Scent By Alexis: Perfume and Poetry Combine for a Fragrant Year Ahead

by: Suzy Nightingale

A secretive perfume project that wasn't openly marketed, involving a fragrance that you could only get to know about by sending the creator your favorite poem? I was instantly intrigued, and thought of a poem I often go back to and smile over as I read afresh: Not In A Silver Casket Cool With Pearls - Edna St. Vincent Millay Not in a silver casket cool with pearls Or rich with red corundum or with blue, Locked, and the key withheld, as other girls Have given their loves, I give my love to you; Not in a lovers'-knot, not in a ring Worked in such fashion, and the legend plain— Semper fidelis, where a secret spring Kennels a drop of mischief for the brain: Love in the open hand, no thing but that, Ungemmed, unhidden, wishing not to hurt, As one should bring you cowslips in a hat Swung from the hand, or apples in her skirt, I bring you, calling out as children do: "Look what I have!—And these are all for you."

I copied out the poem, pleased with my choice, and emailed it off to Alexis, keen to hear more about the fragrance she had created, the information of which was only to be shared among fellow poetry-lovers, a concept I simply adore. It makes me feel as though I'm part of a secret Elizabethan courtly society, exchanging love notes and treasured fragrances hidden in wax-sealed scrolls ... Imagine my delight, then, on receiving a reply from Alexis in which she revealed we were definitely on the same page (or scroll, perhaps?) as the poem I had chosen to send her was one of her own favorites and (cue Twilight Zone music) was, in fact, included in a book in the background of one of the photos taken to illustrate the project!

Body Made Luminous Bottle (copyright Scent by Alexis)

"Dear Suzy,

Thank you so much for this poem- one of my favorites. In fact, the little red and gold book that is set next to the bottle in my photo is actually Millay! Great minds think alike! This poem made my day - the perfect literary gift.

So, now about The Poetry of Longing ...

I created it to inspire the idea of longing—of desire for someone you can never truly have. The scent is very seductive and sensual..with chocolate absolutes, natural ambergris and agar woods, with vintage ouds and hints of syrupy muguet ... it is my scented incarnation of longing."

Body Made Luminous: "After quite a long time of searching for just the right fossilized amber to reformulate this fragrance, I am thrilled to announce it has been found! The scent is even more decadent, with a dry down of smoky sweet amber, rich chocolate absolute and hints of delicate Moroccan flowers."

It sounds truly divine, and definitely something I long to try—I am a proudly banner-waving lover of gourmand fragrances, and especially those deepened with darker essences and thematic concepts to match.

Alexis - Photo by Jorge Colombo

Looking at the wonderfully evocative imagery and descriptions on her Tumblr page, I found myself reeled in ever further to the world of Scent by Alexis—for me, perfume suggests visual images; when I close my eyes and smell, I breathe in the fragrance of a dream landscape, layered with memories and desires. Linked with creative writing, too, I always appreciate those perfumers who speak to us not only through their compositions, but share their own imaginary landscapes, too. Perhaps this is why I have never been afraid of blind-buying, based on descriptions alone. Of course it is always a risk, but I enjoy that thrill, the ever-wondering discovery of a like-minded soul. Perhaps it is also why I chose to become a fragrance writer—I seek to be inspired by a perfumer's work, but equally I want to convey their feelings, and those they evoke in me, to other people. The wearing of a scent is never enough—it's like reading a fantastic book and feeling the urge to run through the streets accosting strangers with descriptions of how brilliant it is, desperate for someone to share the emotion with. Such things bubble up within you, I think, and you either give in to them as a cathartic exercise or become riven with constant suppression!

Looking through some of the other images and reading their descriptions, it felt as though Alexis truly embraced the darkness and the light in the world, and sought to make fragrances that were more than the sum of their parts. My very favorite kind of perfumes and, indeed, my favorite kind of perfumer to interview.

