Our story begins, as stories so often do, at a parfumerie in Paris.

My boyfriend (now husband) and I traveled to Paris to celebrate our two-year anniversary. During one of our many explorations of les arrondissements we happened upon a parfumerie where I discovered my signature scent. My husband is often congested so he rarely can smell anything I might be wearing, but he was happy because I was happy.

What started as a €79 cologne quickly became €89 so, I would reorder on whatever site offered the best deal (read: lowest price, no tax, and free shipping). Then came the frightful (fateful?) day when my attempt to reorder was met with a notification that the fragrance could not be shipped to the States. I was confused. I was heartbroken! I was without my signature fragrance. Then, an idea:

I should just make my own fragrance. How hard can it be?

The answer to the question.

In the age of the information superhighway, I miss the tactile. Twenty years ago I would spend my free time over blank canvases with mixed media to work through visual narratives and my understanding of the world around me. I may still sketch, but those ideas are kept on my iPad in the Paper app. In fact, during a previous summer holiday in Europe I often sketched fragrance blends based on our given environment. (I’m glad I left many of those blends as sketches, because mixing licorice, birch and coffee together sounds a lot better than the physical result.)

Perfumery allows me to find permanence in a stream of constant impermanence. An intersection of technology and spirituality. What makes my work so gratifying is the moment a fragrance fills one’s senses and creates unadulterated joy. And that result is simply amazing.

So hello, World. Here I am, an independent perfume atelier, with my collection of eau de parfum and perfume oil that you can make your own.