abendgules: (prickly)
[personal profile] abendgules
...I'm now toying with making some medieval cosmetics.

The splendid Ynes de Toledo left us her un-shippable blends of 'red powder for scenting things', 'white powder' and 'powder for nightcaps', among others. We're enjoying using them, and they make me want to try out a limited amount of scenting and mixing.

However, some key ingredients are a bit tricky to source these days, namely civet, musk and ambergris (the £40,000 chunk of ambergris that washed up on a beach in the UK this month notwithstanding): all that pesky treating-animals-ethically business.

(Reading up, it turns out my 'Amber' perfume bought at Pennsic 10+ years ago may not have been amber (the resin) but amber-gris, the whale excretion...who knew?)

Does anyone who works with perfumery know good sources of (advanced artificial) versions of said ingredients? I've been looking through Ynes' notes  - her handout from her excellent class from a few years ago - and have some suppliers noted, but am interested in my friends' experiences. Euro and UK sources preferred.

Any thoughts about sourcing and using essential oils? How about damask roses?

Date: 2012-09-03 02:17 pm (UTC)
ext_13221: (Default)
From: [identity profile] m-nivalis.livejournal.com
Isis does mainly post-medieval makeup, but contact her and see if she has any good advice.

I assume you've already checked Sally Pointer's book The artifice of beauty? I haven't read it myself, but it's supposed to be very good.

Date: 2012-09-03 04:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] my-stitching.livejournal.com
I was just going to recommend Isis' journal and you beat me to it. :)

She does mostly 18th century, but I bet she might know of sources of where to get things and also her experience on mixing certain items. She is located in Sweden, I believe.

Date: 2012-09-04 02:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bend-gules.livejournal.com
Wow, no I hadn't, thank you! Now ordered.

I had looked up one of the 16thc compendiums of recipes that Ynes used, by John Partidge, which was one of her sources. Freely available online.
http://www.medievalcookery.com/notes/treasurie.pdf

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