This week on the show Karen is joined by Michael Paul from Day 3 Fragrances. From childhood Michael was fascinated by magic. Supported by his father, he became a professional magician and toured the world. However, he would always turn to his hobby of perfumery when he was stuck. In time he realised that magic and perfumery were one and the same. During COVID his ability to perform magic ceased, and so his daughter inspired him to start a new form of magic ...perfume making.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• During Covid Michael's ability to travel and perform magic shows was taken away from him. It was during this time that his daughter inspired him to take his perfume ‘hobby’ seriously. Michael talks about letting go of his fears and taking the leap into a new world.
• From an early age, Michael was fascinated by magic. When he was stuck with a magic problem he would turn to perfumery as an escape. However, he soon realised that magic and perfumery shared many commonalities, some of which he discusses here.
• Michael has no relationship with his biological mother. When he met his wife, her mother began to treat Michael as her own son, so touched by this Micheal created his first perfume in her honour. He tells the story of how this launched his company.
• The rise in the number of artisan perfumers has led to a rise in the number of online reviewers, especially on youtube. Michael talks about the positives and negatives of this trend and how the customer always reacts differently to the reviewers.

BEST MOMENTS

“There’s something to be said for telling yourself to stop making excuses and to just start.”

“Being able to tell the story of your perfume tells the customer so much more than if they just read the list of ingredients.”

“Break the rules. But know them first.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Day 3 Fragrances

Day 3 Fragrances Instagram

Michael Paul

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE GUEST

Michael Paul is a recipient of the prestigious Art and Olfaction Golden Pear award, and the creative force behind the viral new fragrance house, Day Three Fragrances.

Before his transition into the perfume industry, Michael garnered acclaim as a world-renowned close up magician. Today, he uses the principles and philosophies learned from his time as a performer to shape his thoughts on the art of perfumery.
Thanks to his unique approach to creative perfumery, Michael Paul has been featured in "Profiles in American Perfumery", and was invited to speak at the 2024 Experimental Scent Summit in Portugal. This year, he was chosen to create a "Special Edition" perfume for the international ScentXplore fragrance convention in New York City, where he will also be a featured speaker.

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

In this week's episode Karen is joined by Jaclyn Bellomo, a cosmetic industry professional with over a decade of experience in regulatory compliance. In the USA, up until now, the FDA has managed and maintained all fragrance industry regulations. However, the biggest overhaul in these regulations is about to occur with the introduction of MOCRA. But these new regulations don’t just impact companies selling from the USA, but also companies selling into the USA. So, what is MOCRA, why is it being implemented and what does it mean to you? Find out on this week's show

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• An overhaul like this does not happen without a great need for it. Jaclyn breaks down where the gaps are in the current FDA regulations and how MOCRA will fill these in.
• One of the major changes that will come with MOCRA is how the ‘responsible person’ protocol works. Jaclyn explains the new system and how it will apply to companies based both in and out of the US.
• Jaclyn addresses the most significant changes to the new MOCRA system, adverse events. With examples, she breaks down what adverse events are and how these changes will affect you.
• Safety substantiation is another aspect that will be given a complete overall with MOCRA, Jaclyn provides an in-depth overview of what the new system will look like.

BEST MOMENTS

“It's always a good idea to get feedback from your customers, but even more so now as you can use this feedback for evidence.”

“If you don’t comply with MOCRA, there are real world consequences.”

“If you have a small artisan brand, working from home, one of the new requirements is that you have a learning period.”

EPISODE LINKS

www.registrarcorp.com

KarenGilbert15 – code for your listeners to use to get 15% off our services

Jaclyns E-mail

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE GUEST

Jaclyn Bellomo is a cosmetic industry professional with over a decade of experience in technical formulation, regulatory compliance, product development, and brand management. Jaclyn has spent the majority of her career in the private sector working with multinational brands, specializing in formulations for the beauty and personal care industry from concept to counter. Jaclyn is active on several committees across the industry that focus on education and compliance to ensure there is continued support for the cosmetic

industry. In addition, Jaclyn works closely with our Cosmetri Product Manager and cGMP software to help streamline R&D processes, update compliance, and support customers in improving their current working operations.

