This week Karen is joined by Daniela Carrasco, an alumni of Karen’s Perfumery Mastermind course and founder of her own perfume brand, Linen Tutu, a 100% natural fragrance brand. In this interview, Daniela shares her fascinating take on both the production of her fragrances and her branding and marketing. By using only natural materials, having total transparency with her customers and using visual and audio art in her own unique way, Daniela has created a company that feels new, fresh and exciti...
Apr 21, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 46
This week on the show Karen is covering the topic of creating a fragrance product range. When you make a range of products with the same branding there are so many important factors to consider, such as what materials to use, how different products interact to different scents and how to create and maintain consistency across the range. Karen gives you all the information you need to get started in planning and creating your very own fragrance product range. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen outlines the crit...
Apr 14, 2024•21 min•Ep. 45
On this week's show, Karen is delving into the topic of bespoke perfumes, which are individual fragrances that cater to the specific preferences of an individual or company. But, there is so much more to them than that. Karen takes a deep dive into the subject, covering the different types of bespoke perfumes, the challenges you will face when creating them, how to make them and who buys them and the vital skills you can acquire by learning how to make bespoke perfumes. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen expla...
Apr 07, 2024•36 min•Ep. 44
This week Karen is talking to Helida Dodd from Marbella Perfumes. Helida is an alumni of Karen’s artisan Perfumery Mastermind course and an industrial engineer turned artisan perfumer. In this talk with Karen, Helida shares why she took the leap into the world of perfumery, how she learned an entirely new profession and the challenges she faced along the way. KEY TAKEAWAYS Moving from industrial engineering to perfumery isn’t something a lot of people do. Helida shares her story of this incredib...
Mar 31, 2024•50 min•Ep. 43
This week on the show Karen is delving into the subject of pricing your perfume. Pricing is something that may seem straightforward, but is in fact an area that most people fall down on. So how do you put a price on your work? Are you falling into the trap of simply adding the cost of your materials to your time and creating your price point from there? And, are you even aware of some of the factors that you should be considering to make up your price? KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen talks about the basic f...
Mar 25, 2024•26 min•Ep. 42
This week on the show Karen is joined by Jamie Frater of Frater Works, a company that creates and sells perfume materials and bases. When Jamie bought a bottle of vintage perfume on ebay, that arrived broken, he became fascinated with the scent and how it was created. This led him into a journey of discovery and the realisation that some perfume bases are no longer manufactured. He decided to put this right and set about recreating them. He then launched ‘Frater Works’, a company that creates cl...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 41
This week Karen is taking a look at the importance of precision when measuring out perfume materials. Most people that are new to perfume making measure in drops or milliliters, but this can lead to all kinds of problems with consistency and accuracy. The tried and tested method is using scales. In this episode, Karen explains in depth why scales are the way forward and how, by embracing them and using them correctly, you will become a superior perfume maker. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen talks about meas...
Mar 11, 2024•26 min•Ep. 40
This week Karen is taking a look at the phenomenon of dupes, copycats and designer inspired scents. But what really is a dupe, why and how are they created and, most importantly, why are they bad not just for the perfume industry but for the essence of perfumery. KEY TAKEAWAYS What exactly is a dupe and why are they created? Karen explains. Karen talks about why dupes and copycat scents are not just bad for the perfume industry but are bad practice for perfumers. Karen breaks down the process co...
Mar 04, 2024•27 min•Ep. 39
This week on the show Karen is joined by one of her Artisan Perfumery Mastermind Alumni, Delphine Fant. A French native, Delphine moved to Australia when she was 18 and now runs her own perfume brand, Gandha Temple, as well as running workshops for residents of her hometown. In this chat with Karen, Delphine talks about her inspirations, her journey and her secrets to success. KEY TAKEAWAYS Delphine talks about how she fell in love with perfumery and her inspiration for starting her own brand. D...
Feb 26, 2024•37 min•Ep. 38
This week, Karen is continuing on from the previous episode by looking at the main materials that have made an impact in modern perfumery. Focusing on the synthetics ambroxan, hedione, iso E super and calone, Karen goes into depth about their evolution, role in modern perfumery and how you can use them to create beautiful smelling scents. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen gives an in depth history of ambroxian and how this material opened the door to a new world of perfume making. Karen talks about iso E supe...
