Natural Perfumer Chris Schaefer of Opalescent Perfumes

PROFILE: I was raised in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California in a small neighborhood surrounded by orange groves.  Those groves were our playgrounds and even now the scent of orange blossoms and oranges themselves bring back a host of memories.  We had a large yard and my mom planted lots of flowers and established lovely garden areas.  When I was old enough it was my job to water the rose garden.  We had a honeysuckle vine on a trellis right outside of the back door and I recall the delightful fragrance and how we loved to suckle the the sweet nectar from the delicate white blossoms.  I am fairly sure this is where my roots in the love of fragrances began to sprout in my life.

Chris as a Young Girl

Although both of my parents were only children, my sister, brother and I grew up with a large extended family.  We were also fortunate to have our grandparents living close to us.  My grandfather was a man of quiet, gentle demeanor, but he also had an exciting imagination.  He had immigrated from Sweden when he was 15.  He worked as a miner for a time and eventually started his own lumber company.  He built his own home in the valley and while it was a quite traditional dwelling, there was one special room; my grandfather's den.  His den had an acoustic “popcorn” ceiling which he had painted silver and there was redwood on the floor and walls.  This would be where he would read to me , teach me Swedish phrases, and tell me tales of the “old country” where he had come from.  Once I asked why this room was so different from the rest of the house and his reply is one that rings in my memories.  He explained that this room was where he could come and imagine the forests of his childhood with the stars shining brightly above him.  I have never forgotten this special room and I feel that it was from my grandfathers influence that I inherited my love of whimsy and magic.

Scents with a View Southern California Mountains inspire Chris

Although we lived in the valley we spent much time in the mountains of Southern California.  I may have been born a “valley girl” but my heart has always been in the mountains.  I always loved life in Big Bear Lake.  After I attended college in Sonoma County majoring in psychology, I returned to live full time in Big Bear. 

The Beauty of Nature (photo Chris)

Eventually I married and we had two sons.  We really did have a wonderful life there.  After about 20 years we decided to make the move to Trinity County, California where we were happily semi-retired enjoying the beauty and recreational opportunities of this special place.  I love to raft the Trinity River and I even learned to fly fish for the salmon that graced our river.  However, my husband became very ill and passed away in 2001.  While grieving and getting my foundation under me again I wondered what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.  After a series of false starts I decided that I wanted to explore some way of creating health and well being for myself and others. 

Chris 'swork space and perfumer's organ natural essences

I enrolled in the American College of Healthcare Sciences where I successfully completed courses in Health and Herbalism; and Aromatherapy.  It was from the experience I had when I completed the unit on Natural Perfumery that I became hooked on the fragrance world.  I bought Mandy Aftel's workbook and then went on to working with Mandy through her levels of instruction on natural perfumery.  This was an awesome experience for me as I developed my skills.  Since then I have been constantly working to always grow in my knowledge of natural perfumes.  I enjoy collecting textbooks and manuals from other perfumers.  It is enlightening for me to see how different perfumers develop their creations and to learn of the various procedures that they follow.  I am continuing to explore my place in this unique world of fragrance and personal care products.  I am developing a range of skin care products as well as a line of meditation/journeying essential oils.  I feel these exquisite fragrances have a spiritual healing place in our lives.

 

Chris at her Perfume Organ

ON AMERICAN PERFUMERY: I continue to find this to be an incredibly exciting time to be an indie perfumer.  There are so many amazing talents continually stretching the boundaries of the art to new and more captivating levels.  Many people are creating their own raw materials from their personal gardens. 

I can't wait for Anya McCoy's book, “Perfume From Your Garden”, to be published.  What a great opportunity to enrich my own skill set.  Plus, if you are willing to work hard and learn your art; creating beautiful fragrances is certainly possible.  My organ is a shelf in my spare bedroom.   My partner Jack and I live on an 18 acre parcel in a small town (less than 200 people) in Trinity County.  We have a vegetable garden where I also grow my herbs.  I also have lilacs, wild roses and loads of other plants and flowers .  We also have a lovely large deer herd and hordes of hummingbirds that feast on my aromatic flowers as well as the sugar water in their feeders.  I am surrounded by a lovely variety of fragrances that change throughout the seasons, like the smell of fresh blackberries in the hot summer sun.  I am constantly inspired by the plants and animals surrounding me.  I love the scents of my home; the trees, the mosses, the flowers, the herbs and veggies.  I have been exploring using as many raw materials from my home as I can in my perfumes.  I am also inspired by other perfumers who are reaching into uncharted territories.  Through social media and my membership as a certified natural perfumer in the Natural Perfumers Guild I am able to connect with other artists working in this field and learn more about them as well as have opportunities to learn what inspires others.  Who would have ever thought that there would be such an on-line presence for perfumers and their perfumes?

Opal sculpture Thomas Harth Ames

FAVORITE AMERICAN ARTIST: One of my favorite American artists is Thomas Harth Ames.  He is a self taught sculptor, born in 1948 who works primarily with gemstones.  I love what he creates with the contra luz opals.  They are unique in that they do not display fire when lit from the front, but when light shines through the opal, it explodes with fire.  He has carved a series of gorgeous scenes on contra luz of the mountains of Washington. 

And the opal itself then captures the light show that is the Aurora Borealis.  It is spectacular and ethereal.  His work aligns with what I endeavor to create with my perfumes.  A scent that is lucid, ethereal and transparent.  I work to create something that sparks a memory, or inspires a quiet, but lasting impression.  My perfumes will never overwhelm.  I want my scents to represent a special moment in time, one that can capture someone in the fleeting moment and take them back to the unique place in time again and again.

Chris Schaefer, Founder and Perfumer for Opalescents

Thanks to Chris we have a draw as follows for our registered readers

USA:  Choose a full size (¼ oz) Bottle of three perfumes Aura, Kalos or Mystique

USA and WORLDWIDE: Sampler of Aura, Kalos, Mystique

To be eligible please leave a comment with what you found fascinating  with what you find fascinating about Chris’s path to perfumery and your choice of fragrance should you win. Draw closes January 30, 2016

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

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