Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Resurrection
After receiving an email from Nathan Branch, I have put this blog back online. He made a great point about incoming links from other blogs, and I had not even considered all of the angles. So I will keep it up. Sorry for any inconvenience. Best, Liz Zorn
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Meerschaum Giveaway
Just a reminder to send in your entry for the Meerschaum Draw. After checking the mail today I have several entries already. Very exciting. If the turn out is big we may add another bottle to the draw..
Winding Down
Now that I have the new Soivohle blog set up, I really have no need for two perfume blogs, so this one will be going the way of the Dodo bird. I plan to incorporate all Scentual Artistry News on that blog with a special page devoted to our downtown space. I will be keeping Beacons Blog, as I like to contribute musings from time to time as well as share our rescue efforts.
My attention will shift in the coming months as I spend more and more time downtown, and less time here at the home base.
Now that I am set up to formulate in the new space I can work there as well as be open for retail business. It will be a big shift for me, and I will be taking little Beacon with me a lot. He is not all that fond of the space now. Being out of his element scares him and he hides behind the scent bar when I have him down there with me. But he is resilient and will be capturing the hearts of everyone in no time.
So in a few days I will be deleting this blog, If you want to follow us there is an option to do so on the soivohle blog at the top of the page. Just click in the orange Feed Box and sign up.
http://soivohle.com/blog
My attention will shift in the coming months as I spend more and more time downtown, and less time here at the home base.
Now that I am set up to formulate in the new space I can work there as well as be open for retail business. It will be a big shift for me, and I will be taking little Beacon with me a lot. He is not all that fond of the space now. Being out of his element scares him and he hides behind the scent bar when I have him down there with me. But he is resilient and will be capturing the hearts of everyone in no time.
So in a few days I will be deleting this blog, If you want to follow us there is an option to do so on the soivohle blog at the top of the page. Just click in the orange Feed Box and sign up.
http://soivohle.com/blog
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thoughts on the IFRA Restrictions
There is a blogging project underway "Outlaw" organized by folks in the Natural perfumers Guild. It shines a light on the IFRA (International Fragrance Association) restrictions on natural materials. Things like Jasmine Flower Oil, Orange Oil, Lemon, Ylang Ylang, Cinnamon and a host of others. And as a participatory exercise several members have created perfumes with materials from the list of restrictions. This list is so long and arduous that it would be near impossible to create a natural perfume without at least a handful of these materials.
I personally use these materials in my compositions, usually within the guidelines listed by the IFRA, but not always, and not in a hap-hazard way that would cause harm to anyone. Not that these materials are harmful. Some of them (citrus mostly) are phototoxic, which means that they may with some individuals in the right setting/climate, cause a reaction that heightens the effects of the sun on skin, or may cause blotching. Others (oils) are considered irritants, and may or may not cause contact dermatitis, (itchy skin or a rash). The interesting thing is that these natural oils have been used for centuries, not only for use in perfumed products, but in medicinal preparations as well as preparations for the skin. One such material is Peru Balsam Oil. The balsam is restricted by the IFRA for use in perfumery, yet it is used in topical skin ointments like Granulex. Which is a wound ointment that is supposed to have an anti-bacterial effect as well as generating new skin growth. This is used by humans as well for Eczema and topical rashes. So here we have a material Peru Balsam that is supposed to cause a rash, and at the same time treating a rash. Doesn't make a lot of sense. Nothing about the IFRA restrictions on natural materials make sense. Except if you are a chemical company, then it makes a lot of sense. Chemical companies who create molecules in the lab are in direct competition with the farmers and distillers of natural aromatics. Not to mention that perfume houses can use cheap chemicals instead of complex natural oils, in the creation of their perfumes. It keeps costs down and profits high. It is also an easier way to make perfume. Simple ingredients, simple compositions. It can all be done by way of a computer program. Who needs difficult artistic minded perfumers when they can have a handful of low wage chemists doing the job. To them it is a no brainer, and has been working out quite well the last twenty or so years.
As a perfumer who uses both natural and synthetic materials I find it strange that there would be this divide. At the end of the day the important thing should be the quality of the product. But it isn't it's about greed.
My biggest concern isn't the side effects of natural materials, because I have been working with them since the 1970's. My only gripe is that Lavender makes me sneeze. But only when I am working with essential oil. In a perfume it doesn't bother me in the least. As I am certain is true with many restricted oils used in proper dilution and with caution and common sense. My concern as I was saying is in the way this information filters down to the individual. Often times through blogs and as a way to scare people as in the new FDA Cosmetics Code regulations that a not so on the up and up group is trying to push through congress.
I am contacted all the time by customers and potential customers about the ingredients in our perfumes. One lady that I spoke with recently was concerned about the harmful effects of Jasmine. When I explained that it may cause a skin rash, she seemed relieved.
I use Jasmine all the time, I put it in my bath water, in my hair, spray it on my sheets. Jasmine is a beautiful thing. One of the most beautiful that mother nature has to offer. Many of these natural oils are so beautiful, so regal, that is seems a crime to debase and demonize them in such a way as is being done with these restrictions. The crime is not in whether or not a rose oil may or may not cause ones skin to itch, but in the sociopathological way in which some humans disconnect themselves from the earth. We were born here, and are made up of the same chemical compounds, molecules and atoms as the plants. And unless they have turned on us the way they did in the M. Night Shyamalan movie "The Happening" We have a heck of a lot more in common with them (plants) than not.
It is heartbreaking to think that these big greedy corporations are having their way with us all. Trying to regulate us in to straight jackets while they live high on the hog, and I bet lavishing themselves with all sorts of rare and exotic oils.
So I say good luck to the "Outlaw" Perfumers and their project, I hope it garners a lot of attention and opens the door for new dialogue. God knows we need it.
Oh Yeah!...one last note... Go out and roll around in the grass if you can, I guarantee it will do you a lot more good than harm. Sniff a few flowers while you're at it, heck rub some mint between your fingers, pull an orange off the tree and eat it. Then think about this. You just broke a lot of IFRA rules, and are probably covered with all sorts of restricted materials.
How dumb is that, really!
I personally use these materials in my compositions, usually within the guidelines listed by the IFRA, but not always, and not in a hap-hazard way that would cause harm to anyone. Not that these materials are harmful. Some of them (citrus mostly) are phototoxic, which means that they may with some individuals in the right setting/climate, cause a reaction that heightens the effects of the sun on skin, or may cause blotching. Others (oils) are considered irritants, and may or may not cause contact dermatitis, (itchy skin or a rash). The interesting thing is that these natural oils have been used for centuries, not only for use in perfumed products, but in medicinal preparations as well as preparations for the skin. One such material is Peru Balsam Oil. The balsam is restricted by the IFRA for use in perfumery, yet it is used in topical skin ointments like Granulex. Which is a wound ointment that is supposed to have an anti-bacterial effect as well as generating new skin growth. This is used by humans as well for Eczema and topical rashes. So here we have a material Peru Balsam that is supposed to cause a rash, and at the same time treating a rash. Doesn't make a lot of sense. Nothing about the IFRA restrictions on natural materials make sense. Except if you are a chemical company, then it makes a lot of sense. Chemical companies who create molecules in the lab are in direct competition with the farmers and distillers of natural aromatics. Not to mention that perfume houses can use cheap chemicals instead of complex natural oils, in the creation of their perfumes. It keeps costs down and profits high. It is also an easier way to make perfume. Simple ingredients, simple compositions. It can all be done by way of a computer program. Who needs difficult artistic minded perfumers when they can have a handful of low wage chemists doing the job. To them it is a no brainer, and has been working out quite well the last twenty or so years.
As a perfumer who uses both natural and synthetic materials I find it strange that there would be this divide. At the end of the day the important thing should be the quality of the product. But it isn't it's about greed.
My biggest concern isn't the side effects of natural materials, because I have been working with them since the 1970's. My only gripe is that Lavender makes me sneeze. But only when I am working with essential oil. In a perfume it doesn't bother me in the least. As I am certain is true with many restricted oils used in proper dilution and with caution and common sense. My concern as I was saying is in the way this information filters down to the individual. Often times through blogs and as a way to scare people as in the new FDA Cosmetics Code regulations that a not so on the up and up group is trying to push through congress.
I am contacted all the time by customers and potential customers about the ingredients in our perfumes. One lady that I spoke with recently was concerned about the harmful effects of Jasmine. When I explained that it may cause a skin rash, she seemed relieved.
I use Jasmine all the time, I put it in my bath water, in my hair, spray it on my sheets. Jasmine is a beautiful thing. One of the most beautiful that mother nature has to offer. Many of these natural oils are so beautiful, so regal, that is seems a crime to debase and demonize them in such a way as is being done with these restrictions. The crime is not in whether or not a rose oil may or may not cause ones skin to itch, but in the sociopathological way in which some humans disconnect themselves from the earth. We were born here, and are made up of the same chemical compounds, molecules and atoms as the plants. And unless they have turned on us the way they did in the M. Night Shyamalan movie "The Happening" We have a heck of a lot more in common with them (plants) than not.
It is heartbreaking to think that these big greedy corporations are having their way with us all. Trying to regulate us in to straight jackets while they live high on the hog, and I bet lavishing themselves with all sorts of rare and exotic oils.
So I say good luck to the "Outlaw" Perfumers and their project, I hope it garners a lot of attention and opens the door for new dialogue. God knows we need it.
Oh Yeah!...one last note... Go out and roll around in the grass if you can, I guarantee it will do you a lot more good than harm. Sniff a few flowers while you're at it, heck rub some mint between your fingers, pull an orange off the tree and eat it. Then think about this. You just broke a lot of IFRA rules, and are probably covered with all sorts of restricted materials.
How dumb is that, really!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Box It
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Scentual Artistry Holiday Open House
For the info on entering the draw check out the What's New Page at soivohle.com http://www.soivohle.com/whatsnew.html
Hope to see everyone there!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Holidaze
I also received an email from Lucy at Indie Perfumes. She has included us in her holiday gift guide. Thank You Lucy!
I will be placing on our soivohle website an entry form for our Meerschaum giveaway on the 26th at our Open House. Would love to have everyone there, but if you can't attend I will be happy to place your entry in the bowl for the draw. If it were not for all the leaves on the ground I would not believe it was November. Our weather has been very mild, and I am hoping that this carries through for our holiday schedule. If you missed the posting you can get the info on our Scentual Artistry page at soivohle.com.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Element
Having finished the bulk of our updates and web work at soivohle.com I am feeling a bit better about the shift. In my element once again.
The comments have been coming in about the new look and the stripped down offerings in the collections. This is temporary in regards to some scents. There are around six or so that will be back in the line up, most over the next few months. I am working on some of them today, rebatching, and bottling. Also evaluating the downtown trends, which are completely different than what they are online. It takes awhile to know how to stock a shop, and I am still taking notes on downtown. It is hard to believe that we have been open there since late April. The time has gone by so quickly. I did realize that I would not be able to present a scent art installation each month, and have two of them on my calendar for next year. They will stay up for two months each instead of three weeks. I am using the space now to showcase our perfumes.
Also in my element, the process of distressing the new soivohle art liquide boxes. I still have paint on my fingernails today from yesterdays session of box painting. I also have a few surprises coming in regards to the artistry of scent, with a new collection of ??? more on that later.......
The more hands on I am with the process the better I feel about what I am doing.
For those interested I will be downtown on Friday for an appointment and open for a few hours in the afternoon. As far as I know the ground breaking for the new Casino construction has not taken parking space from our building, since we have our own lot, so there is always a place to park during the week.
The comments have been coming in about the new look and the stripped down offerings in the collections. This is temporary in regards to some scents. There are around six or so that will be back in the line up, most over the next few months. I am working on some of them today, rebatching, and bottling. Also evaluating the downtown trends, which are completely different than what they are online. It takes awhile to know how to stock a shop, and I am still taking notes on downtown. It is hard to believe that we have been open there since late April. The time has gone by so quickly. I did realize that I would not be able to present a scent art installation each month, and have two of them on my calendar for next year. They will stay up for two months each instead of three weeks. I am using the space now to showcase our perfumes.
