Blood, Sweat & Bergamot: The Real Life of a Perfumer

Bergamot: my signature, my anchor

If there is one note I will never stop loving, it is bergamot. It is a citrus, but a soft, polished one. It is light and crisp and never shouts.

Bergamot is a top note, one of the first things you smell when a perfume touches your skin. It blends beautifully with florals, herbs, musks, earthy notes and woods. It is the note that makes people lean in and say, “That smells expensive.”

That is exactly the point. I want every Glitters and Grace perfume to hold its own beside anything at a luxury counter, made with real perfumery materials and real technique. Bergamot is where many of my ideas begin.

I do it all, and I do it for you

Every Glitters and Grace accord is mine. An accord is a small group of materials blended to smell like one idea, such as a fresh garden or a warm amber. I test each formula on skin and on blotters, compare it with commercial perfumes and keep adjusting until it sparkles.

I source materials that comply with IFRA standards from trusted suppliers. IFRA is the International Fragrance Association, the body that sets safety guidelines for fragrance materials. That means spreadsheets full of regulatory data, and I keep them myself, along with every license and insurance policy.

I also plan and run events, train and manage hosts, teach workshops and talk with every customer who calls, messages or writes. Our perfumes are made by hand in our New Lenox lab, from absolutes, CO2 extracts and essential oils. In plain words, those are the concentrated natural extracts perfumers use. You can read more about my training on the meet the founder page.

Creativity is my fuel

I photograph every step: bottles, ingredients, mood boards and the mess in between. Then I write about it, because every scent has a story worth telling. Posts like my scent lover's guide to oakmoss come straight from the bench.

I get out into the neighborhood, too. I collaborate with local artists and bring perfumery to unexpected places, from pop-ups to coffee shops. Every new fragrance is a chance to learn something, meet someone and make something lovely.

Relationships are everything in the life of a perfumer

This was never only about perfume. It is about people. I have built real relationships with customers, collaborators and our community, and those relationships shape everything I make.

When you are making your first perfume, I am there to guide you and cheer you on. When something isn't right, I work with you to fix it. When you love what you made, I celebrate right alongside you.

If you want to keep a scent forever, a one-to-one fragrance consultation is where your formula gets recorded, so it can be remade. Event perfume bars move quickly, so those formulas aren't written down.

Always learning, always evolving

This business asks for constant growth. I keep learning new perfumery techniques, new materials and new safety standards. I studied with master perfumer Karen Gilbert and at the Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles, and I still take workshops, classes and retreats whenever I can.

I keep up with social media, try new tools and keep refining how we reach people. Whether it is mastering a new accord or figuring out how to shoot a better product photo, I am never done growing. Staying curious is the whole job.

Ready to bring the perfume bar to your own celebration? A bridal shower, a birthday, a corporate retreat or a creative pop-up all work beautifully. Start with our perfume bar experiences, then send me your date. With Grace, Cheryl.