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

On this very special one year anniversary episode of the Perfume Making Podcast, Karen is joined by Micheal Edwards, author and founder of Fragrances of the World and author of "Fragrance Legends" and his latest book "American Legends"

Micheal, who has worked in the fragrance industry for over 4 decades is the creator of one of the first classification systems for commercial fragrances, which is still widely used today. Having classified more than 55,000 fragrances he is a walking, talking encyclopaedia of all things perfume. In this fascinating interview with Karen, Michael shares his life story, his philosophy to his work and an incredibly insightful history on the evolution of scent.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Historically, perfume brands described their scents differently, without a common language. Noticing this, Micheal set about creating a system that all brands could use. He outlines this process.
• Michael's classification system began as a labour of love. However, concerned that the amount of work he was doing was not creating an income, he approached department stores with a copy of his guide. He tells the story of how this was the beginning of his incredible journey.
• Due to the birth of the artisan & niche perfume industry the amount of scents released each year has risen from 300 to over 25,000. Micheal talks about the challenges his team has faced in continuing to classify these scents as the numbers rise.
• Michael's in-depth knowledge of scent places him as an historian also. He gives an overview of scents from the 1800’s and how consumer trends today are being influenced by early creations.

BEST MOMENTS

“The problem with perfume is that it was fascinating, but frustrating until we created a universal language.”

“Women’s fragrances are described as romantic, men’s fragrances are described as macho. It’s total nonsense, but that is the way the industry likes it.”

“The problem with old classifications was that they were linear, there was no link between different notes. That needed to change.”

EPISODE LINKS

https://www.fragrancesoftheworld.com/AmericanLegends

Wikiparfum

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 Natalie Napoleon, a world renowned visual branding strategist and product photographer with over 25 years of experience. An expert at creating strong, unique visuals for brands, Natalie is always asked by indie brands “How can I compete with the big companies?” Luckily, that’s where Natalie’s passion lies. In this interview with Karen, Natalie is going to reveal her deepest secrets so that you, and your brand, can stand out and stand tall next to the giants of the industry.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Most small companies don’t have the marketing budgets of the big hitters and this can create the perception that they can’t create impactful marketing campaigns. However, Natalie explains that money is not the boundary that people think it is and shares some tips on how you can create impactful images on a budget.
• Why is visual branding so important? Natalie shares her 7 key points on why it is so, including the ability to create brand recognition and an emotional connection with your audience.
• Creating a strong brand is so much more than just taking professional images. Natalie breaks down the elements that she delivers in her training course, such as how to build a consistent style, create a visual story and a repeatable system.
• The number one mistake people make is getting the product right and then thinking about branding. Natalie and Karen discuss the importance of making sure your branding is in place from day one, how to evolve it and how to engage your customers in that journey.

BEST MOMENTS

“Regardless of the size of your company or the strength of your product, it’s your visual branding that sets you apart.”

“75% of consumers make judgements on a company's credibility based on their visual assets.”

“Images have what the written word doesn't - the ability to communicate complex ideas quickly and effectively.”

The Shot Vault Coupon Code: Enter PERFUME500 at checkout for $500 off

Natalie’s Instagram

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE GUEST

Natalie Napoleon is an in-demand marketing, advertising, and celebrity photographer who (over the span of her nearly 25 year career) has worked with people like Prince Albert of Monaco, Leslie Odom Jr., and Arnold Schwarzenegger and brands like Microsoft, Google, and OstomySecrets.

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 Liz Moores, founder of Papillon Perfumery. When Liz started her brand she was taking a huge gamble. Self-taught, inexperienced and jumping into an already heavily populated marketplace, Liz’s view was “I’ve got nothing to lose.” If her venture didn’t work out, she was prepared to sell her initial batch of fragrances at a car boot sale to recoup her investment. However, after some early positive reviews, Liz found great success and her brand has grown from strength to strength. In this interview with Karen, Liz details her unique approach to business and perfume making, how to deal with rumours and gossip and inspires you to take a leap of faith.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Like most perfumers, Liz was drawn into setting up her own business through her love of fragrance. After some initial high-praising reviews from bloggers, she was approached by retailers who wanted her perfume. She talks about how this early success has influenced her overall approach to business.
• Setting up your own business can be daunting, but it can also give you incredible freedom. Liz talks about how she embraced that freedom with her marketing and creations and how ‘being naive’ enough to do this has led to her success.
• In agreement with Karen, Liz believes that it is essential to have a strong story behind any scent you are creating. She details her process in creating stories and why, sometimes, it is essential to take a step back and not rush the process.
• Karen and Liz discuss how the perfume industry has exploded over the last ten years as perfumery has turned from an artform to a consumer trend. How this has flooded the market with thousands of perfumes and how you can still stand out in the market if you have the right approach.

BEST MOMENTS

“Create fragrances that you love yourself, everything after that is a bonus.”

“If you don’t have a strong story all you’re doing is chucking materials together and there’s no guarantee that the process will work.”

