"God creates odours, men perfumes." - Giono
As the leaves begin to fall and the days grow shorter, many people find themselves reaching for a new perfume. There's something about fall that makes us want to cozy up with a warm, comforting scent. Whether it's the crisp, cool air or the memories of holidays past, fall perfumes evoke a sense of nostalgia and coziness. And what could be more perfect for fall than a rich, warm amber scent?
Amber is one of the most popular fall perfumes, and for good reason. It's warm and inviting, like liquid cashmere. If you are looking for a fall perfume that's a little bit unexpected, you will want to try out Initio's Magnetic Blend 1. This pure pheromone perfume can be worn alone or underneath other scents in your wardrobe to create endless combinations of notes.
For fall and winter, we want to focus on Initio's Magnetic Blend 1. This is the first base they made, with their second being Magnetic Blend 7, and third being Magnetic Blend 8 (now discontinued). You can read about our suggested pairings for Magnetic Blend 7 here.
Magnetic Blend 1 is a pure ambergris perfume, and can influence a fragrance to become anything from more animalic to more aquatic. We want to stress that no whales were harmed in the making of this perfume. Before continuing, let's take a quick history lesson on how ambergris was introduced to perfumery.
The History of Ambergris (Amber Grey)
Like many things in life, the origins of ambergris were originally long unknown. The Natural History Museum showcases fossilized ambergris that dates back 1.75 million years, and suggests that humans may have been utilizing the substance for over 1,000 years.
"The word is derived from the old French term ambre gris, meaning gray amber, distinguishing the substance from amber resin—fossilized tree sap that was also used in fragrances and found on beaches. Beyond this, the two substances bear no relation. " - Hakai Magazine
But what is ambergris, exactly? It is described as "a rare, natural byproduct of the sperm whale's squid-based diet," and is believed to come from both male and female sperm whales, specifically. Prior to this discovery, anyone who was lucky enough to find ambergris on the shore was likely very confused as to what they found. Scientists believe that the ambergris forms in the whales digestive tract as a protective mechanism against some sharper bits eaten (e.g. cephalopod beaks). Generally these sharper bits are not digested, so it only occurs very occasionally. To this day, this is still debate as to how exactly the ambergris is deposited onto shores.
In regards to perfumery, the natural substance has been banned in the United States since the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Although the sale of ambergris is not banned worldwide, many perfumers have switched to chemical replications of ambergris regardless. With less of a demand for natural ambergris, the hope is that illegal poaching of whales in search of ambergris will decrease.
As one of the most exotic base notes in perfumery, ambergris captures the duality of human emotion in scent form. Possessing both sweet and bold personality facets, Magnetic Blend 1 charms those around it. This molecular fragrance has a wide range of influence it can provide your fragrance, so keep reading to find some of our favorite combinations.
While there are various interpretations of synthetic ambergris, such as ambrox and ambrofix, Initio's is uniquely special in that is replicated down to the molecular structure. How is this different than the other notes mentioned earlier? In synthetic replications, often what is extracted is a specific chemical chain that produces a specific scent. As you can see in the photo below, the molecular composition of ambergris varies slightly, and is just slightly different than ambrox. For Initio, they were not happy resting on the shoulders of giants without adding their own height. They partnered with.a German scientist to replicate the compound to an exact degree.
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Figure 1.1 An example of the ambergris molecular chain versus ambrox chain
Like all of their Magnetic Blends, Magnetic Blend 1 increases the pheromonal effects of your perfume or cologne. The silage is quite large when first applied, and gradually settles into a skin scent as the hours pass. It can also soften a heavily floral perfume to a more smokey version in case you have been gifted perfume you don't wear! Adding Magnetic Blend 1 to your fragrance wardrobe is also a fun way to breathe new life into a fragrance that you may have gotten a little burnt out on it.
How Do You Layer Perfumes?
Initio is a perfume house that has a small selection of base perfumes, which they call Magnetic Blends. While these perfumes can be worn alone, they were created to be layered underneath the rest of your fragrance wardrobe to create a unique new fragrance. The Magnetic Blends have an extraordinarily long lasting staying power, and thus are excellent at also extending the longevity of your layered perfume.
Magnetic Blend 1 is only one note: Ambergris (or Amber Grey). As mentioned earlier, it originally is derived from whales, but Initio has partnered with a German chemist, Thomas Obracki, who was able to replicate the molecular structure of this compound. Naturally occurring ambergris is develops a sweet smell over time, and is one of the most prized ingredients in perfumery.
Having only one note in a perfume can seem strange, what's the point of it? Before modern perfumery came to be in the 19th century, perfume was the name for single-origin scents, such as oud, myrrh, rose, or frankincense. The turn of modernity for perfume came when notes began to be blended, which introduced the idea of top, middle (or heart) and base notes into fragrance.
The brand Initio was specifically crafted to honor the earliest era of perfume. Initio passionately emphasizes the sensorial dimensions of fragrance by infusing their creations with the power of pheromones. These pheromones are meticulously selected, with some being naturally derived, like the intoxicating potency of jasmine in concentrated form, while others are expertly synthesized to mirror the molecular structure, as exemplified by the captivating allure of ambergris of Magnetic Blend 1.
What Does Magnetic Blend 1 Smell Like?
Magnetic Blend 1 is a provocative and deeply erotic composition, which openly reveals its intention - a molecule with a pheromone effect. First, the creation lures with a hint of orange and pleasing spices before it completely reveals itself: In vibrant, powerful, animal and narcotic notes, all the power of natural amber is laid bare.
Depending on your own body chemistry, as well as what you decide to layer on top, the fragrance can become more smokey, sweet, and/or earthy. Adding Magnetic Blend 1 to your fragrance adds a warmer and sweeter dry down to any scent.