Scent By alexis poster (copyright Scent By Alexis)

"A hand gilded bottle of Mourning of Lost Souls from the Requiem Series created for artist, Ken Weaver’s exhibition. This particular bottle was custom created for The Court Of Lazarus. This scent is composed of heady white flowers with hints of anise and vanilla. It evokes an otherworldly beauty, an olfactory longing …

"A sculptural muse that has recently inspired a scent composed of beeswax absolute, rose, muguet, cedar wood, cypress and a melange of delicate flowers such as honeysuckle and lilac." "Immortal Mine Perfume for The Clarimonde Project was created with my perfume partner for our House of Cherry Bomb perfume company. This is a deep, resinous scent infused with incredibly rare oils from all over the world. Deep ouds play with mysterious dragon’s blood, myrrh and copal resin. Moroccan ambers carry hints of smoke and sweet, heady florals. The scent was inspired by the vampire in the 19th C novel, Clarimonde."

My curiosity now thoroughly piqued, I asked Alexis if she would take some time to explain this linking of poetry and perfume and, furthermore, to take us through the memories and inspirations that have led her up this fragrant path, and which direction this might beckon toward in the future ...

A line up of scent from The Requiem Series (copyright Scent By Alexis)

Suzy Nightingale: What is your earliest scent memory or what smells do you associate with childhood?

Alexis: My childhood was filled with olfactory experiences, as my mother was a chef and chocolatier. Notes of melting butter and chocolate and baking bread always filled the house in the mornings, and in the afternoons it was the scent of roasting garlic, onions sautéing in wine, and aromatic spices such as cumin and cardamon. Yet, to recall a specific scent memory that has inspired me over the years, I would say it was on one summer night when I was about seven years old. I was having a sleepover with my best friend, and at midnight my mother shook us lightly awake. “It’s the Solstice!” she said, and led us down stairs in our nightgowns and bare feet out the door into the back yard, where we danced and sang and laughed going round and round our large chestnut tree. The moon was high, and cast this silver light on us all. The scent of green was everywhere- the grass, freshly cut that day, the scent of fresh, green leaves of the surrounding trees strong in the humid air. I recall the smell of wisteria from flowering trees in the garden, and the sharp note of wild lemons that we would take in our hands to scratch the tough skins, releasing the tang of scent within. I remember the scent of the tree itself, the bark deeply etched with lines of age, and immensely tall. It was that middle note- of dirt, and wood with hints of green from shoots still growing after 100 years. The scent that binds all of this together in my memory was that of my mother’s perfume, Enigma by Alexander De Markoff, which lifted in the air with every step.

Suzy: Describe your personal fragrance journey—what perfumes did you use in teenage years, and what are your favorite scents now?

Alexis: The first perfume I had was one created by my mother, using simply vanilla extract enhanced with a vanilla bean split down the middle to strengthen the blend. After that my mother gave me various perfumes, such as Anais Anais, then Pavlova and finally Alexandra by Alexandra De Markoff, which she felt was a good scent for me to enter into my teenage years. I would often go back to her vanilla however, stealing it from her candy making supplies! Chanel Allure took me through college, and lack of funds brought me back to my vanilla in graduate school. Later, I discovered a blend of oils from a small shop in New Orleans where I lived after graduate school, called Memory Drops. I have often tried to recreate it, but have never quite nailed down the blend, which I think was a jasmine sambac, vanilla, natural rose, and possibly a dash of amber. Later and still in New Orleans, I met one of my best friends who is French, and she introduced me to Annick Goutall, who rocked my fragrant world. I fell in love with Charlotte and wore it exclusively for years. The sublime delicacy and warmth Charlotte really inspired me to create my own fragrances.

Body Made Luminous artistic composition (copyright Scent By Alexis)

Suzy: How did you begin your adventure in fragrance, what led to you starting your own perfume house?

