The Perfume Making Podcast

• Raw Notes - What I Learned from Bruce Springsteen

  Karen recently went to the cinema, something she doesn’t do very often. However, on this one-off trip to see the new Bruce Springsteen film, something resonated with her. We often chase perfection, either from our own standards or from what we assume others expect from us, but sometimes, the real beauty lies in imperfection. In this week's episode, Karen is here to talk about how the thing you create might be more successful if you just let go and be true to yourself.  KEY TAKEAWAYS One of the main storylines of the new Springsteen film is how the record he created sounded raw and unfinished, but how that sound added to the beauty of it. Karen describes how you can apply this working method to your perfume creation.  Karen tells the story of Mark Buxton and how creating an accord based on the markets of Marrakech ended up launching a perfume brand. A lot of indie perfumers try to replicate the big commercial brands, but, as Karen points out, they are not your competition. Karen shares what really matters when creating your fragrances.  BEST MOMENTS  “Sometimes that raw first version might be exactly what it needs to be.” “If you try to make something more commercial, you're in danger of moving away from what you set out to achieve.” “Whatever the thing is that you create, if it expresses what you want it to express, that’s what it should be.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind   ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.  Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email     This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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• The Evolution of Musk - Part 2

  Following on from last week's show on the history of Musk, Karen is here to tell you all about the synthetic musks. First developed by accident in the 1930s, synthetic musks have evolved through many different variations, each one advancing from what has come before. In this episode, Karen gives you a full and comprehensive overview of the history of synthetic musk, how they changed the perfume industry, and the musks that you should have in your toolbox.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Nitro Musks were the first synthetic musks, discovered in the late 1880s by accident. Karen gives you the history of this fascinating discovery and how it changed perfume-making.  In the 1930s, macrocyclic musks were developed as a safer and more elegant alternative to nitro musks. Karen details their history, the perfumes that pioneered them, and the impact they had.  Polycyclic musks were developed in the 1950s with the intention of being lower-cost and more commercial. Karen explains how they brought musk into the mainstream, including the Body Shop’s ‘White Musk’. Due to biodegradability issues of polycyclic musk, alicyclic musks were developed in the 1970s. Karen explains why they were created and how they burst into popularity in the 1990s. BEST MOMENTS  “Musks are often more of a feeling than they are a specific smell.” “Musks change when they interact with other materials, so don’t just smell them on a strip, use them.” “If you’ve ever smelt laundry and thought ‘that smells clean’, that’s a polycyclic musk.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Materials Mastery Studio Classes  Getting Started Guide              Artisan Perfumery Mastermind   ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.  Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances.   With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.   CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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• The Evolution of Musk - Part 1

  This week, Karen is introducing the first in a two-part series on musk. Musk started life as one of the most prestigious materials in the world of perfumery and was often associated with nobility and power. However, over the years, it has constantly evolved and, today, is seen as one of the most common and well-known materials in all of perfumery. In this episode, Karen takes you on a journey from the beginnings of musk to its place in the modern-day world and how it has shaped both perfumery and culture over hundreds of years. KEY TAKEAWAYS Musk has a long and fascinating history. Karen takes us through it from its origins in central Asia to its everyday use today. Historically, musk was sourced from the glands of male deer; however, as the species became endangered, the material could no longer be sourced from the animal. In 1888, Albert Baur made a discovery that changed musk forever. In the 1970s, a number of fragrances entered the market that changed musk to a much more accessible product. Karen explains how and why. By the late 1980s, musk was mainstream, in large part due to the Body Shop’s ‘White Musk’. Karen breaks down how this shift affected the perfume industry and people’s perception of musk. BEST MOMENTS “Over the years, musk has gone from one of the most expensive materials you can buy to one of the most common synthetics in the world.” “Musk moved from a sexy smell of desire to one of laundry and light, airiness.” “Musk feeds that need we have for comfort, especially when the world outside is a much more intense and scary place.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Materials Mastery Studio Classes Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind  ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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• Soapy, Sparkling, Strange - A Journey Through Aldehydes

  After last week’s episode on Chanel No. 5 and its revolutionary use of aldehydes, Karen is going to delve deeper into this fragrance family and its role in the world of perfume. Whilst most people associate aldehydes with Chanel and, in domestic use, soap, there are many different types of aldehydes that produce various fragrances. So, if you want to know your aliphatics from your aromatics, then this is the episode for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Whilst organic in their chemistry, aldehydes are synthetic in fragrance. However, natural aldehydes are starting to appear. Karen details the availability of these materials and what the future might hold. Aliphatic aldehydes, the most well-known aldehydes, are complex in their makeup and cover a wide range of materials. Karen breaks down what they are, their uses, and in which products you will find them. Aromatic aldehydes are soft, powdery, and sweet-smelling materials and do not resemble what most people associate with aldehydes. Karen shares some well-known fragrances that utilize them and explains how they can best serve you. Green aldehydes are very herbal and are the ones that most people use when first experimenting with perfumery. But what do they smell like, and where can you find them? BEST MOMENTS “It’s important to smell these materials yourself. It’s impossible to build your own associations if you’re just reading off a list.” “Aldehydes oxidise much quicker than most materials, they don’t last as long and can have chemical reactions within your fragrance.” “If something smells inherently soapy, it’s not necessarily the smell, it’s because your brain has linked that smell to products that use a certain aldehyde.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Materials Mastery  Studio Classes  Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind  ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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• Decoding Aldehydes - The Chemistry of Chanel No. 5

  Over the years, Karen has received countless questions about one fragrance family in particular: aldehydes. They often leave people puzzled about what they are and how they’re used in perfumery. In this episode, Karen breaks down the fragrance family that sparked a true revolution in the perfume industry. Focusing on Chanel No. 5, the impact it made, and its groundbreaking use of aldehydes, this show explores what aldehydes are, and why they matter. KEY TAKEAWAYS Coco Chanel lived a very interesting and, at times, controversial life. But, as Karen explains, it was her life experiences that enabled her to create Chanel No. 5 Chanel No. 5 had an interesting early life, both as a product and as a formulation. Karen gives a brief history of this iconic fragrance. Due to the success of Chanel No. 5, other perfume houses started to use aldehydes more aggressively. Karen shares an overview of the scents that it inspired. Aldehydes also begin to be incorporated into other products, and in turn, bleed into daily life. Karen details just how prominent aldehydes are in day-to-day living. BEST MOMENTS “Coco Chanel was not considered mainstream, but her style created a shift in fashion and culture.” “What we might think of modern today is going to be the old fashioned of the future.” “Comparing fragrances of the same genre is an incredibly useful learning tool.” VALUABLE RESOURCES The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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