As the Scented Speakeasy – our discovery of illicit ingredients and underground perfumes – draws ever closer, prompting much twitching of nostrils in readiness of the delights ahead, it is time to find out a little more about the three ‘prohibition perfumers’ who are offering up some of their scents into the cloak of night (that does sound a little Phantom of the Opera, but I suppose that plus a dose of 1920s is the aesthetic we are going for).
Each of the perfumers is approaching the subject of illicit fragrance from a different angle.
All are nascent in terms of selling their wares and to some extent self-taught, which is additionally great, because it’s a chance to discover some fresh approaches to perfumery.
Elizabeth Moores of new outfit Papillon Perfumery is sharing some of the scents she would never sell to clients, but which she will make and circulate to friends and family, and where she can use hefty-doses of ingredients that are otherwise regulated or banned.
Elizabeth got here by way of a career in ballet, and then in remedial massage, through which she began independently studying aroma chemicals, experimenting with the essential oils she had at hand.
In 2009 she completed the Fragrance Foundation CFSS course and with further training began making perfumes independently for friends. By 2010 Elizabeth was completing bespoke perfumes for clients and decided to launch Papillon Perfumery.
Situated near the New Forest, Elizabeth’s studio is set in the heart of the woodlands where she creates small batches of handmade perfumes, using elements of her surroundings as an inspiration within her compositions. Papillon Perfumery will be launching three perfumes by the end of this year including a leather floral, dark rose and a sea spray aquatic floral.
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Stephen Nelsen of Darasina composes out of historical curiosity, recreating compositions that wouldn’t be possible or marketable today.
A horticulturist by trade, he became fascinated with old perfume recipes by studying archives on the historic uses of raw materials; the very plants and herbs that he was using aesthetically in gardens.
Before he knew it, he was growing his own orris and patchouli to discover their fragrant qualities, and was commissioned to recreate historic pot pourris for the National Trust, including at Knole House.
Stephen makes to private commission, and his projects include pomander necklaces (don’t you wish these were readily available?), colognes, and sachets. He cultivates a glorious-sounding garden in the English countryside, which I am desperate to visit for a good old poke around.
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Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays (soon-launching) is olfactorily illicit in a few ways.
One of her speakeasy perfumes is so extravagent in its use of costly ingredients that it would be impossible to sell it (outside of Dubai), and therefore nobody is ever really going to be in a position to try it outside of the event tomorrow. Others make abandoned use of oakmoss for the joy of it, or a supply of an oud that came out of a sidestreet in the Middle East one day, and who knows if there will ever be any more of it.
Sarah started young, mixing plants together in the garden when she was little, but she didn’t want to be a perfumer, she wanted to be a witch. Her potions were intended to do magic. She still feels that way about scent. It shouldn’t just smell lovely, it should make you feel amazing too.
Sarah first started blending seriously while she was working for Lush as their writer. She had to learn all the properties that natural materials have as well as their odours. When she mentioned to Mark Constantine that she’d like to make scents, he handed her a five litre vat of denatured alcohol and had a box of essential oils delivered to her house.
Sarah is not interested in large scale production that’s dictated by fashion or bean counting. She likes “…gorgeous, voluptuous scents you call fall into. I love my oakmoss and opoponax.”
While she’s getting myself established as a perfumer, Sarah still works as a copywriter and runs creative writing workshops.
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Here be their stories, and their scents will certainly beguile tomorrow evening. We will share more about the perfumes after the event, but as a sneak preview we’ll be sampling a perfume called Death by Jasmine (bury me in black), another called Doris, and one with a very Narnian sounding title: Lion Cupboard.
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