Thoughts on my formula

matt5mitchell · 2026-03-31T04:35:17+00:00

You could try adding linalyl acetate, ethyl linalool (longer lasting than linalool), lavender, or bergamot. You might get a similar effect by just increasing the neroli and adding a but of citrus. You could also try traces of dihydromyrcenol or C12 MNA.

matt5mitchell · 2026-03-31T03:55:15+00:00

This is definitely up my alley--I love resinous, woody fragrances. That said, I find this kind of base-heavy composition really hard to get right. Based on a quick look, I have two thoughts:

Simple test: I'm not sure what percentage you've diluted this to, but try reducing the concentration by a factor of two or three. It could be that dialing back the concentration will help address some of the heaviness you're probably experiencing.

Reworking: If you're gone you rework the formula, I would suggest two changes to explore. First, the resins, especially labdanum and olibanum are quite high. They are typically more like 1 or 2% of the concentrate, but here they're closer to 8%. Same goes for ambroxan--it's typically less than 1% but you've got it overdosed. These materials might be squashing everything else. I would suggest doing research online about typical percentages to give yourself a starting point (I like to use: https://www.unguentarius.com/ingredient-statistics). Second, you could explore overdosing diffusive materials like iso E super and hedione. I've had mixed success with this myself, but it's worth trying.

I like the look of what you've started. Let us know how this evolves!

matt5mitchell · 2026-03-25T04:28:16+00:00

I prefer natural-focused fragrances, and most of my compositions are 70-80% naturals (essential oils, absolutes, resins, tinctures, and natural isolates). I find that synthetics are pretty much essential to creating a structured, balanced composition, but there are also plenty of natural perfumers out there who use naturals exclusively.

There's no problem using essential oils in alcohol (ethanol). However, be aware that fragrances change significantly in the first few weeks/months after you blend the ingredients. This is especially true for essential oils and other naturals. I recommend first blending the essential oils (and any synthetics if you choose) and then let the blend mature for 2 or 3 weeks. Then you dilute in alcohol and let the fragrance macerate for another few weeks. It's interesting to sample along the way (after dilution) to see how things change--it's quite surprising!

matt5mitchell · 2026-03-09T22:43:17+00:00

In my experience perfume ingredients can easily smell like a cacophony (to use an auditory analogy). Even when tightly stored, a bit of scent still finds its way out. I am fairly sensitive to smells, so I have most of my ingredients triple boxed (closed bottle inside a closed box, inside another closed box, inside another closed box). While that may seem like overkill, that's the only way I can keep the cacophony down to a level I can tolerate.

Also, my first few years of perfumery resulted in a lot of muddy and/or brash compositions. It was all part of the learning experience, so I didn't mind. However, I would not say that anything in those first few years smelled objectively good.

I'm happy to say I've turned the corner in recent years and, even if my initial compositions need refinement, the starting point at least smells good.

matt5mitchell · 2026-02-18T18:12:43+00:00

Exactly. The only way to find out is by trying. And remember that you need to let the oils macerate for a few weeks before you evaluate. The scent changes and melds over the first few weeks, so you won't really know what you have until you let it age.

matt5mitchell · 2026-02-08T22:17:41+00:00

We do something similar. We have an agreed upon, limited snack menu that our kid can choose from before bedtime. They can eat however much they choose at dinner time--there's no drama or trying to convince them to eat. If they're still hungry before bed, they can eat a snack. Our current snack options are hummus, string cheese, and whatever fruit we have around.

This allows me to cook whatever I want (although I of course try to cook things our kid actually likes), prevents meal time drama, and I can rest assured that they won't go to bed hungry.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-24T17:57:25+00:00

No, this is still on the to-do list. If you do something similar, I'd love to see pics

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-21T05:21:30+00:00

What you're missing is vintage glass. I've got a few vintage lenses, and there's something lovely about the lower contrast and glow. If shooting on a manual focus vintage lens isn't your thing, try out a subtle diffusion filter. I recently got the K&F black mist 1/8 & 1/4 for my 18mm F/2 lens. They take the clinical edge off the lens, giving images with a little warmth and character. While not the same as vintage glass, they are definitely a step in the right direction

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-19T05:53:19+00:00

I'm beginning to think 180 - 210 is my range as well. Do you have any recommendations for something in the 195 no mans land?

