ÇaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery: Angela St. John of Solstice Scents +Hyper-Realism Draw

angela st john of solstice scents cafleurebon

Angela St John of Solstice Scents

Profile I was born in Naples, FL but grew up in north central Florida in the college town of Gainesville.  My childhood home is located in a heavily wooded natural hammock which borders a state park full of wildlife.  It was common to see multiple deer outside of my window.  I spent my time communing with nature, exploring the woods, sinkholes, creeks and trails around my home.  Growing up in a hammock was a stepping stone into my appreciation for plants and herbs of all kinds.  Exploring the natural world led me to develop a strong interest in natural healing, aromatherapy, herb use and lore, Eastern medicine and other alternative healing modalities and practices.  These studies led to an interest in handcrafted remedies and bath and body care including salves, facial care, soaps, bath salts, tinctures and much more.

jeanne rose herbs and things cafleurebon

Jean Rose with her book Herbs &Things written in 1969

In 2004, Solstice Scents was born with a focus on bath and body products.  The simple fragrances were intended to compliment these items but it wasn’t for a few years that I started to experiment with perfume blends.  The most influential person to my growth  as a perfumer is  the natural  aromatherpist, perfumer and author,Jeanne Rose.  When I became interested in herbalism, naturopathy and aromatherapy, I discovered and subsequently devoured her prolific works.  She is a pioneer and her botanical knowledge is extensive.  Her work was a part of my springboard into furthering my interest in essential oils and natural remedies that culminated in propelling me forward into perfumery. Over time, I began to construct more complex blends and delighted in presenting hyper-realistic atmospheres meant to capture the essence of specific places.  Some of these atmospheres are more playful and nostalgic, while others are more reverent or introspective.

gardenia flowers and enfleurage

Angela St John Gardenias and Gardenia Enfleurage

I expanded my palette of naturals and synthetics over the course of a decade and delved further into teaching myself the art of perfumery.   A budding interest transformed into a consuming passion that eclipsed the desire to craft bath and body goods.  My heart belongs to perfume and I am committed to continuing my education and development in this exciting field. One of my more ambitious projects was to use the centuries-old practice of enfleurage in an attempt to capture the fragrance of the notoriously elusive gardenia.  Gardenia cannot be successfully produced using steam distillation and the few essences available on the market are solvent extracted.  In 2012, my husband and I set about to enfleurage our homegrown gardenia flowers. After processing thousands of petals, our efforts yielded the soul of the flower which we encapsulated in alcohol.  We process a new batch every year during the short blooming season.  It is an intensive 6 to 8 weeks and a true labor of love.  This year, I added the gardenia enfleurage to a very special jasmine-heavy perfume called White Feather which features a strong incense base with loads of our Estate Vanilla (house vanilla), saffron, amber and spices.

solstice scents estate vanilla and white fox perfumes

Two of Angela St John’s personal favorites: Solstice Scents Estate Vanilla Eau de Parfum and White Fox Eau de Parfum 

My aim is to continue to bottle atmospheres and capture abstract concepts in innovative, inspiring and unusual ways.  I especially love to work with resins, precious woods and attars.  My personal preference for perfumes lies with resins, incense, leather, amber and tobacco centered blends and as a result, I tend to craft many unisex and masculine leaning perfumes.  I enjoy juxtaposing pairings such as oud and woods with strong gourmand notes or candy floss with incense, moss and dirt.

