Courtesy of Kirsten Menkes

Fragrance has always been a difficult item to purchase. The rows upon rows of celebrity-designer-branded scents can seem both daunting and confusing. But Kirsten Menkes and Ashlee Firsten of Aromachology have found a solution to this dilemma: customizable fragrances. Based on completing a profile quiz and sampling base smells together, you can have your own personal fragrance that suits who you are (and not who Paris Hilton is). Talking with Kirsten, we learned more about this unique process.

Pony: What was your inspiration to start Aromachology?

Kirsten: Aromachology was inspired from a deep love of fragrance and a desire to find the perfect scent that truly represents me. Since I was a little girl, I was fascinated by different smells and wore a specific perfume to try to match and articulate my mood. My partner Ashlee and I were on a quest to develop a product that was rooted in authenticity and gave people something they can be proud of and connect with.

Pony: How does it work? How can we customize our own fragrance with you?

Kirsten: The process begins with filling out our Scent Profile, which takes about 5 minutes at most, then we let you smell your blend based on what your answers told us (or what your nose likes best!) and tailor it to what you are feeling at that moment. We have 5 base personality blends: Sophisticated & Sensual Floral, Totally Edible Gourmand, Exotic & Spicy Oriental, Clean & Fresh Fresh and  Bold & Brisk Woodsy. After we have your base(s), we go through the 15 top notes or attributes such as Inspiring, Peaceful or Sexy, (and you can take a couple minutes to pick which you want to include based on attribute or smell) it takes about 3 minutes to blend…. and Voila, your own personal scent!

Pony: So, mood is definitely a key factor for the customization. What are some other aspects you consider?

Kirsten: We consider all sorts of things when matching people to create their perfect scent. We first take into account the answers from the Scent Profile, which ask everything from colours that inspire them, favorite ways to spend a vacation and particular smells that calm them when walking into a room – but we also take into account what kind of notes they are drawn to. Some people come to us and tell us that they hate floral smells, but since all our oils and blends are quite light and not overwhelming they are often surprised by what they end up liking. It brings us great joy to work with everyone to make them the perfect scent, we don’t let anyone leave without feeling proud and excited about their unique blend!

Pony: How would you describe your own unique blend? or Ashlee’s?

Kirsten: My customized scent is so different than Ashlee’s, we are two very different personalities with two very different scents! I like sweet smells and knew I would fall into the Gourmand base, as I’ve always been on the more edible and sweet smelling side of scent. I wear a Gourmand base with a touch of Fresh with top notes of Peaceful, Sensual and Comforting. Ashlee on the other hand wears a mix between the Floral and Woodsy bases with top notes of Sexy, Confident and Inspiring.

Courtesy of Kirsten Menkes

Pony: Have you considered branching out into other products?

Kirsten: We’ve already discussed and thought of our next product, but are still focusing all of our attention right now on the fragrances. It is what motivated us to start Aromachology and we will wait for the right time to launch a new product. But, it won’t be that far off!

Pony: What’s the biggest challenge about your job?

Kirsten: There are new challenges everyday! The greatest challenge right now is the demand. Since there are only two of us running every aspect of the company; from operations to public relations, we look to one another to get everything done and unfortunately, we can’t be everywhere! We’ve been in New York for the past few months focusing on our U.S. launch at Henri Bendel and Exhale Spa. We have received great amounts of interest internationally and locally and it is painful to have to turn opportunities away at this point. We’re focused on growing, but doing so at the right pace. It’s difficult to find the right balance to do it all!

Pony: Very true. So onto general perfume advice, how many different types should one person have?

Kirsten: Like perfume, that is so personal. For me, it’s important to have a variety of perfume at my disposal at all times. Because my mood is always changing, so should my fragrance. But, that’s my personal way of expressing myself. Some people prefer to express themselves with clothing, shoes, etc…mine just happens to be via smell!

Pony: What are your thoughts on all the celebrity fragrances out there?

Kirsten: Oh, don’t get us started on celebrity fragrances! They have oversaturated such a personal product by producing these blockbuster scents that have no backbone, no heart and therefore, to us, have no real staying power. If the celebrity actually knew a thing or two about fragrance or had any real involvement with creating the scent, maybe we wouldn’t be so quick to judge as a phony product with an unworthy price tag!

Pony: So you won’t be buying Paris Hilton’s Siren anytime soon I guess! Do you have any favourite fragrances apart from your line?

Kirsten: Aside from my different Aromachology blends made especially for me…Hanae Mori Butterfly, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist and Bvlgari Green Tea are among my favorites.

Pony: Finally, where can we buy Aromachology fragrances in Canada?

Kirsten: Right now, Aromachology can only be bought in Canada through our website, but we do make house calls and have people get in touch with us to come to our space to blend on site. We also host private perfume parties and other events and gatherings to satisfy people’s perfume preferences!

Courtesy of Kirsten Menkes

– The Cowgirls.