I am excited to announce the launch of our store with our first downloadable product: the complete formula of the original M7 by Yves Saint Laurent. In the words of Fragrantica:
The content of M7 encompasses assorted trees and raw, odorous plants. The composition begins with elegant citrus notes of Italian bergamot, Sicilian mandarin and rosemary. The warm heart contains an excellent replica of one of the most expensive components: Agarwood, followed by vetiver. The perfume closes with a soft ambergris trail and musky notes.
This is the first of what will be a number of premium downloads for a one-off purchase price. The price is $100 US and it entitles the buyer to unlimited downloads of the document. Included is the formula, some background information, and a small summary of the various oud bases available to perfumers today.
Here are four sample pages.
Will the rest of the formulas you post be like this?
Not all- just the particularly precious ones or ones that have cost me considerably more to analyze and replicate.
I just bought this Formula but forgot to log in before doing so. I cant access it now, what should i do?
You should have a download link in the email you received when you bought it. If you can’t find that or use it let me know and I’ll manually send it to you 🙂
I only got the E-Mail from Paypal confirmation. No other E-Mail with a link unfortunately, i sometimes have trouble recieving E-Mails on that adress and they dont arrive
I sent you the file manually- can you confirm you got it?
yes i got it, thank you!
What a wonderful news! If you make Rive Gauche Homme clone, I will be able to pay even 300$ 🙂
I always like Rive Gauche when I smell it at the store but believe it or not I don’t own it! I must get a bottle and wear it for a while. eBay is calling 🙂
Hi Jamie, That’s great news this one. I’ve always wondered how it is possible that I never discovered this fragrance in stores, let alone got the chance to buy it, probably because this fragrance was only available in stores for a very short time. I need some time to decide if i want to buy this one. Question: This formula contains ingredients I could buy from known suppliers like Perfumer supply house or creating perfume etc..and not companies like Vigon or Penta etc? Because I want to be sure I can make this fragrance with all the ingredients I can… Read more »
Hey Guido, in the PPHP there are a couple of ingredients that are not all that common – for example tetrahedro ionol. That is, as far as I can remember, the only thing I ordered from Penta. Having said that, it is highly possible that Christine at PSH can get products from Penta or other suppliers – I bought this when I was just starting out and I don’t buy anything from Penta any longer as I prefer to get Christine to buy difficult to find things. M7: Again a cursory glance – nothing really out of the ordinary here… Read more »
Thanks you, that shouldn’t be a problem if its only a couple of ingredients. The last time in July I asked Christine for a list of ingredients that she would like to buy for me and she was happy to do that only she needed time to see what she could do for me. A short time after that I sent her another small list and I apologized for my request because I didn’t want to pressure her. Unfortunately I haven’t heard from here since..maybe I have to be patient or should I contact her again?..because I am slightly worried she’s… Read more »
By the way: M7 is a revelation. I bought a vintage bottle and it then immediately became one of my top 5 daily wear fragrances. I think my formula is nicer because I include a more luxurious sandalwood and real oud – but you can omit 🙂
That makes me very curious about your formula haha!
I have a Sandalwood super premium CO2 from Hermitage and also Mysore Sandalwood.
From Pellwall I have Oud Maleki and Samrat at 10% that is. and some other synthetic ouds.
I haven’t tried the CO2 from hermitage – how is it? I use Mysore Sandalwood by John Steele mostly – it’s awesome. The oud I use in M7 is Oud Assafi pure – which is what your Oud Samrat and Oud Maleki are built around. I overdose it to dominate the top with oud but you could probably do a 1 for 1 switch with your oud to still get a powerful oud note even though it is ten times diluted. That will still be far more elegant than the original M7 which contained absolutely no natural oud – just… Read more »
About the Sandalwood CO2: I have to be honest about this: I haven’t tested or tried this on my wrist since I bought it. But I have added this 3 weeks ago when blending your Égoïste Cologne Concentrée formula.
I certainly would consider to use the Samrat and Maleki 1 for 1
The price for Oud Assafi.. oeps…expensive stuff! but that’s the case with almost all natural ouds, I have to buy natural oud in time but the price tags scares me.
Ah – let me know what you think of it in comparison to your Mysore Sandalwood when you get a chance. As for the Oud – on the positive side the ones you have are built around natural Oud Assafi so you do have real oud at least – and the benefit of the nuancing chemicals Firmenich adds to it. I think you’d get a really good result from M7 with the products you already have. I got the Assafi for my own use because I knew it would be a trustworthy supply – coming from Firmenich. I don’t want… Read more »
Russian Adam is releasing his new ALD6 series very soon, some interesting fragrances he has created.., I have some new not used samples from his last series. I like it the way he uses raw materials and he creates very daring fragrances, you love them or you hate them. I don’t know Bortnikoff’s fragrances, some say they are better than Areej le Doré? By the way: I received some good news from Christine, she has managed to collect for me some samples of ingredients I’ve asked for, needed for blending one of your formulas. She could manage to collect 5-6… Read more »
I’m not actually familiar with Areej le Doré at all – I’ll have to do some research in case I find myself a new brand to love! I can’t compare the Bortnikoff but I can at least say that I can tell there is real Oud Assafi in the bottle I have.
