Lyn Ayre & Tonie Silver ~ A Rebelle Rendezvous
4 August 2008
T: Hi Lyn, & welcome to LPR~
L: Thanks so much, Tonie, it's great to be here on such a sunny summer day.
T: You teach Natural & Botanical Perfumery; tell us about what kind of students you're seeing.
L: My course is called "Natural Perfumery ~ a path to the Heart of Spirit". Coeur d'Esprit means "heart of Spirit". This course involves working with spirit energy and being in touch with the spirit of the plant while making perfumes. When students inquire about the course, this aspect is often brought up as people find the concept very attractive. For me, it is not about mimicking what has already been done in the marketplace. It is not about making French perfumes or becoming a commercial perfumer (French or otherwise) or even a "nose". It is about connecting to our inner spirit, connecting to the spirit of the plant, then using perfume to connect to our higher self in a safe and pleasing way. It is a gentle course with no pressure to win or succeed or be the best. It is fine to just go along and learn at your own pace and become more of who you were meant to be. My students come from all walks of life. They are teachers, students, spa-worker, a nun, an artist, an Aromatherapist, a retired senior, world traveller, someone looking for a new career in perfumery, and so on, ages 22 to 78, from Canada, US, Australia, France, and so on. Some have worked with the essences for years and others have only always wanted to.When they first contact me, they are each asked to write a letter of introduction detailing why they would like to take this course on perfumery, how they came to find me, and what they hope to get out of the course. The essays are poignant, exciting, hopeful, and as varied as the people who write them. They are required as a starting point so that the student can see, in black and white, what they are about to do and evaluate whether or not they would like to proceed. It seems to me that all kinds of people are interested in learning more about Natural Perfumery.
T: Nature/Nurture: How important is the education side of the art? Are there certain nuances that you feel simply cannot be taught?
L: I am a teacher by nature, as well as a life-long student of my personal passions; writing, art, music, and all the gifts from Mother earth, which, of course, includes perfume. Teaching this course was a natural progression, for me, from all the learning I'd done to that point. My passion carried me forward to become the independent perfumer I am today. I am self-taught, nurtured by the thousands of perfumers who have gone before me, the hundreds of writers who have written about perfume, the dozens of perfumes I have created, and the feedback I've received from my clients. I did the work, and part of the work involved writing this course so I could make sense of what I'd learned so far about perfume. I put in my time, all the while seeking a mentor but found no one. What I did find were a group of people who were in constant competition for their place in the sun and who wanted to wield power and control over others. This is not something I am into as I don't believe in competing with anyone. I wish I'd have had the benefit of an affordable correspondence course like mine but there wasn't one to be found. So I wrote it. LOL (big grin). For some people, formal training is key, and the structure of a course, such as mine, is required. Others learn best when they are propelled by their own steam with little input from teachers. Still others enjoy the one-on-one or a classroom situation. Learning is a personal journey that each of us must make, as we will. I offer opportunities for learning with as little or as much input as the student needs, always willing to answer questions and make suggestions. In the end, should they complete the twenty-six assignments, send along sixteen samples for evaluation, and write the proctored exam of fifty-six questions, they will have earned a Certificate of Completion for their efforts of personal dedication and commitment to the craft. I don't "create Natural Perfumers" rather people grow themselves into that way of being in the world, should they choose and should this be something they want for themselves.We each bring to the table a variety of inherent gifts. We can all sing but we don't all have a voice that is pleasing to others. This does not mean we shouldn't sing. Some of us have a great ear for music but not all of us are musicians, composers, or conductors. We can all take photographs but that does not mean they will end up in the National Geographic. The thing that sets one of us apart from another, in a particular endeavour, is the passion that is lit in us when we are first exposed to the topic matter. If something resonates with us on a spiritual level, then it becomes our passion. This passion gives us energy to pursue that which feeds and nourishes us. Spaces open up in our minds and in our hearts that allow room for an extraordinary amount of knowledge to be gathered, sorted through, and put into practice. I know that at some point, a student may decide they want to take this course, and may actually go ahead and purchase it, but not pursue it because they lack the energy of passion to carry them forward through all the hard work and learning. Should they have a passion for perfume, they will also have instilled within them all the finesse they need to create beautiful aromas with the all nuances present to create life's great tapestry, however that unfolds.
T: Tell LPR readers what you teach your students about suppliers; in my experience, the dish is only as good as the ingredients. Do you believe a good, trusting relationship with your supplier is important?
