Decanted...tarted up...

[Fulltiltredhead]

I keep seeing this term.

[diabolique]

i was wondering this myself, dear.

[pekeana]

As far as I know, it's the old-style imp with the ribbons & parchment tags as opposed to the sticky tags that we have now. As in "she went and tarted up for her date", meaning "she went and got pretty/dressed up for her date".

[nenia]

yep, tarted just means the ol' style impies

[Fulltiltredhead]

Oh, good. I thought people were putting stuff in the oils! Lemme see here, I think I'm gonna tart up this Snake Oil with some W-D 40 and a spritz of Lemon Pledge ... I've been wondering how you would know what had been added to tart them up.

 

Mystery solved, thanks.

[glampyre]

I posted this in general idle BPAL chatter, because I don't think it's only about swapping...more of a general BPAL education-type question...

 

When I'm looking at the swap posts, I can't help but notice that there's a lot of BPAL terminology that I'm not familiar with.

 

I hope that some of you more experienced BPALers can clear some of them up for me.

 

For example, what does it mean when an imp has been "tarted up?" At first I thought it might mean that someone had decorated the little vial. Then someone told me that it meant that the person had added something to the fragrance itself...or possibly poured some more of the same scent in from a big bottle.

 

Another word I'm not exactly sure of is "decanted." In my mind, this means to fill an imp from a big bottle...but are they using a new imp bottle or an original one that contained the same scent?

 

And, if someone decants me an imp, or if should do the same for someone else, how would one go about making sure the imp vial was clean before doing so? Or does everyone own a little supply of new vials for this purpose?

 

What are some other terms that I sould know when venturing into the swapping game?

 

 

Thanks for your help and suggestions!

[Alice Aforethought]

Hello, Glampyre!

 

'Decanting' means that it has been poured from one bottle into another - in BPAL terms, from a 5 or 10ml bottle into an empty imp bottle.

 

'Tarted up' means one of the old-style imps, that had lovely frayed black raffia on them attaching the name tag. They look beautiful, but were causing delays for the Lab. The newer ones (about a month ago?) now have little sticky labels on them.

 

I haven't decanted anything for anyone myself, but I would sterilise it with sodium metabisulphate that I use for sterilising my wine making things. I don't know what other people do though!

[paperdoll]

When I decant an imp for someone, it always into a new vial.

[glampyre]

Hello, Glampyre!

 

'Decanting' means that it has been poured from one bottle into another...

 

'Tarted up' means one of the old-style imps...

Hi Alice!

 

Thank you for clearing those up for me.

 

I was waaaaaay off on the 'tarted.'

 

I'm glad to know that both you and Paperdoll take such care when decanting!

[hypothermya]

When I decant perfumes, I always use a new pipette and new vial (reusing the pipette only, if I'm doing multiple imps of the same scent in the same day).

 

But I've heard (i think?) that sometimes other people reuse old containers. I wouldn't really have any qualms about doing that for an imp that I'm planning on keeping for myself.

 

And having gotten a decanted imp of Venom from paperdoll (which I'm wearing today, go figure), I have to say that her decanting is wonderful. The imp that I recieved from her was clean, full, and a delight to recieve.

 

Also, it never hurts to ask someone in the PM you send them whatever it is that you're curious about. I've swapped with several "new" swappers recently(I only say this because I still consider myself new, having only started swapping things via mail in late May), and some of them had questions for me about packaging, etc., and I really appreciated it. I love answering any questions someone might have for me, and I think it helps clarify the whole deal. That way no one's unhappy with the swap.

[tart]

Also, it never hurts to ask someone in the PM you send them whatever it is that you're curious about.  I've swapped with several "new" swappers recently(I only say this because I still consider myself new, having only started swapping things via mail in late May), and some of them had questions for me about packaging, etc., and I really appreciated it.  I love answering any questions someone might have for me, and I think it helps clarify the whole deal.  That way no one's unhappy with the swap.

