The Creation Process of Personal Perfume is a journey we take by learning and exploring Scent as a Language, Fragrance as a poetic personal story – maybe surprising, very probably entertaining, possibly emotional, adventurous or even dramatic, certainly enjoyable – always engaging and inspirational.
We begin with an Acquaintance Meeting in my home studio/library/garden in Berlin, Germany (or at your dwellings – on rather special arrangements I am willing to travel). We proceed to define the Idea and the Concept at the base of Your Perfume, to clarify its purpose and general character along with more specific mood – for instance, a big dramatic ‘party-night manifesto’ is a very different story from the ‘relaxing holiday morning’, or from an ‘intimate sultry affair’;
Meanwhile, we are discovering gradually Your Aromatic Personality – for that I apply my skills as a diagnostician & therapist in Aroma-Genera & Psychotherapy; my experience & education as a multidisciplinary artist (I have to mention Music – for being a profound model & eternal inspiration for the Science & Art of Perfume); and my aesthetic talents, not the least – the Olfactory gift;
Thus, I get to learn the World of Your individual tastes, lifestyle and habits, character and temperament, your culture and aesthetic values – while we try, sample and smell some initial ‘key’ essences, making impressions and subjective responses – in my turn of phrase, ‘Beauty is in the nostrils of the beholder’.
We carry on ‘Aromatic Diagnostics’: experiencing a variety of ‘tones and sounds’ of the Aromatic Spectrum, introducing possible elements of the emerging Perfume. Through Your impressions and my observations, I discover Your ‘Aromatic Profile’, which enables the understanding of the Connection – between Your reactions and feelings about different smells – and the desirable features and traits in Your aromatic ‘Portrait-in-making’.
Also, I examine combinations of aromatic ingredients with the natural scent of your skin, educating myself on the effects of your living biochemistry – later to create a fragrant Harmony that will amalgamate the artful perfume – with your natural and unique odour, and conjure ‘the magic’ with its sensual, and sensuous effects.
Following our Acquaintance meeting (after we’ve properly doused our sense of smell to the happily saturated numbness), I dedicate a number of days to the quiet Magic of creation – combining the insights, the artisan rules and secrets – together with Inspiration in the moment. Also, particularly when making the finer, more exclusive, perfumes, I need an additional time – to source some ultra-special ingredients – extraordinary and provenance-rarified, some – out of private vaults, along with unique artisanal batches of ‘wild jungle’ and ‘exotic’ grades.
Then we meet again – for the First Fitting – an initial try-on of the Perfume: we are having impressions and making evaluations, and I analyse the connection between your living breathing skin – and the Fragrance version, in its unpredictable complexity of individual chemistry – it amazes me every time, how different the same ingredient may smell on different people.
The Fine-Tuning stage follows – with series of adjustments, alterations, corrections – put into rounds of my Craft– to refine and hone – to put an edge of zest and spark, and to create a polished yet distinct, exhilarating, indeed ‘magical’ fragrant wearable Story full of flare and chic.
Once I have concluded the final touches – to our congenial satisfaction, I complete then the process with creating the package, and the adorning name: despite my sincere conviction about the supremacy of contents over bottle, in sake of Artistry and immersive joy of a complete experience – ‘Gesamtkunstwerk‘, I do invest an effort to create an original container fit for the Image of Your Fragrance.
The Formula of Your Perfume, precise and final, is kept as a secret, with a guaranteed exclusivity. In case You wish to recreate the same perfume again, that can be done albeit with minor variations – minding the uniqueness of natural raw materials, as well as the changes in all of us passing through Time – no two trees are alike, panta rhei – thus wiser is to make a fresh brand-new one.
On Your preference, the Perfume can be made as a liquid – with pharma-grade alcohol as the standard solvent, or at the more luxurious levels – either with ultra-rare floral alcoholic extraits (Violets, Freesia, Honesuckle) or in pure Sandalwood oil; or alternatively as a solid Pomade – in the base of Beurre de Karité/Cacao or ultra-luxuruant Enfleurage pomades, as of Peonies, Lilac or Madonna Lily – upon occasional availability.
Minimal quantity for the first commission is 100 ml.
For inquiries and appointments:
kai.leon777@t-online.de