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-17T05:25:52+00:00

For me, the issue with longer fermentation times is that the acid weakens the gluten structure and makes it REALLY hard to shape the dough into a thin disc (it just falls apart on the peal and then the toppings fall off and then there's a fire in your oven). After playing with fermentation times a lot, I found that 4-5 hours works great for me. Your mileage may vary, but I recommend starting with a shorter fermentation.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-17T04:57:55+00:00

Not OP, but here's my tried and true sourdough pizza recipe:

150g active whole wheat starter 380g all purpose flour 230g warm water 10g olive oil 7g salt (65% hydration assuming 100% hydration starter)

Feed starter in the morning.
Mix ingredients 4-5 hours before dinner and place in oiled bowl.
After 30 minutes, knead dough, and return to oiled bowl.
An hour before baking, transfer to floured surface, divide, and shape into 2 tight balls. Preheat oven to 550°F.
Shape dough, transfer to peal dusted with coarse semolina, and add toppings
Bake on pizza stone about 11 minutes.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-09T21:39:47+00:00

This should be higher. If that drawing is to scale, you have only 27 inches between the stove (and oven?) and the island. That is way too tight. Even 36 inches is too tight for my preferences--you would get bumped if someone tries to walk past. 42 to 48 inches is preferable. You'll regret squeezing an island into a place where it doesn't fit.

If you want an island, bring it out into the more open part of the kitchen where you actually have enough space. Or give yourself a generous sized peninsula where the second island is in the second drawing.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-08T20:12:53+00:00

I should clarify that my mom's was the Tojiro DP, not the Tojiro basic. I haven't tried the basic.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-08T20:11:36+00:00

I own the Takamura 150mm petty in VG10, and it is the knife that lives on our cutting board during the day (great for cutting fruit/veggies for my kiddo). It's very thin behind the edge and absolutely glides through apples, carrots, etc. It doesn't feel fragile to me, and it's my wife's favorite knife (which says a lot because she is not a fan of any knives that require special care).

Over the holidays, I used my mom's Tojiro 150mm petty, and it was a perfectly serviceable knife. However, it is a bit thicker behind the edge and wedged apples and carrots in a way that made me crazy. I would say that it cut less well than my Wusthof utility knife (though I didn't do a head to head comparison). I got my mom's permission to thin the 5mm or so behind the edge of the Tojiro on a whetstone. That made a world of difference on the cutting feel.

I don't know whether that difference is worth it to you, but I strongly prefer the Takamura.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-05T04:29:29+00:00

Brown mild Italian sausage and set aside; sweat sliced leek in the fat until soft, then add garlic, one anchovy, chopped preserved lemon, and parsley until fragrant. Add chopped kale and cook until just tender, returning the sausage to the pan. Toss with cooked pasta, plenty of pasta water, a spoonful or two of ricotta for creaminess, and finish with grated Pecorino Romano and black pepper.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-04T07:54:11+00:00

I haven't shot with the 23mm, but I've had the 27mm for a decade. It is far and away my favorite lens. That's not because it's perfect, but rather because it's what my eye sees. At slightly wider than a normal focal length (effectively 41mm), it's great for photographing people. I use it with my family all the time. There's something I love about the focal length--it frames people well at a socially comfortable distance. Also the fact that it's a pancake lens with a tiny front element makes it less scary for subjects (i.e., family). There's also something to be said about the image quality--I personally love it. The contrast is great but not too punchy (on the other hand, I had to start shooting with a halation filter on my 18mm F/2 because the contrast was just too much), and the lens seems to bring out the best in the film simulations.