Also in my element, the process of distressing the new soivohle art liquide boxes. I still have paint on my fingernails today from yesterdays session of box painting. I also have a few surprises coming in regards to the artistry of scent, with a new collection of ??? more on that later.......
The more hands on I am with the process the better I feel about what I am doing.
For those interested I will be downtown on Friday for an appointment and open for a few hours in the afternoon. As far as I know the ground breaking for the new Casino construction has not taken parking space from our building, since we have our own lot, so there is always a place to park during the week.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Olfactory Burn Out
The last two days I have been shuffling from order fulfillment to making bath products for Scentual Artistry. I do wish the nose had more staying power when working with essential oils. After the making of bath salts last night, I can smell nothing today. I knew going in it would be a rough ride, As I have a love hate relationship with Lavender. It makes me sneeze, and ties my sinuses in a knot. But this is a very popular scent for gifting, so for the past years, ten or so, I have made up Lavender Salts, and various other bath thingies. I also made Lemon Eucalyptus Salts ( love this), Rosemary Mint and today will make a Tangerine & Cedar along with a Honey Ginger. I have a formula for these so I don't need my nose. The only non natural blend that I make is Lily of The Valley. This scent is so popular here that it is uncanny. Just last week I sold out of Daybreak Violin at SA. I still don't have the accords available downtown, but when I do finally get around to offering them I bet the LOV accord will be the first to go.
I wish there were an easier way to do this without being down to the wire. I don't like to make bath salts ahead and have them sitting around, I want people to experience them at the peak of freshness, as I do when I use them at home. Nothing worse than getting a jar of scented bath salts from a store, where it has been sitting around forever. So I make them in smaller batches. It also makes a big difference in the scent. Naturals will lose their potency a lot faster than synthetics. Yet synthetics will turn quicker. Either way, fresh is best, so I am doing it now. Good thing I will not need my nose for a few weeks.
I wish there were an easier way to do this without being down to the wire. I don't like to make bath salts ahead and have them sitting around, I want people to experience them at the peak of freshness, as I do when I use them at home. Nothing worse than getting a jar of scented bath salts from a store, where it has been sitting around forever. So I make them in smaller batches. It also makes a big difference in the scent. Naturals will lose their potency a lot faster than synthetics. Yet synthetics will turn quicker. Either way, fresh is best, so I am doing it now. Good thing I will not need my nose for a few weeks.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Scentual Artistry Holiday Schedule
I will be extra busy the next few weeks, getting things ready for our holiday season. We will have our usual holiday fare with Lavender gift boxes, including lavender bath salts, shower gel, lavender oatmeal soap and lotion. I will also add a couple of extra bath salt blends, including Lemon Eucalyptus and Rosemary Mint.
Our schedule will include two extra days and a moved up December Open House. For November the dates will be 26th (Friday) 6-10pm, 27th Saturday 11am-3pm.
December will be 17th (Friday) 6-10pm, 18th Saturday 11am-3pm
We will also take appointments for weekdays. On days when I am in the city, I will post them to our twitter account, which can also be seen here on the sidebar.
I will not be taking any appointments for custom work until after the first, and all Holiday gift certificates purchased for custom scents will be redeemable after February 2011.
All of this info. is in regards to Scentual Artistry only.
Our big opening will be the one in November, which will include the launch of our new Soivohle Parfums.
If you are in the Cincinnati area or region, this is a great time to come for a visit. Many of our customers have made the trip. We are in the city so accommodations are near by.
I have not worked it out yet, but I plan on having an after gathering on Dec. 18th for anyone who wants to attend. More to come.
We will be closed for the month of January.
Our schedule will include two extra days and a moved up December Open House. For November the dates will be 26th (Friday) 6-10pm, 27th Saturday 11am-3pm.
December will be 17th (Friday) 6-10pm, 18th Saturday 11am-3pm
We will also take appointments for weekdays. On days when I am in the city, I will post them to our twitter account, which can also be seen here on the sidebar.
I will not be taking any appointments for custom work until after the first, and all Holiday gift certificates purchased for custom scents will be redeemable after February 2011.
All of this info. is in regards to Scentual Artistry only.
Our big opening will be the one in November, which will include the launch of our new Soivohle Parfums.
If you are in the Cincinnati area or region, this is a great time to come for a visit. Many of our customers have made the trip. We are in the city so accommodations are near by.
I have not worked it out yet, but I plan on having an after gathering on Dec. 18th for anyone who wants to attend. More to come.
We will be closed for the month of January.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wake Up Lizzie
We had a great night last night at the opening, very busy and festive. The pimp the pumpkin event was a lot of fun, and everyone seemed in great spirits. I saw a lot of musicians coming in and out of the building, so someone (s) was/were having live music. With eight floors of artist studios anything can happen, as each artist is having their own opening of sorts.
We left a little after closing, and I am still pooped. I think it is the sustained energy rush that gets me the next day, or maybe it was all that iced tea. Or the sugar, as I had a few cookies. Living large...hehe..
In spite of a few things that are not lining up, we are back in business. The new computer works, the printer works and I can get my mail. NowI can go ahead and finish up the orders that have backed up, and finish the last details for the newsletter and site launch. The newsletter goes out on Monday.
I think I mentioned this before but in regards to the new perfumes and packaging. We will be including in all 15ml parfum boxes 1 empty 5ml bottle and transfer pipette and 1 spray, screw top atomizer. This is for folks who want to spray the parfums, and have a small travel size for purse or pocket. It has gotten to be a big mess of trying to keep track of who wants a spray, who wants an extra empty bottle etc. Half the time I am sending them along later which is not an efficient way to work. We are not adding to the price of the perfumes. It is just our way of making things a bit easier for folks who want the option.
I can not believe how fast this holiday season has rushed in. I know I am prepared (mostly) but still feel like I am running in circles. It is also a time of increased appointments downtown, so there is a bit of sport, keeping all the balls in the air.
Overall I think we have the best customers in the world, everyone is so interesting, and the love of scent is inspiring. Would not change a thing!
We left a little after closing, and I am still pooped. I think it is the sustained energy rush that gets me the next day, or maybe it was all that iced tea. Or the sugar, as I had a few cookies. Living large...hehe..
In spite of a few things that are not lining up, we are back in business. The new computer works, the printer works and I can get my mail. NowI can go ahead and finish up the orders that have backed up, and finish the last details for the newsletter and site launch. The newsletter goes out on Monday.
I think I mentioned this before but in regards to the new perfumes and packaging. We will be including in all 15ml parfum boxes 1 empty 5ml bottle and transfer pipette and 1 spray, screw top atomizer. This is for folks who want to spray the parfums, and have a small travel size for purse or pocket. It has gotten to be a big mess of trying to keep track of who wants a spray, who wants an extra empty bottle etc. Half the time I am sending them along later which is not an efficient way to work. We are not adding to the price of the perfumes. It is just our way of making things a bit easier for folks who want the option.
I can not believe how fast this holiday season has rushed in. I know I am prepared (mostly) but still feel like I am running in circles. It is also a time of increased appointments downtown, so there is a bit of sport, keeping all the balls in the air.
Overall I think we have the best customers in the world, everyone is so interesting, and the love of scent is inspiring. Would not change a thing!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Final Friday, New Computer
Tonight is Final Friday at the PAC. Our shop Scentual Artistry will be open from 6-10 pm. We are on the ground floor #108. I will be driving down in a bit.
Am still adjusting the settings on my new computer, some of my migrated settings are not working, so I will need to manually add some things back in. Meaning I have to hunt down my master list of passwords. And find the driver disk for my printer. Yuk! As a result our lead time on getting orders out will be another couple of days. So by the first of next week things should be back to normal. Again, always something. Just when we are set to launch our new site look at soivohle. Thankfully I keep all of those files on a different computer.
Looking forward to visiting with a couple of friends tonight, who are coming downtown, as well as family stopping in. Should be a lot of fun, as the building owners have really been talking up the Halloween events scheduled for the evening.
Am still adjusting the settings on my new computer, some of my migrated settings are not working, so I will need to manually add some things back in. Meaning I have to hunt down my master list of passwords. And find the driver disk for my printer. Yuk! As a result our lead time on getting orders out will be another couple of days. So by the first of next week things should be back to normal. Again, always something. Just when we are set to launch our new site look at soivohle. Thankfully I keep all of those files on a different computer.
Looking forward to visiting with a couple of friends tonight, who are coming downtown, as well as family stopping in. Should be a lot of fun, as the building owners have really been talking up the Halloween events scheduled for the evening.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Soivohle Update and Friday Art Walk
I do believe I will make my Nov. 1st launch for the new Soivohle offerings. We sent out a ton of packets this week as well as the giveaway packets to those who provided a mailing address. Thanks everyone who participated.
We have an open house this Friday at Scentual Artistry, but it will not be the launch party for the new Soivohle. That will take place on November 26th. We will be sending out an invitation, and a press release.
This Fridays opening will be all about Halloween, at least that is the vibe from the PAC emails and newsletter. So rather than try and compete with Fright Night, we will have a regular opening, maybe a bit of punch and cookies. Depends on how crazy things are earlier in the day.
On another note, my shop computer is acting a bit schizophrenic. The screen goes black and there is a white vertical line running through the screen. I gather from my search on the subject that this is a glitch with the first wave of Intel mac's. So I am going to upgrade to the latest mac book pro and do away with the desktop model. At least I will be able to work in bed. Like I really need to do that, but I will have the option rather than borrowing MR. Z's notebook with the tiny screen. Hopefully it will not take long to transfer all of my files and be back up and running. .......always something.......
We have an open house this Friday at Scentual Artistry, but it will not be the launch party for the new Soivohle. That will take place on November 26th. We will be sending out an invitation, and a press release.
This Fridays opening will be all about Halloween, at least that is the vibe from the PAC emails and newsletter. So rather than try and compete with Fright Night, we will have a regular opening, maybe a bit of punch and cookies. Depends on how crazy things are earlier in the day.
On another note, my shop computer is acting a bit schizophrenic. The screen goes black and there is a white vertical line running through the screen. I gather from my search on the subject that this is a glitch with the first wave of Intel mac's. So I am going to upgrade to the latest mac book pro and do away with the desktop model. At least I will be able to work in bed. Like I really need to do that, but I will have the option rather than borrowing MR. Z's notebook with the tiny screen. Hopefully it will not take long to transfer all of my files and be back up and running. .......always something.......
Friday, October 22, 2010
Give Away Winners
Here are the winners of our draw. Sandy I / Elise / Earthly Reality / Fragrant Moments / HJ. Send you address to me at liz1 at lizzornperfumes dot com or sales at soivohle dot com.
Thanks to every one who entered.
Thanks to every one who entered.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Give Away
HONEYSUCKLE BIRD - Limited Edition Absolute. Like the EDP with a more pronounced honeysuckle note, and more of the moss earthy base.
JOURNEYMAN -Limited Edition Absolute, Oud Leather, similar to the original with an alcohol carrier instead of oil.
MEERSCHAUM - Permanent Collection Natural Absolute , Tobacco, green aromatic, also with Oud, but not as a dominant player.
NIGHTJAR - Limited Edition, Absolute, Floral with natural accord of Mimosa, Frangipani and Osmanthus.
The limited editions will be in our new Specialty Category. Scents that are made in smaller runs. If you would like to be in the draw for the new parfums, leave a comment here. Please do not send an email. It is too much work to sort it all out.
Thanks, Liz
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday Follow Up
I have realized something today. These new blogger sites look different in other browsers. I have been tweaking a wordpress blog to be integrated into our new website updates, and was doing some checking back and forth. On my older version of Seamonkey and netscape on my old Power Mac down in my office it is (this blogger blog) almost all purple, even the post body. On my screen here intel imac, new version of seamonkey, the post body is white.
Here is a link to the new blog. I just started working on it. How does it look. Anything out of line... Just curious.
Here is a link to the new blog. I just started working on it. How does it look. Anything out of line... Just curious.
