Barrister and Mann

hmn, I might have to see if I can find a sample of hallows somewhere...

Will, I noticed a SOTD today that featured B&M Fougere Aromatique in a green translucent tub with a "different" label.  When was this version released and is it any different (i.e. is it glissant?) than my original white tub Fougere Aromatique?

Also and update for Canadian members that Menessentials is sold out of both Cool and Classic in the Barrister's Reserve leaving only Spice in stock.

Thanks,
Mark

It was the final release, conducted last year. It was not different, no.

Will, I noticed a SOTD today that featured B&M Fougere Aromatique in a green translucent tub with a "different" label.  When was this version released and is it any different (i.e. is it glissant?) than my original white tub Fougere Aromatique?

Also and update for Canadian members that Menessentials is sold out of both Cool and Classic in the Barrister's Reserve leaving only Spice in stock.

Thanks,
Mark

It was the final release, conducted last year. It was not different, no.

Cool container and label though - although I still really like the classic white tubs. I'm looking forward to this year's especially creepy Hallows label.

Can't wait for my Hallows,  after 3 years trying buy  

Joder, tienes una gran paciencia, mi amigo!  

Can't wait for my Hallows,  after 3 years trying buy  

You won't be disappointed, and in glissant no less.  It just keeps getting better.  I missed out last year but had a tub from the year before that I've been rationing and its now down to the ring around the edge so this release is coming just in time.  I'm getting 2 tubs, no more rationing for me!
Mark

Thanks!

How long will lavithan be available?

How long will lavithan be available?

Until the end of December.

Will, speaking of Leviathan. I get the mythological picture painted, but I'm curious what the inspiration was for the combination of leather, coffee and sandalwood.

I shaved with it today for the first time. Another great, unusual scent. Definitely a cold weather scent. Not a daily driver. Special occasions

Will, speaking of Leviathan. I get the mythological picture painted, but I'm curious what the inspiration was for the combination of leather, coffee and sandalwood.

I shaved with it today for the first time. Another great, unusual scent. Definitely a cold weather scent. Not a daily driver. Special occasions

*grin* Okay, you're really going to think me insane, and probably be pretty grossed out, but bear with me.

Coffee contains a striking quantity of the compound skatole, which is one of the molecules that makes feces smell so charmingly pungent. When I was a kid, I realized that coffee and fresh dog poop actually smell pretty similar. Obviously they're different, but there's a distinct similarity between the two substances. Chemistry, as I mentioned, bears this out.

When leather tanning was perfected in Russia, a specific offshoot was developed by the monks of various orders in order to preserve the books in their monastery libraries. Since they found that books bound in leather (the cheapest, most durable, and most readily available book binding material) tended to attract parasites and mites, they began tanning the leather using birch smoke tinctures, which they found repelled insects. This is what gives the leather its distinct smoky character, and was the basis for the various Russian leather perfumes that have been developed over the course of the last century.

HOWEVER, in early leather tanning methods (not just Russian ones), there was another important ingredient as well: animal feces. Very old leather has a distinctly primal, animal character to it as a result of this inclusion, and old Russian leathers, especially those used in book binding, are no different. It's not enough to be offensive, but it is DEFINITELY enough to be identifiable, and is replicated in Russian leather accords with the use of castoreum (which smells like beaver musk) and civet (which smells like, well, poop). So Russian leather perfumes often have an underlying slightly fecal character that lends them a velvety, musky scent profile. It seemed obvious that the complimentary characteristics of a good coffee fragrance, which contains TINY amounts of skatole, and a good Russian leather accord, which contains tiny amounts of civet, would be perfect for marriage in a soap.

I had also been inspired by a sample of MPG Santal Noble I had received from @"uncle_dubya". It's a brilliant work, a marriage of coffee and sandalwood, and arguably one of the greatest reference sandalwood perfumes of all time. While musing on the combination of coffee and Russian leather, it occurred to me that a really fine or unusual sandalwood accord could be used to smooth out whatever rough-and-tumble, angular edges might arise as a result of the assemblage. I chose a distinctly strange sandalwood for the purpose (which, in fact, only remotely resembles real sandalwood), but the sweetness of the design tempered the rough, feral edges of the coffee/leather combination.

Thus, Leviathan was born.

Will, speaking of Leviathan. I get the mythological picture painted, but I'm curious what the inspiration was for the combination of leather, coffee and sandalwood.

I shaved with it today for the first time. Another great, unusual scent. Definitely a cold weather scent. Not a daily driver. Special occasions

*grin* Okay, you're really going to think me insane, and probably be pretty grossed out, but bear with me.

Coffee contains a striking quantity of the compound skatole, which is one of the molecules that makes feces smell so charmingly pungent. When I was a kid, I realized that coffee and fresh dog poop actually smell pretty similar. Obviously they're different, but there's a distinct similarity between the two substances. Chemistry, as I mentioned, bears this out.

