classes: Perfume Making

5.0 (27)

Women-owned

Picture this: a crowded hotel lift at an international women’s event in the 1980s. I step in—and I am hit by a wall of perfume. Not just any perfume. Poison—on steroids. There’s barely enough oxygen left to think. One woman chirps, “It smells nice in here.” I quip, “Must be the one man!” You see, it was the ’80s—big hair, big shoulder pads, and even bigger perfume.

From that moment on, I decided if I was going to be surrounded by scent, I wanted it to be natural.. So I started making my own perfumes—blends that whispered, not shouted. Inspired by nature, by the Aussie bush, bouquets of fresh-cut flowers, salt spray on a summer breeze, and the distinctive aromas of new places when travelling.

Today, I have a vast personal scent library—an ever-growing collection of natural aromatic ingredients. From Australia: blue cypress, rosewood, Fragonia, Kunzea, lemon-scented tea tree, Rosalina, pineapple myrtle and the rare Byron Bay rose. From afar: Nepalese tulip, Indonesian jasmine, Laotian vetiver, Indian rose, Italian petitgrain… and that’s just scratching the surface.

My training includes multiple Master Perfumers’ courses, studies in natural perfumery with Karen Gilbert in the UK, and two in-depth programs with the internationally respected PerfumersWorld. While I specialise in naturals, I also understand synthetics and mixed media—because knowing the science helps sharpen the artistry. With daily blending and exploration, I’ve refined my skills in the craft (and joy) of creating perfumes that are alive with nature’s story.

At Rosewood Estate, my farm in northern NSW, and in my studio in Miami on the Gold Coast, I run natural perfumery and wellness balm workshops. At the farm, guests can also join me for a sensory garden walk—meeting fragrant plants face-to-leaf—and watch a full distillation of botanicals like lemon myrtle, rosemary, thyme, and more using traditional copper stills. I trained in distillation under the legendary Jill Mulvaney of Alembics New Zealand, deepening my connection to scent at its source.

My work is grounded in the belief that scent isn’t just beautiful—it’s transformative. With over 30 years of experience as a psychological counsellor and educator, I’ve used scent as a sensory anchor to help people shift emotion, perspective, and behaviour. Like Mary Poppins, I pull from a diverse bag of tricks, blending science, nature, and emotional insight to help others feel more connected—to themselves, to others, and to the world around them.

One day, I hope to write the perfume equivalent of a cookbook—something rich with recipes, stories, and the kind of inspiration that invites others to play, explore, and fall in love with the alchemy of scent.

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