Thoughts from Timbuktu: olfactory jewels
I really did not choose to become a natural perfumer or to make exclusively natural perfumes. I noticed from the beginning that I could successfully use natural essences to cure myself while chemical ingredients, which I also used to wear undiluted on the skin caused me allergies and heavy headaches.
Or at least naturality was not my initial choice. I started with ingredients that the public clamoured for – musk, amber, violet, sandal, rose, patchouli and so on, but I was always searching for something better, for the most beautiful smells, and soon I recognized that which I was searching for in natural essences.
I chose to make natural perfumes as someone chooses to work with precious metals and rare gems instead of plastic and pearls of coloured glass.
From the aesthetic point of view I could have considered to insert synthetic aromas into my natural compositions but there were two things that prevented me from doing so.
The first was my experience with allergies and with the inconvenience they caused. The second was that I wanted only the best, and in the world of scents the best simply means the natural.
An emerald is more beautiful than a piece of green glass, it is not a question of taste, but of knowledge. Costume jewellery of glass is loved by children and girls, it makes scene with a small price and there are real masterpieces of costume jewellery made with common materials, but the real ladies wear real jewels and a bride would never accept anything else than a golden ring and an eternal diamond.
There are many things that jewellers cannot do with their stunning materials – for example the gorgeous glass windows of cathedrals are not made out of rubies, emeralds or gold, but of coloured glass and lead. However altar vases are made of gold with mounted gemstones, and crowns of kings and queens that step up on it to be consecrated are priceless unique jewels.
The commercial perfumery has a right to it’s existence as much as costume jewellery of coloured glass and plastic does. Until it does not poison the public…with IFRA (International Fragrance Association) certified ingredients.
Thank you for that. I have been looking for a better way to express my choice to use natural instead of artificial ingredients. And that is a respectful and beautiful way of putting it.
Saluti from Italy Ambrosia. Thank you for coming. I am sorry that I did not answer earlier, I did not receive the notices of the comments on the blog.
Salaam
Thank you for a wonderful, thoughtful post. I agree about wanting to work with only the best materials.
Your analogy regarding stained glass windows being beautiful and then using the precious stones for altar vases and the energy shifts and it takes it up a notch.
Thank you for posting this comment JoAnne. I hope that you will post your thoughts again.
Parabols are the best way to show the meaning of things with semplicity. They are more convincing than entire discourses.
Salaam