L: In Project twenty-five, students are asked to write out their Ethics, Mission Statement, and Personal Credo, including their philosophies on life. They need to do their homework, developing ethical guidelines that will take them through the pitfalls they may encounter during this journey of finding their own trusted suppliers in the area in which they live and abroad. They need to learn how to trust their nose and speak their heart when they are unhappy. In the meantime, they are given my "Trusted Suppliers List" in their manual. It is also located on my links page on the website. These suppliers ship to Canada and the US; many ship overseas, as well. My Australian students have their own list they have gleaned over time. My list is not complete and is constantly being refined as I go about my daily round. It is important that I have a trusting relationship with my suppliers and that they follow through with what has been agreed. If they don't, they risk losing my trust and are not put on the up-dated list. The companies on my list have a variety of good qualities: they are environmentally conscious, don't approve of animal testing, are cruelty-free, have a generous heart and donate to worthy causes, don't have a minimum order amount, include free samples, and some sell organic or certified organic ingredients. Their product is top of the line and I've not yet been unhappy with the dozens of items I've purchased from any of them. Also included on the list are those that supply cosmetic ingredients, containers, waterproof labels, boxes, and bottles. These companies resonate with me and hold similar values to my own, so I am happy to support them.
T: Lyn, please give readers a skeleton of your curriculum.
L: Yes, of course... Here is the Table of Contents
Preliminaries, Processes, & Introductions
Section One
The psychology and physiology of how we detect aroma
The four mediums for carrying a perfume
The precautions for using these highly concentrated botanical ingredients
Shelf-life and storage of oils
Working with Spirit Energy
Data Tags
Dilutions
Methods of Extraction
Perfumery terms
Music by any other name would be called perfume. Learning the notes.
What are Horizontal and Vertical Accords
Building Accords
Section Two
Learn about seven base notes
Fixatives
Describing a Perfume
Scent Profiling
Descriptive words
Setting up your atelier
Your safety
Section Three
Learn about seven Heart Notes
Body Chemistry and Skin Types
Rate of Evaporation and Odor Intensity
Fragrance Families
Section Four
Learn about seven Head Notes
Formulation
Formulation Sheet
Section Five
Creating tinctures, infusions, and macerations
Creating scent similars
Scent Songs - the work of Piesse
Perfumes from the inside ou
Colour of essential oils
Section Six
Create perfumes in all four bases
Perfume pyramid
What's in a name
Questions & answers
How to market yourself and your product
Resources & References
Review of Suppliers
Completing this course
Perfume Projects
T: What's the best advice that you feel you offer your students Lyn?
L: Determine what your ethics are and stick to them. Create a safe work environment so you can do perfumery for the long-term. Create safe perfumes and remember we are dealing with very powerful substances.Stay curious and open to new learning and opportunities.
T: Best perfumery advice you ever received?
L: I've not yet had the blessing of a Mentor and no one around to teach me other than the books I've read and my own diligent research and practice. But I take all of the advice I've given to my students (as above).
T: Tell us how you marry the business side of perfumery with the art.
L: It's one and the same to me. There is an art of making good perfumes and an art of dealing with people in a business sense. In both cases, I ground to Gaia and connect to Source, becoming a channel of energy flowing into the situation and watching it unfold before me. I know this may sound goofy to a lot of people but it is how I've operated my whole life. For 23 years, I did Credit & Collections. Most people loved to hear from me, and put our company at the top of their payables list, as I never made them feel bad about themselves. I knew that most people wanted to pay their bills and if I was pleasant and present, I could help them to do that (some didn't and they got re-poed). I worked for a few different companies and in each case, the receivables went to a good place. In the last position I had before I was 'downsized' (due to MS and Lupus), I took the receivables from 170 days to 96% current. You don't get results like that by treating people like poorly. It's the same in any business: create a set of ethical business practices and stick to them. That's what I do in the perfume realm when I'm dealing with suppliers, customers, and students.
T: Thanx Lyn~ You've got a great Coeur d'Esprit!
Showing posts with label natural perfumery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural perfumery. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Alchemy Works
In reviewing Alchemy Works Sanctuary Rose oil, I was in for a surprise.
I thought "Gee, Rose and Myrrh, pretty straightforward, right?" Wrong.
Harry at Alchemy Works has managed something completely different. This is a magical oil, as are all of Alchemy Works'. The fragrance is that of dust. In a good way. It reminds one of a place of worship that is vacant, with sunlight filtering in through ancient mullioned windows. This is the fragrance of the dust dancing in the sunlight. Dust settled on ancient books. Dust of centuries. Dust one has to blow off of candles before lighting them. A bit dry, a bit sweet. Very soft and understated, yet there with a tenacious strength. Whispers secrets to the wearer. Hints of spices come through, like threads woven throughout a tapestry.