A_St.John

Angela St John at her perfumer organ and work space

On American Perfumery: I feel my journey into this profession is the archetypal example of what it means to be an American, carving your own way. I have the freedom to pursue my own interests and the abundant resources of other companies selling high quality natural, synthetic or artisanally produced essences necessary to my craft. We are in exciting times to be able to harness everything available to us to create whatever the mind can conceive of.  American indie perfumery allows olfactive artists to use these resources and create innovative perfumes that are challenging, unique and that push the boundaries to offer the consumer something exciting and personal.  Indie perfumes allow a person to journey to a specific destination or be lost in abstraction but they don’t leave you smelling identifiable or predictable.  Being a perfumer in America comes with the ability to be a sort of iconoclast, side-stepping the formulaic and reinterpreting the arrangement of notes or using more intense odors to achieve a specific emotional effect.  Another interesting observation about American perfumery is that I’ve seen so many houses toeing the line of what is considered wearable.  Risks are taken with aggressive notes like cade and birch tar and strange unconventional accords are created to sensational effect.  These come together to produce some of the most interesting blends of our time and they make the wearer ask themselves, “Do I really want to smell like this?”  The answer is yes.  I think people are hungry for the imaginative and American indie perfumers are consistently on the forefront of the next “big thing”.  What is more American than chasing that?

Battlefield_Downtown_2023

Battlefield Downtown 2023 by Gregory St John

Favorite American Artist: The American artist that has been most influential in my life is close to home – my husband, Gregory. We have spent the last 14 years growing together and I have learned a great deal from him.  He has always encouraged me to be my best self. He is my muse and a constant source of inspiration.  His dystopian cityscapes, still lifes and abstracts are at once challenging and thought-provoking, surreal and visceral.  His imagery inspires me on a visual level where I hope to inspire others on an olfactive level.

 

Angela St.John, Perfumer and founder of Solstice Scents.

solstice scents cafleurebon

Thanks to Angela St John of Solstice Scents we have  two fantastic draws for two registered readers (you must be registered): 3.3 ml EDP spray samples of: White Feather, Estate Vanilla, Manor and Library, a 1ml sample of a reader’s choice  of a recently added Solstice Scent (be sure to put in the comment).25 ml sample of Gardenia enfleurage and 1 ml samples of the following perfume oil extraits: Basilica, Night Watcher and Black Forest. This sampler will be offered to a US reader  and an identical pack offered to a reader anywhere in the world. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you found fascinating about Angela’s path to perfumery, where you live and if you have tried Solstice Scents or which ones appeal to you most. Draw ends September 3, 2015.

Please like CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery and your entry will count twice.

Solstice Scents has a  Facbook Community Group you can ask to join; be sure to LIKE Solstice Scents on Facebook  and Twitter as well

We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize wil be just spilled perfume

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66 comments

  • davisbrandao says:

    I am from Brazil, live near Rio de janeiro, and I have ordered many frags form Angela. And I really enjoy her work. specialy those heavy and dense frags, that seem to be her speciality. She always seem to have a different approach, a very particular way to deal witha specific note, and we always feel there is something very personal in her perfumes. I think my favourite one is Vanilla Pipe Tobacco…but I also enjoy Nag Champa, Black Forest…manor.

  • I am sooooo excited about this one — love Solstice and I was really tickled to find out that Angela is interested in natural, solvent-free methods of extraction and oil distillation. This one has me written all over it! I love her work, and have recently become a huge fan. I’ve sampled Night Watcher and would love to own it! US resident. Thanks so much for the draw!

  • FragrantWitch says:

    Now I REALLY want to get my hands on some Solstice Scents samples! Fabulous profile, thank you for sharing it. I am in the UK and would love to win and I would choose Conjure as my option.
    Many thanks for the draw!

  • Angela seems to not stop learning and experimenting, combining naturopathy herbalism and aromatherapy, who knows what we’ll see in the future from Angela. I have not tried any from this line. I choose the sample offering and 1ml of White Fox. 🙂 TY usa

  • fazalcheema says:

    Angela echoes the sentiments of many other indie perfumers that freedom to do whatever one wants is a huge incentive for independent perfumers. I also ad ire Angela’s willingness to use risky materials like birch tar. It is only this year I first heard about Solstice Scents on FB forums and now many have become a fan of the line. thanks a lot for the draw. I am in the US

