiful. An exalting fixative is truly alchemical in its effectâor synergistic, as we might say today. It acts by improving, fortifying, or transporting the vapors of the other perfume materials. Exalting fixatives provide life and brilliance, giving what is known as “lift” to the heavier aspects of the perfume and causing it to be more diffusive. The full fragrance of the perfume slowly dissipates from the skin, although just how this effect is achieved is not entirely understood. Indeed, the exalting fixatives are so strong that a drop of civet is enough to work its magic on several ounces of perfume, and a drop too much will ruin an entire blend.
There isn't a blueprint for fixationâwhat is useful in one blend could be a disaster in anotherâand fixation is only one element to be considered when choosing base notes. As Roudnitska remarks, “It would be ridiculous
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to suggest that if a perfume is too fleeting it is enough just to add a lingering product christened âfixative' to take care of the problem. Lingering products do not simply make a perfume last longer, they contribute in the same way as the constituents to the general note of the perfume and to its integrity. Waiting until the desired shape has been achieved before adding them means facing the certitude of unpredictable changes of form, which may even amount to the destruction of the character of the perfume. A perfume that vanishes too quickly is an ill-designed perfume: what it needs is not âfixing' but restructuring.”
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to suggest that if a perfume is too fleeting it is enough just to add a lingering product christened âfixative' to take care of the problem. Lingering products do not simply make a perfume last longer, they contribute in the same way as the constituents to the general note of the perfume and to its integrity. Waiting until the desired shape has been achieved before adding them means facing the certitude of unpredictable changes of form, which may even amount to the destruction of the character of the perfume. A perfume that vanishes too quickly is an ill-designed perfume: what it needs is not âfixing' but restructuring.”
Musk deer
C
reating fixation in a perfume has an inherent magic to it, requiring the orchestration of unseen forces. There is a paradox in “fixing” something that is, at heart, the essence of change. In conceptual terms, you are creating tangibility out of intangibility, substantiality out of insubstantiality. The medium in which this alchemy occurs is timeâtime in which beautiful odors ebb and flow into one another. Fixation refers to a perfume's capacity to remain present in someone's sensual consciousness, but the presence is not only invisible, it is indefinable, always in transition. It is the embodiment of the phenomenon Henri Bergson called duration. Bergson himself described duration
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as being “of a flowing and of a passage which are sufficient in themselves, the flowing not implying a thing which flows and the passage not presupposing any states by which one passes: the thing and the state are simply snapshots artificially taken of the transition.” In solutio, it is not that a part of the blend disappears but that the blend itself is transformed as other notes are blended in and its duration expands.
reating fixation in a perfume has an inherent magic to it, requiring the orchestration of unseen forces. There is a paradox in “fixing” something that is, at heart, the essence of change. In conceptual terms, you are creating tangibility out of intangibility, substantiality out of insubstantiality. The medium in which this alchemy occurs is timeâtime in which beautiful odors ebb and flow into one another. Fixation refers to a perfume's capacity to remain present in someone's sensual consciousness, but the presence is not only invisible, it is indefinable, always in transition. It is the embodiment of the phenomenon Henri Bergson called duration. Bergson himself described duration
57
as being “of a flowing and of a passage which are sufficient in themselves, the flowing not implying a thing which flows and the passage not presupposing any states by which one passes: the thing and the state are simply snapshots artificially taken of the transition.” In solutio, it is not that a part of the blend disappears but that the blend itself is transformed as other notes are blended in and its duration expands.
Wordlessly, perfume puts you in touch with this way of experiencing change and time. As Bergson comments, “In our inner life
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we do not measure duration but feel it.” We experience it as “a growth from within, the uninterrupted prolongation of the past into a present which is already blending into the future ⦠We have here the indivisible and therefore substantial continuity of the flow of the inner life.” This evolution of psychic states parallels the experience of
smelling a complex scentâone aroma tumbling into another and embracing the particularities of the flesh.
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we do not measure duration but feel it.” We experience it as “a growth from within, the uninterrupted prolongation of the past into a present which is already blending into the future ⦠We have here the indivisible and therefore substantial continuity of the flow of the inner life.” This evolution of psychic states parallels the experience of
smelling a complex scentâone aroma tumbling into another and embracing the particularities of the flesh.
The experience of volatility in perfume is thus a metaphor for the experience of time. Its essence is to flow; it is a continuity that seamlessly unfolds, not one of its elements unchanged when another comes to the fore, and each blending with the others as it ebbs, flowing into nothingness. As Bergson writes, “Our psychic states
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interpenetrate each other; it is not such and such a sensation or such and such an image that urges forward my desire and this desire in turn that moves my will, like so many distinct and dissociated physical forces reacting upon one another. Our inner states are within us like living things constantly
becoming â¦
Can you shorten the length of a melody without alternating its nature? The inner life is that very melody.”
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interpenetrate each other; it is not such and such a sensation or such and such an image that urges forward my desire and this desire in turn that moves my will, like so many distinct and dissociated physical forces reacting upon one another. Our inner states are within us like living things constantly
becoming â¦
Can you shorten the length of a melody without alternating its nature? The inner life is that very melody.”