[paperdoll]

Also, it never hurts to ask someone in the PM you send them whatever it is that you're curious about.  I've swapped with several "new" swappers recently(I only say this because I still consider myself new, having only started swapping things via mail in late May), and some of them had questions for me about packaging, etc., and I really appreciated it.  I love answering any questions someone might have for me, and I think it helps clarify the whole deal.  That way no one's unhappy with the swap.

 

Great post, in fact... I'll second the fact! Ask, ask, ask away!

[Red_Hot_Mama]

I have purchased disposable pipettes & new sample vials for sharing the "madness". I've not figured out the labeling yet but I write a note, so the person knows what it is...then I bubble wrap like crazy.

 

Hope it helps!

 

RHM

[fairywingmaker]

Like everyone else that has posted about decanting, I too use brand new clean vials and pipettes for my decants. And I either write or type a very small label and tape it onto the vial. It's about 15.00 for 100 vials at at sunburstbottles.com pipettes are .20 each.

[Morrighana]

The only time I've re-used an imp, it was for the same scent that originally came in it, so there was no chance of scent contamination. Also, I did let the person know that it was an old imp.

[Alice Aforethought]

So, the concensus is not to use old imps even if sterilised, then?

 

Good job I've never followed this arcane practice of decanting... I've only got one big bottle (Imp) and I'm very jealous of it!

[hypothermya]

For my labeling, I printed out labels with the name of the scent in bold, along with the name Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs (in case the imp traveled to the uninitiated) and the date it was decanted (just for posterity). Then I'd trip the labels down a bit, and tape them just to the side with packing tape (once again trimming it down with an Xacto knife). That way the vial is clear so the person using it can see how much is left, but there's still all the relevant info. Plus packing tape is pretty durable, won't absorb spills, and pretty cheap. So that was my solution. It is a bit of work, wrestling with the Xacto knife, and whatnot, but I have to do a lot of that anyway, so who cares?

[hadaverde]

It seems I've seen this question come up several times now...perhaps one of our kind and much-appreciated moderatrices could place a sticky thread either in the "Swaps" forum, or perhaps more appropriately, in the "FAQ" forum, to be used as a "BPAL Lingo Glossary"? In addition to "decanted" and "tarted/tarty", it would also be a good place to define other words and phrases commonly used in perfumery, such as the difference between "top notes", "middle notes", and "bottom notes", and info on some of the single notes of rather more mysterious origin (the 'what is dragon's blood?' thread springs to mind)...

Edited August 29, 2004 by hadaverde

[glampyre]

Thanks, Everyone, for answering here.

 

I was pretty sure that my questions had been asked and answered many times before, and really appreciate your patience and kindnes in answering them yet again.

[goddessrobyn]

So... being new to this... I don't understand these two terms that you non-newbies (could never call anyone an old-timer!!) toss around with abandon...

 

so... what is decanting?

what does it mean when something is "tarted"??

[aessedai]

Decanted means they took an amount out of a larger bottle and put it into an Imp sized vial for you.

 

Tarted refers to the old style Imps from BPAL that had the fancy parchment type label with the fake sinew ties.

Edited October 16, 2004 by aessedai

[Morrighana]

[merged with a previous thread thread]

[aessedai]

Oops. Sorry, guess I should've reported it for merging. I still forget that it's possible.

[MissAnthropy]

When I decant perfumes, I always use a new pipette and new vial (reusing the pipette only, if I'm doing multiple imps of the same scent in the same day). 

 

But I've heard (i think?) that sometimes other people reuse old containers.  I wouldn't really have any qualms about doing that for an imp that I'm planning on keeping for myself. 

Ditto. It's the best way to decant. I'm glad others do the same as well

 

I do however re-use imp vials for my own use. I soak them in isopropal alcohol - which cleans them quite perfectly.

 

 

-Leslie

[Ina Garten Davita]

There is a thread about abbreviations and lingo in the FAQ's.

 

Click-click!