Aftelier Perfumes . . . divine scents from another time

Just walking into Mandy Aftel’s Berkeley laboratory makes one feel like they have traveled through the best eras of the past. At first one gets the feel of the 1970’s with the easy bohemian chic style of the Northern California woodsy house. But once in the bottle lined room, one feels transported to an ancient era where mystical men and women would conjure up miracles in elixirs and scents. I so loved meeting with magical Mandy and her perfumes, oils, and skin care serums are all exquisitely hand crafted and truly divine. Since my visit with her, I have been using her pure rose oil for face, patchouli body oil and various samples of her perfumes until I can figure out which I want to settle with.

Not only has Mandy been making hand crafted artisanal perfumes for over 30 years but she also has written six books three of which are on the world of natural scents. She has also just launched a line of Chef’s Essences with Williams and Sonoma to bring the exact taste and smell of a specific ingredient.

1) What got you on the path to handmade artisanal perfumes?

I will always remember the first (and only) perfume class I took, at a nearby aromatherapy studio, where the teacher laid out many small bottles of botanical essences for us to make our perfumes with. As I leaned over and smelled each one, I couldn’t believe what was happening inside of me: the essences were so transporting, so beautiful, so rich and complex and true – and yet so diverse and stinky and alive, I fell in love immediately. The magic of encountering a new oil is something that has never changed in the almost 2 decades that I’ve been working with natural essences. Whenever I think about creating a new perfume, the inspiration always comes from the aroma of an essence that thrills and delights me – something that I want to build an entire perfume around.

2) Both you and Alice Waters are pioneers in holistic, organic living and you both live in Berkeley. Do you think your environment helped this evolution?

In 1977, I happened to buy the house right behind the restaurant Chez Panisse, where Alice Waters had just begun to spread the gospel of locavorism. Three houses down is the original Peet’s Coffee, where Mr. Peet himself was roasting the beans. My block is still redolent with the smells of fresh coffee, vegetables roasting in Chez Panisse’s wood-fired oven, fresh herbs, lemon trees in bloom, and heritage roses. The simple, almost old-world aesthetic I was surrounded by spoke to me. I loved the unimposing scale of the houses, streets, and shops, and the incredible yet understated attention to detail. Here, I thought, was true Bohemia, and a reverence for things that were handmade – not just homemade, but embodying real craftsmanship and artistry, carrying with them the presence of the maker.

3) Are you a forest fairy or mermaid?

Definitely a mermaid – I love taking perfumed baths and cannot remember the last time I took a shower.  I created a line of bath oils because I love the way that a dropperful of essential oils in a hot bath diffuses the fragrance throughout the water and the air, and leaves a subtle trace of fragrance on my skin afterwards.

4) Which is your favorite scent and what is it made with?

Perfume Privé, which I created for myself, is my favorite fragrance, and also my most expensive! It includes four of the world’s rarest, costliest essences: orange flower, osmanthus, ambergris, and ambrette (botanical musk). I created it out of my curiosity: when I finally managed to acquire ambergris (a rare and elusive substance derived from a secretion of the sperm whale), I couldn’t wait to use it. I wanted to balance the intense beauty of the ambergris with essences that could hold their own; botanical musk and redolent florals.

5) What is your favorite place to visit?

Oaxaca, Mexico– I love the light, the way the sky looks, the beautiful Indian textiles and baskets, the aged patina of the buildings, and the colorful atmosphere in the streets.

6) When meeting you, I felt like I was entering another century where magical jars were filled with enchanted essences. Do you feel like we are craving some connection to our ancient past?

Well, I certainly crave that connection to the past – I live it every day, immersed in the same fragrant materials that have been used for centuries, from the ancient Egyptians and Romans through to Marie Antoinette. Luckily for my life as a perfumer, our human longings for things like adventure, and home, and even spirituality, are fulfilled through our appetite for aromas. Whatever the vehicle – flowers or food, incense or perfume – people in every time and place have gone out of their way to exercise and indulge their sense of smell. The new book I am writing looks at this common thread of scent woven into our human nature and history.

7) Your books are such excellent resources. What book is by your nightstand?

Most of my reading now is research for my new book; there are three books that I am in the middle of:  The Secret Power of Beauty: Why Happiness is in the Eye of the Beholder by John Armstrong, The Tree by John Fowles, and The Gardens of Adonis: Spices in Greek Mythology by Marcel Detienne.