Friday – Last Day

On a mission to make life a bit easier for myself, so in continuing with the online social networking etc… I will be closing down this blog. All future posts will be made through the new FACEBOOK SOIVOHLE FAN PAGE.

If you are a regular reader of the blog and not signed on to our fan page, please do so. It is a lot more user friendly/interactive, and all of the info, images etc. are available to everyone. There is also a discussion board that I am working on. I will be deleting our Group Page and moving the discussion board topics to the fan page.

This Friday will be the last day for the blog. I have moved the Beacon Free Blog to blogger here: Beacon Free

More Change

On a mission to make life a bit easier for myself, so in continuing with the online social networking etc… I will be closing down this blog. All future posts will be made through the new FACEBOOK SOIVOHLE FAN PAGE.

If you are a regular reader of the blog and not signed on to our fan page, please do so. It is a lot more user friendly/interactive, and all of the info, images etc. are available to everyone. There is also a discussion board that I am working on. I will be deleting our Group Page and moving the discussion board topics to the fan page.

MAILING LIST – I sent out our newsletter yesterday, and am in the process of changing our service, and maintaining the mailing list myself. It’s a lot of work to set up, but once it is, will be much easier to coordinate, and I can link directly to the fan page. Yay!…

Soivohle News & Cologne Suite

Continuing with our changes. We will be discontinuing the Cologne Suite. Why… Sales. I would love to keep everything in the lineup but, as a company, I am the one responsible for the numbers. If we put  -X- amount of money into a product that isn’t doing well, we take away resources from the successful ones. As we get closer to opening our new retail location, I have had to make many hard decisions. One of the major hurdles the Cologne’s had to overcome is the public perception that natural perfumes do not last on the skin. Factor in that a cologne is less concentrated than a parfum and the selling points dwindle in that respect. Even though our price point was competitive on the colognes, it wasn’t enough. I know that many people fell in love with these scents, and you are not being forgotten.  I will be reintroducing some of these scents as eau de toilette’s, beginning with the most popular: Geranium Rose Mint. Since the launch of our first eau de toilette “Amberene” the sales have been good. Our concentration for the natural edt’s are comparable to that of a commercial eau de parfum. They are lighter in body, but still have  good staying power, and are perfect for daytime wear.  As I said I am trying to make a lot of decisions about the brand, and hope that when all the dust is cleared, we will have a smart, eclectic body of work. ZZ……

Coffret Coffin Box

At one end of the definition spectrum, the word coffret (french) means box. So to use it in reference to a box or collection of perfumes is common. The tight definition of the word is coffin, also a box or heavy metal swag, (Metallica Coffret) which in contrast  is generally designed to contain a dead body. Interesting how all that works. For some time now I have been working out the kinks in a coffret de parfum for our Soivohle Brand. Not a fixed set of perfumes, but rather something that could be customized to suit the needs of our clientele. Until now we have not offered a nice gift set, comparable in design and packaging to our luxe natural parfums. This first one I put together myself. It will be donated to The Cure Starts Now for their yearly gala/auction. The coffret contains nine mini bottles, each containing 5ml of parfum. The value of this coffret is 600.00. It is an all natural set and contains some of our most costly parfums. Any number of combinations are possible and can be mixed and matched from all of our collections. I will be adding a page to our soivohle.com website with the pricing and breakdown. The naturals will be at face value based on current prices and the Moderne and Studio edp’s will be a flat price each. Custom sets can be as lavish as the one I have created here, or they can be made up of lesser expensive scents. I regret that we did not have this item ready for the recent holiday season. Custom gifts/sets are one of the most requested items. I am still waiting on the outer box, but expect shipment this week. We will also be offering a new luxe sampler box. It is the same design as the coffret, with the velvet lined, snap closure red and black design, but smaller and holds sixteen screw top vials. We will continue to offer the four piece spray set of Modern Collection perfumes, and may expand it to include all of the edp’s across the board. Overall this will be pretty much it. Not to mention the possibility of  exclusive custom sets in the future. ZZ

The Cure Starts Now Foundation was founded by a mother who lost her daughter to pediatric brain cancer. This is the second year we are participating with a donation. Last year we donated a custom scent certificate, and created the eau de parfum My Promise, which can be purchased on the soivohle website. A percentage of the sale go to the foundation.

