Next week, hard to believe right now, I will be in LA and on October 7 we will all get together to officially launch Miriam at Luckyscent’s scentbar, the first fragrance from the Tableau de Parfums series. Thus, it is urgent time to get things organized that need to be done beforehand.

One of these: Finally mix an new batch of Le Maroc pour elle. For this I needed to order a lot of raw materials because I run low on a lot of ingredients: Rose absolute, Jasmine absolute, Mysore Sandalwood, Petitgrain, lavender, lemongrass, patchouli and more. Today’s picture shows you what I am doing right now, in a second from now: filing certificates of analysis from Essencia, such as the rose absolute damascena, from Bulgary. It goes into one of two ever growing filing folders for future reference. I am keeping these certificates for years. And they tell me interesting things, such as: My rose absolute was produced in 2009, and it contains 0.6% Farnesol E-E-, and 1.7% Eugenol and alike. Comes in handy when coming up with EU allergen declarations.

All amounts of what I got as new stock goes into another large excel file where I have a growing list of all raw material quantities and prices that I use for production. Thus, if done properly and if adjusted when mixing, I have the overview of my raw materials at one glance. Otherwise, I would be lost.

What I am also doing right now: evaluating new suppliers and new raw materials for further developments. At least on paper, and email, asking for conditions etc. In a sense, I am planning there for beyond 2013, looking for new inspiration and new tools for existing ideas. The W.-factor said a few minutes ago: ” Sehet die Vögel des Himmels; sie sähen nicht und sie ernten nicht, doch Ihr himmlischer Vater ernähret sie doch.” (Mat. 6/26,Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. )

I guess the message is not to worry too much and take the future as it comes. I will try. But I want those goodies….

yesterday, we got another larger delivery. Pentagonal tin boxes. A huge pile in boxes of 24 each on 7 palettes. Today’s picture shows you these. It was yesterday that I was even more happy about the new warehouse than before.  Finally room for the 5000 boxes. And almost no carrying around: Just put the stuff onto the little chariot, and move it from here (ramp) to there (storage room). So you see: We are in true happy territory these days. And yes: The 5000 boxes should help us getting through X-mas.

When moving into the warehouse we did our semi-annual stock counting and I know now what perfumes I have to mix. And before that I have to go ahead and figure out what raw materials I need and need to buy some essential oils. This is, says my bookkeeper, always a very dangerous time… Andy goes essential oil shopping and he hardly ever sticks to the list of things he needs.

In this corner of the world, the economy is buzzing and as everybody is fully booked out, buying things often translates into waiting for quotes first and then waiting for goods. Thus, in a sense, I am happy I got everything together for Tableau de Parfums, except the packaging and the labels. There, I am waiting and waiting and waiting for a quote. And you know how good I am at this…. The labels will go into production in the next two weeks and the packaging should go into production any time. Actually, I am getting ready for the first fragrance in the Tableau de Parfums series, called Miriam. The second one, anticipated launch date March 2012 will see my attention later in summer. But I got already the most expensive raw material that goes into it: Tuberose absolute. We spent a fortune for it at Biolandes.com

Tomorrow (or over the weekend), I want to share with you a draft of how some things look there, at Tableau de Parfums. But first things first: Book October 7, 8, 9 in your agenda. At least if you happen to be in the LA area.

I am coming to town to show you Miriam. Brian Pera comes, too. Showing you THE movie.

I got my plane ticket. Please join in.

first things first: It was a great Pentachords launch event and party in Rome last Friday. My thanks go to Campo Marzio at Via Vittoria for their support and for their organization.

I enjoyed it so much so to get together with perfume lovers and see their reactions, smelling the pentachords line. As the fragrances are quite a different take on perfumery -compared to the rest of my line- this was thrilling. And I feel: The pentachords are loved. Especially White. I think this is going to be a lot of perfume lovers favorite. We will see.

Right in time with the launch, Extrait.it published the long and great video on the pentachords, where I explain in some details what the pentachords are all about and why I care for them.

On a side note:  The other day I realized on Basenotes.net that indeed I will have brought two entire new lines inside the brand with 4 fragrances this year. And in some comments they wondered why these launches. Sometimes I wonder, too. But then, I feel that my perfumes are very unique and interesting. Let me be modest: At least I launch fragrances that are interesting. And I have them in my mind and in my excel. Why not launch them? I rebuilt my entire brand to be a bit more presentable and even more important, I rebuilt my brand’s packaging to be more effective allowing me to produce more without going big in numbers of people working for me.

Thus, if I can launch them: Why not do it?

Here’s the link to the video  on the extrait website. The video is in English, the text is in Italian.

And now, back in Zurich, we are back to normal. Which means: Pack and box and pour…happy and all by ourselves (W.-factor and me).

The quote “there are no answers, only choices” is from Stanislav Lem’s novel Solaris. Removed from its context of exploring intelligent life beyond earth, it is a quote that I find fitting with and for a lot of aspects of life; and it fits with questions we ask, looking into the sky, in search for answers. Unfortunately there are none.

But there are choices everywhere. Nature works like that, in an endless series of error prone reproduction and selection. And as humans, we work like that, too. We have choices and by choosing we move forward.

This week, my choices are somewhat relevant. I will have to decide on how to inform my retailing friends and partners on the Linden blossom fragrance. Hopefully, by the end of the week, I will get most of the labels from the printing company. The green flacons should be delivered within the next two weeks. Thus, slowly but surely we should be a bit more specific. How and when I do so will influence for what price, by when and how the Linden blossom fragrance will hit the shelves. So far, I mentioned this upcoming fragrance only on the side, like here on my blog, without any pricing and design details. Thus, I need to choose the dates and price level now. And trust me: This is not easy.

