My IFRA protest trashion fragrances got a friendly shoutout over at Sweet Anthem perfumery. A little recognition is always appreciated, and check out my fellow naturalist – there are some nice goodies she’s got in her shop!

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Lego-Link by Dunechaser on flickr

Etsy is taking its annual survey of its shoppers – if you buy on Etsy, stop by and share your thoughts on your experience.

Speaking of Etsy, at long last they’ve introduced their advanced search.

Over at Craft Gossip, they’ve announced that the Bead Museum needs your help.

If you’re looking for some ideas for marketing your own Etsy shop, check out Pam Hawk’s 151 Guerilla marketing ideas and then take a look at Sellers Assisting Sellers on time management and Etsy.

Out in perfumeland, Aromaconnection raises and reiterates some important concerns about the Cosmetics Safety Database, while sensory psychologist Avery Gilbert tells us about the biochemisty of body odor. The Scented Salamander talks about price points with Chanel today and yesterday, while 1000fragrances grabs a shot of East European designer perfume fakes.

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I know that customers don’t come easy, and they certainly don’t come cheap. So it always pains me to say no, especially when I can feel the excitement behind the words when someone wants a certain, beloved fragrance. Still, sometimes it just isn’t possible, and yes, ther e are a lot of commonly available fragrances that aren’t possible for me. The bane of natural fragrancing is that we don’t have the palette as our consumer knows it available to us. Instead, we have an unexplored palette, one a consumer can’t ask for – because the consumer has yet to know it.

So this puts me in the position of saying “no” to the following frequent requests:
1. I won’t make something with a musk note in it for you. I’ve a few times gotten the argument that I should work synthetics just “for” musks, since in the syntheticist’s mind “clearly it’s the superior option.” Not only is it not superior – my local zoo has a musk deer so I went and sniffed for myself – but I find any obligation to work with musks or any other material short-sighted. The minute you convince yourself you HAVE to work with a certain chemical, you give up any hope of originality. I’ll leave that sort of the thing to the people who have signed away their creative noses on contract. I am working on a sort of vegetable musk, a compilation of deep, subterranean root-and-grub notes that are absolutely not woods. However, a vegetable musk is like a vegan cheese: it’s best for everyone if you just don’t pretend it’s the same thing.

2. I won’t deliberately make something that smells like soap/detergent. Detergents and laundry are overfragranced, and most of those fragrances are packed full of synthetics/aldehydes and will not appear in my chemical repertoire.

3. With very few exceptions, I will do everything I can NOT to do a fragrance imitation for you. Some clients have already witnessed my gymnastics, going so far as to call chemical companies to determine if a perfume is still in production. I don’t do knock-offs unless it’s a vintage reproduction (and I don’t even like doing those so the request has to be pretty compelling.) Also, while I do collect perfumes by other perfumers, they aren’t usually department store designer fare – they’re strange things from other handmade perfumers, or scents I pick up at ethnic food stores that don’t see mainstream production in the US.

4. I will not make scented lotions (but I may make perfume solids.) I understand why, but as I’ve stated before, lotion overuse is as much of a problem as perfume overuse. I know it sounds strange coming from a perfumer, but left to my own preference I make perfume and incense, and keep the body/facial care products unscented.

5. I will not create a “hypoallergenic” perfume or hypoallergenic anything else. Allergies develop and worsen over time with repeated contact to the same allergy. We haven’t developed the technology to predict what your allergies will be too, and I’ve broken out after using “hypoallergenic” detergent and soap. If you are lucky, you will not develop reactions. If you are not, even a cute marketing term like “hypoallergenic” won’t help you since the human body can decide to reject absolutely anything.

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