One year for my birthday, I received a very special gift that would change the whole course of my life (not hyperbole, read on to learn more). A friend who knew how much I loved perfume gave me a kit of fragrance oils that came with instructions for blending your own oil-based perfume. I promptly took a deep dive into perfume-making, and -- spoiler alert -- eventually founded my own perfume company, Poesie. It’s been almost 10 years and I’m still deep diving into all sorts of aspects of perfuming and (most importantly) having fun.
Here’s the backstory. I was burnt out at my job as the executive director at a nonprofit, where I spent my time supporting artisans in developing countries. I often wished I could be an artisan myself. My creative heart was looking for something more. Anyway, I started blending those little bottles of oil and writing my formulas down, illegible to anyone else and yes, even sometimes to myself (so many ideas have suffered their end because of my poor handwriting). Soon I thought of nothing else. I kept a notepad next to my bed to jot down ideas. I sent myself emails with more ideas. I obsessively read online forums for diy perfume makers. I was hooked in the best possible way.
While I’ve offered blend your own events and featured fan-sourced scents through Poesie for a while, I’ve never offered something that really lets you experience this thing that gives me (and hopefully others) so much joy.
Our new Book of Smells is a project several years in the making, and one which will be the first of a series, if you love it as much as we do. Think of me as a wizened crone (or fae tempretress, or whatever works for you). We’re at a crossroads and I offer you a box of magical potions. Of course, you jump at the opportunity. Perhaps you make a few blends, it’s fun but your ever wandering soul moves on to watercolor or weight lifting or whittling. But you may find that blending a box of potions just feels right and your feet unconsciously turn down an unknown path. Or perhaps you decide to give the set to someone who needs a new place to kindle their creative spark (burnt out -> kindling sparks)
The first volume of our Book of Smells is Book of Spirits (we hope to be able to offer more). It is a carefully curated selection of some of my favorite hand-crafted Poesie accords. You’ll get a 7 ml of an accord to use as the star of the show, plus four 2 ml bottles of accords that are designed to blend well together as well as give you room to get creative without being overwhelmed with possibilities. The accords will arrive in a lovingly decorated (by us) book-themed box, along with everything you need to get started (except a pen or pencil, we thought you might already have a favorite one). We also added a few things just for fun. Just add your nose, your hands, and your perfume-loving heart, and we predict the results will be magical.
💖Joelle