Webchat with perfumer Sarah McCartney: Thursday 24 May, 9pm

[RachelMumsnet]

In response to this thread, we’ve organised a webchat on Thursday 24 May at 9pm with perfumer Sarah McCartney.

Writer turned perfumer Sarah McCartney composes fragrances for her micro-perfumery, 4160Tuesdays, and for clients including Google, Tinder and Hyundai. Using early 20th century methods, with a 21st century online business strategy, she has built a worldwide reputation and fanbase, with stockists in Europe and the US, as well as the UK.

Sarah’s perfumes, described by perfume archivist James Craven, are “a wardrobe of highly sophisticated scents which one can also play with”. They all have their own stories, which she enjoys telling with wit and enthusiasm, sharing some of perfumery’s secrets along the way.
4160Tuesdays operates from a small studio in West London, where all the creation, bottling and despatch happens in a friendly space with its own swing, a world away from the image led, celeb driven, multinational fragrance industry.

Join Sarah on Thursday at 9pm to find out more about perfumery and put your questions to her. if you’re unable to join us on the night, post your question for her on this thread in advance.

Oh yes, absolutely, We have to do stability testing and all the other many many things, but not toxicology.

Ah, that's interesting, because I had to have toxicology done on even simple things like bath bombs (bicarbonate of soda, citric acid, and fragrance) which don't need preservatives.

And I didn't know that about heliotrope! Mother-in-law was having trouble finding citric acid recently, because it has similar uses!

"The smell of disillusionment"

With a drizzle of raspberry sauce on top...

Almond, tonka, coffee, orris root - not too sweet sold

Talking tonka / almond how do you get the fecking fabulous smell out of marble tiles?

Please also please 'do' Lindisfarne's Run For Home so I can wear it at my funeral

Definetly love coffee in a perfume. Also btw Sarah scenthusiasm is amazing. People keep asking what I’m wearing.

@Coffeecoffeebuzzbuzzbuzz

I have a question about the regulations regarding ingredients for perfumes. My layman’s understanding is that changes to legal requirements have caused classic perfumes to be reformulated: what impact is this having on your own work, and the wider industry? Is it possible to have a completely hypoallergenic fragrance?

Hello Coffee
I already make two fragrances with none of the allergens in that are listed by the EU (the regulations we currently follow). They are 100% synthetic, because these are much more predictable and many are totally benign.

Yes, there's been a lot of research since the 70s and materials gets restricted or banned. A lot of naturals re restricted, like citrus fruits, as they are basically Mother Nature's insect repellents.

Perfumers just have to keep an eye on what's coming up. I have to use a new kind of oakmoss with the irritants taken out, but it smells fine. The two materials that have been banned from next year, Lyral and Lilial, are in thousands of perfumes, but I could never afford them so I don't have to worry. If you like floral fragrances, just buy bundles of them before 2020.

^^ sorry not meant to be morbid

@Motoko

Oh yes, absolutely, We have to do stability testing and all the other many many things, but not toxicology.

Ah, that's interesting, because I had to have toxicology done on even simple things like bath bombs (bicarbonate of soda, citric acid, and fragrance) which don't need preservatives.

And I didn't know that about heliotrope! Mother-in-law was having trouble finding citric acid recently, because it has similar uses!

Ah but perfumes do have preservatives in, the alcohol is the preservative! Nothing grows in that stuff.

That brings us to the end of the hour. Thanks so much Sarah for getting through such a huge number of questions and thanks to everyone for joining us tonight - it's been a really interesting and enlightening chat.

Coffee Alpha & Beta with no allergens.

I think it's time for me to go! I'll aim to answer everything that I've not covered in the hour if I can, because I've not ever started on Brexit. ;-)
Thanks for having me, and if I didn't get to answer your question you can ask it again over at our place. Come to Acton! (just check first because we're not always in.)

Thanks again Sarah.

I may have just placed an order for Scenthusiasm...! Just. Too. Tempting.

Thank you so much for doing this Sarah, it has been very entertaining and enlightening!

@RachelMumsnet

That brings us to the end of the hour. Thanks so much Sarah for getting through such a huge number of questions and thanks to everyone for joining us tonight - it's been a really interesting and enlightening chat.

Thanks, it's been great. My fingers are aching.

Thanks for your response Sarah, that’s interesting about the changes to florals.
Thanks pesty will investigate- my mum struggles with allergies so these might be good for her.

@CheapTarnishedGlitter

I may have just placed an order for Scenthusiasm...! Just. Too. Tempting.

Thank you Cheapy,
It's gone down a storm, so I hope you love it too.

Thanks Sarah - an interesting hour well spent.

And will now go off and make a list of Florals to stockpile!!

Thank you Sarah, it's been informative!

Thanks Sarah

Gossip continues on the Perfumista thread.

I've also just placed an order for Scenthusiasm!

@PestymcPestFace

How long do fragrances keep maturing. I made one at a workshop last year, after 6 weeks in the knicker drawer - it was quite wearable. After 9 months it is rather good, will it stay put now?

Hi Pesty'
Once there is oxygen in the bottle they will start to change, but as we were saying, alcohol is a preservative so they're good for about three years. If you haven't opened it yet, then a perfume will get better and better, as long as the mechanism doesn't allow air in. I opened a glass stoppered 1920s L'Heure Bleue once and it was STUNNING!

Thanks 💐

Oh dear I've had to come back to correct my mistake, I of course bought 2.25ml testers, not 9ml! Otherwise I wouldn't have quite so many.
Been enjoying trying them out this week while on holiday and funnily enough the out and out winner for me is 'What I did on my holiday'!