The Perfume Making Podcast

• Back to Basics Part 3 - The Importance of Having an Efficient Workspace

  Karen is back for part three of her ‘Back to Basics’ mini series and this week she is taking a look at how to set up your workspace so you can create perfume safely and efficiently. When we start something new, diving in and trying everything at once is exciting and refreshing, but without proper preparation and organisation this way of working can lead to headaches down the road. In this episode Karen is here to explain not only how to organise your workspace, but why it is essential to do it in a safe and organised manner so that you can start your perfume making journey 100% prepared. KEY TAKEAWAYS When you first start making perfume it can be exciting and you can easily find yourself trying a hundred things at once. But, as Karen explains, there can be some drastic consequences to not handling your materials correctly. From ventilation to goggles and surface cleaner to storage, Karen goes into detail on the basics you need to have a safe workspace. Once you’ve got your workspace all set it is a good time to revisit dilution. Karen discusses how correct dilution practices can assist you in having efficient working practices. When you’re in ‘flow’ it can be easy to make simple mistakes. Karen talks about the importance of labelling, not just your materials, but also your blends. And, what you should put on those labels. BEST MOMENTS “Getting into good safety habits from the get go is going to make your perfume making journey so much easier.” “If you are selling your fragrances, or even just thinking about giving them to your friends and family, it is so important to understand basic safety rules.” “Storage isn’t just about keeping your materials fresh, it’s about avoiding spillages and making sure your materials don’t oxidise.” EPISODE LINKS Master your materials Set Up your Workspace Make A Perfume Oil Fast Track Your perfume making with an 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

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• Back to Basics Part 2 - A Beginner's Guide to Perfume Formulation

  Karen’s ‘back to basics’ mini-series continues this week with part two, which takes a look at ‘Formulation’. Formulation is, as Karen says, “The reason you are here.” It is the very essence of perfume making, but it is also an area that most beginners rush into and, by doing so, make a number of costly, but easily avoidable, mistakes. In this episode, Karen breaks down the basics of formulation, guides you through the process of creating stunning formulas and goes into detail on the most common mistakes so that you can avoid them and formulate with ease. KEY TAKEAWAYS A mistake a lot of beginners make is to throw their favourite materials together and expect a beautiful-smelling scent. However, as Karen explains, without a complete understanding of what each material will bring to the party, this will inevitably end in disaster. Karen introduces the idea of scent mapping - a way to organise and guide your material selection. She discusses in detail how it works and how it can enable you to create solid formulations. Less is often more when it comes to formulation. Karen gives her advice on how to avoid a very costly mistake - using too many conflicting materials. What are the most common mistakes that beginners make when it comes to formulation? Karen goes over them in detail and gives you pointers on how to avoid them. BEST MOMENTS “There’s a temptation to throw together your favourite materials and hope that something magical will happen, but successful perfumes are not just about mixing materials that you love the smell of.” “As you get comfortable with formulation it is easy to fall into a few common traps. Knowing what to watch out for is going to save you time.” “Just because you’ve got something that smells great initially, doesn’t mean you have to stop. you can still tweak it.” EPISODE LINKS 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

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• Back to Basics Part 1 - Selecting the Right Materials

  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 dos 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

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• A Strong Base - Why Alcohol is the Best Place to Start

  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

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• Next Steps - How You Can Grow Your Brand with Confidence

  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

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