With the recent press recognition for our Aura Perfume Oil, as well as our work with the Apothecary Scent Lab, we have been getting an increasing number of questions about what our scent works mean generally, as well as questions about how we put together the Aura perfume scent specifically.

To begin to answer some of these questions, we thought we would ask our resident perfumer and all-around good nose, James Cormier. James is a co-founder of Frantsila, and is responsible for many things around our farm and factory, including for the creation of the Aura perfume scent.

When we asked James to share the inspiration behind the Aura scent, he began with an idea that is at the foundation of his life and work: to raise people’s consciousness about the basic interdependence between human beings, one to another, as well as between humans and other living things, the plants and animals that surround us. James has actively pursued this idea throughout his own life, with over forty years of meditation and yoga practice.

This foundational idea is also reflected in the scent notes that eventually came together to form the scent that surrounds you when you apply our Aura Perfume Oil. Uncovering this Aura scent, however, was no easy process, as James went through multiple formulations before hitting on just the right combination and balance of scent notes. In fact, when James looked back over his recipe cards that traced the months long development process, he realized that it was not until the fourteenth attempt that Aura was born.

As for the actual development process, James relies on what is best described as a flow of olfactory intuition, which, after forty years in the business, has become a kind of scented second nature.

The specific essential oils that were used in Aura’s recipe, include various essences, from fruits, flowers and plants, and represent equally various but deeply interconnected principles. For example, Frankincense is symbolic of the universal human search for heightened spirituality and consciousness. In a linked way, the Sweet Grass extract in Aura perfume has been used in native American spiritual ceremonies, that exemplify this universal search. This search often goes in multiple directions simultaneously, as represented in Aura’s use of lime and grapefruit to refresh and uplift the spirit, just as Benzoin is used to pull you back to a warming, earth-bound safety. Neroli is meant to put a smile on your face, reminding you that this search is not always a serious pursuit, while Cypress provides the strength to continue on, even when things do get tough. Finally, evergreen Hinoki calms the mind and body for the journey ahead, while rose provides the ever-present love at the heart of all things.

All these interconnected scent notes are then placed in a base of organic jojoba wax, which is then bottled in violet glass, to ensure that all these remarkable essences are preserved for the longest possible time.

The result is a scent that we hope will not only make you smell and feel beautiful but also remind you of the basic consciousness that connects us to each other and to the plants and the animals all around us.

James would like to thank everyone who asked for his help in developing this amazing scent. As with almost everything that happens on the farm, it was a collective effort, and everyone’s input was very much appreciated.