This week Karen is introducing a new mini series that will be looking back at the basics of creating your own fragrances. In this first part Karen is tackling the topic of selecting the right materials. With so many options out there, material selection can be an overwhelming task for first timers. But, Karen is here to guide you through everything from synthetics or naturals to choosing the right supplier and how to store your materials so that you can begin your perfume making journey today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• There’s a trap that most first time perfumers fall into, and that is buying any and all materials that you come across. Karen discusses how to set your own criteria for the materials you should buy.
• Natural or Synthetic Materials? - a question that every first time perfumer will find themselves asking. Karen breaks down the pros and cons of each.
• Once you’ve selected your materials, where do you buy them from? As Karen stresses, it’s crucial to buy your materials from quality suppliers, and she tells you the things to look out for.
• Now that you have your materials you have to store them correctly. Karen outlines the crucial do’s and don’ts of material storage.

BEST MOMENTS

“When you start out, it’s important to choose materials that align with your creative vision.”

“Knowing your style is going to help you make more informed choices when selecting materials.”

“If you’re unsure about a certain material, buy a sample and experiment before buying in bulk.”

EPISODE LINKS

Materials Mastery

In Person Class

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE HOST

Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.

Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances.

With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques.

Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.

CONTACT DETAILS

Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Email

This week, Karen is going all the way back to a fundamental topic for those starting their journey in perfumery - “Why alcohol based perfumes are the best starting point for beginners.” Alcohol, as a base material, often gets overlooked and has many false narratives surrounding it. But, it is actually the best place to start your perfume journey. In this episode, Karen is here to explain what makes alcohol so unique and debunk all those myths surrounding it so that you can start your perfume making journey with ease.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Alcohol evaporates very quickly. Most people learn this and instantly assume it to be a negative. However, Karen explains why this property is a game changer for beginners.
• How do your materials react to an alcohol base versus an oil base? Karen breaks down in detail the difference between the two.
• Alcohol is a very volatile solvent. Karen explains how this property allows you to create scents with more complexity and depth.
• There are many myths surrounding the use of alcohol in perfumery, such as “alcohol dries out the skin.” Karen is here to debunk those myths.

BEST MOMENTS

“Alcohol reveals the true nature of your materials clearly and cleanly.”

“If you have built your business around oil based scents, don’t abandon that entirely, you can introduce alcohol slowly.”

“Alcohol based perfumes are so much more versatile than oil based.”

EPISODE LINKS

In Person Classes

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE HOST

Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.

Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances.

With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques.

Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.

CONTACT DETAILS

Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Email

Karen recently received an email from a listener that posed an interesting question…”Should I keep my business doing what is already working or should I branch out and try something new?” Stepping into a new world can be daunting and can leave you second guessing if you’ve made the right choice, however, there is a way to do this and minimise your risk. This week, Karen is here to explain how you can expand your business into new and exciting avenues without losing what you have built and how you can grow your brand with confidence.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Before you start introducing new ways of working, or even new product lines, take a long hard look at what you’re already doing. As Karen explains, if it’s working, there’s a reason for that, so look at how you can leverage that to support other parts of the business.

• What are the best products to get started with when thinking about expansion? Karen details some of the easiest products to develop and gives you a warning about the ones to avoid.

• Karen breaks down the principle of the ‘soft launch’ and how it can help you to test new products without the excessive time and expense of a full launch.

• The fear of fear itself is often the very thing that holds us back from getting where we want to go. Karen discusses what that fear might actually be about and how to overcome it.

BEST MOMENTS

“There’s a lot of power in stability and it’s the smartest place to grow from.”

“Ultimately you want to gain the skills to design scents that truly represent your brand.”

“The biggest thing that can stop us getting where we want to go is fear.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE HOST

Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.

Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances.

With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques.

Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.

CONTACT DETAILS

Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Email