CE20_p50_Ads to p69 _Wed Guide 7/8/2009 13:04 Page 11
Lifestyle Essentially Me
A Chinese emperor moth can smell a single flower from six miles away
downwind. In humans our sense of smell has become diluted as we have evolved
but artisan perfumer Alec Lawless believes we can cultivate our noses the way
wine experts hone their palate. After more than 20 years experience in buying
essential oils from around the world he has launched a new company, Essentially
Me developing natural perfumes, tailor-made if desired, to suit individuals. He
can also create a theme fragrance for a wedding. Cotswold Essence spoke to Alec
about psychology, philosophy and Jung and discovered there’s more to the
complex world of perfumery than fancy packaging and a celebrity endorsement.
Words by Sue Smith
into that glamorous world just by Lavender instantly transports us
splashing it on.” back to the South of France, a whiff
Alec, who is a mix of Irish and of frankincense and we are in the
A
LEC says he inherited
German parents is a trained church pews, then there’s geranium,
his acute sense of smell
psychotherapist and has a BA in Jungian jasmine, violet, orange…the list goes
from his mother who
psychology. on and on.
when he was in his teens
He spent six years visiting monasteries And for Alec every smell has an
and is an advocate of regular meditation anecdote and a story.
would always know if he had and retreats. “Tuberose, which was native to
been smoking even if she was
He has travelled extensively to Tibet, Mexico was brought to Europe at the
India, Nepal, Palestine, Israel and China end of the 16th Century,” he says.
sitting in another room.
all the while learning about the natural “As it releases most of its heady
More than 20 years ago he set up the plants of individual countries. scent at night it is known in Malaysia
hugely successful Aqua Oleum essential And he has spent time with as the mistress of the night and is one
oils business in Gloucestershire, initially practitioners of many faiths including of several oils and absolutes that are
from a small end of terrace house. Zen and Tibetan Buddhists, Jewish literally worth more than their weight
Having spent three years in the mystics and Christians and Suffis. in gold.
Merchant Navy, Alec had travelled “The thing I have learned most about “So there we have it in a nutshell -
extensively and this connection with people is that the sexiest people are those the simple reason humans developed
distant shores put him in good stead for who are comfortable in their own skin,” an interest in fragrance and why the
trading and importing. says Alex. perfume industry evolved - sex and
Over the years his passion for food and “It makes absolute sense therefore that money.”
good wine led him to believe that our buying the fragrance of the moment Alec currently produces a range of
instinctive appreciation of perfume is not makes absolutely no sense for most ten perfumes and can provide samples
dissimilar to the slow food movement people. by post for people to experiment with
whereby if we shake off the compulsive “Different perfume smells different on what suits them.
behaviour of our upbringing and our different people that’s why I believe “I made up two fragrances for a
consumer culture we can find a natural everyone should develop a smell that suits Turkish princess recently and asked
based smell to suit our personalities. them and not just because some celebrity her to put one on each wrist and wait
“I am inspired by the Jungian idea has endorsed it as the fragrance for now.” until she preferred on over the other.
about individuality and embodying our “Smells can conjure up strong “She couldn’t decide in the end as
uniqueness completely, “ says Alec who memories and feelings in our lives. Some she loved them both and bought both
has also written a book, Artisan smells powerfully attract and repel,” says of them,” says Alec.
Perfumery or Being Led by the Nose to Alec. He also says he made up a bespoke
complement the new business based at The workshop at Essentially Me is large fragrance for an Argentinean woman
Griffin Mill near Stroud. and airy with large brown glass bottles whose friends were amazed at just
From here he blends a range of unique lined up on the shelves containing every how right the smell was for her.
fragrances using certified organic grain conceivable heady oils from around the “Even her taxi driver stopped the
alcohol. globe. car and said he just had to know the
and the finest aromatic oils sourced name of the perfume as he was so
from all over the world . taken by it,” said Alec.
The perfumes are 99 percent natural. But it doesn’t always work out.
“A far cry from many big brand He recalls how he tried to make up
fragrances which are made entirely from a scent for a woman in Norway but
synthetic ingredients,” says Alec. she had absolutely no sense of smell.
“When you buy a commercially “So we had a drink in a bar and
produced fragrance three percent of what called it a day,” he says.
you pay for is the smell, the rest is buying Alec describes his one-to-one
the dream. consultations to find a perfume to suit
“People buy into the idea that a an individual as “quite intimate.”
particular fragrance will transport them He say he combines perfumery with
60 COTSWOLDESSENCE | SEPTEMBER ~ NOVEMBER 2009
www.cotswoldessence.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100