Alexis: I am actually a multi media artist with a masters in painting, and my first adventure in Fragrance was when I was asked to work on immersive installations for the fragrance house, Fermenich. I worked on the artistic end, paintings and installations and such, and in the process met many perfumers. They were utterly inspiring and generous in sharing their creations with me. Often I would come into the studio where I was hand painting bottles, or working on a mural, and there would be a tester with my name on it just waiting for me. I talked with a few of the perfumers about the artistry of perfume, and the link between our artistic influences, and that really sparked my interest. I was fascinated by the history of fragrance and the cultural relevance of fragrance, and began researching. I bought any materials I could, and on a limited budget, created a few fragrances which I held in hand gilded bottles. This first line was a wink to the decadence of 18th c. french perfume.

Suzy: What has been the most challenging perfume to create?

Alexis: Some perfumes come so easily, and they just happen organically, and some come with such difficulty! I would say, oddly enough, that one of my favorite scents was the most challenging. That would be Body Made Luminous. It took me longer to formulate than usual, and I over formulated it at first. I had to trim it down, simplify it, and realize at one point the notes needed to balance each other rather than battle each other. The fragrance went through trials of its own- it was the one perfume to survive Hurricane Sandy and the subsequent destruction of my perfume studio. It was the storing bottle of Body Made Luminous which I somehow found floating in flood waters, in tact in the only unbroken cabinet in the studio. The original natural amber I used was no longer available, and the fragrance was on hold for a year until recently. The new fossilized amber is a dream to work with, and I suppose all these challenges have led me to love the scent even more.

Mourning of Lost Souls artistic composition (copyright Scent By Alexis)

Suzy: What link is there between poetry and perfume, for you? Does your art help shape your creations?

Alexis: For me, poetry and perfume is inexorably linked. One of my latest projects is a perfume poetry project entitled, The Poetry Of Longing. The fragrance itself is a word of mouth scent, not available in stores or even Etsy [though I believe it is has now, at the time of publication, been added to the store], and those interested must email me personally with a poem or line of poetry in order for any information about the scent to be divulged. I have had an amazing flood of poetry sent to me from all over the world because of this project. The idea is that words, like scent, are ephemeral. You are touched with the beauty of both; have an emotional response to both, but both fade and alter over time, and you are left with traces of thought and scent … memories.

It is also a way to connect with people. Poetry is often personal, and fragrance too often becomes commercialized and impersonal. This was a way for me to encourage a personal connection of fragrance by linking it to poetry.

In addition, my Utopian Body Series was inspired by Michel Foucault’s "Utopian Body" essay and the titles of the fragrances are meant to be the first line in an olfactory poem. Thus far I have:

“Body made luminous, secret, sacred cyphered.” The next fragrance will be the next line in the poem.

Painting, music, literature, performance and film all are so very important in shaping my creations! I do all of these myself, so I find they all end up being linked. My last one person exhibition was filled with rooms of sculptures, films, paintings and music as well as diffused and bottled scents created for the works on view. I want to create a fully immersive world of art and fragrance!

Suzy: Do you think you unconsciously make perfumes tailored to your tastes or personality; or can you step outside yourself and make things you probably wouldn't wear?

Alexis: I often make fragrances I myself love to wear, but I certainly love creating fragrances for others that are far from my own taste. Certain notes do not work well on my skin, but I love them dearly- like petigrain sur fleur or violet. I use these notes often, however, and have a bevy of friends and painting models that I douse with them. I think it is very important to constantly alter and grow in your artistic development, so I love the challenge of creating fragrances that I may not myself wear, but that I am very proud of.

Suzy: How do you know when a perfume is finished—when do you know it's right to leave alone?

Alexis: This is so similar to knowing when a painting or a song is finished … it simply is! There is a point when you just know, at that moment, the scent has become what it needs to be. I will revisit scents every now and then, but mostly I leave them alone. When they are done, I move on to the next, and take what I’ve learned from that one fragrance.

