Complex matters

As mentioned earlier: The leather theme has come to a point where it is worth waiting for a couple of weeks. Maybe, it will turn out to be a Christmas present for myself, as I intend to let it mature until end of December before a dilution in ethanol will allow final judgment. Being an impatient personality I couldn’t resist diluting a little aliquot for prior study. The development of some components in an assembly, however, is very hard to predict. I have seen it with orange flower absolute and rose especially that an initial composition changes completely, turning into sweet soapy lush mix de tous et rien. But, one can get a first idea about a composition, and an instant satisfaction. Being generation 60’s, I am kind of spoiled there…. It is like hiking in the mountains; it feels good to look back after a while to see how far you got already, reducing the pain ahead. As a matter of fact, it is very much like hiking in mountains, where your endurance is put to test on your way up and where the supposedly easy part of walking down often turns out to be much tougher on your muscles.

Thus, the leather theme: As I got many queries on what I put in, I will provide you with an overview of things that went in it. By looking at the grouping and the compounds per se, you might get an impression of how I work and think. Whether the composition will work: We will see. I expect some changes as I am also a little bit of a perfectionist, which balances the impatient nature to some extend.
Let us start with the head.
A grouping of white grapefruit, bergamot, linalool and litsea cubea with terpinylacetat for freshness, clove flower oil and carrot seed for earthy, warm accents (all within IFRA limitations). Some Bourbon geranium rounds off, with benzylsalicylate and Ylangylang already pointing towards the middle note.
In the heart you will find: Rose damascene absolute, pumped up by anethol, decenal, 4-trans, anethol and methylphenylacetate, nicely intermingling with the citrus notes in the head.
Some jasmine absolute with Isoamylsalicylate is part of the leather theme which extends right into the head and continues into the body: Cistus, oakmoss, birchtar, iso-butylchinolein, cresylcaprylate
In the woody base we find: Francincense, guiac wood, methylcyclomyrceton, vetiverylacetat, vetiverol, cedar wood (Texan), Myrrh, Sandalore (to be extended by sandalwood) and Coumarin, to be replaced by Tonka bean resinoid.
Things got kind of complicated and I might well find myself after Christmas reducing this complexity.

What I like about it so far is a pleasing start, very intense and warm citrus notes with flowery, woody spices, followed by a warm, and deep leather theme (maybe too much for the average guy) and a dryout note which is full of woody accords that last and change on drying out. January 2006 will see another post on that one….