Feb 19, 2024•38 min•Ep. 37
Over the next two weeks, Karen is taking a deep dive into the materials that are used in perfumery and how to get started. This week Karen will be focusing on classic ingredients, Bergamot, Rose, Jasmine and Sandalwood. Looking at their history, usage and famous fragrances that use these ingredients, Karen gives you everything you need to start your journey into mastering these classic ingredients. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen gives a brief history of each of the classic ingredients and shares some surpr...
Feb 12, 2024•31 min•Ep. 36
This week Karen is talking about the concept of a ‘Commonplace Book’, which is a personal journal used to collect knowledge, discoveries and ideas. Karen breaks down how applying this concept to perfume making can really help you grow and learn as a perfume maker. Sharing her top tips, recommendations for equipment and everything you need to include in your book, Karen leaves no stone unturned so that you can get ahead and begin your very own book today. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen gives a brief history...
Feb 05, 2024•19 min•Ep. 35
Perfume making is a perfect balance between science and art. With that in mind, this week's show is all about balancing theoretical knowledge with practical skills when creating fragrances. Karen lays out which rules are set in stone, which are open to interpretation and how you can harness this knowledge to create stunning scents and further your career. KEY TAKEAWAYS One of the questions new perfume makers ask themselves is; “Is this the correct ingredient for my fragrance?” Karen explains how...
Jan 29, 2024•23 min•Ep. 34
This week on the show Karen is joined by MISKEO founder Marie-Pierre Blanchette. MISKEO is a small batch artisan perfume company founded by Marie after she re-evaluated her life during covid. In this interview, she shares the secrets of her creative approach, her tips to success and the joy she gets from TikTok. KEY TAKEAWAYS Marie talks about her journey to becoming a perfumer and founder of MISKEO and how her earlier experiences in life have played a part in her current success. Marie explains...
Jan 22, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 33
This week Karen follows on from last week's episode around creating your vision for the year ahead. The questions Karen puts to you this week are ‘What is the one thing that would move everything else forward?” and “What does your 5 year, 1 year, 90 day and 30 day vision look like?” Full of practical tips, this episode will help set you up for a successful future. KEY TAKEAWAYS What is the one big thing? Karen breaks down what this question actually means and why it’s important to approach it lo...
Jan 15, 2024•26 min•Ep. 32
Welcome to the first show of the New Year. The start of the year can be overwhelming with so many promises we make to ourselves and often break or forget within a few weeks. So, to help kickstart your year, Karen is here to share some nuggets of advice about how you can make lasting plans for your year, and your career, without putting too much pressure on yourself. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen talks about her ‘word of the year’ and the process of having one and checking back on it at regular intervals c...
Jan 08, 2024•30 min•Ep. 31
This week Karen is taking a little bit of a side step from perfume making and talking about how you can incorporate scents into your daily rituals to enhance your self care. In this episode Karen covers how the strategic use of scent can transform your daily routines into moments of tranquility and care and how scents affect your mood and well being. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen discusses aromatherapy, its history, its benefits and how it enhances physiological and psychological well being. Different sce...
Dec 18, 2023•43 min•Ep. 30
In this week's episode Karen is talking to Lorraine Dallmeier from Formula Botanica, the world's leading formulation school, who, to date, have taught twenty thousand students from 190 countries. This fascinating interview takes an indepth look at the natural skincare industry including topics such as trends in the organic skincare market, the emergence of biotech and whether or not AI could play a role in the future of the fragrance industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lorraine talks about her journey from ...
Dec 11, 2023•46 min•Ep. 29
This week on the podcast Karen is focusing on creating the perfect room fragrance. Covering a wide variety of topics including how scent can be used to create different moods in a room, matching the scent to the room itself, safety regulations for room fragrances and the commonly overlooked factors when creating a room scent, you’ll walk away from this episode an expert of creating the perfect room fragrance. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen talks about the science and research surrounding different scents a...
Dec 04, 2023•39 min•Ep. 28
This week on the show Karen is delving into fragrance oils and their role in perfumery. Most people begin their perfume making journey using fragrance oils, but what are fragrance oils? Why should you try to avoid using them, or why you might want to use them? How can they be harmful and what should you look out for should you choose to work with them? All this and more is covered in this episode so you can become an expert on fragrance oils. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen breaks down what fragrance oils a...
