How do you actually create a perfume?
Often I start with a particular ingredient, say osmanthus, which has an entrancing apricot scent. Then I choose other essences to complement it.
Sometimes I start out with a general theme -- for example, a spicy oriental. I do some study and research, then select possible ingredients and combinations, then try different combinations on scent strips.
When I've settled on a formula and made the initial batch, I put it aside for at least six weeks. Some ingredients grow more dominant over time, while some fade into the background. For a perfume to mature completely, it takes at least six months. Creating a perfume calls for time and patience. Some of the great perfumers produced only a few in their lifetime. The wonderful thing about botanical blends is that they keep getting better over time.
You use essential oils as your ingredients?
I use essential oils as well as absolutes, concretes, and other types of extractions. I blend these extracts in alcohol, unless I'm making a solid perfume, which involves oil and melted beeswax.
If I wanted to have a custom fragrance made for myself, what would the procedure be?
We would sit down together and you would sample the many essences I have on hand. I would take note of your preferences and then create several possible combinations. You would choose the one you prefer. Then I would do further development and refinement of the blend, until you are fully pleased and satisfied with it.
Is it very expensive to have a custom fragrance made?
I offer several price points. The top price level offers the most expensive ingredients. But you don't have to spend a lot to get a very nice scent.
What brought you to natural perfumery, Kathleen? How did you get started?
I've always loved beautiful perfumes, and the three years I spent in France allowed me to experience some of the best. Recently I discovered natural (botanical) perfume. I now participate in blending experiments, via the internet, with a group of artisan perfumers from around the world. We do our experiments individually and then share our results. It's a continual learning experience -- perfumery is a vast and complex art.
Does it worry you that perfumes are now banned in some places?
There are perfumes that deserve to be banned. I find most "designer" perfumes unpleasant. Botanical perfumes, on the other hand, don't have any of the ingredients that make a perfume offensive. They don't get up your nose. They don't give you headaches. And they smell so much better.