Amanda Feeley
Esscentual Alchemy
Perfumes
I loved perfumes as a teen – I had many
different types. I thought it was really
cool to have two separate fragrances,
that became something new when put
together. I used to go to the perfume
bar at Garden Botanika when I was in
college. I thought it was such fun to take an idea,
mix it up, and see what resulted from your inspiration!
“My one consistent perfume memory as a child was the
smell of my mom’s Chanel No. 5, which she wore on the rare
evening out with my father.”
What made you start your small business?
I guess you could say the event that really got me started
more seriously with perfuming was a DIY kit that was a gift
for my birthday from my husband. That led me to Google
indie perfumery, and to natural perfume. I found a picture
of Septimus Piesse’s Odophone (from The Art of
Perfumery and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants).
That was my light-bulb moment. I remember thinking,
“I already know how to do this!” As a music major, you
are required to take many classes on music theory, music
history, composition of music, orchestration, and even counterpoint. There are many
similarities between composing music, and perfume. Each have notes, and chords.
You want your composition to be balanced nicely, and “don’t end on the seven!”
What’s been your most popular item or line to date?
Pro Fond has been very popular. This is a perfume that I
created after dreaming of making a white floral perfume.
In the dream, I started off with savory base notes. I then
added chocolate to the mix, but woke up before completing
my creation. Needless to say, I immediately grabbed a pen
and paper, because these are the types of ideas you should
never let slip away!
esscentualalchemy.com
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