Being a magical oil, one that is intended for ritual use, I can see where Harry has succeeded in the perfume oil melding with the skin, with the wearer, as opposed to sitting atop it~ more for use than distracting. Very interesting. In reading his verbiage on this oil, I learned that it is protective, and honors the feminine. Deep stuff, man. What impresses me about Alchemy Works is the obvious passion and dedication of Harry. Check out his site~ it's a treasure trove of information.
Packaging is tops~ Miron violet glass, methinks, with awesome Gothic graphics on the label. Check it out, then choose one that speaks to you.
www.alchemy-works.com
Reprint article from LPR website
Sunday, February 20, 2011
NBP Education ~ Natures Nexus Academy of Perfuming Arts
The Natural Perfume Academy was first established in 2008 to provide education to aspiring natural and botanical perfumers, natural perfume enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs interested in creating and marketing natural and botanical perfumes.
Distance Learning with Natural Perfumery Academy Course provides the total professional development needed by those entering into or progressing in the natural perfumery industry. Ms Justine Crane is the academy teacher with Ms. Shelly Waddington as auxiliary tutor. The Academy uses Moodle, a powerful learning platform used by major colleges around the world. It is administered at all times by fully trained technical staff.
Distance Learning with Natural Perfumery Academy Course provides the total professional development needed by those entering into or progressing in the natural perfumery industry. Ms Justine Crane is the academy teacher with Ms. Shelly Waddington as auxiliary tutor. The Academy uses Moodle, a powerful learning platform used by major colleges around the world. It is administered at all times by fully trained technical staff.
The Natural Perfume Academy has made use of the original perfumery course material devised by such authorities on the subject as Septimus Piesse, creator of the Odophone, a scale denoting parts of a perfume (head, heart, base), published in 1857 by Edward Sagarin in his book The Art of Perfumery and the Methods of Obtaining the Odours of Plants, and from the works of Jean Carles, Perfumer, published as reprinted articles ((1961, 1962 & 1963) from the French magazine "Recherches" into William Kaufman's coffee table tome "Perfume", published 1974.
We have found that the need for adaptable facilities for natural perfumery training is growing due to the fact that in the increasingly restrictive environment, independent natural perfumers need tailor-made training geared towards regulatory compliance and safety. It is also the case that apprenticeships in perfumery involving the sole use of natural materials are difficult if not impossible to secure. Traveling long distances to attend courses is highly impractical, and these days, unnecessary. Furthermore in light of the worldwide expansion of the natural botanical perfume industry, there are increasing demands that natural perfumers be capable and highly trained.
Natural Perfume Academy Course structure in detail
Unit 1 History of Natural Botanical Perfumery
The history of Natural Botanical Perfumery spans millennia, with records going back some 4000 years or more. This is a brief, though somewhat dubious, history of perfume, which includes "modern perfumery" and its inclusion of synthetically produced raw materials.
Unit 2 Safety, regulatory and environmental issues
This unit will provide students with the necessary theory to understand and apply selected key safety assessments (e.g. compliance with IFRA guidelines), familiarise students with selected key regulatory frameworks (e.g. EU cosmetics directive).
Unit 3 Chemistry of Natural Fragrance
A brief overview of chemicals within natural raw materials which produce the scents with which we, as Natural Botanical Perfumers, are so familiar.
Unit 4 Perfumers Studio & Resources
This portion of the course focuses on the tools necessary for a perfumery student to formulate basic compositions and compounds. The tools are fairly standard and can be purchased online or at a department or drug store.
Unit 5 The Natural Perfumers Palette
The raw materials available to today’s natural & botanical perfumer are far more numerous than they were for our predecessors. Where their palettes were restricted to a few dozen or so essences, ours has been greatly expanded to include hundreds of materials.
Unit 6 Evaluating Natural Perfumery Materials
All raw materials must be evaluated by the perfumer prior to their use in a perfume. The perfumer needs to become familiar with the note category or categories, character and safe usage levels of each material.
Unit 7 Journaling & Creating a Perfume
You will reach a point in your perfume making studies when you will require knowledge of advanced tools and techniques to create larger volumes of perfume. It is important that you study diligently all the information and materials provided by the course in the earlier lessons in order to successfully move onto the advanced stage of instruction.
Unit 8 Base Building, Conceptualizing Perfume
Perfume begins on paper. Before you open a bottle or waft a scent strip, the first order of building a perfume begins with the inspiration, and the ideas are written down in detail.
Unit 9 Natural Isolates
Upon completion of this unit, the student will have a basic understanding of natural isolates and will be ready to begin blending using these fragrance materials.
