Getting Creative

So I have been waking up in the middle of the night lately thinking of how I can create some really unique fragrances. Something that makes my fragrances stand out from the others. I look at all the other Natural Perfumer's out there in awe of what they create and I wonder "what can I do to make a name for myself?".

So, I have been working on some really fun infusions. For those of you who know the basics of making perfume, you have (basically) 3 options for bases: perfumer's alcohol (in various forms), oil (either Jojoba or Fractionated Coconut) or Wax base for solid perfumes. I am not one of the lucky ones who can afford perfumer's alcohol yet so my medium is Jojoba (a liquid wax that doesn't go rancid). I just started the process of infusing some tea roses. If you have ever taken a whiff of "Tea Rose" perfume by Perfumer's Workshop you will know that it is an amazingly feminine scent. My sister is a big fan of this and inspired me to find ways to recreate this beautiful scent.

I have finally been able to use some infusions I started months ago. Blackberry Honey, Brown Sugar, Coconut are just a few things that I am playing with right now. I find that these 3 infusions mixed with some Jasmine Grandi are sweet and rich. I have been wearing this new blend trying to figure out what else they need. My goal is to come up with a Gourmand that can be worn by men and women. I think I am on to something. When I get it finished I will let you know.

Finally, I asked a friend of mine who is very new to Natural Perfumery what she would like in a custom scent. Like many of my friends, she referred to some popular synthetic scents made by Bath & Body Works and other companies. Her favorites were Spearmint, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Sandalwood and anything "clean". So here is my project for the next few weeks: I have to come up with a scent for her that contains these elements. Any mints can be a challenge and I have never taken them on. This will be fun and I hope to fully convert her to the Natural Perfume side!

I hope to add a few new scents to my line soon and maybe this will be one!

My first blog!

Hi all-

Well, this is my first blog and I look forward to writing about my adventures in my business and elsewhere! For those of you who came to my blog from the site, then you are familiar with my products. If not, here is a little about me. My name is Nikki and I am the owner of Gabriel's Aunt. I specialize in high-end, natural candles and, just recently, Natural Perfumes. The perfumes have been something I have wanted to create for a long time and now I am finally doing it. The Natural Perfume Community is small, but growing every day. I have created 5 perfumes as of now. All are distinctly different and so much fun to wear. From the super sexy "Sweet Love" that has Australian Sandalwood, Nutmeg, Tahitian Vanilla, Cocoa Absolute & Rose to the Sweet, feminine and floral "Sweet Love" that has Orange Blossom, Magnolia Flower, Geranium & Neroil. To see a list of my all new perfumes, visit my website listed here. If you are not familiar with the world of Natural Perfumery, please visit the NP site (link is on this page). Right now I am working on some unique blends using many of my own infusions. Things like, coconut, honey, brown sugar and other things. I am working on taking some classes to further my knowledge and both Anya McCoy (anyasgarden.com) and Ayala Sender (ayalamoriel.com) are both sources from which I aim to grab more knowledge! They both are planning on offering classes either this summer or early Fall so look into it if you are interested in knowing more.

I think things are about to become really exciting for me and my business! I am waiting on a review of my candles to come out in the Fall Edition of the Massage Therapy Journal on August 1st. This is the first time my products have garnered any sort of attention in a major (or not so major) publication. Also, the funky and oh-so-cool indie shopping site, www.wickedlychic.com, is writing a review on my candles in their upcoming summer "Beautify Me" Column.

So, there is a lot going here at my little company. I look forward to getting my perfumes and candles into the hands of many more of you! I will post the reviews as soon as they come out!