Soivohle Monday
I have been up for awhile, getting all of my orders printed out and now getting ready to fill them. Call me strange, but I love Mondays. The first day of the week all fresh and new. A clean slate, and opportunity to do wonderful things.
I will be adding the shopping cart code for the Accords page later today, and by the end of the week should have everything ready to upload. I will also to be lining the new Absolute boxes with satin, and am waiting for my special order to arrive. Should be here today or tomorrow.
We will also have several new gift options and the Coffret will be available in two pre-selected sets, including the make your own option that is available now. We will be adding a smaller Coffret that holds 16 mini screw top vials, also pre-selected sets, including one of accords. It is my way of adding a little make your own perfume kit, without all the fuss and bother. They will be color coded top, heart, anchor and single notes. With the twenty accords that I will be adding to the website, a 16 pc. mini set, will be perfect for blending impromptu scents. All no brainers as well, since the initial blending has already been done.
On a different note I would like to ask you all to send us some healing energy today. My nephew passed away in his sleep Friday night and my sister-in-law is quite shaken.
We never know when it will be our turn, so living our best life is so vital. Being true to ourselves and being kind and loving to others. Peace ZZ
I will be adding the shopping cart code for the Accords page later today, and by the end of the week should have everything ready to upload. I will also to be lining the new Absolute boxes with satin, and am waiting for my special order to arrive. Should be here today or tomorrow.
We will also have several new gift options and the Coffret will be available in two pre-selected sets, including the make your own option that is available now. We will be adding a smaller Coffret that holds 16 mini screw top vials, also pre-selected sets, including one of accords. It is my way of adding a little make your own perfume kit, without all the fuss and bother. They will be color coded top, heart, anchor and single notes. With the twenty accords that I will be adding to the website, a 16 pc. mini set, will be perfect for blending impromptu scents. All no brainers as well, since the initial blending has already been done.
On a different note I would like to ask you all to send us some healing energy today. My nephew passed away in his sleep Friday night and my sister-in-law is quite shaken.
We never know when it will be our turn, so living our best life is so vital. Being true to ourselves and being kind and loving to others. Peace ZZ
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Follow Up: New Age Wack
Since the post on our SOIVOHLE acronym I have received a couple of interesting emails and posts to the blog that didn't make it to the light of day.
I am not sure why there is such a huff a pooh over new age. First I would like to say that I do not equate New Age with religion. When I think New Age, images of psychic fairs and crystal balls come to mind.
I went through my own curiosity phase with those things, but that was years ago and I think it more in line to parlour tricks or amusing things to do at parties.
Nathan Branch made reference to some of my blog posts in his last segment, Artisan Series Liz Zorn, with a link to the Olfactorama website where the writer had called the Soivohle acronym "new-age'wachadoodle" I had to go back and read this blog post again, because I was not referring to Olfactorama specifically when I used the words whack job in my original post. I say wack job a lot, actually. But I can see where it could be seen that way. I was just fed up with the New Age tag in general. Because it is in no way who I am or what I am about.
For me it is the idea of people making assumptions about my intentions when they do not know me or have every thought to ask first hand.
And still I am at a loss for understanding how sending out good energy is wack. If this is true, we need a whole lot more wack in the world. But the double standard persists. When a scientist talks about energy and vibrations he/she is a genius. When everyone else does it they are new age nobody's with a loose screw. Give me a break....
I am not sure why there is such a huff a pooh over new age. First I would like to say that I do not equate New Age with religion. When I think New Age, images of psychic fairs and crystal balls come to mind.
I went through my own curiosity phase with those things, but that was years ago and I think it more in line to parlour tricks or amusing things to do at parties.
Nathan Branch made reference to some of my blog posts in his last segment, Artisan Series Liz Zorn, with a link to the Olfactorama website where the writer had called the Soivohle acronym "new-age'wachadoodle" I had to go back and read this blog post again, because I was not referring to Olfactorama specifically when I used the words whack job in my original post. I say wack job a lot, actually. But I can see where it could be seen that way. I was just fed up with the New Age tag in general. Because it is in no way who I am or what I am about.
For me it is the idea of people making assumptions about my intentions when they do not know me or have every thought to ask first hand.
And still I am at a loss for understanding how sending out good energy is wack. If this is true, we need a whole lot more wack in the world. But the double standard persists. When a scientist talks about energy and vibrations he/she is a genius. When everyone else does it they are new age nobody's with a loose screw. Give me a break....
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Our New Look at Soivohle
The new labels do not have the poem, yet I wanted to keep it alive, so am using it here. We are also adding finally, the note cards from my Flowers 2000 Photographic series. And will offer soon after mini, open edition prints of the flowers as well.
We may even offer a series of prints and cards based on the new digital artwork that I am creating for the website and all Soivohle materials, press kits, etc.
This will depend on our pro-printers. They have been stored away for a few years. So it depends on the availability of ink and if I can update the drivers again. After so many years these things become impossible, yet with expensive graphics equipment, it should be easier to obtain what we need. We'll see.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Change Is Good
I have noticed lately that some natural perfumers have discovered natural isolates and aroma molecules synthesized from natural (plant based) materials. I have been using these materials for years, and can remember a time when many natural perfumers would not have thought to use such materials and considered them synthetic. Well....they are synthetic in regards to processing. They are not, in regards to starting materials.
I spent a lot of time discussing this with folks, but didn't get very far. The mindset was so closed to even the possibility of using these materials that I decided to let it go and move on. Amazing what a few years can do. And no one is more pleased to see this than I am.
In my work I will more often than not choose a plant based synthetic over a crude based synthetic. Not to be confused with nature identical, which (for the most part) are crude based doppelgangers of natural isolates.
Whether one calls these materials synthetic or not is just a matter of personal preference, as there are arguments to support both sides.
The truth is, all perfumery materials are synthesized to some degree.
Choosing the natural aroma chemical over the crude is a great way to stay true to ones craft, but it isn't (as some would believe) the most economical one. Natural aroma chemicals are still way more expensive than their crude based counterparts. For example. Natural Heliotropine is 1,450.00 pr kilo, the synthetic is 113.00 pr kilo. Phenylethyl Acetate Natural is 800.00 pr kilo the synthetic is 54.00 pr. kilo. Yes just 54 bucks. Many synthetic chemicals are dirt cheap like this. It is why the perfume industry chooses to use them.
Pricing was obtained from one of my suppliers Vigon International.
For anyone interested in natural aroma chemicals Vigon has a fair amount, Sigma Aldrich has a better selection and for some of the harder to find in natural, AM Todd has a good selection. A M Todd bought out Moore Organics, moorelab.com. so if you try to google them you will get a redirect. They are located just thirty minutes from me so I can pick up supplies from them directly. Hopefully the buy out has not prompted them to close down their facility here.
Unlike a rose oil that will have subtle changes from year to year due to climate and soil conditions, aroma chemicals are standardized to always be the same, so sharing the info. isn't such a big thing.
I am not so quick to share the source of small batch distillations of special oils. (smile)
Change is good in this regard because it not only adds to the possibilities in the formulation of natural perfumes, but also peels away the layers of fear and ignorance when it comes to perfumery materials.
I am all for expanding the mind, and know from years of experience that the best way is with education. It's one thing to be fearful of something with just cause, it is insanity to be fearful of shadows and imaginary threats. Or worse to let ignorant ill-informed people yank us around by the nose.
I spent a lot of time discussing this with folks, but didn't get very far. The mindset was so closed to even the possibility of using these materials that I decided to let it go and move on. Amazing what a few years can do. And no one is more pleased to see this than I am.
In my work I will more often than not choose a plant based synthetic over a crude based synthetic. Not to be confused with nature identical, which (for the most part) are crude based doppelgangers of natural isolates.
Whether one calls these materials synthetic or not is just a matter of personal preference, as there are arguments to support both sides.
The truth is, all perfumery materials are synthesized to some degree.
Choosing the natural aroma chemical over the crude is a great way to stay true to ones craft, but it isn't (as some would believe) the most economical one. Natural aroma chemicals are still way more expensive than their crude based counterparts. For example. Natural Heliotropine is 1,450.00 pr kilo, the synthetic is 113.00 pr kilo. Phenylethyl Acetate Natural is 800.00 pr kilo the synthetic is 54.00 pr. kilo. Yes just 54 bucks. Many synthetic chemicals are dirt cheap like this. It is why the perfume industry chooses to use them.
Pricing was obtained from one of my suppliers Vigon International.
For anyone interested in natural aroma chemicals Vigon has a fair amount, Sigma Aldrich has a better selection and for some of the harder to find in natural, AM Todd has a good selection. A M Todd bought out Moore Organics, moorelab.com. so if you try to google them you will get a redirect. They are located just thirty minutes from me so I can pick up supplies from them directly. Hopefully the buy out has not prompted them to close down their facility here.
Unlike a rose oil that will have subtle changes from year to year due to climate and soil conditions, aroma chemicals are standardized to always be the same, so sharing the info. isn't such a big thing.
I am not so quick to share the source of small batch distillations of special oils. (smile)
Change is good in this regard because it not only adds to the possibilities in the formulation of natural perfumes, but also peels away the layers of fear and ignorance when it comes to perfumery materials.
I am all for expanding the mind, and know from years of experience that the best way is with education. It's one thing to be fearful of something with just cause, it is insanity to be fearful of shadows and imaginary threats. Or worse to let ignorant ill-informed people yank us around by the nose.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Autumn Wind
This time of year always finds me in a state of flux, a mood mostly. Instead of spring cleaning I always clean in the fall. Change things up and realign whatever is out of whack. This does not include the changes with Soivohle, as I had been waiting for months for the new boxes to arrive. Knowing since spring that we would be making a change. The fact that things take so long is well, just that and nothing can be done about it.
As you can see I have spruced up the look of the blog. I am such a black white and red person, that I needed to do something different. Our Acousticjus colors are dominated by shades of purple, so this is a nice look for now. I also adore the hummingbirds, and have flowers planted just outside my windows to attract them. We enjoy them all summer just by looking out the window. They are so used to us though that we can be right next to them outdoors and they will not fly off. Hummingbirds are a reminder to be light, and not let the heaviness of gravity weigh us down. That we too in our own way can flit and dart around, we too can move through the world with ethereal grace.
As you can see I have spruced up the look of the blog. I am such a black white and red person, that I needed to do something different. Our Acousticjus colors are dominated by shades of purple, so this is a nice look for now. I also adore the hummingbirds, and have flowers planted just outside my windows to attract them. We enjoy them all summer just by looking out the window. They are so used to us though that we can be right next to them outdoors and they will not fly off. Hummingbirds are a reminder to be light, and not let the heaviness of gravity weigh us down. That we too in our own way can flit and dart around, we too can move through the world with ethereal grace.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Soivohle Studio & Accords
With all the talk about the new look for Soivohle, I have not mentioned the Studio Collection. Not much will change here. We will continue to offer the Studio Collection with the same packaging, with an emphasis on our retail partners who carry these scents. We will continue to offer them online for awhile, but may at a future date move them from the Soivohle Brand to simply Liz Zorn Studio.These scents are all about the studio anyway. Primarily influenced by customers and custom scents. The latest ideas coming form customers are for Amber's, Musk, Vanilla (more vanilla) Ocean (clean, linen, fresh air, rain) Tea and Bamboo scents.
To my nose Transcendental Musk is a very clean scent, but it doesn't have a very pronounced ocean/aquatic note. At our studio in the city, TM is very popular with men.