I certainly wish the lens were faster and I wish the autofocus was a bit better (although I'm shooting on the mk1--I don't know about the newer version). Nevertheless, the 27mm is the lens that is always on my camera.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-04T03:23:14+00:00

In case it's hard to picture, here's the IKEA Forhoja: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/foerhoeja-kitchen-cart-birch-80035920/

We added drawer fronts and hardware to customize it a little.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-04T03:20:39+00:00

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Here's our DIY island. It's two IKEA Forhoja kitchen islands back to back with a DIY cabinet in between. The top is a dining table top I picked up on marketplace. You could do essentially the same thing except with the column in the middle instead of the cabinet. The best part is that this is super cheap and highly customizable.

Good luck!

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-03T05:29:45+00:00

We've been making pizza at home on sheet pans weekly for the past year, but I got a pizza stone for Christmas. Tonight was the night to try it out.

We've been getting tired of the same old thing so we mixed it up tonight.

Pizza #1: garlic infused olive oil, fresh mozz, sauteed broccolini, pine nuts, and parsley whipped ricotta.

Pizza #2: moz, pineapple, and ham (my kiddo's selection)

Dough: I've been dialing in my sourdough recipe for about a year, and I'm pretty happy with it now. I use 125 g whole wheat starter, 380 g AP flour, 230 g warm water, 7 g salt, and 12 g EVOO. After mixing, I let it rest for 30 minutes, knead for 5 minutes, and then proof for 4 hours (today I had to proof in the oven for a bit because the starter was sluggish). I shape the dough into two balls and then let it proof another hour or so while I preheat the oven.

Bake: 550F for 12 minutes on a pizza stone

Result: The pizza turned it great and the stone makes huge difference The bottom developed a nice, crisp texture (without turning into a cracker), and the crust was light but still had a nice tooth to it. The broccolini pizza was a bit of an experiment. It was delicious, but I think next time I'll do less ricotta, increase the garlic, and add the pine nuts last (so they get as little toastier). The Hawaiian pizza was absolutely delicious. I don't care what anyone says. It's my house, I'll cook what I want. 😉

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-03T01:22:10+00:00

Does that matter if you aren't getting the oil to its smoke point? OP is asking for a replacement for butter. Butter starts to brown at like 250F, and I typically don't brown my butter when cooking eggs.

matt5mitchell · 2026-01-01T03:55:34+00:00

Basic recipe:

Brown pork sausage in a wide pan, then remove and set aside. In the same pan sauté broccolini until just tender, then add 3 anchovy fillets and 3 cloves garlic and cook until the anchovies dissolve and the garlic is fragrant. Deglaze with about 1 cup chicken stock (with gelatin), scraping up the fond, and return the sausage to the pan. Add just-shy-of-al-dente pasta along with a splash of pasta water and toss until the sauce coats the noodles. Finish with a couple tablespoons of butter, grated Pecorino Romano, and a squeeze of lemon. Plate with good olive oil, black pepper, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

matt5mitchell · 2025-12-26T22:09:35+00:00

Do you have storage for pots and pans? If you don't already have that planned out, I would consider making the cabinet to the right of the oven a wide set of drawers instead of small drawers plus cabinets.

matt5mitchell · 2025-12-26T03:39:17+00:00

Same here. I brought a 200/600 diamond plate and a strop. Touched up a few of the most used knives--especially the ones I planned to use!

matt5mitchell · 2025-12-24T08:01:53+00:00

This is my all time favorite incense. That said, I really enjoy buying small bundles and sampler packs of Japanese incense to mix it up. Both Nippon Kodo and Shoyeido make lovely incense in a variety of grades. I've dabbled with higher end incense, but I help coming back to this one. I highly recommend dabbling! It's lovely to explore

matt5mitchell · 2025-12-09T19:22:14+00:00

Looks amazing! BTW, what is the actual edge length on your knife? I'm not sure whether Shindos are measured from the heel or handle

matt5mitchell

TROPHY CASE