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Miriam Carl, Clinical Aromatherapist

Natural Perfume Adventures: Part Two

11/4/2015

8 Comments

 
Gold perfume bottle in autumnal setting
This fall provided some great opportunities for my natural perfume studies. Soon after working with award winning perfumer Jessica Hannah, I attended a workshop with another expert in the world of natural perfume: Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co.

Providence has become one of my favorite cities; seeing it in autumn was definitely a treat . . .
Providence in Autumn
This is where the workshop took place: Providence Perfume Co., located in Providence, Rhode Island.
Providence Perfume Co. storefront
The topic of this workshop was creating Oriental style perfumes. Before we began blending our formulas and perfumes, our instructor passed around incredible vintage perfumes. One of the most famous Oriental perfumes (pictured below) is Shalimar:
Vintage bottle of Shalimar perfume
What is an Oriental perfume? The scent is often rich and ambery. They tend to convey warmth, sensuality, and sophistication. I especially like to wear these perfumes during fall and winter.

​A few examples of perfumes that could be classified as Oriental:
​
  • Shalimar
  • L'Heure Bleue
  • Coco
  • Angel
​
Benzoin essential oil
One of the best parts of the workshop was creating four different styles of Oriental perfumes.
These are the four we created:
​
  • The Classic Oriental ~ classic, ambery scent utilizing essences like benzoin, vanilla, and tonka
  • The Gourmand Oriental ~ has edible and dessert-like qualities
  • The Spicy Oriental ~ contains spices such as cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg
  • The Floriental ~ Oriental with a floral twist​
​
There was a lot of learning and blending packed into this weekend intensive!
Cafe Mocha
After class, it was relaxing to stop by the local coffeehouse where I could sip on a warm drink and digest some of the knowledge I had acquired. I thought back to my original perfume intensive in Providence, which inspired my first (and still one of my favorite) botanical perfumes: 
​
Cafe Providence
. 

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse inside a natural perfume workshop. If you're interested in trying an Oriental style natural perfume, please check out ​Labyrinth in the store.  


Have you ever tried an Oriental style perfume? Feel free to share in the comments below.
8 Comments
Emily link
11/4/2015 11:29:41 am

So cool to hear about your perfume studies! Reminds me I should be posting more about the process of blending. Thank you for sharing.

Reply
Miriam
11/4/2015 12:10:30 pm

Hi Emily! You're so welcome. Thank you for stopping by!

Reply
Mary H Anderson link
11/4/2015 02:05:21 pm

What a wonderful experience, Miriam, thank you for sharing. I realized over the years that I love Oriental perfumes and have worn Shalimar, L'Heure Bleu, and Angel without knowing they all had this connection. Thank you also for breaking down the different styles of this category of Perfumes. Love hearing about your fragrance journey!

Reply
Miriam
11/4/2015 04:33:01 pm

Thank you so much, Mary! It's interesting that you've gravitated towards this perfume style and have worn so many that I mentioned. Angel is one that I really like, too. So glad you enjoyed the post!

Reply
doreen
11/5/2015 08:16:48 am

What a great workshop. Orientals are my favorite.

Reply
Miriam
11/5/2015 10:35:30 am

Thanks Doreen! I remember you mentioning Shalimar.

Reply
Christina link
11/5/2015 05:52:04 pm

Thank you for sharing Miriam! I really enjoyed learning just now all about Oriental perfumes. I look forward to reading more about your adventures and I'm so glad to have met you!:)

Reply
Miriam
11/10/2015 03:43:15 pm

Thank you so much, Christina! I'm so happy that we met, too. Let's catch up soon!

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