Springtime In The Valley

For the past couple of days the sun has been shining. A stark contrast to the dull gray that we had for so long. To look out the window one would think that spring had sprung. And in this fantasy and anticipation of spring I have been getting ready for some spring cleaning and rearranging. From the start our Moderne Collection was a companion grouping to the Natural Collection. Perfumes that I create based on my personal preference. The Studio Collection was meant to be a grouping of collaborative scents. Ideas for these scents come from studio work, and custom scents. Not necessarily things that I would create on my own, but rather based in part on what others like in a scent.. The Studio Collection has been a huge success, and as I have been getting ready to add things in I also realized that I should also do a bit of rearranging. Acoustic Flower and Daybreak in the Moderne Collection are based on custom wedding scents that I created several years ago. I am going to be moving them to the Studio Collection along with Atlas Cedar, which was based in part on a conversation with one of my boutique customers. I have also replaced the atomizer (seen in the photo) with a nicer one with overcap, and I am increasing the concentration in a few of the scents. Since the Acoustic Flower, Daybreak Violin and Atlas Cedar are already of a higher concentration, they will stay the same. In short, the Studio Collection is getting an upgrade. There will be a price increase, but the size will stay the same, 1 ounce/30ml.

New Materials Same Formulations – Due to a change in suppliers, some of the materials used in Blood Orange & Vetiver and Grand Canyon will be switched out. The formulas are not being changed, but due to the slight difference in materials it may be noticeable to some individuals. This is always a possibility when using all natural materials. and nothing can be guaranteed. All of the perfumes in our current line up are of the original formulary. I think about changing things or updating them, but so far I have not. I think about all of the people who love the scents as they are. To change them would be somewhat of a betrayal. Not only to the people who love and wear them, but to my own artistic vision. My original enthusiasm. When I think about how often commercial scents are reformulated, it makes me sad. I am sure that with many of them there was an initial spark of creativity, a joy in creating something beautiful and new. And now the spark is all but gone, a distant memory, a ghost. I don’t believe that the perfume industry understands or even cares about the importance of transferred energy. When a perfumer is creating from their artistic core; The energy, emotion, desire, are all tangled up in the work. People can feel that, relate to it in the same way the energy of a painter comes through on a canvas, or  in the way a songwriter captures us with a haunting melody. When we are touched by art, it isn’t just the art, but the process that created it. The transference of artistic energy is a powerful thing. For now I am happy to let that stand. Afterall it has been working on the larger scale for thousands of years. ZZ

More Lilac

Will be moving the humidifier to the bedroom tonight. The one that works from our furnace is not enough to keep my head clear, pain free and in working order. I think I made it longer this year than most, but am at the place now where I can’t get anything done. The last week has been spotty at best, but through it all I was able to make a slight adjustment to my Moderne  Collection Lilac, and  am elated with the results. I recently created a new Persian lilac accord, which when added in very small amount to my existing white lilac accord, totally transforms it. My original accord is mostly natural, which gives it more body than an all synthetic lilac. Meaning that not a lot of other things need be added to shore up the structure of the heart. This is true with many floral accords, and why so many modern compositions (ones with no natural floral component) seem lackluster and pedestrian. Lilac can be a tough nut to crack. It’s easy enough to achieve a lilac essence but to make it last longer than a few minutes on the skin (before morphing off in another direction) is the trick. This will be a somewhat spicy yet earthy lilac, paired with heliotrope and grounded with oakmoss and a light musky vanilla. The new lilac should be ready in time for the next blooming of my Alba. It is interesting how we process scent. I always process scent and color together, and in my head the scent of lilac as well as heliotrope are always white. By nature the white lilac is more indolic than the purple varieties, yet seems to be a bit more heady and rich up front. The green note in the white lilac is also a bit raw compared to the purples. I worked longer on the green aspect of this scent than anything else. I evaluated at least two dozen variations of the green accord as it was added to the heart, and although I have just made a slight adjustment to the heart, the green part needed no further adjustment. So cool and happy for that, because it is rarely the case. I was all set to start the green process over, and eureka! everything fits like a glove. Now the only thing left to do is fine tune the concentration for the perfume. I wish my grandmother were alive, she would love this scent. Not her beloved Gardenia, but something just as interesting and lovely. ZZ….

Soivohle Week In Review

It’s been more like two weeks or more, and we are starting to settle in to the new year. I am putting together some of our new gift box sets for photographing, and should have them on the soivohle website soon. I have also been actively seeking furnishings for our new retail space. Mr. Z bought an old mailbox unit, which will be perfect for storing product. It is such a neat thing and great conversation piece. It is also the kind of thing I am looking for. I love antiques and unusual things, so whatever I can find that will add to the ambience of our shop…well you get the idea.

Best of 2009 – We have been mentioned in these articles/lists.

Fragrantica
Oudh Lacquer
Perfume Posse
Oudh Lacquer, Love Speaks Primeval
Fashion Tribes
Best Oudh – Oudh Lacquer
I Smell Therefore I Am
Abigail, Green Oakmoss, Brian, Purple Love Smoke

I am also continuing work on the cream formulation, and the new lilac accord. I created a lilac accord last year for a new scent in the Moderne Collection but never had the time to work on it. I am going to get back to that next week, as well as putting the finishing touches on the new labels.