Women tend to like their clean scents with a citrus opening and vanilla musk base. This is based on what people choose from our accords blending station. Vanille OTR is a clean scent as well, clean green vanilla. I am not sure which direction I will go in for the next installment to the Studio Collection. Maybe a White Tea and Bamboo, or an incense laden Amber. I will be adding (finally) a selection of my own accords to the Soivohle website when we do the update in a few weeks. These will be available in the 10ml spray, and can be layered to create custom scents. They are fairly complex accords and bases, (aside from a few single note blends) which takes the guess work out of layering, or blending them. This is how I usually wear scent. I dab on a layer or two from my accords and create a custom scent for the day. I can have a custom scent for each day of the year, and when I get all of the accords uploaded to the website so can everyone else. I may also offer them as a blending kit later on with a few more single notes. All diluted to the correct strength for blending, taking the guess work out of the process for people who just want to do it for fun, without the hassle of worrying about usage guidelines etc.I am about 1/4 through the process of updating the website. Taking photos of the new bottles, and replacing all of the other imagery. I got six or seven pages finished today, and need to take more photos. The new pouches for our absolutes will be here tomorrow, so I can finish up the photos. Will be glad to finally put the light box away and check photos off my list.
If I can stay focused, keeping up with orders and appointments to the city, I should have everything ready to go by the end of the month. We are also changing things downtown, so I am pacing myself and trying not to let it get to me.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Mistakes
The past couple of weeks have been a bear. Never before have my Autumnal allergies been so relentless. Can't smell a thing, and apparently can't read a formula either, as I made a mistake in batching Waterflower. Even with a stuffy nose I can tell there is something very off with it. Now I have to wait for a new batch of Pink Lotus Concrete to tincture out. I am thinking I used the wrong carrier, which would make a huge difference. So many variables.
It is amazing how fragile reality can be when the head feels like a giant cotton ball. So I will retreat to my work room to bottle and box.
Double checking everything, of course.
It is amazing how fragile reality can be when the head feels like a giant cotton ball. So I will retreat to my work room to bottle and box.
Double checking everything, of course.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Nathan Branch, Liz Zorn Part 2, and Science
Nathan has posted his second installment of his Artisan Series look at Liz Zorn (me). This time he has taken quotes from the blog as well as some of the things we discussed through email. Touching on the artistry of scent and science.
People may wonder why I have such a connection to science. Being triple Aquarius doesn't hurt. Aquarius being the sign of science and technology, and the fact that I have little to no use for Astrology makes it all make sense.
There was a time when science turned it's nose to the notion that human thoughts could alter realities. And that people who promoted these ideas where out of touch with reality. New Age, Space Cadets with no credibility. This is no longer the case, as many studies have proven just the opposite to be true. Thoughts are energy as is the life force within us. Every living thing is fueled by energy. Food is energy, we absorb energy from the sun. At every level of existence, from the large molecules that make up things that we can see, to the tiny atomic particles that we can not see, energy is at play, and there is a connection. Just because we do not see it doesn't mean that it isn't true.
That there is a level of existence where we are unable to see where one thing ends and another begins, is fascinating to me. It has been for years and as science has finally caught up to reality, we are entering a time when everything we thought about who we are will be challenged. That we can insert a computer chip into the human brain and through thinking can control a computer. That human thoughts can and do exist well beyond the body.
Thoughts are energy with a plan.
How we use that energy, how we carry out the plan makes all the difference. I find that positive constructive thoughts result in the best plans, so I make a conscious effort to stay positive. It isn't because I have some sort of superstitious belief, it is because I know it to be true.
Some will say, well what about religion what about spirituality, where does that come in. Religion, I am not going to go there. Spirit on the other hand is energy. In the Sanskrit the word prana means both spirit, and breath. Breath being life force, take away the breath and there is no life. Breath, spirit, energy, thoughts, particle physics, it is all connected and it has nothing to do with new age mumbo jumbo. At least not in today's time. People who insist on living in the good old new age past need to get with the program.
If I were a mathematician I would toss out an equation to go with the science, but I am not and you will just have to go look it up for yourselves.
The scientific world always drags it's heels, until they think someone is going to get there first, then they dig in and run like hell to be the hero's. We are in that age where once again science is running like hell to be at the top of the heap. When this happens things change with lightening speed. I am in amazement and can't wait to see what comes next. On the other hand I can also appreciate Stone Henge and Vintage Art. At the end of the day a healthy balance is the key.
People may wonder why I have such a connection to science. Being triple Aquarius doesn't hurt. Aquarius being the sign of science and technology, and the fact that I have little to no use for Astrology makes it all make sense.
There was a time when science turned it's nose to the notion that human thoughts could alter realities. And that people who promoted these ideas where out of touch with reality. New Age, Space Cadets with no credibility. This is no longer the case, as many studies have proven just the opposite to be true. Thoughts are energy as is the life force within us. Every living thing is fueled by energy. Food is energy, we absorb energy from the sun. At every level of existence, from the large molecules that make up things that we can see, to the tiny atomic particles that we can not see, energy is at play, and there is a connection. Just because we do not see it doesn't mean that it isn't true.
That there is a level of existence where we are unable to see where one thing ends and another begins, is fascinating to me. It has been for years and as science has finally caught up to reality, we are entering a time when everything we thought about who we are will be challenged. That we can insert a computer chip into the human brain and through thinking can control a computer. That human thoughts can and do exist well beyond the body.
Thoughts are energy with a plan.
How we use that energy, how we carry out the plan makes all the difference. I find that positive constructive thoughts result in the best plans, so I make a conscious effort to stay positive. It isn't because I have some sort of superstitious belief, it is because I know it to be true.
Some will say, well what about religion what about spirituality, where does that come in. Religion, I am not going to go there. Spirit on the other hand is energy. In the Sanskrit the word prana means both spirit, and breath. Breath being life force, take away the breath and there is no life. Breath, spirit, energy, thoughts, particle physics, it is all connected and it has nothing to do with new age mumbo jumbo. At least not in today's time. People who insist on living in the good old new age past need to get with the program.
If I were a mathematician I would toss out an equation to go with the science, but I am not and you will just have to go look it up for yourselves.
The scientific world always drags it's heels, until they think someone is going to get there first, then they dig in and run like hell to be the hero's. We are in that age where once again science is running like hell to be at the top of the heap. When this happens things change with lightening speed. I am in amazement and can't wait to see what comes next. On the other hand I can also appreciate Stone Henge and Vintage Art. At the end of the day a healthy balance is the key.
To Sale or Not To Sale
I have had a few inquiries about our sale. Only thing, is I never posted about a sale. I did post on FB and Twitter about a Soivohle sampler giveaway next week, which will include all of the new releases.
As far as a sale goes, the thought was that we would have a sale of the old stock when we switched to the new bottles. In all honesty I have been letting our stock dwindle and boxing as I go on most of the parfums. With just a few things boxed in the Sprays.
I keep a fair amount of boxed perfumes at our Boutique in the city, so I doubt that there will be enough of any one thing to offer a sale online.
What stock we do have in the old bottles will go downtown once we switch everything over online.
As far as a sale goes, the thought was that we would have a sale of the old stock when we switched to the new bottles. In all honesty I have been letting our stock dwindle and boxing as I go on most of the parfums. With just a few things boxed in the Sprays.
I keep a fair amount of boxed perfumes at our Boutique in the city, so I doubt that there will be enough of any one thing to offer a sale online.
What stock we do have in the old bottles will go downtown once we switch everything over online.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Winter Poem
I suppose I should start this by saying I need to clean and organize more. But then I would not find sweet little jewels tucked away, as they would have already been discovered. Enter Writing Lyrical Poetry, the beautiful White Flower Composition that I created in honor of my two grandmothers, both fine southern women with a passion for gardening, and flowers in general. As I was doing a quick re-organizing of the shelves in my lab I found a small bottle of the original formula for Writing Lyrical Poetry. I am guessing that it is around three years old. When I unscrewed the cap to get a whiff of it, I was blown away at how beautifully it had aged. It was so sinfully erotic. I immediately set out to create one of my impromptu scents.
The result is Winter Poem. It has all of the elements of WLP, but different, leaning more towards a white flower floral chypre than a white flowers and musk. The only big change I made was adding a dominant portion of my Freesia Accord. Unlike the Prada wearing Devil, I adore Freesia, and have been trying to find the perfect application for the new accord that I created. Freesia is such a fresh note, that when paired with the deeper notes of Gardenia and Jasmine, turn the whole thing on its ear. But in a good way.....
Unfortunately with impromptu blends they are not (most of the time) written down, or measured out precisely. For me this is the equivalent of sitting in front of a blank canvas and just diving in with a brush of color, letting my emotion and energy dictate the outcome.
So as I have been checking the progression of the aging process in this new scent, I have been very satisfied with the result, so much so that I will add it to our winter line up. I think I also mentioned the addition of Journeyman as a permanent selection. The original being an impromptu blend set into an oil base. For this I took some of the Journeyman from the original batch and sniffed out the components. The new one is a tad different, but still has the heart of the original. Reminds me of printmaking. I have a fondness for ink based monotype printmaking. I have gone back years later to a dried plate to create a variation of the original.
There has been a lot of talk lately about artistry and scent, and I find that many things, and variations of what I was saying years ago are now being repeated. Catch words like, Modern Natural, Liquid Art, Art in a bottle all came from early writings and the mission statement of my original perfume studio back in the 1990's.
Forever pounding on the idea that scent is art, I have never let up.
At one point I had given an interview about my process, on how I was not all that interested in the note pyramid, and rarely used it to create a scent. That most things I create in my head before I ever write them down on paper, and when I do it is like an artists sketch, a sparse outline that I fine tune later. Besides once the basic information is logged to memory, one hardly needs to work like a beginner who is just learning the ropes.
I have also blogged about many of these things on numerous occasions, so I am happy that people are finding things they can use.
But back to Winter Flower. It will be available as long as it lasts, because after that it is gone forever. I made a kilo, or there abouts, as that is all that could be made with the amount of the original formula I had.
Now I need to go clean my shelves again to see what other goodies I find. I love working off the cuff.
The result is Winter Poem. It has all of the elements of WLP, but different, leaning more towards a white flower floral chypre than a white flowers and musk. The only big change I made was adding a dominant portion of my Freesia Accord. Unlike the Prada wearing Devil, I adore Freesia, and have been trying to find the perfect application for the new accord that I created. Freesia is such a fresh note, that when paired with the deeper notes of Gardenia and Jasmine, turn the whole thing on its ear. But in a good way.....
Unfortunately with impromptu blends they are not (most of the time) written down, or measured out precisely. For me this is the equivalent of sitting in front of a blank canvas and just diving in with a brush of color, letting my emotion and energy dictate the outcome.
So as I have been checking the progression of the aging process in this new scent, I have been very satisfied with the result, so much so that I will add it to our winter line up. I think I also mentioned the addition of Journeyman as a permanent selection. The original being an impromptu blend set into an oil base. For this I took some of the Journeyman from the original batch and sniffed out the components. The new one is a tad different, but still has the heart of the original. Reminds me of printmaking. I have a fondness for ink based monotype printmaking. I have gone back years later to a dried plate to create a variation of the original.
There has been a lot of talk lately about artistry and scent, and I find that many things, and variations of what I was saying years ago are now being repeated. Catch words like, Modern Natural, Liquid Art, Art in a bottle all came from early writings and the mission statement of my original perfume studio back in the 1990's.
Forever pounding on the idea that scent is art, I have never let up.
At one point I had given an interview about my process, on how I was not all that interested in the note pyramid, and rarely used it to create a scent. That most things I create in my head before I ever write them down on paper, and when I do it is like an artists sketch, a sparse outline that I fine tune later. Besides once the basic information is logged to memory, one hardly needs to work like a beginner who is just learning the ropes.
I have also blogged about many of these things on numerous occasions, so I am happy that people are finding things they can use.
But back to Winter Flower. It will be available as long as it lasts, because after that it is gone forever. I made a kilo, or there abouts, as that is all that could be made with the amount of the original formula I had.
