Mandy Aftel

Today, almost every perfume is created from synthetic essences. Although synthetics approximate the odors of natural ingredients, they have none of the complexity, mystery or emotional depth. We bring an inexplicable emotional intensity to the experience of an authentic smell and the memories it sparks and creates. My approach to creating artisan natural perfumes is based in the quality and integrity of the ingredients. I hand blend each perfume from my collection of extraordinary essences, which I have gathered with uncompromising standards for only the finest quality 100% pure and natural materials. I seek out exotic, unusual essences from hidden corners of the world, often smelling a dozen versions of the same oil, searching for the one that surpasses the rest. Finding the essences is like a quest, and I enjoy it as much as the act of creation. Through years of searching I have amassed a comprehensive and strikingly beautiful palette from which to work. In each perfume, I try to capture a feeling and aesthetic experience. I start with a concept for the perfume, and work to create something modern and luxurious. With some perfumes, the first iteration is almost perfect. Others take endless revisions and weeks of blending until everything comes together in the ideal balance. Once the formulas are developed, I hand blend small batches of perfume, and bottle it in the same studio it was created in. I am connected to the whole process, and it makes me very happy when people incorporate my perfumes in their lives. It is my hope that people have a feeling of luxury, well-being, beauty and excitement when they wear Aftelier Perfumes. In addition to my work as a perfumer, I am the author of six books, three of which are on natural perfume. Essence and Alchemy: A Book of Perfume has been translated into seven languages and was the winner of The Sense of Smell Institute's Richard B. Solomon Award. Aroma, a cookbook (co-authored with chef Daniel Patterson), focuses on the essential link between food and fragrance and includes recipes for both. Scents & Sensibilities guides the reader through the history and creation of solid perfumes. My three other books are The Story of Your Life: Becoming the Author of Your Experience, When Talk is Not Cheap and Death of a Rolling Stone: The Brian Jones Story. In early 2009, Living Perfume: The Natural Alchemy of Mandy Aftel, debuted at the Fifth Avenue store, Henri Bendel. The exhibit focused on education and the history of perfumery. It showcased my perfumes as well as my extraordinary collection of perfume memorabilia. The event was commemorated in a catalogue, which can be viewed here. As the curator for an exhibition on the history of natural perfume The Foul and the Fragrant: Creating Natural Perfume at the Doheny Memorial Library, University of Southern California I displayed turn-of-the-century perfume books and vintage memorabilia from my private collection. My artistry with natural perfumery was the subject of the exhibit, Constructing Perfume: Scent, Space, Color at 3A Gallery in San Francisco, which included architectural renderings of my fragrances, and an interactive experience of viewers matching color chips to scents. In 2004, I was invited to create a perfume for a 2000 year old child mummy in conjunction with the Stanford Medical Center, the Rosicrucian Museum and Silicon Graphics (SGI). In addition to my work with Michelin-starred chef Daniel Patterson (Coi Restaurant), I have worked with Daniel Barber (Blue Hill, Blue Hill at Stone Barns), Johnny Iuzinni (Jean Georges), and other chefs. I have conducted classes and demonstrations for vintners and sommeliers, and at the University of Southern California, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Ideo, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Apple, Clif Bar, the James Beard Foundation, New York University, Slow Food, London Design Festival, Esalen Ins