The Perfume Making Podcast

Do you really know if your fragrance works? Or are you just hoping for compliments? In this episode, Karen reveals why friends and family are not likely to be giving you the feedback you really need. She shares the essential steps needed to truly evaluate your perfume - like a pro. Karen takes you through setting a clear brief and mastering technical checkpoints. She shares the tools and mindset that separate hobbyists from serious creators.  Tune in to transform the way you judge your scents and take yourself one step closer to making fragrances that always deliver. KEY TAKEAWAYS  The opinions of friends and family feel good, but their noses can´t be the final word. Often, they are biased and rarely fit your target demographic. Investing time in learning how to professionally evaluate your scents is essential. Without a clear goal for your scent, you’ll never know if you’ve hit the mark, so start every creation by writing out a solid brief and use a checklist to keep your evaluation honest and well organised. Don’t just sniff and forget. Track and assess your fragrance over hours to see how it really lasts, evolves, and performs on skin or in the bottle. You need to test for smoothness, strength, longevity, harmony, diffusion and evaluate it in the base and conditions your customer will actually be using your scent in. Sensory fatigue is real. Periodically, step away and reset your nose. Allow plenty of time to evaluate your scents. BEST MOMENTS  “Evaluation is a whole separate skill. You could be good at blending, you could be good at putting different materials together, but also still not know whether what you made actually works.” “If you don't know what you were intending to create, you're not going to know whether you hit that mark or not.” “Make yourself a little checklist that you can actually go through every time you create a fragrance, every time you do modifications.” EPISODE RESOURCES In-Person Course - https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/studio-classes Fragrance For Skincare Course: https://www.onlineperfumeschool.com/creating-fragrance-for-skincare-products-online-course How to create a scent story episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-and-why-to-create-a-scent-story/id1693602939?i=1000630627487 VALUABLE RESOURCES Getting Started Guide: https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/podcast-getting-started-guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind: https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/artisan-perfumery-mastermind Website: https://www.karengilbert.co.uk 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 - https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/karengilbert/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KarenGilbert.co.uk YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@KarenGilbertPerfumeMaking Email - karen@karengilbert.co.uk   This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

It’s easy to believe that the secret to creating great fragrances lies in having more materials - more naturals, more synthetics, more obscure aroma chemicals. But as Karen explains in this episode, the opposite is usually true. Expanding your organ too quickly can overwhelm your creativity, stall your progress, and make it harder to build the strong foundation you need to truly master the craft of perfumery. Karen breaks down exactly why “more” is rarely the answer, why many professionals still work with a limited palette, and how to experiment, build skill, confidence, and clarity by initially using a focused, small set of materials. KEY TAKEAWAYS In perfumery, progress comes from starting simple and structured learning - not from collecting hundreds of bottles. Most trained perfumers work with a tight palette that they fully understand. Don´t be tempted to start by exploring big scent concepts; they can lead you to collect unusual materials prematurely. Start by making simple scents first. Remember: most powerful or “interesting” materials only work in tiny amounts. Without practice and proper dilution, they can easily unbalance a blend. Start by practicing with a focused set of ingredients. Learn to dilute them correctly, carefully observe how each material and combination behaves and make notes. BEST MOMENTS “Weird, wacky, interesting materials do not make you more creative. They don't make you a better perfumer - knowing how to use them does.” “You are literally trying to build this whole city before you've built your shed in the garden.” “If you change everything in a formulation over and over again, you're going to keep going around in circles.” “You can own hundreds of materials and still be guessing and floundering, or you can have 20 core materials and be working with them and learning about how they interact with each other.” EPISODE RESOURCES Use the discount code shared during the show to master the 70 most important materials you need to build a strong skill foundation for your perfumer career by going here - Materials Mastery - https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/materials-mastery Studio Classes - https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/studio-classes Getting Started Guide - https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/podcast-getting-started-guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind - https://www.karengilbert.co.uk/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: https://www.karengilbert.co.uk Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/karengilbert/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KarenGilbert.co.uk YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@KarenGilbertPerfumeMaking This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

