Natural Perfuming – Fougere Workshop

Natural Perfume – Fougere Workshop

This past Sunday I did it again. I took 2 trains and 2 subways into Brooklyn to attend Herbal Alchemy’s Fougere Workshop. A Fougere is a perfume built around oakmoss, lavender and a coumarin note. It has an herbaceous note and is meant to smell like the forest floor.

Julianne started the class by passing around different Fougere perfumes so we could smell them. Once we finished our first task was to make our own Fougere. I started with sandlewood, oakmoss and tonka bean for my base notes, added lavender, clary sage, rose and jasmine for my middle notes and finished it with more lavender, tangerine and pettigrain. It did smell like a forest to me, green and herb like.

Once we were done we smelled each others perfumes. I find it amazing that we all chose from the same base materials, we all used oakmoss, lavender and a coumarin note, yet all of our perfumes smelled very different. Next we learned about the different types of Fougeres and we each chose one to make. I was deciding between an oriental and an amber Fougere, and decided to go with the amber. I used some vanilla in my base along with oakmoss and hay, added lavender, rose, jasmine and tarragon for my middle notes and used pettigrain and rosewood for the top. I wondered if the tarragon was a risk and Julianne agreed with me, we weren’t sure if it would go well. I decided I was there to learn and take chances so I added it. I have to say I really liked the result. It added a little spicy kick to it.

Julianne’s classes are in her home. It is filled with an eclectic mix of bottles, perfuming material and books.

She keeps her perfume samples in beautiful dishes.

And of course, her perfumes are beautiful.

Yours in Gratitude,

Angela