To truly experience the phenomenon of duration is to make an effort to engage with perfumery on its most profound levels. It is time-consuming and effortful, just as good cooking is time-consuming and effortful compared to buying fast food. But like cooking, it affords a greater pleasure of discovery, of experience rendered not all at once, but in stages of anticipation, delight, and revelation. Most of the time, we look at change without seeing it. As Bergson puts it, “We speak of change
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, but we do not think about it. We say that change exists, that everything changes, that change is the very law of things: yes we say it and we repeat it; but those are only words, and we reason and philosophize as though change did not exist.” But ultimately it is change that is real, and change that is the essence of sensual and creative experience.
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, but we do not think about it. We say that change exists, that everything changes, that change is the very law of things: yes we say it and we repeat it; but those are only words, and we reason and philosophize as though change did not exist.” But ultimately it is change that is real, and change that is the essence of sensual and creative experience.
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N
ovice perfumers, especially, find it helpful to think of essences in groups arranged by some salient aromatic characteristic, like with like. The classifications are an aid both to distinguishing
the nuances of each and to remembering their general and specific natures. Here are seven groups of base notes, with a few representative examples of eachâsome common, some rare, some simple, some complex:
ovice perfumers, especially, find it helpful to think of essences in groups arranged by some salient aromatic characteristic, like with like. The classifications are an aid both to distinguishing
the nuances of each and to remembering their general and specific natures. Here are seven groups of base notes, with a few representative examples of eachâsome common, some rare, some simple, some complex:
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Heody
essences have a soft, warm note reminiscent of freshly cut aromatic woods. This family includes sandalwood, cedar absolute, black spruce absolute, white spruce absolute, guaiacwood, and fir absolute.
essences have a soft, warm note reminiscent of freshly cut aromatic woods. This family includes sandalwood, cedar absolute, black spruce absolute, white spruce absolute, guaiacwood, and fir absolute.
Sandalwood
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(from
Santalum album
) is a viscous oil, pale yellow to yellow in color, with an extremely soft, sweet-woody odor. It is an aphrodisiac which is also calming and quieting. The best sandalwood comes from plantations in the Mysore region of southern India, and sometimes it is called East Indian sandalwood. You may come across something called West Indian sandalwood; this is amyris oil and not to be substituted for true sandalwood.
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(from
Santalum album
) is a viscous oil, pale yellow to yellow in color, with an extremely soft, sweet-woody odor. It is an aphrodisiac which is also calming and quieting. The best sandalwood comes from plantations in the Mysore region of southern India, and sometimes it is called East Indian sandalwood. You may come across something called West Indian sandalwood; this is amyris oil and not to be substituted for true sandalwood.
The sandalwood tree has a vampirish way of thriving. It is a hemiparasite, which means that it gets some of its nutrients through photosynthesis, but must siphon off the rest from the roots of neighboring trees and plants via octopuslike tentacles, bringing a slow death to the host. The essential oil the perfumer is after does not appear until the tree is at least twenty-five years old, so sandalwood is not harvested before the tree is at least thirty. Even then it cannot simply be chopped down, because the precious oil is in the roots as well as in the trunk and branches. Once the tree is unearthed, loggers enlist the services of the white ant, which eats the sapwood and bark and leaves the heartwood, where the oil is. Then the wood is coarsely powdered and steam-distilled.
Sandalwood has little or no top note, and its scent remains constant on the skin for a considerable length of time, thanks to its outstanding tenacity. It is an excellent fixative for most perfumes, lending a soft, powdery dryout that is compatible with almost any
note. Sandalwood is useful with less intense middle notes because it will not envelop or overwhelm them, but will simply support them.
note. Sandalwood is useful with less intense middle notes because it will not envelop or overwhelm them, but will simply support them.
Fir absolute
, derived from
Abies balsamea
, is a fairly new product, and the best of it comes from Canada. I absolutely adore its intense green color, its fragrance of Christmas trees and the forest, and its jamlike sweetness. In my custom work, I find that almost everyone likes it. It is wonderful in bath salts and lends a rich, green outdoorsy note to any blend. You need to heat the essence to make it pourable, which is best done by immersing the bottle in a bowl of extremely hot water for five minutes.
, derived from
Abies balsamea
, is a fairly new product, and the best of it comes from Canada. I absolutely adore its intense green color, its fragrance of Christmas trees and the forest, and its jamlike sweetness. In my custom work, I find that almost everyone likes it. It is wonderful in bath salts and lends a rich, green outdoorsy note to any blend. You need to heat the essence to make it pourable, which is best done by immersing the bottle in a bowl of extremely hot water for five minutes.
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Resinous
essences are derived from the viscous liquids secreted through the ducts found in the bark of certain trees. Not surprisingly, they tend to have a rather piney scent. They include galbanum, frankincense, and myrrh.
essences are derived from the viscous liquids secreted through the ducts found in the bark of certain trees. Not surprisingly, they tend to have a rather piney scent. They include galbanum, frankincense, and myrrh.