Now I need to go clean my shelves again to see what other goodies I find. I love working off the cuff.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Soivohle Art Liquide, Spray Essence
Anyone who has ever seen my cat scratch signature will recognize it on the bottle. Being a bit bolder than when I was younger, as I signed my paintings on the back side of the canvas. Mainly due to the thick texture of the painting, but also because I went through a period when I wanted the art to shine 100% without any distractions. With painting there is no question as to what it is. With essence, as I mentioned in the earlier post and posts, artistry is not usually the first thing that comes to mind. Hopefully that will change. I am intent on making it so.Not only with Soivohle, but through presenting Scent Art Installations and workshops. Next Installation will be In November at our Scentual Artistry Studio/Boutique in Cincinnati. If you look at the image of our studio in the sidebar here, the table in the forefront with the down turned glass globes is a scent art installation. When you turn the globes up the essence is inside. It is a spin on the Monclin concept, originally intended for smelling perfume.
New Paradigm
I love my Sundays. I can take the day off if I want. Work a little. I never really have a set agenda, so whatever happens....happens.
I was thinking earlier about the new changes to Soivohle, and thinking that some folks may wonder why I am doing this.
My original intention was to maintain my creative vision as I shifted my focus from a paint driven process to an essence driven process. With the desire being to create a different kind of art, a liquid art. I think I have done, ok, yet at the same time have gotten a little off track with too much of the focus being on the word perfume. Not a word that sits well next to the word art. At least not in our culture where perfume is a throw away and for the most part seen as a personal care item, like deodorant and shampoo.
I knew that I was fulfilling my vision from the start when people would inform me that they purchased my scents, not to wear, but to open up and smell from time to time. Mainly because the scent reminded them of a particular time in their life. I have several scents that I keep around just for sniffing. Some are old vintage perfumes, and others, are things I have created.
With our new changes, and the focus being on the artistry, it is my desire to drop the use of the word perfume. I really want to get that commercial image out of peoples heads. To expand on what a liquid essence can be. That it can be worn on the skin, yes. But that it can be so much more than that.
I have spent some time reading perfume blogs, particularly the comments. Not all, but with some it is a game. A perfume game. New releases, the chatter about the notes, catty remarks about celebrities. A surface driven conversation, often about scents they have never smelled. I am guessing that the overkill of marketing and saturation has numbed peoples senses, to the point that it would be difficult to recognize a genuine jewel in a sea of glass. This is true for many other things too, but since scent is my thing I tend to notice more, how this little world spins. How that in the few short years of Internet perfume blogging, and heightened public awareness, how many have become so jaded so fast. On the other hand there are some blogs and online magazines with a great passion for the artistry of scent. People who really get it on a deeper level. These are probably the same folks who will see the subtleties of color value in a painting, or appreciate a particular chord pattern in a song. What these things have in common is attention. One must pay attention in order to discern and appreciate detail.
At this particular twist in the juncture, I feel somewhat like a bratty kid throwing a tantrum, and I just want to have it my way and all will be fine. Luckily I am the only one who can make that happen. Lucky as well that I have been able to observe the panorama and make the adjustment.
I was thinking earlier about the new changes to Soivohle, and thinking that some folks may wonder why I am doing this.
My original intention was to maintain my creative vision as I shifted my focus from a paint driven process to an essence driven process. With the desire being to create a different kind of art, a liquid art. I think I have done, ok, yet at the same time have gotten a little off track with too much of the focus being on the word perfume. Not a word that sits well next to the word art. At least not in our culture where perfume is a throw away and for the most part seen as a personal care item, like deodorant and shampoo.
I knew that I was fulfilling my vision from the start when people would inform me that they purchased my scents, not to wear, but to open up and smell from time to time. Mainly because the scent reminded them of a particular time in their life. I have several scents that I keep around just for sniffing. Some are old vintage perfumes, and others, are things I have created.
With our new changes, and the focus being on the artistry, it is my desire to drop the use of the word perfume. I really want to get that commercial image out of peoples heads. To expand on what a liquid essence can be. That it can be worn on the skin, yes. But that it can be so much more than that.
I have spent some time reading perfume blogs, particularly the comments. Not all, but with some it is a game. A perfume game. New releases, the chatter about the notes, catty remarks about celebrities. A surface driven conversation, often about scents they have never smelled. I am guessing that the overkill of marketing and saturation has numbed peoples senses, to the point that it would be difficult to recognize a genuine jewel in a sea of glass. This is true for many other things too, but since scent is my thing I tend to notice more, how this little world spins. How that in the few short years of Internet perfume blogging, and heightened public awareness, how many have become so jaded so fast. On the other hand there are some blogs and online magazines with a great passion for the artistry of scent. People who really get it on a deeper level. These are probably the same folks who will see the subtleties of color value in a painting, or appreciate a particular chord pattern in a song. What these things have in common is attention. One must pay attention in order to discern and appreciate detail.
At this particular twist in the juncture, I feel somewhat like a bratty kid throwing a tantrum, and I just want to have it my way and all will be fine. Luckily I am the only one who can make that happen. Lucky as well that I have been able to observe the panorama and make the adjustment.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
New Look
Our new concept will be based on two concentrations. Absolute (parfum/extrait) and Demi-Absolute (a lesser concentration that can range from EDT to EDP) All of our current EDP's and EDT's are of a higher concentration than industry standards, and will not be altered. This image is for the new Demi-Absolute Spray 35ml. The bottle for the Absolute will not change. We will continue to use the reverse tapered bottle with the silver mushroom cap.
The box for the Absolute is square. It opens from the top, where as the Demi opens (see image) from the side.
Connecting The Dots
Just a quick post. I am in house cleaning mode today. Not my element, but it must be done. Wanted to thank everyone who came downtown last night for the Art Walk. It was a bit slow overall, but I am thinking quality over quantity. Met some awesome folks, had some great conversation, made a few sales.
Seems the new construction on the Casino will be cutting into our parking, as well as the valet service. Hopefully not taking away our lot. But I am hopeful that things will fall into place.
I really enjoy my time in the city, and wish I could be there more often. Hopefully after the changes with Soivohle go into effect, I will be able to get a better grasp on my time.
There is nothing like the experience of connecting with people face to face.
I have always been baffled by the stark difference in sales from online to boutique. People buy completely different things. Ginger Mead, a spicy somewhat gourmand Moderne Collection scent never sold online, yet is one of the best sellers in the shop. Same is true for Lavender Water and a few others. I will likely never figure it out.
I will have a sneak peek of the new Demi-Absolute bottle soon, as I have been bottling and boxing. I decided not to reorder the square crimp (32ml) and go instead with a 35ml screw on sprayer. We will have that as our main size and the chunky-mini bottle that we use for the parfums, as a travel spray, so folks can refill the mini from the larger bottle.
I am also going to change our set up downtown. The way it is now I have my testers in trays. Separated by Collection. I recently made flat table cards for the Acousticjus parfums, and will be doing the same for each of the Soivohle scents. Each card will have the notes and fragrance family listed, and the bottle will sit on the card. It is also a cleaner look, and should cut down on the overwhelming looks people have when approaching a tray of bottles. Live and learn. Always room for improvement, as I myself am a never ending work in progress. Off to clean another floor and dust more shelves.
Seems the new construction on the Casino will be cutting into our parking, as well as the valet service. Hopefully not taking away our lot. But I am hopeful that things will fall into place.
I really enjoy my time in the city, and wish I could be there more often. Hopefully after the changes with Soivohle go into effect, I will be able to get a better grasp on my time.
There is nothing like the experience of connecting with people face to face.
I have always been baffled by the stark difference in sales from online to boutique. People buy completely different things. Ginger Mead, a spicy somewhat gourmand Moderne Collection scent never sold online, yet is one of the best sellers in the shop. Same is true for Lavender Water and a few others. I will likely never figure it out.
I will have a sneak peek of the new Demi-Absolute bottle soon, as I have been bottling and boxing. I decided not to reorder the square crimp (32ml) and go instead with a 35ml screw on sprayer. We will have that as our main size and the chunky-mini bottle that we use for the parfums, as a travel spray, so folks can refill the mini from the larger bottle.
I am also going to change our set up downtown. The way it is now I have my testers in trays. Separated by Collection. I recently made flat table cards for the Acousticjus parfums, and will be doing the same for each of the Soivohle scents. Each card will have the notes and fragrance family listed, and the bottle will sit on the card. It is also a cleaner look, and should cut down on the overwhelming looks people have when approaching a tray of bottles. Live and learn. Always room for improvement, as I myself am a never ending work in progress. Off to clean another floor and dust more shelves.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Open House at Scentual Artistry
Today is Final Friday, the last Friday of the month, and the day when our building opens up to the public for the monthly art walk.
The Pendleton Art Center is an old factory building that houses eight floors of artist studios and shops. Because these are primarily studios where artists work, they do not have business hours, so once pr. month the public gets a chance to come in and check things out. There is valet parking available, and most months there is music, and local food vendors set up with everything from a tea/coffee guy, to Mexican Food, Burgers, Veggie etc.. Individual studios have their own set ups.
My studio/boutique, Scentual Artistry is part of the new Artisan Shops area on the first floor. We have not kept regular hours through the summer, but are there a couple of times pr. week , by appointment, and on the Final Friday, which is open from 6-10 in the evening.
There is always something going on in the city, but this month is different. The MPMF (Mid Point Music Festival) one of the largest music festivals in the country is in full swing, and very near the area where we are located. The city will be overflowing with people. The folks who own our building also own other buildings in the area, with nice sized parking lots, so are able to offer valet parking to visitors coming down for the Art Walk. I can't say how parking will be elsewhere, and on the street, but if anyone is coming down tonight, it might be a good idea to leave a bit early.
I was thinking about not going tonight, just staying home with the family, but I will get them squared away and head downtown in a bit. I really like that solitary drive into the city. As long as I don't hit rush hour traffic, which can sometimes turn my 40 minute drive into an hour and a half of creeping along. That part I don't care for.
Anyway, that's it. Come if you can.
PAC - 1310 Pendleton Street, Cincinnati, #108
The Pendleton Art Center is an old factory building that houses eight floors of artist studios and shops. Because these are primarily studios where artists work, they do not have business hours, so once pr. month the public gets a chance to come in and check things out. There is valet parking available, and most months there is music, and local food vendors set up with everything from a tea/coffee guy, to Mexican Food, Burgers, Veggie etc.. Individual studios have their own set ups.
My studio/boutique, Scentual Artistry is part of the new Artisan Shops area on the first floor. We have not kept regular hours through the summer, but are there a couple of times pr. week , by appointment, and on the Final Friday, which is open from 6-10 in the evening.
There is always something going on in the city, but this month is different. The MPMF (Mid Point Music Festival) one of the largest music festivals in the country is in full swing, and very near the area where we are located. The city will be overflowing with people. The folks who own our building also own other buildings in the area, with nice sized parking lots, so are able to offer valet parking to visitors coming down for the Art Walk. I can't say how parking will be elsewhere, and on the street, but if anyone is coming down tonight, it might be a good idea to leave a bit early.
I was thinking about not going tonight, just staying home with the family, but I will get them squared away and head downtown in a bit. I really like that solitary drive into the city. As long as I don't hit rush hour traffic, which can sometimes turn my 40 minute drive into an hour and a half of creeping along. That part I don't care for.
Anyway, that's it. Come if you can.
PAC - 1310 Pendleton Street, Cincinnati, #108
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Causality
Cause and Effect. What goes around comes around, karma. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, etc, etc, etc....
SOIVOHLE - Sending Out Inspired Vibrations Of Healthy Loving Energy = Causality....
Every time I read somewhere where that our acronym has something to do with New Age-ness, I have to laugh. I am the least New Age person I know. I am all about the science. And. yes being an artist can make it seem as though there are a few screws loose, but not here. The effects and processes of Causality are well documented. From thought manipulation, and long distance projection, to scientific exploration and theory. Heck the CIA uses thought manipulation and remote transference techniques, and there is nothing New Age-e about them. Causality is a common everyday tool. So when I decided I would use this tool when creating the SOIVOHLE acronym, I thought why not send out some good energy. Make it a group effort. Be pro-active instead of negative. When I think of energy transference, particularly when it is positive energy, I think yeah! this is giving folks something they can use. Really use. Because energy waves and vibrations are the essence of existence. Think string theory. Think determinism with a provisional Heisenberg caveat.
