Designing a Perfume for a Faerie part 1

A while back I was delighted to be asked to custom design a perfume for the amazing Australian artist  Helen Wells. She has been one of my favourite artists for some time, so I was especially honoured and excited about the project!

And even more delighted that I succeeded in creating something she really loves!

By Hellen Wells:

Ever since I was a small girl I’ve wanted to have my own special perfume.

I couldn’t stand any of the commercial perfumes I came across as I grew up.

For many years I gave up and didn’t wear perfume at all.

Then I discovered essential oils. I was drawn to several. Frustratingly I found many of them to powerful to wear as a perfume. I’m very sensitive to scents and many incenses, perfumes and oils produced the undesired result of headaches ranging from mild to sever, hot flushes and also flu like symptoms.

The oils I found I didn’t react to like this didn’t feel like ‘me’. Some suited the mood I was in a certain times, but couldn’t cross with me to other moods when I went.

Meeting Ambrosia:

When Caiseal discovered ‘Pan’ by ‘Perfume by Nature’ at a Mind Body Spirit festival. I was delighted. This perfume is amazing on him. I find it very attractive and I don’t react negatively to it either. It wasn’t suited to me.. much more masculine scent.

Excitedly I tested the other range. And loved most of them. Although nothing still sat quite right for ‘me’

I liked ‘Death by Chocolate’ best and often wore it.. but t still only suited me in certain moods.

It was then I learnt Ambrosia offers the fantastic service of individually designed perfumes.

I knew she’d find the answer.

It was just such an enjoyable experience for me. Filling out the little questionnaire to begin with I felt I learnt a bit about myself during this process, and also felt she was going to leave no stone unturned in finding that special scent for me.

It was so exciting when the first package of samples arrived – four different ideas and directions it could go.

Only one of them created the headache reaction, but I loved the scent of all four.

One I thought.. I could wear this.. we could explore this direction more.. but then I sniffed ‘no. 3’

And I knew that was the one! My whole body relaxed and I got very excited about the possibilities of wearing this.

Ambrosia tried another 3 or four scents to make sure, but no. 3 was it.

And so ‘Faery’ was born!

I love it.

Faery is me!

I don’t know how she did this.. Alchemy and magic, it is!

I always wished for my own special perfume, but doubted I’d ever find some-one who would understand, and see me clearly enough to create it.

Thank-you!

I would highly, highly recommend commissioning a perfume for yourself from her.

What a great gift to give some-one! Not just a bottle of perfume, but a gift voucher to have their ‘Personal’ Perfume designed just for them!

We will be commissioning one for my husband Caiseal next.

Helen Wells, June 2010

I'll be posting the second half of the story about how I went about designing "Faerie"  in the coming week!

In the meantime, you can go to Helen's Website and look at the beautiful painting that helped inspire it!


 www.helenwells.com.au