Soap Batch #6337

That number is a gross exaggeration, of course. I don't know what number batch it is, I never thought to keep count. However, the soap is verrah nice indeed. The scent formulation I used, aged a week, was a combination of frankincense absolute, davana, holy basil, vetyver, mitti and old patchouli. I poured pretty much all of the soap into the mold, reserving about 200 grams for topping, and between the bottom and top portions I applied a generous layer of powdered patchouli leaf. To the topping I added German chamomile and clary sage essential oil. I don't know why. It just felt right. The scent is out of this world. There is an amber-like tonality to it with strokes of earthiness and wisps of air. It's just lovely. Next on the soap roster is a formulation of peppermint, spearmint, and German chamomile with a handful of poppy seeds. And I'm seriously considering making a strong rosemary soap this season as well. Every day on my ride to work in the morning, I brush past a drapery of rosemary that I cannot resist putting my hand into. I arrive at work with the scent of urban garden on my skin, the perfume of the day, and whatever has infused into my clothes through formulation sessions. Running into that rosemary on a daily basis has ingrained its magic into my brain to the point that I think of rosemary soap for at least an hour after arriving at work.

I reserved a bit of the soap scent formulation, sans G. cham and clary, to create anointing oils that go hand-in-hand with the soap. I based it in sunflower oil since it was handy, and also because sunflower is viscous and rich and carries scent beautifully. Doesn't hold up well in the heat, though. Tends to rancidity if left in heat and light, so proper storage (the fridge?) is required to keep sunflower from going bad. The house has been quiet of late, just me and the dog -- well, pup. A silly short-legged bully boy with severe separation issues and a penchant for eating dirty laundry. He's also very hit and miss with the potty training. One day he's an exemplary student taking his business in the yard or on the puppy pads, and the next he's pooping under the dining table giving me his best 'I didn't do it' face, while the waist cord from a pair of sweat pants dangle from his mouth. Never a dull moment around here. But again, despite the occasional puppy tangle, the house has been quiet, which has lead to a lot of introspection in regards to scent creation and to what to apply the scent. I have a bit more surface space in the studio to work with, a station of sorts, which makes working on projects much easier than before. Formulating at the 'bench', aka big perfumer's desk, works beautifully if that's all I do there. Production is a no-go there as the space, by the time I get to bottling and whatnot, is so cluttered with bottles and trial formulations and scent strips and piles of books and notes that I literally feel the urge to just lay my arm on the desktop and sweep it all off onto the floor in a heap. That will never happen, nor will it do -- can you imagine? A fragrant pile of books and glass and glistening liquid on the wood floor?



Note from my ADD: Did you know if you Google 'olfaction nude girls' my blog pops up?