As regular listeners will know, one of Karen’s favorite materials is sandalwood, that’s why she’s genuinely excited to welcome Sophie and Vanessa from Quintis on the show this week. Certain varieties of sandalwood become endangered over the years, so, 30 years ago, Quintis decided to create new plantations so that sandalwood could thrive. In this interview with Karen, the ladies talk about all things sandalwood from the therapeutic benefits, the growing and harvesting procedures and why, with the right approach, sandalwood will never be endangered again.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• As well as producing an incredible scent, sandalwood also has some amazing therapeutic benefits, such as anti-aging. Vanessa breaks down these benefits and the research behind them.
• Vanessa outlines the history of sandalwood, its importance as an export for Australia and why, 30 years ago, Quintis decided to create plantations which, today, total over 4 million trees.
• Sophie discusses the importance of having strong relationships with the team that grow and harvest the sandalwood and how this creates transparency and trust with their clients.
• Sandalwood was once endangered and Quintis are determined to make sure that never happens again. Sophie discusses the company's approach to making sure that sandalwood will be sustainable for the future.

BEST MOMENTS

“Sandalwood has the same effect on the brain as meditation. It has the ability to calm you and reduce anxiety.”

“You have to make sure you are honest with your clients so they can be honest with their customers.”

“Sandalwood has an incredible ability to adapt to the other ingredients it blends with to give a wide range of scents.”

EPISODE LINKS

Quintis Website

Quintis Instagram

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 on the show Karen is joined by one of her Artisan Perfumery Mastermind Alumni, Nicole Brannan. Nicole has had a lifelong passion for fragrance and perfume which started when she was gifted a perfume making kit as a child. After a life of working in other creative areas, her passion for perfume never died but, it was during covid, when she found herself at a crossroads, that she decided to attend Karen’s class, and her life changed forever. In this interview with Karen, Nicole gives a detailed account of her journey over the last 3 years and will inspire you to do what she did….follow your dream.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Nicole recounts her journey which started with her beloved childhood perfume making kit, and how, during covid, Karen’s course reignited those memories which ultimately led her to launching her own perfume business.
• Nicole explains the theory behind her workshops and how they are designed to encourage mindfulness and harmony in the participants, as well as bringing people closer to scent.
• Nicole finally took the step to launch her own perfume business once covid hit and she found herself to be desperately unhappy. She details her process to Karen, the challenges she faced and how she ultimately overcame them.
• Karen and Nicole discuss the importance of obtaining objective feedback on your work, where to get it from and how, if done correctly, it can help you to grow.

BEST MOMENTS

“Being creative is not only fun, but it releases positive endorphins which helps to reduce stress and make you feel better.”

“If you’re thinking about doing something, just go for it. If you have time to put barriers up, you’ll find a reason not to do it.”

“Start small, test your market, test your audience. That's the best way to grow anything.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

EPISODE LINKS:

Elix Fragrance Website

Elix Fragrance Instagram

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 is away on a yoga retreat this week and it has got her thinking about how important it is to incorporate mindfulness practices into perfume making. In this episode, Karen explains how adopting mindfulness practices can open up new avenues for creativity and expression in your work, as well as improve your mental and physical health. Sharing techniques tailored for perfume makers, Karen is here to guide you into the world of mindfulness practices so that you can achieve your full potential.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Karen breaks down the science behind mindfulness and creativity, how we process both creativity and emotions and why practicing mindfulness techniques can enhance the key areas of our brain.
• Karen walks you through a breathing technique that not only calms your mind, but engages your sense of smell, and shares the advantages of practicing this technique prior to any practical work.
• Are you conscious of how your workspace makes you feel? Karen talks about how you can incorporate mindfulness into your workspace to help improve your creativity and shares her top tips for doing this.
• Being mindful in your working practices is key, but being mindful about your mindfulness is really what helps you to grow. Karen talks about the importance of being present in the moment and evaluating and refining your mindfulness practices.

BEST MOMENTS

“Mindfulness practices help calm the mind, clear mental clutter and improve our focus.”

“By integrating mindfulness practices to your routine, you’re going to significantly enhance your ability to work with and understand a variety of different scented materials.”

“It’s too easy to get to the end of the day and think that you haven’t achieved anything, but if you spend even a few minutes reflecting, you’ll be amazed and what you realise.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

EPISODE LINKS

The Scent Shift

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