One of my clients LOVES the smell of Ticonderoga pencils. She jokingly asked if I could make a perfume with the pencil aroma as the inspiration. No problem, I told her! And off we set on her aroma journey!
Believe it or not, freshly sharpened pencil smell is actually a common (secret) joy. For me it is evocative of the first day of school and freshness and excitement that went with it. Sharpening the pencils at the first of the year, so many people (myself included) cannot help but smell the freshly shaved wood.
For my pencil loving client, I used 12 constituents to create her perfume. Ticonderoga pencils have an aroma that is reminiscent of cedarwood. I used a benzoin base with all the lovely woody vanilla notes that benzoin brings. I used Amyris as one of the fixatives. Amyris add so much to this blend, not only does it enhance the duration of the blend, but it brings a depth to the woody vanilla notes. Amyris is not typically used in aromatherapy, but it deeply centering and cleansing.
I gave her the option of a citrus/bergamot or a more complex apple/fruity (with tagetes) top note that was more keeping with the “back to school” theme. She couldn’t choose, so she ordered both one in liquid and one in a solid form.
Creating perfumes that conjure a happy or intriguing memory are really interesting for both me and the client. It is such a luxurious time to take about an hour or ninety minutes to smell unique and beautiful aromas. The hardest part for me is always having to choose which of the essential oils/tinctures a client should sample from my collection of 80 rare and exotic essences (not to mention the 100 or so more commonly known ones I have).