ÇaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery: Miriam Carl of Kindred Earth Botanicals + The Bus to Veracruz Draw

miriam  carl kindred botanicals

Miriam Carl of Kindred Earth Botanicals

Profile:I was born on the winter solstice. My name, Miriam, is a bit unusual and old fashioned – a bit like me. I grew up in northern Illinois, with the forest preserve as my backyard. Our living room had a glass wall that faced the forest, and as a young girl I would simply sit and stare out, transfixed by the beauty and vastness of that world.

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Young Miriam

Exploring the woods behind the house was one of my favorite pastimes. I also remember the scent of lush, white and magenta peonies that grew in big bunches in our front yard.

peony

Peonies – an early scent memory

I've had an interest in scent for as long as I can remember. I was always very sensitive, and I believe that a keen sense of smell is a facet of that sensitivity. I also felt a kinship for things and times past; I loved Turner Classic Movies and old books. I think a feeling of longing is definitely connected to the world of perfume. I imagine other perfumers also have a strong sense of nostalgia.

 

aromatics

Handcrafted Soaps made with essential oils

I started making my own handcrafted soap when I was twelve. That was the beginning of my creative experiments with scent. I continued to make artisan soap for over ten years. In my mid twenties, I discovered essential oils and aromatherapy, and while I had enjoyed many other topics before, this was different – it felt like a calling. I started traveling to study more deeply, and this led me to meet many other individuals in the field. I was amazed by their intelligence and kindness. There was so much to be excited about. I completed a 400 hour clinical aromatherapy certification at The East West School for Herbal and Aromatic Studies, and I continue to learn everything I can.

beautiful flower

Rose by Candlelight

While I love the therapeutic power of aromatherapy, I also equally enjoy creating formulas just for the beauty of the scent. I strongly believe that the sense of smell is the most under acknowledged sense. I think many people are now waking up to how deeply it affects our lives. A truly wonderful scent becomes unforgettable; it will forever imprint itself into the limbic system. There's no other human sense that has such a direct connection to this emotional part of the brain. Helen Keller said it best: “A whiff of the universe makes us dream of worlds we have never seen, recalls in a flash entire epochs of our dearest experience."

cabin  miriam

Miriam Carl Exploring a Cabin in Winnetka Illinois

I think people are always looking for a transcendent experience, and when perfume is exceptional, it does offer that. I know of a man who argued that hurricanes can actually make people feel good. The idea is that they lift people out of an everyday malaise; a free-floating despair associated with the feeling that you’re not a part of the world or connected to the people in it. I think perfume has an oddly similar effect; it lifts people out of their mundane existence and it shows them a glimpse of another world; another place or time. It makes us feel something we have long forgotten, and it makes us dream again. There’s a lot of fragmentation and alienation in the modern world. I think that’s why so many of us are reconnecting with the earth in various ways. There’s a subconscious desire to gain what’s been lost.

beautiful bottles on a window sill with aromatics and essential oils

Miriam Carl creates tinctures and uses all botanical essences in her fragrances

In 2013, I founded my aromatherapy business: Kindred Earth Botanicals. I love to weave beauty, healing, poetry and seasonal wisdom together. As a budding perfumer, it’s a joy to add perfume to my offerings. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to study with both Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co, and Jessica Hannah (who won this year’s Art and Olfaction Award for Skive). At Kindred Earth Botanicals, I create my own handcrafted botanical tinctures, and I source only the finest natural materials from all over the world. It’s always so exciting to introduce these essences to my clients.

perfumers workspace

Essences and raw materials from Miriam’s Perfume Organ and Workspace

On American Perfumery: I’m still very much a beginner, so it’s taken some faith to just jump in and start creating. There is a quote by Michael Meade that comes to mind. "The hardest thing is to believe oneself, and yet there's really nothing else we have to offer." I think it’s a really exciting and ideal time to be a natural independent perfumer. While there are guidelines to perfume, there are no rules. If the scent is brilliant, it doesn’t matter how you got there. So we all find our own way.

 

the bus to vera cruz best book of 2015

The Bus to Veracruz by Richard Shelton is an Amazon.com Best  Book of 2015

Favorite American Artist: Richard Shelton is a poet who I deeply admire. He imprints themes of landscape, memory, and human nature in the reader’s mind. I can read “The Bus To Veracruz” over and over and still find new layers of meaning. The desert southwest is his muse; I hope to one day create a perfume that captures the beauty of that region. There is an undercurrent of sadness and even bleakness in his poetry, but he also alludes to glimpses of hope and renewal.

Miriam Carl, Owner and Perfumer for Kindred Earth Botanicals.

Kindred earth botanicals Visions in The Garden and CafeProvidence Perfumes

Kindred Earth Botanicals Visions in the Garden and Cafe Providence

Thanks to Miriam Carl we have a draw for a US or Canadian registered reader of their choice of full size bottle of either  Autumn Afternoon, Visions in the Garden, Labyrinth, Café Providence or a sampler set of all  four botanical perfumes. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you found fascinating about Miriam Carl’s path to perfumery and your choice of fragrance should you win. Draw closes September  9, 2015

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

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

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20 comments

  • I cannot help but think of Miriam as a highly empathic person, whose natural connectedness to her environment and memories inspire her work. I love that. I think that’s where my love of vintage things comes from, too. There’s a feeling of things treasured and loved and imbued with feeling. Wishing her much success!