And great news about Christine – she’s a miracle worker at times. She is absolutely my favorite supplier.
Hi, Guido. If I can, I would recommend you to use Samrat and Oud Synth Fir which has a very nice vetiver call and would mix well with the formula vetiver. Maleki has a too particular olfactory profile, perhaps a little too distant from Samrat, in my opinion and according to my nose. 🙂
Hi Giomara, Thanks for the advice. In time I’ll buy this formula for sure, I am curious how other people will react after making this clone.
it certainly is almost a relic from the past ready to be “born” again thanks to Jamie.
Thanks, Jamie. It is one of the perfumes that I have used a lot from 2002 until it went out of production (I’m talking about the original wonderful version). I tried to recreate it too but only using the “nose”, only a vague similarity though :). I have almost all the raw materials (but I think I will omit Oud Assafi, I will put Anokha or Samrat in its place). A material that I don’t have is Nerolidyl Acetate (synonymous with Nerolidol Acetate?), What can I replace it with or is it essential? Then, is aged Patchouli essential? I have… Read more »
You can omit the oud entirely – there was none in the original formula – I add it to my own because I love Oud Assafi. Yes nerolidol acetate is the same as nerolidyl acetate. It makes a discrete contribution, you could omit it. For the patchouli use the nicest whole patchouli you have – not the acetate, not the alcohol, not the molecular distillation (which gives a significant boost to the alcohol levels). My guess from your list is that your best option is the Patchouli Indian (PSH).
Thanks again. Another fragrance that I loved along with M7 was Norma Kamali’s Incense, now discontinued unfortunately. If you happen to recreate it let me know … 🙂
Hi Jamie, is there much difference between nerolidol acetate and synthetic nerolidol? At the moment I only have the synthetic one.
nerolidol acetate and nerolidol are different products entirely – acetates are not specifically natural – they are usually brighter and sharper than their alcohol counterparts.
Well, I made a batch of 100 gr. of concentrate. I used the best of the materials I had available, citrus from Calabria and a Rosemary from a small local producer which are the best. I also used a blend of agarwood that I made some time ago with 3 beautiful types of Agarwood (with profile towards the woody) which also contains a very small percentage of Assafi (from TPA). In place of Patchouli oil I used an extraordinary Absolute: it has the most beautiful profile of the best aged Patchouli I have ever smelled. A touch of Vanilla Absolute… Read more »
I would think that at least a few months is preferred with up to 6 maybe for maturation. I think 25% sounds awesome – 20% would also be fine. I would consider going as low as 15% and as high as 30 or 35. Your materials sound out of this world! I’m in the final process of putting together some bases to sell on here, given the way you describe your ingredients I think you’ll like them a lot.
Hello Jamie, I also purchased M7 formula and besides the pdf I did open on the spot, there is no email.
Really?! The email I am talking about is simply the receipt for the purchase which also includes a download link. . .
Got no email , but I saved the pdf when it opened after purchase, so im fine, but just letting you know there was no email at all. I mixed multiple formulas you offer and M7 is almost ready, very good job! I also used the patchouli absolute from hermitage but mixed in Patchouli Light albert vielle. Used precious Kyara oud, and a mix of Sandalwood Mysore with mysore CO2. It’s fun to have a solid formula you can play with and tweak in so many ways. No two mixes of your formula will be identical because everyone uses slightly… Read more »
Thanks for letting me know! I’ll have to look into that. I agree about no two mixes being the same – I really love how it differs because we all have our own taste in oils we use – with high naturals the differences can be profound.
Hi Jamie,
I would like to buy this formula, I have Oud Synthetic 010760E Firmenich and also Oud Samrat available, do you think they can be fine mixed together or is it better to use one rather than the other? Consider that Samrat is diluted to 10% but has a very intense scent. I can’t wait to try this perfume, I have the reformulated version which is not bad, but I know the original version is much better.
You could absolutely mix them together! Oud Synthetic is great – and even nicer with a touch of the real deal. I also love Givaudan’s Black Agar mixed with a touch of real oud.
Hi Jamie,
yesterday I bought the M7 formula and I think it is very interesting. I was surprised at the amount of OUD, I don’t know why but I was expecting an overdose of this material. I have a bottle of this perfume, it’s the reformulation in the cube bottle, I don’t know exactly what year it is, but OUD is definitely a head-to-bottom note. Is the version of your formula the original from 2002? However looking at the formula it seems really special to me, I can’t wait to start mixing.
mine is the original – not the reformulation. There is no genuine oud in the original – just a replica. I enhanced it with a touch of the real stuff as it makes it better in my opinion and I am not hinderedby cost for mass production.