In other news I am still trying to develope a relationship with the two kittens we rescued a couple of weeks ago. They are so wild. Around eight weeks old and cute as they can be. My thumb nail looks worse than it really  is but is finally healing and growing out. Will be more careful in the future when handling new kittens. Had no idea such a tiny tot could inflict so much damage. Also gives me an idea of how fast things could go wrong with a wild animal. They are so fast. You can be fatally injured before your brain even registers it. Very eye opening….

Off to save the world, again….ZZ

Butter Cream

Creating a natural formulation for a luxe butter cream is no small task. Not when the commercial versions have at their disposal a multitude of chemicals to make the cream feel smooth, non greasy, silky and luxurious. I could have gone that route as well but felt that it was important for our new cream base to be natural, or as natural as possible and still be safe to use. In a very short time the natural alternatives to chemical beauty have come a very long way. There are so many materials available now that make it possible to have a truly luxurious product that rivals and (when factoring in the natural aspect) out does the commercial high end brands. To my personal taste I do not care for a true body butter. It doesn’t matter how whipped it is, it still (to me) has a greasy heavy feel. When I was working on our new formula I wanted to capture the best of both worlds, so I developed a new butter cream. It is thick and luxurious like a butter, but goes on light and smooth like a cream, leaving the skin feeling silky and nourished. I also needed to have two versions of the butter cream. One for general use (such as creating specific profiles) and another thicker version for perfumed creams. And if anyone is wondering why luxe perfumed creams are so darned expensive it is due to the amount of scent used. It takes a lot of scent formula to create a perfumed cream. Which is why the cream must be heavy enough to take the load. So many things have to work out for it to be a success. Not to mention the stability of the cream. When creating this formula it was just as important to me that it be as beneficial to the body, as it is to take on a heavy scent load. More so on the body part, because I will be using the same base for other things. When formulating I factored in a synergy of moisturizing elements, beneficial plant extracts, vitamins, nutrients and a complex blend of plant oils and butters.

We will introduce our new butter cream when we launch the new oil parfums collection. One of the new scents is called Circa 1969, a lovely patchouli and vetiver scent. I have been wearing the Circa 1969 cream for the past few days, and find it to be satisfying all on its own, not to mention the lovely silky feel. I can put it on in the morning and the silkiness as well as the scent last all day. For this particular formula, where many of the notes are  subtle, it took quite a bit of formula to properly scent the cream. I could of course alter the formula and make it more concentrated so as to use less of it in the cream, but it wouldn’t smell the same. It already has an altered scent just by being in the cream, so to alter it even more would be to create an entirely different scent, and I do not want to do this. I want there to be a harmonious transition from parfum to cream. I want everyone to experience the cream as I do, true to the parfum. My next task is to make several small batches of the cream to test for consistency, and to start batching out larger amounts of the parfum formulary. With all of our snow and cold, I have not felt much like working, but keep moving ahead anyway. There is something about snow and cold that makes me want to curl up on the sofa and watch old movies. Instead today I will have another cup of tea and go turn the little heater on in my lab to warm things up a bit. ZZ……

New Mindset For 2010

Today is Sunday, the last day of my quasi-vacation. Tomorrow I will resume work filling web orders, and working in my lab. The boutique is permanently closed. It has been a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. Having a retail location in one’s home requires that everyone be a part of it, including our cats. We will be moving the boutique to a location in the city. I have been designing in my head, and have decided on a scent bar, for testers, and will be taking all of the current boutique furniture, three bakers racks and two shelving units, to be used for product. I have also decided to display my artwork in the new space. When I began to work in perfumery full-time I ended many long-term relationships with galleries, so have not had representation for the past six or seven years. It will be a good feeling to have these two worlds finally converge. At first it will be an adjustment. Deciding on how many days pr. week I can devote to the city. How much time I need in the lab and in the fulfillment  of web store orders, etc. Mr. Z will work for me part-time when he retires from his day job. And I have a couple of family members ready and able to jump in if I need them. As it is now I will be doing most of the work myself. I have some prior experience with this sort of arrangement, having two work spaces. One at home and one in the city. When I was painting full-time I would drive down to the city three or four times pr. week, so it isn’t as though I am going into this blind. I have a pretty good idea what is needed to pull it off. Luckily I have my health and an endless supply of energy. Having the support of the people in my life is also a big plus. I am a lucky girl. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I will be making some changes to the soivohle line. Many of the changes will be to the online shop. As it is now I have many things in the boutique that are not in the online store. This will also be true of the new store. We will continue to have the Acousticjus perfumes and products as in store exclusives. And will be expanding our line of body products well beyond what is available online. I have yet to decide about custom work. As of now I am on indefinite hiatus from custom work. I will be fulfilling current obligations, but am not taking any new clients for the rest of this year and possibly the next. I would at least like to set up my smaller organ in the new store, so that people can experience the individual notes and accords that I use I  my perfumes. This has always been one of the highlights of having the boutique. I am sure that things will come together fast once the ball is in motion. I am calling this new year the year of alignment, because it feels as though many things that have been on the periphery are now on the same orbital path. It ’s a wonderful feeling, to know that all of those things, the things that I could always see just out of the corner of my eye, are now right in front of me. When it is all said and done I suppose that patience is the key. Having the goals set, short term and long, and having the patience to let them develop and unfold in their own time. ZZ