  • Miriam, you seem like what some people would term an “old soul”. I think that’s wonderful and look forward to seeing (smelling) how that manifests in your creations. I choose the sample set should I be chosen. 🙂 usa

  • Miriam,
    I love following you on your path and seeing and sometimes smelling your beautiful creations. Peonies evoke childhood memories for me as well.
    You are truly a beautiful soul.
    A sampler set would be lovely.

  • Turner Classic Movies and books. Walking in the forest as a child. Peonies. So many things in common and her path of expression through scent. How lucky are WE?? As an Espresso Cafe owner, it would of course be Cafe Providence. I’m in the USA.

  • Miriam Carl is a born entrepreneur. the soaps pictured in the profile are really beautiful and her first entrepreneurial venture started at the age of only 12. Miriam reminds me many natural perfumers had broad exposure to nature in their childhood, hence, their gravitation towards natural perfumery. my choice will be Labyrinth. thanks for the generous draw. I am in the US

  • Miriam Carl’s path is not so unusual, though interesting. What surprises me is her wisdom, especially since she looks so young. Maybe it’s true that Capricorn is old when young and young when old. 🙂 Since I cannot decide which one I would like a full bottle of, I decided on the sampler. Lovely post.

  • “The hardest thing is to believe oneself, and yet there’s really nothing else we have to offer.” I love this quote! She’s right, there are no rules and brilliance is brilliance! I look forward to experiencing her work! Should I be chosen, I would like labyrinth. Thank you for the opportunity! I’m in the U.S.

  • I’m impressed with Miriam making soap at age twelve, and at her ability to combine her life long love of nature with some practical training. I like what she says about people’s need to reconnect with the earth and the transcendent power of perfume. If I should win, I choose Cafe Providence, I’m on the hunt for a good coffee note in perfume. Thanks Miriam and CaFleurebon for the chance.

  • I love so many things that are in this review- however the image of the young Miriam gazing transfixed at the pure wonder and beauty of the forest stays with me- what a lovely and profound way to begin the journey! If I were to be chosen I would love to receive the sample set of kindred earth botanical perfumes! Thank you for the inspiration and the chance at this dreamy prize

  • I can relate with Miriam Carl’s journey to perfumery. I started my own bath and body product business when I was 16. Though I have not yet studied perfume making, I am inspired by her passion for the craft. Scent is such a personal and impactful medium of art! I’d love to try Autumn Afternoon. I am in the US.

  • So well-written and evocative! I love the through-line that starts in childhood….a glass window facing the forrest? Unreal to a boy who grew up in a project hi-rise. Making soap at twelve, how adorable! I do like the proposition that the sense of smell has the strongest pull on our emotions. I’m in NYC in the USA and I think Autumn Afternoon is very “me.” Thanks!

  • I can’t enter but I loved reading the review! Thanks. There’s a beautiful energy about Miriam I can feel through reading this- Good luck with it all!

  • Miriam sounds like someone I’d love to sit with, share a cup of tea, and just talk. Her warmth and curiosity certainly comes through in this review. I love where she says that she used to just sit and stare transfixed at the forest behind her house. I believe in that restorative power of nature, and in fact think some of the world’s ills can be traced to our disconnect from nature. That sounds a blit deep, but i do believe we need that connection to earth, and Miriam embodies this. Those soaps are gorgeous! I wish she still offered them! I would pick the sampler set. USA. Thank for the review.

  • One day I took a homeopathic remedy for something and it accentuated my sense of smell which was normally very weak. As I walked around downtown I was aghast at the smells of cigarette smoke, car exhaust, and everything else that comes from urban life. I thought, the world stinks! LOL! It faded within hours. Aside from that fluke of an event, I do love the smell of nature’s gifts like jasmine & roses, and grass after the rain, and newborn babies, and elegant women with lovely perfumes. If I were so lucky as to win the draw, I would choose the sampler. Lovely review!

  • I love hearing Miriam’s thoughts on aromatherapy. I’m a huge fan of it as well. Its just really comforting and relaxing. My choice would be Labyrinth. I’m in Canada and thank you for the draw!

  • I can totally relate to Miriam’s early memories of exploring the woods! Everything comes full circle… once again, the woods are where I find comfort. I find this statement to be one I relate to as well: “I was always very sensitive, and I believe that a keen sense of smell is a facet of that sensitivity.” This speaks for itself. I think perfumers and those drawn to the art of scent are very sensitive souls. I would love to win a full size of Autumn Afternoon! Thanks, I’m in the US.

  • Great article! I also enjoyed exploring the woods near where I lived. Especially during the summers with my friends. I’ve also had a great interest in scent for as long as I can remember, which has gotten greater as I’ve aged. Miriam sounds like quite a talented person with tons of passion for what she does. I would love to win Cafe Providence.

    Canada

  • I found fascinating Miriam Carl’s path to perfumery fascinating and I agree that fragrance “lifts people out of their mundane existence and it shows them a glimpse of another world; another place or time. It makes us feel something we have long forgotten, and it makes us dream again”. I would choose the sampler set of all four botanical perfumes.

  • Miriam is an incredible woman. I loved reading all of her life, from growing up as a child, to her gift of perfumery. I agree that fragrance has a huge role in the lives of people. It can make us feel multiple sensations, at the same exact time. Keep up the excellent work Miriam! I would choose Labyrinth if I win. Thank you for the wonderful draw! I am in Canada