When leather tanning was perfected in Russia, a specific offshoot was developed by the monks of various orders in order to preserve the books in their monastery libraries. Since they found that books bound in leather (the cheapest, most durable, and most readily available book binding material) tended to attract parasites and mites, they began tanning the leather using birch smoke tinctures, which they found repelled insects. This is what gives the leather its distinct smoky character, and was the basis for the various Russian leather perfumes that have been developed over the course of the last century.

HOWEVER, in early leather tanning methods (not just Russian ones), there was another important ingredient as well: animal feces. Very old leather has a distinctly primal, animal character to it as a result of this inclusion, and old Russian leathers, especially those used in book binding, are no different. It's not enough to be offensive, but it is DEFINITELY enough to be identifiable, and is replicated in Russian leather accords with the use of castoreum (which smells like beaver musk) and civet (which smells like, well, poop). So Russian leather perfumes often have an underlying slightly fecal character that lends them a velvety, musky scent profile. It seemed obvious that the complimentary characteristics of a good coffee fragrance, which contains TINY amounts of skatole, and a good Russian leather accord, which contains tiny amounts of civet, would be perfect for marriage in a soap.

I had also been inspired by a sample of MPG Santal Noble I had received from @"uncle_dubya". It's a brilliant work, a marriage of coffee and sandalwood, and arguably one of the greatest reference sandalwood perfumes of all time. While musing on the combination of coffee and Russian leather, it occurred to me that a really fine or unusual sandalwood accord could be used to smooth out whatever rough-and-tumble, angular edges might arise as a result of the assemblage. I chose a distinctly strange sandalwood for the purpose (which, in fact, only remotely resembles real sandalwood), but the sweetness of the design tempered the rough, feral edges of the coffee/leather combination.

Thus, Leviathan was born.

That's was a *crappy* post. See what I did there???

In all seriousness. Awesome. If I could "love" a post, I would. These are the fascinating stories I appreciate hearing about how your scents come to be. You sir, should write a book sometime!

Will, speaking of Leviathan. I get the mythological picture painted, but I'm curious what the inspiration was for the combination of leather, coffee and sandalwood.

I shaved with it today for the first time. Another great, unusual scent. Definitely a cold weather scent. Not a daily driver. Special occasions

*grin* Okay, you're really going to think me insane, and probably be pretty grossed out, but bear with me.

Coffee contains a striking quantity of the compound skatole, which is one of the molecules that makes feces smell so charmingly pungent. When I was a kid, I realized that coffee and fresh dog poop actually smell pretty similar. Obviously they're different, but there's a distinct similarity between the two substances. Chemistry, as I mentioned, bears this out.

When leather tanning was perfected in Russia, a specific offshoot was developed by the monks of various orders in order to preserve the books in their monastery libraries. Since they found that books bound in leather (the cheapest, most durable, and most readily available book binding material) tended to attract parasites and mites, they began tanning the leather using birch smoke tinctures, which they found repelled insects. This is what gives the leather its distinct smoky character, and was the basis for the various Russian leather perfumes that have been developed over the course of the last century.

HOWEVER, in early leather tanning methods (not just Russian ones), there was another important ingredient as well: animal feces. Very old leather has a distinctly primal, animal character to it as a result of this inclusion, and old Russian leathers, especially those used in book binding, are no different. It's not enough to be offensive, but it is DEFINITELY enough to be identifiable, and is replicated in Russian leather accords with the use of castoreum (which smells like beaver musk) and civet (which smells like, well, poop). So Russian leather perfumes often have an underlying slightly fecal character that lends them a velvety, musky scent profile. It seemed obvious that the complimentary characteristics of a good coffee fragrance, which contains TINY amounts of skatole, and a good Russian leather accord, which contains tiny amounts of civet, would be perfect for marriage in a soap.

I had also been inspired by a sample of MPG Santal Noble I had received from @"uncle_dubya". It's a brilliant work, a marriage of coffee and sandalwood, and arguably one of the greatest reference sandalwood perfumes of all time. While musing on the combination of coffee and Russian leather, it occurred to me that a really fine or unusual sandalwood accord could be used to smooth out whatever rough-and-tumble, angular edges might arise as a result of the assemblage. I chose a distinctly strange sandalwood for the purpose (which, in fact, only remotely resembles real sandalwood), but the sweetness of the design tempered the rough, feral edges of the coffee/leather combination.

Thus, Leviathan was born.

That's was a *crappy* post. See what I did there???

In all seriousness. Awesome. If I could "love" a post, I would. These are the fascinating stories I appreciate hearing about how your scents come to be. You sir, should write a book sometime!

I'm told that I'm very engaging when talking about perfume in person, so I've actually been thinking of starting a YouTube channel where I talk about perfume, perfume history, my scents, other people's scents, etc. Thank you very much for the kind words.