Kedra has fascinated me ever since I first came across the wonderful website for her beautiful shop “The Jitterbug Perfume Parlour”
The name itself has special meaning for me, like Kedra, I was hugely inspired by Tom Robbins book “Jitterbug Perfume”, and we ended up swapping samples of the “Pan” perfumes we had both designed based on this book!
She’s a delightful, passionate and quirky woman and her perfumes definitely reflect this!
What inspired you to start making perfumes?
I have always been one of those people who is “led” by their Nose…
A friend of mine moved up to San Francisco and discovered a wonderful group of people who were working in “Aromatherapy” (this was in the late 80’s so this was a pretty new thing). While I was visiting her I participated in some Aromatic workshops with her and that was it! As soon as I began learning about the different aromatic materials, I immediately became completely consumed! From there it snowballed into an obsessive “relationship,” and here I am today over 20 years later still obsessed and still fascinated.
I think Aromatherapy was a jump off point for most natural perfumers…. do you find the ideas from Aromatherapy useful in making perfumes?
Yes I definitely do find many of the principals of Aromatherapy to be very useful in creating Natural Perfumes, especially some of my more esoteric blends! Part of the appeal of a Natural Perfume (or any perfume for that matter), is how it makes you feel, and I find that my emotional reaction to a scent is strongest when it’s a 100% natural perfume, unless of course it’s a fragrance that is steeped in memories due to prior scent associations….
I like the fact that you make it really clear on your website which perfumes are completely natural and which aren’t… what do you find are the differences for you in formulating natural and mixed media perfumes?
There is SO much confusion out there on this subject as it is and I certainly don’t want to contribute to the mosh pit! How the use of PR is implemented to inundate the customer with useless or misleading information has long been one of my pet peeves in the Cosmetics Industry. One of my main functions at Barneys New York (Beverly Hills) was to educate staff about the difference between natural and synthetic ingredients…
I don’t really think about the difference between natural and mixed media perfumes when I am in the middle of the blending process, at that point, I am just thinking in terms of scents and nuances.
How did you learn perfumery?
I am basically self-taught. LOTS of reading, but mostly I was guided by the aromatics themselves – there is just no substitute for intensive and prolonged observation and experimentation with the materials! One of the things that I love most about the Art of Perfumery is that there is always something new to learn.
What are your personal favorite ingredients to work with?
Wow, that’s a really tough question! There are SO many favourites, and it very much depends on my mood as well as the inspirational feelings that are moving through me at the moment… If it was a “Desert Island” type of scenario, and I could only choose say 7 (I was aiming for 5, but just couldn’t narrow it down that far – lol!) I’d have to say Jasmine, Tuberose, Orange Blossom, Patchouli, Ambergris, Labdanum, and Sandalwood.
What do you like about these?
(I’m so with you with Orange blossom, patchouli and sandalwood… but Ambergris does nothing for me. Just smells musty and mildly amber-like… I know other perfumers rave about it but I just don’t get it… and Tuberose just makes me nauseous….)
It’s hard to say why but I’ve always been one to gravitate towards the heavy voluptuous notes. It seems I’ve got the aromatic taste of a Hummingbird!
As far as the Ambergris goes, to me it is the scent of “Time.” One of my all time favourite aromatic combinations is Ambergris mixed with Unrefined Coconut Oil – it is absolutely heavenly!
Sorry to hear about your Tuberose Problem! How is the scent of Fresh Tuberose flowers for you?
Not that fond of it either…like narcissus, I think I have a mild allergy to it that just puts me off the scent…Which ones don’t you like or find really challenging?
Well, of course the resins are the most challenging essences to work with on a physical level…
Pounding, grinding, soaking in alcohol, swirling the stuff to see if it’s finally dissolving, decanting, filtering….
On a personal taste level, I’ve never been a huge fan of scents in the “Ozone” category, and most Herbal notes require very careful dosing…
One of my biggest frustrations is the difficulty of creating “ozone” notes using natural ingredients, grin!
I totally know what you mean! The very idea of “Ozone” basically SCREAMS aroma Chemical to me! I do have one trick up my sleeve that seems to give an ‘Ozoney” effect to everything, but it is so strong that there has to be a good ounce of Base Blend to mix it into…
I’ve noticed you use fractionated coconut oil instead of alcohol as a base… what made you choose this?
Actually, we do offer all of our scents in an alcohol base for those who prefer that medium but I find there is something very sensual about “FCO” as a Perfume base medium! I love the fact that oil based scents really come alive when they co-mingle with a person’s own PH, which encourages a very personal relationship with one’s own Perfume. Also, when we first began conceptualizing the company, there were not many perfumers who were using FCO as a base, so definitely part of the decision was based on us wanting to offer something a bit different to the marketplace.
It’s certainly an interesting base to work with… oil based perfumes definitely tend to have a softer, more sensual touch to them… and you’re right, they do “blossom” when applied to a persons skin… FCO is also a bit different to other oils isn’t it… I find it’s a lot lighter… and has a different “feel” to it…. I make both perfume oils and alcohol based eau de parfums… Oils give greater depth and longevity… but I do love the way that alcohol enhances the light top notes in florals and herbal/citrus colognes
Fractionated Coconut Oil is wonderfully light for an Oil Base. I love that you can use it in a spray bottle! Plus it won’t stain, like some other oil bases…
You are absolutely right about the lift that alcohol as a base gives to the top and middle notes of a perfume blend… And alcohol based scents can be especially nice in hot summery weather like we’re heading into now! It’s a case of “Effervescence” vs. “Velvet” – both are delicious in their own way!
What kind of people buy your perfumes?