“You’ve made soup!” is a phrase French perfume teachers often say to their students. In the world of fragrance, soup refers to a perfume that smells muddy, flat, or undefined. But what causes a scent to turn into “soup,” and how can you prevent it? In this week’s episode, Karen breaks down the many ways a perfume can lose its clarity and character, often through well-intentioned choices that seem right at first. Tune in to learn the common pitfalls. KEY TAKEAWAYS One easy way to achieve a muddy scent is by constantly adding materials on top of each other, just because you like them. Karen explains why this is a bad idea.  Copying a notes list from a perfume you admire is another fast track to achieving a muddy scent. So why do people do it, and why should you avoid it? Understanding scent structure is crucial to creating a well-balanced perfume. Karen breaks down why this is and why it should be the first thing you master. Nose fatigue is a very real thing, and it can lead you to make crucial mistakes when creating a scent. Karen shares her top tips to avoid this trap. BEST MOMENTS  “Adding more materials won’t fix anything; it will just make your fragrance more dense and confusing.” “Sometimes a space in a formulation is what gives it its strength.” “Every time you make a formulation, make notes, and you will be moving forward.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Studio classes Materials Mastery 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Karen recently went to the cinema, something she doesn’t do very often. However, on this one-off trip to see the new Bruce Springsteen film, something resonated with her. We often chase perfection, either from our own standards or from what we assume others expect from us, but sometimes, the real beauty lies in imperfection. In this week's episode, Karen is here to talk about how the thing you create might be more successful if you just let go and be true to yourself.  KEY TAKEAWAYS One of the main storylines of the new Springsteen film is how the record he created sounded raw and unfinished, but how that sound added to the beauty of it. Karen describes how you can apply this working method to your perfume creation.  Karen tells the story of Mark Buxton and how creating an accord based on the markets of Marrakech ended up launching a perfume brand. A lot of indie perfumers try to replicate the big commercial brands, but, as Karen points out, they are not your competition. Karen shares what really matters when creating your fragrances.  BEST MOMENTS  “Sometimes that raw first version might be exactly what it needs to be.” “If you try to make something more commercial, you're in danger of moving away from what you set out to achieve.” “Whatever the thing is that you create, if it expresses what you want it to express, that’s what it should be.” 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Following on from last week's show on the history of Musk, Karen is here to tell you all about the synthetic musks. First developed by accident in the 1930s, synthetic musks have evolved through many different variations, each one advancing from what has come before. In this episode, Karen gives you a full and comprehensive overview of the history of synthetic musk, how they changed the perfume industry, and the musks that you should have in your toolbox.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Nitro Musks were the first synthetic musks, discovered in the late 1880s by accident. Karen gives you the history of this fascinating discovery and how it changed perfume-making.  In the 1930s, macrocyclic musks were developed as a safer and more elegant alternative to nitro musks. Karen details their history, the perfumes that pioneered them, and the impact they had.  Polycyclic musks were developed in the 1950s with the intention of being lower-cost and more commercial. Karen explains how they brought musk into the mainstream, including the Body Shop’s ‘White Musk’. Due to biodegradability issues of polycyclic musk, alicyclic musks were developed in the 1970s. Karen explains why they were created and how they burst into popularity in the 1990s. BEST MOMENTS  “Musks are often more of a feeling than they are a specific smell.” “Musks change when they interact with other materials, so don’t just smell them on a strip, use them.” “If you’ve ever smelt laundry and thought ‘that smells clean’, that’s a polycyclic musk.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Materials Mastery Studio Classes  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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

