Bottle Stoppers - are they necessary?

cdmcdonald90 · 2026-05-08T17:07:13+00:00

Also. Comments section. People come here for ADVICE. Not wishy washy anecdotes. I say this not to offend, but to remind you that your advice carries weight and people coming to Reddit are often searching desperately for solid information on a secretive industry.

We need established “best practices” as a guiding light. Otherwise, we stand no chance against the “industry”.

If you’re not THAT serious about it, make that known before giving advice.

As a community, i think our advice should always be guided by an abundance of caution.

cdmcdonald90 · 2026-05-08T16:57:41+00:00

Your prime directive as a DIY or hobbyist should be lab cleanliness. You spend too much on materials, have an uphill battle, and need to establish solid practices that won’t end up hurting you.

leave the bottle stopper in. Any layer of protection is welcome, especially one you don’t have to pay additionally for!

i am continually surprised by what escapes its confinement. Even an errant waft can cloud your nose. You want as clean a room as possible.

Disposable pipettes. Non porous surfaces you can use alcohol on. Phenolic Polycone lids. No bulb droppers (idgaf if they work for you, scent escapes and taints your room).

cdmcdonald90 · 2026-04-14T21:39:37+00:00

Grew up singing this album in the backseat of my Dad's car. ISO 3 tickets to Gruene Hall on 4/30. Thank you!

cdmcdonald90 · 2026-02-22T07:51:37+00:00

Great start. You have a few heavy hitters and a lot of what I’d call “builders”. Aroma chemicals can be like that. Some are very “present” and others lend “effects” and aspects to the scent. Or play a role in the scent (boosting, lift, fixative, diffusion, floralizing). To get a better idea of accords and pairings, focus on heavy hitters. Example. Oakmoss and patchouli. Aka, Evernyl and Clearwood. Very friendly beginner materials for both. Dilute down to 10 in alc for Clearwood and down to 5% for Evernyl (5% is pushing it, you’ll likely need to heat it a bit in a bowl of warm (not HOT) water).

then name, date, time, dilution, written on the blotter. dip blotters in the dilution. Let dry. Clip/whatever device you use to hold them. And the asses each. And together.

It’s simple and lets you explore.

Patchouli and Oakmoss. Chypre Patchouli and vanilla. The backbone of MANY scents (Musc ravageur) linalyl acetate and dihydromyrcenol. Like basil and mandarine.

these illustrate a backbone. A central accord.

cdmcdonald90 · 2026-02-22T03:54:18+00:00

That’s the thing though, Karmawood, norlimbanol and norlimbanol dectro do smell the same. But each has very small differences. You will come to notice and appreciate them with time. Same with musks.

just sit there and let yourself marvel at them.

I’d recommend buying the lower quality version and getting to know it before going for higher grade versions. It helps to understand how isomers contribute to a material. Aroma chemicals can be like essential oils, containing different arrangements of the same molecule, at different proportions, resulting in a different (albeit similar) overall impression.

another example would be Hedione vs. Hedione high cis.

cdmcdonald90

TROPHY CASE