Nov 27, 2023•20 min•Ep. 27
This week on the show Karen answers a question that not many people ask themselves… “Should you make your own perfume or should you hire a perfumer?” When entering into perfume making the answer to this might seem obvious, but have you really considered all the pros and cons of each option? Karen breaks down the advantages and disadvantages of going solo so that you can make a more informed decision. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen discusses the importance of knowing what you want to focus on when starting ...
Nov 20, 2023•33 min•Ep. 26
This week on the show Karen is talking to industry veteran and founder of the Perfume Society, Lorna Mckay. In this wide ranging interview Lorna and Karen discuss the education of fragrance and how Lorna’s interest in that led her to form The Perfume Society, the future of the perfume industry, how AI might play a part in that and the importance of fragrance in your life. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lorna talks about her journey in the fragrance industry from becoming fascinated in the psychology of retail to...
Nov 13, 2023•56 min•Ep. 25
This week Karen is talking about ‘Perfume Business.’ Most people dive straight into making their first perfume and then hope that someone will buy it. But the question they all overlook is “What will my business look like?”. In this episode Karen lays out the key steps to forming your business plan, including how to build a following, how to turn your followers into customers and when to start marketing. And, most importantly, why you should do this first. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen lays out the things...
Nov 06, 2023•35 min•Ep. 24
This week on the show Karen is talking about ‘Fragrance Families’. Karen explains what fragrance families are, how the categorization of them differs from that of materials and why it is important knowledge for all perfume makers to have. Karen then goes on to give a breakdown of each family so that you can identify them with ease. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen breaks down the various different systems and classifications used by different organisations in the perfume industry to identify fragrance famili...
Oct 30, 2023•41 min•Ep. 23
This week on the show Karen is talking about one of the most overlooked elements in perfume making…Mindset. Whilst having technical knowledge and skill is extremely important, so is having the right mindset. In this episode, Karen breaks down the factors that contribute to your mindset, such as self-doubt, perfectionism, procrastination, and the psychology of perfume making. And, she shares tips and tricks on how you can overcome these barriers and reach your full potential. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen ...
Oct 22, 2023•22 min•Ep. 22
This week Karen is joined by Lizzie Brooks. In 2020 Lizzie found herself at a crossroads in her life as she realised that she hated her career. She decided to take a leap and follow her lifelong dream of becoming a perfumer. She signed up for Karen’s Artisan Perfumery Mastermind course and hasn’t looked back. Her fragrance company launched this year with 3 perfumes now on the market. In this episode she shares her journey, her experiences and gives her top tips for people wishing to follow their...
Oct 16, 2023•47 min•Ep. 21
This week on the show Karen is diving into the importance of creating a story for your fragrances. Not only does Karen consider this the single most important stage in perfume making, she also believes it is the most overlooked. So, what exactly is a ‘Scent Story?’How do you create one and how will it take your perfume-making to the next level? Find out in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen talks about how and why creating a story for your scent should be the very first thing that you do. Karen b...
Oct 08, 2023•23 min•Ep. 20
This week on the podcast Karen is giving her answers to a recent ‘Ask Me Anything’ session. Karen covers topics such as natural vs synthetic materials, how to reset your smell, how to diffuse oil perfumes, how to make your perfume last, where to source your raw materials and so much more. Get your notepad ready because Karen is about to give you a world of knowledge. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen talks about the importance of mindset and how she values a positive mindset and determination over any other s...
Oct 01, 2023•48 min•Ep. 19
This week on the show Karen tackles the question she gets asked the most…How do you get into the fragrance industry? What a lot of people don’t realise though, is the fragrance industry has hundreds of potential careers, not just that of the perfumer. Karen breaks down the industry and the many roles within it so that you can have a better understanding and find the career that is right for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS There are so many more careers in the fragrance industry than a perfumer. Karen breaks ...
Sep 24, 2023•51 min•Ep. 18
This week on the show Karen is tackling the question “What is an oil perfume?” Covering this topic, Karen explores why would you want to create one? How they perform differently to alcohol based perfumes and what bases you can use to create them. KEY TAKEAWAYS Oil based perfumes are scents that are made without an alcohol base, but not necessarily with an oil base. Karen talks about the advantages of making an oil based perfume over an alcohol based perfume, such as the effects on the skin. Kare...
Sep 17, 2023•30 min•Ep. 17
