I enter into the ESSENCE Studio created by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz: Perfumer, Fragrance Consultant, Certified Aromatherapist, Artist, Jewelry Designer and the Founder of ESSENCE Studio.
Dawn is a renowned Perfumer, certified Aromatherapist whom has been practicing this unique art, and trade for over 19 years. Masterly educated and born with an innate sense of smell in which scents and fragrances are not just a single note, rather they become multi-dimensional and upon her first take or experience, an essential oil evolves into shapes, colors, textures, light, lines, and feelings.
Her collections are sold throughout the world, but in order to experience this first hand you must travel to the ESSENCE Studio.
Inspired by her surroundings, Dawn’s ESSENCE Studio is located in Boulder, Colorado. Formerly an artist, she began her career on the famous in which her first fragrance collection and the ESSENCE Studio, was created. The concept of her first collection was based on single notes of essential oils and aromatherapy mixtures.
She offers tiered levels of services; consultation and retail options, but I am here for one reason. Self-discovery.
I am on a journey to tap into one of my five senses. I am here to create my own signature scent.
This one-on-one signature fragrance consultation attracts those who seek a creative experience and exploration of their senses.
We tour her studio and stories begin to unfold. She personally sources over 800 essential oils from around the world and each region where she acquired these fragrances has a story of their own. I toured her Studio listlessly floating amongst her packaged collections hearing stories upon stories of her inspirations.
One would think that a studio that housed this many fragrances would be overwhelming pungent, but it wasn’t. It was scent-less. A true professional.
We eventually floated to her private room that holds an incredible collection of essential oils in which she offers her private consultation services. There are large and small dark blue and brown bottles categorized and labeled by scent Family ranging from Floral to Fruity and from Incense to Resin.
She navigates her way effortlessly among the glass bottles and begins to pull from her scent library to demonstrate the differences of essential oils that are grouped in the same family. For instance, in the Woody family Virginia Cedar smells much different from Texas Cedar. While in the same family, the distinction is created by origin.
Perceptions change and senses become heightened. After several more examples of scent distinctions from her library of essences, we begin the consultation.
We sit at her cocktail bar which; contains 60 essential oils and she calmly asks questions about your original thoughts and perceptions of fragrances. While she extracts answers, she pulls 20 – 30 essential oils from her collection in which you simply smell and she begins to gauge your reaction to the scents she presents. She is intuitive and reads your reaction. Throughout the process, she edits further, leaving the fragrances sorted by families.
The process continued and she graced me with her worldly essences that my body and skin grasped on too which stated,
“This is mine”. The essences claim you and react to your body temperature sending pheromone signals that ultimately generate your signature scent.
She started with base notes and with each drop from a long glass vial onto my forearm, she took in my scent. Silver Fox, Arabian Musk, and Tunisian Frankincense the scent was building itself. African and Chinese Musk followed. My perceptions changed about musk. It is not the initial thought of a grandfather’s cologne, musk can be sweet and has many different notes to it; dependent upon its origin. My skin dictated what my true essence was and after 9 essential oils finishing with Bergamot, my signature scent claimed me.
This process has Iayers and a connotation….a meaning….a feeling….an association.
It is an incredibly intimate experience for an individual to begin to understand yourself and know the scents (essential oils) that resonate and define you. At the end of this process, you are no longer associated by a department store scent; you have created a scent that is truly yours.
A path to self-discovery and something to check-off your life list. More than once…as you can have more than just one signature scent.
To learn more about the process and experience contact:
DSH Perfumes
Dawn M. Spencer Hurwitz
PERFUMER, Creator, certified aromatherapist, Fragrance Consultant
Studio: 4593 North Broadway, Studio D120
Boulder, CO 80304 USA
Mailing: Post Office Box 1128
Boulder, CO 80306-1128 USA
T: 1.800.551.0701
T: 1.720.563.0344
E: dsh@dshperfumes.com
STORE HOURS: Tues-Friday, 11:30 am - 6 pm; Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm; Sunday and Monday: Closed.
*For more information about Dawn M. Spencer Hurwitz Private Label, Consulting & Design services Contact: wholesale@dshperfumes.com or call 800.551.0701 (or 720.563.0344)
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