Different smells/colors, same perfume

[lorajc]

I just posted a message somewhere about this happening with Viola. I had an imp marked Viola, tried it and loved it. I ordered a 5 ml bottle and when I got it, it smelled hardly at all like the imp I tried. The imp I tried had a different top note, at least. It's driving me crazy also. I don't know if cuz they're hand blended, each batch could vary. I doubt it would be that much though.

[kebechet]

First, an explanation of why some oils differ slightly in scent. Bluntly put, its simply because all of our oils are organic. Many of the oils are distilled or cold-pressed in-house, and the ones that we import are all in their pure and unadulterated form. In nature, the strength of scent, the tone, and the subtle olfactory nuances of a given flower, herb or fruit differ. No two roses are ever the same. We do our best to attempt at consistency, but sometimes due to the natural composition of the blends’ constituents this is impossible. The only way that we would be able to replicate every scent identically would be to either clone the plants or start manufacturing artificial perfumes.

 

There is a possibility that one of us simply brain-farted when we assembled the order. The probability of this increases as we continue to pull all-nighters in the Lab. If the scent of your perfume varies that wildly, please let me or Nella know and we’ll try to rectify the problem.

[ipb]

i think beth is right on with it being a batch difference because my hecate imp was alot more smokey/musky and alot less butter-almondy than my new 5ml bottle in the bottle... but on dry down they are almost the same (at least one me) - the 5ml is just a little sweeter. and i do mean JUST a little.

[lorajc]

I don't have my imp of Viola to compare with the 5 ml, but I distinctly remember the imp having a really different top note. One unfamiliar to my nose. To describe it, it smelled a little nutty or buttery. The 5 ml bottle I got smells more floral/ambery which is what the description sounds like. If it was a mix up, I'm not upset.....as I like the 5 ml Viola also, but sure would like to know what the imp was so I could order it. If I could only explain it better, maybe someone could help me figure it out. It may have smelled slightly like Lear which has cedarwood, bay and sage, but it was slightly floraly and slightly resny in the background. Anyone have ideas??

[Dovekie]

Thanks everyone

I think I was just in a tizzy...but I'm better now and I could very well be wrong. And thanks for the explanation Beth! Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew scents would differ each time they were made, but being prone to brain farts myself, well, you know And given the amount of trouble I had in countless organic chemistry labs, I can only imagine the delicate nature of the art! That quantum spice had the same general occurance gives me heart, so I'm not worried!

 

 

Merci merci!

[hypothermya]

Just an idea, and mostly likely a 90% chance of being totally off the mark, but what if the imp was O? O has a reputation for being less sweet than snake oil, but still being similar. Just an idea.

[fullmoondanz]

Hi everyone!

I got an imp of hellcat with my first order, about two months ago, and loved it. About two weeks ago, I swapped for another imp of it, since my first one was almost gone, and my second (large) order is still in the works.

 

Well, I just got the second imp I swapped for, and I swear, it's not the same scent! The first imp is almost clear, perhaps slightly yellow-colored, and I can REALLY smell the mead and buttercream notes that other people have mentioned in the reviews.

The second imp is golden in color, and there's still a spicy note there, but none of the "boozy" or "buttercream" top notes that I noticed (and loved!) in the first imp. The second imp had the parchment tag attached, so I'm wondering, maybe they labelled it wrong at the lab?

It's not a huge deal, and I'm not out any money, but I was going to place another order soon and get a 5ml of hellcat. But if the formulation changed, I'll have to reconsider. Really not as fond of the second imp as I was the first one. If anyone knows what might be going on, please let me know. Thanks!

 

claire

[clephan]

I've not tried Hellcat, but that first description sounds a lot like Gluttony to me: have you tried that one?

[quinkel]

Wasn't it Hellcat that had been discontinued for a while? or was that Hellfire??

 

(names are not my strongest point)

[malanna]

It was Hellfire. But I was a bit confused about whether the Hellcat formulation had been changed, too.

[Lexy]

I ordered Hellcat because I love buttercream and rum, but my Hellcat (which has to be among the newest out there) just smells like honey. And that's all. I still love it, but it's not as complex as I'd hoped.

[Ina Garten Davita]

The same thing happened to me. I got my first Hellcat in a swap and it's wonderful and rummy and gorgeous. Then I got another in a swap or with my first order (can't remember) and it's lovely but totally different in scent, texture and color (much lighter). I posted about this way back when.