Unit 10 Marketing & Financial Management
A module introducing the basic principals of marketing in the natural botanical perfume industry and financial background for natural perfumery management. The focus is on financial management and costings.
Unit 11 Essay & Creative Proposal
With guidance from the tutor the student will propose the creative assignment and essay for the end of year perfume submission.
Unit 12 Essay & Perfume Submission
Student finalises and submits the end of the year essay along with the creative assignment perfume submission for tutor evaluation. Student recieves evaluations and end of year certificates.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
NBP Education ~ Natural Perfumery & Exotics by Jeanne Rose
Natural Perfumery & Exotics by Jeanne Rose
Friday, February 18, 2011
NBP Education ~ Natural Perfume Course by Lyn Ayre
Natural Perfume Course by Lyn Ayre
If you would like to know more about this informative and aromatic course, please email LynAyre@telus.net with any questions you may have. It can be ordered through the PayPal button below.
Here are the essential oils and absolutes we will be covering in the course so you can go ahead and begin to order them. It's easier on the budget when you don't have to do it all at once. As well, if you look at my links page, you will see many tried and trusted suppliers to get you started. Make sure none of these essential oils/absolutes are diluted in jojoba as they won't mix with alcohol if they are. As well, you want 100% not a 10 or 20 % dilution. You will be making your own dilutions.
Natural Perfume Course
My first order of business is always: DO NO HARM, which is why I include the following statement and I make it up front.
When making natural perfumes, we are dealing with the wondrous, powerful, highly scented, and generally medicinal plant chemical components. Please refrain from taking this course if you: have major internal organ damage, have severe breathing or skin allergies or sensitivities, or your health is otherwise severely compromised.
Those who are pregnant or lactating, can complete and email the following 'paper projects' for the correspondence course: 1- on Anosmia, 4- on another descriptor for rose oil, 6- on descriptive words or phrases, project 16- on tincture and infusions, project 19- Passion for Perfume, project 25- philosophies; half of the Perfume Projects on accords. The reading, gathering of supplies, and preparation of a safe Atelier can also be accomplished while you are waiting to begin the course.
"Attention Professional Registered Aromatherapists: Study from home to earn your CEC's or CEU's. Achieving a Certificate of Completion for this six-month correspondence course in Natural Perfumery may satisfy the requirements for the 24 CEC's that you need to maintain your professional membership. Check with your association for more details. If this course is not listed by your professional body, perhaps you would like to suggest it to them."
If you feel you have all of the below knowledge in place, please check out my Five-Day Perfume Intensive at http://www.scentofnature.net/five-day_natural_perfume_intensive.htm
Correspondence Course
Natural Perfumery Course
~a path to the Heart of Spirit~
Introduction to the art of Natural Perfumery.
We will be covering twenty-one oils/absolutes; various bases;
scent profiling; the language of natural perfumery; formulation;
accords; scent-similars; tinctures; macerations; and many other aspects.
Specific assignments are given for each of the six sections.
In order to attain a Certificate of Completion for this course, you will
need to do these twenty-six assignments and reports, send in sixteen perfume samples, and take the final proctored written exam, and practical exam. The exam can be taken six months after you begin your studies. This is an in-depth course and there is no need to rush. Most people take two years to complete it.
Perfumery Course Goals & Objectives
This course would suit learners who are true novices and know nothing about this topic, but have a passion to learn, as well as those who have been making some perfumes for family and friends but would like to take it to the next level of endeavor. There is a section on marketing and preparing for an interview and review of your perfumes.
At the end of this perfumery course, you will know how to make perfume in various bases. You’ll be given recipes for all of these bases, and some of my perfume formulations, which I've created for this course. You will also learn how to create your own formulae. You will know where to get top quality oils, absolutes, concretes, and attars. You will learn the vocabulary needed to describe the scents you are creating, sniffing, and/or profiling .
You will learn how to create vertical and horizontal accords, preparing parts of future perfumes in advance of needing them. Learning about tincturing, infusing, and maceration will be included as part of the course, as well. Some plants do not yield up their aroma readily, so my notes and ideas are given on how to make a doppelganger of the desired scent.
We will not spend much time on the history of perfume though several links are included in the resources section. It has been romanticized and theorized about in books, magazines, and on the internet, and you may read this material at your leisure. It is all very interesting, exciting, and wonderful to know where we’ve come from, as a population of people who have loved perfumes since the dawn of time. However, for my course, I am opting to leave that aspect of writing to those more deeply involved in it. I just love to make perfumes and I want to share that with you.
We won't spend any time examining, comparing, or trying to re-create commercial perfumes as this is a course on Natural Perfume.