  • I have been a huge fan of Solstice Scents since I first found them on Etsy about 5 years ago. I was quite intrigued by Angela and her scents and found many that I fell in love with. Since then, I’ve watched Angela’s business, creativity and talent soar. I told her I feel like a proud uncle watching her grow up. Today, she’s become an amazing perfumer who creates some of the most beautiful scents I have ever experienced. Notice how I said “experienced”, because that’s what it is. Her talent for creating atmosphere in scent is like none other. That combined with her attention to the detail, stories, packaging and her husband Greg’s artistic talents… it really does need to be “experienced”. Some of my most favorites scents are Library, Attic, Devil’s Tongue, Private Eye, Monarch, Gibbon’s Boarding School… along with many others. I keep telling them they need to open a branch here in PA and I would quit my day job in a minute and only ask for perfume in return! LOL

  • I have followed Solstice Scents for quite some time on Facebook. But it wasn’t until I read this page, that I realized just how much in common we have. I too have studied herbs, fragrance, body care and healing for almost 40 years. For the last 35 years I have lived in the Northeastern Sierras of California, 3 miles from a town of 154 people. My studio backs up to forest service land and I hike daily to collect Nature’s bounty. I wholesaled my line of bath & body products for over 30 years and then 5 years ago, I ditched that and opened a tiny retail store in Quincy, Ca. My store is where I can be creative and not mass produce, which I love. I would love to win this draw, not only because the fragrances sound lovely, but also because it might be a wonderful line to carry at my store.

  • rachelshine says:

    Wow! Fantastic interview with a truly lovely woman. I am in the U.S. and I adore Solstice Scents, my first foray into the rabbit hole on indie perfumes. I will say that SS creates some of the highest quality and delicious smelling oils. I have tried so many and have a lovely collection of my own that seems to be growing monthly.

    It was awesome to learn more about Angela, especially the process of making the gardenia collection. You can fee the passion she and her husband hold for this business and you can smell the love when you wear their creations. I always look forward to new collections, and am so excited for the future of SS.

  • Bloopmonsterr says:

    I thought it was interesting that Angela’s husband Greg was her source of artistic inspiration. I never knew that he was an artist, I think that’s really cool. I also thought it was cool that Angela’s goal was to create more atmospheric fragrances because in my opinion, her atmospheric scents are the best of any others I’ve tried. She really has a gift for capturing the feel and atmosphere of places. I’ve tried several of her scents, and my personal favorites are White Fox, Lemon Ginger Creams, Cameo, and Black Leather Red Lace. I would love to try some of the new EDPs, especially White Feather and Estate Vanilla, they sound wonderful! I’m located in the US.

  • I am a huge fan of Solstice Scents and was very excited to read this interview with Angela. While I have tried many indie perfumers, Solstice has firmly remained my favorite. Angela creates unique and imaginative blends unlike anything else I have ever experienced. A few of my (many) favorites are Witch’s Cottage, Rose Mallow Cream, White Fox, and Heart of the Night. I had no idea that Gardenia Enfleurage was made this way, and I found that absolutely fascinating. It was also a treat to see her workspace, where all the magic happens. The sample I would most like to try right now is Sun Warmed Honey. I am in the United States.

  • I live in Pennsylvania and I have just recently discovered Solstice Scents. I am in awe of Angela’s process used for the Gardenia scent! How inspiring that she and her husband Greg can create together. I have been reading all of the scent descriptions and trying to decide what to try. What a wonderful opportunity this is! I love sandalwood and earthy scents and would love to try the Pharaoh perfume oil.

  • jennynicole77 says:

    Great interview! I was happy to read that Angela really leans towards the woodsy and resin scents, although I suspected it due to her most popular and new scents. I have been shopping from Solstice Scents for years! I love every perfume I have tried but my favorite is Foxcroft. I live in Waldoboro Maine quite close to the town that inspired the scent. I could bathe in it it smells so good! So glad you featured her work!

  • Toshia williams says:

    I loved reading this! I’m from Sanford, FL And was so excited to find that one of my first indie perfume buys will be from someone so local. I’m brand new to this world, And Estate Vanille is what I’m currently saving towards. the way it’s explained makes it a future staple in my new collection. My birthday is next week, and as soon as I get my gift cards I get to pick up all of the samples I’ve waited for of the notorious Foxcroft collection. Angela’s balance between edgy and evocative is exactly why I started with this brand. I’ve even been tempted enough to want to try out attic and manor. Something about a smell reminding you of a place of comfort is exciting!

