I have always been captivated by the power of scent.
My earliest memories of fragrances are intertwined with my mother's collection.
I remember the bright and rich floral notes of Cacharel's Anais Anais and the uniquely warm and ambery floral scent of Lou Lou. Sneaking into her room, I would spray myself with the alluring amber floral fragrance of Givenchy's Organza, as a little girl this gave me the aura of being both womanly and grown.
As I grew older, my own fragrance collection began its inception. I purchased Versace Blue Jeans, (considered more masculine at the time) with its aromatic fougere signature, and Elizabeth Arden's 5th Avenue with my everyday grab and go scent being the ever high street friendly So…?
My olfactory palette began to expand and evolve a year or so on, as I found myself drawn to scents such as Burberry Weekend, Moschino Cheap n Chic, and Anna Sui Dreams which were definite staples worn during my early secondary school years.
As time went on, my love for fragrance continued to grow. I discovered Nina Ricci's Nina, Gucci Rush, Paco Rabanne's Ultraviolet, Innocent - a flanker and more innocent version of the iconic Angel by Thierry Mugler and Emporio Armani She.
I was captivated by the fruity florals, ambers, musks, and gourmands that comprised these scents.
Throughout the years, my passion for scent remained constant. I became an avid customer of The Body Shop, and my mother's job at a distribution company (which ironically became my first job) and their relationship with having a Clarins account introduced me to more sophisticated body and skin products.
Clarins Par Amour EDP became one of my all-time favorite perfumes, and it sparked my love for the pink pepper note.
Candles, room sprays, reed diffusers, insense sticks and essential oils became staples in my life.
I found such comfort in home fragrances.
Molton Brown and Laura Ashley were among my favorite brands. I dabbled in aromatherapy and found solace in blending and creating scents.
It was after my endometriosis surgery of May 2022 that my passion for scent took on a new significance.
Dealing with chronic pain became a part of my everyday life, and I turned to scent as a form of therapy. I created essential oil blends to aid in pain relief, relaxation, and anxiety reduction.
The scents provided me with an escape from the discomfort within my body. I found comfort by diffusing the oil blends into room diffusers, spraying them into the air and onto handkerchiefs for inhalation, or applying them to blankets, hot water bottles, and heat pads.
This became my daily ritual. I even applied them directly onto my abdomen and back with carrier oils like coconut or sweet almond for their therapeutic and calming benefits.
As I delved deeper into scent creation, I began experimenting with oil-based perfumes 'Perfume oils.'
Their calming and revitalizing effects inspired me to explore further. Bergamot, lavender, lemongrass, frankincense, cardamom, jasmine and pink pepper became some of my favorite materials to use.
Simultaneously, as a musical artist (singer/songwriter), I found inspiration from the various scents while working on my musical compositions. The fragrances created atmospheres that transported me to different places in my mind, enhancing my creativity and songwriting process.
During this time, I also ventured into creating scented body products such as emulsifying shower scrubs, oils, and whipped shimmering body butters. These became beloved Christmas gifts for friends and family, with frequent requests for restocks.
However, as my passion for fine fragrance continued to grow stronger, I found myself becoming more obsessed with the art, craft and creation of Perfumery and with obtaining an understanding of how perfume and fragrances are truly created.
It was at this point that I decided to take perfumery more seriously. I'd had fun with essential oils and fragrance oils in the past but now I was keen to actively take the next steps into understanding Perfumery.
I delved into and dedicated myself to research, study, training, and reading and continued consistently with the creativity.
As a creative the only real way forward for me has always been by getting my hands dirty, (which is always accompanied by a fair share of trial and error) but I took the time to experiment with the craft of creating accords and scents.
In essence I would strive to emulate a story, concept, archetype or mood through the scents I was creating with the raw materials I was working with, creating scent stories which were directly inspired by my songs both sonically, texturally, lyrically and melodically.
And thus, Sense'N' by Sherif was born!
Sense'N' by Sherif represents the merging of my love for creating music and my love for creating and experiencing scent.
Through my exploration of sensory stimulation, I discovered how the senses can intertwine to create unique experiences of storytelling, euphoria, escapism and transcendence through music and scent.
VENUS is my first baby and the debut scent to emerge from Sense'N'
I can't wait to share more about how I came to create this scent in future posts as well as the inspiration, fragrance notes and ingredient's behind this fragrance and what it means to me.
The journey continues as I continue to deepen my learning. I strive to craft more captivating fragrances that evoke emotions, transport the senses, and create unforgettable experiences.
I am beyond excited to share the world of Sense'N with you and invite you to embark on this olfactory and sonic adventure with me.
Thank you for joining me on this ride!. I look forward to sharing so much more with you throughout this journey.
Leonie Sherif
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