It is summer. Time to think X-mas. In a few moments I will start mixing Une Rose chyprée. The bottles with the raw materials are out of the fridge and cool cellar since yesterday night and had time to come to room temperature. It is 31 ingredients, from Ambrein to Zitrone (lemon) and quite tricky to mix, with lots of viscous and sticky resins. Think: Needs time to clean up afterwards.

Actually, mixing in itself is fun and does not take too much time. But it needs a lot of preparation and after work. First, we need to check that we got everything and have to order what is missing, keeping in mind that we will mix other perfumes, too. Thus, I have created a while ago a SUPER Excel, that gives me an overview about all stock I have. Then I need to reorder all that is missing and wait. Then the CA, certificates of analysis, need inspection: Are we still on the safe side (allergens)?

And then, after mixing, I need to write down all the lot numbers of the ingredients for a particular mixture, put all the stuff back and clean up. The sticky resins such as Tolu balm or Oakmoss are like glue.

Looking at things from a less excel and more fragrant side: Rose chyprée is actually a mixing highlight. It is all in there, the roses (both oil and absolute), the jasmin (Egypt), resins and woods (tolu, ambrein, …), the citrus reign (lemon, geranium, bergamot, lemongrass), spices (bay and cinnamon), patchouli and more.

Ah, yes: When mixed into a 12 liter aluminum can, it gets a label, goes into the fridge for 1 month, to get diluted afterwards and be ready by mid September, to go into bottles  and ship in the days before X-mas. That’s the plan.

Today’s picture shows you ambroxan on scale: Yesterday, I mixed Incense extrême, which is in a nutshell incense and ambroxan and orris heaven. Much simpler to mix. Ha!