A sculptural muse (copyright Scent By Alexis)

Suzy: How do your friends and family react to your perfume obsession? Have they all become equally fragrance obsessed—do they test your latest creations?

Alexis: My friends, who are often also my models for my paintings are my testers. I have a captive audience and a lot of real estate to spray on. They never mind, and usually they become as excited and obsessed about fragrances as myself. I usually blend bespoke scents for each of my models as well. They are my muses for art and fragrance. I will say, I have a group of well scented friends and family!

Suzy: Which perfume are your proudest of? Do you have a personal favorite?

Alexis: My favorite is Body Made Luminous and my latest, The Poetry of Longing. I have really poured my love and soul into these two fragrances. The Poetry of Longing was actually a challenge by perfumer and artist Monica Miller, who graciously gave me a stunning base as a gift. I used a small amount as part of the blend, and it stared to take its own life. I wanted to capture the scent of longing—of that exquisite and painful emotion. Body Made Luminous is more of a celebration of the body and sensuality, I wear this one every day.

Suzy: What has been your favorite feedback or interaction with customers?

Alexis: I think the Poetry of Longing project has been the best for this. I have had poems written for me and for my scent, music, videos, and art work sent my way, and many emails from clients about how much they love and are moved by the fragrance and the project itself. I have had long descriptions of how a client has worn the scent- what clothes she wore, how the scent changed, how she felt. Fragrance is so personal, and to have clients reach out to me and tell me about their experiences with something I have created is such an honor.

Suzy: Do you have a favorite oil or ingredient to work with? If you had to choose a top five, what would they be?

Alexis: I do! I am obsessed with Chocolate absolute, ambergris, fossilized amber, muguet and black agar. I simply can’t live without them.

Suzy: Do you work on your own? How tough is it out there for independent perfumers?

Alexis: I work on all of my Scent By Alexis fragrances on my own, but am very fortunate to have a perfume partner in crime with Maria McElroy of Aroma M. We have House of Cherry Bomb together, and it is so amazing to be able to create fragrances hand in hand with another perfumer. She is a sister to me, and we have the best time blasting crazy music, drinking matcha, nibbling on sweets and blending perfume.There have been many late nights where we have called each other in a perfume panic about certain notes or design etc, and we are always there for each other on the other line…ready with advice and ideas.

I think it is a pretty great time for independent perfumers right now. The doors to perfume are wide open- the internet allows for clients and perfumers to meet, and blogs and bloggers have created an amazing bridge of communication between us all. As any small business person will tell you, it is extremely challenging. We must do everything ourselves—formulating, blending, packaging, marketing, PR , selling … you name it, but it is amazing to do what you love, to be surrounded by fragrance and creativity.

Immortal Mine perfume (copyright Alexis for House of Cherry Bomb)

Suzy: What are your plans for the future? Can you tell us something about what you're working on right now?

Alexis: I am working on a very limited scent entitled, The Harmony of Being. It is all about balances- balances of florals to wood resins, balances of classic elegance to that of modern sensibility, balances of olfactory “colors” like pinks and pale greens to deep, rich siennas and ambers. I will be releasing it after the winter, and most likely will have only 30 bottles. As for future plans, I would like to do more limited edition fragrances; special, rare scents that will be inspired by and linked to music I am working on. The concept is that when someone procures the scent they will receive a download of the music ( put out by Onyudo Records), so they can listen while wearing the fragrance, and thus have a multi-sensory experience. I am also hopping to do more bespoke fragrances, which I love working on. It quite special to work with an individual on their own perfume, to create a portrait in scent that fits them perfectly. Maria and I will be developing new Atelier scents for House of Cherry Bomb as well, so it is going to be a very fragrant year indeed!

To purchase Scent by Alexis, visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/SCENTBYALEXIS

If you wish to see more of the art and inspirations behind the perfumes, take a fragrant trip to http://bodymadeluminous.tumblr.com/