Open a bottle of rose absolute, and you'll find it's far more complex than a simple "rose smell." Its aroma has many facets: honey, spice, a hint of green leaf, and a soft, velvety depth. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with natural perfume.
If you've ever wondered what makes natural perfume different, and whether it's worth choosing, here's what I tell my guests.
What is natural perfume?
Natural perfume is made from plant-based materials: essential oils, absolutes, and resins. Essential oils are usually steam-distilled from plants, like lavender or cedarwood. Absolutes are extracted using a solvent, which captures the rich, full aroma of flowers like jasmine and rose. Resins, like frankincense, come from the sap of trees.
I also make accords, which are blends of several natural materials that work together. Amber is a good example. There's no "amber oil" in nature. It's a warm, sweet accord built from materials like benzoin, vanilla, and labdanum.
It Changes as You Wear It
A natural perfume doesn't smell the same from the first minute to the last. It unfolds in layers:
- Top notes come first. They're light and bright, like bergamot, grapefruit, or ginger.
- Heart notes arrive next and make up the center of the perfume, like jasmine, lavender, or rose.
- Base notes are what's left at the end. They're deep and warm, like sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, or patchouli.
The ingredients have a story
Ingredients for natural perfume come from all over the world. In my studio, you'll find rose absolute from Bulgaria, vetiver from Haiti, and frankincense from India. It takes a great many petals to make even a small amount of rose absolute, which is why it's so precious and costly.
I also make specialty tinctures, which add another layer and nuance to a perfume.
Meant to Be Worn Close
Natural perfume doesn't announce you from across the room. Others may catch it in the air, but they'll lean in closer to find out what that lovely scent is.
It's also a little mysterious. It melts into your own body chemistry, so it smells different on everyone who wears it, and no one else will ever wear it quite the way you do. As it warms on your skin, it reveals itself slowly, one layer at a time.
Natural perfume doesn't last as long as a designer fragrance, so you may want to reapply during the day. It's also buildable. Wear a solid perfume over an alcohol-based one, or layer several solids, and each layer adds more depth and a new shade to the scent.
Why create your own?
You can buy a natural perfume. But there's nothing like creating one yourself, and that's what I teach. In a private session, you explore florals, woods, resins, spices, citruses, and rare absolutes, then blend the ones you love, drop by drop, until you have a scent that's yours alone. You choose the form you'd like to take home: alcohol-based, solid, or oil.
No experience is needed. I guide every step over 2½–3 hours, and all materials are provided. It's a natural fit for bachelorette parties, bridal showers, birthdays, girls' weekends, couples, and other small group experiences.
I host groups at my Buellton studio, or I can bring the experience to your vacation rental, winery, hotel, home, or workplace in Solvang, Santa Barbara, Montecito, and the Santa Ynez Valley.