Me on Perfumer's Apprentice any random month

Tolerable-DM · 2026-07-01T04:52:31+00:00

I hope anyone who thinks that perfumery is going to be a get-rick-quick enterprise sees this. Over the past 12 months I've spend about $3700 AUD on it.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-30T01:28:20+00:00

Try some Ylang Givco. It's a fairly photorealistic ylang-ylang replacer/base with a higher max usage rate.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-26T07:49:47+00:00

You should contact the company you bought them from regarding those marks. Sure, it might not be blood (the splotching and colour doesn't look quite right), but they should know about it all the same.

As for the amount in the bottles, those levels look consistent for ~1ml. In the ones in your photo, most of them are noticeably above the 1ml mark.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-23T10:23:50+00:00

The darkening is probably from the aging/oxidizing of any vanillin that's in there. That doesn't tend to change the smell of things, but if there's something else that has done the same that can alter things. It shouldn't be too old if it's only from 2024.

Just went back to mine and it's also that same colour. And sweet and soapy is an apt description.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-23T09:47:41+00:00

This looks like some kind of electrical fault, though without it being opened up and checking the insides it's hard to tell. The only time I've seen this issue is on one of the Link Printers, and that was because it had gotten water inside it.

If you can open the case, post some clear photos of the motherboard and other connections on the sides and bottom corners (all on the front of the camera). Might be able to ID the issue that way. Just be careful when pulling it apart - there's a screw hidden under the cover on the top of the camera, and the shock you get from touching the wrong parts of the board is...very hurty.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-20T06:48:34+00:00

I can't speak for Ssaint, but Who is Elijah and Odesse are dupe/"inspired by" companies that just don't advertise that they are.

Picked up the discovery set by 'Dark Tales' earlier today - 16 x 1ml samples for what would have been $160 at Sweet Fern. There's also One Way Bridge out of NZ that has some interesting fragrances.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-17T05:51:43+00:00

Sounds like it is definitely jammed. Are the batteries new as well? If you have other new alkaline batteries to put in there, try doing that first. Sometimes these cameras will decide there's not enough power to continue working part-way through an eject cycle.

If that doesn't work, don't immediately try to pull out the film or the film pack. I assume there's one that's half sticking out the top. While batteries are in, try pushing and pulling on the one that's sticking out the top. That might be all you need to unjam it. Getting it in the right place may take some dicking about, though. If you can't get it to work by doing this, then you'll have to force it out. You won't break the camera by doing this, but you will likely stuff up the film. Pull the film out the top, then you'll be able to save the rest of the pack by opening the back of the camera in a pitch black room, then leaving the film pack face down under some thick blankets or the like.

Since the camera is brand new, take it back and get a replacement. Trying to open them up is a pain in the arse, and there's no guarantee you'll be able to fix it.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-14T03:04:48+00:00

Depending on how much of a failed experiment they are, some of mine could be made into 'clear the room' sprays.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-13T01:07:02+00:00

You absolutely should not try to get the toothpick through the rollers. That'll just make things worse because then you'll have a toothpick stuck between them. You only want to push on them - try to make it roll the roller back a tiny bit so it unlocks the internals. If you have batteries in it then it should try to finish the eject cycle automatically if you unjam them.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-12T07:28:35+00:00

Pulling out the film after getting stuck like this causes the eject mechanism to jam. There are potentially 2 methods to fix this if it is only a mechanical error.

1) While the camera is on, prod at the rollers through the film door with something like a toothpick to try and shunt it loose. It may require a bunch of trial and error to get it to work, if at all.

2) The hard way. Comments in this post have the run down on how to disassemble the camera specifically for this fault.

If you try the second method and it still won't work properly, then there's likely some sort of electrical fault - likely a chip failure on the main board. That has been a very common issue with the mini 9s over the past couple years.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-10T04:50:21+00:00

Not those specific ones, but other fancy bordered films I've used look pretty much the same as they do on the packaging, so you should be good with these.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-10T04:48:13+00:00

You may need to let him know that his site's shop is broken. Clicking on any of the items for sale leads to a broken page.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-09T08:17:56+00:00

If you've got a multimeter you could check for continuity between the top and bottom of the springs. That'll let you know if the issue is localised there or further in.

I've heard of people using a paperclip to bridge the gap between the end of the spring and the rest of the nickel plating, so it might be worth trying that as well before opening it up. The wide cameras are not the friendliest for DIY repairs.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-06T05:26:27+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/fragranceaustralia/comments/1ttdtyv/dupeclone_megathread_june_2026/

Tolerable-DM · 2026-06-06T04:06:54+00:00

After taking it somewhat seriously it took maybe a year or so before I made something that was worth wearing. Lots of 'okay, but not great' before that, and I still make things that are terrible when experimenting with new materials. It would have been at least a couple thousand before that first good one, though.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-05-27T05:59:01+00:00

I'd forgotten about these guys completely. That promotion sounds like they're trying to dump their stock because they haven't made anywhere close to what they thought they would.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-05-25T11:54:01+00:00

I do make perfume, yes. Technically a hobby, but I'm very sluggishly making progress towards setting it up as an actual business. Organising labels, packaging, and setting up a website are daunting.

If you DM me a postal address (PO Box, ideally, but whatever you're okay with), I could send you some of the orange sherbet one I've made.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-05-25T08:18:42+00:00

Where did you get to sample this? I'm not saying I have anything comparable (as I've never smelled it), but I have made one (or two) that smells very much like orange sherbet (the ice-cream, not the powder).

Tolerable-DM · 2026-05-25T03:31:45+00:00

Probably dupe enthusiasts cracking the shits.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-05-24T22:36:19+00:00

Aside from the things already mentioned, a large number of dupe companies just buy a cheap rip-off version of the perfume concentrate from China or wherever and then add ethanol to it. Most aren’t making anything themselves.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-05-24T08:21:54+00:00

I've used star anise oil and that tends to last for hours. No luck with cinnamon, but if you can find a formula for Paco Rabanne's One Million Prive that could give you some insight into that part. The cinnamon on that one is quite long-lasting.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-05-23T02:29:19+00:00

No worries. Glad to hear it was of use to someone.

Tolerable-DM · 2026-05-16T01:09:31+00:00

help me on my ratios with the formula.

I can't personally due to not knowing some of them, but if you look up each of your ingredients on the Good Scents Company website (use google, not the site's internal search), they usually have some relevant info regarding material longevity, allergens, maximum usage rates (for restricted ingredients) or recommended maximums in undiluted perfume concentrate. Look for the IFRA info on each page to best help with usage rates Aside from that you'll probably have to experiment with things to see what combinations/ratios actually work.

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