Anya’s Journey: My Perfumista Beginning
My Journey into Natural Perfumery
I was a failed perfumer at age three!
What a mess I made. Here is my first core memory of perfume. I remember sitting on my bedroom floor with sunlight streaming through the big windows, carefully pouring the last drops of my two favorite perfumes, which my female relatives had gifted me, into one bottle. I thought I was making an even better perfume. Instead, I ended up with a horrible, foul-smelling mix. The disappointment of that moment – and the realization that I could not “undo” my fragrant disaster – has stayed with me ever since. I was shocked to the core at the loss.
I used AI to recreate the moment of frustration and shock when I ruined the two beautiful perfumes. I thought that pouring them together would make an even more beautiful perfume, but the result was horrible! I can’t tell you how I felt seeing this image after all these years; my jaw dropped.
Funny story . . . around age seven, but I have no photos of the event. By then, I was such a mini perfumista that when my Aunt Kathryn came by on Christmas Eve with a wrapped present, I sort of guessed it might be perfume. She said not to open it until tomorrow, it’s a beautiful surprise. I gently shook the present and announced, “It’s a four-ounce bottle of Chanel No. 5”. I can’t fully describe the stoic look on her face. I could tell she was disappointed that I had guessed, but I was sooo appreciative! I would drench myself in No. 5 all the time. I realize now that the top note aldehydes were quickly disappearing, and, like a junkie, I kept looking for that aldehyde rush—wild memory.
Here’s a real photo of me with my grandmother examining a solid perfume (colorized from an old black and white). I’m about seven here, and you can almost sense my fingers twitching as I want to get that perfume container into my hands.
Funny story . . . around age seven, but I have no photos of the event. By then, I was such a mini perfumista that when my Aunt Kathryn came by on Christmas Eve with a wrapped present, I sort of guessed it might be perfume. She said not to open it until tomorrow, it’s a beautiful surprise. I gently shook the present and announced, “It’s a four-ounce bottle of Chanel No. 5”. I can’t fully describe the stoic look on her face. I could tell she was disappointed that I had guessed, but I was sooo appreciative! I would drench myself in No. 5 all the time. I realize now that the top note aldehydes were quickly disappearing, and, like a junkie, I kept looking for that aldehyde rush—wild memory.
Here’s a real photo of me with my grandmother examining a solid perfume (colorized from an old black and white). I’m about seven here, and you can almost sense my fingers twitching as I want to get that perfume container into my hands.
Over the years, my perfume organ has undergone drastic changes as I learned more and refined my craft. Initially, I separated my oils by type – floral, wood, green, spice, etc. That was good for concepts as I created, but I finally placed my droppers according to their top/middle/base note properties, and alphabetically, from left to right. Voila! It worked with concepts and efficiency. I’m sharing this information because it indicates my never-ending quest to refine and improve the perfume-making process with natural perfumery.
This is the most recent iteration of my perfume organ.
Anya’s Perfumery Timeline
- 1960s
Hippie shops sold “natural” oils, and most of them were natural, but the artificial ones needed to be weeded out – it was a learning curve. The availability of oils at retail sparked my desire to collect and blend various oils. - 1970s
One decade later, my life changed when I befriended two retired perfume supply salesmen who knew of my passion for perfume and my extensive essential oil collection, which I had been experimenting with. They gifted me vintage sample sales cases filled with rare and beautiful essences and shared obscure perfumery books that taught me the basics of creating perfume. Back in the 1970s, perfumery was a secretive world. Perfumers worked within large companies, and no outsider could learn the craft.I devoured every book they gave me, memorizing formulas, studying techniques, and then experimented tirelessly for years. Yes, years – creating blends that were mostly muddy and heavy on base notes as I honed my skills.
- 1990s
Finally, in 1991, I launched my natural perfume line in Miami – Anya’s Tropical Essences. My 100% natural fragrances attracted private label contracts with several boutique hotels on South Beach. My skills and experience only grew from there. I was now a perfumer! Nevertheless, wait – I still had to graduate to a professional perfumer – the story will continue…
If you want to learn natural perfumery and become a professional perfumer, I invite you to enroll in my introductory perfumery course. Choose either the Independent study option or the Pro Tutorial for personal mentorship on your journey to creating beautiful, natural perfumes.
- 2000s
Focused and Always a Natural Perfume lover
I am a Miami-based perfumer dedicated to creating fragrances using natural essences. With over 25 years of experience, I have actively participated in perfumery forums and blogs, sharing my knowledge through numerous articles and blog posts focused on 100% natural perfumes. My creations are primarily bold and floral, with exotic and diverse notes that intrigue the senses.
I launched my first perfume line, Anya’s Tropical Essences, in South Beach, Miami, in 1991, successfully introducing natural perfumes to an international clientele. Additionally, I have developed private-label products for local hotels and spas. In 2006, I debuted my second perfume line, Anya’s Garden Perfumes.