This week, Karen is introducing the first in a two-part series on musk. Musk started life as one of the most prestigious materials in the world of perfumery and was often associated with nobility and power. However, over the years, it has constantly evolved and, today, is seen as one of the most common and well-known materials in all of perfumery. In this episode, Karen takes you on a journey from the beginnings of musk to its place in the modern-day world and how it has shaped both perfumery and culture over hundreds of years. KEY TAKEAWAYS Musk has a long and fascinating history. Karen takes us through it from its origins in central Asia to its everyday use today. Historically, musk was sourced from the glands of male deer; however, as the species became endangered, the material could no longer be sourced from the animal. In 1888, Albert Baur made a discovery that changed musk forever. In the 1970s, a number of fragrances entered the market that changed musk to a much more accessible product. Karen explains how and why. By the late 1980s, musk was mainstream, in large part due to the Body Shop’s ‘White Musk’. Karen breaks down how this shift affected the perfume industry and people’s perception of musk. BEST MOMENTS “Over the years, musk has gone from one of the most expensive materials you can buy to one of the most common synthetics in the world.” “Musk moved from a sexy smell of desire to one of laundry and light, airiness.” “Musk feeds that need we have for comfort, especially when the world outside is a much more intense and scary place.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Materials Mastery Studio Classes 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

After last week’s episode on Chanel No. 5 and its revolutionary use of aldehydes, Karen is going to delve deeper into this fragrance family and its role in the world of perfume. Whilst most people associate aldehydes with Chanel and, in domestic use, soap, there are many different types of aldehydes that produce various fragrances. So, if you want to know your aliphatics from your aromatics, then this is the episode for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Whilst organic in their chemistry, aldehydes are synthetic in fragrance. However, natural aldehydes are starting to appear. Karen details the availability of these materials and what the future might hold. Aliphatic aldehydes, the most well-known aldehydes, are complex in their makeup and cover a wide range of materials. Karen breaks down what they are, their uses, and in which products you will find them. Aromatic aldehydes are soft, powdery, and sweet-smelling materials and do not resemble what most people associate with aldehydes. Karen shares some well-known fragrances that utilize them and explains how they can best serve you. Green aldehydes are very herbal and are the ones that most people use when first experimenting with perfumery. But what do they smell like, and where can you find them? BEST MOMENTS “It’s important to smell these materials yourself. It’s impossible to build your own associations if you’re just reading off a list.” “Aldehydes oxidise much quicker than most materials, they don’t last as long and can have chemical reactions within your fragrance.” “If something smells inherently soapy, it’s not necessarily the smell, it’s because your brain has linked that smell to products that use a certain aldehyde.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Materials Mastery  Studio Classes  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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Over the years, Karen has received countless questions about one fragrance family in particular: aldehydes. They often leave people puzzled about what they are and how they’re used in perfumery. In this episode, Karen breaks down the fragrance family that sparked a true revolution in the perfume industry. Focusing on Chanel No. 5, the impact it made, and its groundbreaking use of aldehydes, this show explores what aldehydes are, and why they matter. KEY TAKEAWAYS Coco Chanel lived a very interesting and, at times, controversial life. But, as Karen explains, it was her life experiences that enabled her to create Chanel No. 5 Chanel No. 5 had an interesting early life, both as a product and as a formulation. Karen gives a brief history of this iconic fragrance. Due to the success of Chanel No. 5, other perfume houses started to use aldehydes more aggressively. Karen shares an overview of the scents that it inspired. Aldehydes also begin to be incorporated into other products, and in turn, bleed into daily life. Karen details just how prominent aldehydes are in day-to-day living. BEST MOMENTS “Coco Chanel was not considered mainstream, but her style created a shift in fashion and culture.” “What we might think of modern today is going to be the old fashioned of the future.” “Comparing fragrances of the same genre is an incredibly useful learning tool.” VALUABLE RESOURCES The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Last week, in one of Karen’s classes, a student was surprised to learn that some information she had received from ChatGPT was inaccurate. With AI becoming increasingly common in perfume making - from formulations to safety advice - this week, Karen is offering an overview of how AI fits into the world of fragrance, where it can be helpful, where it falls short, and how you can get the most out of this ever-evolving tool. KEY TAKEAWAYS How exactly do models like ChatGPT work? Where do they get their information from, and how do they differ from search engines? Karen explains it all. Any answer you get from ChatGPT sounds 100% correct and authoritative. As Karen explains, not only is there a reason for this, but it’s also one of its major flaws. A lot of the big perfume houses have been very vocal recently about incorporating AI into their formulation process. However, as Karen points out, it’s not in the same way that you might be using it. However, despite its flaws, AI can be a very useful tool in some areas. Karen lays out some of the ways in which AI can help you. BEST MOMENTS “ChatGPT doesn’t evaluate credibility or cross-check sources to see what is accurate.” “It isn’t just incorrect, it’s wrong with confidence.” “If the AI models have been trained by mistakes on the internet, then you can start to understand where the mistakes are coming from.” 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Karen often hears from people who work exclusively with natural materials in their fragrances but are beginning to notice the limitations, whether it’s their blends smelling too much like aromatherapy products or lacking longevity. If you want to move past these challenges and create fragrances that compare to commercial ones, the key is to incorporate synthetics. In this episode, Karen will share her recommendations for ten synthetic materials to add to your toolkit that will elevate your perfume creations to the next level. KEY TAKEAWAYS Hedione is a synthetic material that closely resembles jasmine, but smells lighter. Karen gives you an overview of this material, which is impossible to overdose, and changed perfume history forever. Musks are one of the biggest gaps when you’re only working with naturals and it is synthetic musks that give perfume longevity. There are so many synthetic musks that can solve this problem. Karen shares her recommendations for the best synthetic musks to use. The ‘Heart of the Floral’ is a fragrance made up from a trio of materials, and one of them, muguet, is only available as a synthetic. However, there are a few variations. Karen breaks down the differences between them. Sandalwood is a widely used material in perfumery, but if you want it to go all the way from the base to the top, you will have to rely on synthetics. Karen explains why and gives her recommendations for materials. BEST MOMENTS “Unless you start using synthetics, you're not going to learn how they work.” “Synthetics don’t replace naturals, they enhance them.” “There are so many synthetic materials out there that it can be overwhelming to explore them for the first time. But, with the right approach, understanding them can add a new dimension to your perfume making.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Perfume Making 101  Studio Classes Episodes on materials  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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