On the other hand, it just makes sense to have a positive outlook in life. To have ones head filled with healthy thoughts and intentions. Why is it that when we put our thoughts and actions to a positive intention we are labeled a whack job, or new age nut. But when we are focused on war and killing, we are patriotic citizens. This is garbage.
There are no rules stating that an artist can't be pragmatic. And to me being positive is the utmost in pragmatic applications. It may appear on the surface to be the workings of lunacy, or an exercise in tip-toeing through the tulips, but I assure you it is not. It is the most grounded thing we can do for ourselves and others.. Give it a try.
I stand behind my intention...
SOIVOHLE - Sending Out Inspired Vibrations Of Healthy Loving Energy = Causality....
Every time I read somewhere where that our acronym has something to do with New Age-ness, I have to laugh. I am the least New Age person I know. I am all about the science. And. yes being an artist can make it seem as though there are a few screws loose, but not here. The effects and processes of Causality are well documented. From thought manipulation, and long distance projection, to scientific exploration and theory. Heck the CIA uses thought manipulation and remote transference techniques, and there is nothing New Age-e about them. Causality is a common everyday tool. So when I decided I would use this tool when creating the SOIVOHLE acronym, I thought why not send out some good energy. Make it a group effort. Be pro-active instead of negative. When I think of energy transference, particularly when it is positive energy, I think yeah! this is giving folks something they can use. Really use. Because energy waves and vibrations are the essence of existence. Think string theory. Think determinism with a provisional Heisenberg caveat.
On the other hand, it just makes sense to have a positive outlook in life. To have ones head filled with healthy thoughts and intentions. Why is it that when we put our thoughts and actions to a positive intention we are labeled a whack job, or new age nut. But when we are focused on war and killing, we are patriotic citizens. This is garbage.
There are no rules stating that an artist can't be pragmatic. And to me being positive is the utmost in pragmatic applications. It may appear on the surface to be the workings of lunacy, or an exercise in tip-toeing through the tulips, but I assure you it is not. It is the most grounded thing we can do for ourselves and others.. Give it a try.
I stand behind my intention...
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Memory
There has been a lot written on the sense of smell in recent years. Some of it in relation to perfume. Some interesting quasi-facts have been reported. Coffee beans do not neutralize the olfactory receptors, scent (perfume) is not an aphrodisiac, or related to sexual gratification. Body chemistry is hoo hoo...
You can believe this if you like. Personally I have seen and sniffed first hand stark differences in how scent smells on different people. So I do believe that body chemistry plays a roll. I can't speak for certain on the other two, but know that even if the coffee beans work as a placebo, a placebo is better than nothing.
My main interest in the human relation to scent is in how it is tied to memory. Almost all of my childhood memories are tied to smells. Like the smell of paste wax my mother used on our hardwood floors, or my grandparents basement in summertime. My grandmother had a little cot in the basement where she would go take a nap. It was cooler down there, but a bit musty with the smell of coal. I also remember the scent of Prell and Breck shampoos. Aquanet hairspray and shoe polish. When I was a kid we polished our shoes.
So many of the things that connect the dots to our lives are directly related to our sense of smell. And sometimes when we think we are smelling something, we are actually tasting it and vise versa. Particularly when the body has already begun to metabolize whatever it is.
For the most part the memories triggered by smell are vivid and seemingly precise. Yet science tells us that memories, even clear ones, can be false. It is this gray area the nebulous haze of memory that often peaks my interest when I am working on a new scent related project. Like the art pieces (soivohle boxes) in the previous post, there is something a bit transient about memory. Spooky even, in some instances. Particularly when a memory is fragmented and all of the pieces do not fit. I have several of these memories and have tried over the years to fill in the blanks through meditation and by using visualization techniques. But for the most part I am selective with my scent memories and how I use them in my work.
Once I get all of my changes in place with our Soivohle line, I may take some time off, when it comes to new things. I have been moving ahead at such a pace over the past few years, I am due for a little break. But then again, I have no control over how things come to me, or when, and often I must capture the essence of a memory before it floats away...
You can believe this if you like. Personally I have seen and sniffed first hand stark differences in how scent smells on different people. So I do believe that body chemistry plays a roll. I can't speak for certain on the other two, but know that even if the coffee beans work as a placebo, a placebo is better than nothing.
My main interest in the human relation to scent is in how it is tied to memory. Almost all of my childhood memories are tied to smells. Like the smell of paste wax my mother used on our hardwood floors, or my grandparents basement in summertime. My grandmother had a little cot in the basement where she would go take a nap. It was cooler down there, but a bit musty with the smell of coal. I also remember the scent of Prell and Breck shampoos. Aquanet hairspray and shoe polish. When I was a kid we polished our shoes.
So many of the things that connect the dots to our lives are directly related to our sense of smell. And sometimes when we think we are smelling something, we are actually tasting it and vise versa. Particularly when the body has already begun to metabolize whatever it is.
For the most part the memories triggered by smell are vivid and seemingly precise. Yet science tells us that memories, even clear ones, can be false. It is this gray area the nebulous haze of memory that often peaks my interest when I am working on a new scent related project. Like the art pieces (soivohle boxes) in the previous post, there is something a bit transient about memory. Spooky even, in some instances. Particularly when a memory is fragmented and all of the pieces do not fit. I have several of these memories and have tried over the years to fill in the blanks through meditation and by using visualization techniques. But for the most part I am selective with my scent memories and how I use them in my work.
Once I get all of my changes in place with our Soivohle line, I may take some time off, when it comes to new things. I have been moving ahead at such a pace over the past few years, I am due for a little break. But then again, I have no control over how things come to me, or when, and often I must capture the essence of a memory before it floats away...
Friday, September 17, 2010
Deconstruction
blah, blah, blah.... so on and so forth. and I pull out the tid bit about forms of expression, as this is where my own interpretation is relevant, or not....
It is very apparent, even with all of the indies, that perfumery is still one of those spit shined and polished industries where image is everything. I myself have fallen for the trappings at times. Got to have a better box, got to have a better bottle, got to have a better look, got to have a better....fill in the blank...........
The artistry of scent has to be about what I want to express. Not what I think will sell, or what I think people will like. Amazingly, and for the most part people do have an appreciation for my work. And it isn't that I am anti-art. Or want to create things so difficult that they will be challenged and dismissed. I have never worked this way. Or been all that into the shock factor in art. Instead. If something is difficult, or a subject not one that people can readily embrace, I tend to look for ways to create unity. It is not as easy with scent, but could be. And it took me, going back to my visual art for inspiration. For many years I worked with metal and found objects in my paintings. These things resonate with me. I love handling old rusty metals. Old gears, wire mesh, mechanical parts. I guess it is my grandfather rubbing off on me. He was an inventor and machinist who worked and created things from metal.
I know this will not be for everyone. And some may not like or get what I am doing. Those preconceived ideas about what scent is, and how things should look, are deep-seated. Turning back the clock on a hundred years of consumer advertising and image making is not an easy thing to do. My aim is to not go backwards but forward to something new. Now that my head, heart and gut are all on the same page again, I feel absolutely amazing, and hope that my high spirits rub off on everyone else. Now I am going to go do a little happy dance, and batch out a kilo of Underworld.
The images (boxes) are art pieces for a visual project in my studio. Not the finished look of the new packaging.
P.S. For those with an interest. Thanks for asking. This change only covers select parfums in the naturals and moderne collections. Particularly the ones made with special tinctures, carrier's etc. The ones with an authentic artisan foundation. As well as adding things like the original parfum version of Honeysuckle Bird, instead of the reworked EDP. Adding an parfum version of Journeyman. Or Fan Dance, which is made from a combination of several floral tinctures from my gardens and a vintage style chypre base. Things like that....
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Acousticjus, We Are live
We have uploaded the new AJ web pages, and everything is live. Shopping Cart is working. All links are working. (we think) At least I have tested everything a few times.
The PDF press release is a download. Mainly for those who want to reprint and use the info. for blogs, news outlets etc.
Individual images and text available upon request.
Thanks everyone who had a hand in this. It has been a long wait. Labor of love and challenge at every turn.
For two years I have been trying to get this acousticjus trademark approved and registered, and could have given up at any point along the way. But I said onward and so I went, making my case, determined to see this through. Now it is official.
So I say, if you have dreams, be bold and stand firm in the belief that they can come true. I have not once thought that this would not become a reality. There were times when it didn't look so good, but I kept visualizing and chanting my internal mantra.
I kept working on the design, the mission statement and the products. Fine tuning all of my ideas, and behaving as though it were already done. That I was walking in the truth, even if it was a few months down the road.
So apt the Dragonfly, the music the artistry. Everything about this makes sense. I am very happy today to be sending this little soulful jewel out into the Universe, to flutter, flex her wings and fly.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Ezra's Poem
I do not believe in coincidence, luck,... and find superstition to be life's lazy way out. Life is a complete web of tangled thoughts, emotions, energies, connected at a core of possibility. To be fully engaged is the key to living. Being aware of things as they unfold.
Having a little reserve space set aside in the mind, so that time and ego don't bunch it all together and crowd out the important aspects of minute to minute reality. It's easy to get lost and run ahead of the game, thinking about tomorrow instead of today. I do it more than I would like to admit, and my perpetual beginners mind is forever resetting the pace to now.
The last thing I did last night was to open my notebook to the page containing the formula for Ezra's Poem. The little parfum I created for the Memory & Desire, Perfume in a Poem project. So what do I have when I get up this a.m. but an email inquiring about it. Whatever forces are at work to bring this to a bubble are of endless fascination to me. More so than connecting the dots, I am blown away by how constant and accurate the Universe is with it's intention. No stone goes unturned.
So to whatever little blip got this ball rolling again, I say Thank You!
As you readers know I am making some changes in our Soivohle Brand. Big changes. One of which includes Ezra's Poem. From time to time I get a request for it, and have in the past offered it in small supply. Now I will be adding it to the permanent collection. I have gone over the formula, which is uber heavy in base notes, and switched out some of the materials to include my very best things. It will not change in structure, but should be nicer to the touch, as better quality materials have a way of shining through.
When I was first approached to participate in the project I felt an immediate connection. It was as if I had passed through this same time space portal before. Everything felt very familiar to me, and in a way it was. Ezra's Poem was a perfume that I was very familiar with. Many of my early perfumes were earthy and nostalgic.
And again here, I am feeling an uncomfortable scratchy rub with the word perfume. It seems so inadequate a word for the depth of emotion and soulful connection brought about by the smelling of fragrant oils. This Art Liquide. That borders on the magical, but is not. Is firmly real and tangible here , in this very moment.
Having a little reserve space set aside in the mind, so that time and ego don't bunch it all together and crowd out the important aspects of minute to minute reality. It's easy to get lost and run ahead of the game, thinking about tomorrow instead of today. I do it more than I would like to admit, and my perpetual beginners mind is forever resetting the pace to now.
The last thing I did last night was to open my notebook to the page containing the formula for Ezra's Poem. The little parfum I created for the Memory & Desire, Perfume in a Poem project. So what do I have when I get up this a.m. but an email inquiring about it. Whatever forces are at work to bring this to a bubble are of endless fascination to me. More so than connecting the dots, I am blown away by how constant and accurate the Universe is with it's intention. No stone goes unturned.
So to whatever little blip got this ball rolling again, I say Thank You!
As you readers know I am making some changes in our Soivohle Brand. Big changes. One of which includes Ezra's Poem. From time to time I get a request for it, and have in the past offered it in small supply. Now I will be adding it to the permanent collection. I have gone over the formula, which is uber heavy in base notes, and switched out some of the materials to include my very best things. It will not change in structure, but should be nicer to the touch, as better quality materials have a way of shining through.
When I was first approached to participate in the project I felt an immediate connection. It was as if I had passed through this same time space portal before. Everything felt very familiar to me, and in a way it was. Ezra's Poem was a perfume that I was very familiar with. Many of my early perfumes were earthy and nostalgic.
