Resources on Independent Perfume & Perfumery
By BARBARA TANNENBAUM
This sidebar is a supplement to Led by the Nose
The rich world of independent perfumery can inspire fragrance lovers to engage in many ways. To help you follow your nose, so to speak, here are some of the best resources for both the curious and the committed, regarding the craft of scent-making.
First, shoppers can get a whiff of the artisanal perfumes crafted by the makers in this story. For Alberto Fernández’s scents, visit his Etsy store.
On Mandy Aftel’s website, you’ll learn about the history of perfume-making while shopping for her handmade botanical perfumes. You’ll also find her books and upcoming workshop announcements.
Yosh Han offers her signature scents online, plus information about her scent-related ceremonies and intuitive readings.
Bruno Fazzolari’s perfumes are sold on his website. Likewise, Zoologist Perfumes are available online, as is Ellen Covey’s Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes.
These and other independent perfumes can be ordered directly through Tigerlily. The San Francisco store also hosts craft workshops on effleurage, perfume blending, and other technique, plus events showcasing West Coast fragrance makers.
To learn about experimental art projects that incorporate mixed media and scent, recent indie or artisanal Golden Pear award winners, or to attend Los Angeles-based lectures or classes on fragrance, visit the Institute of Art & Olfaction’s website.
Another resource for scent makers and wannabe fragrance crafters is The Perfumer’s Apprentice in Scotts Valley, Calif. This shop sells every tool of the trade, from raw, aromatic oils to bottles, pipettes, and atomizer tops. It also offers hands-on classes, perfume-making educational kits, and workbooks covering blending basics to the more complex accords. The shop’s staff even handle the IFRA certification process for U.S. makers seeking to sell their perfume wares to the European market.
The heart of classic perfume making is still New York and Paris. NYC’s Fragrance Foundation lists training resources, upcoming conferences, and recent FiFi award winners.
IFRA,the perfume industry’s regulatory arm, is headquartered in Switzerland with offices around the world. The website details scientific findings, research, and upcoming events and conferences of interest to perfume makers of all types.
Fragrance-related trade shows such as EsXence are an excellent way to meet a large number of makers in one go.
Finally, if you’re simply curious about the science of scent and olfaction, watch author and scientist Luca Turin’s TED Talk on “The Science of Scent.”
Barbara Tannenbaum is a freelance writer based in San Rafael, CA. Her pieces on arts and culture have appeared in the New York Times, San Francisco magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Daily Beast, and Salon.
© 2023 Barbara Tannenbaum. All rights reserved. Under exclusive license to Craftsmanship, LLC. Unauthorized copying or republication of any part of this article is prohibited by law.