[Morrighana]

I've heard about this happening with a lot of different scents...the problem is likely the fact that one of the imps was not stored correctly. Because they are in clear vials and not amber or cobalt, sunlight can alter their composition. Also, if they are left in a warm place(at someone's home or in the mail, etc) that can change their composition as well.

 

If I were you, I'd try to get a third imp of it, preferably from the Lab (that way you know it is reasonably fresh, and it has had less time in the mail to get damaged), and see which of the other imps it is like, and assume that that is the true Hellcat.

[kebechet]

I've heard about this happening with a lot of different scents...the problem is likely the fact that one of the imps was not stored correctly.  Because they are in clear vials and not amber or cobalt, sunlight can alter their composition.  Also, if they are left in a warm place(at someone's home or in the mail, etc) that can change their composition as well.

 

If I were you, I'd try to get a third imp of it, preferably from the Lab (that way you know it is reasonably fresh, and it has had less time in the mail to get damaged), and see which of the other imps it is like, and assume that that is the true Hellcat. 

That /does/ happen. Oils can be quite fragile. When we moved the Lab to the Atwater location, I didn't realize exactly where the sun hit in the mornings and we didn't have curtains in for a few days. 16oz of apple blossom oil spoiled by sitting in direct sunlight for too long. It broke down the components of the oil and the whole damn thing went off. Luckily it was the only casualty.

 

Thank Hell I smell everything before I blend.

 

Another potential problem is that sometimes the oils seperate a little. When you are about to apply an oil, place it between your palms and roll it gently to "re-mix" the blend. Don't shake, as that can possibly break down the oil, too, and it will spoil faster.

 

Sometimes I wonder if I should start using preservatives and fixatives. =/

[lorajc]

I say yes to fixatives!

[Morrighana]

Fixatives (and preservatives) make the whole less natural, though, don't they? (I don't really know, I'm just guessing here!) I think...but this may just be me...that the purity of BPALs is a large part of the attraction, but whatever you decide, Beth, we'll stick with you!

[amberbella]

I've only been here a short while, but I don't see spoiling being so much of a problem that the lab's formulation needs to be altered. The scents are beautiful as is and I imagine that if we all just stored them properly they should last a good long while. Patrons who are concerned could probably add fixatives on their own I imagine. (?)

 

I make sure to keep all my oils tucked away in a drawer in a cool dark room....I'm hoping this is all it will take to keep the little buggars nice and fresh.

[Astarte]

Crap!

I just realised I keep my BPAL oils in the worst place ever, on top of my warm monitor in an open box.

 

I think it'll be moving time for them tonight.

[TygherRayn]

I don't think fixatives/preservatives are necessary. Most of us seem to buy, predominantly, Imps .. and I can't imagine the amount in an imp going bad in the time it takes to use it. Improper storage might cause the oils to break down prematurely .. but then we get to get a freshly blended replacement!

 

If I understand it right the oils aren't 'pre blended' or anything. Beth & Co don't keep large quantities of any one oil on hand, and so spoilage shouldn't be much of a problem, as the oils we get are fairly fresh.

[any_old_actress]

hey gang,

 

maybe i'm outta the loop but was hecate changed recently? i received an imp a couple of months ago and it was very dry and heavy on the myrrh and when i received my 5ml of it, it's VERY almond/berry smelling with less of the myrrh i fell in love with. anyone know?

[any_old_actress]

ok...as i wear it more it's still the same thing, but when first applied it seems a tad different.

[kebechet]

hey gang,

 

maybe i'm outta the loop but was hecate changed recently? i received an imp a couple of months ago and it was very dry and heavy on the myrrh and when i received my 5ml of it, it's VERY almond/berry smelling with less of the myrrh i fell in love with. anyone know?

No, it hasn't changed, but the component oils are from a different batch. It's hard to standardize a scent perfectly when you use organics instead of synthetics. =/

[any_old_actress]

totally understood. it's the exact same on the dry-down, so it makes little difference to me, i just thought i missed something like i usually do!

[ipb]

merged with existing topic.

[Amazon]

I just received my 9/28 order (Thank you lab lovelies!! ) and received the imp of Scherezade that I ordered.

 

It was one of those things that I wanted to try and wound up getting from somewhere in a swap. Which is cool and all because it gives me an extra one to share or swap with.

 

HOWever....they are not even close to the same color. Now I know sometimes Beth has to go to different distributers for oils when one runs out, but one of these is a really pale yellow color and the other is brown.

 

Could someone share some light on why this is? I actually haven't tried them yet, but they smell very similar, not quite exactly the same.

 

Thank you.