telophase: (Koumyou - hee)
telophase ([personal profile] telophase) wrote2011-01-04 09:24 pm

Update on the perfume allergy...

The perfume I posted sadly about on Jan 1st is BPAL's Phantom Time Hypothesis, which I, unfortunately, love. It's a limited edition, so at least it won't sit there, tempting me, every time I go to the site.

I have no idea what component it is that hates me now. The description reads: A traditional Medieval perfume that never existed: balm, benzoin, damask rose, gumdragon, lignum aloes, orange water, ambergris, and vegetal musk., but (a) that won't be all the components in it, because they don't want people copying their perfumes, and (b) I have no clue if BPAL follows the practice of some perfumers and lists notes that appear in the perfume out of combinations of other notes, and not from the actual component, i.e. if you combine A and B and C and the result is rather close to D, you might list D as a note, even though you didn't put component D in there.

The allergy came on with an odd (to me) symptom: you know how when you go outside on a freezing day, breathe in, and your nose hairs freeze? It was that sensation. In the middle of a crowded restaurant. And my nose started running. The next night, when I realized at a party that the symptoms went away after I got home and showered but came back even worse - lots of sneezing, and majorly runny nose as well as that prickly feeling - after I put it on again, I connected it with the perfume.

So, oh well. I'm reeeeeeally hoping that it's not a common component like benzoin or ambergris*, because that's going to make my own perfume-making hobby rather ... interesting. I plan on doing sniff tests of various perfumes and perfume components I have in order to narrow it down so I can avoid it in the future. It may take some time, as it doesn't seem to come on immediately after applying the perfume, but a while later.

Also, I managed to put a shirt on today that had traces of the perfume still on it, and I didn't realize it until I was sniffing and sneezing in a morning meeting. Luckily, it was faint enough that it wasn't bothering me near as much as it was this weekend, so I got through the day with occasional sneezes, a half-stuffy nose, and some those prickly feelings inside my nose.




* Probably a synthetic in this perfume: the real stuff is damn expensive. But I could be wrong.
mme_hardy: White rose (Default)

FWIW

[personal profile] mme_hardy 2011-01-05 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Musk hates me.

[identity profile] coraa.livejournal.com 2011-01-05 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
I'm really sorry that happened to you! Allergies suck, and allergies that you can't pin down suck more.

If you're looking to recoup the cost, I'd be happy to buy the remaining perfume from you. It sounds right up my alley.
Edited 2011-01-05 04:10 (UTC)
chisotahn: Firebird with the text "Firebird's Child". (Default)

[personal profile] chisotahn 2011-01-05 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
To my knowledge, BPAL will respond to component allergy requests fairly willingly? You might try if you're wanting to ferret out the culprit.

[identity profile] rayechu.livejournal.com 2011-01-05 07:11 am (UTC)(link)
Wow, that is a really interesting allergy symptom. Too bad about the perfume :(

[identity profile] vom-marlowe.livejournal.com 2011-01-05 01:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm really sorry to hear about the allergy!!!

I've got a couple of allergies, as you know Bob, and I have emailed BPAL in the past to ask if the perfume had XYZ, and they were super nice about it. You could email them and ask/explain that you're trying to figure out what to avoid in future.

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2011-01-05 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)
After I posted this last night, I went ahead and sent them an email asking if they knew if there were any common allergens in it, explaining why.

Mind you, it didn't occur until after I went to bed that I think it's a middle or base note doing it, as the symptoms don't come on immediately, but take a while, and it managed to linger on a shirt well enough to affect me three or four days later.

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2011-01-05 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I did so after posting this, asking if they knew any common allergens in it because I'd just developed a rather spectacular allergy. And didn't think until after I went to bed that it's probably a middle or base note as the symptoms didn't come on immediately any of the times, and managed to linger on a shirt long enough to affect me three or four days later.

*pleasedon'tbebenzoinpleasedon'tbebenzoinpleasedon'tbebenzoinpleasedon'tbebenzoin*

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2011-01-05 03:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure! Once I get home, I'll try to remember to check how much of the bottle is left and quote you a price based on that. :)

And I love it - it goes to a soft, complex, warm rose on me that people comment approvingly on. :D

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2011-01-05 03:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I've never had anything like it! And it kinda leaves my nose feeling like it's got dried-up snot in it when it doesn't. XD