We get all types, which I love (from Gothic to Earthy, to Beverly Hills Socialites and everything in-between!)
I’ve got to come and visit sometime… That video on Youtube from when “Brian Badonde” visited is a classic…. and you’ve got the wonderful Tiger Powers as a model too, grin! Where did you find the boy? (And does he do house calls??)
Yes, you must come for a visit, how fun would it be to have a PLAP Party at the Parlour?!…
The YouTube spot was actually a commercial for Microsoft’s search engine “Bing,” featuring the comedic antics of Kayvan Novak as his famous alter ego from the hilarious BBC TV Show “Facejacker.”
They totally “punked” us – they said that this Brian Badonde guy was an art critic and he wanted to learn about the Art of Perfumery… Of course, you saw what happened when he and Tiger got together (You wouldn’t believe what they cut out)… We’ve been told it’s an instant classic due to it’s similarity to an Abbott & Costello “Who’s on first” skit. I still cringe when I watch it, but you have to be able to laugh at yourself in life, and well… there ya go!
Tiger Powers is one of a kind, isn’t he…? I found him on the outskirts of Hollywood strumming a guitar and petting his Kitty cat… He couldn’t play a lick but with his good looks, who needs talent? In fact, Kayvan Novak took one look at him and demanded he be in Microsoft commercial.
House calls?… I’ll ask him! House broken? Sometimes…
Here’s the link to the video… BRIAN BADONDE DOES PERFUME
Which perfumes are you most proud of?
I hope this doesn’t sound conceited but it’s actually very hard to choose as I love and am proud of most everything I create.
It think all of us perfumers feel that way about our “Children”, grin!
Off the top of my head I would choose Absinthia, Giggle Water, Dirty Sexy Wilde & Lady Death…
It’s funny, I am such a creature of the moment when it comes to scent, that when I thought about this a little more on another day – I came up with a totally different list – LOL! Not to mention that I completely spaced on my new “Wild Child #13,” Patchouli scent for the Summer of Patchouli Love 2011 Event!… That is one that I am especially proud of, as I wanted to create a patchouli scent that would appeal to a wide spectrum of people. I tried to capture the idea of Patchouli, in all it’s dark earthy glory, and it’s timeless bohemian charm… It is a unisex power scent… Lately, as the temperature rises here in Hollywood, I find myself gravitating to it more and more… My favourite thing at the moment is to Layer “Wild Child #13″ with “Gold Digger,” (“Gold Digger” from our yet to be released “Les Bohemes” Collection)… Gather Round, the Lady is a Killer!
That’s cheating! You can’t rave about perfumes you didn’t send me samples of! Dirty Sexy Wilde is seriously cool though… it starts off really clean and sophisticated… but there is a dirty, wild undernote to it that grabs at your senses… perfect for a spoiled aristocrat!
“Dirty Sexy Wilde” was a scent that really took on a life of its own!… Originally, I created it as an example for our Animalic Perfumery Class, (in its original version I used the authentic Animal notes of Civet, Ambergris & Deer Musk) but the scent we sell today uses aroma chemical animalics; only the Ambergris is a true animalic note and is “Beach Found” of course.
“Island” rather impressed me too… it’s so incredibly sweet and fruity which is a real achievement in an all natural perfume! How did you do that?
Thank you! I used a lot of floral absolutes in Island. I wanted to capture the concept of an abundant Hawaiian garden in full bloom on a warm and luscious day. I used Jasmine Auriculatum; which is a fruity Jasmine note that really helped to bring out the “fruitiness” of the other florals.
Do you have any special stories about any of your perfumes?
One time we were contacted by a customer who wanted to share her story of how she found us… She was at a club in San Francisco and she caught a scent trail that enchanted her enough to circle the block until she found the source. It turned out to be one of our oldest clients who had been purchasing our “Absinthia” by the “boatload” since we first launched the Collection.
She told us that it took major prodding and begging on her part to get the name of the “intoxicating scent!”
Right, that’s it. You HAVE to send me a sample of “Absinthia” now.
Will do ;~).
When you custom design a perfume, how do you approach this?
It’s always a bit different depending upon the client… The starting point, once I receive the “Brief,” is to take the client on a “Scent Journey,” where we stop and smell all the Roses, and the Jasmines, and so on, moving through all the possibilities of scent notes to include in their Fragrance Palate.
I find nowadays I find it easier to pre-select the notes I show a client according to their scent brief…. otherwise they tend to get rather lost amongst the many many oils and absolutes…. it can be so confusing for a non-perfumer… Do you find that there is any kind of pattern for you in what kind of people like which kind of perfumes/notes/ingredients? I find I can often pick scent preferences by the colours people choose in their clothing….
Yes, I agree that it is often a good idea to pre-select notes to show them. Usually, I can get a good idea of their scent preferences by having them give me examples of scents that they like that are in a similar vein to what they would like me to create… Many people don’t know about the individual notes enough to describe them on their own, but they can usually tell me what it is that they like within their favourite scents.
Once their Palate has been selected, I begin to “Sketch” their formula. After I have a basic outline, I then mix up several variations, each with a different possible direction for their scent. Then I present these to my client and we go from there. Usually they will have a very strong feeling for one of the directions, and once that has been selected; I begin to make modifications and adjustments until we “hit the nail on the head.”
It’s such a fun thing to do isn’t it!
Absolutely! It’s like figuring out a really difficult puzzle or something…
Kedra, I’ve had a lot of fun chatting to you…and I’m DEFINITELY going to have to fly over for a PLAP party!
Note: Kedra was also one of the 13 perfumers taking part in the Patchouli Summer of Love Challenge…and her perfume “Wild Child” has been getting rave reviews! Look on the PLAP page to read more!
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