This week, Karen is tackling a question she's asked all the time, especially by those transitioning from aromatherapy to natural perfumery: “What’s the deal with concentration levels for leave-on and rinse-off products?” It’s a topic surrounded by myths, often fueled by social media posts or 'how-to' guides, and the conflicting advice out there only adds to the confusion. That’s why, in this week’s episode, Karen will set the record straight and share everything you need to know about concentration, so you can step confidently into the world of natural perfumery. KEY TAKEAWAYS One of the biggest misconceptions around this topic is the idea that you can only use 1.5% for a leave-on product and 3% for a wash-off. Karen busts this myth and explains what numbers you should be aiming for. Many people think that blending a scent for a room product is different from formulating perfume, but this could not be more wrong. Karen explains why the process is the same, but also points out some differences. The key to getting the fragrance you want is understanding your materials, not hitting targets. Karen gives various examples of how different products are best served with different formulations. Safety regulations also play a part when deciding upon the concentration of your materials. Karen shares a brief overview of this topic and provides you with valuable resources so you can understand this area fully. BEST MOMENTS “Fragrance is fragrance, regardless of what medium you dilute it into.” “It’s not about the amount of fragrance that you can use in each different product category, it’s about the materials that you use in the formulation.” “In higher end products, you have a much higher fragrance load, because people expect more performance from a more expensive product. ” VALUABLE RESOURCES Short Masterclasses Spreadsheet Download Studio Classes Episode 16 - Navigating Safety Regulations  Episode 58 Understanding MOCRA  Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind   Website 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

