/fa/ - Fashion

Recipe: Poor Man's Norne

Components: Classic Match's version/knockoff of Polo Green (easily available at Walmart for Americans), Encre Noire

Directions: Apply component fragrances to clothing (or paper if merely testing) in a 1:1 ratio, keeping the sprays close together without overlapping and thereby causing the scents to interfere with each other. Important: allow to develop for an hour or two, as the top notes in the "Polo" throw off the result.

Notes: I was driven to "formulate" this first attempt by the absolute dearth of Norne-like fragrances and my own penny-pinching tendencies. The essential idea here is to use cheap components to provide a piney base ("Polo") and smokiness (Encre Noire), two of the most notable aspects of Norne proper. While the real thing is without a doubt much more vibrant and three-dimensional, Poor Man's Norne produces a remarkably similar general impression to my nose, even when I have both in front of me. Poor Man's Norne smells how I might expect Norne to smell if you were to dilute it, but its weaker, more abstract scent may be more appropriate in settings in which Norne itself would not do, and, let's be honest, Norne isn't easy to get your hands on anyway, especially if you are, well, poor. I certainly expect that this formula could be improved, so try, for instance, altering the ratio of component fragrances or, of course, using different components. Replacing the Encre Noire with some sort of pure smoke oil could potentially improve the results, as I don't know whether vetiver's other qualities (besides smokiness) are assets or liabilities here. I don't know of another suitable dirt-cheap pine base. Anyway, I hope you like it. If you've never smelled Norne before and have (1) Encre Noire and (2) a nearby Walmart, try the recipe and then imagine the same basic thing but amplified, clarified, and much more evocative.