This is an edit of a post I wrote 2 years ago after coming across some lovely Ferula tingitana, (Ammoniacum) resin. Recently, I finally got my hands on the other Ammoniacum, Dorema ammoniacum which you will now find in the shop. For most intents and purposes the two...
I have finally put together an Animalic/Musk sampler. The interest in animal-sourced musk samples has grown steadily in the shop and the release of this new product is a perfect opportunity to continue my discourse on the ethical issues inherent in Civet and other...
Castoreum-A classic perfume ingredient & fixative Castoreum is highly valued as a perfume ingredient lending warmth, sensuality and tenacity to perfume blends. A google search will reveal an extensive list of popular perfumes that contain Beaver Castoreum....
Also known as “Floating Gold” and Whale vomit, Ambergris is one of the rarest & most precious gifts of Nature. Coveted since ancient times for it’s value in perfumery, incense making and traditional medicine. Considered an aphrodisiac since time...
Bushman’s Balm. Made with Sarcocaulon Mossemedes wax, with no added colours, fragrances or preservatives. Simple is often best and with only 3 ingredients, this Bushman’s Candle-Lip Balm really shines. The Amber scent of the wax blends beautifully with...
Over time I get many of the same questions from customers about the products I sell in the shop. I love helping people and end up spending quite a bit of time answering them individually which isn’t the most efficient use of my time. So, I’m going to get...
I know I said I didn’t often post shop listings here on the blog. Though still true, I may have to take that back soon…After over 2 months in Africa and the Mediterranean, I am still trying to catch up on correspondence and workshops, making new products,...
I usually don’t post shop listings on the blog and make an effort to keep the sales pitch to a bare minimum here. However, there is a lot of important information in this particular shop listing and I don’t want to write it all again for the blog. Not so...
Civet paste is a rare, ancient and highly esteemed perfume ingredient as well as a traditional medicine in the East. Collected bi-monthly from the perineal gland of the adult Ethiopian Civet, it is still used in mainstream perfumery but mostly via black market back...
One of the highlights of my recent trip to Madagascar and its Vanilla capital Sambava, was witnessing the hand pollination of (Vanilla planifolia-Bourbon Vanilla flowers. Originally from Mexico and central America, their natural pollinator, a species of Melipona bee,...
With only a day left in Africa, I feel I need to offer a brief overview of my latest aromatic trip just to keep everyone abreast. Once back in Canada I will write in detail about this last trip to Madagascar and Kenya. So much has happened during these past three...
I have been offered the opportunity to spend two weeks working in Madagascar this October. Short notice and an unexpected expense, but full of potential. I will stay with Vanilla farmers, distil an unusual Elemi, and look at creating value-added products and...