After a well-deserved break, which was extended by a week, Karen is back. During her time off she took part in ‘Hampshire Open Studios’, a scheme where artists across Hampshire open up their workshops to the public. Karen decided to run a pop-up perfume bar and actually learned a lot. She also had a lot of downtime and was able to reflect on its importance. So, in this week's episode, Karen is sharing her learnings from both these events and her overall message of creating a healthy work life balance. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen is used to teaching people who want to learn about perfume. What she discovered with the pop-up bar is that most of the people visiting were there out of curiosity. She shares how you can adapt your offering to this type of customer. One thing Karen noticed is that there was a huge inconsistency with the number of people who visited and the length of time they spent in the studio. She gives suggestions on how you can make the most of this. Ideas come thick and fast when you're creative, and most times we feel the need to act on them straight away. However, this just leads to burnout. Karen gives her top tips on how to manage your ideas in a time-friendly manner. On top of the ideas you generate for your business, there are also the creative projects that you want to do for yourself, which are equally important. Karen discusses how to make that all important ‘time for yourself.’ BEST MOMENTS “If you’re considering doing a pop up, be clear about whether you’re there to entertain or educate.” “The more you step away from your ‘day to day’ the more creative you become and the more ideas you have.” “The idea of running your own business is to love what you do and really immerse yourself in it.” 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

After 110 episodes, week in, week out, on top of 3 ongoing courses, authoring her latest book, a family trip to France, and a family wedding in Spain, Karen has decided to take a well-earned break over August. That’s why, in this week’s brief episode, Karen is talking about the importance of stepping back and taking some time to let life happen. From following up on projects that you’ve promised yourself you’d do for months, to just taking a little time to experiment for yourself, Karen is going to do it all this August, without doing anything. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen gives an overview of her new book and what you can expect from it, but also, how it builds on the work in her previous book. Despite being a huge advocate for stepping away and doing something for yourself, Karen has realised recently that she hasn’t taken any ‘me time’. She talks about the importance of this time and what she plans to do with it this summer. During her summer break, Karen is taking part in the ‘Hampshire Open Studios’ programme. She outlines what to expect, how to find her, and when you can visit. For those of you who love to listen to the show week in, week out, don’t worry, Karen has you covered. She lays out her plan of how to keep you listening and entertained over August. BEST MOMENTS “Sometimes the best thing is to step back and let your senses recalibrate.” “Take a break and take in the world. Try and smell what is around you. It doesn’t have to be about making perfume, it can be just about experiencing scent around you.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Hampshire Open Studios Perfume Making 101 Studio Classes Online Course 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

This week Karen is addressing a question she gets asked all the time regarding the use of tinctures in perfumery. The short answer to this question is that tinctures don’t work. But, with so many people using this process, there has to be something to it, doesn’t there? In this episode, Karen gives you a comprehensive lesson on tinctures from early history to the way they behave in perfumes, and even how the sperm whale plays a part in the whole process, so that you too can become an expert on tinctures and their usage. KEY TAKEAWAYS What exactly are tinctures, how do you create them, what is their role, and why do people seek to use them in perfumery? Karen gives a crash course on all things tincture. Historically, tinctures were used in perfumery, and this is part of the reason most people still think they are a viable method today. However, Karen reveals the truth of the origin of tinctures. From scents breaking down to the onset of mold, there's a lot that can go wrong with your perfumes when using tinctures. Karen gives an overview of the main problems and why they occur. Ambergris is a material that does actually require tincturing. Karen explains why this material works with tincturing and how to get the best out of it. BEST MOMENTS “Originally, tinctures were used as a base and not as an absolute or essential oil.” “The idea you can tincture any flower and get a usable material is a modern idea and it’s also not true.” “Creating a structured, repeatable, well balanced fragrance will need materials that are stable and are not going to go off over time.” 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