  • I was so excited Scents. Congratulations Angela!
    I discovered Solstice Scents during an afternoon of window shopping. There was a small display of Solstice Scents at a local world-trade store. I fell in love with several scents, purchased a couple, then looked up the brand and ordered more online. I am very sensitive to perfumes…most give me a killer headache or make me break out. Angela’s creations have been perfect! Some of my favorites have been discontinued, I believe, but I am excited to try new ones as soon as I am able. I always LOVE THe sampler packs. I have never smelled fragrances that capture the scents of nature so well. I particularly enjoy the floral and earth based scents. Spellbound woods was a personal favorite, and I will always have Foxcroft on hand. The fall fragrances are to die for! I am always complimented when I wear Solstice Scents and folks are always intrigued by the unique fragrances. Thanks Angela!

  • I first learnt about Solstice Scents a few years ago and since the beginning all the fragrances and the designs have fascinated me. I’m going to keep my rant short because a lot of other people have already eloquently gone into detail about how wonderful and atmospheric SS fragrances are, but truly I wish everyone would just go out and at least buy themselves a sampler set because there are some fragrances of Angela’s that actually make me happy because they smell so good. One thing I’m continually impressed by is also, not just the care Angela and Greg put into SS, but the customer service is out of this world. Angela has never been less than responsive, kind and helpful. This article was a great read, thank you, Angela for your perfumes! (And I’m from Japan! :))

  • Congrats on your article!! I love your gardenia perfume and reading about it, it is perfection! Thank you for the giveaway!

  • It seems as though Angela’s path came to her very naturally, leading from her childhood to the present, as though it were meant to be. I have not tried any Solstice Scents. Many of her scents sound appealing but I will chose White Feather. I love the name and it has everything I love. “I added the gardenia enfleurage to a very special jasmine-heavy perfume called White Feather which features a strong incense base with loads of our Estate Vanilla (house vanilla), saffron, amber and spices.” For the recently added – Coquina. In the USA.

  • I’ve heard about Solstice Scents many times and have been meaning to try the perfumes. I have a friend who has amassed herself quite a collection.

    I find it fascinating that Angela was inspired by Jeanne Rose. I still have my dog-eared copy of The Herbal Body Book which I treasure. I live in San Francisco where Jeanne Rose lives and am saving up to take one of her herbal courses.

    I admire Angela’s love of nature and her desire to experiment with different methods -such as her ambitious endeavor in making her own gardenia oil. Gardenia essential oil is extremely difficult to make, hence most Gardenia notes are synthetic.

    I admire Angela’s independent spirit – of carving her own way in the perfume world. I agree that her path really embodies the American spirit.

    I would love to win the draw and the recently added fragrance I would love to try is White Feather. It sounds amazing!

    I am in the USA and have liked both Solstice Scents and Cafleurebon on Facebook. Thank you!

  • I have not tried Solstice Scents yet, have heard many great things about the line, and have bookmarked Angela’s site. Such a generous gift, so adore Gardenia and Gardenia Enfleurage is at the top of my list, along with the jasmine White Feather. Angela’s way of striving for the ideal, perfect gardenia is inspiring. I also was brought up in the woods in Massachusetts, still long for that kind of freedom and style she embodies. Many of her scents call my name, I prefer the spicy, heady, essences that bring emotions to the front, perfume must move me, take me to another place and time. I am in the USA

  • Donna Frady says:

    Soltice Scents is my favorite Indie perfume. Her talent is amazing and inspiring. Its was very interesting reading how the Gardenia Enfleurage is made. I have a sample I must stop hoarding and use. Her vanilla is my favorite and I search and seek older discontinued scents because they age so beautifully. I hope to try all the new Parfum sprays as my budget allows. I and born and raised in Spartanburg, SC USA

  • Angela’s scents are so evocatively unique. I love the way the smell with each application… never the same twice.

