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.

Artisan Extraction for Perfumery Tinctures, Infusions, Resinoids & Aromatic Extractions Turning Raw Materials into Usable Aromatic Ingredients A culmination of 5+ years of hands-on experience experimenting with tincturing, infusions, resins, and aromatic extraction—all brought together into one practical course so you can begin exploring extraction with confidence. We’ll go beyond simply soaking materials in alcohol. You’ll learn different methods for capturing aromatic materials, from traditional tincturing and carrier-based infusions to working with difficult resins and resinoids, Soxhlet extraction, filtration, concentration, and solvent recovery. More importantly, we’ll explore why and when to use each method, what I’ve learned through years of trial and error, and how these techniques can be used to create materials that are actually useful in perfume compositions. This course can open an entirely new world of perfumery—giving you access to aromatic possibilities that simply aren’t available from a supplier’s catalog. These techniques have long been part of the experimental side of artisan and indie perfumery, where perfumers transform unusual botanicals, resins, and raw materials into ingredients unique to their own creative palette. Learn the process. Extract the aroma. Create something uniquely yours.

I’m currently developing a marine, salty, citrus, mineral fragrance and I’m thinking a tiny bit of aldehyde c-12 in the opening could really help give it a blast of icy, oceanic, sparkling air. But I’ve never worked with aldehydes before, and I know they’re notoriously tricky to work with. So as a beginner here, I could use some advice. Thank you!