And again here, I am feeling an uncomfortable scratchy rub with the word perfume. It seems so inadequate a word for the depth of emotion and soulful connection brought about by the smelling of fragrant oils. This Art Liquide. That borders on the magical, but is not. Is firmly real and tangible here , in this very moment.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Journeyman
Today is the day. I will be taking on the task of creating a new Journeyman parfum. The original was one of those in the moment ephemeral compositions, that was build on feel, not precise measuring. The original was set into an infusion of Indian Agarwood Oil. It also contained one of my amber bases and a lot of different things in small measure, that when combined amounted to a warm leather accord. The new one will have all of those elements, but upgraded a bit. The agarwood will be from my Laotian stash, and the amber and leather notes will be rebuilt from scratch.
I know a few folks will be happy to hear this. I get a lot of emails asking about Journeyman. And finally, it is time to put the pieces together in a permanent formula.
Sleeping under an open window, with a chilly breeze blowing in last night has regenerated me. I love this time of year. That first cool wind of autumn reminds me of that mystical wind in the movie Chocolat, symbolizing a time for change and moving on. And it is, indeed like a magical gypsy swirl that spins me around and points me in the perfect direction.
I will be glad when they get that clone thing worked out, I would love to be able to paint all day as well. Fiercely stabbing at a canvas, slinging paint and channeling the energies of found metal, or heading up river with my guitar. To do it all at once,now that would be the thing.
But anyway, before I let this thing get away from me, I am going to go sling some scent. Sling it with authority into the bottom of a wide mouth beaker. LZ
I know a few folks will be happy to hear this. I get a lot of emails asking about Journeyman. And finally, it is time to put the pieces together in a permanent formula.
Sleeping under an open window, with a chilly breeze blowing in last night has regenerated me. I love this time of year. That first cool wind of autumn reminds me of that mystical wind in the movie Chocolat, symbolizing a time for change and moving on. And it is, indeed like a magical gypsy swirl that spins me around and points me in the perfect direction.
I will be glad when they get that clone thing worked out, I would love to be able to paint all day as well. Fiercely stabbing at a canvas, slinging paint and channeling the energies of found metal, or heading up river with my guitar. To do it all at once,now that would be the thing.
But anyway, before I let this thing get away from me, I am going to go sling some scent. Sling it with authority into the bottom of a wide mouth beaker. LZ
Friday, September 3, 2010
Tapping Into Creativity
Going through a box of books looking for one thing I came across another. My original copy of Julia Camerons The Artists Way. I was not one of those folks who jumped head first into the pool, as many began to offer creativity workshops and the like based on principals found in the book. I read it, found it inspirational and then went about my business. I have never had a problem tapping into my creative side. It seems more often than not all I have is a creative side.
But it did get me to thinking. I can't say how often I have been approached to teach classes in perfumery, but the number is high. It isn't my thing, just as it was never my thing to teach art classes. What I am finding IS my thing is the desire to introduce folks to their sense of smell. Not in regards to perfumery, but in general. This is the main reason I have been creating the Olfactory Installations at my studio in the city. At first I was shocked at how little people were actually wired into their sense of smell. That a simple universal smell like vanilla could be so hard for them to identify. I realized after a few rounds of this, it wasn't that they didn't recognize the smell, it was that they were not allowing themselves to feel what they were smelling. It was all superficial like a game. And in many ways this is how we approach smell. We have been bombarded, almost whacked over the head with it. From room sprays, household products, personal care products. Everything has a smell. The same thing has happened with food. We eat drive through food, that at some level all tastes the same. We do not invest in it. We just eat it and go on our way. We spray, shampoo, do the laundry and go on our way. We are investing nothing. And when we invest nothing, nothing is what we get in return.
How do we change this, how do we connect to our senses in order to have a more brilliant life experience. I am thinking that for my part in this I am going to begin offering Olfactory workshops. Not perfumery, no way perfumery. But rather create an environment, like my installations where people can get up close and personal with smells.
The most important aspect of my work is my personal relationship to the smells that I encounter. My ability to allow them to move me and teach me. I feel there is great value in this, so am going to work out a way to make it a reality for others. LZ
But it did get me to thinking. I can't say how often I have been approached to teach classes in perfumery, but the number is high. It isn't my thing, just as it was never my thing to teach art classes. What I am finding IS my thing is the desire to introduce folks to their sense of smell. Not in regards to perfumery, but in general. This is the main reason I have been creating the Olfactory Installations at my studio in the city. At first I was shocked at how little people were actually wired into their sense of smell. That a simple universal smell like vanilla could be so hard for them to identify. I realized after a few rounds of this, it wasn't that they didn't recognize the smell, it was that they were not allowing themselves to feel what they were smelling. It was all superficial like a game. And in many ways this is how we approach smell. We have been bombarded, almost whacked over the head with it. From room sprays, household products, personal care products. Everything has a smell. The same thing has happened with food. We eat drive through food, that at some level all tastes the same. We do not invest in it. We just eat it and go on our way. We spray, shampoo, do the laundry and go on our way. We are investing nothing. And when we invest nothing, nothing is what we get in return.
How do we change this, how do we connect to our senses in order to have a more brilliant life experience. I am thinking that for my part in this I am going to begin offering Olfactory workshops. Not perfumery, no way perfumery. But rather create an environment, like my installations where people can get up close and personal with smells.
The most important aspect of my work is my personal relationship to the smells that I encounter. My ability to allow them to move me and teach me. I feel there is great value in this, so am going to work out a way to make it a reality for others. LZ
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Honeysuckle Bird
Today I am batching from the original formula of Honeysuckle Bird. A scent that was first created as a brides scent, and one that has always been close to my heart.
It is feminine with an ethereal quality, even in the concentrated original. Last year I was contacted by three different women who were planning to wear it on their own wedding day. Sometimes these stories are so heartfelt, they bring me to tears. Happy tears of course. The kind of thing that keeps me moving forward.
As I evaluate our new line up for Soivohle, going through stacks of notebooks, I am revisiting the parfum versions of several scents. These are my favorites, and my favorite form to work with. Some of the original sheets of paper are yellowed from age, and even more, the parfums have only been worn by me, or given by me as a personal gift. When we do the update in a few weeks, we will keep most of the naturals in parfum, and will be adding a few mixed blends in the concentrate, including Honeysuckle Bird, Bottleneck Blues, the new NightJar, Anniebelles Rose (which is an oil) and a few others.
We will also be keeping things like Green Oakmoss, Vanillaville, Moroccan Orange, Violets & Rainwater, Lilacs & Heliotrope, etc... in the lesser concentration spray.
It feels good to be heading into cooler weather with a clear head. LZ
It is feminine with an ethereal quality, even in the concentrated original. Last year I was contacted by three different women who were planning to wear it on their own wedding day. Sometimes these stories are so heartfelt, they bring me to tears. Happy tears of course. The kind of thing that keeps me moving forward.
As I evaluate our new line up for Soivohle, going through stacks of notebooks, I am revisiting the parfum versions of several scents. These are my favorites, and my favorite form to work with. Some of the original sheets of paper are yellowed from age, and even more, the parfums have only been worn by me, or given by me as a personal gift. When we do the update in a few weeks, we will keep most of the naturals in parfum, and will be adding a few mixed blends in the concentrate, including Honeysuckle Bird, Bottleneck Blues, the new NightJar, Anniebelles Rose (which is an oil) and a few others.
We will also be keeping things like Green Oakmoss, Vanillaville, Moroccan Orange, Violets & Rainwater, Lilacs & Heliotrope, etc... in the lesser concentration spray.
It feels good to be heading into cooler weather with a clear head. LZ
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Future of Soivohle
Recent projects like Meerschaum and NightJar were very revelatory. They brought it all home. The personal nature of these scents made it worth something to me. More than filling a gap in our scent wardrobe. More than profitability.
As much as I want to make things people will like. My gut will not let me toss all of my emotions and personal feelings into something, just to make a buck. I know it's the American way and that the fragrance industry works on that model. People unfortunately, and in larger numbers, are used to that model and see scent as nothing more than a consumer good. The only thing they invest is the few dollars they pay the cashier. So how does someone like me fit in. The truth is, I don't. More than one person expressed that to me during our conversations. Advising me to go back to my original plan and stick to it. The plan that used phrases like, "Art in a bottle" Liquid Art" Scentual Artistry" ....
Even more than not fitting the model, I don't want to fit the model. And I guess that is what has me smashing at the side of the box I have painted myself into. It's funny how that thing (box) creeps up and slams down on a person. Some folks live in a box their entire life and never know it. But there is a sure fire test for finding out. Try to flex your wings, do you have enough room to maneuver. Can you fly unhindered.
I am spending the next few days reorganizing my work space, and making my final decisions on what will stay and what will go. This time there will not be a special order for discontinued things. There will only be the things that are truly loved. If anyone reading has a special Soivohle scent they would like to see in the line up, please leave a comment about why you would like to see it stick around. I am most interested in feedback on scents in the Natural and Moderne Collections LZ
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A Little Past Dawn
That time of year again when my sleeping patterns begin to change, and my mind becomes more forgiving of time constraints, things begin to fall seamlessly into place.
The first wave of our Acousticjus launch is all but waiting for me to make the next move. I do need to make up a few more samplers, and proof the final press release, but we are ready to go with the stellar oil parfums. Over the weeks that follow and up until the end of the year we will release the stellar lips, stellar body mist and stellar soaps. So look for the news to drop by the middle of September.
Boxes are on my mind. I am still sitting with fingers cross (symbolically of course) that the news of their arrival last week is true and hold out that I will get an email tomorrow or Tuesday letting me know that they are ready to ship. As I had mentioned before this will ring in a season of change at soivohle online. I will be taking all new photos of our Soivohle line, and updating the website before the holiday season. I had been putting it off for so long. We will be making a few changes, for the better I think. Making the site easier to navigate as well as trimming the offerings to one collection. The rest will be available in our shop and through other online retailers. this also means that we will not be adding additional products. I want to focus attention to the liquid art, the parfums, and return to that original sub heading which celebrates our art in the bottle. How quickly it all gets away from me. good thing Autumn is on the drop, bringing me back to my senses once again. Off to work now, I have a long list for today and am determined to have everything checked off by the end of the day.
The first wave of our Acousticjus launch is all but waiting for me to make the next move. I do need to make up a few more samplers, and proof the final press release, but we are ready to go with the stellar oil parfums. Over the weeks that follow and up until the end of the year we will release the stellar lips, stellar body mist and stellar soaps. So look for the news to drop by the middle of September.
Boxes are on my mind. I am still sitting with fingers cross (symbolically of course) that the news of their arrival last week is true and hold out that I will get an email tomorrow or Tuesday letting me know that they are ready to ship. As I had mentioned before this will ring in a season of change at soivohle online. I will be taking all new photos of our Soivohle line, and updating the website before the holiday season. I had been putting it off for so long. We will be making a few changes, for the better I think. Making the site easier to navigate as well as trimming the offerings to one collection. The rest will be available in our shop and through other online retailers. this also means that we will not be adding additional products. I want to focus attention to the liquid art, the parfums, and return to that original sub heading which celebrates our art in the bottle. How quickly it all gets away from me. good thing Autumn is on the drop, bringing me back to my senses once again. Off to work now, I have a long list for today and am determined to have everything checked off by the end of the day.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Nightjar
I woke up this morning, early as Mr. Z had to go to Kentucky and had me set the alarm on my phone last night. Both ringing, his and mine. a fail safe, and we were up.
I can smell the remnants of musk on my arm. I have been wearing my strange brew that I call NightJar. A tale of sorts, a vignette, an etude' ode to the whippoorwill, or something along those lines. How does one capture that fleeting feel of a haunting tug at the soul. The feeling of being completely isolated and one with the universe all in the blink of an eye.
I think about these kinds of things all the time, as I go about my business of making intangible things tangible. Scent is the perfect vehicle for transporting contradictory madness, and in that I feel right at home.