Excuse me, I’ve explained myself badly, I meant that synthetic oud smells a lot in my reformulated bottle, it smells a lot already in the opening notes, that’s why I expected an overdose of this component in the formula. I don’t know the original version of this perfume. You have explained very well the whole history of the various ouds and their differences, very interesting everything you wrote in the formula sheet. As an amateur I’m learning a lot and I really like all the formulas of your perfumes.
Sorry for my English
Oh! That makes sense 🙂 Give it time – the vanilla will start to emerge more in the top notes due to the quantity and soften the oud. Original M7 is an extraordinary thing – the new version not so much!
Hi Jamie.
Great formula – thank you.
A few questions, if you have time…
It’s pretty impossible for me to get hold of nerolidyl acetate and neryl acetate at the moment, though I have nerolidol. Are these intended as components of the rose note? I have a number of other acetates I could use as modifiers. I might put all the floral compounds together and see what else might push/lift it in a similar way.
Any suggestions for replacing Tonalid? I’m not familiar with it. Descriptors are “sweet amber fruity musk powdery”. Exaltolide, perhaps? Musk R1?
Thanks!
You could definitely use other rose acetates to your liking – they add freshness and lift. You could also just omit them and I would do that as a first option. As for replacing tonalide, you could use ethylene brassylate or perhaps just increase both the helvetolide (by a small amount – say 0.5% more) and the galaxolide: 45 Galaxolide 50 5 Helvetolide Helvetolide is similar in some ways to ethylene brassylate BUT it is FAR more radiant and toppy so you definitely don’t just want to bump it up too much or you’ll add a more distinct fruity/pear note… Read more »
Thanks so much for your reply. Have omitted the acetates and replaced the tonalid with ethylene brassylate this time around (just ran out of habanolide). Have put tonalid and civetone on the order list. I ended up using a Spanish rosemary ‘verbenone’ rather than another ‘camphor’ ct I had. The verbenone might be a little too balsamic/clean. I must get a standard cineole cultivar as well. I’ve just made up this formula. It’s coming off super chocolate-orange at the moment (just from the concentrate). Will leave it for a few weeks and let you know how it goes. Continuing to… Read more »
Glad you liked it! You’ll get a LOT of use out of civettone – it really is one of the finest long lasting musks we know. I can’t wait to hear how it all ends up!
Just an update after aging three weeks… seems it’s still developing. Will test again in another few weeks. The fresh herbal notes have stepped forward to cut the heavy syrupiness of the citrus/amber. There’s some impressive fixation of the top notes happening. I may do a trial with additional oudh and sandalwood, a couple of woody-amber ACs and a trace of cinnamon. I’ve also put together a blend of just the woods, vetiver and patchouli (the naturals only) to study that aspect of the formula, and it’s a great foundation. Every phase of its maturation is so satisfying. I did… Read more »
It’s a complex formula that definitely benefits from the extra time.
Another update. Ready after 2 months. I’d say this is the minimum maturation time, IMO, though, no doubt it will continue to improve given extra time, as mentioned. Have been wearing this more than I anticipated 🙂
Hope you’re doing well Jamie!
Thanks for the update Adam! I agree that longer is better. Glad it’s going well – I wear my version quite often too 🙂
Hi Jamie, I bought your formula and I must say this is an easy one, no bases or whatsoever. I don’t have the nerolidyl acetate like many other people here, but that shouldn’t be an issue.
What do you think about applying Dreamwood instead of Sandalwood Mysore?
Yeah it’s always a plus when no pre-mixing is needed 🙂 I think Dreamwood would be a really nice substitution here – it is a beautiful base and would enhance this fragrance considerably due to the new molecules.
I am going to use a touch of Oud Anokha together with Oud Synthetic 010760E.
You recommend to use (natural) Ambrettolide when using genuine Oud, do you also recommend this when using a touch of Oud Anokha?
definitely – though having said that you could use regular ambrettolide or scentolide and both would be great.
Hi Jamie, I mixed the ingredients and I must say that the scent is already delicious! I used a Ptchouli absolute Super Premium from Hermitage Oils, it is very good, soft and sweeter than normal Patchouli, green in color. I took your advice and used the best Patchouli I had available, but I would also like to try the aged one. Where can I buy a good Patchouli aged 10 years?. Congratulations for this formula, I didn’t know original M7, now I understand why everyone says that the formulation 2002-2007 is fantastic. Bravo!
Hermitage has some outstanding oils! I can only imagine your green patchouli absolute is a total smash hit in this formula. The patchouli I have was a five year aged I bought in bulk from White Lotus seven years ago which I then continued to age myself by keeping it locked in a dark safe.
Hi Jamie I purchased this today, are the materials all in grams?
They are indeed!