  • I’ve been following Soltice Scents for several years. I found interesting her base in herbal medicine and aromatherapy. I also like that she asks the question, “Do I want to smell like this?” I love Manor, Astral Temple, Master Bedroom and a host of others. It would be wonderful if she could do for Magnolia Grandiflora what she has done for the Gardinia, because that is sheer genius.

  • Wow, what a beautifully organized organ! I have indeed tried Solstice Scents. As the article notes, Angela is drawn to the darker notes, as am I.

    I recently had the opportunity to sample Angela’s Gardenia Enfleurage, and it is an incredible thing — just fully saturated gardenia for days.

    It’s Library that I would choose from the newly added fragrance list.

    I am in the US.

  • Oh, it could be such an opportunity to taste Solstice scent which are not available in Italy…I have only a sample of Nightgown and find it wonderfull..hope I’ll be sorted!

  • Her organ looks like an art museum display! The notes she likes to use are a perfect echo of my own preferences, so I am very curious to try her perfumes. I have not tried anything from Solstice Scents before, but White Feather sounds wonderful! I m in the US.

  • Beautiful review, It was a pleasure to read it. I found fascinating the most that Angela’s childhood home was near the forest. It was a wonderful childhood I suppose. I would very, very, love to try those perfumes, those are must be amazing. I live in Europe.

  • I found this very fascinating”My heart belongs to perfume and I am committed to continuing my education and development in this exciting field. One of my more ambitious projects was to use the centuries-old practice of enfleurage in an attempt to capture the fragrance of the notoriously elusive gardenia.”
    I love gardenia, so I can only be fascinated by this whole process and the hard work that comes with the enfleurage of gardenias. Angela St John is amazing!

    I did not have the lucky chance of trying any of the Solstice Scents creations but I hope I will. Fingers crossed!

    3.3 ml EDP spray samples sounds great!

    I gave a like on Facebook to CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery back in 2013.

    I am a registered reader from the EU!

    Thank you for the opportunity! Wish you all the best!

  • I have seen more and more about SS lately so I found the entire interview very interesting. I MUST try the Estate Vanilla!!! having seen so much hype regarding the brand, I loved it all. I have not tried any of the scents before. I would love the samples and to also try the Rose Mallow. I have already liked the CaFleureBon Profiles page and SS page, as well. I am in the US. Thanks!

  • What a great pleasure to read about Angela’s way to perfumery! I first discovered Solstice Scents several years ago while browsing indie bath and body companies and ordered some items to try. I thought the quality of the bath and body products was outstanding but it was the fragrances that I immediately fell in love with. I have been collecting and truly enjoying Solstice Scents perfumes since that very first order. I have never come across scents that evocative that would bring so many dear memories for me. I grew up in Europe. My childhood home was in the city but my summers were divided between our cottage at the lake, my aunt’s country house and sailing trips on high sees with my father. My memory is full of smells from that period of my life: woods, meadows, vegetable gardens, orchards, hay stacks, barnyards. I now live in Midwest of US in a small house just few yards from the woods. My favorites from Solstice Scents are: Manor collection, Black Forest, Sirocco, Old Havana and Sun Warmed Honey but honestly it is very difficult to name just a few. Congrats, Angela, on all your beautiful creations!

  • What a lovely review! My favorite part is:” I enjoy juxtaposing pairings such as oud and woods with strong gourmand notes or candy floss with incense, moss and dirt.”

    I’ve not yet tried any Solstice Scents and would love to try Library.
    I live in the U.S. Thank you for the generous draw!

  • What a nice write-up! I was introduced to Solstice Scents last year, and must admit…I think I’m addicted! I live in Western PA, and my home-away-from-home is in the Florida Keys…so nature is a HUGE part of my world, too. I think nature and Angela’s scents go hand in hand. My favorite is Conjure, but I have yet to try them all 😉 I definitely need to try the Estate Vanilla.

  • I’m impressed that she grew her own Gardenias.
    I have not yet tried any Solstice Scents, but have been looking forward to their EDP releases for a while now. Of the oils I think the one I would most like to try is BLACK LEATHER, RED LACE.
    U.S.

