Aromachology: Custom Scents That Make Sense

Aromachology can blend a custom fragrance, based on a short questionnaire.

We’re always on the search for perfumes that can become “the one” — our signature scent that meshes with our personality. But, like that perfect pair of jeans or little black dress, we have to try quite a few to find just the right fit. So we were intrigued when we heard of Aromachology, a Toronto-based fragrance line that not only offers five scents to match various moods, but also has a create-your-own fragrance option based on a personality questionnaire. Your answers match you with one of the five bases — Sophisticated & Sensual, Totally Edible, Exotic & Spicy, Clean & Fresh and Bold & Brisk — and then three top notes also are selected from a variety of 15 for a custom blend.

“Like any other accessory, perfume is an expression of yourself,” says Kirsten Menkes, who founded Aromachology with Ashlee Firsten. “We all want to be a little different sometimes — own something one-of-a-kind. And now with Aromachology we’re making it much more accessible for people to do that with their scents.”

The short, multiple-choice Scent Profiler includes questions such as, “Your ideal vacation consists of … ” and “The outfit that completes you is your ….” Rather than a typical fragrance description, we think each base explanation reads like a fun astrological chart. Sophisticated & Sensual, for example, begins with, “Like the soft and feminine petals of a flower, you move with grace, dignity and enthusiasm throughout life. You appreciate all aesthetic pleasures; like finding the brilliance that flowers and candles can bring to any room or being inspired by music, dance or art.”

The Scent Profiler also asks you to pick three answers to complete “I aspire to be … ” with such choices as creative (juniper berry and carnation), inspiring (orange and lemon), courageous (frankincense and ginger) and open-minded (orange blossom and vanilla). Menkes and Firsten, who has a background in chemical engineering, launched with a pop-up store in September 2009 during the Toronto International Film Festival, drawing the attention of Sherri Shepherd and the Jonas Brothers. The fragrances are available at Henri Bendel’s New York location or online (a five-base sampler is $60, bases and custom blends are $160 per 100 mL bottle or $70 per 5 mL travel size).

We loved filling out the questionnaire to determine what kind of scent fit with our personality. And with all the celeb perfumes, it’s about time we have one of our own. What do you think of customized fragrances?

Tags: Aromachology, Ashlee Firsten, chemical engineering, Cosmetics, Film, founder, Fragrances, Henri Bendel, Hospitality/Recreation, Kirsten Menkes, New York City, Note, Olfaction, Oro, Perfume, Perfumery, September, Sherri Shepherd, the Toronto International Film Festival, Toiletry, Toronto, USD