How our natural perfumes are made
The process for launching handmade perfumes on the European market is extensive for good reason, with safety and compliance being the top priority for all indie labs.
For us, the most important steps for launch was customer safety which is why all Quinn staff hold current certifications in ISO 22716 Lead Auditor accreditations. This may not be the sexiest first step to making a perfume, but it is necessary to ensure we deliver the best product to you and our lab is safe.
After this comes product development, in which we work with one trusted supplier who is also accredited for USDA Organic Program. We knew we wanted to work with a coconut carrier oil as it holds the longest shelf life for our products, and is light on the skin. After this it was a matter of ordering essential oils to create our chords.
When we create a scent we are inspired by the girl, most of our scents are named after girls we know in real life who embody the Quinn spirit to a certain degree. Casey is a stunning ex-model and creative based in LA and Liv is a childhood friend from back home in Melbourne. Both special and cool in their own unique ways, capturing their magic in a bottle is no easy task.
Beautiful, sunny Casey calls for sweet orange and jasmine, whereas trendy and edgy Liv can by captured in sandalwood and clove to reflect her gritty Melbourne life. Freddy is imaginary, we have just always loved the name and wanted to signify a unisex scent. In our minds, she (or he) is at a partying Berghain on a Saturday after a summer alfresco dinner with friends.
Of course, nature is an inextricable inspirational back drop to the creation of of scents that reflect these cool girls. The ability for perfume to transport the wearer to the wilderness should never be underestimated. As stated in Vogue, "As temperatures drop and the weather gets grey and misty, there’s nothing like your olfactive system to remind you that sun-kissed skin, true-blue skies and beautiful flowers exist in the world. That is the power of perfume." It is understandable why Mother Nature is the original muse.
The marrying of these two seemingly different concepts of a Berlin club smoking areas and Mother N was a difficult, but we believe achievable task. We spent months working on various combinations to ensure each scent had a distinct vibe. There are threads that combine all the scents, patchouli and musk spring to mind, however each perfume has unique elements that bring the the product to life in the most special way. We realized soon into the process the magic of working with oil perfumes and how they blend so uniquely to the skin. This means Quinn scents will always hold up a mirror to the wearer, creating the perfect blend of our vision for who each scent is with that of our customers.
Once our formulas were finalized, sample was sent to our external lab partners for safety assessments in according with EU regulations. Once approved, production begins.
When making batches we first mix the essential oil extrait and allow to sit for a number of days to ensure the chord has blended well before adding carrier oil to start the process again. Oil based perfumes have a life of their own, changing and maturing with time, another reason the end result is so special and results can vary slightly depending on multiple different factors. To avoid this, we try to let our formulations sit and each ingredient "get's to know" each other before bottling and arriving to the Quinn girls to make it their own.