An aperture is defined as an opening, a hole, or a gap. It is also a special space where light passes through. The perfumery landscape is historically closed and dark where everything is “hush hush”, private and exclusive where holes and gaps are carefully curated and often patched and covered. There are certain people and practices that have been invisible to the broader community, whether they are the perfumer, the farmer, or the artist in general. The work of adjusting …
Tag: Essential oil
The Marvelous, Unplanned Life of Mandy Aftel, Author, Perfumer, and Museum-Creator * Interview
“Everything I’ve done, I’ve just followed what I’ve been interested in. I’ve never had a plan, I have had no plan about any of this.” – Mandy Aftel Mandy Aftel started making natural perfumes almost 30 years ago. Her passion and artistry have won Aftelier Perfumes many awards and accolades. She’s been featured in countless magazines and blogs from Vogue to Forbes, Now Smell This to Bon Appetit. In 2003, Mandy launched Chef’s Essence, which supplies natural flavor oils and …
Distilling the Southwest: An Interview with Clare Licher of PhiBee Aromatics
As interest in aromatherapy explodes, and huge corporations seek to dominate the field with cheap essential oils and hydrosols, I’m honored to present Clare Licher and her family-run business PhiBee Aromatics, which specializes in the distillation of plants of the Southwest. Situated in Sedona, Arizona, an epicenter of the alternative health, well-being, and spirituality movements, Clare and her family provide the world with beautifully crafted oils that encapsulate the wonder of the unique and special landscapes of the Southwest. I …
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Sandalwood: From the Perils and Intricacies of Forestry to the Rarified world of Perfumery
Sandalwood reminds me of entering homes with objects from faraway lands. My aunt and uncle had such a home, with artifacts collected in world travels scenting the almost sacred space. When I entered the familiar yet exotic realm, my child’s imagination and consciousness expanded to include worlds beyond the tiny one I occupied. As Deniz Ataman, managing editor at Perfumer & Flavorist put it in an email, “At the root of it, perfumery is about sharing the essence of the …
Alchemy, Aromatherapy, and Distillation: An Interview with Cathy Skipper
Cathy Skipper is English by birth and spent much of her adult life in rural France, where she farmed, trained and worked as a herbalist and aromatherapist, and taught practical herbalism, botany and aromatherapy. Together with her husband Florian Birkmayer, she founded Aromagnosis.com. They live in New Mexico and offer courses live and online centralized around the work of Carl Jung, alchemy, aromatherapy, aromatic molecules and the mind. Her new book The Alchemy of Menopause helps women transform “the time …
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