Beauty Bucket List: I created a perfume!

As a beauty lover, I not only love products, but I love learning how products are made.  I dabble in making some of my own products, and I love watching YouTube videos of how products are made at places like LUSH or ColourPop.  I love knowing what goes in to my products, what makes bath fizzies fizz, why I prefer certain lipstick formulas over others, and how product development works.

I’ve also always been fascinated by perfumes.  In elementary school, I tried to make my own.   I’d read in one of my sister’s YM magazines that perfume was made out of herbs and spices and whale vomit. I didn’t have any whale vomit, so I got thyme, oregano, and some other herbs and mixed them up in a bottle with some  rubbing alcohol.  My “perfume” smelled like my mom’s baked chicken, so I decided to suppliment it with my dad’s expensive aftershave (SORRY, DAD!).  Yes, I went to school smelling like my dad rolled in baked chicken. It lasted about 3 days before I got a rash and had to stop.

I grew up a little and graduated to buying signature scents. In middle school it was Love’s Baby Soft (the pink one), Coty Wild Musk (for school dances), and Designer Imposters body sprays (just buy a pack of 4 for about $6, then go to sleepovers and trade the ones you don’t want.) . “If you like Exclamation Point, you’ll LOVE Paranthases.  If you like Electric Youth, you’ll LOVE Zapped Babies!”  The taglines were hilarous. High School is where I discovered Gap scents (Earth was my favorite, while Heaven was a close second). Then, In college, I bought my first REAL perfume.  Anais Anais.  And I wore it to DEATH.  Until I discovered Ralph Lauren Romance and Ralph Lauren Turquoise. I would still wear Turquoise if I could find it.

It’s only in the last year or so that I’ve discovered high end fragrances.  The really good ones that smell different on everyone and are NEVER over powering.  I’ve been actively trying to build a cohesive fragrance wardrobe, so I have something for every occasion and mood, because I think scent is also an important part of self care.

I met Andrea Fender about a year and a half ago in a makeup group on Facebook.  She asked some members if they were interested in joining a group for her indie perfume company where she could bounce ideas off of us and have us review things.  I JUMPED at the opportunity.  I love trying things out.

Fast forward to now, and Andrea has built a thriving business known for it’s unique, quirky, and timeless fragrances.  She’s got an amazing line of body and hair care products, launched an indie market place for other beauty and craft artisans to sell their wares, partnered with these other artisans to offer monthly, themed, AFFORDABLE subscription boxes!

A few months after joining the group, Andrea invited me to Suc labs to tour, AND create my own fragrance.  Friends, it was everything I’d ever imagined and MORE. I had no idea where to start, and