Soivohle’ Year In Review

As we move forward into the new unknown. I would like to reflect back on our year. This has been by far our best year ever. We have had more exposure around the world, increased sales and an outpouring of support and kindness from friends, family and perfume lovers. Time and time again people have written to me. Sharing their experiences. Without giving anything away, or betraying anyones confidence here are a few highlights. Two people who I am aware of wore one of our perfumes on their wedding day. Many wore them on anniversaries, birthdays and/or special occasions. Some have given our scents favorite status in their collections, while others just wanted to drop me a line and say thanks. I am a sappy gal, and must admit that many times these kind words have brought me to tears. No kindness goes unnoticed with me, or is taken for granted. I greatly appreciate every thought, feeling and word generated on my behalf. Bless you all and thank you. It means more than you know.

For the best of I will divide it into collections.

SOIVOHLE’ NATURAL (SIGNATURE) COLLECTION – This collection continues to be the best seller overall. Stand outs this year have been Oudh Lacquer. In the short time that it has been available the sales have surpassed all other scents combined. Also of note in the Parfum: Tobacco & Tulle, Underworld, Cumberland Ti and Sinti. Vanillaville continues along with Pink Praline, to top the eau de parfum naturals.

SOIVOHLE’ MODERNE COLLECTION – The stand outs in this collection through out the year have been Daybreak Violin, Honeysuckle Bird and Violets & Rainwater. The newer Bottleneck Blues has also done well. The cooler months have seen a rise in sales of Writing Lyrical Poetry, Cordovan Rose and Domino Viole’.

SOIVOHLE’ STUDIO COLLECTION – This was a surprise to me. I have been (for a long time) familiar with the way my own compositions have been accepted/or not. But was not sure what to think about this collection, as the scents are influenced in part by customer requests and custom perfume work. All of the scents in this collection have done well. If I had to pick one stand out it would probably be Raspberries & Black Pepper. I received more mail on this one. As we get ready for the new year, the studio collection is set to expand. We will be adding new scents, as well as doing an upgrade on the atomizer, and increasing the concentration of a few of the scents. I am also looking into offering either a cream or lotion of some of the scents. So look for a slew of gourmand and semi-gourmand scents in this collection. Aside from the usual amber and vanilla, fruity, foodie gourmands are the most requested scent type these days. I am going to agree with the experts on this one. Not in reference to perfume (per se), but in general. When times are though as they have been during this long stretch of economic uncertainty in our country, people gravitate to the things that provide a sense of comfort.

NEW FOR 2010 – Just in time. Today I received two of our new custom gift boxes. One of them will be for a deluxe sample set. The other will hold nine perfumes in 4ml bottles. We plan to offer several different versions of the gift box, as well as offering a mix and match service for those who wish to create their own. I plan to have some of this available within the next couple of weeks.

Natural Parfum – New Wood box. We will be going to a wooden box for our 1/2 oz size in the natural parfum. Look for this change around March or April.

Moderne & Studio – Both of these collections are getting a label makeover.

Samplers/samples – We have already begun to implement our changes here. We have gone to a screw top vial for all samples. It is the same little vial that we have always used for the large size parfum sample. The one that we wrap in handmade paper. All sample orders of three or more are now boxed. All of the labels for our special gift boxes, sample boxes etc, now have our soivohle logo design.

I feel good about the new year. Good about moving forward. I know that I will meet some wonderful new people, have wonderful experiences and have many opportunities to spread the word about the art of perfumery. I hold to my original thought: Sending Out Inspired Vibrations Of Healthy Loving Energy. Without a firm foundation, grounded in love, none of it would matter. So I am always thinking more love, more love. For the new year I wish for everyone, more love. And the chain reaction of wonders that come with it…

Peace & Blessings, ZZ…….