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SmellyBlog

New Leaves in My Book

Heart Leaves
SmellyBlog has been mostly silent for two seasons. Such a long absence warrants an explanation. While coping with the harsh heat of the Mediterranean summer, I've had plenty of time for soul-searching and redefining what is it that I want to be doing next.

My move to the countryside was not only to be closer to my family, but also closer to the fragrant plants that grow here in abundance. Living surrounded by wilderness and nature has direct impact on my pace of life and makes priorities and values even clearer and more tangible.

I am so deeply moved and affected by the seasonal changes and the healing powers of plants, and I am dedicating much of my time to studying the plants here from every angle - their life cycle throughout the year, their fragrance (if they have any), healing properties and the lessons that can be learned from these resilient and inspiring living beings. While I've always been most drawn to the beauty of plants - especially to the colourful and fragrant flowers -  I am now learning the subtle beauty of the more humble ones, and am enchanted even by those which don't give off perfumes, or those that are edible or "useful" to people in any tangible way. Those plants too are magical and great teachers, showing us their way of life in their unique habitat, their way of facing the elements, and their unique defence mechanisms and methods of coping with hardships are great lessons to our human life, if we only take the time to observe, listen and take to heart.

It is becoming increasingly more important to me to be true to myself, to protect the earth and dedicate my life to healing and making a positive change all around me (starting with myself of course). I am reconnecting with the earth, and with its plant creatures in particular. It is now time for all the seemingly disparate aspects of my life to come together. All the gifts I've been blessed with to be channeled in the most effective way to share the wisdom I've received regarding plants in general, and perfume and incense plants in particular. Besides making natural perfumes, and incense (which I've been most dedicated to in the past two years), there are other components of how to bring this magic and wisdom to the people in my life. One aspect of this is my writing, outside of this blog, namely a book that I've been dreaming of for at least 12 years.

Therefore, this year will be dedicated to further deepening my knowledge of the plants around me and from this place of respect to the plants and the earth, and I have decided to gather all my experience with the perfumed plants in one book:

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS
Complete Guide to the Essentials of Natural Building Blocks (Agarwood through Zdravetz)
The second book I am currently writing is a book which is in the works since 2005, and is planned to be published at the end of year 2020. Pre-order it now and support the completion of this unique project!

This comprehensive dictionary of raw materials of natural perfumery is meant to serve as a continuation of my first book, "Foundation of Natural Perfumery" (2014). Perfumers and students alike will benefit from condensed resource covering over 200 different plant species (and some mineral and animal materials as well) - and the raw materials for perfumery and incense which are derived from them - which amount to close to 400 different botanical extracts and preparations, presenting different colours and shades for the natural perfumer's palette. Each plant receives a unique treatment showcasing its organoleptic properties, in my own unique language which is both poetic and informative; as well as quick reference for how it can be used in perfume compositions, and which essences it pairs with to create magic. Some plants which are particularly important for the trade will receive wider coverage entailing their cultural and historical significance as well as healing or therapeutic properties whenever applicable. In some cases, comparison between different varietals or terroirs will be also addressed.

I invite you to support this project and pre-order this book. It will be ready sometime in 2020. And it will be an amazing resource for perfumers and students. I have done the same thing with my first book, and thanks to everyone's advance purchases of the book, was able to publish my book independently, and fund the editing, graphic design and printing of the first run. I hope to do so with my second book, and for that I need your help!
If this is a book that you'd like to have, please pitch in and pre-order it for a special price, of only $99. The book is anticipated to have at least 400 pages, and will likely need to be printed in 2 volumes, so the final price will be much higher once it is out.
Thank you in advance for your help and for believing in my project!
Sincerely,
Ayala


Citrus & Cologne Week + Lab 101 (May 4-8)



There are 2 available spots at the Citrus & Cologne Week-long Course.

Designed for students who want to excel in their studies of natural perfumery. This week-long intensive course runs Mon-Thu from 9:30am-4pm, and Friday from 9am-1:30pm and offers theoretical and practical guidance alongside hands-on lab exercises and experiments. Friday is dedicated for feedback, summary and one-on-one sessions with Ayala for each participant. 

This course is mandatory introductory course to all new students, and focuses on the basic lab skills (tincturing, dilutions, measuring, weighing, recording) through studying the earliest form of European/Western perfumes: Aqua Mirabillis AKA Eaux de Colognes.


You'll really enjoy discovering historic formulae, as well as learning about the unique properties of the citrus oils in body care and cleaning products (functional perfumery), learn a bit about organic chemistry, and - the biggest challenge of all: learn to discern between the sutble nuances that differentiate the many varieties of citrus oils, i.e. red mandarin vs. yellow mandarin; grapefruit vs. bergamot; lemon vs. lime; sweet orange vs. bitter orange.

The main objectives and topics that will be covered this week: olfaction (studying the raw materials), how to follow an existing formula, scale-up, how to write a formula, building cologne-type accords and creating simple solid perfumes, as well as cologne and citrus formulation in an alcohol base.

Featured Lecture: The Role of Citrus Oils in Functional Fragrances

Featured (Practical) Workshop: Tincturing citrus zest and citrus leaves

Course Schedule and Structure:
The course runs May 4-8, which is a full week - Monday through Thursday from 9:30am to 4pm; and Friday from 9am-1:30pm and takes place at Ayala Moriel's private home studio.
The mornings (9:30am-12pm) are dedicated to theory and studying olfaction (discerning between notes). The afternoons (1pm-4pm) are a lab session which is dedicated to the practical implementations of what was studied in the morning, i.e. weighing, measuring, recording, formulation, composition and compounding.

The fee includes book*, materials and supplies.

Dates: May 4-8, 2015

* For new students only. Returning students will be using the same textbook they received in the first week, which accompanies the entire program.