NightJar began with a bird, an unlikely bird passing through my neck of the woods. The Whippoorwill has such a distinctive call that it cannot be mistaken for anything else. To hear it (for me) brings up all sorts of musical references. The hauntingly famous Hank Williams, I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry, or even the homage: Midnight In Montgomery by Alan Jackson. For as long as I can remember I have been able to play the Hank Williams song on my guitar, yet can barely get through it without crying myself. Some songs are like that. Some songs I can never sing, because they are too raw or tender for my soul to bear.
So I am in my lab working out the details for this new perfume NightJar. I go back and forth with the intention. I decide on one thing and then another. It is a dirty business of emotion and I am stuck. So I put it down, and walk away, I need perspective. This is not one of those perfumes that falls fully formed into my head. This one I really have to work for. And what does that mean. Will it be better, will it have something the others do not. I have had to work for it before. I just don't know the answer. Lucky for me I discovered long ago that not knowing is ok. I can move on. I do not hold attachment to things I cannot change.
NightJar is not easy. It opens with a bundle of contradiction and confliction. An almost ugliness, that slowly evolves into a fine and delicate balance of floral notes, balsams and musk. It is like looking at a challenging painting, the immediacy evokes feelings of disgust and discomfort, yet on further examination it becomes like a beacon of truth.
Can scent do that. I believe it to be most capable.
I can smell the remnants of musk on my arm. I have been wearing my strange brew that I call NightJar. A tale of sorts, a vignette, an etude' ode to the whippoorwill, or something along those lines. How does one capture that fleeting feel of a haunting tug at the soul. The feeling of being completely isolated and one with the universe all in the blink of an eye.
I think about these kinds of things all the time, as I go about my business of making intangible things tangible. Scent is the perfect vehicle for transporting contradictory madness, and in that I feel right at home.
NightJar began with a bird, an unlikely bird passing through my neck of the woods. The Whippoorwill has such a distinctive call that it cannot be mistaken for anything else. To hear it (for me) brings up all sorts of musical references. The hauntingly famous Hank Williams, I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry, or even the homage: Midnight In Montgomery by Alan Jackson. For as long as I can remember I have been able to play the Hank Williams song on my guitar, yet can barely get through it without crying myself. Some songs are like that. Some songs I can never sing, because they are too raw or tender for my soul to bear.
So I am in my lab working out the details for this new perfume NightJar. I go back and forth with the intention. I decide on one thing and then another. It is a dirty business of emotion and I am stuck. So I put it down, and walk away, I need perspective. This is not one of those perfumes that falls fully formed into my head. This one I really have to work for. And what does that mean. Will it be better, will it have something the others do not. I have had to work for it before. I just don't know the answer. Lucky for me I discovered long ago that not knowing is ok. I can move on. I do not hold attachment to things I cannot change.
NightJar is not easy. It opens with a bundle of contradiction and confliction. An almost ugliness, that slowly evolves into a fine and delicate balance of floral notes, balsams and musk. It is like looking at a challenging painting, the immediacy evokes feelings of disgust and discomfort, yet on further examination it becomes like a beacon of truth.
Can scent do that. I believe it to be most capable.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Save
As much as you like to think so, you cannot save every stray animal, wandering soul, sick person, the planet and the Universe, so you may as well take a little time and save yourself. Words of wisdom from a dear friend. Truth ringing in my ears, but not quite convincing me to stop and smell the flowers; and yes I get the irony.
I should probably post this as well to Beacons blog, because it is he who has me thinking this early a.m. He could not sleep. Up and down all night. Nudging me to rub his head, cuddle with him, only to have him dart off the edge of the bed and to the door. Finally I gave in and let him go. Out the door and down the steps, like a dash, on his two front legs. This is only happening because I too am up. Otherwise he would realize that he was alone in the dark, and it would begin, an unending cry of epic proportions. Unending until I walk down the stairs, grab him in my arms and take him back to bed. This could go on many times throughout a night. When he is restless I am restless. So here we are.
Beacon is two years old this month, and looking back over our journey so far, I can say that I have become an expert at reading him. He goes through cycles which are primarily based on his body's digestive tract, and his ability to utilize food and process waste.
Later today he will be out like a light. Most days he is like this. The stress of getting around, the energy expended is much more noticeable now that he is fully grown. Yet that doesn't stop him when he is on a roll. He, can out maneuver all of the other cats, out run them and out fox them. The only thing he can't do is jump. So he has learned to pull himself up on furniture, maneuver onto table tops and on some occasions, get stuck, scaring the crap out of me. Which prompts me to make the rounds throughout the day, looking for him, making sure he is safe.
In all honesty, I do not believe that I can save the world, or myself. At least not in a way that would be efficient. I do feel however that I am saved. Not in a religious way, but in a way that allows me to be at ease in the world. For as much as I may seem restless, I am very much at peace with life. Adhering to the Tao Pooh philosophy I focus my attention to the present moment. Always observant, always taking it all in. It is amazing how much we are able to understand through calm and silence. Amazing how easy it is to let go. Knowing that the extraneous things that define me today, I can walk away from at any moment and be complete. Knowing that blood is thicker than water, and that beating hearts trump everything else.
I should probably post this as well to Beacons blog, because it is he who has me thinking this early a.m. He could not sleep. Up and down all night. Nudging me to rub his head, cuddle with him, only to have him dart off the edge of the bed and to the door. Finally I gave in and let him go. Out the door and down the steps, like a dash, on his two front legs. This is only happening because I too am up. Otherwise he would realize that he was alone in the dark, and it would begin, an unending cry of epic proportions. Unending until I walk down the stairs, grab him in my arms and take him back to bed. This could go on many times throughout a night. When he is restless I am restless. So here we are.
Beacon is two years old this month, and looking back over our journey so far, I can say that I have become an expert at reading him. He goes through cycles which are primarily based on his body's digestive tract, and his ability to utilize food and process waste.
Later today he will be out like a light. Most days he is like this. The stress of getting around, the energy expended is much more noticeable now that he is fully grown. Yet that doesn't stop him when he is on a roll. He, can out maneuver all of the other cats, out run them and out fox them. The only thing he can't do is jump. So he has learned to pull himself up on furniture, maneuver onto table tops and on some occasions, get stuck, scaring the crap out of me. Which prompts me to make the rounds throughout the day, looking for him, making sure he is safe.
In all honesty, I do not believe that I can save the world, or myself. At least not in a way that would be efficient. I do feel however that I am saved. Not in a religious way, but in a way that allows me to be at ease in the world. For as much as I may seem restless, I am very much at peace with life. Adhering to the Tao Pooh philosophy I focus my attention to the present moment. Always observant, always taking it all in. It is amazing how much we are able to understand through calm and silence. Amazing how easy it is to let go. Knowing that the extraneous things that define me today, I can walk away from at any moment and be complete. Knowing that blood is thicker than water, and that beating hearts trump everything else.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Finishing Touches
How is it that no matter how many things get checked off, the to do list keeps getting longer. We are getting down to the wire, and are on for a sneak peek of the Acousticjus stellar oil parfums next Friday at the Open House. I have been boxing for the past few evenings and have quite a few of them finished. I also realize with the busy fall and holiday season coming on I will not get another day off for at least six months. Thanks to my special spinach tonic and a ton of green drinks I should breeze right through it. As you can see from the images the boxes are not your typical fare. I decided early on that I wanted to flex my artistic muscle bit with this line, and do something more whimsical and original with the packaging so I ordered plain cores that could be wrapped in handmade paper. Purple was the color ofchoice from day one, a throw back to the days when I had a line of bath and body products under our Peace Angel Farm label. My husband still uses the purple boxes for his gourmet garlic gift packaging, which should be available soon (I think) for the fall/winter gifting season. As it is now we are each so focused on our own things that if we are lucky we say hey in passing every day or so. But anyway that's how it is sometimes. I will also be boxing the stellar lips (gloss and lipstick/stains) over the next few days. They will be in this same style box. The stellar body mist will be in a white spray bottle with purple label. I had a sample of a purple spray bottle, but it was too much. The contrast of the white bottle is just right. I have not decided yet on the packaging for the soaps. They are round, so maybe a larger round core that could hold for our five bars. They are mini soaps with a dragonfly motif. The soaps will be the last thing we add so I am not so concerned about it just yet. I have been doing a little foot work, via phone as well, trying to line up a few folks as reps. for the new line. So far so good, and I still have some more to do on that. If anyone reading wants to contact me about being a rep. in your area please do so by email: liz1 at lizzornperfumes dot com. I will have more info. on this soon with press kits and introductory packets. I am off to clear my work table and start boxing lip gloss. totally love blending the colors for these. I have ordered samples of quite a few more pigments, and plan to get very creative with the lip colors as we go along. Art is the most funnest thing...
Monday, August 16, 2010
Big Week
After a not so productive week, I am ready to get things going today. Sinus, allergies, asthma, are not getting another minute of my time. I have been bottling acousticjus oils and have the accords (soivohle) ready to put on the website. By the end of this week it should be done. I plan to have a sneak peek of the Acousticjus Stellar Oil Parfums at our open house at the end of this month. August 27th. This will not be the official launch, but we will have a sampler card available of all six scents, for the online community. I am also working on our Stellar Lips, Lipstick/stains, which got a last minute makeover. I receive a lot of emails about our Soivohle perfumes. If they are vegan or not, etc. and decided this would be a great opportunity to offer a vegan alternative to traditional lipsticks, which often contains lanolin and beeswax. We will not be using lanolin or beeswax in the Lipstick.stain formulation. These will be available in 5ml glass pots. We also have a liquid roll-on lip gloss which is not vegan, so a choice for folks who find this a concern.
I had mentioned this before, and will begin work on it this week as well. I will be moving my large blending unit downtown to Scentual Artistry. We will do a bit of furniture rearranging, and be set up for custom blending. I was not sure if I wanted to move everything into that space, but since I am already taking appointments and having to drive down there anyway, I am now thinking why not.
We will be changing our hours from tentative to regular hours Tuesday & Thursday 11-3 in September and thru. the holidays. Lots to do, so I will stop here and get to work. LZ
I had mentioned this before, and will begin work on it this week as well. I will be moving my large blending unit downtown to Scentual Artistry. We will do a bit of furniture rearranging, and be set up for custom blending. I was not sure if I wanted to move everything into that space, but since I am already taking appointments and having to drive down there anyway, I am now thinking why not.
We will be changing our hours from tentative to regular hours Tuesday & Thursday 11-3 in September and thru. the holidays. Lots to do, so I will stop here and get to work. LZ
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Soivohle (LZP) Accords
I have been diluting and bottling them this week. So far I have around eighteen finished. Enough I think to go ahead and make them available on the website. These if you remember way back when, are custom accords that I have created. They are not finished perfumes, so a bit of creative layering will bring them full bloom. For example there is one called Creamy White Flowers. Alone it is nice, but can be enhanced by a layering of Vanilla Musk or an Oriental Amber. If you like it green, I have an accord called Leaf & Stem, which is green city. A green top paired with a heavy base works well too. With accords and bases there is usually a cross over from top to middle notes, middle to bottom etc. It isn't necessary with accords to always think you need a top, middle and bottom to have a finished perfume. These are designed to eliminate the guess work. I will also be adding to this a few single notes. Notes that can add a unique element. My intention when all is said and done, is to have a complete palette, that will allow folks (with minimal effort) to experiment and create their own custom scent.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Crazy Life
But anyway: Back to present day reality. I was happy that so many people who came in last night had an interest in tea, and my tea display. I was able to debut my latest Soivohle Perfumed teas as well. They will be available on the website soon.
Now that I have lived with the space (Scentual Artistry) for awhile I am ready to make a few changes. Including expanding my blending station, and making it more of a focal point. For the next two or three months, instead of installations and displays I will focus specifically on the perfumes in the collections, and getting back to custom perfume work.
I am still waiting for the two Lizzy clones that I ordered. Hopefully they will arrive soon, and I can put them to work.
Today I continue to work on Acousticjus, batching out Flamenco. It's coming along nicely. We will launch with the Stellar Oil Parfum, Stellar Lips and Stellar Soaps. Everything heavily laden with music speak. Moving on.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)