“It is crucial, as an artisan perfumer, to forge strong relationships with your suppliers and customers. Your reputation is everything.”

EPISODE LINKS

Papillon Perfumery Website

Papillon Perfumery 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 giving a history lesson on the life and work of Jean Carles. Founder of the first ever perfumery school, today known as the Givaudan, and the father of the most influential method of perfume making, his influence is still felt far and wide in the perfume industry today. Jean Carles lived an incredible life, created some of the industries most iconic scents and influenced some of the great perfumes of all time. In this episode, Karen takes you through his life's work and gives you a valuable insight into the now legendary ‘Jean Carles Method.’

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Jean Carles had both a unique approach to creating perfumes and to teachings. He is the father of many iconic scents as well as the teacher of many prolific perfumeres. Karen details some of his greatest creations and influences.
• Jean Carles developed a revolutionary method for perfume creation based on a systematic approach to understanding raw materials. Karen breaks down his method step by step.
• His method for creating accords was also considered to be groundbreaking. Whilst complex, it is an incredible tool for you to understand. Karen gives an overview of his method and principles.
• The final part of Jean Carles’ method is that of constructing a fragrance, it is known as the pyramid method, which is creating a fragrance with base notes, heart notes and top notes. Karen gives examples of this method and how to implement it.

BEST MOMENTS

“The Jean Carles method of creating accords is a meticulous and structured approach that will provide a deep understanding of how different materials blend together.”

“Jean Carles’ systematic approach to perfumery and his innovative techniques remain influential in guiding both new and seasoned perfumers in their craft.”

“It’s recommended to learn the Jean Carles method but it is also essential for you to learn and adjust based on the materials that you are using and the type of fragrance you are creating.”

EPISODE LINKS

Material Mastery

William Kaufman Book

The Jean Carles Method

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

Karen is in the process of writing a new book on the many challenges that await those who want to create perfumes or set up their own perfume business. Inspired by this, Karen has decided to go over eight of the most crucial points in this week's episode. Looking at some of the myths of the perfume industry, such as a need for a chemistry degree or the need for industry validation, as well as the huge amount of knowledge you must learn, time management and imposter syndrome, Karen separates fact from fiction and shares her invaluable tips on how to overcome the beginners challenges.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• As with most careers, perfumers seek validation from the wider industry, especially when starting out in their careers, and this lack of validation can make you feel like an outsider, however, Karen explains that validation does not equate to success.
• When you step into a large industry like the fragrance industry it is natural to start out feeling like you’re not good enough. Karen talks about this and the bigger problem of imposter syndrome, and how you can overcome these feelings.
• There are hundreds of materials that you can use to create your scents and the thought of learning and memorising them all can be a daunting one. However, Karen is here to reassure you that by working in artisan perfumery, you really don’t need to memorise all that knowledge from day one.
• Time management is a huge challenge when you dive into a new career. Karen breaks down her top tips for achieving effective time management.

BEST MOMENTS

“Focus on your craft and your unique journey. Remember, that many renowned perfumers have succeeded without the industry stamp of approval.”

“Fragrance creation is deeply personal, it’s like creating a piece of art. When someone criticises your work it can feel like a personal rejection.”

“Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

EPISODE LINKE

Materials Mastery

Mindset Magic

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, Earl Williams, founder of ESW Perfume Bar. Through Earl’s unique business he creates bespoke scents for private clients as well as hosting pop up perfume bars at public and private events. But what really sets Earl apart is his determination and drive to keep moving forward no matter how many times the chips are stacked against him. In this interview with Karen, Earl shares his journey which will inspire you to keep moving forward and keep learning so that tomorrow, your dreams can come true.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Earl details his journey in the fragrance industry and how his promising start was cut short by Covid but, instead of giving up, he decided to scale up.
• When Earl launched his business he was sure that he was offering the right products to the right people but, this confidence only came after a lot of preparation work, a process he outlines here.
• A chance meeting at an event led Earl to open his business into a new area. He discusses the way he approached this opportunity and why you should be open to exploring new avenues.
• Having a unique business model is one thing but having your own style is what sets you apart. Earl talks about the journey he embarked upon to find his own unique style.

BEST MOMENTS

“Before you put something out into the world, make sure you’re ready. You’ll achieve nothing if you rush the process.”

“Something that feels difficult today will feel easy tomorrow if you just keep learning and growing.”

“If you don’t take the opportunities when they are presented to you, you’ll never move forward.”

EPISODE LINKS

ESP PerfumeBar Website

ESP PerfumeBar Instagram

ESP PerfumeBar Tik Tok

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