In 2005, numerous blogs and forums developed on the Internet devoted to natural perfume, and I was an active participant. I often brought ideas and quotes from a Natural Perfumery Yahoo! group I started in 2002 to share. That group grew to over 3,000 members and 50,000 posts before Yahoo! sadly discontinued all groups.
By 2009, several blogs and magazines began to establish awards specifically for natural perfumes, and I have since received numerous accolades and “Best of” recognitions. I am proud to have been a finalist in the Fragrance Foundation FiFi Awards and to be the first independent natural perfumer nominated for acceptance into the prestigious American Perfume Society.
My Primary Inspiration
My journey as a botanist and land planner has profoundly shaped my approach to creating perfumes from the very start. I draw inspiration from places, memories, and meaningful events. The enchanting book “Jitterbug Perfume” also sparked my creativity, leading me to blend Pan and Kewdra perfume in tribute to its vibrant characters.
Through a series of exciting modifications to the essences that embody these places and personalities, I aim to craft a captivating experience that reflects the essence of air, plants, soil, and sea.
The fascinating phenomenon of flowers changing color when tinctured ignited my passion, and I went on to create my first perfume, a stunning composition made of 95% tinctures. I proudly named it “Strange Magic” to encapsulate the awe and intrigue it brought me!
Natural oils and absolutes, and my garden extracts
I have a delightful story to share! My first extraction adventure began at the lovely University of California, Riverside, where I stumbled upon a gorgeous citrus tree adorned with fragrant neroli blossoms lining the campus roadway. One sunny Sunday morning, I couldn’t resist gathering a bucketful of those enchanting blossoms, and I experimented by pouring vodka over them to capture their delightful scent. While it was a bit unconventional, it ignited my passion for fragrance! It was a crude, but beautiful cologne-type “splash” that I used frequently.
Since then, my journey into craft fragrance extraction has developed across extraction types! I’ve honed my skills with techniques like tincturing, enfleurage, and even the occasional butane extraction, all while cultivating a stunning array of rare tropical flowers in my award-winning organic garden in Miami. This has resulted in an impressive collection of extracts, which beautifully enrich my blends with vibrant tones that often surpass traditional essential oils.
I’ve also made significant strides in refining the blending and aging processes for perfumes, sharing my discoveries in my perfumery course. Since then, my journey into perfecting scent extraction from botanicals has developed into a passion. I’ve honed my skills with techniques like tincturing with 190 proof ethanol, using meters to measure saturation, hot- and cold-enfleurage, and even the occasional butane extraction.
I cultivate a stunning array of rare tropical flowers in my award-winning organic garden in Miami. This garden contributes to an impressive collection of extracts that beautifully enrich my blends with vibrant tones that often surpass traditional essential oils.
Always an experimenter and curious, I’ve also made significant advances in refining the blending and aging processes for perfumes and sharing my discoveries in my perfumery course. I create each fragrance with attention and passion in small batches in my studio, and after blending, they age for the appropriate time for each perfume before they are hand-bottled, labeled, and sent out into the world.
Sustainability and Adaptability: Elected Official of the State of Florida
Since my university days studying economic botany and plant science, I have been devoted to the methods that make the least negative impact on the Earth. In 1990, I successfully ran for the seat of the USDA Soil and Water Conservation District Manager in Collier County, Florida. I addressed soil and water issues in the urban environment of Naples, Florida, a problem that had never been addressed. At the time, I was a Professional Land Use Planner with a major law firm in Naples. I used my experience presenting the Board of County Commissioners to be an advocate for sustainable and environmentally-intelligent change.
Today’s Concerns as a Natural Perfumer
We’re navigating some truly unique climatic and economic challenges today. When I launched my perfume business in the 1990s, we didn’t hear about the impact of climate change on our beloved aromatics or much about the importance of waste management in perfumery. Back then, my use of recyclable glass bottles and paper labels made me feel optimistic about sustainability and waste management. I have never used plastic for my perfumes, except for a tiny amount that is part of the metal sprayer cap, and the customer can remove it for recycling. I don’t know of any sprayer that can be built without plastic – maybe someone will invent one?!
Today, I’m proud to maintain that commitment by continuing to use glass bottles, paper labels, and cardboard for samples, with a small amount of padding to protect the bottles. The tiny padding can be recycled. The bottles are recyclable by pouring some hydrosol or other fragrant liquid into the bottle. I also incorporate mixed-fiber fabric for ribbons and pouches, encouraging our customers to reuse them creatively!
Most importantly, I’m dedicated to nurturing fragrant materials in my eco-friendly garden, which reflects my passion for sustainability and the environment.
PS: I call my fragrant trees and shrubs “a gift to the street” as my neighbors get to enjoy the wafting fragrance, and I always say yes when they ask to harvest some. One neighbor even booked a photo shoot by my ylang-ylang tree!
Miami is at the forefront of vulnerability due to rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion into our aquifer. I do my part to help minimize draining the aquifer by having drip irrigation on a tiny part of my garden and landscaping with drought-tolerant plants. We can all do our small part in helping the planet!