Initio's Magnetic Blend 1 is designed to be layered, although you can also wear it alone. It is beautiful to amplify the floral notes in perfume, but can also highlight spices in your scent. Worn alone, our customers have stated that Magnetic Blend 1 smells like "effervescent ginger soda,"or "smoky church incense mixed with ocean vibes." It can range towards a more earthy and watery beet-like scent, or having a salty, almost incense-like quality. It's animalic and dirty, in a sensual yet sparkly sort of way.
While the research on the connection between humans and pheromones may be limited, it is undeniable that humans, being animals themselves, are undoubtedly influenced by pheromones. The impact of perfume on our emotions has always been evident, and now you have the power to enhance this aspect of your fragrance with Magnetic Blend 1.
We are also big fans of how multipurpose Magentic 1 is; when layered with every kind of sweet, fougere or citrus fragrance it boosts longevity and enhances the overall voluptuousness of any scent.
It can be difficult to define how Magnetic Blend 1 smells, because it transforms on your skin, as well as with how you layer it. It can lean more amber, sweet, or watery, all depending on what other notes you add on top. Think of Magnetic Blend 1 is a non-oud building block for your fragrance wardrobe.
When layering perfumes, we recommend letting your first fragrance dry down to your skin. This will only take a few seconds, just enough time for the liquid to vaporize. Although we do have clients who enjoy layering the Magnetic Blend over their fragrance, all our featured combinations will assume Magnetic Blend as the base under the second fragrance. Regardless of our suggestions, we urge you to challenge yourself and experiment with combinations you might not initially think of. If you find something fun, please share it with us! We love to share in your experiences.
Our Suggested Pairings
What does this mean for your perfume? You are getting the purest form of pheromones, without any imperfections that might arise from naturally derived products. Plus, no whales are harmed in production, which is incredibly important.
Here are some of our favorite combinations that give us a whiff of fall. Please note that these combinations are tested on our staff's skin, so their body chemistries will alter fragrance accordingly. Because of the fragrance we carry in store have a high percentage of natural fragrance oils, each scent will uniquely develop to your body chemistry. We urge you to play around with lots of combinations in order to find the one that is most pleasing to you.
For your light flower or botanical focused perfume.
Dancing Light is a beautiful, pine and jasmine scented fragrance on its own. It truly takes you to seeing the Alaskan Northern Lights in a midnight field. With Magnetic Blend 1, the focus on jasmine becomes more prominent than the green woods. Even with the addition of ambergris, this combination remains light and fresh, yet provides a sensuality to it that was not present before. Magnetic 1 + Parfums de Marly's Greenley Transform this day-centric scent into a year round winner. Paired with this sweet, watery apple-centric perfume, Magnetic Blend 1 returns Greenley to its roots. The added depth reduces the pure apple focus and brings out more bergamot and orange notes. Magnetic Blend 1 + Olfactive Studio's Panorama Paired with Panorama, Magnetic Blend 1 pulls more focus on the dirty, saltiness that ambergris can offer. On its own, Panorama centers around the fresh, spiciness of fresh cut grass and wasabi. Together, the duo have less of a cool-spiciness and more of a focus on being warm and fresh. Magnetic Blend 1 adds a warmth like you're standing in a tropical grass field and the wind is blowing gently. |
For your gourmand perfume.
First things first, the two of these together just smell yummy. The soft, plumy notes of Cassili are supported with a base of warm amber to draw you closer. Magnetic Blend 1 softens this primarily fruity floral fragrance into something with a bit more sensuality to it. Magnetic Blend 1 + Initio's Absolute Aphrodisiac Pair Magnetic Blend 1 and Absolute Aphrodisiac together for a sweet edge. The addition of ambergris transforms delicate, soft floral to perfume powerhouses. On its own, Absolute Aphrodisiac can smell like a wafflecone (we might be slightly influenced by the Salt and Straw down the street), and paired together it moves from candied to mouth-watering. Magnetic Blend 1 + Mad et Len's Vetyver Bucolique Vetyver Bucolique on its own is quite a rich and grassy, slightly honeyed, fragrance (read more about it in our gourmands for fall blog here). With the addition of ambergris, this becomes more mysterious, less easily defined. Almost abstract in presentation, the rich notes of tobacco are gently reduced to bring more attention to the overall amber-gourmand fragrance. The scent together is hard to put your finger on, but we love it. |
For the woody or smokey perfume.
This primarily botanical woods scent gets a massive boost of sexy and sweet animalic notes when paired with Magnetic Blend 1. This duo begins to allude to woods like palo santo (and the already present sandalwood) without imparting the arid quality of these woods. Magnetic Blend 1 + Olfactive Studio's Flashback in New York This rendition of Magnetic Blend 1 adds an oceanic aspect to a traditionally wintery scent. Adding ambergris to this smokey fragrance transforms it from a dry woods to woods with a hint of winter air. Imagine water vapor is billowing off of a wet street, plainly visible through ambient lights. |
Magnetic Blend 1 + 
Magnetic Blend 1 + Initio transgresses all the rules of classical perfumery reconnecting with the original power of perfumes. Initio unveils mysterious facets through sensory compositions with talismanic properties. Open the door into a unique world of magical, mystical forces, where sensual vibrations are magnified. What combination have you found for yourself?
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-ambergris.html#:~:text=It%20is%20produced%20by%20sperm,for%20more%20than%201%2C000%20years.
https://oola-lab.com/blogs/notes/why-is-ambergris-banned-when-its-use-is-not-harmful-to-whales
https://www.scentspiracy.com/blog/ambregris-history
https://hakaimagazine.com/features/why-we-cant-shake-ambergris/
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ci034203t
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/11/8/2358
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