  • Thank you for the giveaway! I’ve tried a few of Angela’s scents and I think what really sets her apart is how each scent is so evocative of specific situations/experiences. The story that goes with each scent so beautifully tells a story and I think she’s continuing to evolve by utilizing her own gardenia petals now. I live outside of Cleveland and I’ve already started wearing Manor again in anticipation of fall weather. I’m excited to try Estate Vanilla next! Congratulations on your success, Angela, and thank you for sharing your talent with us!

  • I live in Nova Scotia Canada, and I was really interested to hear of Angela’s journey from body products to scent as the reverse is so often the case in the world of perfumery.
    I have been a long time fan of her page. I heard of the brand through a group on Facebook ( FFF) and immersed myself in her sample packs. So far, the Library scent is my favourite as it encapsulates the smell of the place I most like to be – tucked in with my books.

    The new Conjure scent sounds perfect, and I would be delirious to try the Gardenia Enfleurage.

    Thank you so much for the chance .

  • I have been a customer of Angela’s for most of this year. I find it interesting that she started her journey into perfumery with Aromatherapy. My passion for this art also began with an interest in essential oils in Aromatherapy. I live in New Jersey, and my favorite scents are a Manor, Chantilly Cream and Violet Mallow. I love the evocative nature and originality of Angela’s perfumes.

  • I really enjoyed learning about how Angela and her husband enfleurage their own gardenia. Now that’s a labor of love! I live in Wisconsin and have ordered from Solstice Scents a few times before. Angela’s scents are complex, evoke memories and are ones I go back to again and again. I also have to say that their customer service goes well above and beyond any small (or large) company I have ordered from before. My favorite scent (right now) is Tenebrous Mist.

  • I have only recently purchased my first scent, basilica, and I am in love with it. My next venture is what scent to buy next. Rather than stress about it, I am going to buy several. Basilica satisfies my absolute love for incense

  • Patrick Lemley says:

    A coworker turned me on to Solstice Scents, and they are amazing! I am a huge fan of Vanilla Pipe Tobacco, Private Eye, Loggia, Smoky Mountain Mallow, and Many others. As a library worker, I LOVE the scent Librarian, it reminds me of the ideal library in my mind. The Vanilla Estate is absolutely wonderful, I only wish it were possible to make as an oil, it just sends me. Gehenna reminds me of the joss sticks they sold in a little shop where I lived in England as a child. So many good memories in these scents.

  • misstallulah says:

    I have been following Angela and Solstice Scents for a long time and I find the entire journey fascinating. The growth of the company and the ever evolving scent catalogue is a joy to watch. Pure magic.
    Trying to sample everything and so intrigued by the process and scent of Gardinia Enfleurage, I would love to try these samples.
    I’m from Ireland.
    Liked on Facebook too!

  • I live in Canada and Solstice scents was one of my first indie perfumers. What I found most interesting was the beginning of Angela’s journey. It does make sense that something like an interest in herbal uses and eastern medicine would lead to such smoky, strong scents. My favourites are Vanilla pipe tobacco and sychamore chai. They are smoky and spicy but sweet and remind me of cuddling up next to a fireplace with a cup of tea. Angela is truly an artist!!

  • US here! I absolutely love that Angela often uses notes from nature for her blends! I’ve been a fan of Solstice Scents for about a year now, and they’re my favorite perfumery, hands down. Their scents are so lifelike and visceral. I’m in love with Nightgown, Edge of the Night, and Smokewood Apiary. I’m not sure which I’d like to try next. Maybe Tropical Moon!

