New Sample Structure for 2018, Wrapping up the Year

It is extremely cold in the northeast right now, but an extremely busy time for January Scent Project. I was visiting my brother and his wife's family in Iowa over Christmas, and came back to a large group of shipments to be sent out. There are some other shipments waiting to go which have slowed down slightly due to the blizzard we've had in recent days.

New sample packaging for January Scent Project.

Along with the new year, I've created new promotional material for the January Scent Project samples. When the newest perfume (Vaprorcindro) was released in October, I listed it as a separate purchasable unit on the site. It's also the most costly perfume to make due to its ingredients, so it required a slightly higher cost. Moving forward, however, Vaporocindro is now happily part of the full line of perfumes and shall be included in the standard sample kit.

People have remarked that they like the "Elevated Samples Kit" because it offers 3.5 ml parfum sprays, which really gives people a decent way to experience a perfume properly. Later this year I will be introducing some new options for sampling, but for the beginning of 2018, I'm going to move over to the full sample kit of all the current 4 perfumes and Smolderose Oil. The price of Vaporocindro will be added in; so this will explain an adjustment in prices. This change in sample options will occur starting Monday, January 8th. I hope you enjoy the new packaging!

As the Project continues, I want to keep revisiting the way that people sample the perfumes. I think that some things always hold true: Generally people like to spray their samples, they like to have options, and they want to get a sense of what the whole project is "about", not just a group of random smells that aren't in some way connected through a vision of sorts. I want to continue to offer as much of this as I can in the sampling experience while keeping it affordable and accessible. 

Much more to come as we brave the cold in the fascinating new year.

Thoughts from Kafkaesque, and the closing of a busy year

It was something of a surprise to see such a detailed and truly beautiful review of the perfumes (and of January Scent Project in general) from Kafkaesque at Kafkaesque Blog. I was very pleased that so much work had been put into a deep analysis of Smolderose, with such musical overtones and many roads that lead from it (into dark corners, majestic Carmen-inspired musicality, and even some leathery rock 'n' roll.) It's the depth and expanse of Kafka's writing that is inspiring. It ends the year on such a high note; amusingly ironic that many orders came flooding in as a result of this wonderfully written piece. I smiled my way through the mountains of boxes - these paper cuts were lovingly earned.

I'm thoughtful and reflective about the conversations that have been raised by the fragrances that came from JSP this year. As I've mentioned elsewhere, although I began with this in 2015, this indeed was the actual "beginning" of the project in its most fully realized state, and this may be why two years were needed in between. There were too many things unfinished, too many rough edges I wanted to sand down to be a bit smoother. I can rush into many things in life, but things that I care about, I move with patiently. Keeping that patience seems more important than ever as we're about to enter another year. And as ideas bounce off my head (sometimes barely able to stay IN my head,) I think too that the process of creating anything artful, reflective, soul-full has a psychic cost. We don't go through these motions without some repercussions. In my case, I balance many things. I work a full time job in UX design management, I paint part time, and I perfume part time. and there are yet so many other things I love to do. We all lead very busy lives, perhaps now more than ever, but maybe our best skill is when we can balance all these things and still be good to each other, good to ourselves?

Many open questions, but we have nothing but time in front of us. 

I raise a glass to you all, a thank you for the immense support of 2017, a special thank you to Kafkaesque and all the writers and video reviewers who have been so supportive and nourishing to JSP, and to all involved in the great moments of the year - many, many thanks. I look forward to seeing more and more of you in 2018.

- John

Interview: John Biebel with Sergey Borisov at Fragrantica

It was a great pleasure to speak with perfume writer Sergey Borisov of Fragrantica in a new interview that ran today. We talk together a lot about the process of making perfumes, but then he goes on to review two of the scents (Eiderantler and Vaporocindro.) He asks excellent questions and his reviews are poetic. Please have a view over at Sergey's article, I think it's one of the best experiences I've had working with a writer to date.