Since it is unbearably hot outside this week, I figured we might as well embrace it. 😂 This week’s challenge is a little more abstract. Rather than recreating the smell of a flower, food, or traditional perfume structure, we are going to try to recreate a physical sensation through scent. THE CHALLENGE: CREATE STEAM Think about stepping into a hot steam room. The air is thick. Warm. Humid. Almost heavy. Moisture hangs in the air and collects on every surface. But what does steam actually smell like? Technically… not much. And that is exactly what makes this challenge interesting. Your job is to use aroma materials to create the illusion of hot, humid, expanding air. We aren’t necessarily trying to create a beautiful perfume. We are trying to manipulate how someone perceives what they are smelling. THE RULES You may use a maximum of 6 materials. Your accord must include: 💧 1 material for humidity or moisture 🔥 1 material for warmth 🪨 1 material for a mineral, earthy, or structural quality 💨 1 diffusive material to help create the feeling of expanding vapor 🧪 Up to 2 additional materials of your choice And there is one major restriction… 🚫 NO EUCALYPTUS, MINT, OR MENTHOL. We don’t want to make a “spa” accord. Those materials also introduce an immediate cooling sensation, while our goal is to communicate HEAT. WHAT ARE WE LEARNING? This exercise is about olfactory temperature, texture, and atmosphere. Perfumery isn’t always about making something smell literally like an object. Sometimes we use materials to suggest things that don’t actually have a distinct aroma at all. Can something smell wet? Can something smell hot? Can something smell dense? Can something smell like it is floating through the air? These are all perceptions we can manipulate through composition. 🔥 BONUS CHALLENGE Try creating your steam accord without using a traditional aquatic material. Post your formula below and tell us what each material is doing in your composition! There is no single correct interpretation. I want to see how differently everyone translates the sensation of STEAM into scent. ♨️🧪

This week, we’re tackling another one of the foundational structures of classical perfumery: the Chypre! The classic Chypre is built around a beautiful contrast: a bright citrus opening against a dark, earthy, mossy base. For this challenge, we’re going to work with the traditional Chypre backbone and see how much character you can create with only 5 materials. THE CHALLENGE Create a 5-material Chypre accord using: 1. Bergamot 2. Labdanum 3. Oakmoss 4. Patchouli 5. One material of your choice Bergamot, labdanum,patchouli, and oakmoss are mandatory. The remaining material are entirely up to you. THE GOAL The purpose of this exercise is to understand the architecture of a Chypre, not simply to make something that smells good. Pay attention to what each of the three pillars contributes. Bergamot provides brightness, freshness, and contrast. Labdanum adds warmth, resinous depth, and body. Oakmoss provides the characteristic dry, earthy, mossy foundation that helps define the Chypre structure. Your final material are where you get to give the accord its personality. Want to make it floral? Try a rose or jasmine material. Want something darker? Explore woods, leather, smoke, or spice. Want something fruity? See how a fruit material changes the character while maintaining the recognizable Chypre backbone. THINGS TO THINK ABOUT How much bergamot do you need to create enough contrast with the darker base? How much oakmoss can you introduce before it dominates? How do you use labdanum without allowing the composition to become simply an amber? What are your final two materials contributing to the structure? And most importantly: Can you give your Chypre a distinct personality while still keeping its classical structure recognizable? There is no single correct formula. Experiment with the proportions, evaluate your accord over time, and take notes on how the materials interact. When you’re finished, share your formula in the comments and tell us which two additional materials you chose and why!

This week’s challenge is all about formula architecture, balance, and understanding how much ratios can completely change an accord. We’re going to build one of the most important structures in classical perfumery: the Fougère. But there’s a catch. Everyone gets the exact same five materials, and you MUST use all five: 🌿 Lavender 🍋 Bergamot 🌹 Geranium 🌾 Coumarin 🌳 Oakmoss THE RULES 1.) You may ONLY use these five materials. 2.) All five materials must appear somewhere in your formula. 3.) You may use whatever proportions you want. 4.) Your goal is to create a balanced and recognizable fougère accord. That’s it! Before you start mixing, think about what each material contributes. Which one should form the backbone? Which materials provide lift? Which provide depth? How much coumarin is enough before the accord becomes too sweet? How much oakmoss can you use before it becomes too heavy? The interesting part of this challenge is that we are all starting with exactly the same palette. The only thing separating one person’s fougère from another is how you choose to balance those five materials. Once you’re finished, post your 100-part formula in the comments and tell us a little about your thought process. Then take a look at everyone else’s formulas and see just how differently five identical materials can be interpreted. There is no single “correct” answer. Experiment. Smell. Adjust. Learn. And most importantly, have fun with it! 🌿🧪

🌹 WEEKLY PERFUMERY CHALLENGE #1 — ROSE I want to start a new weekly segment where I give you a perfumery exercise designed to help build your understanding of your materials, how they interact, and how you can approach an accord from different directions. There is no single “correct” answer. Follow the guidelines, experiment, and then share what you created in the comments! You can post your formula, talk about what worked (or what didn’t), and we can offer feedback, share ideas, or simply enjoy seeing how differently everyone approaches the same challenge. And for our first challenge, we’re starting with… 🌹 ROSE! Surprise, surprise. THE CHALLENGE Create a soft rose accord following these rules: 1. NO Citronellol, Geraniol, or Nerol. We’re taking away three of the most obvious building blocks of a traditional rose accord. 2. Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol is your only traditional rose material. PEA will be the foundation you’re allowed to work from. 3. You may choose ONLY 4 additional materials. That means your finished accord can contain a maximum of 5 materials total. Your goal isn’t necessarily to create the most photorealistic rose possible. Instead, think about what makes something feel like a soft rose. What gives it volume? What creates softness? What adds freshness or diffusion? What gives the flower character? Think creatively and use what you know about your materials. 🌹 Then share your formula in the comments! Tell us what materials you chose, why you chose them, and how the finished accord turned out. Let’s see how many different ways we can build a rose without relying on the obvious choices. Have fun—and don’t overthink it. Experiment!

What is one material you are obsessed with right now? For me, it would have to be Hedione HC or Jasmine Grandiflorum Absolute. These are materials I have used extensively and haven't reached for them in particular in a little while. Now when I am playing around in the Lab, I have a hard time not including them in anything and everything. Methyl Nicotinate has also been something that has been interesting to play with. It is not very often you find an aroma chemical that fits a bill of a whole note, but this one is a very very very dry tobacco with almost a super amber feel. Super intriguing.