Dearest Natural Fragrance Lovers,

In 2021 the Complete Collection of perfumes came together.  Perfume oils for each of the Complete Collection perfumes as an affordable alternative to the "parfum de extrait" concentration are being successfully trialed.

Now in the works is my Become the Alchemist class (more below). Just when we thought we were ready for in-person gatherings, omicron threw a curve ball. But it's time to get back together and make some beauty in a bottle. Follow @AmaravaitPerfume on instagram to see what's up! 

Alas, I couldn't dodge the omicron bullet myself; fortunately my sense of smell is almost 100%. Last year I started working on a violet themed composition, very close to perfect; and since 2022 spotlights violet as Herb of the Year, look for a sweet new release as soon as the weather warms and my nose improves! 

New in 2022

Become the Alchemist – an Introduction to Natural Perfume Making

Become the Alchemist – take ordinary ingredients and transform them into gold!

Perfume is beautiful and inspiring and its creation is inspired by beauty and passion. The creation of perfume is an alchemical process that is part art and part chemistry with a bit of knowledge and discipline required.

This class is famed natural perfumer Mandy Aftel’s Basic Perfume class, as taught by her students.  I am so delighted to be able to offer it in Texas!

In this 2 ½ to 3 hour class we will briefly discuss the history of perfume from ancient times to the time of the advent of synthetic aroma chemicals, and the difference between natural perfume materials and synthetic perfume materials.

Eighteen natural ingredients will be introduced and experienced in detail.  Participants will make notes about the ingredients and learn to recognize key qualities of each. We will use Mandy’s revised fragrance wheel to familiarize ourselves with fragrance families and base, middle and top notes.

For the bulk of the time, participants create a perfume composition with up to 6 ingredients. The composition includes base notes, middle notes and top notes of their choosing. We learn how to create a formula and try it out by using scent strips. I review their formulas and give feedback. When the formula is satisfactory, each perfumer will blend the ingredients and finish the perfume by bottling it in a bottle of their choice.

At the end of the class, we share our compositions with one another and give our positive feedback about the blends.

Specifics

• This in-person class is offered in Austin, Texas. We practice social distancing in as much as practicable, since active smelling is essential. COVID vaccination is required for that reason.
• The class is suitable for people of any experience level, who love natural personal care products; who have worked with aromatherapy and would like to take their experience up to that of fragrance making and perfumer; and for people who are interested in using natural odors for their work with multi-sensory experience design.
• Classes are limited to 5 participants. The cost is $75 per person.  
• All materials and supplies are provided.
• Reference and resource materials will be available for those who want more information.