Rave Reviews for Ayala's New Book

A few days ago, I received this incredibly supportive feedback about my book from my fellow perfumer and renown author Mandy Aftel. I simply had to share! 
"This wonderful new book is a welcome addition to the literature on natural perfumery! Ayala Moriel's techniques are born of her talent, intelligence and long experience, and she gives a solid foundation in the basics, via formulas, detailed instructions, a glossary, and information on suppliers. You will be smitten with both her expertise and her enthusiasm."

Night At The Library of Scents



Celebrate the holidays with Ayala in this last special event of 2014: Book signing at her perfume apothecary on Twelve Thirty Haro Street, Dec. 11th, 5pm-10pm. Ayala will read select passages from her new book, answer questions, let you sniff some special aromatics, and sign your copy of "Foundation of Natural Perfumery" - her new, self-published book. 

Also introducing: the new perfume, Narkiss (a haunting narcissus soliflore); and debut art exhibit by the perfumer's daughter, Tamya.  

Also planned are wintery libations and brews, old-library-scented chocolate truffles (with pure oud essence - yesss!!!), and after-hours shopping for goodies that can only be found in person. 





Back to School! Oriental Course September 30 - October 4


Want to study natural perfumery this year? This week is your last opportunity to sign up to Ayala Moriel Parfums' week-long course that is dedicated to the Oriental fragrance family (Sep 30-Oct 4). Immerse yourself in ancient resins, exotic spices, precious flowers, rare woods and amber - and learn hands on as well as from historic recipes how to construct these iconic perfumes that accompanied the human spirit for thousands of years.
Registration closes Aug 30 (next Friday). We need at least 4 students fully completing their registration in order to run the course. Hope to see you this fall at my course! 

The dates are scheduled for the tail end of September and beginning of October 2013: September 30th - October 4th.

For those among you receiving this information about my perfumes school for the first time, here is a little more background info about how it works: what used to be a full-time 2 year intensive program has been modified into a series of 8 full-time week-long courses offered at my home studio at the heart of beautiful downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.

Ayala Moriel Perfumery School - Overview of Course Structure
The week-long intensive format are the most flexible way to give students from far and near the opportunity to get solid theoretical background on the art of perfumery in general and natural perfumery in particular, as well as plenty of lab-time to exercise both the art, science and technique of composing perfumes in the lab. Remote students benefit from the opportunity to connect face to face with their teacher as well as other students, and truly dedicate some time that is set aside for learning the art of natural perfumery undisturbed and in a fun, friendly, creative and encouraging learning environment here at my studio. The curriculum is divided equally between theory and practice (aka hands-on lab exercises, sniffing techniques, olfaction and learning to dissect and match existing perfumes).

Although there are no assignments given in between sessions, students will be given suggestions for exercises and projects they can work on to keep their noses busy and practice their olfactory skills until the next time they can make it here to study in person. And 

Each week will be dedicated to a particular fragrance family (so there are 8 weeks in total to choose from - Eau de Cologne, Oriental, Fougere, Chypre, Citrus, Floral, Leather and Soliflore).
There will be a special workshop in each intensive week (i.e.: incense making, truffle making, tincturing, solid perfume making, candle making, etc.).

You will get a certificate of completion for each week you've done, and will get your diploma for the program once you have completed all 8 weeks and covered all the fragrance families.
It is up to you how fast - or slow - you'd like to proceed in the course, based on how often you can attend the intensive weeks. Depending on interest, we may offer up to 4 intensive weeks per year, so you could complete the program anytime between 2-4 years.

The cost is $1,800 for each week, and include materials used during the classes, as well as the course handbook - which is your comprehensive guide for the entire program and contains a wealth of information, exercises, tips and resources such as reading list and suppliers' contacts.
* Students who wish to continue studying and creating perfumes on their own will be given suggestions for where to get high quality essential oils and absolutes so that you can build your own organ. Some raw materials can also be purchased directly from me.

Oriental Week Information (Fall 2013):
The Autumn session covers studying the raw materials, perfume structure, how to blend a formula, how to write a formula, building accords and creating simple solid perfumes, and basic Oriental formulation in an alcohol base.
Featured workshops: Incense Making Workshop (Indian-style incense cones or Ancient Egyptian Kyphi)
The fee includes book, materials and supplies as well as tea and refreshments.
Dates: September 30 - October 4, 2013
Sessions take place from 9:30am to 4pm, with a lunch break from noon to 1pm.
The morning session (9:30am-12pm) is theory; and the afternoon (1:00pm-4:00pm) is dedicated to hands-on and practical exercises such as field trips, analytical study of perfumes and natural plant matter, and hands-on composition and technical exercises in the lab.

Payment schedule:
30% deposit ($540) due by July 30th to reserve your spot, via personal cheque or credit card payment (over the phone - please no PayPal and please don't "order" the course online without emailing or talking to me first!).
The remainder of the tuition ($1,260) should be paid in full no later than August 30th (30 days before class starts).
OR:
If you pay in full by July 17th, you will receive a 20% off the full tuition (total of $1,440, which will save you $360!).

For those of you traveling from out of town: there are plenty of accommodation in the lovely neighbourhood where classes take place, pretty much for every budget. Email me privately if you need help or recommendations!

In order to run this wonderfully exciting course, we need at least 4 students to confirm and complete their registration (i.e.: coverletter + CV, Interview, and full payment by August 30th).
Please let me know ASAP if you are participating in this week. If there aren't enough students (at least 4), the course will be cancelled.

If you wish to register, please email or call. You can pay via personal cheque, money order or online using your PayPal account or credit card.
If you have any other questions, please let me know.

Hope you have a wonderful rest of the summer - and an exciting return to school soon!
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