Creating a natural perfume today is quite different from how it was created a hundred years ago simply due to the myriad botanical ingredients that are now available to us. We live in a time that is ripe for the making of our own household, bath, and beauty products. We are very fortunate, indeed.
In this course, we will simply concern ourselves with the art of making perfume, the science and chemistry behind it will be included in the resource section. Again, there are many great books that one can study about the structure of essential oils, and botanical components. There is a reading list included in the courseware.
The book called: The Scent Trail provides a wonderful olfactory journey into the origins of some of the materials we will be using in this course. It is recommended reading, though there are no projects or exam questions arising from it.
You will learn how to work with the energy of the substances you are holding: their colour, viscosity, tenacity, scent profile, and how they operate with one another, in other words, the spirit of the plant. One of the assignments is to create a Spiritual Perfume.
We will create a Scent Song as we look at the work of Piesse. There are several supporting .pdf files that I will email to you for further reading and learning.
The profiles of the twenty-one oils and absolutes covered in this course are given in three parts: aromatically, therapeutically, and spiritually. This includes safety information, as that is key to creating a wonderful product. You'll learn how to create a perfume for use in your personal spiritual rituals.
There is always a lot of solid information in my courses. You will need to purchase supplies, essential oils, and absolutes, so here is the list. Supplies List for the Natural Perfumery Course 2011.pdf Ambrette absolute can be used in place of the CO2.
Please have an in-depth look at my Links & Resources page for Suppliers. I have listed numerous ones in North America as well as several in Europe, UK, and AU.
Here are the essential oils and absolutes we will be covering in the course so you can go ahead and begin to order them. It's easier on the budget when you don't have to do it all at once. As well, if you look at my links page, you will see many tried and trusted suppliers to get you started. Make sure none of these essential oils/absolutes are diluted in jojoba as they won't mix with alcohol if they are. As well, you want 100% not a 10 or 20 % dilution. You will be making your own dilutions.
| Base Note | Heart Note | Head Note |
| Ambrette Seed CO2 or absolute | Cinnamon Leaf | Bergamot fcf |
| Frankincense | Jasmine grandiflorum absolute | Black Pepper |
| Labdanum | Lavender absolute | Clary Sage |
| Patchouli | Litsea | Coriander |
| Sandalwood Santalum vanutua | Neroli | Galbanum |
| Vanilla absolute | Rose maroc | Palma Rosa |
| Vetiver | Ylang Ylang extra | ethically sourced Rosewood or you can use Ho wood |
Kind words from a student who is just completing Project 19-Passion for Perfume:
I’m so grateful to you Lyn, who has been such a marvelous and patience teacher and still is when I’m writing this essay. Without your way of sharing your knowledge in perfumery with me, I would never have know how it feels to get deep into my selves and my olfactory in the way scents can do.
Every morning and every night I think in Scents, Notes, Chords, Accords and how to combine the fragrances to the outstanding perfume. But after I have been thinking for a while I know that I don’t have that experience that I need and that I have to take all the time and read as much as I can to learn what I have to learn.
Today I’m not quite done with the course but I feel so satisfied that I chosen the course that suited me and from here I can develop my life while spending it with natural perfumery. VG, Sweden
*****
Registration and Investment
All students must complete a Registration Form, which
I will send upon receipt of payment.
The Course: I am offering an in-depth, correspondence E-course on the basics of natural perfumery, so you can work at your own pace. The manual is well-written, professionally edited, with good photos, tables, and interesting assignments and experiments. There is on-going email support at no further cost.
The Investment: Going green? Great. I offer the entire manual by email and we can save a lot of trees by using this method. All projects can be sent to me by email and so can the Exam. $350.00 Should you wish the manual and supporting documents mailed, there is a $25.00 printing charge and a $35.00 shipping charge so the course will then be $410.00
The Exam: I don't offer the proctored exam until the six-month point as there are 26 projects and 16 samples to complete and send in. This doesn't happen overnight. There should be no rush to complete this course. The exam consists of 56 questions. There are no multiple choice so no option for guessing the right answer. You need to know your material before you write the exam. It takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete this exam and you will need a Proctor to be with you. There is a form they will need to fill out, and mail to me, attesting to the fact that you did the exam from memory. When you request the exam, you will need to let me know where to mail it to your Proctor. You will then sit the exam at their home or office. The Exam can be emailed to his or her office and the completed exam can be emailed back by your Proctor. The Proctor Form needs to be signed and sent via postal mail with a legible signature. The exam is not to leave the hands of the Proctor except for the time you are actually writing the it.
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