Perfume plays a vital almost indefinable role in our lives. Like the clothes we wear, it makes a statement about us. It can suggest confidence, femininity, a sensitive nature or romantic soul.
It can also affect our mood and that of the people around us. Heavy perfumes tend to soothe the mind while fresh light ones stimulate, even revitalise.
Finding your signature scent can take time and involve costly mistakes. But how about if you could choose your own blends to make a fragrance that is exclusive to you? Create and name your own scent which reflects your personality, lifestyle and outlook on life?
Now thanks to a new Galway based venture you can do just that. Scentsation Bespoke Perfume, the only company of its kind in the Republic, allows you to create your own personal perfume. A lot of the fragrances are unisex.
People can choose from 18 blends including citrus, musk, wood and florals, explains Fionnuala O’Callaghan, who lives in Salthill and set up the business six months ago. “The key extracts of these blends come from plants. There are from five to 1,500 ingredients in each of the blends, all natural. People can try out the various scents and put as many blends in as they like. Then I decant them into bottles so they have a unique perfume. In terms of longevity the strength of these fragrances is 30 per cent whereas if you buy eau de toilette or parfum it ranges from eight to 15 per cent. If you were to go to a perfumier to get your own special perfume it would cost you thousands of euro.”
Ms O’Callaghan, who is originally from Ballina and worked previously with Irish Permanent Building Society, does private consultations for one to two people, organises perfume parties at events such as hen nights/corporate entertaining/teenage get togethers/teambuilding. In addition to perfumes, she also sells fragrance pens (which hold two ml of fragrance and can be topped up when necessary ), candles and home products.
“I did a lot of ladies’ lunches during the summer and the result was very positive. Typically, people felt very happy. There is a feelgood factor involved and a sense of fun. People sometimes get tired and frustrated trying to find the scent for them, with this there is a novelty aspect and they come away with a fragrance exclusive to them.”
She says perfume touches our deepest emotions and reflects people’s true spirit. “What you wear, how you wear it and when you wear it says everything about you. Smell is a pure emotional sense, it is our second strongest sense. Unlike our other senses we can’t turn off our sense of smell. During an emotionally charged event what we smell then becomes intimately entertwined, we think the experience. As a result scent and emotions become indelibly imprinted on our brains.”
She advises people putting on perfume not to rub the scent in after applying it because it will crush the delicate notes.
Fionnuala O’Callaghan of Scentsation Bespoke Perfume can be contacted at (086 ) 8272495 or [email protected]