This week on the show, Karen is finally addressing an issue that has been annoying her for years - the obsession with extreme longevity of a fragrance. There is a theory that the longer a perfume lasts, the more desirable and worthwhile it is - but Karen is calling that a myth. In this week's episode, Karen is here to explain that just because something doesn't last, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Instead, she argues that perfume is meant to be savoured in personal moments—it's something for yourself, not for others. The real challenge lies in how to embrace this idea during the creative process without sacrificing your work. KEY TAKEAWAYS Recently, consumers and perfumers have begun to confuse durability with quality. Karen breaks down why she thinks this is happening and why it is bad for the fragrance industry. Karen explains why the beauty of a perfume is not in its longevity but in the smaller moments that make you realise why you’re wearing it in the first place. When somebody makes a scent they love, but doesn’t last a long time, they try to add materials in a desperate attempt to create longevity. Karen explains why this never works and why it will destroy your scent. Adding materials that fade away can be an invaluable tool to creating a unique scent. Karen explains why this is and how to achieve this. BEST MOMENTS “Perfume isn’t a marathon, it's a moment, an experience. Something that you enjoy whilst it’s happening.” “The obsession with longevity is drowning out the subtle approach.” “Don’t start with longevity as the goal. Start with the perfume you want to create.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Perfume Making 101 Masterclass   Materials Mastery   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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Karen has a new live course coming up, on the 7th of July, and in this episode she wants to explore two things that link into that live course - Floral Fragrances and Structure. Working with florals, without experience, can be an overwhelming task that often leads to disappointing results as florals are dense materials that fight with each other if you don’t know how to mix them. But, when you get florals right, they can lead to some of the most rewarding results in all of perfume making. In this episode, Karen gives a brief overview of the challenges you will face when working with florals, the methods you can use to overcome them and how, by signing up to her live course, you can become a master of working with florals. KEY TAKEAWAYS Floral materials by their very nature are dense and heavy. This can lead to less than pleasing results the first time you work with them, which can be off putting. However, the answer, as Karen explains, is making sure you have a structure in place. Despite popular belief, working with florals doesn’t just mean working with natural products. Karen explains how to mix naturals and synthetics to give your floral fragrances a structure that works. A common mistake people make when working with florals is trying to ‘patch up’ a fragrance that doesn’t smell the way they were hoping. Karen talks about why this is a mistake and the importance of getting your heart accord correct to avoid this problem. Karen gives a brief overview of the structure she teaches, why it works and what to expect from your fragrances once you’ve learned it through her live course. BEST MOMENTS “Once you create a solid fragrance structure, you’re going to be able to use that in every other fragrance type.” “The issue isn’t the materials, it’s the space between them.” “People often think that more florals equals better floral fragrance, but it doesn’t work like that.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Perfume Making 101 Masterclass  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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Inspired by a recent chat with her social media manager, and the realisation that she is approaching thirty years in the perfume business, Karen has decided to take a look back and ponder on the thing that she would tell her younger self if the opportunity arose. When you’re new to anything, whether it be a perfume business or not, you are also naive. Only with time, failure and growth can we realise the mistakes we have made in the past. In this episode, Karen looks back at her career and imparts her wisdom upon you, from learning to say no to being your authentic self, so that you don’t make the mistakes that befall so many. KEY TAKEAWAYS One of the biggest mistakes new businesses make, and one Karen did herself, is setting your price point lower than your competitors in the hope that it will win you more customers. Karen debunks this idea and tells you how to calculate a price that works for you and your customers. When your business venture is new and exciting, work doesn’t feel like work and you find yourself working longer hours. However, as Karen learned that hard way, your energy is not unlimited. Karen explains why ‘sustainable’ isn’t just ideal, it’s the only way. A lesson that Karen learned from her first ever business is one that still holds true today - “Build your business around your life, not the other way around.” Karen’s new business adopts this philosophy and she shares how different her life is because of it. ‘Be Who You Are’ - is one of the biggest lessons Karen has learnt. In her early days in business she tried to be the person she thought her direct audience wanted her to be, but this became exhausting. BEST MOMENTS “The clients who choose you, just because you’re cheap, are not the clients you want.” “You do not need permission to call yourself a perfumer. If you’re doing that job, you’ve earned the right.” “Being who you truly are is what attracts your most authentic customers.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Perfume Making 101 Waitlist  Rose Fragrance Masterclass Wait List Journal Prompts 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

