The Atelier's notebook

Diario

Notes on materials, origin and craft: how they form, what they smell like and how they are worked.
Tintura de castóreo
What is castoreum? History, scent and use in perfumery
What castoreum smells like, why aged castoreum is so prized and which materials it pairs best with in classic and modern perfumery. Read more...
Discovery set de vetiver
Vetiver: origins, aromatic profiles and uses in perfumery
Haiti, Java, Sri Lanka, India and Madagascar: how vetiver changes with its origin, from bright grapefruit to smoke and forest earth. Read more...
Madera de agar
Understanding oud: a raw material you learn to appreciate
Why oud puzzles at first and fascinates later: from the honeyed profiles of Hainan to the animalic complexity of great Indian oud. Read more...
Aceite de oud de Hainan
Chinese oud: tradition, sustainability and the future of agarwood
Hainan and the new generation of agarwood: sustainable Aquilaria plantations, aromatic profiles and why Chinese oud offers exceptional value. Read more...
Tintura de ámbar gris
Ambergris: what it is, history, properties and how to identify it
How ambergris forms, what it smells like, why it is such a prized fixative and how to tell the genuine material from fakes. Read more...