    I just liked the CaFleurbon Facebook page as well 🙂

  • "being a perfumer in America comes with the ability to be a sort of iconoclast, side-stepping the formulaic and reinterpreting the arrangement of notes or using more intense odors to achieve a specific emotional effect. Another interesting observation about American perfumery is that I've seen so many houses toeing the line of what is considered wearable. Risks are taken with aggressive notes like cade and birch tar and strange unconventional accords are created to sensational effect. These come together to produce some of the most interesting blends of our time and they make the wearer ask themselves, “Do I really want to smell like this?” The answer is yes". I have heard of Solstice Scents but never really looked into them. The quote above really speaks to what I like… I want to smell different, not like all those commercial fragrances out there. I would add shadows in the night should I win. I live in The USA, California

  • I like how Angela is so dedicated & passionate about her work.
    I haven’t had the pleasure of trying Solstice Scents yet .
    All the fragrances sound wonderful!! Would especially like to try Night Watcher. I live in the US

  • I really appreciate the lengths that Angela goes to to make scents that remind you of specific places or atmospheres. My favorite scent of hers is probably Pharaoh though… not because it makes me think of any one thing- it just smells so darn clean! Gotta love SS as well, just because they always offer good shipping rates to Canada (where I live).

  • Sara Schramm says:

    I am relatively new to Solstice Scents. I came across the website completely by accident. But now … I am hooked. I knew very little about the orgins of the products. It seems that a natural progression has occurred in the complexity of scents and the process. I would love to know even more about the process of the perfumery. I am insanely hooked on Hidden Lodge (as is my boyfriend ) and other items with a smoked essence . I live in Illinois, but I feel that I have a connection to the world through Solstice Scents.

  • I was interest to read more about Angela and Greg’s process to make the gardenia enfleurage. I can’t wait to one day smell it in White Feather.

    I’ve tried a bunch of Solstice Scents and am always impressed by the complexity and staying power. Some of my favourites are Hand of Darkness, Private Eye and Monarch. I like darker scents that wrap around you and make you feel like you’re near the ocean (HOD), in a private detective’s office (PE) or in a forest of huge trees (Monarch).
    The sample i would like to try next is Winter Dove.

    I live in Melbourne, Australia

  • Hi I’m from Malaysia and I was truly amazed with Angela’s story above about her upbringing and its relation to what she is doing today. Doing what you love and be able to do what you know you love to do is always something not hard yet not so easy thing to achieve in life – it requires determination, persistance besides hardwork and passion. I’ve never tried Solstice Scents before and it must be by luck that I’m here in this page to know more about Angela’s. I would love to try White Feather because it sounds like an oriental fragrance with an interesting blend of vanilla, saffron, amber etc…… Nevertheless, if I’m lucky enough I wish I can try GARDENIA ENFLEURAGE for its very natural, limited, and seasonal means. I’m looking forward to be Solstice Scents’ new user. Cheers

  • I love Angela’s dedication to capturing the true essence of gardenia in her enfleurage. Focusing 6+ weeks on the production of a single note is astounding! As someone who lives in the rural Midwest US, I understand how inspiring nature can be.
    If I am understanding this correctly, I choose one fragrance from the link given in the article. Since White Feather is already given in the sampler, I think I would like to try Smokewood Apiary! Thanks Solstice Scents for such a generous giveaway 🙂

  • I loved reading about how Angela fell in love with fragrance. Her experiments always produce something amazing. Her outlook is unique and inspiring and she’s a true artist. I live on the gulf coast and I love Solstice Scents. I love gourmand scents so I would love to try a sample of something different to open my horizons. I would love it if Angela picked it if I am lucky enough to win.

  • ciudad_duerpo says:

    Cool feature! I’m not surprised that she’s so inspired by the outdoors, as you can really tell by smelling her perfumes. I didn’t realize she makes her own gardenia enfleurage, that’s really cool. I really enjoy her woodsy inspired scents, including basically the entire Woodland Collection, and I also really enjoy Nag Champa. I’d really like to try out the White Feather and Estate Vanilla scents as I’ve heard great things about them. Solstice Scents’ customer service is wonderful too (they have super fast TAT and shipping)! The sample oil I would choose is Tenebrous Mist (I’m in the US).

  • Those trays of gardenia blossoms make me want to smell the resulting fragrance! I also love the photo of her work space; inspiring and exciting. Reading people’s positive comments on this line make me want to explore it further. I love that she wishes to explore uncommon scents. I would chose Maplewood Manor to sample. I am currently in Singapore.

