Peggy T Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 I went to visit AFI the other day since they're about an hour from where I live. It was interesting so I thought I'd share. I've never been to an actual fragrance manufacturer so that was pretty cool. They have a lab with perfumers and chemists that formulate fragrances and can also duplicate other ones with a gas chromatograph. They have a sampling room with about 20,000 (!) different fragrances and they're all organized by category (ie--bergamot, vanilla, grapefruit, etc). Then within that category they have all sorts of fragrances with that primary scent. I asked about Rosemary Mint and she brought out two trays of just that scent--but they were all different. If you wanted to sample vanilla there are trays and trays and trays of those to choose from. I brought a fragrance blend that I make out of three fragrance oils. One of the FOs, Spiced Amber Ale was from Brambleberry, except they have stopped carrying it. They are going to make me a dupe of the final scent using the three FO samples I brought (0.5 oz of each) along with the ratios I used and a sample of the final product in a candle. You have to order 10# of the final product as a minimum but before you do that you can test and tweak the scent until it's correct. The duplication itself doesn't cost anything. They make one of the FOs that I was buying from another supplier so I know at least that one is good quality. They have dupes of lots of other fragrances too. It was really interesting and eye opening. If you use oils in bulk or want to split an order with someone, it's a great way to save money. For example, one oil I was paying $16 per pound (when buying 7 #) and their price was $13.60 for 10#. That might seem like a small difference but it adds up. Overall, a really interesting field trip and if you ever get a chance to visit a fragrance house, do it! 6 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syntheaahh Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 wow!!!! Lucky you! Then you can have a scent specific for your brand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarthAlgar Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 On 6/29/2019 at 11:45 AM, Peggy T said: One of the FOs, Spiced Amber Ale was from Brambleberry, except they have stopped carrying it. No kidding, I loved Brambleberry's Spiced Amber Ale! Since I buy so many FO's from so many suppliers, I wonder if it would be worth it to go out to AFI and have them duplicate all of my already custom blends 🧐 . Being able to purchase in heavy quantities from a single supplier vs a dozen would do wonders on shipping costs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebleo Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 3 hours ago, GarthAlgar said: No kidding, I loved Brambleberry's Spiced Amber Ale! Since I buy so many FO's from so many suppliers, I wonder if it would be worth it to go out to AFI and have them duplicate all of my already custom blends 🧐 . Being able to purchase in heavy quantities from a single supplier vs a dozen would do wonders on shipping costs. Then you will be offering up your formula for others to buy. Right? Maybe. Not sure how it works. But it’s food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarthAlgar Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 8 hours ago, Sebleo said: Then you will be offering up your formula for others to buy. Right? Maybe. Not sure how it works. But it’s food for thought. Oh good point! I’ll shoot an email and ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 What a great adventure you had! Thanks for sharing. I don't order in that kind of bulk, 2 lbs tops, of any scent. But some like lavender I use by the truckload so maybe it would not be such a bad idea to start ordering in bulk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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