You see… no answers, only choices.

Today’s picture shows you a cut through red cabbage, scanned. It could go for an alien brain.

We are thinking colors again: a name for a particular  shade of blue – green, for things coming out in Autumn 2011. Today I want to work on some texts and colors. And later in the afternoon I will fool around with a few scents in development, as it is play time today!

About Autumn 2011….  This time, this time, this time: We want to take our time. And do it right. With a super master plan.  Thus, coming in autumn translates into, will be ready to ship to retailers and the press and folks who care in May, will be poured and bottled and boxed and labeled in March, and this means that I order the flacons, the labels et cetera in December. At the latest. Thus, we think about shades of green. And a  name for shade of green, blue green. Like emerald, but emerald is kind of close to emeraude and there I am not sure about intellectual property issues.

Thus, I am thinking VIRIDIAN which is more on the green side, or TURQUOISE, which is more on the blue side, or even celadon which is sort of in the middle but I am not sure whether folks understand, or teal but then teal is also a name for a duck , and nothing againts ducks, but somehow, I do not know why, duck and perfume does not go well together…”you smell gorgeous, like a duck”…, or maybe I go  simply for “VERT”.

Actually, I will need later two more colors, but these I sort of already got in my mind….

Thus, happy playing and thinking ahead. Today’s pictures shows you a row of discovery sets, empty tins, the inside, in a nice baby turquoise kind of blueish color with a hint of green.

First: The draw for an early X-mas soap is closed and we have a winner: Kelly (4h…@…). Congratulations to you, an e-mail is on its way to you, too!

And for all others who did not win: Thank you and please stay tuned.  And a thank you for all your comments. It sure feels good!

Today, I write about a meeting I had yesterday, about the design of a scented card. Very tauer centric, sorry. But first things first….

We decided last week to launch the CARILLON POUR UN ANGE in 30 ml, as part of the HOMAGE line. I planned to do this anyhow some time, but now we know: By May 2011 it will be ready in the 30 ml format. As my fellow Italian perfume lovers had basically no chance to experience this fragrance in the past and to test a new tool: I decided to make a few thousand scented cards for Italy.

I learned about these by SCENTIS, a French company, making paper strips and more; among the more are scented cards: about 7.5×11 cm, made of special, high quality paper without glue and extra long fibers. This paper is what makes Scentis special and where they are unique in the world. This paper absorbs fragrances and releases them over days and weeks. Yes. Weeks. I got a sample card and it is truly amazing how long the scent lasts, and how close to the original it remains. Amazing. Thus, we will get scented cards, with a relief print and some text on it. One side will feature the brand (Tauer, IMMERSIVE SCULPTURES) and the other side will be product specific, but without any notes. Just the name and the color code. An invitation to smell, each individually packed into little polypropylene bags for me without me doing anything. delivered to my house in February, provided the first tests with the fragrance are successful. I cannot wait…

Today’s picture is tauer centric, too. It shows you a detail of what I have seen all evening yesterday, while polishing Incense extrême flacons.

Today I am in an early meeting with my designer guru from the designers club, discussing the launches of 2011, primarily the autumn launches. A few tough decisions ahead. … I hope to be able to talk about the upcoming launches as soon as a few decisions are taken.

Thus, what could be better than presenting you a leave that I picked up from the the ground, yesterday, during my evening jog around the block and some 15km more.

After this meeting with the guru follows a sniffa meeting, a getting together with one of the best perfumers there is in this world: Vero, Vero Kern, founder and perfumer and nose and everything of vero.profumo.I can’t wait to share some impressions of London and a few goodies.

I guess that ‘s it for today. More after the meetings.

Enjoy your autumn day!

I am busy with the last minute preparations before leaving for London in an hour or two. And, to be honest, I am leaving happily, also in light of the last few days that were really, really, really busy.  Looking forward to fish and chips or alike, a pint and getting together with lovely folks at Les Senteurs, and Scent and Sensibility. And launching the two new fragrances, UNE ROSE VERMEILLE, and EAU D’ÉPICES in town. Although this feels sort of special: With my mind on spring 2011 and beyond, it feels like a thing of the past, almost.

Like summer 2010. When did this summer happen?

Ok, well then: let us hit the plane and get there.

I wish you a lovely time, until next week.

Today’s picture shows you a scan of a protea, a plant like from an other planet. Actually, it is from South Africa and we got the flower as a gift from guests yesterday. Spacey, right?

End next week, I will be -not on another planet- but another place: I visit the UK again. If you live in the area of London: Consider reserving an hour or so on Saturday, October 9, and let Ronny from Scents and Sensibility know. She organizes a party, to get together, sniff roses, and drink sparkling things. Drop her a line following the e-mail link in her post (click here for her post)

Another reason why I visit the UK: Staff training at Les Senteurs. Actually it is more like a getting together with the folks in the shop and a discovery session: Welcome to the fragrant world of Mr. Tauer. I visited Les Senteurs twice this year, and I love this shop.

It is truly independent, not belonging to a distribution chain where you then end up only finding the distribution stuff, and Claire has the freedom to pick the brands she finds interesting enough for her clients. Lucky me, she picked my brand, too. And because they really care about supporting their clients in finding the right fragrant stories I figured: Hey, we need to teach them a bit.

Thus, we hit the plane again end next week. And we look forward to fish and chips.

Yeehaw!

2nd picture: A detail from the protea scan.

This is the official PR for the new Tauer launches, on Now Smell This. Click here for Robin’s post.

And here my contribution to this PR fact (click on image for larger version).