  • I found it fascinating how Angela came to perfumery through aromatherapy etc. There seems to be so much room for so many viewpoints and voices in perfumery. And I really love the idea of aromatherapy, and other olfactory arts, informing perfumery. I’ve never heard of Solstice Scents, but from her website she seems both prolific and doing things of great interest to me. In particular Basilica, Shoikan Grove and Shadow of the Night caught my eye. I’m in Australia.

  • One of the things I loved about Angela’s story was how she was willing to embrace the thing she loved most and follow that dream. As an artist, I know how hard it can be to take that first adventurous step!
    I’m from Madison, Wisconsin.

  • Angela’s journey to perfume seems cohesive and grounded– from a childhood immersed in nature to adulthood venturing into herbalism and natural perfumes/ bath and body products, to making her own enfleurage and other extractions, to focusing on scent creation using a full palette and ‘hyper-realism’. I really enjoyed reading about her. Thank you!

    I have yet to try them. Picking one of the recently added scents that I want to sample most is hard–there are at least a dozen which sound like my cup of tea, including every one of the listed samples in the draw. I would choose SIROCCO
    USA fb liked

  • I enjoyed reading Angela’s profile. The childhood spent in
    harmony with nature was very important for the development of her creativity. I’m glad to hear about Jeane Rose’s influence. At this moment, I have not tried Solstice Scents perfumes yet, but I read many reviews and explored the site. The first thing that made me curious was on enfleurage. I am happy to read here how Angela and her husband do it. Thoughts on American Perfumery are always interesting. I love Angela’s observation: ” Indie perfumes allow a person to journey to a specific destination or be lost in abstraction but they don’t leave you smelling identifiable or predictable.” Night Watcher and Black Forest are among the perfumes I would like to try first. I know that Angela’s opus is huge and I will explore it sooner or later. I am in the EU, Croatia. Thank you.

  • Lovely read! I liked reading about her childhood with nature. I love nature and it would have been such a thrill for me to see deer outside my window. I have not tried anything from this house unfortunately.

    Canada

  • I love Angela’s work! I own over 50 of her roll on perfumes and counting. I found her through a friend years ago and I have been hooked since. Greetings from Orlando FL. 🙂

  • Lindsay Thomas says:

    I love that Angela is willing to take risks but also puts so much care into making sure she does the best work. Her scents are very evocative and unlike anything else I’ve come across. I’m a huge fan. I’m from Tampa, FL.

  • I was so interested to read the backstory on how Angela began her journey into perfumery. She is extremely talented. I have been wearing her scents for a couple years now, and they are pure magic. Each scent has depth and a story all it’s own. Now, they are all I wear. My dresser is covered with Solstice Scents products. I am a devoted fan. I wish her and Greg many more years of continued success. I’ll be right here waiting for the next newest scent!

  • I adore solstice scents! I have tried and enjoyed some of the amazing gourmand such as pumpkin spice latte, as well as the more resinous offerings. I like that Angela prefers to work with incense and resins, and that she prefers to contrast these with sweet notes. The sweet/smoky contrast is a favorite for me, too. I remember reading about Jeanne rose here on cafleurebon and it’s very interesting that she was such a huge influence on Angela! Very cool. In addition to the sampler mentioned, I would love to try white fox. I’m in the US, thanks!

  • Angela is an amazing perfumer! She sounds so talented and I loved hearing about her upbringing and how she got interested in perfumery. I would choose Conjure EDP along with the other goodies. I haven’t tried any fragrances from the house,but I wouldn’t mind starting in the near future. I’m in Canada and thank you so much for the draw.

  • I enjoyed reading Angela’s path to perfumery. She sounds very dedicated to her craft along with extremely talented. My choice for the sample would be Conjure. I have not tried any scents from this house yet.

    I’m international (Toronto)

  • I think what is most fascinating about Angelas journey is how ever since a young age by surrounding herself in nature she was able to have more of a deep appreciation for the things in nature and how they can work together to create a beautiful fragrance. I haven’t tried any Solstice Scents but the two I most want to try are Attic and Blackburns Parlor. And I live in Delmont, Pennsylvania, United States.