natural perfume fixative • woolen base notes (sheep musk)
a l c h e m y
The Wild Veil woolen fixative features funky sheep, meadow, and pasture notes from my handmade raw wool absolutes. These I concentrated by cold evaporation method from three types of unwashed sheep fleece that I had tinctured in high proof organic grain alcohol: Romeldale, Icelandic, and Churro.
The unwashed Romeldale fleece is unbelievably soft. Romeldale-California Variegated Mutuant is an endangered breed of American sheep that produces high lanolin, very fine, multicolored wool. The resulting absolute has a creamy spring field and pasture scent. It’s sweet and reminds me of candlelight.
The unwashed wool from a black Icelandic wether is funky and animalic. It is by far the oiliest and fattiest smelling of the three fleeces. Even with the barnyard leather overtones, it is warm and inviting.
From another rare breed, the Navajo Churro wool has alfalfa notes amidst a southwestern desert profile. It's as if the heavy aroma of lanolin has been lightly dusted with sand and sage, and baked by the Arizona sun.
Color may vary.
Photos: one of my highly fragrant unwashed rare fleece varieties, stuck with alfalfa; glass jars of my pungent and ripe smelling lanolin absolutes by varietal; the fixative in a 60ml tin; fixative in 5ml and 10ml black violet glass jars. All labels are drawn with pen and ink and lightfast oil-core colored pencils and digitally edited, by the perfumer.
f i x a t i v e s
This compound serves as a primer for my natural perfumes and colognes, "fixing" and extending the composition. One of the issues with natural perfumes is their tendency to evaporate rapidly, especially the volatile heart and top notes. The aroma of these thinner notes can be made to last longer by slowing down the evaporation rate with the application of one of my creamy fixatives. Each one contains its own fragrance composed exclusively of base notes, in an organic emulsion of raw beeswax, cold pressed natural oils, and unrefined, raw butters. These base notes come from oils and resins that are physically thicker, and thus diffuse over the course of days rather than hours. In addition to lasting longer themselves, viscous base notes tend to trap middle and top notes, releasing them languorously rather than quickly. Finally, in the spirit of true alchemy, base notes may exalt the volatile notes, meaning they will bring out their best features, not only drawing out the perfume in time and space, but transforming and elevating the creation entirely.
d i r e c t i o n s
To use, rub a fixative balm into your skin prior to natural perfume application to seal in and strengthen the tenacity of the scent. Can be layered with scents, or worn alone. You may also find it works well as a moisturizer for dry skin.
r a w ☽•☾ m a t t e r
Wild Veil natural perfumes are composed by me, Abby, using homemade, wildcrafted and organic aromatics in Vermont. These include my handmade enfleurage, tinctures, enfleurage extraits, absolutes, resinoids and concretes, and floral waxes. I spend as much time growing plants and foraging as I do composing perfumes.
h o w ☽•☾ t o ☽•☾ w e a r
The best way to experience a natural perfume is to apply it to well-moisturized skin, without rubbing in (absorption only shortens the wear time of fragrance) and without scrubbing off. Natural perfumes are dynamic and take a minimum of 2 hours to reach their final stage, or dry down. Enjoy the alchemical changes as they unfold from the initial intensity of top notes, to the warmth of the heart, to the depth of lower base notes.
☽•☾ Wild Veil ☽•☾ alchemy between earth and ether ☽•☾
☽•☾ All aesthetic material copyright Abby Hinsman 2019 ☽•☾