To date, my new mini-series has very much been focused on the creation of your fragrances. However, once it’s created, it becomes the time to put it out into the big wide world. But, how do you achieve it if you’re a small independent perfume maker and you don’t have the marketing budget or resources of a big company? Whether you know it or not, you’re also carrying an expectation that you’ll put your product on the internet and people will flock to buy it. In this episode, I give you the reality of both: what is achievable with marketing within a small indie brand, and what you should expect, and why both of these things can be much bigger and more prosperous than you think.  KEY TAKEAWAYS The reality versus the expectation of making your first social media post or putting out your first advert is huge. Karen explains what people subconsciously think will happen, what the reality of most situations are, why you’re not alone and what to expect.   In the absence of large budgets and a dedicated marketing team, it can feel like you’re in a David versus Goliath fight most days. However, as Karen explains, the real strengths of marketing lie elsewhere.  Artists do not always feel comfortable selling themselves. Talking about your own work can leave you feeling self conscious or even arrogant, but it is a crucial part of the process. Karen gives you some courage and some tips on how to sell yourself effectively.  All the marketing, sales, likes and comments on social media will never make you happy unless you know the answer to one very important question - “what does success look like to me?” Karen goes into depth on the importance of this point and how knowing the answer is the difference between real success and failure. BEST MOMENTS  “The gap between the energy you put into the creation and the silence on your first social media post is where a lot of people spiral.” “Your most important marketing tool is to have real clarity about what you're doing, why you’re creating, who it is for.” “You can’t make someone buy something they don’t want. But you can share what you’ve created in a way that will connect with the right people.” EPISODE LINKS Perfume Making 101 Waitlist  Rose Fragrance Masterclass Wait List 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

A problem that most of Karen’s students inevitably face is how to structure a scent. Once they learn the perfume pyramid, top, middle and base notes, they assume that they have learned all they need to know…but they haven’t.  The problems arise when synthetic materials are introduced as the perfume pyramid is not the best model for them. In this episode, Karen is going to break down when the pyramid structure works and when you should seek alternative solutions, and, she’s also going to share her tried and tested method when working with synthetics.  KEY TAKEAWAYS What exactly is the ‘Pyramid Method’? How and why does it work? What is the structure? And how do you use it? Karen tells you all you need to know about this method. In Karen’s ‘One Day Natural Perfume’ class she teaches a method based around creating accords. She discusses this method, why and how it works and why it is a perfect alternative to the ‘Pyramid Method’. But once you’ve got your accords how do you work with them? Karen explains why accords are the best foundation of creating a scent, but why, once you’ve created them, you still have work to do.  Once you’ve got an understanding of the different methods of creating a scent, you are left with a question “Which is the right method to use?” Karen details the questions you have to consider when deciding on the right method for the fragrance you are creating.  BEST MOMENTS  “The perfume pyramid works brilliantly for natural perfume because volatility matters.” “If you master creating great accords, you’re not going to be starting from scratch every time you make a perfume.” “There isn’t a one-size-fits-all method for every fragrance you will make. They are all tools to help you.” EPISODE LINKS Perfume Making 101 Wait List Rose Fragrance Masterclass Wait List 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

After taking a slight detour to the Rose Retreat last week, Karen is back with her ‘Lessons that Last’ mini-series, and this week she is taking a look at the process and importance of learning materials.  The most important, but also time-consuming aspect of perfume making is learning materials, because without knowing how they smell, interact with each other and react to the skin, you simply can’t make fragrances. There are so many materials the task of learning them inside out can appear to be impossible. But fear not, it is possible, and Karen is here to share all the tips and tricks you need to get through the materials phase without losing your mind. KEY TAKEAWAYS Most people are faced with huge overwhelm when they first encounter materials, mainly when the realization hits them that the task of learning them is so much bigger than they expected. Karen breaks down why this overwhelm occurs and how best to manage it. Your understanding of materials will change over time. With this in mind, Karen gives suggestions for how you might plan your learning and also how to make sure you keep going.  Another great way to reduce that overwhelm is to work in a space that feels good to you. Karen shares her top tips on creating the perfect workspace.  Creating a ritual, or as Karen says “Making it something you want to do as opposed to something on your to-do list”, can be a valuable tool to help ease the burden on learning materials. Karen gives some suggestions on how to implement this way of working.  BEST MOMENTS  “Materials are part of a building block of a fragrance. Some don’t smell great on their own. Some don’t click until you start to understand how they work.” “You don’t have to master materials on day one, but you do have to keep going.” “Learning materials is like learning a language, and the best way to learn a language is by using it.” 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 Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/