Frankincense
is found in the bark of various small trees of the
Boswellia
species. In ancient times it was, without a doubt, the most important perfume substance. Pliny, whose
Natural History
contained much information about perfume and perfume materials, stated that it could be found only in Saba, a remote part of Arabia that was rendered almost inaccessible by mountains. Gathering it was a hereditary privilege limited to the men of certain families, who were considered sacred and were restricted by certain prohibitions. While making incisions in the trees and gathering the frankincense, the men were prohibited from having intercourse with women or attending funerals. The collected frankincense was brought by camel to the town of Sabota, where one gate was open for its reception; to turn from the road was prohibited under penalty of death. Until the priests had taken one-tenth of the lot for the god Sabin, sales were not allowed.
is found in the bark of various small trees of the
Boswellia
species. In ancient times it was, without a doubt, the most important perfume substance. Pliny, whose
Natural History
contained much information about perfume and perfume materials, stated that it could be found only in Saba, a remote part of Arabia that was rendered almost inaccessible by mountains. Gathering it was a hereditary privilege limited to the men of certain families, who were considered sacred and were restricted by certain prohibitions. While making incisions in the trees and gathering the frankincense, the men were prohibited from having intercourse with women or attending funerals. The collected frankincense was brought by camel to the town of Sabota, where one gate was open for its reception; to turn from the road was prohibited under penalty of death. Until the priests had taken one-tenth of the lot for the god Sabin, sales were not allowed.
Frankincense
Frankincense has a soft, incenselike odor. It remains an important and elegant fixative in spicy, exotic, and flowery perfumes, and it works well with citruses also. Like sandalwood, frankincense is a diffusive lighter base note that can blend with milder notes without dominating them. It has an elevating and soothing effect on the mind.
Galbanum
comes from the
ferula
plant, a large umbellifer. (I am referring here to the resinoid; the essential oil of galbanum is a top note that, although intense, contains none of the resinoid's heaviness and fixative value.) Galbanum has a rich, green, woody balsamic note with a dry undertone and a soft piney top note. It is a very complicated scent that evolves over time and can be overpowering if not dosed properly. It has strong but mellow fixative qualities that work well in chypres (a classical perfume based on the marriage of oakmoss, patchouli, and bergamot), moss and woody bases, and exotic spicy blends. Galbanum makes its presence known and needs to be blended with essences with which it won't fight.
comes from the
ferula
plant, a large umbellifer. (I am referring here to the resinoid; the essential oil of galbanum is a top note that, although intense, contains none of the resinoid's heaviness and fixative value.) Galbanum has a rich, green, woody balsamic note with a dry undertone and a soft piney top note. It is a very complicated scent that evolves over time and can be overpowering if not dosed properly. It has strong but mellow fixative qualities that work well in chypres (a classical perfume based on the marriage of oakmoss, patchouli, and bergamot), moss and woody bases, and exotic spicy blends. Galbanum makes its presence known and needs to be blended with essences with which it won't fight.
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Animal
essences include not only those derived from animals (civet, musk, ambergris, and castoreum) but also plant essences that have a warm, musky vibrancy, such as costus, ambrette, hay, and tobacco.
essences include not only those derived from animals (civet, musk, ambergris, and castoreum) but also plant essences that have a warm, musky vibrancy, such as costus, ambrette, hay, and tobacco.
Musk
has been used almost as long as there has been civilization itself. It is contained in a pouch on the abdomen of the male musk deer (
Moschus moschiferus
), which lives in the wooded regions of the Himalayan and Atlas ranges. The musk deer is a hardy, solitary creature that is only on rare occasions found in pairs, and never in herds. According to legend, the deer's acute sense of hearing could be exploited to trap him. The hunter played a tune on his flute from a hidden spot. Curious to know the source of the strange, melodious
sound, the deer ventured closer and closer, until it was close enough to be killed.
has been used almost as long as there has been civilization itself. It is contained in a pouch on the abdomen of the male musk deer (
Moschus moschiferus
), which lives in the wooded regions of the Himalayan and Atlas ranges. The musk deer is a hardy, solitary creature that is only on rare occasions found in pairs, and never in herds. According to legend, the deer's acute sense of hearing could be exploited to trap him. The hunter played a tune on his flute from a hidden spot. Curious to know the source of the strange, melodious
sound, the deer ventured closer and closer, until it was close enough to be killed.
The musk pouch is an almost spherical sac, about an inch and a half in diameter, smooth on one side and hairy on the other. The musk inside the pod is in the form of irregularly shaped grains. It develops its characteristic scent as it dries.
The diffusiveness of muskâits tendency to permeate everything in its vicinityâis legendary. Because of it, the East India Company banned it from cargoes containing tea. It is said that several famous Eastern mosques were constructed with a mortar that was mixed with musk, and even a thousand years later the interior of these buildings emits a perfume when the sunlight shines on them. I have read that a few centigrams will fill a large hall with the characteristic odor for years without showing an appreciable loss in volume. Yet musk is also known for its ability to fix and accentuate other scents without adding an appreciable odor to blends.
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