from her mind, she arrived at the shop that morning, eager to start a new project as a distraction. This time of the year she could count on an hour or two to perfect a formula. She worked with essential oils distilled directly from plant material. Natural oils' ability to enter the bloodstream through contact, effecting physical and emotional changes in the human body fascinated her. She found it more exciting than working with synthetics, referred to simply as perfume oils in the trade. The connection between plants and humans brought her into the study of Aromatherapy, and the blending of oils for massage.
She laid out a dozen narrow paper strips, about three inches long, on the counter in front of her. Both ends of each strip were bent so they stood straight up when the strip lay flat. Also on the counter were about a dozen small brown bottles, holding samples of fragrant oils.
"Hi, Lynn. What's all that?"
Startled, she looked up to see Sarah coming into the shop. "Oh, hi. I'm working on a new fragrance. It needs something and I can't quite figure out what."
"You mean, like, you're making a perfume?"
"Yeah, but this will be a cologne. Not too many people buy perfume these days. Too expensive."
"You know how to do this? I mean, make cologne and perfume?"
"It's a hobby of mine as well as a profession. If it turns out, I'll bottle it and sell it in the store."
"I didn't know a person could, like, make their own perfume. I thought it happened in a factory somewhere."
"There's no mystery about it. It's all made the same, if it's Est ée Lauder's or mine. It's like cooking. Instead of tastes, though, you think odor. You decide on the basics first by putting it together in your head; like should it be floral or woody or citrus? When the idea is there, you begin with these scent strips." She gestured at the narrow pieces of paper with the ends turned up.
"I moisten the end of a strip with one of the oils, and label it. That way I can smell several, in any combination, to get an idea of the finished product. When you have a possibility, you mix a small amount. If it still smells good, you add pure alcohol in a proportion of four to one part mix, if you want perfume. It's about sixteen to one if you want cologne."
"That's it?"
She laughed. "I wish. You have to let the fragrance age in the alcohol, sort of like wine, to see what happens. These are mostly natural oils. When the molecules get together they interact and you might be surprised and end up with an odor like cabbage soup."
The confusion on Sarah's face made Lynn decide to take it a little further, enjoying the pleasure of sharing something she loved.
"Look at these scent strips. Each one has an oil sample I think I might use. See? I've marked them. We have rosemary, lemon, rose, cedar, jasmine, and cinnamon.
"Pick up two of them and hold them together, close to your nose. You can tell if it works without actually mixing it."
Sarah carefully picked up a rose and a jasmine strip, and sniffed cautiously.
Lynn watched her, amused. Sarah was so intent. It would be fun to teach her about perfume. Having an interest might distract her from some of the unhappiness in her life.
"Yuck, that is really sweet."
"The jasmine is probably a bit too much. Try the lemon with the rose."
"That's better, but I still don't like it."
"Well, you get the general idea. In a couple of hours you might work your way through all the bottles I have here and find a combination."
"It must take a long time to do this."
"It helps if you've memorized a couple of hundred scents. It's called, 'having a nose.' Professional 'noses' can identify about two thousand different odors."
"Could I learn to do this?"
"Sure. Like any other creative art form, it takes practice, but I'd enjoy teaching you. Of course, if you wanted a career working for a lab somewhere, then you'd need a college degree and a lot of organic chemistry courses to get hired."
Sarah's habitual glum expression softened a
She laid out a dozen narrow paper strips, about three inches long, on the counter in front of her. Both ends of each strip were bent so they stood straight up when the strip lay flat. Also on the counter were about a dozen small brown bottles, holding samples of fragrant oils.
"Hi, Lynn. What's all that?"
Startled, she looked up to see Sarah coming into the shop. "Oh, hi. I'm working on a new fragrance. It needs something and I can't quite figure out what."
"You mean, like, you're making a perfume?"
"Yeah, but this will be a cologne. Not too many people buy perfume these days. Too expensive."
"You know how to do this? I mean, make cologne and perfume?"
"It's a hobby of mine as well as a profession. If it turns out, I'll bottle it and sell it in the store."
"I didn't know a person could, like, make their own perfume. I thought it happened in a factory somewhere."
"There's no mystery about it. It's all made the same, if it's Est ée Lauder's or mine. It's like cooking. Instead of tastes, though, you think odor. You decide on the basics first by putting it together in your head; like should it be floral or woody or citrus? When the idea is there, you begin with these scent strips." She gestured at the narrow pieces of paper with the ends turned up.
"I moisten the end of a strip with one of the oils, and label it. That way I can smell several, in any combination, to get an idea of the finished product. When you have a possibility, you mix a small amount. If it still smells good, you add pure alcohol in a proportion of four to one part mix, if you want perfume. It's about sixteen to one if you want cologne."
"That's it?"
She laughed. "I wish. You have to let the fragrance age in the alcohol, sort of like wine, to see what happens. These are mostly natural oils. When the molecules get together they interact and you might be surprised and end up with an odor like cabbage soup."
The confusion on Sarah's face made Lynn decide to take it a little further, enjoying the pleasure of sharing something she loved.
"Look at these scent strips. Each one has an oil sample I think I might use. See? I've marked them. We have rosemary, lemon, rose, cedar, jasmine, and cinnamon.
"Pick up two of them and hold them together, close to your nose. You can tell if it works without actually mixing it."
Sarah carefully picked up a rose and a jasmine strip, and sniffed cautiously.
Lynn watched her, amused. Sarah was so intent. It would be fun to teach her about perfume. Having an interest might distract her from some of the unhappiness in her life.
"Yuck, that is really sweet."
"The jasmine is probably a bit too much. Try the lemon with the rose."
"That's better, but I still don't like it."
"Well, you get the general idea. In a couple of hours you might work your way through all the bottles I have here and find a combination."
"It must take a long time to do this."
"It helps if you've memorized a couple of hundred scents. It's called, 'having a nose.' Professional 'noses' can identify about two thousand different odors."
"Could I learn to do this?"
"Sure. Like any other creative art form, it takes practice, but I'd enjoy teaching you. Of course, if you wanted a career working for a lab somewhere, then you'd need a college degree and a lot of organic chemistry courses to get hired."
Sarah's habitual glum expression softened a
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